Karen poisoned me yesterday. I'm just kidding, because I suck at getting sick.
Yesterday morning, I didn't feel quite right. And naturally, we had a lot planned for the day. My parents had wanted to go to dim sum with us for the new year. As well, my friends (Cass and Ellen) were having a birthday party for their daughter.
Needless to say, I wasn't feel too good for either dim sum or the birthday party. I practically didn't eat all day, which is a rarity for me. So something had to be up. And unfortunately, my condition grew worse as the day went on. So by the time the birthday party came, I was getting shivers.
And naturally, I wasn't thinking too clearly because when I got home after the party I thought it was a good idea to install a ceiling light. Maybe I should get sick more often so that I would actually accomplish more home improvement projects. Oh well.
Shortly after installing the light, I went straight to bed... at eight o'clock... another rarity for me. We have a heated mattress pad, and I remember thinking why am I so cold when I have so many layers of clothes on and the heated mattress pad is turned on. Eventually, I did fall asleep only to wake up in the middle of the night thinking that I am so hot with all these layers of clothes on... with the heated mattress pad on.
Luckily for me, I am feeling much better today. My bug seems to be only a 24 hour bug. Unfortunately, I may have gotten my two year old (Briana) sick.
Showing posts with label cass. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cass. Show all posts
Sunday, February 17, 2013
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 Basketball
On Friday, I met up with my friends (Cass and Marc) in town. For some time, the three of us have been going to a basketball game for my birthday. I'm not exactly sure how the tradition started, but the annual event is one of the few things that I look forward from year to year because it's a chance to just hang out with the guys, which for me is sometimes difficult to do at times being a parent of two.
Needless to say, it was a great time especially since by Friday my mind is usually mush from work. Anyway, we started the night off with dinner at Hurricane O'Reilly's. The food was good. I had the Hurricane Burger. And because I like girlie drinks, I had a drink known as a Pineapple Pleasure. I ordered the drink for its fruity nutritional content of course.
From there, we went to the basketball game at the Garden where the hometown team (Celtics) were playing the Chicago Bulls. For anyone curious, the Bulls ended up winning the game 100-99 in overtime. Now, I suck at basketball. On Friday night, I would have to say the Celtics sucked at basketball. Aside from Rajon Rondo, the Celtics seemingly missed every shot. The Celtics never had the lead in the game until midway through the fourth and final quarter. And unfortunately, they relinquished that lead due to some shady officiating where an attempt to foul turned into a jump ball. They even had the lead in overtime, but they left too much time on the clock for the Bulls to score the final basket.
Sure, it was a disappointing loss. I think watching the fans on the jumbotron was probably more exciting. Mental note: to get on the jumbotron, wear an ugly sweatshirt with a howling wolf on it the next time I attend a game. There was a fan who wore just that... and was on the jumbotron all the time because whenever he was shown, the entire place started howling. It was comical.
Oh, and I'd have to say that one of the other memorable things about the game was the national anthem. The anthem was sung by this really young girl who did an amazing job. I was quite impressed by how well she sang, as were the rest of the fans.
The only other notable thing from the game was that one of Karen's coworkers also attended the game. Karen told me to look for her coworker behind the Celtics bench. Needless to say, I looked... but couldn't see her. Oh well. At least I looked.
Needless to say, it was a great time especially since by Friday my mind is usually mush from work. Anyway, we started the night off with dinner at Hurricane O'Reilly's. The food was good. I had the Hurricane Burger. And because I like girlie drinks, I had a drink known as a Pineapple Pleasure. I ordered the drink for its fruity nutritional content of course.
From there, we went to the basketball game at the Garden where the hometown team (Celtics) were playing the Chicago Bulls. For anyone curious, the Bulls ended up winning the game 100-99 in overtime. Now, I suck at basketball. On Friday night, I would have to say the Celtics sucked at basketball. Aside from Rajon Rondo, the Celtics seemingly missed every shot. The Celtics never had the lead in the game until midway through the fourth and final quarter. And unfortunately, they relinquished that lead due to some shady officiating where an attempt to foul turned into a jump ball. They even had the lead in overtime, but they left too much time on the clock for the Bulls to score the final basket.
Sure, it was a disappointing loss. I think watching the fans on the jumbotron was probably more exciting. Mental note: to get on the jumbotron, wear an ugly sweatshirt with a howling wolf on it the next time I attend a game. There was a fan who wore just that... and was on the jumbotron all the time because whenever he was shown, the entire place started howling. It was comical.
Oh, and I'd have to say that one of the other memorable things about the game was the national anthem. The anthem was sung by this really young girl who did an amazing job. I was quite impressed by how well she sang, as were the rest of the fans.
The only other notable thing from the game was that one of Karen's coworkers also attended the game. Karen told me to look for her coworker behind the Celtics bench. Needless to say, I looked... but couldn't see her. Oh well. At least I looked.
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.
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.
Monday, December 17, 2012
I Suck At Santa
I suck at Santa... probably because there aren't too many Asian Santas out there. Luckily for me, I don't have to be Santa.
For the past several years, Karen's father has donned on the big red suit, big black boots, felt bag, and sparkly key for children of all ages to see. He says he enjoys seeing the kids look at him with wonder and awe, particularly his grandkids for whom he has been entertaining the past years.
Yesterday, however, I'm not so sure he quite enjoyed the experience. Karen and I invited our friends (Cass, Ellen, and Meredith) over to our house for a special Santa visit. Their respective children are around my two year old daughter's (Briana) age. My parents, and my in-laws also came over to share in on the fun.
Briana is actually the oldest of the bunch. One probably would not have guessed that she were the oldest, based on her reaction yesterday. After all, of all the children there, Briana was the only one who broke down in tears when she saw Santa. Granted, none of the other children were that keen on seeing Santa either. They were all pretty much scared of the man in the big red suit.
They loved the presents of course... just not the person pulling out the presents out of the bag. Anyway, it made for an interesting Santa experience. I'm curious as to why some children are afraid of Santa. I think my nephew and niece were also afraid of him when they were around Briana's age as well.
On the plus side, it was fun hanging out with Cass, Ellen, and Meredith. It was like a play date of sorts.
For the past several years, Karen's father has donned on the big red suit, big black boots, felt bag, and sparkly key for children of all ages to see. He says he enjoys seeing the kids look at him with wonder and awe, particularly his grandkids for whom he has been entertaining the past years.
Yesterday, however, I'm not so sure he quite enjoyed the experience. Karen and I invited our friends (Cass, Ellen, and Meredith) over to our house for a special Santa visit. Their respective children are around my two year old daughter's (Briana) age. My parents, and my in-laws also came over to share in on the fun.
Briana is actually the oldest of the bunch. One probably would not have guessed that she were the oldest, based on her reaction yesterday. After all, of all the children there, Briana was the only one who broke down in tears when she saw Santa. Granted, none of the other children were that keen on seeing Santa either. They were all pretty much scared of the man in the big red suit.
They loved the presents of course... just not the person pulling out the presents out of the bag. Anyway, it made for an interesting Santa experience. I'm curious as to why some children are afraid of Santa. I think my nephew and niece were also afraid of him when they were around Briana's age as well.
On the plus side, it was fun hanging out with Cass, Ellen, and Meredith. It was like a play date of sorts.
Saturday, December 15, 2012
I Suck At Holiday Parties
Tonight was my BFF's (Kerry) birthday. Happy birthday Kerry!
Tonight also happened to be Kerry's annual holiday party. Now, I suck at holiday parties. This was not just any annual holiday party. Tonight was Kerry's 10th annual holiday party... and according to Kerry, her last holiday party.
So in a way, this was Kerry's annual holiday party to end all holiday parties. And for a final farewell party, I had a great time.
Of course, I was a bit late to the party. I ran a quick errand to Staples to pick up some batteries, which would be free after getting Staples Rewards. Little did I know, when I did arrive to Kerry's party, I would be the topic of conversation.
The topic was about coupons and my apparent obsession with them. Personally, I don't think I have an obsession. I happen to enjoy items that are free. And most of the items that I get for free are a means to an end.
For example, prior to tonight's party I made a trip to my local Target. I needed to reach $50 at Target to get a $10 gift card. It just so happens that I could get floss for free thanks to some coupons. Now, I don't technically need floss. But in this case, the floss was my means to an end. I needed to purchase $50 worth of items, and the floss helped me do that... and after coupons they were free. So they served a purpose by helping me get that $10 gift card.
For anyone curious, I didn't keep the floss. I gave them to my mom who was watching my kids tonight while Karen and I attended the party. She also ended up with some deodorant... which was another topic of discussion because I haven't been as diligent in finding a new home for the free deodorant. Sadly, Karen and I have about 12 things of deodorant. Even if Karen and I do smell and stink up the joint, that's still a lot of deodorant to go through.
Needless to say, my friends got some big laughs over my coupon abilities. Joining in on the festivities of Kerry's party were my friends (Marc, Kelley, Cass, Ellen, Garv, Leeann, Andrea, Samantha, Steve, Jen, and Hot Amy) and my favorite sister-in-law (Janine). It was definitely good to see everyone. I had a good time.
Karen is still threatening to write a blog about living with me and my seemingly bizarre habits, which was another topic of discussion. I'd definitely be curious to read that. So we'll see if that ever comes about.
Anyway, it was a nice party to end all holiday parties. Hopefully Kerry had a good time and enjoyed her birthday.
Tonight also happened to be Kerry's annual holiday party. Now, I suck at holiday parties. This was not just any annual holiday party. Tonight was Kerry's 10th annual holiday party... and according to Kerry, her last holiday party.
So in a way, this was Kerry's annual holiday party to end all holiday parties. And for a final farewell party, I had a great time.
Of course, I was a bit late to the party. I ran a quick errand to Staples to pick up some batteries, which would be free after getting Staples Rewards. Little did I know, when I did arrive to Kerry's party, I would be the topic of conversation.
The topic was about coupons and my apparent obsession with them. Personally, I don't think I have an obsession. I happen to enjoy items that are free. And most of the items that I get for free are a means to an end.
For example, prior to tonight's party I made a trip to my local Target. I needed to reach $50 at Target to get a $10 gift card. It just so happens that I could get floss for free thanks to some coupons. Now, I don't technically need floss. But in this case, the floss was my means to an end. I needed to purchase $50 worth of items, and the floss helped me do that... and after coupons they were free. So they served a purpose by helping me get that $10 gift card.
For anyone curious, I didn't keep the floss. I gave them to my mom who was watching my kids tonight while Karen and I attended the party. She also ended up with some deodorant... which was another topic of discussion because I haven't been as diligent in finding a new home for the free deodorant. Sadly, Karen and I have about 12 things of deodorant. Even if Karen and I do smell and stink up the joint, that's still a lot of deodorant to go through.
Needless to say, my friends got some big laughs over my coupon abilities. Joining in on the festivities of Kerry's party were my friends (Marc, Kelley, Cass, Ellen, Garv, Leeann, Andrea, Samantha, Steve, Jen, and Hot Amy) and my favorite sister-in-law (Janine). It was definitely good to see everyone. I had a good time.
Karen is still threatening to write a blog about living with me and my seemingly bizarre habits, which was another topic of discussion. I'd definitely be curious to read that. So we'll see if that ever comes about.
Anyway, it was a nice party to end all holiday parties. Hopefully Kerry had a good time and enjoyed her birthday.
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.
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.
Tuesday, November 6, 2012
I Suck At Halloween
Due to Hurricane Sandy, the town of Norwell rescheduled its celebration of Halloween to Saturday. Too bad I suck at Halloween.
Truth be told, it was actually pretty nice to celebrate Halloween on the weekend. After all, the rescheduled date allowed for Karen's cousin (Karlene) and Karlene's husband (Tommy) to venture down from the always likable city known as Lowell to see their godchild, my eight month old daughter (Bridget).
In addition, my friends (Cass and Ellen) came down to celebrate Halloween. Cass and Ellen's daughter was sick on the actual date of Halloween in her city. Consequently, we had invited them down to partake in the trick-or-treating that she had missed.
Needless to say, it was a fun Halloween. This year was the first year that my two year old daughter (Briana) actually went around the neighborhood to trick-or-treat. The previous times, we had just taken her to our next door neighbors. But this year was the year... and she did great.
Dressed as a frog, she actually went door to door around the neighborhood. Granted, she only made it down one block before she got tired and wanted to go home, but it was a start. I know she definitely enjoyed getting candy to fill her little pumpkin.
Following the trick-or-treating fun, all of us headed back to our place where we just hung out for a little while. Briana did something she had never done before: show Cass and Ellen's daughter her room.
All in all, it was a good Halloween.
Truth be told, it was actually pretty nice to celebrate Halloween on the weekend. After all, the rescheduled date allowed for Karen's cousin (Karlene) and Karlene's husband (Tommy) to venture down from the always likable city known as Lowell to see their godchild, my eight month old daughter (Bridget).
In addition, my friends (Cass and Ellen) came down to celebrate Halloween. Cass and Ellen's daughter was sick on the actual date of Halloween in her city. Consequently, we had invited them down to partake in the trick-or-treating that she had missed.
Needless to say, it was a fun Halloween. This year was the first year that my two year old daughter (Briana) actually went around the neighborhood to trick-or-treat. The previous times, we had just taken her to our next door neighbors. But this year was the year... and she did great.
Dressed as a frog, she actually went door to door around the neighborhood. Granted, she only made it down one block before she got tired and wanted to go home, but it was a start. I know she definitely enjoyed getting candy to fill her little pumpkin.
Following the trick-or-treating fun, all of us headed back to our place where we just hung out for a little while. Briana did something she had never done before: show Cass and Ellen's daughter her room.
All in all, it was a good Halloween.
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.
Tuesday, October 30, 2012
I Suck At Gymboree
This past Friday, Karen and I took our two year old daughter (Briana) and our eight month old daughter (Bridget) to Gymboree. For the four of us, it was our first time at Gymboree. I guess you can say that I suck at Gymboree.
Anyway, Gymboree was having a Halloween party for kids on Friday. Our friends (Cass and Ellen), who have a daughter that goes to Gymboree, organized the outing. So in addition to them, my friend (Meredith) and her son also attended.
Needless to say, it was quite the fun time. Of course, it seems like any outing on a Friday night would be a fun time. I almost forgot what it feels like to go out on a Friday night since we seldom do it any more.
I think the kids enjoyed it as well. Well, I think Briana enjoyed it. Bridget still isn't walking yet. So how much fun can an eight month old have crawling around and watching other kids run around? And I must say, the staff (of two) at Gymboree is very good. They did an excellent job entertaining the gazillion (or maybe twenty) children that were there.
And following the Halloween party, all of us headed back to Cass and Ellen's to hang out. Cass and Ellen were gracious enough to make dinner for everyone which was quite nice. I think for some, it was a good time to hang out and chat about parenting. And in some ways, it was good to hear that some of the challenges that Karen and I faced are common challenges faced by other parents.
All in all, it was an enjoyable family outing.
Anyway, Gymboree was having a Halloween party for kids on Friday. Our friends (Cass and Ellen), who have a daughter that goes to Gymboree, organized the outing. So in addition to them, my friend (Meredith) and her son also attended.
Needless to say, it was quite the fun time. Of course, it seems like any outing on a Friday night would be a fun time. I almost forgot what it feels like to go out on a Friday night since we seldom do it any more.
I think the kids enjoyed it as well. Well, I think Briana enjoyed it. Bridget still isn't walking yet. So how much fun can an eight month old have crawling around and watching other kids run around? And I must say, the staff (of two) at Gymboree is very good. They did an excellent job entertaining the gazillion (or maybe twenty) children that were there.
And following the Halloween party, all of us headed back to Cass and Ellen's to hang out. Cass and Ellen were gracious enough to make dinner for everyone which was quite nice. I think for some, it was a good time to hang out and chat about parenting. And in some ways, it was good to hear that some of the challenges that Karen and I faced are common challenges faced by other parents.
All in all, it was an enjoyable family outing.
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.
Monday, September 3, 2012
I Suck At Cookouts
Yesterday, my friends (Cass and Ellen) invited Karen, my two year old daughter (Briana), my six month old daughter (Bridget) and I over for a cookout. Too bad I suck at cookouts.
We actually ran a little late to the cookout as we made a pit stop at the Walgreens in Quincy. Mental note: do not shop at Walgreens ever again. We stopped at Walgreens as we had earned a couple of their register rewards. The only problem was that those rewards expired yesterday.
Needless to say, the sales associate was adamant that only one coupon/register reward could be used per item even though a few days ago I was able to combine them with a manufacturer's coupon in a different store. Rather than argue, I bought the bare minimum to get rid of the "rewards". But like I said, unless I really have to... I'll never shop at Walgreens again until they change their "rewards" policy.
Anyway, Cass and Ellen's was a great time. Joining in on the shindig were my friends (Marc, Kelley, Garv, Leeann, Andrea) and my BFF (Kerry). Aside from just the silliness and general fun that all of us have together, I think what I found quite interesting was that Cass and Ellen seem to have the same issues that I frequently find myself facing while raising children. So it's good to know that it's not just me.
One of the issues that I personally find when raising children is being social in group settings. All too often, either Karen or I will have the opportunity to be social within a group because the other person most likely is taking care of the children. It's just how it is. So for me, it was good to hear that my turning into a recluse is not uncommon.
Regardless, I had a great time at the cookout hanging out with everyone. It was fun as usual.
We actually ran a little late to the cookout as we made a pit stop at the Walgreens in Quincy. Mental note: do not shop at Walgreens ever again. We stopped at Walgreens as we had earned a couple of their register rewards. The only problem was that those rewards expired yesterday.
Needless to say, the sales associate was adamant that only one coupon/register reward could be used per item even though a few days ago I was able to combine them with a manufacturer's coupon in a different store. Rather than argue, I bought the bare minimum to get rid of the "rewards". But like I said, unless I really have to... I'll never shop at Walgreens again until they change their "rewards" policy.
Anyway, Cass and Ellen's was a great time. Joining in on the shindig were my friends (Marc, Kelley, Garv, Leeann, Andrea) and my BFF (Kerry). Aside from just the silliness and general fun that all of us have together, I think what I found quite interesting was that Cass and Ellen seem to have the same issues that I frequently find myself facing while raising children. So it's good to know that it's not just me.
One of the issues that I personally find when raising children is being social in group settings. All too often, either Karen or I will have the opportunity to be social within a group because the other person most likely is taking care of the children. It's just how it is. So for me, it was good to hear that my turning into a recluse is not uncommon.
Regardless, I had a great time at the cookout hanging out with everyone. It was fun as usual.
Monday, August 20, 2012
I Suck At Chili's
On Saturday, my friends and I celebrated my friend's (Cass) birthday by dining out at Chili's in Braintree. Now, I suck at Chili's. I haven't been to Chili's in a very long time. In fact, I haven't been to the Chili's in Braintree in God knows how long. I think the last time may have been in college.
Nevertheless, Chili's was the location of choice by the birthday boy. By the way, happy birthday Cass! As usual, it was good to see everyone. Besides Karen, my two year old daughter (Briana), my five month old daughter (Bridget) and I, joining in on the celebration were my friends (Marc, Kelley, Ellen), my BFF (Kerry), and Cass and Ellen's year and half old daughter.
Like most outings, however, I did not exactly get to partake in many of the conversations. Parental duties and all. So I can't really recap any topics of discussion. Nonetheless, it was a good time.
The party actually moved on to Kerry's new house afterwards, sans Cass, Ellen and their daughter. We did not stay too long at Kerry's as it was getting late for the kids. But while there, I did get to christen her bathroom to which I'm sure Kerry was elated with.
All in all, it was a fun day.
Nevertheless, Chili's was the location of choice by the birthday boy. By the way, happy birthday Cass! As usual, it was good to see everyone. Besides Karen, my two year old daughter (Briana), my five month old daughter (Bridget) and I, joining in on the celebration were my friends (Marc, Kelley, Ellen), my BFF (Kerry), and Cass and Ellen's year and half old daughter.
Like most outings, however, I did not exactly get to partake in many of the conversations. Parental duties and all. So I can't really recap any topics of discussion. Nonetheless, it was a good time.
The party actually moved on to Kerry's new house afterwards, sans Cass, Ellen and their daughter. We did not stay too long at Kerry's as it was getting late for the kids. But while there, I did get to christen her bathroom to which I'm sure Kerry was elated with.
All in all, it was a fun day.
Saturday, June 2, 2012
I Suck At Cookouts
On Sunday, Karen, my two year old daughter (Briana), my three month old daughter (Bridget) and I were invited to a cookout. Now, I suck at cookouts. This particular cookout was hosted by my friends (Cass and Ellen) in Quincy. It was actually good to see them, as I haven't really seen them in quite some time. Joining in on the shindig were my friends (Marc, Kelley, Garv, Leeann, Andrea, Aimee, and Meredith), my BFF (Kerry), Aimee's children, and Meredith's son.
Luckily for Cass, he had finished his backyard project just in time for the cookout. He added a little patio in his yard, apparently with the use of a Dingo (not the dog, but the compact loader). I never heard of a Dingo until Sunday. I think though, I still want a Bobcat for my mechanized fun.
As is commonplace these days, I felt like I really didn't see much of any of my friends while I was at the cookout in part because I apparently had parenting duties that day. The highlights that I remember were talking to Leeann about being an elected official since she seemed a little too interested in being an elected official, and hearing about Kerry's house hunting exploits. Kerry apparently was house hunting Sunday morning and liked a house enough to contemplate making an offer.
Aside from that, I remember bits and pieces of other things like Andrea's desire to see Rock of Ages, devouring a whole slew of bacon wrapped string beans, and Aimee giving Briana some Capri Sun. I guess that's not totally true. While watching Briana, I did get a chance to see Cass and Ellen's remodeled bathroom. The new bathroom looks great.
All in all, it was definitely good to see everyone and have some fun.
Luckily for Cass, he had finished his backyard project just in time for the cookout. He added a little patio in his yard, apparently with the use of a Dingo (not the dog, but the compact loader). I never heard of a Dingo until Sunday. I think though, I still want a Bobcat for my mechanized fun.
As is commonplace these days, I felt like I really didn't see much of any of my friends while I was at the cookout in part because I apparently had parenting duties that day. The highlights that I remember were talking to Leeann about being an elected official since she seemed a little too interested in being an elected official, and hearing about Kerry's house hunting exploits. Kerry apparently was house hunting Sunday morning and liked a house enough to contemplate making an offer.
Aside from that, I remember bits and pieces of other things like Andrea's desire to see Rock of Ages, devouring a whole slew of bacon wrapped string beans, and Aimee giving Briana some Capri Sun. I guess that's not totally true. While watching Briana, I did get a chance to see Cass and Ellen's remodeled bathroom. The new bathroom looks great.
All in all, it was definitely good to see everyone and have some fun.
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
I Suck At b.Good
For Karen and I, dining out twice in three days is not the norm. But thanks to my laziness in making dinner, that is precisely what happened Sunday night.
Sunday actually started off with a visit from my friends (Cass and Ellen). They were in the neighborhood and wanted to stop by to drop off a little present for my daughter (Briana) who turned two on St. Patty's Day. They got Briana a Hallmark Interactive Storybook with Story Buddy. For anyone curious, the story buddy is Christopher, a pajama wearing stuffed animal. Karen and I actually tried out Christopher last night as I was trying to determine if he needed batteries or not. Turns out, he already had batteries... but Christopher was neat. He says things when you read along one of the storybooks.
Anyway, it was good to see Cass, Ellen, and their daughter. They are planning on renovating their bathroom and Cass is toying with the idea of tiling the area himself. The problem, however, is that they do not think there is a subfloor to their current bathroom. So he was hesitant in tackling the subfloor project himself. Naturally, I offered my assistance because I love home improvement projects, just not my own. Plus, I have some of the tools already for his project since I put down a subfloor for the bathroom on my first floor. But we'll see if he decides to do it or not.
Shortly after, my parents also stopped by with lunch. My parents were ecstatic to see Cass because they have not seen him since probably my wedding. Needless to say, my mom was pretty happy to see Cass and hold his daughter. Luckily for me, my parents did not stay long because my mom is still getting ready for when she leaves for her vacation to Hong Kong this week. The terrible son that I am, I go bonkers at times when my parents come over because they inevitably ask me to handle a boatload of errands for them. Regardless, it was nice that they stopped by even if it was to see Briana and my other daughter (Bridget).
When it came time for dinner, Karen and I decided to go out. In addition to my laziness for making dinner, we had some errands to run. So naturally, we decided to go out to b.Good located at the Derby Street Shoppes in Hingham. Now, I suck at b.Good. I had the seasonal Rocket with the Drunk Elvis shake. ("Thank you... Thank you very much...") The burger and shake were good. Karen similarly had a burger and mint chocolate shake. Briana of course ate nothing but sweet potato fries. Very healthy, I know.
One of the reasons we went to b.Good, aside from my laziness to make dinner, was to also stop by my favorite sister-in-law's (Janine) place. After all, Briana had been asking to visit her auntie and uncle (PJ) all week. Luckily for us, Janine and PJ were home as were my niece (Kaleigh) and nephew (PJ). Joining in on the impromptu powwow was Janine's BFF (Gretchen) who went with Janine for a little weekend getaway.
It was fun seeing everyone. For Gretchen, it was her first time meeting Bridget. So she was pretty excited for that. Among the topics of conversation that came up were Gretchen's license plate, Janine's Coach purchases, her and Gretchen's visit to UNH, and designer sunglasses. For anyone curious, Gretchen's license plate has "EZ1" in it. Naturally, I got a kick out of that... and her feet prerequisite when meeting a man. And for anyone curious, yes Janine did get a good deal on her Coach purchase.
All in all, it was great way to end the night.
Sunday actually started off with a visit from my friends (Cass and Ellen). They were in the neighborhood and wanted to stop by to drop off a little present for my daughter (Briana) who turned two on St. Patty's Day. They got Briana a Hallmark Interactive Storybook with Story Buddy. For anyone curious, the story buddy is Christopher, a pajama wearing stuffed animal. Karen and I actually tried out Christopher last night as I was trying to determine if he needed batteries or not. Turns out, he already had batteries... but Christopher was neat. He says things when you read along one of the storybooks.
Anyway, it was good to see Cass, Ellen, and their daughter. They are planning on renovating their bathroom and Cass is toying with the idea of tiling the area himself. The problem, however, is that they do not think there is a subfloor to their current bathroom. So he was hesitant in tackling the subfloor project himself. Naturally, I offered my assistance because I love home improvement projects, just not my own. Plus, I have some of the tools already for his project since I put down a subfloor for the bathroom on my first floor. But we'll see if he decides to do it or not.
Shortly after, my parents also stopped by with lunch. My parents were ecstatic to see Cass because they have not seen him since probably my wedding. Needless to say, my mom was pretty happy to see Cass and hold his daughter. Luckily for me, my parents did not stay long because my mom is still getting ready for when she leaves for her vacation to Hong Kong this week. The terrible son that I am, I go bonkers at times when my parents come over because they inevitably ask me to handle a boatload of errands for them. Regardless, it was nice that they stopped by even if it was to see Briana and my other daughter (Bridget).
When it came time for dinner, Karen and I decided to go out. In addition to my laziness for making dinner, we had some errands to run. So naturally, we decided to go out to b.Good located at the Derby Street Shoppes in Hingham. Now, I suck at b.Good. I had the seasonal Rocket with the Drunk Elvis shake. ("Thank you... Thank you very much...") The burger and shake were good. Karen similarly had a burger and mint chocolate shake. Briana of course ate nothing but sweet potato fries. Very healthy, I know.
One of the reasons we went to b.Good, aside from my laziness to make dinner, was to also stop by my favorite sister-in-law's (Janine) place. After all, Briana had been asking to visit her auntie and uncle (PJ) all week. Luckily for us, Janine and PJ were home as were my niece (Kaleigh) and nephew (PJ). Joining in on the impromptu powwow was Janine's BFF (Gretchen) who went with Janine for a little weekend getaway.
It was fun seeing everyone. For Gretchen, it was her first time meeting Bridget. So she was pretty excited for that. Among the topics of conversation that came up were Gretchen's license plate, Janine's Coach purchases, her and Gretchen's visit to UNH, and designer sunglasses. For anyone curious, Gretchen's license plate has "EZ1" in it. Naturally, I got a kick out of that... and her feet prerequisite when meeting a man. And for anyone curious, yes Janine did get a good deal on her Coach purchase.
All in all, it was great way to end the night.
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
I Suck At Celebrating My Favorite Sister-In-Law's Birthday
The highlight of my Saturday, aside from seeing my friends (Cass and Ellen) and my BFF (Kerry), was that I got to spend some quality father/daughter bonding time with my newest daughter (Bridget).
Having reached the big 4-0, my favorite sister-in-law (Janine) was had a big birthday bash on Saturday. Karen and I were both originally going to attend the shindig, but with the recent birth of Bridget earlier in the week, those plans sort of changed. So taking my place instead was my twenty three month old daughter (Briana). Yes, I suck at celebrating my favorite sister-in-law's birthday. I have since heard that Briana immensely enjoyed herself, which was good to know. Prior to Saturday, she was probably going stir crazy being housebound all week.
Needless to say, I spent Saturday taking care of Bridget while Karen, Briana, and Kerry attended the party. For anyone curious, Kerry stopped over prior to the birthday celebration to meet Bridget. As a bonus, she brought bagels from Bagel World. Yum! I'm a fan of their chocolate chip bagels. It was a nice surprise. What are BFFs for, right?
Turns out, Kerry has already started window shopping for possible condos down on the South Shore. As well, she'll be attending one of those first time home buyer classes soon. It'll definitely be good to have Kerry closer to the South Shore, even if that probably means no more bagels from Bagel World.
Prior to Kerry's visit, Cass and Ellen had also briefly stopped by. They were in the neighborhood as they were looking at new fixtures for a possible bathroom renovation. All in all, it was good to see some friends on Saturday. Truth be told, I was expecting to see a bunch of Karen's relatives on Saturday since they would be in the neighborhood for Janine's party. Unfortunately (or fortunately depending on how you look at it), they did not stop by perhaps to give Karen and I some time.
Anyway, Saturday night was great. Even though Bridget did not do much except eat and sleep, it was great to be able to just hold her in my arms while she calmly went to sleep. I've missed those days when they just sleep in your arms. I'd be lucky these days if I could get Briana to stand still, let alone fall asleep in my arms. Oh well.
Having reached the big 4-0, my favorite sister-in-law (Janine) was had a big birthday bash on Saturday. Karen and I were both originally going to attend the shindig, but with the recent birth of Bridget earlier in the week, those plans sort of changed. So taking my place instead was my twenty three month old daughter (Briana). Yes, I suck at celebrating my favorite sister-in-law's birthday. I have since heard that Briana immensely enjoyed herself, which was good to know. Prior to Saturday, she was probably going stir crazy being housebound all week.
Needless to say, I spent Saturday taking care of Bridget while Karen, Briana, and Kerry attended the party. For anyone curious, Kerry stopped over prior to the birthday celebration to meet Bridget. As a bonus, she brought bagels from Bagel World. Yum! I'm a fan of their chocolate chip bagels. It was a nice surprise. What are BFFs for, right?
Turns out, Kerry has already started window shopping for possible condos down on the South Shore. As well, she'll be attending one of those first time home buyer classes soon. It'll definitely be good to have Kerry closer to the South Shore, even if that probably means no more bagels from Bagel World.
Prior to Kerry's visit, Cass and Ellen had also briefly stopped by. They were in the neighborhood as they were looking at new fixtures for a possible bathroom renovation. All in all, it was good to see some friends on Saturday. Truth be told, I was expecting to see a bunch of Karen's relatives on Saturday since they would be in the neighborhood for Janine's party. Unfortunately (or fortunately depending on how you look at it), they did not stop by perhaps to give Karen and I some time.
Anyway, Saturday night was great. Even though Bridget did not do much except eat and sleep, it was great to be able to just hold her in my arms while she calmly went to sleep. I've missed those days when they just sleep in your arms. I'd be lucky these days if I could get Briana to stand still, let alone fall asleep in my arms. Oh well.
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
I Suck At The Game Of Things
My friends (Cass and Ellen) decided to have some friends over on Saturday night. Luckily for Karen, my twenty three month old daughter (Briana) and I, we made the invite list. Just kidding.
For me, the night started off with a rather bizarre vehicular incident. No, there were no accidental car collisions or anything of the sort. The incident involved my getting of my jacket zipper stuck in the buckle of the seat belt. Apparently, the seat belt tongue had caught the knob of my jacket zipper and forced it into the buckle. As a result, my jacket was stuck in the seat belt and the actual seat belt itself could not be used. It was not exactly the most auspicious start to the night. Luckily, with a magical metal coat hanger, my jacket was set free and I was able to safely drive to Cass and Ellen's. (Have to love metal coat hangers. Do they even make them anymore?)
Speaking of Cass and Ellen's, my friends (Andrea, Marc, and Kelley) and my BFF (Kerry) were able to partake in the shindig. The most notable news from the night, aside from Andrea tasting and not caring particularly too much for guacamole, was that Kerry may have to make preparations to leave sunny little Salem. Apparently, her relatives may be selling the house where she currently rents. So needless to say, Kerry was not too thrilled by that news. But on the positive side, Kerry does seem to think that she'll end up moving closer to the South Shore where a great majority of her family and friends are.
And of course, what better way to put a smile on someone's face than to play the Game of Things? Now, I suck at the Game of Things. The game was actually requested for the night by Andrea. Truth be told, we actually played the board game, Imaginiff prior to the Game of Things. Imaginiff was a decent game, but not nearly as comical as the Game of Things.
As luck would have it, Kerry kicked butt in the game. I don't think anyone was even close to beating her on Saturday. Apparently, she knows us all pretty well. Or more importantly, she knows the topic of Andrea's vagina and Marc's mother which were recurrent themes in the game. For anyone curious, those topics were provided by none other than Kelley which naturally meant there was booze involved.
All in all, it was a fun time. It was good to hang out with everyone and see Cass, Ellen, and their daughter whom I don't get to see that often.
For me, the night started off with a rather bizarre vehicular incident. No, there were no accidental car collisions or anything of the sort. The incident involved my getting of my jacket zipper stuck in the buckle of the seat belt. Apparently, the seat belt tongue had caught the knob of my jacket zipper and forced it into the buckle. As a result, my jacket was stuck in the seat belt and the actual seat belt itself could not be used. It was not exactly the most auspicious start to the night. Luckily, with a magical metal coat hanger, my jacket was set free and I was able to safely drive to Cass and Ellen's. (Have to love metal coat hangers. Do they even make them anymore?)
Speaking of Cass and Ellen's, my friends (Andrea, Marc, and Kelley) and my BFF (Kerry) were able to partake in the shindig. The most notable news from the night, aside from Andrea tasting and not caring particularly too much for guacamole, was that Kerry may have to make preparations to leave sunny little Salem. Apparently, her relatives may be selling the house where she currently rents. So needless to say, Kerry was not too thrilled by that news. But on the positive side, Kerry does seem to think that she'll end up moving closer to the South Shore where a great majority of her family and friends are.
And of course, what better way to put a smile on someone's face than to play the Game of Things? Now, I suck at the Game of Things. The game was actually requested for the night by Andrea. Truth be told, we actually played the board game, Imaginiff prior to the Game of Things. Imaginiff was a decent game, but not nearly as comical as the Game of Things.
As luck would have it, Kerry kicked butt in the game. I don't think anyone was even close to beating her on Saturday. Apparently, she knows us all pretty well. Or more importantly, she knows the topic of Andrea's vagina and Marc's mother which were recurrent themes in the game. For anyone curious, those topics were provided by none other than Kelley which naturally meant there was booze involved.
All in all, it was a fun time. It was good to hang out with everyone and see Cass, Ellen, and their daughter whom I don't get to see that often.
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
I Suck At Hanging Out With Friends
Today is Wednesday, and Wednesday is Prince Spaghetti Day. Anthony! (In case anyone is curious, that was a reference to the commercial.) So naturally for dinner, I had fish. But that's not really what is important. Wednesdays happen to be the day that I generally hang out with my friends. Too bad I suck at hanging out with friends.
Usually, Karen and I get to hang out with my friends (Marc, Kelley, and Andrea). Today, however, there was a special treat. My BFF (Kerry) happened to be in the neighborhood. And by "in the neighborhood", I mean nothing near the neighborhood of Norwell, or the South Shore for that matter. It was a very pleasant surprise and a nice treat. After all, the second F in BFF does stand for forever.
Anyway, there really was nothing on the agenda for today. No shows to watch. No movies. Nothing. Just hanging out and being silly which is what I do best.
Among the silly ideas thrown out tonight was purchasing my friend's (Garv) bar in Quincy. It's not that we want to own a bar. It was more to be silly and show up Garv by running the bar better than he did. Marc even threw out the idea of hiring Garv as a consultant to run the bar. For anyone curious, that joke only makes sense because Garv is a consultant and is notorious for tuning out ideas that are given to him.
Soon enough, we were talking about winning the lottery, the television show Grimm (which I am now all caught up with because Kelley has been pushing it), Kelley's possible job offer, Andrea's work, the abuse of people who supposedly "work from home" ruining things for those of us who actually do work from home, and a whole slew of other unrelated topics like what spices Kerry should put in her broth.
I believe while I was up changing my twenty one month old daughter's (Briana) diaper and getting her ready for bed, everyone discovered a new show: "Drinking Made Easy" on HDNet. I never even knew we had a channel called HDNet. From the bits that I did see of the show (ie. the two blondes), I would say it was an interesting show.
Anyway, I had a lot of fun today. I particularly enjoyed seeing Kerry's expression on her face when she learned about "Asian Kerry". Back in 2004, my friends and I went on a cruise from Boston to Bermuda. The cruise was a celebration for our 30th birthdays. In addition to spawning a child for my friends (Hugh and Jenny), that cruise also gave us memorable moments like Garv's famous quote of "I know where Cass is" and Asian Kerry (and Asian Jen).
This was back when Garv was single. While on the cruise, he met two Asians women, one of which he was interested in; the other one, not so much. Naturally serving as the wingman, I went with Garv and these two women to go parasailing. The parasailing was a blast, but that's beside the point. These two women were referred to as the Asian Jen and Kerry for no reason other than the fact that we needed a way to reference them. The two women were good friends and they were both single, much like Caucasian Jen and Kerry. I'm not sure if we ever got the women's names. So "Asian Jen and Kerry" it was. (I wonder if there is a Caucasian me somewhere...)
Ah, good times. I definitely need to go on a cruise again. Like I said, I had a lot of fun today just hanging out and being silly. It has definitely made my week.
Usually, Karen and I get to hang out with my friends (Marc, Kelley, and Andrea). Today, however, there was a special treat. My BFF (Kerry) happened to be in the neighborhood. And by "in the neighborhood", I mean nothing near the neighborhood of Norwell, or the South Shore for that matter. It was a very pleasant surprise and a nice treat. After all, the second F in BFF does stand for forever.
Anyway, there really was nothing on the agenda for today. No shows to watch. No movies. Nothing. Just hanging out and being silly which is what I do best.
Among the silly ideas thrown out tonight was purchasing my friend's (Garv) bar in Quincy. It's not that we want to own a bar. It was more to be silly and show up Garv by running the bar better than he did. Marc even threw out the idea of hiring Garv as a consultant to run the bar. For anyone curious, that joke only makes sense because Garv is a consultant and is notorious for tuning out ideas that are given to him.
Soon enough, we were talking about winning the lottery, the television show Grimm (which I am now all caught up with because Kelley has been pushing it), Kelley's possible job offer, Andrea's work, the abuse of people who supposedly "work from home" ruining things for those of us who actually do work from home, and a whole slew of other unrelated topics like what spices Kerry should put in her broth.
I believe while I was up changing my twenty one month old daughter's (Briana) diaper and getting her ready for bed, everyone discovered a new show: "Drinking Made Easy" on HDNet. I never even knew we had a channel called HDNet. From the bits that I did see of the show (ie. the two blondes), I would say it was an interesting show.
Anyway, I had a lot of fun today. I particularly enjoyed seeing Kerry's expression on her face when she learned about "Asian Kerry". Back in 2004, my friends and I went on a cruise from Boston to Bermuda. The cruise was a celebration for our 30th birthdays. In addition to spawning a child for my friends (Hugh and Jenny), that cruise also gave us memorable moments like Garv's famous quote of "I know where Cass is" and Asian Kerry (and Asian Jen).
This was back when Garv was single. While on the cruise, he met two Asians women, one of which he was interested in; the other one, not so much. Naturally serving as the wingman, I went with Garv and these two women to go parasailing. The parasailing was a blast, but that's beside the point. These two women were referred to as the Asian Jen and Kerry for no reason other than the fact that we needed a way to reference them. The two women were good friends and they were both single, much like Caucasian Jen and Kerry. I'm not sure if we ever got the women's names. So "Asian Jen and Kerry" it was. (I wonder if there is a Caucasian me somewhere...)
Ah, good times. I definitely need to go on a cruise again. Like I said, I had a lot of fun today just hanging out and being silly. It has definitely made my week.
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