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.
Showing posts with label leeann. Show all posts
Showing posts with label leeann. Show all posts
Saturday, January 5, 2013
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Monday, May 14, 2012
I Suck At Girls Night Out
Yesterday was a nice day.
I spent the late morning talking about solar energy, which for an enviro-nut like myself, was actually fun. I probably should clarify that. I really didn't do much talking about it. It was more like listening to a presentation about solar energy.
From the very beginning of my home ownership, I have always wanted to have solar panels on my house. Neighbors be damned! Just kidding. Going solar, especially the notion of being "off the grid", was always very intriguing. Unfortunately, going solar was always an expensive option that my measly income could never afford. The panels themselves were just too darn expensive to purchase outright.
Needless to say, thanks to my friends (Garv and Leeann), I learned about Solar City, which is a company that leases the panels to you. Not only do they lease the panels, they take care of everything solar panel-related. And heck, Google is one of their clients. If it's good enough for Google, it's good enough for me. Just kidding.
Anyway, it seems like solar panels will be in my foreseeable future. Yay solar! (And thanks Garv and Leeann.) Now if I can only figure out how to get a windmill on my postage stamp-sized property, that would be also cool too.
So how does one top off a day like that? Well, if you are me, you get to spend quality time with two members of the opposite sex. Hubba hubba. Unfortunately, those two members happen to be my two year old daughter (Briana) and my two month old daughter (Bridget). Yep, I got parenting duty Saturday night. It turns out, Karen had a planned girls night out. And since I suck at girls night out, I was more than happy to watch over my kids.
The night actually went by very quickly. After giving my kids each a bath, I was surprised by a spontaneous visit from my favorite sister-in-law (Janine) and her family. They happened to be in the neighborhood after eating out at the Tinker's Son located in Norwell. (Shake fist for making my starving family wait over an hour without any explanation!)
It was definitely a nice surprise, and one that apparently made the night go by quickly. All in all, it was a very good day.
I spent the late morning talking about solar energy, which for an enviro-nut like myself, was actually fun. I probably should clarify that. I really didn't do much talking about it. It was more like listening to a presentation about solar energy.
From the very beginning of my home ownership, I have always wanted to have solar panels on my house. Neighbors be damned! Just kidding. Going solar, especially the notion of being "off the grid", was always very intriguing. Unfortunately, going solar was always an expensive option that my measly income could never afford. The panels themselves were just too darn expensive to purchase outright.
Needless to say, thanks to my friends (Garv and Leeann), I learned about Solar City, which is a company that leases the panels to you. Not only do they lease the panels, they take care of everything solar panel-related. And heck, Google is one of their clients. If it's good enough for Google, it's good enough for me. Just kidding.
Anyway, it seems like solar panels will be in my foreseeable future. Yay solar! (And thanks Garv and Leeann.) Now if I can only figure out how to get a windmill on my postage stamp-sized property, that would be also cool too.
So how does one top off a day like that? Well, if you are me, you get to spend quality time with two members of the opposite sex. Hubba hubba. Unfortunately, those two members happen to be my two year old daughter (Briana) and my two month old daughter (Bridget). Yep, I got parenting duty Saturday night. It turns out, Karen had a planned girls night out. And since I suck at girls night out, I was more than happy to watch over my kids.
The night actually went by very quickly. After giving my kids each a bath, I was surprised by a spontaneous visit from my favorite sister-in-law (Janine) and her family. They happened to be in the neighborhood after eating out at the Tinker's Son located in Norwell. (Shake fist for making my starving family wait over an hour without any explanation!)
It was definitely a nice surprise, and one that apparently made the night go by quickly. All in all, it was a very good day.
Saturday, April 28, 2012
I Suck At Mowing The Lawn
Last Saturday, the weather was absolutely beautiful. That was the good news. The bad news was... the weather was absolutely beautiful. On my list of to-do's for the nice Saturday were a lot of outdoor home improvement projects involving the wild jungle known as our yard.
Now, I hate outdoor home improvement projects. Of all the home improvement project types, I probably dislike the outdoor ones the most probably because they don't yield enough gratification. For instance, if I install a new ceiling light, I can see that new ceiling light the day I install it and every day thereafter. If I remove weeds, I can see the finely weeded area for a couple of days before new weeds grow in to which I would have to repeat the process.
Luckily for me, Saturday's list only included mowing the lawn, raking the lawn, and planting new seeds. With the nice weather, there were other chores as well, like running to our local recycling center to get some compost. Yay compost!
Anyway, I suck at mowing the lawn. It took seemingly forever to mow the lawn because I had to constantly stop to empty the bag of clippings. And I must say, I am so out of shape. Perhaps that is why it seemed like it took forever to mow the lawn. Nevertheless, all of the items on the to-do list were checked off by the evening.
After all, Karen and I had plans for the evening. Earlier in the week, we were invited for dinner by our friends (Garv and Leeann). Apparently, my other friends (Sam and Tara) and their twin children were up from Virginia for their semi-annual Massachusetts trip. As Sam and Tara were staying at Garv and Leeann's, they wanted to have everyone over for a little shindig.
Interestingly enough, it turned out that only Karen and I... and our two year old daughter (Briana) and our almost two month old daughter (Bridget) were able to make the party. All of my other friends could not make it. Or as Garv joked, no one likes Sam.
It was good to see everyone. Among the topics of discussion that came up were Solar City, Game of Thrones, and Garv's fashion sense. The enviro-nut that I am, I discussed solar panels with Garv because he apparently had them recently installed (about a week). As for "Game of Thrones", that was just a recommended show by Garv. And naturally, we got a kick about recounting Garv's fashion sense and how he showed up wearing all white to help our friends (Marc and Kelley) move. Marc's sister thought Garv was a girl when he showed up to help (after we were done moving). Comical. Garv has come a long way since then.
And what seemingly was a random topic was Sam and Garv's discussion about whether the Quincy public schools prepared us for life. I have no idea where that topic came from (I'm guessing Sam because it seems like a Sam question), but apparently Sam and Garv were discussing it before we arrived. For anyone curious, I think the answer to that topic varies per person because everyone's experiences are different.
I also found out that Sam and Tara probably will not be making semi-annual trips anymore in the future. Apparently, Sam and Tara are moving to New Mexico to find aliens. I'm kidding about the alien part. It was a tidbit of information that I discovered when we were leaving. So most likely, it may be a while before I see Sam and Tara again.
All in all, it was a fun night. It was good to see my friends and just hang out.
Now, I hate outdoor home improvement projects. Of all the home improvement project types, I probably dislike the outdoor ones the most probably because they don't yield enough gratification. For instance, if I install a new ceiling light, I can see that new ceiling light the day I install it and every day thereafter. If I remove weeds, I can see the finely weeded area for a couple of days before new weeds grow in to which I would have to repeat the process.
Luckily for me, Saturday's list only included mowing the lawn, raking the lawn, and planting new seeds. With the nice weather, there were other chores as well, like running to our local recycling center to get some compost. Yay compost!
Anyway, I suck at mowing the lawn. It took seemingly forever to mow the lawn because I had to constantly stop to empty the bag of clippings. And I must say, I am so out of shape. Perhaps that is why it seemed like it took forever to mow the lawn. Nevertheless, all of the items on the to-do list were checked off by the evening.
After all, Karen and I had plans for the evening. Earlier in the week, we were invited for dinner by our friends (Garv and Leeann). Apparently, my other friends (Sam and Tara) and their twin children were up from Virginia for their semi-annual Massachusetts trip. As Sam and Tara were staying at Garv and Leeann's, they wanted to have everyone over for a little shindig.
Interestingly enough, it turned out that only Karen and I... and our two year old daughter (Briana) and our almost two month old daughter (Bridget) were able to make the party. All of my other friends could not make it. Or as Garv joked, no one likes Sam.
It was good to see everyone. Among the topics of discussion that came up were Solar City, Game of Thrones, and Garv's fashion sense. The enviro-nut that I am, I discussed solar panels with Garv because he apparently had them recently installed (about a week). As for "Game of Thrones", that was just a recommended show by Garv. And naturally, we got a kick about recounting Garv's fashion sense and how he showed up wearing all white to help our friends (Marc and Kelley) move. Marc's sister thought Garv was a girl when he showed up to help (after we were done moving). Comical. Garv has come a long way since then.
And what seemingly was a random topic was Sam and Garv's discussion about whether the Quincy public schools prepared us for life. I have no idea where that topic came from (I'm guessing Sam because it seems like a Sam question), but apparently Sam and Garv were discussing it before we arrived. For anyone curious, I think the answer to that topic varies per person because everyone's experiences are different.
I also found out that Sam and Tara probably will not be making semi-annual trips anymore in the future. Apparently, Sam and Tara are moving to New Mexico to find aliens. I'm kidding about the alien part. It was a tidbit of information that I discovered when we were leaving. So most likely, it may be a while before I see Sam and Tara again.
All in all, it was a fun night. It was good to see my friends and just hang out.
Monday, January 9, 2012
I Suck At Silly Swaps
On Saturday, my friends and I participated in our annual traditional known as the silly swap. Too bad I suck at silly swaps.
The silly swap is just another name for the holiday party game known as the Yankee Swap. Interestingly enough, according to my friend, Wikipedia, there are other terms for a Yankee Swap: White Elephant Gift Exchange, Black Santa, Chinese Gift Exchange, Dirty Santa, Thieving Secret Santa, Parcel Pass, Christmas Swamp Thing, Greedfest, and Pollyanna. I think Dirty Santa and Chinese Gift Exchange are my favorite terms.
My friends and I have been doing the swap for some time now. We had started off doing a Secret Santa, but as time went on (and as we got older) we found that there were less and less things that any of us actually wanted for presents. Hence, we switched things up and started doing a silly swap.
I still remember my friend's (Cass's) expression when he opened the present he selected the first year we did the swap. The present was a picture of my friend (Garv) with his arm around none other than Taylor Swift. The joke only makes sense if you happen to know that Garv, who is old enough to be Taylor Swift's father, is a huge fan of Taylor Swift. (And I mean... huge.) For anyone curious, Cass did give the picture to Garv afterwards.
Anyway, the silly swap was held at my friend's (Garv and Leeann) in Newton to coincide with their January birthdays. So it was a celebration complete with silliness. As a side note, Garv did a great job of renovating his basement. His basement now includes a "man cave", complete with poker table, large screen television, couches, dart board, and a bar. Saturday was the first time that many of us actually got to see the new basement.
Joining in on this year's celebration were my friends (Marc, Kelley, Cass, Ellen, and Andrea) and my BFF (Kerry). For me, the first year of the silly swap was the silliest probably because it was new at the time. After all, what's not to like about a picture of Garv and Taylor Swift, as well as a framed shirtless picture of Ryan Reynolds? That is not to say subsequent swaps were not as good. All of them have been great. I think I'll just remember the first one the most.
This year, I actually felt not as involved as past swaps. I think part of that reason may have been because my twenty one month old daughter (Briana) was attached to my hip the entire night. Despite the help of many of my friends, Briana would just not do anything without me that night. She'd grab my hand and lead me to one room, then the next. Needless to say, I spent most of the night watching over Briana.
So I think I missed out on a lot of things on Saturday. Some of the things that I do remember were that Kelley thinks she'll get a job offer soon and that Kerry did in fact eat beans on the New Year as part of her resolution. I may have missed out on other conversations while tending to Briana.
As for the silly swap itself, I would say the best gift was the grilled Jesus toast maker. Again, Cass's reaction to it was comical. For anyone curious, I believe it was Ellen who ended up with the grilled Jesus. I would so make toast with Jesus on it just to say I could. Then of course, I would strike a Tim Tebow pose.
All in all, it was a good silly night. I need to start thinking about what could be used in next year's swap.
The silly swap is just another name for the holiday party game known as the Yankee Swap. Interestingly enough, according to my friend, Wikipedia, there are other terms for a Yankee Swap: White Elephant Gift Exchange, Black Santa, Chinese Gift Exchange, Dirty Santa, Thieving Secret Santa, Parcel Pass, Christmas Swamp Thing, Greedfest, and Pollyanna. I think Dirty Santa and Chinese Gift Exchange are my favorite terms.
My friends and I have been doing the swap for some time now. We had started off doing a Secret Santa, but as time went on (and as we got older) we found that there were less and less things that any of us actually wanted for presents. Hence, we switched things up and started doing a silly swap.
I still remember my friend's (Cass's) expression when he opened the present he selected the first year we did the swap. The present was a picture of my friend (Garv) with his arm around none other than Taylor Swift. The joke only makes sense if you happen to know that Garv, who is old enough to be Taylor Swift's father, is a huge fan of Taylor Swift. (And I mean... huge.) For anyone curious, Cass did give the picture to Garv afterwards.
Anyway, the silly swap was held at my friend's (Garv and Leeann) in Newton to coincide with their January birthdays. So it was a celebration complete with silliness. As a side note, Garv did a great job of renovating his basement. His basement now includes a "man cave", complete with poker table, large screen television, couches, dart board, and a bar. Saturday was the first time that many of us actually got to see the new basement.
Joining in on this year's celebration were my friends (Marc, Kelley, Cass, Ellen, and Andrea) and my BFF (Kerry). For me, the first year of the silly swap was the silliest probably because it was new at the time. After all, what's not to like about a picture of Garv and Taylor Swift, as well as a framed shirtless picture of Ryan Reynolds? That is not to say subsequent swaps were not as good. All of them have been great. I think I'll just remember the first one the most.
This year, I actually felt not as involved as past swaps. I think part of that reason may have been because my twenty one month old daughter (Briana) was attached to my hip the entire night. Despite the help of many of my friends, Briana would just not do anything without me that night. She'd grab my hand and lead me to one room, then the next. Needless to say, I spent most of the night watching over Briana.
So I think I missed out on a lot of things on Saturday. Some of the things that I do remember were that Kelley thinks she'll get a job offer soon and that Kerry did in fact eat beans on the New Year as part of her resolution. I may have missed out on other conversations while tending to Briana.
As for the silly swap itself, I would say the best gift was the grilled Jesus toast maker. Again, Cass's reaction to it was comical. For anyone curious, I believe it was Ellen who ended up with the grilled Jesus. I would so make toast with Jesus on it just to say I could. Then of course, I would strike a Tim Tebow pose.
All in all, it was a good silly night. I need to start thinking about what could be used in next year's swap.
Saturday, December 31, 2011
I Suck At Celebrating Birthdays
December is a busy month. In addition to the holidays (and holiday parties), December happens to be the month where a some of my friends, including myself, have birthdays. Too bad I suck at celebrating birthdays. In celebration of some of those December babies though, my friends (Marc and Kelley) graciously offered to host a party last night.
Attending the party were my friends (Cass, Ellen, Garv, Leeann, and Steve), Cass and Ellens baby daughter, and my BFF (Kerry). I was hoping that my friend (Andrea) could make the shindig because scheduled for the night (in addition to the fun of hanging out) was the UFC 141 pay per view. Since the pay per view runs late (meaning Karen and my twenty one month old daughter would not last), I was hoping to catch a ride home with Andrea after the fight, but sadly she could not make it.
Regardless, the party was fantastic. Marc and Kelley did an amazing job of hosting. As usual, I had a blast hanging out with my friends. Marc and Kelley prepared a taco dinner for everyone. The taco theme came compliments of fellow December birthday girl, Kerry. Plus, tacos made more sense since Kelley has gluten allergies.
Speaking of that cursed gluten, Kelley actually risked her intestinal health just for me, which was a very nice gesture. Knowing that I love her chocolate chip cookies, Kelley made a bunch of her famous cookies for the party. It was very nice. And might I add, the chocolate chip cookies were very delicious... just like how I remembered them being. Yum! I must have eaten half a dozen of them. Granted, a couple were used as the cookies surrounding the ice cream cake. (For anyone curious, we celebrated with a football-shaped ice cream cake because the cake was covered in chocolate sprinkles.) Everything was deliciously good!
Anyway, it was a fun time hanging out with everyone. One of the topics of discussion that I remember from the night was Kerry's resolution. Apparently, one of her many resolutions is to eat beans. Why beans? According to Kerry, they are healthy. Despite my efforts and Garv's efforts to tell her that there are many other foods that are also healthy to eat, beans it was. I'd be curious to see the bean-eating 2012 model of Kerry.
As for the UFC pay per view, I had a blast watching it. I sat next to Kelley and Garv during the pay per view and we were basically just goofing around the whole time. I was actually glad that I got to watch the Lesnar/Overeem bout. After all, shortly after his loss, Lesnar declared that he was retiring from MMA. I assume the reason for the retirement has to do with his own bout with diverticulitis. If it remains true, then it was good to see Lesnar's last MMA match.
All in all, it was a great night. Thanks Marc and Kelley! (And thank you, Marc for the ride home after the pay per view... even if you missed the exit.) And of course, I can't forget: Happy birthday Ellen! Happy birthday BFF!
Attending the party were my friends (Cass, Ellen, Garv, Leeann, and Steve), Cass and Ellens baby daughter, and my BFF (Kerry). I was hoping that my friend (Andrea) could make the shindig because scheduled for the night (in addition to the fun of hanging out) was the UFC 141 pay per view. Since the pay per view runs late (meaning Karen and my twenty one month old daughter would not last), I was hoping to catch a ride home with Andrea after the fight, but sadly she could not make it.
Regardless, the party was fantastic. Marc and Kelley did an amazing job of hosting. As usual, I had a blast hanging out with my friends. Marc and Kelley prepared a taco dinner for everyone. The taco theme came compliments of fellow December birthday girl, Kerry. Plus, tacos made more sense since Kelley has gluten allergies.
Speaking of that cursed gluten, Kelley actually risked her intestinal health just for me, which was a very nice gesture. Knowing that I love her chocolate chip cookies, Kelley made a bunch of her famous cookies for the party. It was very nice. And might I add, the chocolate chip cookies were very delicious... just like how I remembered them being. Yum! I must have eaten half a dozen of them. Granted, a couple were used as the cookies surrounding the ice cream cake. (For anyone curious, we celebrated with a football-shaped ice cream cake because the cake was covered in chocolate sprinkles.) Everything was deliciously good!
Anyway, it was a fun time hanging out with everyone. One of the topics of discussion that I remember from the night was Kerry's resolution. Apparently, one of her many resolutions is to eat beans. Why beans? According to Kerry, they are healthy. Despite my efforts and Garv's efforts to tell her that there are many other foods that are also healthy to eat, beans it was. I'd be curious to see the bean-eating 2012 model of Kerry.
As for the UFC pay per view, I had a blast watching it. I sat next to Kelley and Garv during the pay per view and we were basically just goofing around the whole time. I was actually glad that I got to watch the Lesnar/Overeem bout. After all, shortly after his loss, Lesnar declared that he was retiring from MMA. I assume the reason for the retirement has to do with his own bout with diverticulitis. If it remains true, then it was good to see Lesnar's last MMA match.
All in all, it was a great night. Thanks Marc and Kelley! (And thank you, Marc for the ride home after the pay per view... even if you missed the exit.) And of course, I can't forget: Happy birthday Ellen! Happy birthday BFF!
Sunday, December 4, 2011
I Suck At Alba Restaurant
In celebration of Karen's birthday, my friends and I went to the Alba Restaurant located in Quincy. Now, I suck at Alba Restaurant. I don't believe I have ever been to Alba's. My friend (Marc), however, seems to think I may have been there over three years ago when there was an incident involving him being doused in water by the waitstaff (accidentally, of course). If it is true, I sadly don't remember that incident and it just goes to show how terrible my memory really is.
Regardless, Karen has never been to Alba's. She wanted to try their breakfast as the Brioche French Toast was recommended to her by one of her friends. So off to the Alba Restaurant we went for breakfast on Sunday. Joining in on the celebration were Marc, my friends (Cass, Ellen, Garv, Leeann, Andrea), and my BFF (Kerry). Cass and Ellen's baby daughter also joined us as well, which gave my baby daughter (Briana) someone else to play with. And by play, I mean look at it.
Anyway, I ordered the Alba Special, which was an omelet with feta, tomato and spinach that came with potatoes and an English muffin. The meal was good. The problem, in my opinion, was the service.
We waited... and waited... and waited for our meals to arrive. There was never once a mention of the reason for the delay, or even an acknowledgement that they were taking longer than expected. When I say we waited, it was a ridiculous amount of time for things as easy as french toast and eggs. Other tables that had come in after us had already finished and left before we got served our food. Not to mention, when the food did arrive, the food came out in waves where a few of us received food while the rest of us had to watch and wait for a prolonged amount of time for for the next food item to arrive. It was terrible.
In my opinion, if Alba simply acknowledged they were having problems, I would have been okay with that. But nope. Nothing. It seems to me like that should be basic customer service 101. I also found out later from Karen, who was equally disappointed with the experience, that the bathrooms did not have any toilet paper. That struck me as equally terrible because we arrived for breakfast when the restaurant opened. To have no toilet paper in the bathroom during the opening hours is just a sign of bad management.
Needless to say, even though the food was decent, I probably would not recommend the Alba Restaurant in Quincy. The service was just that terrible. Sadly, the celebration was for Karen's birthday... which was back in October. But at least we got to hang out with all of our friends and enjoy our time together. So that part was nice.
Regardless, Karen has never been to Alba's. She wanted to try their breakfast as the Brioche French Toast was recommended to her by one of her friends. So off to the Alba Restaurant we went for breakfast on Sunday. Joining in on the celebration were Marc, my friends (Cass, Ellen, Garv, Leeann, Andrea), and my BFF (Kerry). Cass and Ellen's baby daughter also joined us as well, which gave my baby daughter (Briana) someone else to play with. And by play, I mean look at it.
Anyway, I ordered the Alba Special, which was an omelet with feta, tomato and spinach that came with potatoes and an English muffin. The meal was good. The problem, in my opinion, was the service.
We waited... and waited... and waited for our meals to arrive. There was never once a mention of the reason for the delay, or even an acknowledgement that they were taking longer than expected. When I say we waited, it was a ridiculous amount of time for things as easy as french toast and eggs. Other tables that had come in after us had already finished and left before we got served our food. Not to mention, when the food did arrive, the food came out in waves where a few of us received food while the rest of us had to watch and wait for a prolonged amount of time for for the next food item to arrive. It was terrible.
In my opinion, if Alba simply acknowledged they were having problems, I would have been okay with that. But nope. Nothing. It seems to me like that should be basic customer service 101. I also found out later from Karen, who was equally disappointed with the experience, that the bathrooms did not have any toilet paper. That struck me as equally terrible because we arrived for breakfast when the restaurant opened. To have no toilet paper in the bathroom during the opening hours is just a sign of bad management.
Needless to say, even though the food was decent, I probably would not recommend the Alba Restaurant in Quincy. The service was just that terrible. Sadly, the celebration was for Karen's birthday... which was back in October. But at least we got to hang out with all of our friends and enjoy our time together. So that part was nice.
Sunday, October 16, 2011
I Suck At Celebrating My Friend's Birthday
Today, my friends, my BFF (Kerry), and I celebrated my friend's (Kelley) birthday. Happy birthday Kelley! Too bad I suck at celebrating my friend's birthday.
My friend (Andrea) actually hosted everyone for Kelley's birthday celebration. Andrea was gracious enough to make a chicken dinner for everyone in honor of Kelley. So joining in on the celebration were my friends (Marc, Steve, Cass, Ellen, Garv, and Leeann).
I was actually pleasantly surprised to be asked to carve up the chicken. I don't think anyone has ever asked me to carve up a chicken or turkey or any type of fowl before. I don't mind doing it. I've just never been asked to do it outside of my house. So I was pretty stoked to cut up the chicken. And for anyone curious, Andrea makes a pretty fine (and juicy) chicken. Her mashed potatoes are equally legendary. They are very white. There are actually a lot of things that Andrea makes that I enjoy.
Anyway, it was great to hang out with a bunch of friends over dinner and football. I learned that Garv and Leeann recently updated their basement, converting it into a man cave of sorts. Heck, I learned that they also drive a Subaru Forester. I don't see Garv and Leeann that much, so it's always good to catch up with them.
Cass and Ellen were pretty comical as usual. This weekend was Cass's brother's wedding. So we got to hear about the wedding and all of that.
All in all, it was great. And it's always a plus when your sixteen month old daughter (Briana) doesn't break anything at someone else's place. I had my doubts early on, but thankfully Briana did not break anything of Andrea's. Instead, her carnage for the day only included my eyeglasses... a result of her ninja like skills of grabbing them off of my face and chucking them across the floor.
My friend (Andrea) actually hosted everyone for Kelley's birthday celebration. Andrea was gracious enough to make a chicken dinner for everyone in honor of Kelley. So joining in on the celebration were my friends (Marc, Steve, Cass, Ellen, Garv, and Leeann).
I was actually pleasantly surprised to be asked to carve up the chicken. I don't think anyone has ever asked me to carve up a chicken or turkey or any type of fowl before. I don't mind doing it. I've just never been asked to do it outside of my house. So I was pretty stoked to cut up the chicken. And for anyone curious, Andrea makes a pretty fine (and juicy) chicken. Her mashed potatoes are equally legendary. They are very white. There are actually a lot of things that Andrea makes that I enjoy.
Anyway, it was great to hang out with a bunch of friends over dinner and football. I learned that Garv and Leeann recently updated their basement, converting it into a man cave of sorts. Heck, I learned that they also drive a Subaru Forester. I don't see Garv and Leeann that much, so it's always good to catch up with them.
Cass and Ellen were pretty comical as usual. This weekend was Cass's brother's wedding. So we got to hear about the wedding and all of that.
All in all, it was great. And it's always a plus when your sixteen month old daughter (Briana) doesn't break anything at someone else's place. I had my doubts early on, but thankfully Briana did not break anything of Andrea's. Instead, her carnage for the day only included my eyeglasses... a result of her ninja like skills of grabbing them off of my face and chucking them across the floor.
Sunday, September 11, 2011
I Suck At Celebrating My Friend's Birthday
Yesterday, Karen and I celebrated my friend's (Marc) birthday. Unfortunately, I suck at celebrating my friend's birthday. Marc's birthday was actually earlier in the week, but we decided to celebrate it on Saturday. The theme for the celebration was Southern comfort food.
Partaking in the festivities for the night were my friends (Kelley, Andrea, Cass, Ellen, their baby daughter Elyse, Garv, Leeann, and Steve) and my BFF (Kerry). It was definitely good to see everyone again. Kelley, as usual, did a great job of cooking most of the comfort foods for the party. In my opinion, Kelley makes a lot of great tasting food. To this day, I still think she makes the best chocolate chip cookies of everyone I know. Bar none.
Anyway, there were a lot of laughs yesterday. Probably one of the most comical parts of the night was our conversation about grey hair. As my friends and I are getting older, it should come as no surprise that we are getting grey hairs. Apparently, however, some of us are getting them in places where the sun doesn't shine. Karen's reaction to the discussion was priceless.
Among other comical topics of conversation were body odor and the use of deodorant. It only seemed like a natural segueway since we were already talking about the human body anyway.
All in all, it was a great enjoyable night. The only blemish of the night was that Lowe's did not call us like they had told us they would. Prior to arriving at Marc and Kelley's, Karen and I purchased a new washer at Lowe's. As a result, Lowe's was supposed to call us to confirm delivery instructions.
Our previous washer just stopped working on Friday. Amazingly, that old washer lasted over nine years for us. Karen and I inherited that old washer from Karen's cousin (Karlene) and Karlene's husband (Tommy). I guess that is proof that there is a lot to like about Lowell. I actually have no idea how old the washer was before we inherited it, but it was solid. They definitely don't make them like they used to. That's for sure.
Washer aside, the night was great.
Partaking in the festivities for the night were my friends (Kelley, Andrea, Cass, Ellen, their baby daughter Elyse, Garv, Leeann, and Steve) and my BFF (Kerry). It was definitely good to see everyone again. Kelley, as usual, did a great job of cooking most of the comfort foods for the party. In my opinion, Kelley makes a lot of great tasting food. To this day, I still think she makes the best chocolate chip cookies of everyone I know. Bar none.
Anyway, there were a lot of laughs yesterday. Probably one of the most comical parts of the night was our conversation about grey hair. As my friends and I are getting older, it should come as no surprise that we are getting grey hairs. Apparently, however, some of us are getting them in places where the sun doesn't shine. Karen's reaction to the discussion was priceless.
Among other comical topics of conversation were body odor and the use of deodorant. It only seemed like a natural segueway since we were already talking about the human body anyway.
All in all, it was a great enjoyable night. The only blemish of the night was that Lowe's did not call us like they had told us they would. Prior to arriving at Marc and Kelley's, Karen and I purchased a new washer at Lowe's. As a result, Lowe's was supposed to call us to confirm delivery instructions.
Our previous washer just stopped working on Friday. Amazingly, that old washer lasted over nine years for us. Karen and I inherited that old washer from Karen's cousin (Karlene) and Karlene's husband (Tommy). I guess that is proof that there is a lot to like about Lowell. I actually have no idea how old the washer was before we inherited it, but it was solid. They definitely don't make them like they used to. That's for sure.
Washer aside, the night was great.
Monday, December 13, 2010
I Suck At Tree Trimming
Saturday started off pretty well.
My friends (Cass and Ellen) were in the neighborhood and decided to stop on by for lunch. Apparently, there is a company located near us that offers 3-D videos of your baby while you are pregnant. Suffice to say, it was definitely good to see Cass and Ellen. It appears that Cass has amassed quite a collection of Singamajigs already for their upcoming baby. (I think the Singamajigs may be more for Cass.)
Later than night, Karen and I attended a tree trimming. Unfortunately, I suck at tree trimming. And naturally, that is when things started to go downhill for me. Every year, my friends (Marc and Kelley) host a tree trimming party to celebrate the holidays. This year, in particular, their party coincided with a UFC fight. So, they were gracious enough to host the party and the UFC pay-per-view.
Anyway, I was pretty excited about the UFC fight. Sadly, things never really go according to plan. The tree trimming was great. My usual group of friends (Garv, Leeann, and Andrea) showed up. Cass was there. Marc's family were there. My BFF (Kerry) was there. My friends (Adam and Kim) were there. My friend (Amy, the Czar) was there. It was definitely good to hang out with everyone.
Unfortunately, it was probably due that I would mess things up. And as a general rule, when I mess things up... I mess things up. I think I've become "that guy". Needless to say, you know things are bad when you wake up the next day not knowing where you are.
And sadly, that is what happened. I woke up at 4 in the morning with one of Marc and Kelley's cat sitting in my lap, a bucket next to me, and the faint smell of vomit in the air. It didn't take too long for me to piece together that the smell of vomit must have been mine.
I say "must have", because unfortunately I have no memory about the incident. Quite frequently, I seem to suffer from alcohol-related amnesia. The last thing I remember was hanging out and chatting with Adam in the kitchen. I have since been told that I actually went to watch the UFC fight, only to never finish watching it due to my purge. I'm not exactly sure how much time elapsed since that moment in time in the kitchen to my inevitable purge.
Some people have an unhealthy relationship with food. I seem to have an unhealthy relationship with alcohol. No doubt, I have done physical damage to my liver and brain. I think what is probably the scariest part, aside from putting a strain on my relationship with my friends, is not remembering what happened at all. I could have probably murdered someone in my inebriated state and wouldn't even know it. Heck, I would be the perfect person to frame for a murder.
I think as I am getting older, my symptoms are getting worse. Earlier in my days, I could tell when things didn't feel quite right. I would get "huggy" as it may be. And I would perhaps sway a little. These days, there's just the swaying... and by that time, it's already too late. There are no signs that I'm passed that point.
After all, like I said, I remember talking with Adam in the kitchen. The best way I can describe the feeling is that it's almost like a switch that gets turned off. It feels that quick. And my memory seems to immediately shut down with it, which is pretty sad because my memory is poor to begin with. Throw in the vomit and well... perhaps that is a sign that my body just can't process alcohol like it used to.
Needless to say, I'm not too proud of my latest drunkenness. I feel awful for ruining Marc and Kelley's party. I'm not sure if there is anything I can do to make it up to them or anyone else at the party who had to witness or even help me. It's yet another in a long line of things that I am regretful for.
It's funny. One of the reasons why I titled my blog "I suck at..." is because of incidents like these. Granted, these incidents that I'm not proud of are not all alcohol-induced. Seeing Amy The Czar did bring back some memories where I wasn't exactly the nicest of nice, a fact only reinforced by my recent rummaging through of old high school crap that my mother brought over after cleaning out her attic.
It goes without saying that I am sorry for letting all of my friends down. I'm sorry that I'm a bad reflection on Karen. And right now, I'm even sorry that my baby daughter (Briana) has me as a father. At almost nine months, Briana thinks I'm like the greatest thing on the planet next to her milk. It's amazing how good I feel whenever Briana looks at me and smiles, because I know she simply adores me. Unfortunately, she doesn't know any better. I'm not even good at taking care of myself.
My friends (Cass and Ellen) were in the neighborhood and decided to stop on by for lunch. Apparently, there is a company located near us that offers 3-D videos of your baby while you are pregnant. Suffice to say, it was definitely good to see Cass and Ellen. It appears that Cass has amassed quite a collection of Singamajigs already for their upcoming baby. (I think the Singamajigs may be more for Cass.)
Later than night, Karen and I attended a tree trimming. Unfortunately, I suck at tree trimming. And naturally, that is when things started to go downhill for me. Every year, my friends (Marc and Kelley) host a tree trimming party to celebrate the holidays. This year, in particular, their party coincided with a UFC fight. So, they were gracious enough to host the party and the UFC pay-per-view.
Anyway, I was pretty excited about the UFC fight. Sadly, things never really go according to plan. The tree trimming was great. My usual group of friends (Garv, Leeann, and Andrea) showed up. Cass was there. Marc's family were there. My BFF (Kerry) was there. My friends (Adam and Kim) were there. My friend (Amy, the Czar) was there. It was definitely good to hang out with everyone.
Unfortunately, it was probably due that I would mess things up. And as a general rule, when I mess things up... I mess things up. I think I've become "that guy". Needless to say, you know things are bad when you wake up the next day not knowing where you are.
And sadly, that is what happened. I woke up at 4 in the morning with one of Marc and Kelley's cat sitting in my lap, a bucket next to me, and the faint smell of vomit in the air. It didn't take too long for me to piece together that the smell of vomit must have been mine.
I say "must have", because unfortunately I have no memory about the incident. Quite frequently, I seem to suffer from alcohol-related amnesia. The last thing I remember was hanging out and chatting with Adam in the kitchen. I have since been told that I actually went to watch the UFC fight, only to never finish watching it due to my purge. I'm not exactly sure how much time elapsed since that moment in time in the kitchen to my inevitable purge.
Some people have an unhealthy relationship with food. I seem to have an unhealthy relationship with alcohol. No doubt, I have done physical damage to my liver and brain. I think what is probably the scariest part, aside from putting a strain on my relationship with my friends, is not remembering what happened at all. I could have probably murdered someone in my inebriated state and wouldn't even know it. Heck, I would be the perfect person to frame for a murder.
I think as I am getting older, my symptoms are getting worse. Earlier in my days, I could tell when things didn't feel quite right. I would get "huggy" as it may be. And I would perhaps sway a little. These days, there's just the swaying... and by that time, it's already too late. There are no signs that I'm passed that point.
After all, like I said, I remember talking with Adam in the kitchen. The best way I can describe the feeling is that it's almost like a switch that gets turned off. It feels that quick. And my memory seems to immediately shut down with it, which is pretty sad because my memory is poor to begin with. Throw in the vomit and well... perhaps that is a sign that my body just can't process alcohol like it used to.
Needless to say, I'm not too proud of my latest drunkenness. I feel awful for ruining Marc and Kelley's party. I'm not sure if there is anything I can do to make it up to them or anyone else at the party who had to witness or even help me. It's yet another in a long line of things that I am regretful for.
It's funny. One of the reasons why I titled my blog "I suck at..." is because of incidents like these. Granted, these incidents that I'm not proud of are not all alcohol-induced. Seeing Amy The Czar did bring back some memories where I wasn't exactly the nicest of nice, a fact only reinforced by my recent rummaging through of old high school crap that my mother brought over after cleaning out her attic.
It goes without saying that I am sorry for letting all of my friends down. I'm sorry that I'm a bad reflection on Karen. And right now, I'm even sorry that my baby daughter (Briana) has me as a father. At almost nine months, Briana thinks I'm like the greatest thing on the planet next to her milk. It's amazing how good I feel whenever Briana looks at me and smiles, because I know she simply adores me. Unfortunately, she doesn't know any better. I'm not even good at taking care of myself.
Monday, November 1, 2010
I Suck At Birthday Parties
On Saturday, Karen, our seven month old baby daughter (Briana) and I attended a birthday party. Now, I suck at birthday parties. The special occasion, however, was for my friend (Sam) and his two children.
Sam is in the armed forces. He and his wife (Tara), who normally live out of state, were making their semi-annual trip up to Massachusetts. It just so happens that in the month of October, their children were celebrating their birthdays. Sam and Tara have two twin boys (Alex and Ben). And the big birthday celebration was for their first birthday.
For Karen and I (and Briana), this was our first time meeting Alex and Ben. Because Sam and Tara live out of state, we have only seen pictures of their two boys. So it was good to meet their little ones on Saturday.
Interestingly enough, the birthday party for the twin babies was held at Blue-22 in Quincy. For anyone curious, Blue-22 is a bar. Normally, I would think that having a baby party at a bar is somewhat peculiar. It just so happens that all of us are childhood friends of one the owners of the bar (Garv). And since Sam and Tara live out of state, I can understand how the party ended up at Blue-22.
Regardless, it was a good time celebrating Alex and Ben's birthday at Blue-22. Joining in on the festivities were Sam and Tara's respective parents, Tara's sister, Garv, my friends (Marc, Kelley, Leeann, Cass, Ellen, Aimee, Jim, Aimee and Jim's children, Scott, Ofelia, Scott and Ofelia's son), the parent (Peggy) of one of my friends, and some of Tara's other relatives. It was a motley crew of sorts.
Sam and Tara got a little present for Briana, which was very thoughtful. Attached to the present was also a specially selected Little Mermaid PEZ dispenser in my honor, which I thought was pretty funny. Speaking of which, Aimee also cracked me up. She gave me this ginormous gummy bear from Yummies in Maine. The gummy bear was absolutely huge. It made me laugh. It is moments like that which make me thankful to have the friends that I do.
Needless to say, it was a fun time to hang out with everyone. Speaking of which, following the birthday party, Karen and I ended up at Marc and Kelley's house to meet their new cat, Jack/Jackson. The cat is very cute and very active. Also meeting the cat for the first time were our friends (Andrea and Steve) and my BFF (Kerry). Andrea, Steve, and Kerry were in town and met up with us after their own little excursion for the day.
All in all, it was a nice day of just hanging out with friends.
Sam is in the armed forces. He and his wife (Tara), who normally live out of state, were making their semi-annual trip up to Massachusetts. It just so happens that in the month of October, their children were celebrating their birthdays. Sam and Tara have two twin boys (Alex and Ben). And the big birthday celebration was for their first birthday.
For Karen and I (and Briana), this was our first time meeting Alex and Ben. Because Sam and Tara live out of state, we have only seen pictures of their two boys. So it was good to meet their little ones on Saturday.
Interestingly enough, the birthday party for the twin babies was held at Blue-22 in Quincy. For anyone curious, Blue-22 is a bar. Normally, I would think that having a baby party at a bar is somewhat peculiar. It just so happens that all of us are childhood friends of one the owners of the bar (Garv). And since Sam and Tara live out of state, I can understand how the party ended up at Blue-22.
Regardless, it was a good time celebrating Alex and Ben's birthday at Blue-22. Joining in on the festivities were Sam and Tara's respective parents, Tara's sister, Garv, my friends (Marc, Kelley, Leeann, Cass, Ellen, Aimee, Jim, Aimee and Jim's children, Scott, Ofelia, Scott and Ofelia's son), the parent (Peggy) of one of my friends, and some of Tara's other relatives. It was a motley crew of sorts.
Sam and Tara got a little present for Briana, which was very thoughtful. Attached to the present was also a specially selected Little Mermaid PEZ dispenser in my honor, which I thought was pretty funny. Speaking of which, Aimee also cracked me up. She gave me this ginormous gummy bear from Yummies in Maine. The gummy bear was absolutely huge. It made me laugh. It is moments like that which make me thankful to have the friends that I do.
Needless to say, it was a fun time to hang out with everyone. Speaking of which, following the birthday party, Karen and I ended up at Marc and Kelley's house to meet their new cat, Jack/Jackson. The cat is very cute and very active. Also meeting the cat for the first time were our friends (Andrea and Steve) and my BFF (Kerry). Andrea, Steve, and Kerry were in town and met up with us after their own little excursion for the day.
All in all, it was a nice day of just hanging out with friends.
Sunday, August 15, 2010
I Suck At Celebrating My Friend's Birthday
Yesterday, Karen and I celebrated my friend's (Cass) birthday. Too bad I suck at celebrating my friend's birthday. I especially suck considering the fact that his birthday was actually on Wednesday.
Anyway, August generally kicks off the birthday celebration tour within my circle of friends. From now till the end of the year (with the exception of November) and into January, every month will feature a birthday celebration from at least one of my friends. And as customary with birthday celebrations, there will be fun, merriment, and food.
For Cass, who I like to think will be the future Mayor of Quincy, his celebration consisted of a potluck party. And because Cass, like the rest of my friends, are silly the theme for the potluck party was balls. Truth be told, I do enjoy potluck parties.
In fact, I enjoy potluck more than dining out. In addition to the simple cost saving benefits, I find potluck parties a better means to hang out and enjoy time with friends. There is more time during potluck parties. The atmosphere is more comfortable because the potluck is at someone's place. There are less outside factors to worry about. To me, potlucks are a win-win from every angle.
Aside from that, I also enjoy challenges. In past potluck parties, I will admit that I did not fully participate as well as I should have, in part because I could not cook. I still can't cook, but things I make are more edible now. And if you ask, I will still be able to whoop my friend's (Hot Amy) butt in a macaroni and cheese competition. But since I'm trying to cook more, the idea of potlucks are very appealing to me because it plays to my ability to problem solve.
So when Cass said he wanted a ball theme potluck party for his birthday celebration, I was pretty intrigued and excited by the idea. Unfortunately, I had to resort to the Internet because my food skills are a little lacking. Eventually, I decided to make cheddar and bacon balls, which was surprisingly easy to make. Karen ended up making something called cake pops, which were very good. (As a side note, I even had to spontaneously make a holder for her cake pops out of a piece of scrap wood... and my trusty drill.)
Anyway, I totally had fun at Cass's birthday celebration. And really, it's impossible not to have any fun when hanging out with a bunch of friends. Joining in the festivities were my friends (Ellen, Marc, Kelley, Garv, Leeann, and Andrea) and my BFF (Kerry). I think Cass had a great time too, which is what was important for the day. Last year, during Cass's birthday celebration, Cass had to pick up his father from the hospital because his father cut his hand with a saw... and I also think Cass's car had to be towed because his gas indicator was broken. So I'm guessing yesterday was a much better celebration than last year by leaps and bounds.
Among the topics of conversations that came up was the fact that Garv wanted to plan a trip to Comic-Con 2011. I was actually quite surprised because I didn't think Comic-Con was something Garv was into. Marc naturally wanted to go, and has wanted to go for some time. So the two of them were throwing out ideas for the trip... most notably dressing up for the convention in something known as cosplay.
It turns out Marc and Kelley wanted to go as comic book superheroes the Question and the Huntress. Marc wanted Garv to dress up as well, which I totally agree with. If Garv wants to go, then he definitely needs the full experience... cosplay and all. Unfortunately, there are a very limited number of Asian superheroes. The one that came to my mind was Sunfire. Now that I think of it... there is also Jubilee, a Chinese-American teenage girl born in Beverly Hills with the power of fireworks, which I'm sure Garv would make a great fit for.
Needless to say, it was funny discussion. Add to it the fact that I still think things like Comic-Con are a great place for single women to meet single men... very single men. Of course, I have never been to Comic-Con, but I imagine the men to women ratio is probably favorable for women. And if you think about it, geek is chic now. And nothing says geek like Comic-Con. I'm sure there are those who disagree with me.
As well, we talked about DirectBuy, Bradley Cooper (the next Ryan Reynolds?), and fantasy football. Interestingly enough, it seems like the rules for the upcoming season were hammered out yesterday, which is funny because there was supposed to be a get-together dinner about it tomorrow.
I'm sure there were other comical discussions during the night. Unfortunately, I can't remember much of what happened following the fateful phone call that I received from Karen's parents during dinner. The ball themed potluck dinner, by the way, was very delicious. Everyone did an amazing job coming up with... balls. And I'm sure it's always fun to eat... balls. (Snicker.)
Anyway, our four month baby daughter (Briana) has recently developed the case of separation anxiety. Last week, Briana uncontrollably cried for my favorite sister-in-law (Janine) while Karen and I went to celebrate Andrea's birthday. Yesterday, she uncontrollably cried for Karen's parents who were watching her while Karen and I were at Cass and Ellen's.
In fact, Briana cried so much that she lost her voice. As Karen will tell you, Briana sounds like a smoker right now. Since being born prematurely, Briana has been a very good baby. She has only cried whenever she has been hungry. Even then, her cries for food were never bad. Yesterday, however, was the first time I ever saw her uncontrollably wail... and wail... and wail. It was definitely not a good feeling to see it unfold.
Needless to say, Karen and I picked up Briana, brought her back to Cass and Ellen's for a little while, before heading home. With Briana's recent bouts of separation anxiety, it looks like our list of babysitters have evaporated for the time being. I'm not even sure yet as to how to remedy this problem. The alternative of constantly staying home and not going out... ever... seems ridiculous (and unhealthy).
Anyway, August generally kicks off the birthday celebration tour within my circle of friends. From now till the end of the year (with the exception of November) and into January, every month will feature a birthday celebration from at least one of my friends. And as customary with birthday celebrations, there will be fun, merriment, and food.
For Cass, who I like to think will be the future Mayor of Quincy, his celebration consisted of a potluck party. And because Cass, like the rest of my friends, are silly the theme for the potluck party was balls. Truth be told, I do enjoy potluck parties.
In fact, I enjoy potluck more than dining out. In addition to the simple cost saving benefits, I find potluck parties a better means to hang out and enjoy time with friends. There is more time during potluck parties. The atmosphere is more comfortable because the potluck is at someone's place. There are less outside factors to worry about. To me, potlucks are a win-win from every angle.
Aside from that, I also enjoy challenges. In past potluck parties, I will admit that I did not fully participate as well as I should have, in part because I could not cook. I still can't cook, but things I make are more edible now. And if you ask, I will still be able to whoop my friend's (Hot Amy) butt in a macaroni and cheese competition. But since I'm trying to cook more, the idea of potlucks are very appealing to me because it plays to my ability to problem solve.
So when Cass said he wanted a ball theme potluck party for his birthday celebration, I was pretty intrigued and excited by the idea. Unfortunately, I had to resort to the Internet because my food skills are a little lacking. Eventually, I decided to make cheddar and bacon balls, which was surprisingly easy to make. Karen ended up making something called cake pops, which were very good. (As a side note, I even had to spontaneously make a holder for her cake pops out of a piece of scrap wood... and my trusty drill.)
Anyway, I totally had fun at Cass's birthday celebration. And really, it's impossible not to have any fun when hanging out with a bunch of friends. Joining in the festivities were my friends (Ellen, Marc, Kelley, Garv, Leeann, and Andrea) and my BFF (Kerry). I think Cass had a great time too, which is what was important for the day. Last year, during Cass's birthday celebration, Cass had to pick up his father from the hospital because his father cut his hand with a saw... and I also think Cass's car had to be towed because his gas indicator was broken. So I'm guessing yesterday was a much better celebration than last year by leaps and bounds.
Among the topics of conversations that came up was the fact that Garv wanted to plan a trip to Comic-Con 2011. I was actually quite surprised because I didn't think Comic-Con was something Garv was into. Marc naturally wanted to go, and has wanted to go for some time. So the two of them were throwing out ideas for the trip... most notably dressing up for the convention in something known as cosplay.
It turns out Marc and Kelley wanted to go as comic book superheroes the Question and the Huntress. Marc wanted Garv to dress up as well, which I totally agree with. If Garv wants to go, then he definitely needs the full experience... cosplay and all. Unfortunately, there are a very limited number of Asian superheroes. The one that came to my mind was Sunfire. Now that I think of it... there is also Jubilee, a Chinese-American teenage girl born in Beverly Hills with the power of fireworks, which I'm sure Garv would make a great fit for.
Needless to say, it was funny discussion. Add to it the fact that I still think things like Comic-Con are a great place for single women to meet single men... very single men. Of course, I have never been to Comic-Con, but I imagine the men to women ratio is probably favorable for women. And if you think about it, geek is chic now. And nothing says geek like Comic-Con. I'm sure there are those who disagree with me.
As well, we talked about DirectBuy, Bradley Cooper (the next Ryan Reynolds?), and fantasy football. Interestingly enough, it seems like the rules for the upcoming season were hammered out yesterday, which is funny because there was supposed to be a get-together dinner about it tomorrow.
I'm sure there were other comical discussions during the night. Unfortunately, I can't remember much of what happened following the fateful phone call that I received from Karen's parents during dinner. The ball themed potluck dinner, by the way, was very delicious. Everyone did an amazing job coming up with... balls. And I'm sure it's always fun to eat... balls. (Snicker.)
Anyway, our four month baby daughter (Briana) has recently developed the case of separation anxiety. Last week, Briana uncontrollably cried for my favorite sister-in-law (Janine) while Karen and I went to celebrate Andrea's birthday. Yesterday, she uncontrollably cried for Karen's parents who were watching her while Karen and I were at Cass and Ellen's.
In fact, Briana cried so much that she lost her voice. As Karen will tell you, Briana sounds like a smoker right now. Since being born prematurely, Briana has been a very good baby. She has only cried whenever she has been hungry. Even then, her cries for food were never bad. Yesterday, however, was the first time I ever saw her uncontrollably wail... and wail... and wail. It was definitely not a good feeling to see it unfold.
Needless to say, Karen and I picked up Briana, brought her back to Cass and Ellen's for a little while, before heading home. With Briana's recent bouts of separation anxiety, it looks like our list of babysitters have evaporated for the time being. I'm not even sure yet as to how to remedy this problem. The alternative of constantly staying home and not going out... ever... seems ridiculous (and unhealthy).
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
I Suck At Fourth Of July Cookouts
On Sunday, my friends (Cass and Ellen) had a cookout to celebrate the Fourth of July. Unfortunately, I suck at fourth of July cookouts.
Nevertheless, the cookout was a great excuse to just hang out with a bunch of friends... relax... laugh it up... etc. In addition to my friends (Marc, Kelley, Garv, Leeann, Andrea), Karen, our daughter (Briana) and I, Cass and Ellen's respective parents attended the cookout.
For me, it was the first time I got to hang out with Ellen's parents. They are very nice. Interestingly enough, they think that I am a great father. Boy do I have them fooled or what? Apparently, they thought I did a superb job of taking care of Briana while at the cookout.
I also got to hang out a little with Cass's parents as well. Cass's father brought steak, lamb, ribs... other beef products... to the cookout. Ever since my little "incident" on Black Friday from years past, I have purposely made sure that my pieces of meat are cut up into small pieces that are easy to swallow. (For anyone curious, it was a piece of steak that Cass's father had made that I had choked on during that fateful Black Friday.)
Needless to say, I still get a little ribbing from that incident. Sunday was no different. It was definitely nice to see Cass's parents again. Growing up, my friends and I used to see them all the time because we either hung out at Cass's or at Garv's. I believe Cass's mother even reminded us that it was our friends (Ron and Ben) broke one of their vases while playing around. (I think they may have also shattered some glass that was covering a table, but I could be mistaken about that.)
All in all, it was nice to see everyone. I think I had the most fun just hanging out in the backyard while a good number of guests went inside the house... only to watch the Jaws marathon on television. While Kelley rolled around the dog excrement-infested lawn, Garv, Cass, Andrea and I were just being silly.
The topic of discussion was mainly how I was going to be a pushover when it came to my loving daughter, Briana. Garv did his best impression of Briana pleading to go with her friends to a Lady GaGa concert. Cass thought I'd simply defer to Karen. Meanwhile, Andrea (probably from experience) said that Briana, in an effort to get her way, will start small and eventually work her way up to asking for bigger and better things. Sadly, none of them believed that I would say no to Briana. I'll prove them all wrong.
Anyway, as the night when on, we ended up inside watching the Boston Pops on television. Happy belated Fourth of July! Aside from the usual fireworks display in town, there were also random fireworks that were ignited by Cass and Ellen's neighbors. It was interesting.
Needless to say, it was a great relaxing day with friends. It was a nice way to celebrate our country's independence.
Nevertheless, the cookout was a great excuse to just hang out with a bunch of friends... relax... laugh it up... etc. In addition to my friends (Marc, Kelley, Garv, Leeann, Andrea), Karen, our daughter (Briana) and I, Cass and Ellen's respective parents attended the cookout.
For me, it was the first time I got to hang out with Ellen's parents. They are very nice. Interestingly enough, they think that I am a great father. Boy do I have them fooled or what? Apparently, they thought I did a superb job of taking care of Briana while at the cookout.
I also got to hang out a little with Cass's parents as well. Cass's father brought steak, lamb, ribs... other beef products... to the cookout. Ever since my little "incident" on Black Friday from years past, I have purposely made sure that my pieces of meat are cut up into small pieces that are easy to swallow. (For anyone curious, it was a piece of steak that Cass's father had made that I had choked on during that fateful Black Friday.)
Needless to say, I still get a little ribbing from that incident. Sunday was no different. It was definitely nice to see Cass's parents again. Growing up, my friends and I used to see them all the time because we either hung out at Cass's or at Garv's. I believe Cass's mother even reminded us that it was our friends (Ron and Ben) broke one of their vases while playing around. (I think they may have also shattered some glass that was covering a table, but I could be mistaken about that.)
All in all, it was nice to see everyone. I think I had the most fun just hanging out in the backyard while a good number of guests went inside the house... only to watch the Jaws marathon on television. While Kelley rolled around the dog excrement-infested lawn, Garv, Cass, Andrea and I were just being silly.
The topic of discussion was mainly how I was going to be a pushover when it came to my loving daughter, Briana. Garv did his best impression of Briana pleading to go with her friends to a Lady GaGa concert. Cass thought I'd simply defer to Karen. Meanwhile, Andrea (probably from experience) said that Briana, in an effort to get her way, will start small and eventually work her way up to asking for bigger and better things. Sadly, none of them believed that I would say no to Briana. I'll prove them all wrong.
Anyway, as the night when on, we ended up inside watching the Boston Pops on television. Happy belated Fourth of July! Aside from the usual fireworks display in town, there were also random fireworks that were ignited by Cass and Ellen's neighbors. It was interesting.
Needless to say, it was a great relaxing day with friends. It was a nice way to celebrate our country's independence.
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