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.
Showing posts with label steve. Show all posts
Showing posts with label steve. Show all posts
Saturday, December 15, 2012
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.
Wednesday, October 31, 2012
I Suck At Halloween Parties
On Saturday night, my friends (Marc and Kelley) invited Karen and I to their Halloween party. Too bad I suck at Halloween parties.
It's not that I dislike Halloween. I've just never really been into celebrating Halloween or getting dressed up. The last time that I can remember actually celebrating Halloween is when I was in fifth grade. For me, it was memorable because I got to have a shaving cream fight with one of my classmates while trick-or-treating. Good times. Good times.
Being a parent now, however, I feel obligated to enjoy Halloween a lot more by dressing up in costume. So like I told Karen, come midnight on Halloween I'm going to start planning ahead for a costume for the next Halloween. Hopefully, I can remember that.
Regardless, Marc and Kelley's Halloween party was fun. Joining in on the fun were my friends (Cass, Ellen, Garv, Leeann, Andrea, Steve and Samantha) and my BFF (Kerry). There were definitely some great costumes. Marc and Kelley actually awarded prizes for the top three costumes. For anyone curious, third place went to Steve for his Captain Hammer costume, second place went to Cass for his Psy "Gangnam Style" costume, and the grand prize went to Marc for his Magnum P.I. costume.
As usual, it was good to hang out with everyone and have some good laughs. Among some of the more memorable topics of discussion were Rachel, Friday Night Lights, Thanksgiving, and Taylor Swift
The whole Rachel thing wasn't really much of a discussion. Marc's sister (De) thought Andrea looked like a Rachel. She previously thought Steve looked like he should be named something else as well. Regardless, I have been contemplating calling Andrea Rachel now.
As for Friday Night Lights, that topic came about because I jokingly said that my backup costume idea was Jason Street from Friday Night Light. Little did I know, that would lead to other people volunteering to be other characters from the show. Surprisingly, no one offered to be Tyra Collette. (Blonde... shiny... yay!)
And along the whole dress up theme, the discussion of Thanksgiving this year came up. I thought it would be fun to have everyone dress up as either a Pilgrim or a Native American. I thought it would be cute to see my daughters dressed up for yet another holiday. We'll see how that goes. Andrea/Rachel has already offered to dress up as influenza.
Lastly, the topic of Taylor Swift came up. How could Taylor Swift not come up when her number one fan over the age of 40, also known as Garv, was present?
All in all, it was fun party. It was good to see everyone and have a few laughs.
It's not that I dislike Halloween. I've just never really been into celebrating Halloween or getting dressed up. The last time that I can remember actually celebrating Halloween is when I was in fifth grade. For me, it was memorable because I got to have a shaving cream fight with one of my classmates while trick-or-treating. Good times. Good times.
Being a parent now, however, I feel obligated to enjoy Halloween a lot more by dressing up in costume. So like I told Karen, come midnight on Halloween I'm going to start planning ahead for a costume for the next Halloween. Hopefully, I can remember that.
Regardless, Marc and Kelley's Halloween party was fun. Joining in on the fun were my friends (Cass, Ellen, Garv, Leeann, Andrea, Steve and Samantha) and my BFF (Kerry). There were definitely some great costumes. Marc and Kelley actually awarded prizes for the top three costumes. For anyone curious, third place went to Steve for his Captain Hammer costume, second place went to Cass for his Psy "Gangnam Style" costume, and the grand prize went to Marc for his Magnum P.I. costume.
As usual, it was good to hang out with everyone and have some good laughs. Among some of the more memorable topics of discussion were Rachel, Friday Night Lights, Thanksgiving, and Taylor Swift
The whole Rachel thing wasn't really much of a discussion. Marc's sister (De) thought Andrea looked like a Rachel. She previously thought Steve looked like he should be named something else as well. Regardless, I have been contemplating calling Andrea Rachel now.
As for Friday Night Lights, that topic came about because I jokingly said that my backup costume idea was Jason Street from Friday Night Light. Little did I know, that would lead to other people volunteering to be other characters from the show. Surprisingly, no one offered to be Tyra Collette. (Blonde... shiny... yay!)
And along the whole dress up theme, the discussion of Thanksgiving this year came up. I thought it would be fun to have everyone dress up as either a Pilgrim or a Native American. I thought it would be cute to see my daughters dressed up for yet another holiday. We'll see how that goes. Andrea/Rachel has already offered to dress up as influenza.
Lastly, the topic of Taylor Swift came up. How could Taylor Swift not come up when her number one fan over the age of 40, also known as Garv, was present?
All in all, it was fun party. It was good to see everyone and have a few laughs.
Tuesday, September 18, 2012
I Suck At Wild Willy's Burgers
This past Thursday, Karen, my two year old daughter (Briana), my six month old daughter (Bridget), and I went to Wild Willy's Burgers located in Quincy. Too bad I suck at Wild Willy's Burgers.
The occasion was the usual get together with my friends (Marc, Kelley) and my BFF (Kerry). There was, however, a special appearance made by our friend (Steve) who happened to also be in Quincy.
Anyway, the food at Wild Willy's was quite delicious. I ordered the Outlaw burger since it's totally like my persona: bad ass. Just kidding. Joking aside, the burger was very good. And the service was excellent. Needless to say, I would definitely recommend going back.
As well, it was good to see everyone at Wild Willy's. Following dinner, all of us (except for Steve) headed back to Kerry's for some merriment and all around fun. As a side note, it turns out that Kerry is getting rid of one of her many tables. I only note that as of interest because it just so happens that Karen and I have been contemplating getting a new table/desk for our computer.
We have been toying with the idea of moving the current location of our computer for some time since the current location is a little overkill for a laptop. The other idea that we came up with was to create one ourselves. So we'll see how that goes.
Anyway, most of my time at Kerry's was spent in the bathroom. For those curious, it was not I who needed to go to the bathroom, but my darling daughter, Briana, who we have been trying to "potty" train. To be honest, I think she just wanted to visit the bathroom because there was a ladder in Kerry's bathroom that she wanted to climb. Plus, there was soap. Briana likes washing her hands. No OCD there.
All in all, it was a great night hanging out with everyone and having fun.
The occasion was the usual get together with my friends (Marc, Kelley) and my BFF (Kerry). There was, however, a special appearance made by our friend (Steve) who happened to also be in Quincy.
Anyway, the food at Wild Willy's was quite delicious. I ordered the Outlaw burger since it's totally like my persona: bad ass. Just kidding. Joking aside, the burger was very good. And the service was excellent. Needless to say, I would definitely recommend going back.
As well, it was good to see everyone at Wild Willy's. Following dinner, all of us (except for Steve) headed back to Kerry's for some merriment and all around fun. As a side note, it turns out that Kerry is getting rid of one of her many tables. I only note that as of interest because it just so happens that Karen and I have been contemplating getting a new table/desk for our computer.
We have been toying with the idea of moving the current location of our computer for some time since the current location is a little overkill for a laptop. The other idea that we came up with was to create one ourselves. So we'll see how that goes.
Anyway, most of my time at Kerry's was spent in the bathroom. For those curious, it was not I who needed to go to the bathroom, but my darling daughter, Briana, who we have been trying to "potty" train. To be honest, I think she just wanted to visit the bathroom because there was a ladder in Kerry's bathroom that she wanted to climb. Plus, there was soap. Briana likes washing her hands. No OCD there.
All in all, it was a great night hanging out with everyone and having fun.
Sunday, August 12, 2012
I Suck At Moving
Saturday has been quite the busy day. I feel like I have been going non-stop since waking up this morning at a robust 7:30am. And sadly, I don't really have much to show for today.
In addition to being my friend's (Cass) birthday, Saturday kicked off the sales-inducing tactic by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts known as tax-free weekend. In tax weekends past, Karen and I have gotten some of our big purchase items like our treadmill/parallel bar for my two year old daughter (Briana).
This year, we toyed with the idea of getting a new dining room display cabinet. Our current dining room cabinet is... well... too bulky. Not only is the current display cabinet bulky, it's not really "us". For being a free hand-me-down though, the current display cabinet has served us well.
Anyway, Karen and I had discussed getting a new dining room display cabinet that was more suited to our needs in the past. And with this weekend being a tax free weekend, we decided to explore that option further. Unfortunately, the thought of getting new furniture led to other things like a new placement of existing furniture, etc. So, most of my morning was spent moving existing furniture around and getting ready for a possibly new display cabinet.
I did, however, get to take a break in the form of helping my BFF (Kerry) move into her new house. Unfortunately, I suck at moving. I really did not accomplish much in terms of helping Kerry with her move. Most of that work had already been done by my friends (Marc, Kelley, Steve, and Samantha) by the time Karen and I arrived to help out.
And while I did help move what seemed like an endless number of dressers up her stairs, I am afraid I did slack off a little particularly when Kerry's numerous family members also arrived to help. Needless to say, Kerry is now a resident of the South Shore. It'll be interesting having Kerry down this way. She hasn't been on the South Shore since high school. So I'm looking forward to seeing her more.
Anyway, following the move, I attempted to be daring and bold by making a trip to IKEA in Stoughton. After all, there was a dining room display cabinet that looked intriguing at IKEA. Plus, it just so happens that Marc and Kelley (and my friends Garv and Leeann) have the same thing in their homes.
Might I add... IKEA is nuts. Traffic is crazy. Hordes of people dilly dally. It's awful. And naturally, annoying me further about the place is that my trip was all for naught. IKEA had the display cabinet in stock... or at least part of it. There are two boxes for the cabinet. Only one of them was in stock, which seems a little bizarre because I'm not sure who would purchase half a cabinet.
Regardless, it was a wasted trip. So to unwind, I turned to my latest addiction: Staples... the office superstore. Thanks to Staples, I was able to purchase a pack of Post-It notes, and two two-packs of BIC Velocity Retractable Gel Pens all for the low price of potentially free. The former item will be free after rebate. For the pens, I had a good ol' trusty coupon. Yay coupons! (Technically, when all is said and done, Staples is paying me to take those items so I'm not complaining.)
From there, things only got better as I went to Marc and Kelley's to watch the UFC pay per view for the night. In addition to myself, Kerry, Samantha, and Cass also were there. It was good to see Cass in person (so as to wish him happy birthday face to face). Sadly, I could not have done that with my friend (Andrea) who I did not get to see on her birthday. (By the way, happy belated birthday Andrea!)
Anyway, it was fun hanging out with everyone. As a sign that we're old, everyone there fell asleep during the pay-per-view at least once. Well... everyone except for myself and Samantha. And really, Samantha and Kerry left midway through the pay per view. So I was the only person to make it through the entire pay per view (probably because I'm used to being up late... like right now writing this post). But it's understandable. It was a long day for everyone. Nevertheless, I enjoyed the time.
In addition to being my friend's (Cass) birthday, Saturday kicked off the sales-inducing tactic by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts known as tax-free weekend. In tax weekends past, Karen and I have gotten some of our big purchase items like our treadmill/parallel bar for my two year old daughter (Briana).
This year, we toyed with the idea of getting a new dining room display cabinet. Our current dining room cabinet is... well... too bulky. Not only is the current display cabinet bulky, it's not really "us". For being a free hand-me-down though, the current display cabinet has served us well.
Anyway, Karen and I had discussed getting a new dining room display cabinet that was more suited to our needs in the past. And with this weekend being a tax free weekend, we decided to explore that option further. Unfortunately, the thought of getting new furniture led to other things like a new placement of existing furniture, etc. So, most of my morning was spent moving existing furniture around and getting ready for a possibly new display cabinet.
I did, however, get to take a break in the form of helping my BFF (Kerry) move into her new house. Unfortunately, I suck at moving. I really did not accomplish much in terms of helping Kerry with her move. Most of that work had already been done by my friends (Marc, Kelley, Steve, and Samantha) by the time Karen and I arrived to help out.
And while I did help move what seemed like an endless number of dressers up her stairs, I am afraid I did slack off a little particularly when Kerry's numerous family members also arrived to help. Needless to say, Kerry is now a resident of the South Shore. It'll be interesting having Kerry down this way. She hasn't been on the South Shore since high school. So I'm looking forward to seeing her more.
Anyway, following the move, I attempted to be daring and bold by making a trip to IKEA in Stoughton. After all, there was a dining room display cabinet that looked intriguing at IKEA. Plus, it just so happens that Marc and Kelley (and my friends Garv and Leeann) have the same thing in their homes.
Might I add... IKEA is nuts. Traffic is crazy. Hordes of people dilly dally. It's awful. And naturally, annoying me further about the place is that my trip was all for naught. IKEA had the display cabinet in stock... or at least part of it. There are two boxes for the cabinet. Only one of them was in stock, which seems a little bizarre because I'm not sure who would purchase half a cabinet.
Regardless, it was a wasted trip. So to unwind, I turned to my latest addiction: Staples... the office superstore. Thanks to Staples, I was able to purchase a pack of Post-It notes, and two two-packs of BIC Velocity Retractable Gel Pens all for the low price of potentially free. The former item will be free after rebate. For the pens, I had a good ol' trusty coupon. Yay coupons! (Technically, when all is said and done, Staples is paying me to take those items so I'm not complaining.)
From there, things only got better as I went to Marc and Kelley's to watch the UFC pay per view for the night. In addition to myself, Kerry, Samantha, and Cass also were there. It was good to see Cass in person (so as to wish him happy birthday face to face). Sadly, I could not have done that with my friend (Andrea) who I did not get to see on her birthday. (By the way, happy belated birthday Andrea!)
Anyway, it was fun hanging out with everyone. As a sign that we're old, everyone there fell asleep during the pay-per-view at least once. Well... everyone except for myself and Samantha. And really, Samantha and Kerry left midway through the pay per view. So I was the only person to make it through the entire pay per view (probably because I'm used to being up late... like right now writing this post). But it's understandable. It was a long day for everyone. Nevertheless, I enjoyed the time.
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, 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.
Sunday, June 27, 2010
I Suck At Half Birthday Parties
Yesterday, Karen and I... and our baby daughter (Briana) traveled to the bewitching town of Salem. What is in Salem besides witches? Well... my bff (Kerry) just so happens to reside in Salem and she decided to have a little cookout celebration.
Kerry, like a good many friends that I know, was born in the month of December. And as anyone with a December birthday can tell you, celebrating your day with a group of people within that month can be quite difficult with the holidays and all. Thus, she came up with the idea of having a birthday party in June... or as she refers to it as... a half birthday party because it's halfway to her birthday.
Unfortunately, I suck at half birthday parties. Truth be told, I think the idea is pretty ingenious, in part because I also happen to have a birthday in the month of December. In fact, I started my whole photo scavenger hunt because of that very dilemma as well... how to celebrate your day with a bunch of friends without having to celebrate it in the month of December.
Needless to say, Karen and I attended Kerry's half birthday party. We had wanted to bring a gag gift in honor of it being Kerry's half birthday, but we could not decide upon something. I had originally suggested a two piece bathing suit, but only giving her either the top or the bottom. Our other ideas were very limited... like a single shoe.
Anyway, the half birthday party was good. As a new parent of a 3 month old, I have recently been comparing Briana to other children close to her age. After all, I felt a lot of pressure with Briana because people used to always tell Karen and I that our future baby will be so adorable and all of that (being of a mixed race and all). I have no idea what these people used to base their assumptions on. Naturally, I felt that Briana had high expectations to live up to.
So it may have been a little possible that at the half birthday party, I compared Briana to another baby who also happened to be at the party. Now, I know parents always think their own child is the most beautiful thing since sliced bread. After all, it's their own child and of course they would be biased. That said, I was quite ecstatic during the half birthday party. Briana was easily the best looking baby, despite the my-baby-is-so-wonderful stories by the mother of the other baby. But to each their own.
The half birthday party itself was interesting. As usual, the food was delicious. In addition to the standard cookout staples of hot dogs and hamburgers, Kerry made a corn casserole dish. The dish was very delicious. Similarly, I'll give props to my friend (Hot Amy) for her guacamole. It was surprisingly good.
Speaking of which, the other friends of mine who attended the half birthday party included Marc, Kelley, Andrea, Cass, Jenn, Bill, Carlos and Steve. I have gotten to known Steve through Kerry. He is a funny guy... and one who I think has a neat job. I would definitely love to be able to watch a live open heart operation. That would be cool to watch.
Anyway, like many of Kerry's friends, Steve is from Rhode Island. In general, whenever Kerry has a party, it's usually a party of two locations: Massachusetts of where Kerry grew up; and Rhode Island of where Kerry attended college. Even though the party would be at the same location, the group interactions would usually be divided. The friends from Massachusetts would talk amongst themselves. The friends from Rhode Island would talk amongst themselves. Steve, however, seems to be the only who can easily bridge the gap between the two groups. It's interesting to watch.
In my opinion, the half birthday party was no different. Those from Massachusetts generally hung outside of Kerry's place. Those from Rhode Island generally hung inside of Kerry's place. I'm not saying it's bad. It's just how it is. And really, it makes logical sense. People will do what they are most comfortable with... and that is associate with people they know. Given the option of having a conversation with someone who you hardly know versus having a conversation with someone you grew up with... the choice generally will be the latter probably because it requires less effort.
Unfortunately, I was not up for conversing either way. I was busy imbibing libations with Andrea, Kelley and Cass. There may have been a conversation about South Africa in there somewhere.
Anyway, it was a nice birthday party. I hope Kerry had a great time. Happy half birthday BFF!
Kerry, like a good many friends that I know, was born in the month of December. And as anyone with a December birthday can tell you, celebrating your day with a group of people within that month can be quite difficult with the holidays and all. Thus, she came up with the idea of having a birthday party in June... or as she refers to it as... a half birthday party because it's halfway to her birthday.
Unfortunately, I suck at half birthday parties. Truth be told, I think the idea is pretty ingenious, in part because I also happen to have a birthday in the month of December. In fact, I started my whole photo scavenger hunt because of that very dilemma as well... how to celebrate your day with a bunch of friends without having to celebrate it in the month of December.
Needless to say, Karen and I attended Kerry's half birthday party. We had wanted to bring a gag gift in honor of it being Kerry's half birthday, but we could not decide upon something. I had originally suggested a two piece bathing suit, but only giving her either the top or the bottom. Our other ideas were very limited... like a single shoe.
Anyway, the half birthday party was good. As a new parent of a 3 month old, I have recently been comparing Briana to other children close to her age. After all, I felt a lot of pressure with Briana because people used to always tell Karen and I that our future baby will be so adorable and all of that (being of a mixed race and all). I have no idea what these people used to base their assumptions on. Naturally, I felt that Briana had high expectations to live up to.
So it may have been a little possible that at the half birthday party, I compared Briana to another baby who also happened to be at the party. Now, I know parents always think their own child is the most beautiful thing since sliced bread. After all, it's their own child and of course they would be biased. That said, I was quite ecstatic during the half birthday party. Briana was easily the best looking baby, despite the my-baby-is-so-wonderful stories by the mother of the other baby. But to each their own.
The half birthday party itself was interesting. As usual, the food was delicious. In addition to the standard cookout staples of hot dogs and hamburgers, Kerry made a corn casserole dish. The dish was very delicious. Similarly, I'll give props to my friend (Hot Amy) for her guacamole. It was surprisingly good.
Speaking of which, the other friends of mine who attended the half birthday party included Marc, Kelley, Andrea, Cass, Jenn, Bill, Carlos and Steve. I have gotten to known Steve through Kerry. He is a funny guy... and one who I think has a neat job. I would definitely love to be able to watch a live open heart operation. That would be cool to watch.
Anyway, like many of Kerry's friends, Steve is from Rhode Island. In general, whenever Kerry has a party, it's usually a party of two locations: Massachusetts of where Kerry grew up; and Rhode Island of where Kerry attended college. Even though the party would be at the same location, the group interactions would usually be divided. The friends from Massachusetts would talk amongst themselves. The friends from Rhode Island would talk amongst themselves. Steve, however, seems to be the only who can easily bridge the gap between the two groups. It's interesting to watch.
In my opinion, the half birthday party was no different. Those from Massachusetts generally hung outside of Kerry's place. Those from Rhode Island generally hung inside of Kerry's place. I'm not saying it's bad. It's just how it is. And really, it makes logical sense. People will do what they are most comfortable with... and that is associate with people they know. Given the option of having a conversation with someone who you hardly know versus having a conversation with someone you grew up with... the choice generally will be the latter probably because it requires less effort.
Unfortunately, I was not up for conversing either way. I was busy imbibing libations with Andrea, Kelley and Cass. There may have been a conversation about South Africa in there somewhere.
Anyway, it was a nice birthday party. I hope Kerry had a great time. Happy half birthday BFF!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)