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).
Sunday, August 15, 2010
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
I Suck At Geek Dad
Last night, I finished reading Geek Dad by Ken Denmead. Now I suck at Geek Dad. For anyone curious, the book is about projects and activities that a "geeky" father can do with his children. Karen had stumbled upon the book one day and thought it would be a fitting book for me to read. (I am assuming that means she thinks I am a geek.)
According to my friend Wikipedia, Geek Dad has its roots in one of the best magazines ever: Wired. Wired editor Chris Anderson started a blog about the topic after a weekend with his son and wanted to share the experience. He brought in Ken Denmead as the geek leader who grew the blog. As a result, the blog was named one of the 25 "Best Blogs of 2010" by Time Magazine and the book was subsequently written.
Needless to say, the book was a quick read, which is good because I have a backlog of books to get through. For anyone curious, here are the list of activities:
Make Your Own Cartoons
The Coolest Homemade Coloring Books (In Photoshop, use "Filter-Stylize-Find Edges" "Enhance-Convert to Black-and-White")
Create the Ultimate Board Game
Electronic Origami
Cyborg Jack-o-Lanterns
Windup Toy Finger Painting
Create a Superhero ABC Book
Model Building with Cake
Pirate Cartography
Parenting and Role-Playing Games
A Never-Ending Demolition Derby (with remote control cars and Legos)
Seeing the World from the Sky (by sending a video camera up in a balloon)
Best Slip 'N Slide Ever
Fireflies for Every Season (by using LEDs)
Video Games That Come to Life (An alternate suggestion was to have a water gun fight with Alka-Seltzer necklaces)
Fly a Kite at Night
Build an Outdoor Movie Theater
The "Magic" Swing (of interlaced phone books)
Smart Cuff Links (with Ethernet jacks)
Light-up Duct Tape Wallet
Crocheted Dice Bag of Holding
The Science of Composting
Home Hydroponics
Build a Binary Calendar
Portable Electronic Flash Cards (but you'll need a portable gaming device)
Wi-Fi Signal Booster (with a metal bowl)
Cool Lego Lighting from Repurposed Parts (from CDs and a computer)
Ice Cubes Fit For a Geek (in the shape of Legos)
Exploding Drink Practical Joke (using Mentos frozen in ice)
After reading the book, I am now a little curious about the blog itself. Perhaps one day I can try some of the activities on my baby daughter (Briana). We'll see. I'll turn her into a geek yet.
According to my friend Wikipedia, Geek Dad has its roots in one of the best magazines ever: Wired. Wired editor Chris Anderson started a blog about the topic after a weekend with his son and wanted to share the experience. He brought in Ken Denmead as the geek leader who grew the blog. As a result, the blog was named one of the 25 "Best Blogs of 2010" by Time Magazine and the book was subsequently written.
Needless to say, the book was a quick read, which is good because I have a backlog of books to get through. For anyone curious, here are the list of activities:
Make Your Own Cartoons
The Coolest Homemade Coloring Books (In Photoshop, use "Filter-Stylize-Find Edges" "Enhance-Convert to Black-and-White")
Create the Ultimate Board Game
Electronic Origami
Cyborg Jack-o-Lanterns
Windup Toy Finger Painting
Create a Superhero ABC Book
Model Building with Cake
Pirate Cartography
Parenting and Role-Playing Games
A Never-Ending Demolition Derby (with remote control cars and Legos)
Seeing the World from the Sky (by sending a video camera up in a balloon)
Best Slip 'N Slide Ever
Fireflies for Every Season (by using LEDs)
Video Games That Come to Life (An alternate suggestion was to have a water gun fight with Alka-Seltzer necklaces)
Fly a Kite at Night
Build an Outdoor Movie Theater
The "Magic" Swing (of interlaced phone books)
Smart Cuff Links (with Ethernet jacks)
Light-up Duct Tape Wallet
Crocheted Dice Bag of Holding
The Science of Composting
Home Hydroponics
Build a Binary Calendar
Portable Electronic Flash Cards (but you'll need a portable gaming device)
Wi-Fi Signal Booster (with a metal bowl)
Cool Lego Lighting from Repurposed Parts (from CDs and a computer)
Ice Cubes Fit For a Geek (in the shape of Legos)
Exploding Drink Practical Joke (using Mentos frozen in ice)
After reading the book, I am now a little curious about the blog itself. Perhaps one day I can try some of the activities on my baby daughter (Briana). We'll see. I'll turn her into a geek yet.
Monday, August 9, 2010
I Suck At Celebrating My Friend's Birthday
On Saturday, Karen and I celebrated my friend's (Andrea) birthday. Happy belated birthday Andrea! Andrea's birthday (and for anyone curious... Dustin Hoffman's) was not until Sunday (8/8). In celebration, Andrea wanted to have dinner at the Union Brew House located in Weymouth.
Too bad I suck at celebrating my friend's birthday. Before dinner, Karen and I dropped off our baby daughter (Briana) with my favorite sister-in-law (Janine) and my favorite brother-in-law (PJ). Incidentally, PJ's cousin is dating a frequent patron of the Union Brew House who is the self-proclaimed Mayor of Weymouth. If I can't get my friend (Cass) to run for mayor of Quincy, I should at least try to get him to proclaim that he is the mayor... much like PJ's cousin's significant other.
Anyway, it has been a while since anyone has babysat our daughter. The reason is not because we don't trust anyone or anything like that. Heck, I'd probably let anyone watch our daughter. Karen and I simply haven't gone out alone. Briana is cramping our style. Just kidding.
Thinking that everything would be fine, we left Briana with Janine, PJ, their kids, and Janine's BFF (Gretchen). So off we went to celebrate at the Union Brew House. Karen and I were the first to arrive. For anyone curious, the Union Brew House is a tiny hole in the wall. I would say that the Brew House's "thing" is that is has 99 different types of beer available. 99 may have been one too many for this particular guy who was trying to pick up some women at a nearby table when Karen and I first arrived. For me, it was a little comical watching this guy. He was simply awful. He had no idea that the husband of one of the women had been sitting at the table. Yes, he was quite the catch.
Eventually everyone else showed up. Partaking in the festivities for the night were Andrea (the birthday girl of course), and my friends (Marc, Kelley, Kerry, Hot Amy) and Hot Amy's fiancee (Mark). It was good to see everyone. I don't think I have seen Hot Amy and Mark in quite some time. I believe they have been a little preoccupied with wedding plans. Apparently, Hot Amy has finally picked out a wedding dress. Whether true or not, Mark mentioned using the Mortal Kombat theme as the song to enter the reception area with. If Hot Amy and Mark use that song, I will be very impressed.
As a side note, the new Mortal Kombat movie trailer does look pretty exciting.
(The video below is a trailer for the Mortal Kombat rebirth.)
Kelley had shared the above with me some time ago. And for a movie based on a video game, I would have to say that the trailer does in fact make the movie look pretty exciting. (Historically, movies based on video games are never good.)
Regardless, it was a fun night hanging out with everyone. I think Andrea had a good time, which is really all that mattered for the night. Andrea, Marc, and Kelley were thinking of other movies for movie night. The 80s theme had progressed into a 90s theme. And although I don't think the movie made the cut, the movie "Threesome" was mentioned. (For anyone curious, "Threesome was made in 1994 and starred Lara Flynn Boyle and Stephen Baldwin.)
Unfortunately, Karen and I had to leave the festivities early. Remember... I do suck at celebrating my friend's birthday. Apparently, things weren't going too well at Janine's with Briana. Briana was crying non-stop. She cried. Janine cried. Her kids cried. I felt pretty bad for Janine and them.
I am thinking that Briana is having attachment issues, which does not bode well for our upcoming babysitting gig later this week. Anyway, I hope Andrea enjoyed her day. Again happy belated birthday, Andrea!
Too bad I suck at celebrating my friend's birthday. Before dinner, Karen and I dropped off our baby daughter (Briana) with my favorite sister-in-law (Janine) and my favorite brother-in-law (PJ). Incidentally, PJ's cousin is dating a frequent patron of the Union Brew House who is the self-proclaimed Mayor of Weymouth. If I can't get my friend (Cass) to run for mayor of Quincy, I should at least try to get him to proclaim that he is the mayor... much like PJ's cousin's significant other.
Anyway, it has been a while since anyone has babysat our daughter. The reason is not because we don't trust anyone or anything like that. Heck, I'd probably let anyone watch our daughter. Karen and I simply haven't gone out alone. Briana is cramping our style. Just kidding.
Thinking that everything would be fine, we left Briana with Janine, PJ, their kids, and Janine's BFF (Gretchen). So off we went to celebrate at the Union Brew House. Karen and I were the first to arrive. For anyone curious, the Union Brew House is a tiny hole in the wall. I would say that the Brew House's "thing" is that is has 99 different types of beer available. 99 may have been one too many for this particular guy who was trying to pick up some women at a nearby table when Karen and I first arrived. For me, it was a little comical watching this guy. He was simply awful. He had no idea that the husband of one of the women had been sitting at the table. Yes, he was quite the catch.
Eventually everyone else showed up. Partaking in the festivities for the night were Andrea (the birthday girl of course), and my friends (Marc, Kelley, Kerry, Hot Amy) and Hot Amy's fiancee (Mark). It was good to see everyone. I don't think I have seen Hot Amy and Mark in quite some time. I believe they have been a little preoccupied with wedding plans. Apparently, Hot Amy has finally picked out a wedding dress. Whether true or not, Mark mentioned using the Mortal Kombat theme as the song to enter the reception area with. If Hot Amy and Mark use that song, I will be very impressed.
As a side note, the new Mortal Kombat movie trailer does look pretty exciting.
(The video below is a trailer for the Mortal Kombat rebirth.)
Kelley had shared the above with me some time ago. And for a movie based on a video game, I would have to say that the trailer does in fact make the movie look pretty exciting. (Historically, movies based on video games are never good.)
Regardless, it was a fun night hanging out with everyone. I think Andrea had a good time, which is really all that mattered for the night. Andrea, Marc, and Kelley were thinking of other movies for movie night. The 80s theme had progressed into a 90s theme. And although I don't think the movie made the cut, the movie "Threesome" was mentioned. (For anyone curious, "Threesome was made in 1994 and starred Lara Flynn Boyle and Stephen Baldwin.)
Unfortunately, Karen and I had to leave the festivities early. Remember... I do suck at celebrating my friend's birthday. Apparently, things weren't going too well at Janine's with Briana. Briana was crying non-stop. She cried. Janine cried. Her kids cried. I felt pretty bad for Janine and them.
I am thinking that Briana is having attachment issues, which does not bode well for our upcoming babysitting gig later this week. Anyway, I hope Andrea enjoyed her day. Again happy belated birthday, Andrea!
Thursday, August 5, 2010
I Suck At Wipeout
As if it weren't obvious that I am a geek, yesterday Karen and I cracked ourselves up over dinner. For dinner, Karen made pasta with vegetables. It was not just any pasta. It was bow-tie pasta.
Some of you might be wondering if the cause of our guffaw was that I had worn the bow-tie pasta like a regular bow-tie. As obvious as that sounds, I did not. (Although now that I think of it, I wonder how it would look.) Nope, our humor was lamer.
As everyone probably knows, the other name for bow-tie pasta is farfalle. Playing on the phonetic sound of the word, we started joking around by naming one of the pieces of bow-tie pasta after Karen's cousin's (Karlene) husband (Tommy). I had envisioned a pair of eyeballs sitting on top of the bow-tie pasta, much like the Geico wad of cash.
Needless to say, the idea cracked me up. I suppose Karlene for that matter, would also have the same last name. So in essence, she could have a bow-tie pasta representation of her as well. In fact, every member of Tommy's relatives could be represented within the box of pasta. Tommy does, after all, have a huge family.
Anyway, the idea made me chuckle. I guess there is a lot to like about Lowell after all... if you really enjoy pasta. (For anyone curious, both Karlene and Tommy are Lowellites. Or is it Lowellians?) And if anyone care, yes the dinner was good.
Despite my terrible sense of humor, yesterday was also the day that my friends (Marc, Kelley, and Andrea) came over. We had shifted our weekly get-together so that Karen and I could accommodate my mother's birthday the day before. Happy belated birthday again, mom!
On the agenda for the night was another episode of Wipeout. Now, I suck at Wipeout. But, I do love to watch the show. Something about watching people... wiping out... always brings a smile to my face. That, and probably Jill Wagner, which surprises me because she's not blonde.
Needless to say, it was a fun episode. The best part of it all, of course, is just hanging out with friends, laughing, and having a good time. Andrea is currently attempting to teach my baby daughter (Briana) how to get me to cave in and buy her things. It will never work...
Some of you might be wondering if the cause of our guffaw was that I had worn the bow-tie pasta like a regular bow-tie. As obvious as that sounds, I did not. (Although now that I think of it, I wonder how it would look.) Nope, our humor was lamer.
As everyone probably knows, the other name for bow-tie pasta is farfalle. Playing on the phonetic sound of the word, we started joking around by naming one of the pieces of bow-tie pasta after Karen's cousin's (Karlene) husband (Tommy). I had envisioned a pair of eyeballs sitting on top of the bow-tie pasta, much like the Geico wad of cash.
Needless to say, the idea cracked me up. I suppose Karlene for that matter, would also have the same last name. So in essence, she could have a bow-tie pasta representation of her as well. In fact, every member of Tommy's relatives could be represented within the box of pasta. Tommy does, after all, have a huge family.
Anyway, the idea made me chuckle. I guess there is a lot to like about Lowell after all... if you really enjoy pasta. (For anyone curious, both Karlene and Tommy are Lowellites. Or is it Lowellians?) And if anyone care, yes the dinner was good.
Despite my terrible sense of humor, yesterday was also the day that my friends (Marc, Kelley, and Andrea) came over. We had shifted our weekly get-together so that Karen and I could accommodate my mother's birthday the day before. Happy belated birthday again, mom!
On the agenda for the night was another episode of Wipeout. Now, I suck at Wipeout. But, I do love to watch the show. Something about watching people... wiping out... always brings a smile to my face. That, and probably Jill Wagner, which surprises me because she's not blonde.
Needless to say, it was a fun episode. The best part of it all, of course, is just hanging out with friends, laughing, and having a good time. Andrea is currently attempting to teach my baby daughter (Briana) how to get me to cave in and buy her things. It will never work...
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
I Suck At Celebrating My Mom's Birthday
Yesterday was my mother's birthday. Happy belated birthday, mom! Too bad I suck at celebrating my mom's birthday.
In celebration of my mother's birthday, Karen and I, and our baby daughter (Briana), took her out for dinner. Unfortunately, it was a late dinner because both Karen and I had to work late. Consequently, most of my mother's birthday was spent taking care of Briana, which I'm sure she was pretty ecstatic to do regardless.
For dinner, we ended up at our favorite restaurant, Not Your Average Joe's located in Norwell. My mother had never been there, so naturally we decided to take her there. It probably goes without saying that I enjoyed the meal. After all, it is my favorite restaurant.
And it just so happens that yesterday was one of the days benefiting the Norwell Public Library. For anyone curious, Not Your Average Joe's offers a means to raise funds for certain causes by donating 15% of every meal purchase on a given day, so long as the waitstaff know that the patrons want to participate in the cause. Tuesday happened to be one of those days (and apparently the best day thus far in terms of fund raising for the library according to the waitstaff).
All in all, I think my mother enjoyed the meal. She seemed to have a good time. She definitely enjoyed the bread.
In celebration of my mother's birthday, Karen and I, and our baby daughter (Briana), took her out for dinner. Unfortunately, it was a late dinner because both Karen and I had to work late. Consequently, most of my mother's birthday was spent taking care of Briana, which I'm sure she was pretty ecstatic to do regardless.
For dinner, we ended up at our favorite restaurant, Not Your Average Joe's located in Norwell. My mother had never been there, so naturally we decided to take her there. It probably goes without saying that I enjoyed the meal. After all, it is my favorite restaurant.
And it just so happens that yesterday was one of the days benefiting the Norwell Public Library. For anyone curious, Not Your Average Joe's offers a means to raise funds for certain causes by donating 15% of every meal purchase on a given day, so long as the waitstaff know that the patrons want to participate in the cause. Tuesday happened to be one of those days (and apparently the best day thus far in terms of fund raising for the library according to the waitstaff).
All in all, I think my mother enjoyed the meal. She seemed to have a good time. She definitely enjoyed the bread.
Monday, August 2, 2010
I Suck At Running
On Sunday, I did something that I have not done in awhile: I went out for a little run. Too bad I suck at running.
In the morning, Karen decided to take our baby daughter (Briana) to church. So with the free time, I chose to go out for a mile run. I would have ran further had I been in any semblance of shape (other than round).
To be honest, I've missed running. I have not run in god knows how long. Ever since Briana was born over four months ago, I have had trouble finding a routine or schedule that I could designate as a time to run or workout.
And boy do I miss those endorphins. The run was quite nice. For that brief moment (because I only ran a mile), I felt as though my head was clear of stress. It was a very relaxing feel, which is something I never thought I would ever say about distance running. Granted, my heart and lungs were probably in shock from the physical activity, but it was good. I even had time to visit my son (Braden) at the cemetery after the run.
Anyway, following the run, the rest of the day turned into a family day. More specifically, it turned into a day with Karen's family.
The day started with a visit to Karen's grandparents. Being the token Asian guy in the family, I get relegated to technical support duties when it comes to all things electronic. If only my Asian card were that good. Karen's grandmother had a problem with her computer that required my assistance. So off we went to visit them.
It turns out, Karen's grandmother did not have any technical issues at all. She simply received an attachment to her email that she could not open. The attachment was a Microsoft document and she did not have an application on her computer that was able to open Microsoft documents (at least, not to her knowledge). Needless to say, I opened the document for her.
From there, Karen and I (and Briana) went to visit her other grandmother, who currently resides in a nursing home in Boston. Apparently, Karen's parents had tried to organize a little family visit to the nursing home last week. As my favorite sister-in-law (Janine) could not make it, it was just Karen and her parents visiting Nana. I was just there to transport Briana. After all, it was Briana that everyone wanted to see at the nursing home.
It was good to see Nana. Since Briana was born over four months ago, Karen and I have not visited Nana as often as we probably should. Heck, I know I'd be bored to death if I had to live in a nursing home by myself. So it was good to make time and see her. And I think Nana really appreciated it too. She was all smiles to see Briana. Truth be told, so was Karen's mother.
Anyway, to complete the in-law tour of the day, Karen and I ended up at Janine's after the nursing home. It was comical to hear about Janine's 20th high school reunion that she attended the night before. It turns out that someone from her graduating class was arrested at the reunion. Apparently, the "perp" was a deadbeat dad and had posted on Facebook that he was attending the reunion. Facebook... it's not just a social networking application... it's a crime fighting tool! That's why I don't go on Facebook that often. I like to get away with my crimes...
All in all, it was a nice enjoyable family day.
In the morning, Karen decided to take our baby daughter (Briana) to church. So with the free time, I chose to go out for a mile run. I would have ran further had I been in any semblance of shape (other than round).
To be honest, I've missed running. I have not run in god knows how long. Ever since Briana was born over four months ago, I have had trouble finding a routine or schedule that I could designate as a time to run or workout.
And boy do I miss those endorphins. The run was quite nice. For that brief moment (because I only ran a mile), I felt as though my head was clear of stress. It was a very relaxing feel, which is something I never thought I would ever say about distance running. Granted, my heart and lungs were probably in shock from the physical activity, but it was good. I even had time to visit my son (Braden) at the cemetery after the run.
Anyway, following the run, the rest of the day turned into a family day. More specifically, it turned into a day with Karen's family.
The day started with a visit to Karen's grandparents. Being the token Asian guy in the family, I get relegated to technical support duties when it comes to all things electronic. If only my Asian card were that good. Karen's grandmother had a problem with her computer that required my assistance. So off we went to visit them.
It turns out, Karen's grandmother did not have any technical issues at all. She simply received an attachment to her email that she could not open. The attachment was a Microsoft document and she did not have an application on her computer that was able to open Microsoft documents (at least, not to her knowledge). Needless to say, I opened the document for her.
From there, Karen and I (and Briana) went to visit her other grandmother, who currently resides in a nursing home in Boston. Apparently, Karen's parents had tried to organize a little family visit to the nursing home last week. As my favorite sister-in-law (Janine) could not make it, it was just Karen and her parents visiting Nana. I was just there to transport Briana. After all, it was Briana that everyone wanted to see at the nursing home.
It was good to see Nana. Since Briana was born over four months ago, Karen and I have not visited Nana as often as we probably should. Heck, I know I'd be bored to death if I had to live in a nursing home by myself. So it was good to make time and see her. And I think Nana really appreciated it too. She was all smiles to see Briana. Truth be told, so was Karen's mother.
Anyway, to complete the in-law tour of the day, Karen and I ended up at Janine's after the nursing home. It was comical to hear about Janine's 20th high school reunion that she attended the night before. It turns out that someone from her graduating class was arrested at the reunion. Apparently, the "perp" was a deadbeat dad and had posted on Facebook that he was attending the reunion. Facebook... it's not just a social networking application... it's a crime fighting tool! That's why I don't go on Facebook that often. I like to get away with my crimes...
All in all, it was a nice enjoyable family day.
I Suck At Double Features
Aside from the milestone that our baby daughter (Briana) rolled over for the first time on her on own (while she was asleep), Saturday turned out to be quite the busy day.
The day started off with a visit from my friend (Aimee). Aimee has had some computer problems of late. And naturally, whenever someone I know is having computer problems, I like to joke and remind them to lay off the internet pornography for awhile. Anyway, she was having trouble starting her computer and had wondered if I had a boot disc that worked with her operating system.
It turns out, I did have a boot disc for her. Interestingly enough, I have a bunch of discs for various computer operating systems. I have no idea how I amassed such a collection, but I did. (Who am I kidding? I'm a geek so of course I have a collection of operating system discs.) Some day, I will have to go through my pile of randomly scattered discs and organize them a little better.
Needless to say, Aimee was thrilled to learn that I had the disc and consequently stopped on by to pick it up. It was good seeing Aimee again even if it were for a short period of time. It still seems, however, that my vision of being in her husband's (James) entourage while he embarks on a prolific mixed martial arts career will never happen... much like the vision of my friend (Cass) running for mayor of Quincy. Oh, the possibilities! If only I could convince them.
Following Aimee's visit, I did a quick little home improvement project. That project involved hanging a shelf in Briana's room. Truth be told, I was reluctant to hang the shelf for reasons which you'll read about. Unfortunately, I really did not have much of a say in the matter.
A while ago, Karen's parents gave her the shelf that hung in her room while she was growing up. Apparently, the shelf was made by her grandfather. Karen was quite excited about the shelf and thought about putting it in Briana's room. After all, Briana has gotten a lot of "stuff" since being born a little over four months ago. Having a shelf would then display all that "stuff". So naturally, Karen painted the shelf so that it would fit better in the room.
The painted shelf basically sat in Briana's room for a while... waiting... and waiting... to be hung on the wall. Thus, on Saturday I finally gave in and hung the shelf. For those who know me, they know that I may be a bit particular about things. I enjoy symmetry as much as the next guy.
So, you can imagine my reason for being hesitant to hang the shelf, because... well... the shelf was not exactly level (or square for that matter). The shelf consists of multiple horizontal rows and multiple vertical columns. And let's just say... the horizontal rows were not exactly parallel with one another.
Ever hang something that was not level to begin with? If you decide to hang the item based on a level reference point, the item will appear crooked. The other option is to hang the item on a crooked reference point to make the item look level. With a lot of hesitation, I opted for the latter so as to hide the crookedness of the shelf itself. Thinking about the shelf still makes me shake my head. I am hoping the shelf will have an "accident" someday.
Anyway, shortly after, my bff (Kerry) and my friends (Marc, Kelley, and Andrea) came over. It was a spur of the moment potluck dinner with a double feature of 80s flicks on the agenda. Needless to say, the potluck dinner was delicious.
Andrea marinaded chicken; Kerry made muffins and potato salad; Marc and Kelley made sangria and brownies; Karen made tomato and mozzarella... As for me? I took the easy way out and grilled. And sadly, I did not even do a good job of that as I had burned the chicken. (In my defense, our grill has been acting up of late.)
All in all, the potluck was delicious. Thanks again to everyone! We even came up with a new phrase: "frosting the brownie". Sounds so dirty, doesn't it? I do not exactly know how the term came about. I do know that Kerry had made homemade frosting and Kelley had made brownies. There was also talk about our friend's (Steve) line about "going straight for the pooper". The next thing you know, "frosting the brownie" was created. And in case anyone is curious, Andrea tried frosting the brownie (the food) and apparently was not too impressed with the taste.
Anyway, awhile ago there was a suggestion to have an 80s movie night. So we decided to have a double feature of 80s movies. Now, I suck at double features. But being a fan of the 80s (and movies in general), I loved the idea. Thus, we ended up watching Bull Durham and Road House.
(The video below is a scene from Bull Durham.)
(The video below is a trailer for Road House.)
Both movies were definitely fun to watch again. For Karen, it was her first time watching Bull Durham. Not having cable television growing up, she missed out on a lot of television.
Speaking of firsts, it was Kerry's first time watching the unedited version of Road House. I was surprised because the movie is one of her guilty pleasures. Luckily for Kerry, she got to watch the real version of the movie (and not the one shown on television) because Marc owns the movie. There's more skin... throat chunks included... in the unedited version. Marc is an avid fan of the movie. In fact, I think it ranks as one of his all time favorites.
Needless to say, it was a great night of hanging out. I'm looking forward to addition nights of 80s movies.
The day started off with a visit from my friend (Aimee). Aimee has had some computer problems of late. And naturally, whenever someone I know is having computer problems, I like to joke and remind them to lay off the internet pornography for awhile. Anyway, she was having trouble starting her computer and had wondered if I had a boot disc that worked with her operating system.
It turns out, I did have a boot disc for her. Interestingly enough, I have a bunch of discs for various computer operating systems. I have no idea how I amassed such a collection, but I did. (Who am I kidding? I'm a geek so of course I have a collection of operating system discs.) Some day, I will have to go through my pile of randomly scattered discs and organize them a little better.
Needless to say, Aimee was thrilled to learn that I had the disc and consequently stopped on by to pick it up. It was good seeing Aimee again even if it were for a short period of time. It still seems, however, that my vision of being in her husband's (James) entourage while he embarks on a prolific mixed martial arts career will never happen... much like the vision of my friend (Cass) running for mayor of Quincy. Oh, the possibilities! If only I could convince them.
Following Aimee's visit, I did a quick little home improvement project. That project involved hanging a shelf in Briana's room. Truth be told, I was reluctant to hang the shelf for reasons which you'll read about. Unfortunately, I really did not have much of a say in the matter.
A while ago, Karen's parents gave her the shelf that hung in her room while she was growing up. Apparently, the shelf was made by her grandfather. Karen was quite excited about the shelf and thought about putting it in Briana's room. After all, Briana has gotten a lot of "stuff" since being born a little over four months ago. Having a shelf would then display all that "stuff". So naturally, Karen painted the shelf so that it would fit better in the room.
The painted shelf basically sat in Briana's room for a while... waiting... and waiting... to be hung on the wall. Thus, on Saturday I finally gave in and hung the shelf. For those who know me, they know that I may be a bit particular about things. I enjoy symmetry as much as the next guy.
So, you can imagine my reason for being hesitant to hang the shelf, because... well... the shelf was not exactly level (or square for that matter). The shelf consists of multiple horizontal rows and multiple vertical columns. And let's just say... the horizontal rows were not exactly parallel with one another.
Ever hang something that was not level to begin with? If you decide to hang the item based on a level reference point, the item will appear crooked. The other option is to hang the item on a crooked reference point to make the item look level. With a lot of hesitation, I opted for the latter so as to hide the crookedness of the shelf itself. Thinking about the shelf still makes me shake my head. I am hoping the shelf will have an "accident" someday.
Anyway, shortly after, my bff (Kerry) and my friends (Marc, Kelley, and Andrea) came over. It was a spur of the moment potluck dinner with a double feature of 80s flicks on the agenda. Needless to say, the potluck dinner was delicious.
Andrea marinaded chicken; Kerry made muffins and potato salad; Marc and Kelley made sangria and brownies; Karen made tomato and mozzarella... As for me? I took the easy way out and grilled. And sadly, I did not even do a good job of that as I had burned the chicken. (In my defense, our grill has been acting up of late.)
All in all, the potluck was delicious. Thanks again to everyone! We even came up with a new phrase: "frosting the brownie". Sounds so dirty, doesn't it? I do not exactly know how the term came about. I do know that Kerry had made homemade frosting and Kelley had made brownies. There was also talk about our friend's (Steve) line about "going straight for the pooper". The next thing you know, "frosting the brownie" was created. And in case anyone is curious, Andrea tried frosting the brownie (the food) and apparently was not too impressed with the taste.
Anyway, awhile ago there was a suggestion to have an 80s movie night. So we decided to have a double feature of 80s movies. Now, I suck at double features. But being a fan of the 80s (and movies in general), I loved the idea. Thus, we ended up watching Bull Durham and Road House.
(The video below is a scene from Bull Durham.)
(The video below is a trailer for Road House.)
Both movies were definitely fun to watch again. For Karen, it was her first time watching Bull Durham. Not having cable television growing up, she missed out on a lot of television.
Speaking of firsts, it was Kerry's first time watching the unedited version of Road House. I was surprised because the movie is one of her guilty pleasures. Luckily for Kerry, she got to watch the real version of the movie (and not the one shown on television) because Marc owns the movie. There's more skin... throat chunks included... in the unedited version. Marc is an avid fan of the movie. In fact, I think it ranks as one of his all time favorites.
Needless to say, it was a great night of hanging out. I'm looking forward to addition nights of 80s movies.
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