The other day, my mom said that Jackson looks so much like Lauren. I didn't really see it.
I see it now.
Monday, August 30, 2010
Resemblance
I was in the attic looking for some old documents when I discovered this picture of my wife, when she was about 5 years old, and her father. I showed Lauren the picture. She said she remembers the exact moment the picture was taken. Her dad was testing the timer on his new camera.
The other day, my mom said that Jackson looks so much like Lauren. I didn't really see it.
I see it now.
The other day, my mom said that Jackson looks so much like Lauren. I didn't really see it.
I see it now.
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Practicing
I was doing my best to teach Maxfield and Wyatt a lesson regarding manners. Sometimes the kids act like kings and demand juice, milk, dessert, the Wii or anything else. After giving into Wyatt's requests at the dinner table and not hearing his response I said, "Your thank yous should always be louder than your requests."
It was a long day and I was in a mood.
I then said to them, "Children need to be constantly practicing their manners. Like doctors and lawyers practice their professions, children should practice their manners, always."
Five minutes later Max farted loud and long.
We all laughed. It broke the tension.
He has definitely been practicing his comedic timing.
It was a long day and I was in a mood.
I then said to them, "Children need to be constantly practicing their manners. Like doctors and lawyers practice their professions, children should practice their manners, always."
Five minutes later Max farted loud and long.
We all laughed. It broke the tension.
He has definitely been practicing his comedic timing.
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Haunted
My mother sat down at the kitchen table to have her morning tea. She was having a rough start of the day and decided to sit in my father's spot at the table that faced the back window. My dad had been dead for a few months and my mother would occasionally find comfort in his chair. She sipped her tea recalling a conversation they had just a few weeks before he died, before the cancer took over his brain, about how my mom never sees any rabbits in the yard anymore. My dad told her it was probably due to the groundhog living under the shed as well as the neighbors dog that was keeping away the rabbits. As these thoughts ran through her mind a brown Cottontail Rabbit hopped into her view through the window. The windows in my mother's kitchen run almost floor to ceiling and only sit 2 feet above the outside ground. My mother watched the rabbit hop closer to the window and seemingly stare inside. Mom stared back for what she said seemed like 10 to 15 minutes. My mom took the rabbit as a sign from my dad saying everything was going to be okay.
Ray, my wife's father, passed away just a few weeks before my dad. Just a a few days before Christmas actually. I remember the week after Christmas, right around Ray's birthday, Lauren and I were laying in bed enjoying a rare afternoon quiet rest, when a bug flew against the window over and over again. Lauren got up to investigate to find a Lady Bug hanging out on the curtains. A few days later we learned that Lauren's mom had a similar experience at the same time. Max, who missed his Pop-Pop very much, also had a Ladybug experience during that week. We began to call Ladybugs Ray.
Some people believe that the spirits or ghosts of deceased loved ones try to communicate with the living through signs. These sightings or symbols are called after-death-communications; ADC for short.
In 2005 when my grandmother died (my mom's mom) there was a butterfly ADC phenomena going around amongst her siblings. When a family friend, Jeff Toz, died in Iraq there were many deer sightings (my mom used to babysit Jeff before and after school everyday for three to four years. Jeff and my youngest brother Jim became very tight friends. Jeff was an avid hunter and a deer showed up at his funeral which the Arlington guards were very wary and suspicious about a wild animal being on the grounds. When my mom came home the next day from the funeral her next door neighbor told her there was deer on her front yard at the exact same time of Jeff's funeral, doo-doo-doo-doo-dood-doo-doo-dooo-dooooooo. *) ADC.
Lately, as rabbits are known (and actually so was Skip) to do, they have procreated. There has been so much procreation, my backyard is becoming overrun by Skips. On any given morning there are at least 5 or 6 rabbits in my backyard grazing on the grass or eating our garden. They are everywhere. They have set up a den behind my shed. There are piles of rabbit poop all over the place. Every morning I sit on my back porch sip my coffee and watch rabbits chew up my lawn and I say "Good morning Skip."
My house is haunted. Haunted by ladybugs and bunnies.
Do you have any ADC stories? Is your house haunted?
* The doo-doo-doo is supposed to sound like the theme to the Twilight Zone but every time I read it it sounds like the spaceship tones from Close Encounters. I am sorry for any confusion this may have caused if you "heard"the same thing in your head.
Ray, my wife's father, passed away just a few weeks before my dad. Just a a few days before Christmas actually. I remember the week after Christmas, right around Ray's birthday, Lauren and I were laying in bed enjoying a rare afternoon quiet rest, when a bug flew against the window over and over again. Lauren got up to investigate to find a Lady Bug hanging out on the curtains. A few days later we learned that Lauren's mom had a similar experience at the same time. Max, who missed his Pop-Pop very much, also had a Ladybug experience during that week. We began to call Ladybugs Ray.
Some people believe that the spirits or ghosts of deceased loved ones try to communicate with the living through signs. These sightings or symbols are called after-death-communications; ADC for short.
In 2005 when my grandmother died (my mom's mom) there was a butterfly ADC phenomena going around amongst her siblings. When a family friend, Jeff Toz, died in Iraq there were many deer sightings (my mom used to babysit Jeff before and after school everyday for three to four years. Jeff and my youngest brother Jim became very tight friends. Jeff was an avid hunter and a deer showed up at his funeral which the Arlington guards were very wary and suspicious about a wild animal being on the grounds. When my mom came home the next day from the funeral her next door neighbor told her there was deer on her front yard at the exact same time of Jeff's funeral, doo-doo-doo-doo-dood-doo-doo-dooo-dooooooo. *) ADC.
A couple of weeks after my mom told me her rabbit story I had three rabbit sightings/signs.
1- A rabbit was sitting in my driveway when I came home from Steve G's mother's funeral. Steve G and I were childhood friends. So after a night of thinking about dead parents I see a rabbit.
2- I took my mother-in-law to see Lisa Williams, the entertainer/medium, perform at the Keswick theater. After an evening talking about dead loved ones I pulled into my mother-in-law's driveway and there on her front walk was a rabbit.
3- The third time I saw a rabbit (after my mom's ADC story) was when our family was leaving for one of our cousins/nieces first holy communions (which was the first big family event without my father). I was in the car waiting for Lauren to come out when a rabbit appeared from under a bush, hopped towards the car and just sat there staring at me. Again another doo-doo-doo-doo dood-doo-doo dooooo*moment. We began to call rabbits Skip.
Lately, as rabbits are known (and actually so was Skip) to do, they have procreated. There has been so much procreation, my backyard is becoming overrun by Skips. On any given morning there are at least 5 or 6 rabbits in my backyard grazing on the grass or eating our garden. They are everywhere. They have set up a den behind my shed. There are piles of rabbit poop all over the place. Every morning I sit on my back porch sip my coffee and watch rabbits chew up my lawn and I say "Good morning Skip."
My house is haunted. Haunted by ladybugs and bunnies.
Do you have any ADC stories? Is your house haunted?
* The doo-doo-doo is supposed to sound like the theme to the Twilight Zone but every time I read it it sounds like the spaceship tones from Close Encounters. I am sorry for any confusion this may have caused if you "heard"the same thing in your head.
Monday, August 16, 2010
The Dark Side
Maxfield closed his eyes, extended his arm towards the middle of the kitchen table and slowly bent his hand back to a 30 degree angle. Ten seconds later he opened his eyes and looked disappointed. Wyatt closed his eyes and did the same arm motion.
"What are you guys doing?" Lauren asked.
"We're trying to use the Force." Max answered.
"I am trying to move that cup." Wyatt added.
"How does the Force work?" Max asked.
"How does it say it works in the movie?" Lauren answered with a question. I love the fact that she did not answer by saying that the Force is not real or that it is only pretend. She lets them believe. There is a sweet and comforting innocence to the conversation. I am across the room smiling from ear to ear.
Earlier in the weekend, Saturday evening to be specific, I was flipping through the channels and like any pseudo-sci-fi fan, I had to stop when I saw that The Empire Strikes Back was on one of the cable stations. I did not pay attention to what channel, I only saw Yoda instructing Luke. My six and four year old kids saw Yoda too. There was going to be no more channel flipping.
My boys are familiar with Star Wars and some of the characters from toys and Lego video games, but they have never seen the actual movies. I decided to let them watch, knowing the original films are relatively tame. They caught an hour of the movie before it was time for bed. I told them we could watch more at another time. Oh the questions they had as they brushed their teeth and put on PJs. "How did Yoda lift the X-wing?" "Why was Han frozen?" "What happened to p3p0"? "Is Bobo Fett a good guy or a bad guy?" "Why is Dark Fader a bad guy, Max always said he was a good guy and I always pretended to be Dark Fader because Max said I had to be him, do I have to be him because I don't want to be if he is bad?"
Sunday afternoon, while flipping through the channels I realized that the same cable station, Spike, was running a continuous loop of the original Star Wars Trilogy. Another station was playing Fantastic Four. We started to watch the Fantastic Four when after a few scenes I realized it may be a bit too violent for the kids. We switched over the Empire at the same moment in the film that we stopped watching the night before and I let the kids watch the rest of the movie. I sat on the floor folding laundry while watching it with them.
My kids were glued to the TV. I got caught up in the nostalgia and stoppped folding the clean clothes in front of me. I was getting excited to watch my kids reaction when they find out Darth is Luke's dad. They probably already knew because something like that is just part of human DNA strand now, or just embedded in the collective consciousness. But I wanted to see if they, you know, got it.
The Millennium Falcon is trying to outrun Tie Fighters, R2 is trying to fix the warp drive, Luke is engaged in a light saber battle with Darth Vader, the big moment is coming up when a commercial comes on.
I start matching socks when all I hear from the TV is "Tits." I look up at Lauren wide eyed she gives me a look. I hear it again..."Tits."
The commercial is for a roast of David Hasselhoff that will be airing that night. The commercial shows a clip of one the comedians saying something about Pamela Anderson. I was shocked. In the middle of a Sunday afternoon, in the middle of a movie like The Empire Strikes Back they air a commercial like that.
I am no prude. I understand that the station we are watching is a men's station, but, come on, seriously the commercial had to say tits? I was hoping they would not ask what that meant. It is way too soon for my kids to learn about that. I am hoping it is like another 6 or 7 years before Max or Wyatt start asking questions about tits. And if they have as much interest in them as they do the Star Wars movies, well then there will be questions. Right now I like the innocence and imagination of the out stretched arm, eyes closed, using the Force as opposed to an out stretched arm, eyes closed, doing a "tune in Tokyo."
"What are you guys doing?" Lauren asked.
"We're trying to use the Force." Max answered.
"I am trying to move that cup." Wyatt added.
"How does the Force work?" Max asked.
"How does it say it works in the movie?" Lauren answered with a question. I love the fact that she did not answer by saying that the Force is not real or that it is only pretend. She lets them believe. There is a sweet and comforting innocence to the conversation. I am across the room smiling from ear to ear.
Earlier in the weekend, Saturday evening to be specific, I was flipping through the channels and like any pseudo-sci-fi fan, I had to stop when I saw that The Empire Strikes Back was on one of the cable stations. I did not pay attention to what channel, I only saw Yoda instructing Luke. My six and four year old kids saw Yoda too. There was going to be no more channel flipping.
My boys are familiar with Star Wars and some of the characters from toys and Lego video games, but they have never seen the actual movies. I decided to let them watch, knowing the original films are relatively tame. They caught an hour of the movie before it was time for bed. I told them we could watch more at another time. Oh the questions they had as they brushed their teeth and put on PJs. "How did Yoda lift the X-wing?" "Why was Han frozen?" "What happened to p3p0"? "Is Bobo Fett a good guy or a bad guy?" "Why is Dark Fader a bad guy, Max always said he was a good guy and I always pretended to be Dark Fader because Max said I had to be him, do I have to be him because I don't want to be if he is bad?"
Sunday afternoon, while flipping through the channels I realized that the same cable station, Spike, was running a continuous loop of the original Star Wars Trilogy. Another station was playing Fantastic Four. We started to watch the Fantastic Four when after a few scenes I realized it may be a bit too violent for the kids. We switched over the Empire at the same moment in the film that we stopped watching the night before and I let the kids watch the rest of the movie. I sat on the floor folding laundry while watching it with them.
My kids were glued to the TV. I got caught up in the nostalgia and stoppped folding the clean clothes in front of me. I was getting excited to watch my kids reaction when they find out Darth is Luke's dad. They probably already knew because something like that is just part of human DNA strand now, or just embedded in the collective consciousness. But I wanted to see if they, you know, got it.
The Millennium Falcon is trying to outrun Tie Fighters, R2 is trying to fix the warp drive, Luke is engaged in a light saber battle with Darth Vader, the big moment is coming up when a commercial comes on.
I start matching socks when all I hear from the TV is "Tits." I look up at Lauren wide eyed she gives me a look. I hear it again..."Tits."
The commercial is for a roast of David Hasselhoff that will be airing that night. The commercial shows a clip of one the comedians saying something about Pamela Anderson. I was shocked. In the middle of a Sunday afternoon, in the middle of a movie like The Empire Strikes Back they air a commercial like that.
I am no prude. I understand that the station we are watching is a men's station, but, come on, seriously the commercial had to say tits? I was hoping they would not ask what that meant. It is way too soon for my kids to learn about that. I am hoping it is like another 6 or 7 years before Max or Wyatt start asking questions about tits. And if they have as much interest in them as they do the Star Wars movies, well then there will be questions. Right now I like the innocence and imagination of the out stretched arm, eyes closed, using the Force as opposed to an out stretched arm, eyes closed, doing a "tune in Tokyo."
Thursday, August 12, 2010
Damp
I decided to wear my super underwear for my trip to NY last Friday for the BlogHer Voices of the Year thing. I knew it was going to be hot, that I was going to be doing a lot of walking and that I wanted to be comfortable. I also thought it would be a good idea to wear a moisture wicking T-shirt (aka a workout shirt) under my dress shirt.
*
These are the business cards I packed. I had 80 little tissue packets with a P and B label, you know, because tissues are good for both. I did not do a very good job networking, I still have about 50 packs left.
I sat on the vinyl seats of the NJ Transit train for about 90 minutes on my trip from Trenton to NY. I took the dank, steamy D subway train from Madison Square Garden to 7th Ave. I then walked two blocks in 90 plus degree weather wearing a back pack stuffed with business cards* to the event. When I arrived I felt very comfortable in my super underwear. I was sweaty but I was comfortable. I took off my back pack so I could get my invitation when I noticed that the backpack was soaked.
It was then that I realized that moisture wicking under garments was not the way to go. Moisture wicking fabric wicks the moisture away from the body to the outer layers of the fabric. It is designed that air then either cools or dries the fabric. But when you wear another layer of clothes on top of that fabric, like a dress shirt, the dress shirt, or the middle trunk section of your dress pants becomes soaked with sweat. My clothes were moist from my chest to mid thigh.
I stood in the lobby hoping my clothes would dry off a bit. But as my luck would have it I ran into Oh The Joys. We have known each other in the blog world for years and this was our first time meeting. She gave me a hug. I am sure it felt like she was wringing me out. I apologized for being so sweaty.
I walked around the showroom floor for about an hour hoping I would un-dampen. I purchased a copy of The Dread Crew because I knew that Kate Inglis would be signing copies in the lobby. When I approached the table I saw Black Hockey Jesus. I introduced myself and I immediately became nervous/excited and could feel myself sweating. I am a big fan of BHJ. A couple of minutes later I bumped into Kevin. I started talking to him and he said "Man, you are sweating." Which I replied "Well, I am hot." and then I became very self conscious of my sweaty-ness. I was no longer sweating but my clothes were damp.
After the community keynote speakers I went into the various halls to go look at all the artwork that was matched up with the 90 VOTY blog posts. I was excited to see that my post was paired with a photograph taken by Chookooloonks (which will be auctioned at some point in the near future). I then proceeded to do my best to hand out my business cards and network which turned out to be basically me just getting shaking hands and hugging people and getting my sweat on people. I dampened The Bloggess, Laid Off Dad, Kim, Cecily, GreebleMonkey , Father Muskrat and Torrie and I am sure a few others.
Overall I am glad I went to the event. It was great to meet some people whose work in this medium of blogging I really enjoy. The best part was that I got to tell them I enjoy their work to their face.
*
These are the business cards I packed. I had 80 little tissue packets with a P and B label, you know, because tissues are good for both. I did not do a very good job networking, I still have about 50 packs left.
Monday, August 09, 2010
Lima Syndrome
Last night we decided to order food from a Chinese/Japanese restaurant that Lauren had been wanting to try. Wyatt, of course, refused to eat his dinner. Like any four year old he had his reason. "I don't like that chicken."
"Wyatt you eat chicken all the time." I said.
"But I don't like THAT chicken." he said pointing to the batter-dipped chicken "nugget" sitting on his plate.
We ordered Sweet and Sour Chicken (C97), Steamed Vegetables (D1) and Rice (C30) for the kids. All three items that they normally would eat if we made it at home.
"Wyatt, please eat." Lauren said.
"No. I don't like it."
Maxfield, being the older brother, and knowing that dessert was on the line if everyone did not eat tried to help out. "Wyatt," he said "these are chicken nuggets from a McDonald's in China."
Lauren and I laughed at Maxfield's logic.
Max continued "Kai-Lan eats these."
"No she doesn't" Wyatt barked. He crossed his arms over his chest and pouted.
"Eat the vegetables then." I suggested. "Or the rice. I know you like rice."
"I don't like THAT rice."
He was being stubborn. We told him he would not be getting any dessert if he did not eat. He was fine with that. I told him he not going to be able to get up from the table if he did not eat. He was fine with that. I told him I would get a pillow from upstairs so he could sleep at the table. He was fine with that. I did not understand why he was putting up such a fight, it's not like I was asking him to eat C67 or C17 or J57.
We needed to pick up a quart of Rita's Water Ice for our neighbor so Lauren told Wyatt she was taking Max and Jackson. Wyatt didn't care, he acted like he was calling our bluff. Lauren took the other boys. I was left with Wyatt as my hostage at the dinner table.
We went back and forth with my requests for him to eat and his refusals. He asked for something else to eat. I told him he had to eat what was on his plate. We sat in silence for a few minutes. Wyatt tried to get up to go play with Lego's. I made him sit back down. I stared at him, he stared back. He finally figured out I was being serious, he took a bite of his chicken. He chewed it 4 or 5 times, gagged and spit it out. He asked for some milk to wash down the food. I told him no, he had to eat his veggies. He took a bite of the snow pea, gagged and spit it out. He ate some rice. He knew he was my captive.
We started chatting about the day. A good conversation between a father and his middle child. No one was around to interrupt or divide my attention. We talked swimming, Ben 10, fire engines and Legos. He chuckled and smiled as we recounted the day.
"I was pretty good today dad."
"Yes you were."
"I helped you with the fence." He smiled.
"Yes."
"Can I have some ketchup?"
I got him ketchup. When I opened the fridge I noticed some raw Sugar Snap peas and I placed a few on his plate. He ate them. I squeezed a mound of ketchup onto his plate. He dipped his chicken in the ketchup and took a bite. I returned the bottle to the fridge and saw some left over pasta.
"I like ketchup." he said and he batted his long eyelashes at me.
"I know you do. Do you want some pasta?"
"Just a little bit."
I gave him pasta. We talked some more. Wyatt must have seen my back bone softening and he asked for a tomato. I gave him one which he ate the whole thing. Wyatt then told me that he was full but he still had room for water ice. Just then Lauren walked in with a quart of Black Cherry and a quart of Root beer and I told her Wyatt was cleared for dessert.
She looked at his plate, all the original Chinese food still there, looked at me with a "are you sure" face.
I think I fell victim to a reverse Stockholm Syndrome.
"Wyatt you eat chicken all the time." I said.
"But I don't like THAT chicken." he said pointing to the batter-dipped chicken "nugget" sitting on his plate.
We ordered Sweet and Sour Chicken (C97), Steamed Vegetables (D1) and Rice (C30) for the kids. All three items that they normally would eat if we made it at home.
"Wyatt, please eat." Lauren said.
"No. I don't like it."
Maxfield, being the older brother, and knowing that dessert was on the line if everyone did not eat tried to help out. "Wyatt," he said "these are chicken nuggets from a McDonald's in China."
Lauren and I laughed at Maxfield's logic.
Max continued "Kai-Lan eats these."
"No she doesn't" Wyatt barked. He crossed his arms over his chest and pouted.
"Eat the vegetables then." I suggested. "Or the rice. I know you like rice."
"I don't like THAT rice."
He was being stubborn. We told him he would not be getting any dessert if he did not eat. He was fine with that. I told him he not going to be able to get up from the table if he did not eat. He was fine with that. I told him I would get a pillow from upstairs so he could sleep at the table. He was fine with that. I did not understand why he was putting up such a fight, it's not like I was asking him to eat C67 or C17 or J57.
We needed to pick up a quart of Rita's Water Ice for our neighbor so Lauren told Wyatt she was taking Max and Jackson. Wyatt didn't care, he acted like he was calling our bluff. Lauren took the other boys. I was left with Wyatt as my hostage at the dinner table.
We went back and forth with my requests for him to eat and his refusals. He asked for something else to eat. I told him he had to eat what was on his plate. We sat in silence for a few minutes. Wyatt tried to get up to go play with Lego's. I made him sit back down. I stared at him, he stared back. He finally figured out I was being serious, he took a bite of his chicken. He chewed it 4 or 5 times, gagged and spit it out. He asked for some milk to wash down the food. I told him no, he had to eat his veggies. He took a bite of the snow pea, gagged and spit it out. He ate some rice. He knew he was my captive.
We started chatting about the day. A good conversation between a father and his middle child. No one was around to interrupt or divide my attention. We talked swimming, Ben 10, fire engines and Legos. He chuckled and smiled as we recounted the day.
"I was pretty good today dad."
"Yes you were."
"I helped you with the fence." He smiled.
"Yes."
"Can I have some ketchup?"
I got him ketchup. When I opened the fridge I noticed some raw Sugar Snap peas and I placed a few on his plate. He ate them. I squeezed a mound of ketchup onto his plate. He dipped his chicken in the ketchup and took a bite. I returned the bottle to the fridge and saw some left over pasta.
"I like ketchup." he said and he batted his long eyelashes at me.
"I know you do. Do you want some pasta?"
"Just a little bit."
I gave him pasta. We talked some more. Wyatt must have seen my back bone softening and he asked for a tomato. I gave him one which he ate the whole thing. Wyatt then told me that he was full but he still had room for water ice. Just then Lauren walked in with a quart of Black Cherry and a quart of Root beer and I told her Wyatt was cleared for dessert.
She looked at his plate, all the original Chinese food still there, looked at me with a "are you sure" face.
I think I fell victim to a reverse Stockholm Syndrome.
Tuesday, August 03, 2010
Expanding
When I first started to get involved in the blog world in 2005 I stayed in a pretty tight blogger circle. I met most of my blog community at the same "hang outs". The circle consisted of Kristine, Sue and Charlotte, Susie, Circus Kelli, Lois Lane, Cat, Kelli, Eclectic, Nilbo, Bucky, Mainline , Sharkey , and RZDreams and Mrtl and Greeney and Ern and Von Kranki.
Now if you go and click on those links you will see for the most part (except Kristine and Mainline) that all of those people have stopped blogging. I still keep in touch with my original blogging circle through Facebook and Twitter but I do miss their stories. It feels like we all went to the same nursery school. We learned the ropes of blogging together, but when it came to going to elementary school we were put in different districts. Some preferred the Twitter district some preferred the Facebook district, me I kind of stayed in the Blogging district.
Sometime during the blogger explosion of 2006 I "met" some other people and I started to follow them. Pioneer Woman, Bogart, Fadkog, April, Oh The Joys, Rude Cactus, GreebleMonkey, Sarah Sci Fi Dad and there are others. Keeping with the school analogy, these are my elementary school friends. We are still friends. we hang out, they don't really know my nursery school friends, different circles and all of that, but we all kind of know each other. This school is where we started to define who we are and what we do. Most of us ended up in the Parent Blogger category, except for Bogart he is just the cool kid I want to hang out with.
It feels like my blogging world is moving in a different direction again. I am looking to expand my circle. I want to check out different "Middle Schools", if you will, to see if they can offer me the same types of friendships and community I now have with my various circles. Can anyone suggest some other blogs to check out?
This week is the BlogHer conference in NY. Although I am not going to the actual conference there is a pretty good chance I am going to the Voices of the Year Gala and Art Auction on Friday evening. One of my posts was chosen as one of 90 finalists in the BlogHer Voices of the Year, which is cool.
If anyone else is going to the Gala and Art Auction please shoot me an email so I can look for you. at the event.
Now if you go and click on those links you will see for the most part (except Kristine and Mainline) that all of those people have stopped blogging. I still keep in touch with my original blogging circle through Facebook and Twitter but I do miss their stories. It feels like we all went to the same nursery school. We learned the ropes of blogging together, but when it came to going to elementary school we were put in different districts. Some preferred the Twitter district some preferred the Facebook district, me I kind of stayed in the Blogging district.
Sometime during the blogger explosion of 2006 I "met" some other people and I started to follow them. Pioneer Woman, Bogart, Fadkog, April, Oh The Joys, Rude Cactus, GreebleMonkey, Sarah Sci Fi Dad and there are others. Keeping with the school analogy, these are my elementary school friends. We are still friends. we hang out, they don't really know my nursery school friends, different circles and all of that, but we all kind of know each other. This school is where we started to define who we are and what we do. Most of us ended up in the Parent Blogger category, except for Bogart he is just the cool kid I want to hang out with.
It feels like my blogging world is moving in a different direction again. I am looking to expand my circle. I want to check out different "Middle Schools", if you will, to see if they can offer me the same types of friendships and community I now have with my various circles. Can anyone suggest some other blogs to check out?
This week is the BlogHer conference in NY. Although I am not going to the actual conference there is a pretty good chance I am going to the Voices of the Year Gala and Art Auction on Friday evening. One of my posts was chosen as one of 90 finalists in the BlogHer Voices of the Year, which is cool.
If anyone else is going to the Gala and Art Auction please shoot me an email so I can look for you. at the event.
Friday, July 30, 2010
Real Housewives
Last summer, for reasons I am not sure of, I got sucked in to watching the Real Housewives of NY. That lead to me being sucked in to watch the show Real Housewives of NJ, which I got to admit had characters that were more fun than the NY crew.
This year I was not as interested to watch either show but found myself looking over the top of my book to catch a peek here and there as my wife watched. The ladies of Big Apple show were entertaining and intriguing. On the other hand the Garden State broads (I think the word broad to describe a woman is so underused these days) were no longer interesting. The characters become caricatures of themselves. They became the stereotype of a Northern New Jersey gangster woman/wife. They seem very trashy.
When I watch television I am very aware of the commercials that come on. Commercials are a way of finding out what advertisers and television networks think of their consumer/audience. Advertisers try to push their product to a demographic. A particular show may have a particular stronger demographic which is desired by an advertiser. Sometimes the commercials are national ads which are polished and crisp. Then there are local ads that get squeezed in that are often the local car dealer or flooring company, which are not so polished. Now it is here where the AD people tell you what they think of you and the shows you watch, depending on their skill and level of magic making. I like to rate their commercials. I think I am immune to their pitches and I try to figure out who they are targeting; what makes the commercial tick.
Why are there so many erectile dysfunction cure commercials during an NFL game? Well because the marketers know that men between the ages of 35 and 50 are watching. Why are those commercials always showing a man and a woman strolling on a beach, holding hands and being all romantic? Because they know that there are women in those same households that may be watching the same game because they want to spend time with their significant others and damn it if he is going to sit there and check his fantasy football scores every 10 minutes, while the garage needs to get cleaned and leaves need to be raked and oh, what is that commercial? Look at that couple holding hands on the beach, they look so happy and romantic and oh look at that handsome silver haired man helping his wife paint the living room, and that is a lovely color yellow, wait a minute did they just say that this medicine could make him paint the living room for up to four hours, wow I need to remember the name of that drug.
Anyway you get the point smoke and mirrors and all that.
Shows have a demographic, the network sells their shows ad space based on the demo to advertisers that want to target those people. I like to watch commercials to see if I fit that demo.
The other night I was reading in bed and Lauren was watching Real Housewives of NJ. After hearing the wretch Danielle (the villain of the show) talking about being a great mom to her girls, while she is learning how to fight from some thugs because "you just never know", then listening to the other women with their "youse guys and deese guys" lingo. I begged Lauren to switch the channel. She said no and laughed at the fact that I still sit there and watch the show. Which I do, you know, train wreck and all that.
Then a commercial comes on. It is a local commercial for a dentist that does teeth whitening. The woman on the commercial has the worst Philly accent I have ever heard. The commercial is horrible. This is followed by an ad for the movie Charlie St. Cloud starring Zac Efron, which is followed by a promo for another Bravo TV show. I, uhm, go back to reading my book.
Joe ends up telling some guy that money is tight and that he is not sure what he is going to get his wife Teresa for their 10th wedding anniversary. He ends up going cheap and buying a Helicopter ride and some huge diamond. I know from various blogs that Joe and Teresa have filed for bankruptcy because they are 11 million dollars in debt. The show is really getting on my nerves. I ask Lauren to change the channel. She says no.
During the commercial break some people were signing a catchy jingle about getting cash right now with no effort. That was followed by a commercial for the movie Charlie St. Cloud. Then the owner of a local car dealer, who was clearly reading from a cue card, told me "no credit, no problem" I could still drive away in a brand new car for only $199. A Jell-O ad runs next followed by a Top Chef promo.
I turn a page in my book. Albie, the red head's son, who flunked out of law school is now in the police academy. He had to shave his head. His siblings mock him. Meanwhile Jackie's daughter is getting served legal papers for assaulting one of the other broads. I can't take it anymore. I ask Lauren to switch the channel but another set of commercials comes on.
Charlie St. Cloud is coming out on Friday. Then a very loud lawyer comes on the TV and tells me he can get me money for any lawsuit. He can also get me out of any DUIs. He will not rest until my case is won. Pledge is great for wood. Another Real Housewives show is going to be in DC. I should watch Top Chef. Charlie St. Cloud.
I make my assesment of the RHONJ demographics, which has to be criminals with bad teeth and with bad credit, who need money now and who like to eat Jell-O and have clean furniture. I then realize that the commercials that are airing are not only for the demographic of the audience watching the RHONJ but that they also could be targeting the actual people on the show. The Real Housewives of NJ could use all of the services these commercials are offering.
I go back to my book. Some sweet 16 birthday party is going on that looks like it is more expensive than my house. Someone named Kim G gets on my nerves. This show is so bad. I beg Lauren to turn it off. I close my eyes and try to go to sleep.
Then a commercial comes on for some intro-uterine device and the side effects listed say something to the affect of the "Mirena may attach to or go through the wall of the uterus and cause other problems. Ovarian cysts may occur and usually disappear. Bleeding and spotting may increase in the first few months and continue to be irregular." Then they talk more about blood and uterus-es (uteri?) and thickening and bleeding and more blood flow.
During that commercial I was begging for the Real Housewives to come back on.
I realize that I am not the target demographic for the companies that advertise on the show Real Housewives. But by the same way the ED pill commercials make women take notice I really think that shows on Bravo should take into account that, maybe, a man may be in the room while the TV is on. Now if the women in theMirena ad were cooking bacon or mowing the yard I may not have been so offended by the commerical.
Anyway RHoNJ no longer interests me, which is fine, I am not their target audience. Actually when I think about all the ads that were run , they have a very diverse demographic. Just not me, although I have a strange urge to goe see Zac Efron movies. He is dreamy.
This year I was not as interested to watch either show but found myself looking over the top of my book to catch a peek here and there as my wife watched. The ladies of Big Apple show were entertaining and intriguing. On the other hand the Garden State broads (I think the word broad to describe a woman is so underused these days) were no longer interesting. The characters become caricatures of themselves. They became the stereotype of a Northern New Jersey gangster woman/wife. They seem very trashy.
When I watch television I am very aware of the commercials that come on. Commercials are a way of finding out what advertisers and television networks think of their consumer/audience. Advertisers try to push their product to a demographic. A particular show may have a particular stronger demographic which is desired by an advertiser. Sometimes the commercials are national ads which are polished and crisp. Then there are local ads that get squeezed in that are often the local car dealer or flooring company, which are not so polished. Now it is here where the AD people tell you what they think of you and the shows you watch, depending on their skill and level of magic making. I like to rate their commercials. I think I am immune to their pitches and I try to figure out who they are targeting; what makes the commercial tick.
Why are there so many erectile dysfunction cure commercials during an NFL game? Well because the marketers know that men between the ages of 35 and 50 are watching. Why are those commercials always showing a man and a woman strolling on a beach, holding hands and being all romantic? Because they know that there are women in those same households that may be watching the same game because they want to spend time with their significant others and damn it if he is going to sit there and check his fantasy football scores every 10 minutes, while the garage needs to get cleaned and leaves need to be raked and oh, what is that commercial? Look at that couple holding hands on the beach, they look so happy and romantic and oh look at that handsome silver haired man helping his wife paint the living room, and that is a lovely color yellow, wait a minute did they just say that this medicine could make him paint the living room for up to four hours, wow I need to remember the name of that drug.
Anyway you get the point smoke and mirrors and all that.
Shows have a demographic, the network sells their shows ad space based on the demo to advertisers that want to target those people. I like to watch commercials to see if I fit that demo.
The other night I was reading in bed and Lauren was watching Real Housewives of NJ. After hearing the wretch Danielle (the villain of the show) talking about being a great mom to her girls, while she is learning how to fight from some thugs because "you just never know", then listening to the other women with their "youse guys and deese guys" lingo. I begged Lauren to switch the channel. She said no and laughed at the fact that I still sit there and watch the show. Which I do, you know, train wreck and all that.
Then a commercial comes on. It is a local commercial for a dentist that does teeth whitening. The woman on the commercial has the worst Philly accent I have ever heard. The commercial is horrible. This is followed by an ad for the movie Charlie St. Cloud starring Zac Efron, which is followed by a promo for another Bravo TV show. I, uhm, go back to reading my book.
Joe ends up telling some guy that money is tight and that he is not sure what he is going to get his wife Teresa for their 10th wedding anniversary. He ends up going cheap and buying a Helicopter ride and some huge diamond. I know from various blogs that Joe and Teresa have filed for bankruptcy because they are 11 million dollars in debt. The show is really getting on my nerves. I ask Lauren to change the channel. She says no.
During the commercial break some people were signing a catchy jingle about getting cash right now with no effort. That was followed by a commercial for the movie Charlie St. Cloud. Then the owner of a local car dealer, who was clearly reading from a cue card, told me "no credit, no problem" I could still drive away in a brand new car for only $199. A Jell-O ad runs next followed by a Top Chef promo.
I turn a page in my book. Albie, the red head's son, who flunked out of law school is now in the police academy. He had to shave his head. His siblings mock him. Meanwhile Jackie's daughter is getting served legal papers for assaulting one of the other broads. I can't take it anymore. I ask Lauren to switch the channel but another set of commercials comes on.
Charlie St. Cloud is coming out on Friday. Then a very loud lawyer comes on the TV and tells me he can get me money for any lawsuit. He can also get me out of any DUIs. He will not rest until my case is won. Pledge is great for wood. Another Real Housewives show is going to be in DC. I should watch Top Chef. Charlie St. Cloud.
I make my assesment of the RHONJ demographics, which has to be criminals with bad teeth and with bad credit, who need money now and who like to eat Jell-O and have clean furniture. I then realize that the commercials that are airing are not only for the demographic of the audience watching the RHONJ but that they also could be targeting the actual people on the show. The Real Housewives of NJ could use all of the services these commercials are offering.
I go back to my book. Some sweet 16 birthday party is going on that looks like it is more expensive than my house. Someone named Kim G gets on my nerves. This show is so bad. I beg Lauren to turn it off. I close my eyes and try to go to sleep.
Then a commercial comes on for some intro-uterine device and the side effects listed say something to the affect of the "Mirena may attach to or go through the wall of the uterus and cause other problems. Ovarian cysts may occur and usually disappear. Bleeding and spotting may increase in the first few months and continue to be irregular." Then they talk more about blood and uterus-es (uteri?) and thickening and bleeding and more blood flow.
During that commercial I was begging for the Real Housewives to come back on.
I realize that I am not the target demographic for the companies that advertise on the show Real Housewives. But by the same way the ED pill commercials make women take notice I really think that shows on Bravo should take into account that, maybe, a man may be in the room while the TV is on. Now if the women in theMirena ad were cooking bacon or mowing the yard I may not have been so offended by the commerical.
Anyway RHoNJ no longer interests me, which is fine, I am not their target audience. Actually when I think about all the ads that were run , they have a very diverse demographic. Just not me, although I have a strange urge to goe see Zac Efron movies. He is dreamy.
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Scream
Last year I took a bit of abuse because of this picture. This year Lauren went on the log flume ride with the kids. The picture is not that great but the sound is awesome.
My friend Sue, who was with us on the boardwalk that day, was on the other side of the pier, maybe 50 to 100 yards away, texted me "Just heard Lauren scream from over hear at the swings."
My friend Sue, who was with us on the boardwalk that day, was on the other side of the pier, maybe 50 to 100 yards away, texted me "Just heard Lauren scream from over hear at the swings."
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Dream Job
One of my dream jobs, and I have many, would be to have a gig like Guy Fieri on the show Diners, Drive-ins and Dives. If you are not familiar with the show, Guy Fieri, drives across the country stopping in various eateries sampling the food and signature delicacies from each stop. I don't think I would want to be on camera but I was thinking my dream job would be to be the point man. I would be the guy to go to the various locations, try the food, then report back to the producers what joints Guy should visit. Yeah, that would be a dream job and half.
When we were vacationing at the South Jersey shore, I had the opportunity to try a bunch of different places. Two of places that stick out, as far as recommendations go, were Maui's Dog House in Wildwood, NJ and The Beach Box in Ocean City, NJ.
I have been to Maui's Dog House twice now and I think I may make my it one of my life's goals to try every one of the dogs on their menu. This past visit I had the J-Bell and the Horsey in Chicago. Maui Dog has a decent selection of sides including their signature dish Salty Balls, which is brine cooked small potatoes served with drawn butter. Each dish is served in a plastic dog bowl and the whole dining experience is fun for the whole family.
If anyone knows Guy Fieri tell him he needs to hire me as a point man.
When we were vacationing at the South Jersey shore, I had the opportunity to try a bunch of different places. Two of places that stick out, as far as recommendations go, were Maui's Dog House in Wildwood, NJ and The Beach Box in Ocean City, NJ.
I have been to Maui's Dog House twice now and I think I may make my it one of my life's goals to try every one of the dogs on their menu. This past visit I had the J-Bell and the Horsey in Chicago. Maui Dog has a decent selection of sides including their signature dish Salty Balls, which is brine cooked small potatoes served with drawn butter. Each dish is served in a plastic dog bowl and the whole dining experience is fun for the whole family.
The Beach Box is a walk-up take-out joint located at 33rd and Asbury in Ocean City, NJ. In the interest of full disclosure, The Beach Box is operated by my double cousin Monica and her friend Erin. I say double cousin because Monica's mom is my mom's sister and Monica's dad is my dad's brother. Pretty cool huh? This is the first year that Monica is running The Beach Box. They are open from 7 am to 3pm focusing on breakfast and lunches that can be boxed and taken to the beach, which is only a block down the road. The lunch menu is standard sandwich fair like BLTs, Tuna Salad, Cheese steaks and such. I had the Tuna Salad sandwich which was very good and served on one the best rolls I have ever had. Lauren and the kids enjoyed their lunches (Chicken Fingers and Fries) which we ate in the limited seating they have out front.
Since The Beach Box is new they have not yet developed any signature items although they have a few in the works. One of the breakfast items they have is a Bacon and Chive Cream Cheese spread which is incredible. The Beach Box is also known for their Chocolate Chip Cookies. These cookies are out of this world with the perfect blend of chocolate chips and cookie. The cookies are huge and have been called "man hole covers" with a diameter of 5 to 6 inches across.
What struck me most about The Beach Box is the fact that Monica, although working (cooking, serving, etc) took the time to talk to every person that came by. Although she is new to that area she seemed to know everybody there and everybody seemed to know her. Monica is one of the nicest people and with a person like her running a place like The Beach Box I think the food is almost secondary and that the signature item is the friendly staff.
I was talking to Monica about creating a signature breakfast sandwich and I recommended that she make a scrapple sandwich of some sort. Scrapple as described in Wikipedia is a mush of pork scraps and trimmings and is regional food of the Mid Atlantic States. Lauren immediately turned her nose up at my idea because Scrapple is made from "everything but the oink" of a pig. Which to me would be the perfect meat to use for what could become the Poop and Boogies Sandwich.
If you have a Facebook page go and become a fan of The Beach Box.
If you are in Ocean City NJ this summer stop by The Beach Box at 33rd and Asbury and tell them I sent you. And tell them you want a Poop and Boogies sandwich.
If anyone knows Guy Fieri tell him he needs to hire me as a point man.
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Kissing Daniel
Warning: Some of the mental images the following post may invoke may be graphic and not suitable to all readers. Reader discretion is advised.
I have big thighs. I get this from my mom’s side of the family. One of the problems with having big thighs is that I tend to chafe. I tend to chafe in the groin area. What causes the chafing? Well it is a combination of friction of my inner thigh rubbing against the seam of my underwear or shorts. Often times, moisture in the same area, can cause me to chafe even more. Some people refer to the chafing as a sweat rash. It is hot down there which is where the term hotter than balls comes from. Now that I am running I have been getting more chafed, like really, really bad. Running causes me to sweat as well as it increases the friction in that particular area. The moisture from the sweat causes the underwear I am wearing to become more heavy and clingy and also more abrasive. This then causes me to chafe. It is a bad case of diaper rash for a lack of a better term.
Another big chafing scenario is when I go to the beach. The moisture from going into the ocean as well as getting sand stuck in my trunks has caused me some of the worst rashes as well as pain I have ever felt. Combine that with the walk to and from the beach it feels like I have sand paper scraping my grundle. Usually by the end of the walk home I have the gait as if I had just rode a horse for a few hours. It would be so bad I would then spend the next day smelling like baby powder and Desitin. The rashes I have gotten from the beaches would be so red and bumpy and painful and inflamed that they could ruin an entire week vacation.
This curse of chafing also affects other members of my family.
During our family’s big July 4th/Mom’s birthday party, I overheard my brother Dan talking to a few of my other brothers. As often is the case when you grow up with 7 other boys the conversation switched to the topic of balls. Not baseballs or soccer balls or basketballs but, you know…balls.
“I swear” Dan said to Jimmy. “You will want to kiss me after you try the new shorts.”
“Really?” someone else asked.
“Yeah. I now wear them all the time under my swim suit.” Dan confirmed. “I have not had a rash since.”
"Are you talking about preventing monkey butt?" I asked.
"No. I am talking about the sweat rash you get at the beach." Dan said.
I was intrigued by the conversation and I asked Dan what he was talking about. He told me he bought some new moisture wicking underwear, the kind that athletes use, and that he wears them under his swim trunks. The underwear wicks the moisture away from his groin and it has dramatically reduced any kind of chafing he would get from his walks to and from the beach. Dan called the underwear his junk protectors. He then told me I should get a pair and try it since I was going to the shore the following week.
“You will not believe how much better you will feel.” Dan said. “You will want to kiss me for me telling you about this underwear.”
Now my brother Dan is not one to just give out unsolicited advice. I mean maybe he will tell you about a new tool he recommends or that he discovered better bourbon, but to suggest new clothes is just not his (pardon the pun) style. Since he was so adamant about the new underwear I purchased a few pair for my trip to the beach.
I bought the boxer brief style which were a little smaller in size than the boxer briefs I am used to wearing. The material is made with “moisture wicking technology” (I have never worn underwear with technology in them) and has a stretchy-spandex kind of feel to them. The smaller size, the tight fit and the stretchy fabric made everything look a bit bigger, which, I gotta admit, I did not mind. The smaller size, the tight fit and the stretchy fabric made me feel like I was wearing part of a superhero costume, which, I gotta admit, was kind of cool.
I wore my new underwear to the beach every day while I was on vacation. Let me tell you this is the best underwear I have ever worn. I did not get one rash. I wore them one my runs, no rash. I wore them in the ocean and in the sand, no rash. Half way through my vacation I called my brother Dan to thank him for the advice on the underwear.
"Dan, the next time I see you I am going to kiss you." I said.
"Was I right about the shorts or what?"
"I love them. Not a single rash. I wear them everyday."
"I told you." Dan said.
"Not only do I not have any chafing but when I put them on I feel like I am putting on a superhero costume, and for that, well Dan, when I kiss you I may even give you some tongue."
UPDATED 7-28-10
I purchased my awesome underwear at Sears and bought the Structure Brand. (make sure they are the moisture wicking kind).
I have big thighs. I get this from my mom’s side of the family. One of the problems with having big thighs is that I tend to chafe. I tend to chafe in the groin area. What causes the chafing? Well it is a combination of friction of my inner thigh rubbing against the seam of my underwear or shorts. Often times, moisture in the same area, can cause me to chafe even more. Some people refer to the chafing as a sweat rash. It is hot down there which is where the term hotter than balls comes from. Now that I am running I have been getting more chafed, like really, really bad. Running causes me to sweat as well as it increases the friction in that particular area. The moisture from the sweat causes the underwear I am wearing to become more heavy and clingy and also more abrasive. This then causes me to chafe. It is a bad case of diaper rash for a lack of a better term.
Another big chafing scenario is when I go to the beach. The moisture from going into the ocean as well as getting sand stuck in my trunks has caused me some of the worst rashes as well as pain I have ever felt. Combine that with the walk to and from the beach it feels like I have sand paper scraping my grundle. Usually by the end of the walk home I have the gait as if I had just rode a horse for a few hours. It would be so bad I would then spend the next day smelling like baby powder and Desitin. The rashes I have gotten from the beaches would be so red and bumpy and painful and inflamed that they could ruin an entire week vacation.
This curse of chafing also affects other members of my family.
During our family’s big July 4th/Mom’s birthday party, I overheard my brother Dan talking to a few of my other brothers. As often is the case when you grow up with 7 other boys the conversation switched to the topic of balls. Not baseballs or soccer balls or basketballs but, you know…balls.
“I swear” Dan said to Jimmy. “You will want to kiss me after you try the new shorts.”
“Really?” someone else asked.
“Yeah. I now wear them all the time under my swim suit.” Dan confirmed. “I have not had a rash since.”
"Are you talking about preventing monkey butt?" I asked.
"No. I am talking about the sweat rash you get at the beach." Dan said.
I was intrigued by the conversation and I asked Dan what he was talking about. He told me he bought some new moisture wicking underwear, the kind that athletes use, and that he wears them under his swim trunks. The underwear wicks the moisture away from his groin and it has dramatically reduced any kind of chafing he would get from his walks to and from the beach. Dan called the underwear his junk protectors. He then told me I should get a pair and try it since I was going to the shore the following week.
“You will not believe how much better you will feel.” Dan said. “You will want to kiss me for me telling you about this underwear.”
Now my brother Dan is not one to just give out unsolicited advice. I mean maybe he will tell you about a new tool he recommends or that he discovered better bourbon, but to suggest new clothes is just not his (pardon the pun) style. Since he was so adamant about the new underwear I purchased a few pair for my trip to the beach.
I bought the boxer brief style which were a little smaller in size than the boxer briefs I am used to wearing. The material is made with “moisture wicking technology” (I have never worn underwear with technology in them) and has a stretchy-spandex kind of feel to them. The smaller size, the tight fit and the stretchy fabric made everything look a bit bigger, which, I gotta admit, I did not mind. The smaller size, the tight fit and the stretchy fabric made me feel like I was wearing part of a superhero costume, which, I gotta admit, was kind of cool.
I wore my new underwear to the beach every day while I was on vacation. Let me tell you this is the best underwear I have ever worn. I did not get one rash. I wore them one my runs, no rash. I wore them in the ocean and in the sand, no rash. Half way through my vacation I called my brother Dan to thank him for the advice on the underwear.
"Dan, the next time I see you I am going to kiss you." I said.
"Was I right about the shorts or what?"
"I love them. Not a single rash. I wear them everyday."
"I told you." Dan said.
"Not only do I not have any chafing but when I put them on I feel like I am putting on a superhero costume, and for that, well Dan, when I kiss you I may even give you some tongue."
UPDATED 7-28-10
I purchased my awesome underwear at Sears and bought the Structure Brand. (make sure they are the moisture wicking kind).
Monday, July 19, 2010
Beach Boys
Dear Internet,
I am sorry I have not been around for the past 10 days or so. We took the family to the beach for a vacation.
We went to Wildwood, Ocean City and Cape May. We ate ice cream, candy, hotdogs and fries. We went on walks and on log flumes and on rollercoasters and bumper boats. We went to the beach, the bay, the out door mall, the boardwalk and the ER. All in all it was a great vacation and everyone had a great time. Except for the trip to the ER. I don't think Jackson, Lauren or I enjoyed that part.
Jackson is okay. He had a bad fall. I am thinking of getting some T-shirts made up that say "I went to the Jersey Shore and all I got was an X-ray."
I am sorry I have not been around for the past 10 days or so. We took the family to the beach for a vacation.
We went to Wildwood, Ocean City and Cape May. We ate ice cream, candy, hotdogs and fries. We went on walks and on log flumes and on rollercoasters and bumper boats. We went to the beach, the bay, the out door mall, the boardwalk and the ER. All in all it was a great vacation and everyone had a great time. Except for the trip to the ER. I don't think Jackson, Lauren or I enjoyed that part.
Jackson is okay. He had a bad fall. I am thinking of getting some T-shirts made up that say "I went to the Jersey Shore and all I got was an X-ray."
Monday, July 12, 2010
Card Ideas
My anniversary is tomorrow. Lauren and I have been married 8 years. I know this because I just said to her the other day, "I can't believe we have been married 9 years."
Which she said, "Neither can I, because this Tuesday is only our 8 year anniversary."
As with all old married couples we do not really exchange romantic gifts or anything. Our gift giving is done more out of necessity. We get each other what we need rather than what we want or what we would want for the other person. This year we need a new coffee maker, a new cordless phone for the home, and a new vacuum cleaner.
I am not sure what I am getting for Lauren and what she is getting for me. We will decide later this week. But this is where I need some help. To make the gifts romantic we will need cards to go with the gifts. So knowing that I could be getting Lauren a phone, coffee maker or vacuum and she could be getting me one of those same items we need some ideas for a romantic card to accompany the gift.
Contest time--Leave a comment with an idea for a romantic anniversary card to go with one or all of the gifts, either from me to Lauren or Lauren to me. Lauren and I will pick our three favorites and the winners will recieve a copper plated Abraham Lincoln Medallion worth 1 cent.
Go here to read about our wedding. Pic here .
Which she said, "Neither can I, because this Tuesday is only our 8 year anniversary."
As with all old married couples we do not really exchange romantic gifts or anything. Our gift giving is done more out of necessity. We get each other what we need rather than what we want or what we would want for the other person. This year we need a new coffee maker, a new cordless phone for the home, and a new vacuum cleaner.
I am not sure what I am getting for Lauren and what she is getting for me. We will decide later this week. But this is where I need some help. To make the gifts romantic we will need cards to go with the gifts. So knowing that I could be getting Lauren a phone, coffee maker or vacuum and she could be getting me one of those same items we need some ideas for a romantic card to accompany the gift.
Contest time--Leave a comment with an idea for a romantic anniversary card to go with one or all of the gifts, either from me to Lauren or Lauren to me. Lauren and I will pick our three favorites and the winners will recieve a copper plated Abraham Lincoln Medallion worth 1 cent.
Go here to read about our wedding. Pic here .
Friday, July 09, 2010
Realizing Dreams
When Lauren and I were young and kid less we lived in cool little apartment across from a train station, an ice cream shop and above a coffee shop. We were cool, Bohemian-esque, young and hip. One day while I was eating at the ice cream shop I started a conversation with the waitress whose name was Eve. I don't remember exactly what we talked about but I learned that her and her husband Ken lived in an apartment down the street and that they too were young, kid less, Bohemian-esque and hip.
Lauren and I became quick friends with Ken and Eve. They were the first "couple" friends we made as a couple. We hung out often. Ken was into theater and I was into theater. Eve wanted to be a writer and I wanted to be a writer. They were lovers of art and Lauren was a lover of art. They had a dog, we had a dog. Ken liked to drink and I loved to drink. We were a couples match made in heaven. We spent many nights drinking and eating and discussing ideas for plays, movie scripts, novels and films. We would exchange each others writings and offer ideas. We played Cranium and cards while drinking margarita's and drunkenly expressing our creative hopes and dreams.
Lauren and I eventually got married and started to raise a family. Ken went back to school and Eve took on a full time job. We started to grow up. We drifted apart as "couples" friends. Lauren and I moved to Florida and pretty much lost contact with Ken and Eve. When we moved back to PA in 2007 and I kept meaning to call them but by then we had two kids and life would get in the way.
In the spring of 2008, I was in the grocery store parking lot when I saw Ken get out of his car. I was so excited to see him that I ran up to him and hugged him while jumping up and down, like he was Bob Barker and I was just told I won the Show Case Show Down. I pretty much dry humped him in the Acme parking lot. We exchanged numbers and promised to keep in touch.
That hasn't really happened, because, well, life gets in the way. But through the magic of computers and social networking I have been able to keep tabs on my cool Bohemian friends. I was very excited to find out that Eve, who used to dream about being a writer, has had her first book published. It was just released on Tuesday. I immediately ran out and picked up a copy and I think you should too.
Free to a Good Home by Eve Marie Mont.
Lauren and I became quick friends with Ken and Eve. They were the first "couple" friends we made as a couple. We hung out often. Ken was into theater and I was into theater. Eve wanted to be a writer and I wanted to be a writer. They were lovers of art and Lauren was a lover of art. They had a dog, we had a dog. Ken liked to drink and I loved to drink. We were a couples match made in heaven. We spent many nights drinking and eating and discussing ideas for plays, movie scripts, novels and films. We would exchange each others writings and offer ideas. We played Cranium and cards while drinking margarita's and drunkenly expressing our creative hopes and dreams.
Lauren and I eventually got married and started to raise a family. Ken went back to school and Eve took on a full time job. We started to grow up. We drifted apart as "couples" friends. Lauren and I moved to Florida and pretty much lost contact with Ken and Eve. When we moved back to PA in 2007 and I kept meaning to call them but by then we had two kids and life would get in the way.
In the spring of 2008, I was in the grocery store parking lot when I saw Ken get out of his car. I was so excited to see him that I ran up to him and hugged him while jumping up and down, like he was Bob Barker and I was just told I won the Show Case Show Down. I pretty much dry humped him in the Acme parking lot. We exchanged numbers and promised to keep in touch.
That hasn't really happened, because, well, life gets in the way. But through the magic of computers and social networking I have been able to keep tabs on my cool Bohemian friends. I was very excited to find out that Eve, who used to dream about being a writer, has had her first book published. It was just released on Tuesday. I immediately ran out and picked up a copy and I think you should too.
Free to a Good Home by Eve Marie Mont.
I have not started reading it but I know it must be awesome. It is some one's dream realized and that, well, that is awesome.
Tuesday, July 06, 2010
Who watches the watchman
In my quest to drop some weight and live a healthier life I have taken up running. Most of the time I run at night around 9:30 or so. Using various websites I have mapped a few courses through my neighborhood.
Every night during my jog I have noticed a small gold colored SUV driving very slow through the neighborhood. The first night the SUV slowed to a crawl as it approached me from behind. I thought I was going to get jumped, but then the speed picked back up and it passed me. I could not see the driver or the passenger. I figured they mistook me for someone else. The second night the same thing happened. Again two people driving very slowly. The third night the gold SUV approached me from the front, I could see shadows of both the driver and passenger. They did not slow down but kept a very slow driving pace. I was finally able to see the passenger on the fourth night. I realized it was my next door neighbor. He and another guy are part of the neighborhood watch program. For the next couple of nights I would wave to them as I ran by.
I was into my third week of running and I had just finished a 2.77 mile run (my furthest run at that time) when I saw a gold SUV approach me. It was driving very close to the opposite curb in a spastic stop and go fashion. I craned my neck to get a better view of the other side of the vehicle when I noticed someone moving very quickly, clinging to the shadows along the edges of the homes on that side of the street. It looked to me like the neighborhood watch guys were after someone.
All of the sudden the person took off across the front yard of a corner lot. I could see him clearly in the glow of the home's porch light. It was a teen-aged boy. The SUV, jolted, sped up and rounded the corner. Just as the SUV completed its turn, the teenager on the lawn spun around and ran in the opposite direction of the SUV. There was no way the SUV was going to be able to make a U-turn on the small street in time to catch the kid.
My inner Batman took over and I jetted after the kid. I thought maybe the kid was caught breaking into cars or maybe he was seen vandalizing some property. My adrenaline was flowing, my testosterone pumping. I would nab the perpetrator.
The kid was about 35 yards ahead of me when he realized I was chasing him. He sped up.
The kid was fast. I was faster.
For about 4 seconds I was faster. After that, the two plus miles I had just ran caught up to me. My shin splints ached, I could not catch my breath, sweat burned my eyes, I had a stitch in my side and my feet burned. I pulled up, gasping, limping, holding my lower right side. I leaned against a street light and watched the kid turn up the next road over. I hobbled to that corner and looked up to see if I could spot him. He too was now walking and he strolled up a driveway.
A minute later the gold SUV pulled up along side of me as a I walked towards the driveway. It was not the neighborhood watch SUV. A woman rolled down her window and thanked me for chasing her 13 year old son home. He was going to run away, she was following him trying to convince him to come home. He made it a block and half from his house when I started chasing him. I scared him straight home.
Every night during my jog I have noticed a small gold colored SUV driving very slow through the neighborhood. The first night the SUV slowed to a crawl as it approached me from behind. I thought I was going to get jumped, but then the speed picked back up and it passed me. I could not see the driver or the passenger. I figured they mistook me for someone else. The second night the same thing happened. Again two people driving very slowly. The third night the gold SUV approached me from the front, I could see shadows of both the driver and passenger. They did not slow down but kept a very slow driving pace. I was finally able to see the passenger on the fourth night. I realized it was my next door neighbor. He and another guy are part of the neighborhood watch program. For the next couple of nights I would wave to them as I ran by.
I was into my third week of running and I had just finished a 2.77 mile run (my furthest run at that time) when I saw a gold SUV approach me. It was driving very close to the opposite curb in a spastic stop and go fashion. I craned my neck to get a better view of the other side of the vehicle when I noticed someone moving very quickly, clinging to the shadows along the edges of the homes on that side of the street. It looked to me like the neighborhood watch guys were after someone.
All of the sudden the person took off across the front yard of a corner lot. I could see him clearly in the glow of the home's porch light. It was a teen-aged boy. The SUV, jolted, sped up and rounded the corner. Just as the SUV completed its turn, the teenager on the lawn spun around and ran in the opposite direction of the SUV. There was no way the SUV was going to be able to make a U-turn on the small street in time to catch the kid.
My inner Batman took over and I jetted after the kid. I thought maybe the kid was caught breaking into cars or maybe he was seen vandalizing some property. My adrenaline was flowing, my testosterone pumping. I would nab the perpetrator.
The kid was about 35 yards ahead of me when he realized I was chasing him. He sped up.
The kid was fast. I was faster.
For about 4 seconds I was faster. After that, the two plus miles I had just ran caught up to me. My shin splints ached, I could not catch my breath, sweat burned my eyes, I had a stitch in my side and my feet burned. I pulled up, gasping, limping, holding my lower right side. I leaned against a street light and watched the kid turn up the next road over. I hobbled to that corner and looked up to see if I could spot him. He too was now walking and he strolled up a driveway.
A minute later the gold SUV pulled up along side of me as a I walked towards the driveway. It was not the neighborhood watch SUV. A woman rolled down her window and thanked me for chasing her 13 year old son home. He was going to run away, she was following him trying to convince him to come home. He made it a block and half from his house when I started chasing him. I scared him straight home.
Thursday, July 01, 2010
Some kind of a noma
I know two people who have died from Melanoma. Hell, I lived with the two people that I know that died from Melanoma; my friend and old roommate Dan Howard and my dad.
My friend Pam (Dan's widow) over the past few years has organized a team for the Noreen O'Neill Foundation for Melanoma Research Running for Cover 5k race to raise money for Melanoma research. Our family has donated and participated over the past few years. This year's race was this past Sunday and Lauren and I took Max and Wyatt down town to participate. Lauren ran in the 5k race and the boys and I ate all the free Tastykakes (a sponsor of the event) we could get our hands on. If you are not familiar with Tastykakes, well you should familiarize yourself with this Philly based company.
It is always a good feeling to know that one can eat their weight in Strawberry Fruit and Yogurt Breakfast Bars and that some good can come out of it. Like these good news articles about Melanoma research.
New Drug Extends Lives of Melanoma Patients
New Drug PLX-4032
Melanoma Master Cells Identified
Melanoma is one of those cancers that if one takes the right steps they can dramatically reduce their chances of developing the disease. These steps are quite simple; limit your time in direct sun light and wear sun screen. It is even more important that you take these steps with your kids. Children get 80% of their lifetime sun exposure before the age of 18, so it is important to protect them. Protecting the skin during the first 18 years of life can reduce the risk of some types of skin cancer by up to 78%.
Early detection is key in fighting Melanoma. Having a dermatologist do a skin cancer screening is the best solution to early detection. During a skin cancer screening, your doctor will inspect your skin from head to toe—including areas not exposed to the sun. They will record the location size and color of any mole and compare those records with each visit.
However some Melanomas can grow fast and you should always check your skin for new moles as well as any changes in existing moles. Melanoma can grow on areas of your skin that you cannot see, like your back, so have a loved one inspect these areas from time to time.
I am always telling Lauren I need to inspect her exposed body for moles. She always thinks I have ulterior motives.
My friend Pam (Dan's widow) over the past few years has organized a team for the Noreen O'Neill Foundation for Melanoma Research Running for Cover 5k race to raise money for Melanoma research. Our family has donated and participated over the past few years. This year's race was this past Sunday and Lauren and I took Max and Wyatt down town to participate. Lauren ran in the 5k race and the boys and I ate all the free Tastykakes (a sponsor of the event) we could get our hands on. If you are not familiar with Tastykakes, well you should familiarize yourself with this Philly based company.
It is always a good feeling to know that one can eat their weight in Strawberry Fruit and Yogurt Breakfast Bars and that some good can come out of it. Like these good news articles about Melanoma research.
New Drug Extends Lives of Melanoma Patients
New Drug PLX-4032
Melanoma Master Cells Identified
Melanoma is one of those cancers that if one takes the right steps they can dramatically reduce their chances of developing the disease. These steps are quite simple; limit your time in direct sun light and wear sun screen. It is even more important that you take these steps with your kids. Children get 80% of their lifetime sun exposure before the age of 18, so it is important to protect them. Protecting the skin during the first 18 years of life can reduce the risk of some types of skin cancer by up to 78%.
Early detection is key in fighting Melanoma. Having a dermatologist do a skin cancer screening is the best solution to early detection. During a skin cancer screening, your doctor will inspect your skin from head to toe—including areas not exposed to the sun. They will record the location size and color of any mole and compare those records with each visit.
However some Melanomas can grow fast and you should always check your skin for new moles as well as any changes in existing moles. Melanoma can grow on areas of your skin that you cannot see, like your back, so have a loved one inspect these areas from time to time.
I am always telling Lauren I need to inspect her exposed body for moles. She always thinks I have ulterior motives.
Monday, June 28, 2010
Possessed
Needed: a Priest or Rabbi or Shaman or Friar or Monk or Hippie Witch Doctor, Padre or Son of a Preacher Man to perform an exorcism of a demonically possessed red plastic plate.
The red plastic plate is clearly possessed because it causes two boys to argue in high pitched wails over who gets to eat off of it. This red plate causes 6 year old boys to scream, "I GET THE RED PLATE!" over and over again. It also causes 4 year boys to cry and yell, "YOU GOT THE RED PLATE LAST TIME."
"I WANT IT."
"NO, I WANT IT."
"YOU CAN'T HAVE IT."
"NO YOU CAN'T HAVE IT."
The possessed red plate also causes 40 year old men to holler "IT IS JUST A RED PLATE!"
It also causes mothers to cover their ears and shout, "I CAN'T TAKE IT ANYMORE!"
I have threatened to throw out the red plate but the children break down into tears every time. They weep and say, "No daddy, please do not throw away the red plate. I NEVER get to have the red plate. Please *sob* don't *sob* throw *gasp* it away."
It must be possessed by evil spirits to cause this reaction.
It is just a red plastic plate. We have a blue, green, yellow, light blue, orange and white plastic plates and none of them cause this reaction from the young ones. Just the red plate.
I will pay top dollar for the exorcism. If you do a good job there are a few other items I will need to have the demons removed from; like the silver scooter (not the blue one), an orange plastic bat (the yellow one does not seem evil), the Nerf-like rocket launcher (the other one broke), the garden hose (when washing a car but it does not seem evil when watering the plants) and any last grape, last strawberry, last marshmallow or last juice box we have in the house at any given time. All these items cause the same reaction.
Only experienced people need apply.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
What is possessed in your home?
------------------------------------------------------------------------
The winner of the 5 packs of Huggie Little Mover's (post from last week) is Pam. The winner of the new diaper bag is Tara Wilburn. Both winner were randomly chosen. Thanks to everyone who commented.
April from April's Reign interviewed me for a blog post on her blog. It is kind of long but it was fun. (that's what she said).
The red plastic plate is clearly possessed because it causes two boys to argue in high pitched wails over who gets to eat off of it. This red plate causes 6 year old boys to scream, "I GET THE RED PLATE!" over and over again. It also causes 4 year boys to cry and yell, "YOU GOT THE RED PLATE LAST TIME."
"I WANT IT."
"NO, I WANT IT."
"YOU CAN'T HAVE IT."
"NO YOU CAN'T HAVE IT."
The possessed red plate also causes 40 year old men to holler "IT IS JUST A RED PLATE!"
It also causes mothers to cover their ears and shout, "I CAN'T TAKE IT ANYMORE!"
I have threatened to throw out the red plate but the children break down into tears every time. They weep and say, "No daddy, please do not throw away the red plate. I NEVER get to have the red plate. Please *sob* don't *sob* throw *gasp* it away."
It must be possessed by evil spirits to cause this reaction.
It is just a red plastic plate. We have a blue, green, yellow, light blue, orange and white plastic plates and none of them cause this reaction from the young ones. Just the red plate.
I will pay top dollar for the exorcism. If you do a good job there are a few other items I will need to have the demons removed from; like the silver scooter (not the blue one), an orange plastic bat (the yellow one does not seem evil), the Nerf-like rocket launcher (the other one broke), the garden hose (when washing a car but it does not seem evil when watering the plants) and any last grape, last strawberry, last marshmallow or last juice box we have in the house at any given time. All these items cause the same reaction.
Only experienced people need apply.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
What is possessed in your home?
------------------------------------------------------------------------
The winner of the 5 packs of Huggie Little Mover's (post from last week) is Pam. The winner of the new diaper bag is Tara Wilburn. Both winner were randomly chosen. Thanks to everyone who commented.
April from April's Reign interviewed me for a blog post on her blog. It is kind of long but it was fun. (that's what she said).
Friday, June 25, 2010
Boys of Summer
Lauren took the boys to get their haircut. She decided on the "summer cut", you know the cut that is extra short to keep the kids cooler in the summer heat. I swear, every time the kids get their hair cut it makes them instantly look a year older.
Which is why I think Lauren did not get Jackson's hair cut. She is either trying to keep him a baby, or maybe his "summer cut" is "surfer dude".
Which is why I think Lauren did not get Jackson's hair cut. She is either trying to keep him a baby, or maybe his "summer cut" is "surfer dude".
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Decoy
I don’t know how it is for girls, but when changing the diaper on a little boy as soon as the diaper comes off they immediately reach for their penis. Read the rest of the post here Poop and Boogies Review
Monday, June 21, 2010
Looking out for Buses
Thirty some odd days ago I started an exercises routine/program. Since starting that program I have also taken up running. Here are some of my observations about diet and exercise.
Running sucks.
Dieting sucks.
Exercising is not so bad.
I have become one of those annoying people who does nothing but talk about dieting and exercising.
I really think that people who diet and exercise and say they "lost" weight are selling themselves short. You lose your keys. You lose your cell phone. Dieting and exercising to drop pounds is hard work.
The worst nights to run in my neighborhood are Monday and Thursday nights. Trash night. Trash cans line the street and on hot humid nights the smell from the cans can cause pockets of gag inducing stench. Establishing an inhale-through-the-nose breathing rhythm is very difficult on trash night.
I am down 14 pounds since I started working out. I need to work off another 14.
Counting calories is very difficult. There is no guidebook that tells you how many calories are in the cut off crusts of your kids peanut butter and fluff sandwiches. Or how many calories are in the last few bites of a bowl of Rice Krispies your kid did not finish.
The people you see everyday do not notice your physical changes. It is nice to invite friends over who you have not seen in over a month so they can compliment you on your looks.
I used to be one of those people who would say "What's the point of eating healthy and exercising, I could get hit by a bus tomorrow." Now, I am on the look out for buses as I run across and down the road.
Music choice is very important when running. I noticed I do better when I listen to a "live" album. I imagine that the people cheering in the song are actually cheering for me. I try to time the end of my run to coincide with Peter Gabriel's Solsbury Hill live version. Having "people" cheering is not important for the entire run but it definitely helps at the end of the run so I suggest having at least one 2 to 3 minutes "live" song on the ipod.
I find myself getting more done in other aspects of my life such as yard work, house work, playing with the kids etc. Dieting and working out has giving me more energy for other things.
Speaking of having more energy for other things, does Barry White have a "live" album? You know what I'm saying? You know what I'm saying? Again, I would only need a 2 to 3 minute song. (Boom. I just saved you the comment Anonymous.)
Running sucks.
Dieting sucks.
Exercising is not so bad.
I have become one of those annoying people who does nothing but talk about dieting and exercising.
I really think that people who diet and exercise and say they "lost" weight are selling themselves short. You lose your keys. You lose your cell phone. Dieting and exercising to drop pounds is hard work.
The worst nights to run in my neighborhood are Monday and Thursday nights. Trash night. Trash cans line the street and on hot humid nights the smell from the cans can cause pockets of gag inducing stench. Establishing an inhale-through-the-nose breathing rhythm is very difficult on trash night.
I am down 14 pounds since I started working out. I need to work off another 14.
Counting calories is very difficult. There is no guidebook that tells you how many calories are in the cut off crusts of your kids peanut butter and fluff sandwiches. Or how many calories are in the last few bites of a bowl of Rice Krispies your kid did not finish.
The people you see everyday do not notice your physical changes. It is nice to invite friends over who you have not seen in over a month so they can compliment you on your looks.
I used to be one of those people who would say "What's the point of eating healthy and exercising, I could get hit by a bus tomorrow." Now, I am on the look out for buses as I run across and down the road.
Music choice is very important when running. I noticed I do better when I listen to a "live" album. I imagine that the people cheering in the song are actually cheering for me. I try to time the end of my run to coincide with Peter Gabriel's Solsbury Hill live version. Having "people" cheering is not important for the entire run but it definitely helps at the end of the run so I suggest having at least one 2 to 3 minutes "live" song on the ipod.
I find myself getting more done in other aspects of my life such as yard work, house work, playing with the kids etc. Dieting and working out has giving me more energy for other things.
Speaking of having more energy for other things, does Barry White have a "live" album? You know what I'm saying? You know what I'm saying? Again, I would only need a 2 to 3 minute song. (Boom. I just saved you the comment Anonymous.)
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