Wow...I don't know if I'm ready for summer. It it so freakin' hot outside...all the time. Even at night it's still hot. I don't know if I'm just having a hard time adjusting after being in Boston for 9 months or if we're really starting to feel the affects of global warming, but either way, it sucks! I'm not looking forward to our electricity bill because it seems like our AC is always running. I am very thankful that we have a pool to go to because it would be rough not having the possbility to be outside and yet stay cool at the same time because we do have some beautiful Florida days when there isn't a cloud in the sky. Yet, I am looking forward to rain as well.
For the few of you that I know who read my blogs, I hope your summer has gotten off to a great start. I know some of you are starting a new phase of your life and are in new places. I look forward to hearing about your new jobs and new adventures. And please know that you're always welcome at our house if you're in the area again and hopefully we'll be able to do some traveling and visit y'all.
Showing posts with label complaining. Show all posts
Showing posts with label complaining. Show all posts
Friday, June 23, 2006
Wednesday, February 22, 2006
Skiing sucks!
My husband did something really sweet this weekend. I'm always on him about not taking the bull by the horns and just planning something on his own. If we talk about doing something for the day or even somewhere to go on vacation he always ask millions of questions and ultimately wants me to plan the whole thing. So, finally, when he asked if I wanted to go skiing and whether or not I would be comfortable with Ella being watched at the daycare at the ski resort, I said, "Just plan it yourself!" So, he did.
We traveled to Loon Mountain in New Hampshire early yesterday morning. I was excited to go skiing for the first time and I wasn't too nervous about leaving Ella with total strangers since I knew that they had a policy that only 6 infants were booked for a day and once we dropped her off, the people were really nice and took a ton of information from us because they wanted to be sure that she was fed properly, changed when she should be, and napped the way she was used to napping. So, after we dropped her off we went to rent our ski equipment. We then went to the ski lift and that was the last fun I had for the day. As soon as I got off the ski lift I fell. Then I fell again. And again. And again...so and so forth. Obviously I knew that I wasn't going to be great since this was my first time, but it got old real fast, especially when you have 4 and 5 year olds zooming past you like they came out the womb skiing!! Oh, and I was on the easiest slope there was...it took me over and hour to get down the thing. By the time I was down the slope I was so sore and knew I had bruises all over my body. I alos twisted my knee really bad on my last fall which sucked because I was getting the hang of it right at the end. But, I was too worried that it would just take one more fall for me to really hurt my knee or to break something and I didn't want to chance it, let alone I was already exhausted and in pain.
So, yes, I stayed at Cafe' and read a book for the rest of the afternoon while Stephen skied by himself. I felt horrible because this was supposed to be a day for us to hang out without the baby which has yet to happen since she was born. But, if I had decided to ski more, it wouldn't have been any fun for him because I would've been stuck on the green slope all day going REALLY slow. At least he got to go on other slopes and get his money's worth.
So, I'll leave the skiing to the yankees and I'll stick with the warm water sports that I'm a 'pro' at.
We traveled to Loon Mountain in New Hampshire early yesterday morning. I was excited to go skiing for the first time and I wasn't too nervous about leaving Ella with total strangers since I knew that they had a policy that only 6 infants were booked for a day and once we dropped her off, the people were really nice and took a ton of information from us because they wanted to be sure that she was fed properly, changed when she should be, and napped the way she was used to napping. So, after we dropped her off we went to rent our ski equipment. We then went to the ski lift and that was the last fun I had for the day. As soon as I got off the ski lift I fell. Then I fell again. And again. And again...so and so forth. Obviously I knew that I wasn't going to be great since this was my first time, but it got old real fast, especially when you have 4 and 5 year olds zooming past you like they came out the womb skiing!! Oh, and I was on the easiest slope there was...it took me over and hour to get down the thing. By the time I was down the slope I was so sore and knew I had bruises all over my body. I alos twisted my knee really bad on my last fall which sucked because I was getting the hang of it right at the end. But, I was too worried that it would just take one more fall for me to really hurt my knee or to break something and I didn't want to chance it, let alone I was already exhausted and in pain.
So, yes, I stayed at Cafe' and read a book for the rest of the afternoon while Stephen skied by himself. I felt horrible because this was supposed to be a day for us to hang out without the baby which has yet to happen since she was born. But, if I had decided to ski more, it wouldn't have been any fun for him because I would've been stuck on the green slope all day going REALLY slow. At least he got to go on other slopes and get his money's worth.
So, I'll leave the skiing to the yankees and I'll stick with the warm water sports that I'm a 'pro' at.
Monday, February 13, 2006
Blizzard '06, NetFlix, etc.
So, I'm stuck in the house today thanks to a 'blizzard' that we had yesterday. I don't really think that our area officially went through a blizzard which is considered a snow storm where the winds are at least 35 mph for at least three hours straight and visibility is 1/4" of a mile or less. Anyway, I think the officially tally for Boston was 17", although I think we may have a gotten a little more than that. Most schools are closed today, but of course Harvard isn't. So, while all the other kids are sledding with their families, Ella and I are stuck inside with three hyper dogs and nothing to do. We've played with all of Ella's toys and she's taken two naps so far, although they haven't been long enough (for her or myself). Stephen isn't going to be home until after 9pm (guess I'll be TiVo-ing 24) and I'm trying to plan out dinner for Valentine's Day evening. We decided to stay in since Ella is getting increasingly harder to deal with at restaurants. She's not bad, she's just curious about everything and it's really hard to enjoy dinner and each other's company when she wants to stick everything in her mouth, her attention span in close to nil, and service in Boston is not great anyway.
I also haven't gotten my UsToday yet which means I haven't done my daily crossword puzzle or Sudoku puzzle, so I feel a little dumb right now. I'm assuming that we are getting mail today...I guess it's just running late since we have mail carriers on foot. I am looking forward to Wed. and Thurs. when it's supposed to be in the low 50's again.
Oh! I have to talk about NetFlix. If there are people who are still using Blockbuster, you need to wake up and smell the cheaper rentals that are delivered to your front door! We love NetFlix and we're also loving watching seasons of television shows that we never got to watch such as Arrested Development. This is seriously one of the best comedies ever! Unfortunately, it's been cancelled from Fox after only three seasons. There are rumors going around that Showtime or some other cable network might pick it up, but if not, we'll have three glorious seasons to laugh at. I seriously recommend this show for anyone who loves to laugh at most anything.
OK, I'll get off my soap box and go tend to something....
I also haven't gotten my UsToday yet which means I haven't done my daily crossword puzzle or Sudoku puzzle, so I feel a little dumb right now. I'm assuming that we are getting mail today...I guess it's just running late since we have mail carriers on foot. I am looking forward to Wed. and Thurs. when it's supposed to be in the low 50's again.
Oh! I have to talk about NetFlix. If there are people who are still using Blockbuster, you need to wake up and smell the cheaper rentals that are delivered to your front door! We love NetFlix and we're also loving watching seasons of television shows that we never got to watch such as Arrested Development. This is seriously one of the best comedies ever! Unfortunately, it's been cancelled from Fox after only three seasons. There are rumors going around that Showtime or some other cable network might pick it up, but if not, we'll have three glorious seasons to laugh at. I seriously recommend this show for anyone who loves to laugh at most anything.
OK, I'll get off my soap box and go tend to something....
Ella's First Cold
Originally posted on December 7, 2005.
Well, I've become and irresponsible mother and let my daughter catch her first cold. Seriously though, I guess I can't be THAT hard on myself, but I feel horrible that Ella is so miserable right now. I'm sure she got sick from all the public transportation we've been using lately, especially since we aren't using our travel system at all anymore and she's a little freer to reach out and touch the poles that people put their hands all over! Anyway, she very congested nasally (is that a word?!?!) and it sucks because we can't give her any medication that will actually work! All we can do is using saline nasal drops and then suction her nose, but she hates it. She screams and writhes and turns beet red. I hate it when I have a cold and now I hate it even more when she has a cold! It's so hard for her to drink her bottle and she'll be asleep and then start coughing because she can't catch her breath and then she wakes up screaming! Thankfully, she usually goes back to sleep fairly quickly if that happens during the night. I really thought that with her being sick I would be up at all hours of the night with her, but she's really slept just as well as before. Anyway, I just had to type out my frustration at the fact that there's nothing we can use to treat her symptoms because saline nasal spray does not work!!!
Well, I've become and irresponsible mother and let my daughter catch her first cold. Seriously though, I guess I can't be THAT hard on myself, but I feel horrible that Ella is so miserable right now. I'm sure she got sick from all the public transportation we've been using lately, especially since we aren't using our travel system at all anymore and she's a little freer to reach out and touch the poles that people put their hands all over! Anyway, she very congested nasally (is that a word?!?!) and it sucks because we can't give her any medication that will actually work! All we can do is using saline nasal drops and then suction her nose, but she hates it. She screams and writhes and turns beet red. I hate it when I have a cold and now I hate it even more when she has a cold! It's so hard for her to drink her bottle and she'll be asleep and then start coughing because she can't catch her breath and then she wakes up screaming! Thankfully, she usually goes back to sleep fairly quickly if that happens during the night. I really thought that with her being sick I would be up at all hours of the night with her, but she's really slept just as well as before. Anyway, I just had to type out my frustration at the fact that there's nothing we can use to treat her symptoms because saline nasal spray does not work!!!
Where's all the sweet tea?!?!
Originally posted on September 9, 2005.
OK...I had heard about this before moving up north, but now that I'm up here I still don't understand it. Why don't these people know what sweet tea is and/or how to make it?!?! The first day in town, Stephen, Angela, Robby, and I went to lunch in the midst of all the unpacking and I 'mistakenly' asked for a sweet tea. The waitress looked at me like I was on crack. She said, "What's that?" So, we explained to her that down south we brew our tea with sugar in it and that it tastes better that way then putting sugar in it afterwards while it's cold. Since then, I still have not found a restaurant that has sweet tea...not even chains that have restaurants down south like Bennigan's or Chili's. So, the sad part about this story is that I surprisingly found sweet tea at Quizno's in Brookline. But wait...it's not their brewed iced tea that's sweetened, it's bottled tea by Lipton. But, you know what? It's better than most brewed sweet tea that I get down south because it's not too sweet! Sometimes sweet tea is just too sweet and I'm sure all of you southerners know what I'm talking about. I'm sure there are some of you who are wondering why I don't just make my own sweet tea at home...well, I just haven't gotten around to it yet. Our place is still a wreck, especially the kitchen. But, I will be working on that first thing tomorrow! Anyway, if any of y'all want to send me some sweet tea so I don't have to make it myself, that would be great! Just kidding!
OK...I had heard about this before moving up north, but now that I'm up here I still don't understand it. Why don't these people know what sweet tea is and/or how to make it?!?! The first day in town, Stephen, Angela, Robby, and I went to lunch in the midst of all the unpacking and I 'mistakenly' asked for a sweet tea. The waitress looked at me like I was on crack. She said, "What's that?" So, we explained to her that down south we brew our tea with sugar in it and that it tastes better that way then putting sugar in it afterwards while it's cold. Since then, I still have not found a restaurant that has sweet tea...not even chains that have restaurants down south like Bennigan's or Chili's. So, the sad part about this story is that I surprisingly found sweet tea at Quizno's in Brookline. But wait...it's not their brewed iced tea that's sweetened, it's bottled tea by Lipton. But, you know what? It's better than most brewed sweet tea that I get down south because it's not too sweet! Sometimes sweet tea is just too sweet and I'm sure all of you southerners know what I'm talking about. I'm sure there are some of you who are wondering why I don't just make my own sweet tea at home...well, I just haven't gotten around to it yet. Our place is still a wreck, especially the kitchen. But, I will be working on that first thing tomorrow! Anyway, if any of y'all want to send me some sweet tea so I don't have to make it myself, that would be great! Just kidding!
Yes, I'm a snob!
Originally posted on September 4, 2005.
Whew...we finally finished our bathroom at 2am this morning. Who knew painting a small bathroom, changing out the sink and putting in a new medicine cabinet and light would take over 15 hours?!?! Really, the only reason it took that long was because of the sink. We switched out a really cheaply built vanity (sink and cabinet combo) with a nice pedestal sink. It's amazing how much bigger (and better for that matter) it makes the bathroom look. And all of our hardware was switched from the standard ugly brass look to a brushed nickel that looks really modern. But, we're so exhausted now. Unfortunately, we slept through church time and didn't really get out of the house until a little after 3pm. We went to a School of Public Health gathering at 4pm and let me tell you, all the stereo-types about Ivey leaguers are TRUE! First off, when we left, we were still the only true Americans at the gathering. And every other person that was there were Quantitative Method students as opposed to Stephen, who is a Policy and Management student. They were not very social or maybe they just didn't understand us. And instead of playing football, which Stephen and I wanted to play, they all wanted to play soccer. So, we left around 5pm and headed down to Harvard Square where there are more stereo-typical Ivey leaguers, yet there was alot more to do and we didn't HAVE to talk to these people.
Yes, the snob in me is coming out. I am not into the big city where you have tons of different nationalities (mainly because they can't adjust to our culture so therefore they insist we adjust to theirs)! But, I'm definitely more comfortable in the big city where there are Fortune 500 companies all around (skyscrapers) and high-class shopping at every corner. I do not fit in with people who LOVE going to school and would rather have their nose in a book. And these students are not comfortable around babies...or maybe they just don't care. Anyway, it's hard for me to get to the area in Boston where I'm comfortable because traveling in this city by myself with a baby is NOT easy. Therefore, I'm stuck waiting for Stephen to take me places, and he doesn't usually want to go where I want to go. But, I promise you this: I will not be going to anymore MPH gatherings.
Whew...we finally finished our bathroom at 2am this morning. Who knew painting a small bathroom, changing out the sink and putting in a new medicine cabinet and light would take over 15 hours?!?! Really, the only reason it took that long was because of the sink. We switched out a really cheaply built vanity (sink and cabinet combo) with a nice pedestal sink. It's amazing how much bigger (and better for that matter) it makes the bathroom look. And all of our hardware was switched from the standard ugly brass look to a brushed nickel that looks really modern. But, we're so exhausted now. Unfortunately, we slept through church time and didn't really get out of the house until a little after 3pm. We went to a School of Public Health gathering at 4pm and let me tell you, all the stereo-types about Ivey leaguers are TRUE! First off, when we left, we were still the only true Americans at the gathering. And every other person that was there were Quantitative Method students as opposed to Stephen, who is a Policy and Management student. They were not very social or maybe they just didn't understand us. And instead of playing football, which Stephen and I wanted to play, they all wanted to play soccer. So, we left around 5pm and headed down to Harvard Square where there are more stereo-typical Ivey leaguers, yet there was alot more to do and we didn't HAVE to talk to these people.
Yes, the snob in me is coming out. I am not into the big city where you have tons of different nationalities (mainly because they can't adjust to our culture so therefore they insist we adjust to theirs)! But, I'm definitely more comfortable in the big city where there are Fortune 500 companies all around (skyscrapers) and high-class shopping at every corner. I do not fit in with people who LOVE going to school and would rather have their nose in a book. And these students are not comfortable around babies...or maybe they just don't care. Anyway, it's hard for me to get to the area in Boston where I'm comfortable because traveling in this city by myself with a baby is NOT easy. Therefore, I'm stuck waiting for Stephen to take me places, and he doesn't usually want to go where I want to go. But, I promise you this: I will not be going to anymore MPH gatherings.
...you have to do it yourself!
Originally posted on August 30, 2005.
OK, 15 minutes after my last blog the satellite guy showed up. I knew from the moment I saw him that he was either going to make some excuse for why he couldn't install our satellite dish or he was going to do a crappy job since it was almost 5pm. Sure enough he said that he wasn't sure we could get the reception we needed to get all the channels and that we definitely wouldn't be able to receive any HD channels because of trees. Give me a break!! I'm from Florida where there are a hell of a lot more trees and we lived in a one story house and we were still able to have satellite. How can it be possible that a satellite installed on a two-story house can't be made to avoid tree-lines? So, the guy said he would send someone else out the next morning who had a longer ladder so they could see if they could find a better position, i.e., this guy didn't want to do any work. So, thankfully someone did show up this morning and said that we could install the satellite on a chimney on the roof (apparently there are two and we have to use the back chimney, which is taller) and that we should get all of the channels, but we may not get the HD channels. I don't care at this point. I just want to watch TV! I can't live without HD for 9 months...besides, it's a rip-off anyway. He left saying he would be right back because he had to go get special nails to put the satellite in the chimney. This was at 11am...it is now 12:40pm and he still hasn't returned. Thankfully he left his ladder here, so I know he'll be back I just wish he would hurry up!!
OK, 15 minutes after my last blog the satellite guy showed up. I knew from the moment I saw him that he was either going to make some excuse for why he couldn't install our satellite dish or he was going to do a crappy job since it was almost 5pm. Sure enough he said that he wasn't sure we could get the reception we needed to get all the channels and that we definitely wouldn't be able to receive any HD channels because of trees. Give me a break!! I'm from Florida where there are a hell of a lot more trees and we lived in a one story house and we were still able to have satellite. How can it be possible that a satellite installed on a two-story house can't be made to avoid tree-lines? So, the guy said he would send someone else out the next morning who had a longer ladder so they could see if they could find a better position, i.e., this guy didn't want to do any work. So, thankfully someone did show up this morning and said that we could install the satellite on a chimney on the roof (apparently there are two and we have to use the back chimney, which is taller) and that we should get all of the channels, but we may not get the HD channels. I don't care at this point. I just want to watch TV! I can't live without HD for 9 months...besides, it's a rip-off anyway. He left saying he would be right back because he had to go get special nails to put the satellite in the chimney. This was at 11am...it is now 12:40pm and he still hasn't returned. Thankfully he left his ladder here, so I know he'll be back I just wish he would hurry up!!
Yeah, I'm back in the 21st century!
Originally posted on August 30, 2005.
I know you're sick of reading about this, but I just wanted to update you (again!) and let you know that we have lift-off...um, I mean, we have satellite!! WooHoo! Now I feel like I'm a part of the world again. I know some people probably think that it's ridiculous to say how important TV is, but when you've been without it for a month and you're trying to get to know a town and can't even watch their local news and have no idea what's going on down south where your family is, it gets old. But, I am a spoiled brat, too. I will not deny that at all. OH! And we're closing on our place tonight. Out of the blue our lawyer calls us this morning and the seller wants to do everything he can now to close because he sold the upstairs unit. So, we agreed, but we're withholding $5000 until all the repairs are finished. And again, no one showed up today to continue working on those repairs. Seriously, how hard is it to get things done? I mean these people could've been through with us a long time ago if they would just take the time to finish these little details.
Anyway, this will be my last blog about our stupid place, unless of course something even more ridiculous takes place while we're trying to get the repairs finished. But, from now on I'll be talking about my family and other things that are important to me. Iv'e yet to dote on my daughter or tell you about our three dogs. And I'm sure I'll plently to tell you about my husband's MPH program and all the so-called "smart" Harvard students. Not to say that my husband isn't smart and doesn't belong here, but it's amazing to walk down the street and see the stereo-typical Harvard student (i.e., Asian, wears glasses, has their nose in a book, pocket protector, etc.). Today was Stephen's first day of orientation. So, he had to do mundane things like get a temporary student ID, campus tour, etc. I think he has to go to a math review session tomorrow since most of the people getting MPH's are already docs or other career people who haven't taken math classes in a while. So, that should be nice and boring!
Before I close, I would like to let you know that the people of LA, MS, and AL and in my thoughts and prayers. Being from FL I understand hurricanes, but I could never in my life imagine dealing with what these people are dealing with right now. Now that I have telelvision which is something that these people won't have for a while, I can keep up to date with all of these tragic events. I don't know if that's a curse or a blessing, but I will be in constant prayer.
I know you're sick of reading about this, but I just wanted to update you (again!) and let you know that we have lift-off...um, I mean, we have satellite!! WooHoo! Now I feel like I'm a part of the world again. I know some people probably think that it's ridiculous to say how important TV is, but when you've been without it for a month and you're trying to get to know a town and can't even watch their local news and have no idea what's going on down south where your family is, it gets old. But, I am a spoiled brat, too. I will not deny that at all. OH! And we're closing on our place tonight. Out of the blue our lawyer calls us this morning and the seller wants to do everything he can now to close because he sold the upstairs unit. So, we agreed, but we're withholding $5000 until all the repairs are finished. And again, no one showed up today to continue working on those repairs. Seriously, how hard is it to get things done? I mean these people could've been through with us a long time ago if they would just take the time to finish these little details.
Anyway, this will be my last blog about our stupid place, unless of course something even more ridiculous takes place while we're trying to get the repairs finished. But, from now on I'll be talking about my family and other things that are important to me. Iv'e yet to dote on my daughter or tell you about our three dogs. And I'm sure I'll plently to tell you about my husband's MPH program and all the so-called "smart" Harvard students. Not to say that my husband isn't smart and doesn't belong here, but it's amazing to walk down the street and see the stereo-typical Harvard student (i.e., Asian, wears glasses, has their nose in a book, pocket protector, etc.). Today was Stephen's first day of orientation. So, he had to do mundane things like get a temporary student ID, campus tour, etc. I think he has to go to a math review session tomorrow since most of the people getting MPH's are already docs or other career people who haven't taken math classes in a while. So, that should be nice and boring!
Before I close, I would like to let you know that the people of LA, MS, and AL and in my thoughts and prayers. Being from FL I understand hurricanes, but I could never in my life imagine dealing with what these people are dealing with right now. Now that I have telelvision which is something that these people won't have for a while, I can keep up to date with all of these tragic events. I don't know if that's a curse or a blessing, but I will be in constant prayer.
If you want something done right...
Originally posted on August 29, 2005.
UPDATE! So, this morning workers were supposed to come by and finish fixing things around the condo that needed fixing before closing (which is scheduled for tomorrow). And we're supposed to get our DirecTV hooked up today...FINALLY! Well, this morning no one showed up. So, we talked to our paralegal at the lawyers office and said that we were NOT closing tomorrow. So, closing is now set for Fri. (remember, the original closing date was Aug. 25). My husband also called Sam, the contractor who is supposedly working on our place and Sam said that he was waiting for the piece of the siding that he had to pre-order to come in and they should be here around noon tomorrow, so he would come then and all the work should be finished by Wed. night. WHATEVER!! So, in the meantime, we're waiting for DirecTV to come and install our satellite and who shows up at 3pm...Sam and his crew. So, as we're chilling and not expecting anyone, they come and start banging away on our hardwood floors to take up slabs that need replaced all while the baby is trying to sleep. So, it is now 4:15pm and they have finishe repairing the floor and will be back tomorrow afternoon. Meanwhile, the DirecTV people still have no showed up and they said they would be here between 1 and 5pm. What is up with this place? No one is reliable and everything has to be done the difficult way. It's really frustrating and I'm trying not to think it's just the area since I've had problems like this down south, but one thing after another is ridiculous! I'll keep you updated.
UPDATE! So, this morning workers were supposed to come by and finish fixing things around the condo that needed fixing before closing (which is scheduled for tomorrow). And we're supposed to get our DirecTV hooked up today...FINALLY! Well, this morning no one showed up. So, we talked to our paralegal at the lawyers office and said that we were NOT closing tomorrow. So, closing is now set for Fri. (remember, the original closing date was Aug. 25). My husband also called Sam, the contractor who is supposedly working on our place and Sam said that he was waiting for the piece of the siding that he had to pre-order to come in and they should be here around noon tomorrow, so he would come then and all the work should be finished by Wed. night. WHATEVER!! So, in the meantime, we're waiting for DirecTV to come and install our satellite and who shows up at 3pm...Sam and his crew. So, as we're chilling and not expecting anyone, they come and start banging away on our hardwood floors to take up slabs that need replaced all while the baby is trying to sleep. So, it is now 4:15pm and they have finishe repairing the floor and will be back tomorrow afternoon. Meanwhile, the DirecTV people still have no showed up and they said they would be here between 1 and 5pm. What is up with this place? No one is reliable and everything has to be done the difficult way. It's really frustrating and I'm trying not to think it's just the area since I've had problems like this down south, but one thing after another is ridiculous! I'll keep you updated.
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