Yahama's NeoHD - Technology Simplified

Hey there friends. How many times has this happened to you:

You sit in your favorite chair to watch some TV. You lean over to your coffee table and grab a remote to turn on the TV. You push the power button, only to have turned on your stereo. You shuffle through the remotes and after 2 or 3 minutes, realize that the TV remote is not on the table and you start looking for it.

It's a scenario that I've seen many times. An uncle of mine even went as far as to buy Velcro and tape some to each home appliance that has a remote so that when he tapes some Velcro to the remotes, you can stick it to the corresponding appliance. It was a good idea, it looked extremely tacky, but his system worked for him. But it wasn't without flaws, he still needed to get up and get the remote and when we was done, he had to put that remote back before grabbing another or he'd be in the same boat of having multiple controls in front of him and having to shuffle through them to find the one he needs. Is it not the point of a remote control to turn on the appliance without having to get up? If my uncle is getting up to grab a remote, he might as well turn it on while he's up, defeating the purpose of a remote control.

Not only for him, but for anyone that has way too many remote controls. Take a look at my stash of remotes, and that's not all of them! I couldn't find about 3 of them so add that to the mix and I have at least 8 remote controls! The XBOX 360 control works as my DVD remote so I included it, since it counts as an extra remote to me.
This is where a Yamaha neoHD would be perfect. It is an easy to use, all in one entertainment system. You can program anything and everything into this innovative device. You can connect your DVD player, your TV, your stereo, and for those of you with a gaming console, like myself, can program that as well. And the best part? It can all be controlled using 1 remote. 1 single remote! Now, you're thinking, "Metallman, I don't need a neoHD when all I can do is buy a universal remote." You're wrong, my friend. Have you seen the universal remotes? They have so many buttons and are so complicated that you'll be mulling over the instruction manual for months before you even get comfortable with it and even after many months of use, you still will have no idea what many of the buttons on that thing do. That's not efficient. The Yamaha neoHD remote is extremely simple. It only has a few buttons and that is all you need to control all your of your appliances that are programmed into the Yamaha neoHD. Just look at what that web of applications that are compatible. No more shuffling through many remotes when all you need is one!

And to make things even better, Yamaha is having a sweepstakes so that you can be a proud owner of your very own Yamaha neoHD. You can get all the official rules and information at Yamaha neoHD Sweepstakes Entry page. Don't forget to leave a comment! That's one of the ways that you can enter into the sweepstakes. For all you Twitter addicts out there, another way to enter the sweepstakes is to send a Twitter message with the following Tweet, "I just entered to win a #neoHD b/c I have too many remotes, visit http://bit.ly/JMsW3".

Let me know if you guys are planning on entering the sweepstakes. Don't forget to leave a comment here on how you feel about this technology, whether or not you think you need it, and if it's worth entering a sweepstakes for. I think it's well worth the few minutes it takes to send a Tweet and leave a comment. I've gotten 2 entries in so far and can't wait to see if I'm a lucky winner. Also, don't forget to check out the official Yamaha on Facebook page and become a fan. This way, you can be up to date with all the contest information on this and possible others in the future. Best of luck, friends. Later!

"Deliver Me" a Parking Ticket

Hey there. We went to see our doctor this morning so that she can check up on the baby. We left at a good time and got there at a good time as well. Because we to the doctor early, we tend to rush so that we can get to work and only miss about 30 mins of work. I walked in and took a picture of the names of the doctors. Figured it would be a good Twitpic of where I was at the moment. There were no TV cameras (they are the doctors of Deliver Me) around, figured because it was early morning. Doctor Bohn (pronounced "bone") checked out my wife and baby to make sure all is good. According to Dr. Bohn, we'll be entering our 30th week tomorrow. Only 10 more weeks to go! All checks out well and then we go to set up our appointment for our next visit. The reception told us to take a seat so we did... And waited... and waited... and waited. I was getting restless. It doesn't take more than 2 mins to check the appt. book to find an empty slot, yet, there we were sitting for over 10 mins. I told my wife that the receptionist must be slacking off since I heard laughter and I saw coffee being brought in. We ask her what's the hold up and in no more than 30 secs, she has our appointment ready. We walk briskly to our car so that we can be off to work and what do we see? A damn traffic officer pacing around our car. Oh no... I rush up there and ask him if there's a problem. He says that there is no money in the meter. I look at it and sure enough it's red. Literally, one min late. I tell the cop that it's only a minute late and we're already leaving. He was being a pain and shrugged me off and handed me the ticket... That bastard. That killed our mourning. And the funny thing was that I told my wife to put in extra money in the machine cause you never know if we'll be held up. AND WE DID put in extra money. Guess it was enough. Now, we're stuck with a $50 parking ticket that could've been avoided with an extra quarter...

What are the chances of that happening? I mean, we were literally 1 min late. We placed 3 quarters (45 mins) in the machine at 8.10 AM. The traffic ticket says that the infraction occurred at 8.56 AM. That's one minute!!! Unless the bastard was hanging out and waiting for meters to turn red, it's HIGHLY unlikely that you will get a ticket for being 1 minute late. It was extremely upsetting after realizing it was a minute but after talking and joking about it, we realized that that's just how the ball bounced this time around. We had absolutely no room for error and it just so happened that the dude was walking by the moment it turned red. *sigh*

Well, at least the baby is OK. I'll give you guys more updates as they happen. Until then, later.

The Baby's Dresser Has Finally Arrived

Hey there. After waiting a for over a week, we finally got our baby's dresser. We ordered it last Saturday and we asked for it to be delivered the following Monday, the day I took off of work to be home to lay cement. I took that day off as a means to get some cement work done while I waited for the dresser to arrive. Well, I got a call from the delivery guy saying that he wasn't going to be able to deliver it since the dresser wasn't ready. That was very upsetting since I stayed home mainly to be there when the delivery was to be made. My wife was more upset that I was. I think it was because she's been itching to put some baby clothes away. I was upset too, but I wasn't as upset because I got some cement work done so it didn't feel like I wasted a day. The delivery guy agreed to deliver the next day, Tuesday, after 6. I agreed, since it wouldn't be that big of a deal. Well, it turned into a big deal.

Tuesday morning, my mother in law asks us if we would be available that evening to take out her mother (my wife's grandma) out to dinner. We told her we couldn't make it because we were expecting a delivery. When we get home, I call the guy to tell him I'm there and he can stop by when he's ready. He said that he would stop by. No more than 2 mins later, he calls me back and said that there was some kind of problem with the warehouse and he would not be able to deliver it. We were livid. We missed out on my wife's grandmother's dinner to be home for this guy and he wasn't going to show up. We were ready to cancel our order, we were that upset. The only reason we didn't is because we went through hell looking for it. We wanted a dresser that had drawers on one side and a closet on the other.

When we get home today, we see a guy sitting by a tree and another in a truck, and our dresser sitting on our lawn. We jump out of the car and the guys haul it in. After they place the dresser in the room, the delivery guy apologized for the inconveniences and started to place the blame on the warehouse people. I really didn't want to hear it. I was just glad we got it. There was a problem with it though... IT'S BIGGER THAN WE ANTICIPATED!!!

We carefully measured the room and furniture so that we knew exactly what we could get and how it would fit. Well, it turns out the dresser was about 6 inches longer than we thought. That completely threw off our plans... My wife was frustrated. She was looking forward to getting it and now there was something wrong. We decided that we would not use the dresser for the baby and give to our youngest one and use the old dresser for the baby. We didn't want to do that, but that's the best that we could do, considering the situation.

Now, everything is in place and the clothes has been transferred and put away. We are both tired and we'll most likely be getting some sleep soon. We have a doctor's appointment tomorrow morning... I'll give you guys an update then. Later!

Orphan - A Film Review

Hey there. This weekend, my wife and I treated ourselves to a movie. My wife is not a horror buff. She's not one to go out and look for a "scary movie" to watch and any film of that nature that she does watch is because I wanted to see it. One such film is Orphan. I was captivated by the movie posters and commercials and I knew that I wanted to catch this film. An opportunity presented itself this weekend while my mother in law watched the kids.

***WARNING!!! SPOILERS BELOW***

I must admit that the advertising for this film sucked me in. As previously stated in this post , I asked the question if this film will follow suit of other films like The Good Son or The Omen. The advertising definitely made it seem that way, with the majority of it focusing on Esther and her "secret". Upon seeing the film, I am glad to say that the movie wasn't so much about Esther, but just as much about the family in the film.

The film is a refreshing in the sense that it did not follow the typical format of a horror film. A typical horror film will showcase the antagonist killing off various characters in the film, while the protagonist goes about and discovers the identity, or weakness, of the antagonist. While the film does have it's path that will label it as horror, the film really shines when it comes to the actors and their portrayal of the characters. It is great to have a film where the characters are well developed. You feel for these people as for what they have gone through by the brilliant acting. You have the cheating husband in John (Peter Sarsgaard) that tries to wrong his right, you have the ex-alcoholic mother Kate (Vera Farmiga) who continues to battle those demons, you have the over zealous and negligent son Daniel (Jimmy Bennett), you have a partially deaf child Max (Aryana Engineer)(which may or may not have been cause by her mother) and then you have the problematic "child" in Esther (Isabelle Fuhrman). This is not your happy-super-go-lucky family. This is a family that has issues and had issues before we were introduced to them. Esther did not cause these problems, she merely added on and intensified what was already in disarray. Esther's character is not so much as the "kill 'em" type as she is more the master manipulator. Such as when she hugs her daddy extra tight while staring at Daniel with a slight smirk on her face. Your first glimpse into who Esther really is.
The script is so well written and the characters so well played that the film earns a great rating on that alone. Being that this is a horror film, you do not generally see great acting and horror in the same sentence, yet this film pulls it off beautifully. Not to mention to the great cinematography. The camera angles are perfect and the scenery only amplifies the senses. As Esther walks down the cold, icy snow, it doesn't help but illuminate that cold, stark stare that Esther does oh so well. Another great shot that showcases such control of her facial expressions is that during the hospital scene. As Daniel is fighting for his life, due to Esther's misdeeds, she puts on her sweet child act to her grandmother. Once she receives the money to go get a soda, she gets up and walks towards the hallway. A beautiful smile crosses her face, as any child would have after getting what they wanted, but the moment Esther walks past the window and her grandmother could not see her, the smile vanishes without a trace and that cold stare is full front and center. These are the shots that make the movie so great.

Max is another character who is vital to the movie's success. Because she is deaf, she has learned to read lips and uses sign language. Esther manipulates her younger sister to read lips and tell her what's going on when Esther cannot hear. Considering Max always wanted a younger sister, she covers for Esther when she witnesses Esther in full fledged evil. Another strong point in regards to Max is her character development. As a deaf child, you'd figure that the film will follow suit with many other films and place Max as a character with a serious disability. On the contrary, we see Max grow stronger as the film goes on. As a timid child who is shy to hug her new sister Esther, to a child that is capable of knowing that her mother's life is in her hands and is firing a pistol. Another great aspect that was very well played by the filmmakers are the silent scenes. Max wears a hearing aid, since she is partially deaf, and when we see that she takes them off, the film goes silent. This is used to GREAT effect... Especially well done, right before Esther attempts to seduce John.
Kate's character could be considered the protagonist of the film. Some may argue that it would be Max, since Max is the character that develops the most during the film. When Kate claims that "there must be something wrong with Esther", the whole world looks down on her and chalks it up to Esther being a child in transition. She battles through her demons throughout the film and nearly relapses back to drinking. Everyone ignores Kate's concerns and she, and the audience, feel as if she is alone in her attempt to uncover Esther's past. Esther manipulates the facts to make Kate almost a non-factor until the end of the film when she is the only one left to take actions on her findings. A great scene that highlights these frustrations explodes during the hospital scene. Esther wasn't really going to get a soda, she was going to finish off Daniel in his hospital bed. Max, realizing that Esther is taking longer than needed, told her grandma that she was going to get Esther. When she sees that Esther is not at the soda machine, she runs to her mother and tells her to check on Daniel. At that moment, an emergency alarm is set off in Daniel's room, since he flat lined due to Esther suffocating him with a pillow. As the family is being kept out of Daniel's room, Kate runs off to Esther. Seeing that Esther is walking with a soda, Kate runs up to her and unleashes her pent up anger and strikes Esther, knocking her down in front of the medical staff. Great stuff!

This is definitely a movie that you need to see. The script is very well acted out and the tension builds slowly, but when it explodes, the climax is gratifying. It's not a disappointment (*cough *cough The Happening *cough *cough) or expected. The scene that brings it all together was original. Again, hints are scattered throughout the film and when it brings it all together, you think back at those hints. A great example of this is when Esther is flickering her black light on and off. You only see that cold stare appearing and reappearing as she turns that light on and off. Later in the film, you understand why... She was admiring her work. Being an artist, she painted with such skill that it generated much attention. Seen through normal light, they look normal. When a black light is held against them, they display a grotesque painting. Special emphasis on her "orphanage". A beautiful painting of her orphanage in Russia turned to one engulfed in flames when the black light is held against it. It was a great way to display both sides of Esther is an extremely creative way.
Again, I greatly enjoyed Orphan. If you are looking for a new breath of fresh air in the horror genre, you definitely need to check this out. It's a nice contrast to have a well scripted and well acted horror film. "There's something wrong with Esther", and there's definitely something wrong with you if you do not go and see this film. Later.

Laying Cement

Hey there. Dead tired. Layed cement all day. Im just lying in bed for the rest of the day. I took the day off today from work so that I could stay home and work. I've been meaning to get it done since forever. I just never got around to it. Well, it finally happened. I killed a good 6 or so hours out in my back yard taking care of business. Next project coming up is putting up my shed. That should be up in a week or so. Here are some pics of what went down at my back yard. Yup, I mixed the cement using a plant pot and a shovel. You can't say I'm not resourceful. lol Later.

Orphan is a Great Film

Hey there. My wife and I went to see Orphan today. What a film. I greatly enjoyed it. I'll post a review of it tomorrow. But I can definitely say that it's one of my favorite films of the year so far. Later.

Baby Voltron or Baby Gizmo?

Hey there. My wife came up with the great idea of getting our soon to be little one retro stuff from when we were kids. She asked me what was some of the cartoons I watched as a kid and we can pick something from there. I named out a few shows and then it dawned on me... VOLTRON! We should sooo get a Voltron thing going on. That show was simply just bad ass. My wife said, "Good luck finding a diaper bag with Voltron on it." She's right. I can't find one anywhere. Damn! That sucks. As I was searching for "retro merchandise" I stumbled across a Gizmo satchel bag. You know Gizmo, right? The little guy from the movie Gremlins? He used to say something along the lines of "Mogwai". lmao Anyways, I showed it my wife and she liked it too. Now, we're on mission on finding either a Gizmo diaper bag or a Voltron one. Both are old school characters and we hope that we can find a shop somewhere that sells what we are looking for. If you guys see anything, let me know! Thanks. Later.

There's Something Wrong with Esther

Hey there. How can you NOT want to see this movie? I'm a horror and thriller film buff and there is just something about this flick that has caught my attention. The advertising for this film is spot on. Everything from the tag line "There's something wrong with Esther" to the freaky ass posters all over the city. I'll be driving by and out of the corner of my eye, I see the movie poster and it's Esther, giving me a stare down. It brings shivers to see a child with such a cold stare.

The movie comes out in theaters today and my wife and I are going to try and catch it this weekend. We don't really go out to the theaters as much as we would like. I want to say it's mostly because we don't see many movies that catch our attention. Even if they are movies for the kids, if they don't seem to excited about it, we don't see it. Well, not until I can rent it on Netflix. lol I'm kinda glad that the kids are leaning towards my love of fright. I've caught them watching Ghost Hunters on TV and the little one always asks if the movie we're watching is a "scary movie". If we answer yes, she tends to stick around and watch. lol I don't mind the kids watching stuff like that, as long as it's not overly gruesome or violent. There's no way they'll be watching Hotel or Turistas or anything like that.

Anyways, The Orphan somewhat reminds me of other films in which the child actor is NOT portrayed as innocent. Such great films as The Omen, where Damien is the son of the devil, or The Good Son, where Frodo and Macaulay Culkin represent good and evil respectively. Both of these movies hangs the question, "What would you do if it was your child?" I have a sense that The Orphan may follow suit and ask that question to the reader. From what is shown on TV, the film doesn't seem to go for cheap scares, so it's natural to assume that psychological and ethical questions are going to drive this film. If we get a chance to see this, I'll definitely be posting my comments and thoughts on this film. Until then, there's something wrong with Esther.... Uh, I mean, later. lol

Banking Your Baby's Cord Blood Offer Extended

Hey there friends. Cryo-Cell has extended their offer of up to $725 off if you decide to bank your baby's cord blood. I wrote about the offer about a month or so ago in this post detailing the offer which, then, expired on 6.28.09. The offer has been extended to this weekend so if you decided that banking your baby's cord blood is right for you, you must enroll with Cryo-Cell using promotional code:995PS by midnight Sunday evening.

Cryo-Cell's exclusive premium family service, "Protect Baby, Protect Mom", is geared towards families that need a little extra assistance with finances. This is the main reason why the offer was extended. They are aware that may of us are experiences tough economic times and by entering the promo code 995PS by midnight Sunday night, not only are you are enrolling in one of the best offers in cord blood banking but also one of the most affordable. But if you want a little more for your money, you can enroll in Cryo-Cell's Signature UCORD Service and Exclusive C’elle Service, by using Promo code P2PS. Check out Cryo-Cell's website for more details.

I know this is a big decision for families to make. Cord Blood research is still in it's early stages of development. Yet, doctors have been able to use your baby's blood to treat over 75 diseases and the procedure has been performed in over 12,000 patients. Those may not sound like staggering numbers but the only number you should be concerned with is 1. 1 child, your child, may be stricken with a disease that may be treatable with his or her cord blood that was drawn at birth. Is it worth it to have that safety net just in case of such a tragedy? I cannot answer that question myself. My wife and I are still debating on whether or not banking our soon to be born son's cord blood is something that we want to do. It's not an easy decision to make, but Cryo-Cell does an excellent job of detailing the pros and cons. Visit the website to be as best informed of the processes and procedures. I know we will. Later.

Mission: Wooden Rails of Sleep (Baby Crib)

Hey there. I'm on a mission to sand and refinish my baby's crib. I managed to screw it up by leaving it out by the side of the house and the crib has gotten discolored. My wife is pretty upset with me because of it. My carelessness may or may not cost us a new crib. We really don't want to shell out the cash for a new crib so we're going to see what we can do to salvage the one we have. I made a quick trip to Home Depot last night to ask a guy what I would need to make it look like new. He suggested a simple sanding block and wood finish to polish it off. I made sure the stuff is baby safe because I don't want the finish to poison my baby. I started off the sanding yesterday but the guy handed me a finishing block to smooth wood, not actually sand it. My mistake for not really paying attention. I'm going to go and get the sand paper so that I can start this mission. Baby is 2 and half months away. Need to make sure it gets done! Later.

The Perfect Man and Woman: A Poem

A Woman's Poem:

Before I lay me down to sleep
I pray for a man, who's not a creep
One who's handsome, smart, and strong
One who loves to listen long
One who thinks before he speaks
One who'll call, not wait for weeks
I pray he's gainfully employed
When I spend his cash, won't be annoyed
Pulls out my chair and opens my door
Massages my back and begs to do more
Oh! Send me a man who'll make love to my mind
Knows what to answer to, "How big is my behind?"
I pray that this man will love me to no end
And always be my very best friend.

A Man's Poem:

I pray for a deaf-mute gymnast nymphomaniac with
huge boobs and a nice ass who owns a bar on a golf course
and loves to send me fishing and drinking
This doesn't rhyme and I don't give a sh*t
The end

Need Help Looking for an Apartment?

Hey there friends. You know, a few years back, when my wife and I married, we struggled to find a place to call our own. We were newlyweds with kids and we needed to find a place to call our own. We did what most people do while they're searching for a place, we stayed with family. Staying with family has it's perks, but let's face it, there is no place like a place to call your own. During our search, we went through online listings, we drove around looking for "for rent" signs, we even went as far as to pay for an "exclusive" list of available apartments. It was a HUGE pain. I would not want my friends to go through the hell that is apartment hunting without useful and proficient tools.

Good thing we live in a time where technology is there to aid us. This is why the iPhone's latest application is a godsend to those that are in the hunt. MyNewPlace is a is a great app that lists over 6 million apartments and rental homes across the US. You can easily filter searches to specify for exactly what you need. You can find MyNewPlace in the iPhone app store and because it's absolutely free, you won't need to waste time and money on "exclusive" lists when the the MyNewPlace app is updated frequently. One of the great features of the app, and my personal favorite, is the option to search for listings based on your phone's GPS. This is great because for those that have been on the search for a place to rent have more than likely experienced the following scenario:

You drive through a beautiful neighborhood, your significant other LOVES the area, but you have not the slightest of clues as to where there is a place to rent since you're driving aimlessly hoping to run into a "For Rent" sign. You drive off feeling pretty bummed out that you couldn't find anything after driving around for up to an hour.

Don't let that happen to you! With the MyNewPlace, the above could have been easily averted by searching through your phones GPS. It would readily display the locations that were for rent and instead of driving around wasting time, you'd actually be checking out the places to see if they suit your needs.

Apartment and home hunters need to get this free application. Do not let the renting game damper your hopes of finding a good home. You can find all the information you need in regards to the application at http://www.mynewplace.com/iphone .

Later.

Fighting with Bank of America

Hey there. I am on the phone, on hold, with Bank of America. We recently got a loan modification done on our mortgage to reduce the amount. We were happy when it was slashed considerably. We signed the docs and sent them back. Soon after, we received a second set of documents and that slashed the first offer even more. We were confused, at that point. Can this super low offer really be our loan payment? I started calling BofA. I spoke to 2 different representatives that clearly said that the second offer would override the first. I had them repeat that to assure that I was hearing correctly and again, I received the "second set of documents will override the first." My wife and I were thrilled at point. We started to plan out the rest of the year, with dreams of her not having to work with with this great windfall that we were blessed to receive. We even received a check by BofA saying that we overpaid in escrow fees so even more joy came over us. Until last week, that is.

We receive our statement and it says that our payment is what the original loan documents stated and not what we were told over the phone. Not cool, Bank of America, not cool and at. Now, I'm on the phone trying to get to the bottom of it. Personally, I am none too happy that Countrywide busted and BofA bought it out. I've had some awful experiences with BofA. Many years ago we had a checking and savings account with BofA. It was not something that we wanted to do but considering that there were everywhere, we went ahead and open the accounts. On top of all the fees that were assessed, even after doing the "automatic savings" thing that supposedly made your accounts, free, we had issues with them. The straw that broke the camel's back was the moment that some one by the name of "Ruth" created a check, that's right, created a check with her name and her address on it and cashed it against our account. I don't remember the exact amount of the check but I want to say that it was close to $1K. I was furious. I called and complained to BofA how my name is clearly not Ruth and the address on the check is clearly not mine and yet, they cashed this check. On top of that, they gave me a hard time. Them bastards gave me a hard time! They didn't give me my money back "the next day", as their fraud commercials stated at the time, and I had to call them everyday for a full week just to get them to admit fault and give me my money back. Of course, because I was out so much money and it was unexpectedly gone, we started accumulating overdraft fees that again, BofA said were my fault and not theirs. I fought for those to be reversed too since I told them that they cashed a check that was not issued by me and therefore I should not be held accountable for the fees. After all the yelling and all the screaming I did to supervisors and directors, I finally got the money back into my account. I immediately withdrew our money from both saving and checking accounts and vowed never to bank with them again. I bash them every chance I get, and with more than good reason, and to my surprise, others usually share their horror stories as well.

Now, it turns out that they need to research as to why my documents are not matching... Typical BofA bullshit, if you ask me. I am not happy and if I need to pay more than what my documents say, I'm going to be raising some hell. Later.

FYI... I did this whole post while I was on hold... Bastards!

The Importance of Spelling

Hey there. Good thing we live in a world of spell check, no? We all make mistakes when it comes to writing and typing. Most of us brush it off as nothing since we can easily click on spell check and BAM! Insta-fix. Kids in school can't do that. They still use pencil and paper and below is the reason why we need to continue to show them that spelling is important. lmao Enjoy.

A Weekend for the Baby

Hey there. We are tired. I mean, like, dead tired. We dedicated this weekend to the baby. As in, we went to go get stuff for the baby and we started to make room for the baby at home. Saturday morning, we went to a swap meet to look for the baby's dresser. My wife and I already had a specific one in mind, one that has 4 or 5 drawers and then right next to it, a little closet where we can hang baby clothes. We got one for when our youngest was a baby but the difference is that there was a large drawer on the bottom so that you can put in blankets. We don't want one with the drawer on the bottom. We've notice that a swap meet is usually the place where you can order one. We have not seen them anywhere else. It so happens that the last place we visited at the swap meet is where we found it. We ordered it and we went home to rest... for about an hour or so. Then we took off to get the baby stroller. We already knew what we wanted. There was absolutely no doubt about it. We picked it up and shopped around for some baby stuffs for a baby shower scheduled for Sunday. We soon got home and I jumped online to check Email, since I was waiting for an answer on when we can pick up a loft bed that we planned on buying. I got the ok for Sunday morning at 9ish.

Come Sunday morning, my compadre and I went to Brentwood (pretty damn close to UCLA) to pick it up. Since I took our car, the loft bed did not fit in the trunk. Good thing I took twine and we strapped the mattress and the large pieces of the bed on the roof of the car. It took us awhile because we wanted to make sure it strapped well... but also because I literally had a huge ball of twine. So we spent some time untangling the damn thing. Once I dropped him off and went home, we did a complete overhaul of our boy's room. His old bed was taken down and moved over to the girls' room so that our little one can have a big girl's bed. The loft bed was then assembled in our boy's room. We got him a loft bed so that we can place his dresser underneath it and create more space for the baby. His room now has enough space for the crib and another dresser, which is exactly what we needed.

We spent all morning and most of the afternoon on that mission. Once done, we showered and then took off to my uncle and aunt's baby shower. They had a pool and the kids wanted to get in. It was close to 5 and I didn't really want the kids to get in since they didn't have any extra clothes. My mother found the kids some clothes to wear and before I knew it, they were in the pool having fun. My wife and I kinda just sat there since we were tired. We tried not too move too much since we were busting our butts off at home. I was this close (makes that finger gesture) of saying that we should not go to the baby shower. Once the presents and all were done, we went home. Too tired to really stay much longer. We're now in bed, my wife sprawled across the bed, while I type this post up and get ready for my online work. I don't think I'll be up too late tonight (I usually go to bed close to midnight) since I'm feeling a little extra tired tonight. I'll catch you guy tomorrow. Later!

XBOX 360 Busted.... For Now

Hey there. Stupid Xbox... It's acting stupid and now I can't get it to work. I don't know if it's permanently screwed up or if it's just acting stubborn with me. I'll continue to work on it and if I can't get it to work... looks like I'll be sending to the local Xbox "fix it" shop. UGH!!!!

Metallman's Reverie: 100,000 Page Views!!!

WHOO HOO!!!! Today, July 17th, 2009 marks the day that this site has reached 100,000 page views! ALRIGHT! That's pretty bad ass, if you ask me. I'm pretty sure that if the site is up long enough, it would have reached the 100K mark so the real question is how long it took to get there. Well, according to my stat tracker thingy, it too me 477 days to get there. What is that? About a year and 3 months? Is that good? Don't matter anymore. I've reach a milestone and now, I'm shooting for 1 million page views! Later!

The Death of Entrecard?

Hey there. I'm sure that all Entrecard members know by now that Entrecard has been sold to Ziprunner Inc. I have no idea what or who Ziprunner Inc is but can we assume that this is the death of Entrecard? Or the beginning of something spectacular? I have mix feelings about this. Mainly because it has to do with change... And Entrecard has been full of changes these past few months. Paid ads... no paid ads... cashouts... market... dropping algorithm... I put up with it but now I'm not so sure I want to put up with ANOTHER change in Entrecard. I just don't know how I feel about this and I'm sure many other members are feeling the same. Later.

Tournament for 4 Starts Today

Hey there. Today is the start of the Guitar Hero tournament "Tour for 4". It's my first team competition, which is pretty much played out like a regular tournament, except that scores will be based on your groups participants and how well they rank. My tour group, Underneath the Bleachers, is ranked 12th best out of over 10,000 tour groups. That's pretty impressive if you ask me. Check out some of the gear that you can score to show support for the group Underneath the Bleachers.

Anyways, the competition spans over 4 days, with each day dedicated to a game. The competition starts today with GH: III. I'm planning on participating on 3 or the 4 days and the sad part about it is... that my freaking guitar controller is acting stupid. I'm pretty sure I can fix it since I know what the problem is. As you do a down stroke, the "click" is not registering it as a strum. I've already looked into the guitar and have seen the problem. I haven't been able to fix it only because the stupid screws in the guitar are super little and I do not have the "star" bit small enough to fit the screws. A friend that I have met in the community, Xara, informed me how the guitars that came with GH: World Tour game seem to give out after awhile. She let me know that there are places where spare parts can be bought but I don't think I'll go that route. I'm going to try to fix it tonight to take part in this comp. I have a Rock Band guitar but to be quite honest, I cannot use that guitar. It feels so odd playing with that thing that it bugs the hell out of me. It would suck if I can't get it to work. I don't want to compete using a bum guitar. Well... we'll see what happens. Later.

The Best Dog Shampoo Around

Hey there friends. If you haven't read this yet, then you are definitely not in the know about a great dog shampoo. And after my initial posting of this great product, a reader of mine pointed our that our good friends at Dinovite may specialize in dog nutrition and products, but they also have a line of feline products as well. What a pleasant surprise, since I not only own 2 dogs, but a house cat as well.

Is your dog itching, scratching and stinking beyond belief? I had previously mentioned how Odin and Lucy (my dogs) have this smell to them that I can't seem to wash off. No matter how much I rather, rinse, and repeat, they have this odd smell to them. I don't know if it's what they eat or if there is a permanent odor to them that I can't seem to get off and since they have limited house privileges, I definitely want them smelling the best they can when I let them in the house. Some will compare the dogs' smell to that of a skunk but I'm not about to bath my dogs in a tub of tomato sauce to find out if that is what it is. Can you imagine how many times I would need to rinse a white dog to remove the red??? Dinovite's dog shampoo , DogOsuds, claim to get rid of that smell and offer many other benefits to my dogs. Not only does it keep your dog clean for a long time, but it's a natural flea deterrent, and helps soothe those nasty hot spots that many dogs encounter. Odin has a hot spot I try to help soothe it with sprays and wash cloths. And the shampoos that I use sure don't help since I usually use more than one shampoo to was the dogs. It's usually a flea shampoo and a deodorizing shampoo. Since I shop around for a dog shampoos, I have yet to find anything that comes close to this. You would have to buy at least 3 products (deodorizer, flea shampoo, sensitive skin shampoo) just to match what DogOsuds can do. My readers have already recommended it to me and since I now know that there may very well be a feline DogOsuds, I can't help but to get this product.

Dinovite has definitely won me over with it's services and products. If you are a pet owner and have not read or heard any of their radio commercials, you owe it to you pets to go and check out the Dinovite website. Do your best to keep your dogs happy and healthy and with products from Dinovite, it just makes it that much easier. Later.

My Beef With Summer

Hey there. I'm not a big fan of summer time. I hate the heat. It may sound weird from someone coming from "sunny California" but it can be unbearable sometimes. I've noticed that I radiate a lot of body heat. It can cold to the point where the kids and my wife are wearing 3 shirts and a sweater and I'm walking around in my boxer shorts unfazed by the cold. I love Winter, that's only because it doesn't get so hot. Winter temps are anywhere from high 60s to high 70s where as during summer, it's 75+ degrees at night time. The heat makes it damn near impossible to sleep. If it's cold, I pile on clothes til I feel comfortable. If it's hot, there's not much you can do to cool off. A/C and fans can only do so much before you venture into a part of your house that's not cool and the heat slaps you across the face. Ugh...

We have ceiling fans at home that on when we get there. They run throughout the night and the heat still keeps me and wife up. I'm looking into getting one of those high powered standing fans. My wife has one at work that damn near blows her away on the low setting. lol I got the model number of the fan but it turns out that they run close to $120. $120!!! For a freaking fan?!?!? No thanks. I've seen fans for like $5. I'll see if I can find a more price savvy fan online that can come close to that fan. Otherwise, it's more of the same for the next couple of months.... Walking around at 9PM in boxer shorts... sweating... Later.

The Ultimate Fantasy Football Weekend

Hey there friends. Football is still months away, but football fans across the US are getting their fantasy leagues assembled. I love football and I love playing fantasy football. I love the fact that you can follow your favorite team but keep an eye other games because your fantasy players are in that game. As a competitor, I want to win and it makes football games that much more exciting knowing that you need those 15 rushing yards to beat your opponent. I can't wait till the season starts!

I'll admit that I've only participated in a live draft only once, and that was because it was more of a tedious task then a fantasy draft. There was no pizazz, no action, and just a bunch of guys in a small room that doubled as every one's war room. No fun at all. I guess that's part of the reason that I've go through auto-drafts now. But I may consider going back to live drafts, especially if my league can do it Vegas style.

During the weekend of August 27 to August 30, over a dozen of Las Vegas' famed hotels will take part in the Las Vegas Fantasy Football Superdraft weekend. Vegas is doing fantasy football right. Many of the hotels have partnered up to allow an average Joe like myself to have a football draft of a lifetime. Hotels such as The Hard Rock Cafe is offering special deals to allow fantasy leagues to reserve a draft room and if you get yourself a platinum wristband during the event, you'll be set for the weekend. The platinum wristband will grant you access to some of Vegas' hot spots as a VIP. I'm a hard rock kinda guy so I checked out the Hard Rock Cafe package and I must say, I like what I see. Especially the after party at the pool featuring the playmate bunnies! It would be the perfect way to wind down after a long weekend.

• 3 Day / 2 Night Deluxe accommodations at THE HARD ROCK HOTEL & CASINO
• The SUPERDRAFT "Weekend Warrior" Kits (2)
• Includes 2 (two) Platinum wristbands
• The Exclusive Press Party on 8/27 at JET Nightclub*
• Complimentary vodka bar from 5-7pm at LAVO Lounge on 8/27 and 8/28 including "Ask an Expert" featuring the hottest fantasy football gurus*
• Tailgate Party on 8/28 at THE HARD ROCK HOTEL & CASINO featuring a special performance by
GEORGE CLINTON & PARLIAMENT FUNKADELIC
• Access to the SUPERDRAFT Draft Room at
THE HARD ROCK HOTEL & CASINO (only)
• Post Tailgate Bash on 8/28 at LAX Nightclub*
• The SUPERDRAFT Draft Room at THE HARD ROCK HOTEL & CASINO (only) where you and your league can draft in true Vegas style!
• VIP Party on 8/27 at PURE Nightclub featuring a special performance by
FLO RIDA
• "Overtime" Pool Party on 8/30 at THE HARD ROCK HOTEL & CASINO featuring the "Poolside Playmates"

Fantasy football players everywhere need to check out the Las Vegas Fantasy Football Superdraft . Do a live draft the way it's meant to be; full of fun, excitement, and party. And if you haven't been to Las Vegas, there is no better time to go than with your football league to party. See you there! Later.

Have You Decided on Where to Retire?

Hey there. I've been thinking about my future a lot lately. Do I have enough in my 401K? Are the kids going to be set for college? When my wife and I retire, where do we plan on spending the rest of our lives? Some people don't get to enjoy retirement since they decide to work all their lives. Well, for those of you that are planning on moving to retirement home sometime within the next few years, take a look at the below guideline to help make a better decision. Later!


You can retire to Phoenix , Arizona where.....
1. You are willing to park 3 blocks away because you found shade.
2. You've experienced condensation on your butt from the hot water in the toilet bowl.
3. You can drive for 4 hours in one direction and never leave town.
4. You have over 100 recipes for Mexican food.
5. You know that "dry heat" is comparable to what hits you in the face when you open your oven door.
6. The 4 seasons are: tolerable, hot, really hot, and ARE YOU KIDDING ME??!!


You can retire to California where...
1. You make over $250,000 and you still can't afford to buy a house.
2. The fastest part of your commute is going down your driveway.
3. You know how to eat an artichoke.
4. You drive your rented Mercedes to your neighborhood block party.
5. When someone asks you how far something is, you tell them how long
it will take to get there rather than how many miles away it is.
6. The 4 seasons are: Fire, Flood, Mud, and Drought.


You can retire to New York City where...
1. You say "the city" and expect everyone to know you mean Manhattan ....
2. You can get into a four-hour argument about how to get from Columbus
Circle to Battery Park, but can't find Wisconsin on a map.
3. You think Central Park is "nature."
4. You believe that being able to swear at people in their own language makes you multi-lingual.
5. You've worn out a car horn.


You can retire to Maine where...
1. You only have four spices: salt, pepper, ketchup, and Tabasco .
2. Halloween costumes fit over parkas.
3. You have more than one recipe for moose.
4. Sexy lingerie is anything flannel with less than eight buttons.
5. The four seasons are: winter, still winter, almost winter, and construction.


You can retire to the Deep South where...
1. You can rent a movie and buy bait in the same store.
2. "Y'all" is singular and "all y'all" is plural.
3. "He needed killin'" is a valid defense.
4. Everyone has 2 first names: Billy Bob , Jimmy Bob , Mary Sue, Betty Jean, Mary Beth, etc.
5. Everything is either "in yonder," "over yonder" or "out yonder." It's important to know the difference, too.


You can retire to Colorado where...
1. You carry your $3,000 mountain bike atop your $500 car ..
2. You tell your husband to pick up Granola on his way home
and so he stops at the day care center.
3. A pass does not involve a football or dating.
4. The top of your head is bald, but you still have a pony tail.


You can retire to the Midwest where...
1. You've never met any celebrities, but the mayor knows your name.
2. Your idea of a traffic jam is ten cars waiting to pass a tractor.
3. You have had to switch from "heat" to "A/C" on the same day.
4. You end sentences with a preposition: "Where's my coat at? "
5. When asked how your trip was to any exotic place, you say, "It was different!"


AND You can retire to Florida where..
1. You eat dinner at 3:15 in the afternoon.
2. All purchases include a coupon of some kind -- even houses and cars.
3. Everyone can recommend an excellent dermatologist.
4. Road construction never ends anywhere in the state.
5. Cars in front of you often appear to be driven by headless people.

Sunday. Tired. Sleepy. Hope everyone else is having a 'lazy Sunday' We invited my compadre over today to just chill out. We had the pool out for the kids, but believe or not, they didn't stay in it much longer. We pretty much hung out, which was cool. We talked and laughed over all kinds of topic that ranged from the paranormal, to Retro Rock. Retro Rock is the music station that we were listening to on TV. It made us feel old since all the great jams were playing. lol I didn't get to complete my competition in Guitar Hero. Which is Ok. I'll try to get to it tomorrow. Other than that, we had a very chill Sunday. Later.

A Day Full of Aches and Pains

Hey there. I'm feeling pretty damn tired. I got up pretty early to lay some cement. I finally decided to get up off my ass and do it. I had started it awhile back and didnt complete the slab. I think that was a mistake since I found it difficult to continue where I left off without making it very noticeable. I spent a good 4 hours of lugging around 90 lbs bag of cement and mixing them by hand. Now that's hard labor! Soon after, my wife and I did some laundry. A lot of laundry. As we were folding clothes, my mother and grandma stopped by. We chatted it up for awhile before I decided to take a break. I played some Guitar Hero since I was challenged by some Guitar Hero Community members. I also have competitions to take part in but the guitar kinda gave way half through warming up with my son. It's not too bad but while you play, it won't hit some of the notes and if I'm in a competition, I need the guitar to work 100% or I won't stand a chance.

Right now, I'm enjoying some watermelon as I wait for dinner. There's still some laundry to do so I should get back to that. Later!

Thank You Friends!!!

Hey there. I'm feeling pretty tired but I wanted to send a shoutout to all my readers. Thank you for being a part of Metallman's Reverie. It's been over a year now that I've started this blog and have been updating it frequently. Thank you all who have stuck by from the beginning and all the new friends that continue to make this blog a success.

I looked into my paypal account earlier today and have noticed a nice chunk of change that this site has made. I told my wife about it and she is extremely happy that we have that money. That money will now pay for our baby's stroller, which we plan on getting later today, if not this weekend. And it all could not be possible without my readers so again, a special thanks to all of you. Thank you for all the support that you have shown to Metallman's Reverie!!!

Have You Entered the BluWorld Contest Yet?

Hey there friends. Have you entered the contest yet? You haven't?!?! Then what are you waiting for?!?! Head over to
BluFrog is sponsoring the Its a BluWorld contest and time is running out. Your chance to win one of five grand prizes is dwindling by the second. Just head over to Its a BluWorld contest page and submit a comment on which prize you would like to win. It's that simple. I did the max contest entries of 3 by tweeting about the contest using the the hash #bluworld and including the url http://bit.ly/UiiJy in my tweet. I've done my blog post and left a comment on their website stating which prize I would like to win. That's 3 total entries for me. For those of you late to the game, here are the prizes:

Blugamer: Ultimate Gaming Package
* Xbox 360 Elite System (includes 1 controller & Xbox LIVE Headset)
* Rock Band 2 Bundle
* Call of Duty: World at War Complete Package
* Xbox Wireless Networking Adapter
* Complimentary X-Shot
* 2 Cases of Blu Frog Energy

Happy Blu-Year: New York
* Round Trip Air Fare for 2 from Major Gateway Airport
* Ground Transport to and from the Hotel
* Luxurious Hotel for 3 nights
* Helicopter Ride for 2 over New York
* Complimentary X-Shot
* Food and Beverages NOT included

Blulapalooza: Chicago
* Round Trip Air Fare for 2 from Major Gateway Airport
* Ground Transport to and from the Hotel
* Luxurious hotel for 2 nights
* 2 Tickets to Lollapalooza
* Complimentary X-Shot & iPod loaded with music
* Food and Beverages NOT included

Blu Streak: Orlando
* Round Trip Air Fare for 2 from Major Gateway Airport
* Ground Transport to and from the Hotel
* Luxurious hotel for 2 nights
* 2 Tickets for Rookie Driving Experience
* Complimentary X-Shot
* Food and Beverages NOT included

Xtreme Blu: Aspen
* Round Trip Air Fare for 2 from Major Gateway Airport
* Ground Transport to and from the Hotel
* Luxurious hotel for 3 nights
* 2 Tickets to Winter X Games
* Complimentary X-Shot
* Food and Beverages NOT included

How can you not be interested in at least one of those prizes? Me, being a man of my word, would love to win the trip to NY. I promised my wife a trip to NY one day and what better way to show her the city then during the ultimate block party that is New Year's Eve. I'm just hoping that I could be so lucky to be chosen as a winner. Just imagine for a second, I'm sitting at my desk, I get the Email saying I'm the winner. I yell out an enthusiastic, "YES!", cause that's what I do. lol My wife rushes over to see what's up and I tell her, "We're going to New York!". Then she does the all too familiar, "Aaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhh!!!" that many women do when they're excited. lol *sigh* A man can dream, no? Hopefully, my good friends at BluFrog can make this dream into a reality.

So what about you guys? Which prize would you hope to win? The gaming package so that we can duke it out on Guitar Hero? Or a nice trip to sunny Orlando? Leave a comment and let me know if you've also entered and if so, what you hope to win. Good luck! Later!

My first Guitar Hero Tournament

Hey there. So I participated in a Guitar Hero Competition last night. Needless to say, I was fired up and ready to go. The competition consisted of 4 songs from the Guitar Hero Metallica game. You get to chose the difficulty but the committee get to chose the songs. The songs consisted of No Leaf Clover (Metallica), Dyers Eve (Metallica), Armed and Ready (Michael Schenker) and Black River (The Sword). None too shabby list. Seeing that, I instantly knew that Dyers Eve was going to give me trouble. The song is just too damn hard. I got home, did a few practice songs, and then went right into it. I finished all 4 songs and then checked online to see my ranking. I was in 6th place at the time. Not bad, I did the songs some more to better my score and got as high as 5th place. I took a break from the guitar competition and did the competition on drums. I only did each song once and called it a night for drums. To my amazement, I was leading the pack. Seeing that I was in first place, I didn't bother to better my scores.

I checked out the competition rankings this morning (the competition runs for a full 24 Hrs and it started yesterday at 5PM Pacific time) and I am disappointed to say that I fell out of the top 10 on guitar and slipped to number 2 on drums. Check it out.

Not too bad for my first tournament. The guitar players in these competitions are simply bad ass and I cannot compete with them. The dude in first place damn near scored a perfect on Dyers Eve and I struggle to get 4 stars on it. Looks like this grasshopper has a lot more practicing to do if I plan on cracking the top 10. I'm a little surprised that I'm holding my own in the drum competition but I know that most of the competitors have not logged in their scores yet. I was initially shooting to finish in the top 10 in each of the competitions. Looks like I'll fail in one of them.

The next competition will be held this weekend. It will consist of 4 songs from Guitar Hero World Tour. I'm not very good at that game since I'm just not familiar with the songs. I went ahead and entered that competition. I'll be competing in the Expert Guitar and Expert Bass competitions. I'm not sure what the song selection is but eh, decided to give it a go anyways. Wish me luck! Later.

The Armani Exchange is Having a Sale

Hey there friends. Do you know how hard it is to find the right pair of jeans? And I'm not talking to just the ladies. Not too long ago, I realized that I only owned 1 pair of jeans. Just one. Why? Because they were the only ones that I felt comfortable wearing. I brought this to my wife's attention and she went out and got me a few pairs of jeans. Not just any jeans, but some nice designer jeans. Completely different from the "blah" jeans that I owned. They look great and feel good and because they are designer jeans, they are completely acceptable when I show up to meetings. The perfect combination of comfort and style. This is why I want to bring your attention to the Armani Exchange sale. Premium denim starting at $98. That's not bad considering that this is top of the line jeans.

Now, I won't lie to you, my fashion sense is not all that great. My wife is the one that does the shopping when it comes to clothes so when a sale is going on, she is definitely one of the first to know and check it out. When we do clothes shopping, I tend to tell her what I like and she'll find something that works with the item I chose. Since she is not typing this post, I'll be the one doing the matching today. lol For all of you men and women with fashion sense, please excuse me, since I am sure that many of you will say that the clothes do not match. I tired. But the important thing is that I like all the clothes there, I just need to find out how to match it correctly. I checked out the Armani Exchange dressing room and this is what I came up with.

Not too bad, right? A|X is also having the Text A|X contest going on right now. You can text A|X for a chance to win a pair of jeans. One winner will be chosen every day from now until the end of July. Just text DENIM2 to ARMANI (276264) and you'll be entered in the sweepstakes. Also, anyone that makes a purchase now until July 19th will be eligible to receive a $20 gift certificate on your next purchase of $100 or more.

Be sure to follow the A|X Blog to keep tabs on all that is going on with A|X. If you're in the need for jeans then you should definitely check this sale out. I've already let my wife in on the deal. You should let yours in too. Later.

Currently participating in a Guitar Hero Metallica competition. Im winning the drum comp. And currently rank 6th in the guitar comp. Wish me luck!

To all Parents and Demons in Training

Hey there. I was going through my Emails for something funny to put up today, since I'm not much in the mood to do a "thought invoking" post. lol So I dug up this set of poems that my wife sent me that I thought was hilarious. This is for you, The Mad White Woman! lmao Since I know your "demons" could be a handful. Hope it brings a smile to your face. Later!

Poem to MOM

My son came home from school one day,
With a smirk upon his face.
He decided he was smart enough,
To put me in my place.

'Guess what I learned in Civics Two,
that's taught by Mr. Wright?
It's all about the laws today,
The 'Children's Bill of Rights.'

It says I need not clean my room,
Don't have to cut my hair
No one can tell me what to think,
Or speak, or what to wear.

I have freedom from religion,
And regardless what you say,
I don't have to bow my head,
And I sure don't have to pray.

I can wear earrings if I want,
And pierce my tongue & nose.
I can read & watch just what I like,
Get tattoos from head to toe.

And if you ever spank me,
I'll charge you with a crime.
I'll back up all my charges,
With the marks on my behind.

Don't you ever touch me,
My body's only for my use,
Not for your hugs and kisses,
that's just more child abuse.

Don't preach about your morals,
Like your Mama did to you.
That's nothing more than mind control,
And it's illegal too!

Mom, I have these children's rights,
So you can't influence me,
Or I'll call Children's Services Division,
Better known as C.S.D.'

Mom's Reply and Thoughts

Of course my first instinct was
To toss him out the door.
But the chance to teach him a lesson
Made me think a little more.

I mulled it over carefully,
I couldn't let this go.
A smile crept upon my face,
he's messing with a pro.

Next day I took him shopping
At the local Goodwill Store..
I told him, 'Pick out all you want,
there's shirts & pants galore.

I've called and checked with C.S.D .
Who said they didn't care
If I bought you K-Mart shoes
Instead of those Nike Airs.

I've canceled that appointment
To take your driver's test.
The C.S.D. Is unconcerned
So I'll decide what's best. '

I said 'No time to stop and eat,
Or pick up stuff to munch.
And tomorrow you can start to learn
To make your own sack lunch.

Just save the raging appetite,
And wait till dinner time.
We're having liver and onions,
A favorite dish of mine.'

He asked 'Can I please rent a movie,
To watch on my VCR?'
'Sorry, but I sold your TV,
For new tires on my car.

I also rented out your room,
You'll take the couch instead.
The C.S.D. requires
Just a roof over your head.

Your clothing won't be trendy now,
I'll choose what we eat.
That allowance that you used to get,
Will buy me something neat.

I'm selling off your jet ski,
Dirt-bike & roller blades.
Check out the 'Parents Bill of Rights',
It's in effect today!

Hey hot shot, are you crying,
Why are you on your knees?
Are you asking God to help you out,
Instead of C.S.D..?'

4th of July Weekend and a Little One's Birthday

Hey there. Did everyone have a safe and wonderful weekend? Our weekend started on Friday. Our policy at work allows us to take a day off from the work week if a holiday lands in the weekend. Because Independence Day came on a Saturday, we took Friday off. Knowing this, we scheduled a 4D ultrasound for Friday morning. What an experience! I've never been to one of those before and after we registered and what not, we were led to a room with a big screen TV. The kids and I sat on the couch while the ultrasound tech did her thing. It was crazy to see our little on the big screen. The kids loved it. They thought it was neat the way we were able to finally see the little one. First of all, we noticed that he has chubby cheeks. I think all babies do, but it was pretty apparent from the ultrasound. Secondly, he refused to let us have a good view of his face. He had his arms up the whole time, partially blocking his face. He let them down only a few times and allowed a good shot here and there but it was surprising to us that he was asleep during this time. Of course, he's been kicking away for days, so of course.... the one day we were gonna see him, he decided to sleep in. lol Check out one of the pics. He so looks like a boxer with his arms up. It's so surreal to see him well before his due date.

Afterwards, we sped off to my mother in law's to show the grandparents the pics. They were thrilled. From there, we went to Babies R Us to register. We tried to make it a family affair, where everyone helped in selecting some of the items that would be good for the baby and us. It didn't work out so well... The kids rushed us from every angle holding up items that they all believed would be great for the baby. "Mommy, look at this", "Daddy check this out"... They didn't really allow us to discuss the items to see if we'd like them before they rushed us again with more items. lol We decided that it would have been better if they stayed at grandma's so that we can think out and the items. lol They got the hint after a short while and settled down. We then scanned items that we would consider buying ourselves. It seemed wrong to us to just walk down the isle and scan everything in our sight. That seemed to be the mentality of other expectant couples that were there. We tried to be considerate. We decided that when we register at places, we're going to through in a few gag gifts. Babies R Us is a pretty straight forward place so the only thing that could be considered a gag there was a Nintendo Wii and Wii Fit game. We scanned them, thinking that no one in their right mind would buy them. lol I'm going to laugh if some one does. We're also planning on registering at Target and we've thought out some gag gifts to scan there, which include, but are not limited to condoms, KY Jelly, and other "naughty" things of that nature. lol Our registry number is 94458364 at BabiesRUs. If anyone cares to check it out and get us something, many thanks! We'll greatly appreciate it. We then went back to my mother in law's for my brother in law's birthday party. We were pretty tired by then but ended up staying pretty late. My mother and brother showed up so we ended up hanging out with them for most of the evening. We also chatted it up with some of my wife's cousin's who we don't get to see often. Fun fact: One of my wife's cousins know my cousin from where they both worked together many years ago. Small world, no?

Saturday was our little one's birthday, also knows as Independence Day in the states. We decided that we were going to go down to Long Beach and catch the firework show that will shown near the Queen Mary. The morning didn't start off to well. My cousin called to say that he would be there to early to get a good spot. I figured that he'd get the spot so we didn't really needed to be there that early so we'd leave the house around noon and we'll be good. Bad move. We ended up leaving at noonish, after making a trip to Target (sunscreen and what not) and the market for ice, we didn't officially head off to the beach until about 12:30 or so. Freeway traffic was light, but because we got wrong directions, we headed off in the wrong directions... TWICE! We went over two massive bridges and I know we were not going to to the beach. After I called my bro and he gave me the correct directions, we finally made it to the beach... ONLY FIND CARS BUMPER TO BUMPER AND NO PARKING SPACES IN SIGHT!!! I was frustrated. Time being close to 1:30 or so, I was upset that we were still in the car and not at the beach. The beach is no more than 15 mins away from my house so for us to take that long to get there was extremely frustrated. I told my family, if we don't find a parking spot in 15 mins, we're going home. Yup, it was that bad, friends. It seemed like god heard me at that point because right in front of us, some guy left his house and jumped in his car and left. We pulled in and took his spot. We had to walk 3 huge blocks, carrying all our beach stuff. It took us almost another 20 mins just to get to the spot. It was worth it though. The kids had a blast and that's what my wife and I wanted. I also heard the news of Steve McNair's death from my brother, who was checking it out from his phone. Sad, sad news. After checking it out on my phone, and reading up on it, I decided that I'll check it out on SportCenter later, since I don't want to spend the day looking for updates. I'm like that sometimes. lol Check out some of the pics from the event.
Out night ended with us standing on the shore watching the firework show. We were too busy checking them out to take any pics of that. Kinda a bummer but it's ok. Traffic on the way home was hell... Again, only 15 min drive from the beach ended up being closer to an hour because of all the cars being dread locked. And to top it off... My wife and I had to go to the restroom. When we finally made it home, we both rushed into restrooms. I thanked our lucky stars that we have two restrooms at home. lol

When Sunday morning rolled around, I declared it "Not Going to do Shit Day". All of our bodies were not up to do much. My kids complained that their arms and legs hurt, I complained about it, and my wife was too tired to complain. lol We all decided to take it easy and just watch movies and nap. Good times. lol

We had us an eventful weekend. How was all of yours?