All posts by ihatehardware.

Love Is In The Air

Last week Ben casually mentioned that his sister, Naima, was bringing a man to our house to ask for her hand.  Ok…fine.  WHAT?  Her hand in marriage?  Who is he?  What does he do?  Where’s he from?  Where did they meet?  When are they getting married?  Do you think Ben had the answer to one of those very important questions?  NO!! 

Since this was the first time I had been involved with the tradition of someone asking for someone’s hand, I had lots of other questions too.  What do I serve?  Is there some sort of ceremony?  Do I need a live sheep to mark the occasion?  What does one wear to a hand-request ceremony?  Is he going to bring the traditional giant sack of sugar?  Because I don’t know where I’m gonna store it.  Again, Ben was no help. 
Luckily last week I got a preview of the future groom when I picked Norah up from Naima’s.  He seemed nice, Norah liked him, and Naima and Majda had lots of good things to say, so he’s alright in my book.  They came over Sunday night and took us out to Samba, where we had planned to go at Norah’s request to celebrate her birthday.
So I guess I’m gaining a brother-in-law!  I lost count a while ago, but the more the merrier!
Here are some photos from the big night:
Not big fans of fire…Norah got upset about the volcano (and every time after that when the chef squirted something onto the hibachi), and Adlani hid under the table.
We brought an extra kid (kids eat free on Sundays!), our next-door neighbor, Leah:
Manners are not Norah’s strong suit:
The happy couple:
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Fire in Framingham

On the way back from the soccer field tonight I saw a ton of very black smoke in the area of downtown.  It is now 3 hours later and 2 miles away I can smell the burnt-rubber smell at my house.  The fire was at a recycling business, and because it was on both sides of the train tracks I’m sure it caused quite a mess for the commuter rail.

http://www.metrowestdailynews.com/homepage/x593046448/Fire-burning-at-downtown-business

My So-Called Life

This morning when I said that yesterday had been a long day, here’s why:

7:00 a.m. – Naima (SIL) arrives to get Aliya and Adlani on the bus and take care of Norah.  I am making lunches and snacks in my underwear.
7:45 a.m. – Drive to Boston (now showered and dressed) for a meeting at the W Hotel.
9:00 – 11:30 – Walk up and down all stairwells at the W to look at the doors and figure out why certain electronic components are not doing what they’re supposed to do. 
11:30 – 1:30 – Go to Revere to pick up Norah, drive back to Framingham and feed Norah while answering phone calls and emails on my Blackberry.
2:00 – Norah’s swimming lesson at the Y, more phone calls and emails.
3:00 – Pick up Aliya and Adlani at school for a 3:45 doctors appointment.
3:30 – Meet Ben in the doctor’s parking lot to hand off Adlani and Norah, take Aliya to doctor’s.
4:15 – Head to the hospital for a chest x-ray on Aliya (clear).
5:00 – Leave hospital (in record time), call Ben to round up Aliya’s soccer stuff and meet us at practice.
5:30 – Soccer practice.
6:00 – Take Adlani and Norah and pick up Majda (our niece) at Riverside T station, which became a 2-hour round trip because of traffic.
8:00 – Pick up dinner at Burger King.  Majda has not eaten for 24 hours because of Ramadan.
9:00 – Put kids to bed and accidentally fall asleep so I didn’t do the work I had planned or get my act together for the morning.  Hence the rough start this morning.

I guess I’ll be working this weekend.
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Rough Start

Yesterday was an extremely long day (more on that later), and I fell asleep while I was putting the kids to bed.  This morning I woke up to a mound of dishes in the sink, no clean drink bottles or snack containers in the cabinets, and backpacks, lunch/snack bags, and drink bottles still in the car.

By the time I got everyone semi-clean, dressed, and downstairs, I had 20 minutes to make 3 lunches, 4 snacks, 7 to-go drinks, and 3 breakfasts.  I know a bunch of you think that I have my act together, but that’s what it is – an act.  Just ask the kids.

This morning I exhibited every form of unmommylike behavior.  I cried, yelled, spanked, swore, threw dirty dishes in the sink, lectured on the number of hungry kids there are in the world, and used the sink sprayer on Adlani.  I ended up with a pounding headache, Norah was late to “Circle Time” at school, we missed the bus by a long shot and Aliya and Adlani were also late to school.  It’s amazing what one sinkful of dirty dishes can do to your day.      

And by the way…Ben…if you’re reading this…putting the drink bottles with the plastic ice still inside through the dishwasher and back into the cupboard is not helpful.   
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This is My Hometown, People…

I guess there’s still not much to keep the kids off the streets…
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Posted: 09/06/2009 10:42:34 PM EDT – DAWSON RASPUZZI
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BENNINGTON — With approximately 470 feet of extension cord running across four lanes of traffic and through a large parking lot to an electric drill, four individuals were arrested early Sunday morning for allegedly trying to steal the green and red chili pepper logo from the top of Chili’s Restaurant on Northside Drive in Bennington.

After the restaurant alarm was activated around 4:30 a.m., police arrived to find Asher Woodworth, 23, of North Bennington on top of the Chili’s roof after allegedly removing the bolts that secured the chili to the roof with a hacksaw and power drill.

Three women police said were keeping a lookout were also arrested, after police found two hiding in bushes and another running from the scene.

“There was definitely some thought put into this,” said Bennington police Sgt. Camillo Grande. “They had wrapped a bandana around the place where two of (the extension) cords hooked together so passing motorists wouldn’t see the lights.”

Along with Woodworth, Susan Michet, 22, of North Bennington, Claire Davis, 22, of Lee, Mass., and Sophia Giordano, 22, of Williamstown, Mass., were all arrested for attempted grand larceny and released to appear in court on September 29.

When police talked to the four, they revealed they started the project of removing the logo at about 2:30 and had to go back for more extension cords because they didn’t have enough, Grande said.

Grande said the four admitted that a friend of Woodworth’s wanted the logo.

Police said Chili’s representatives estimated the cost of the logo to be $8,000.

“They really did some damage,” Grande said. “The bracket that held the pepper in place will need to be replaced.”

Police said the drill was plugged into an outlet near Home Depot and was stretched through the parking lot and across North Bennington Road up to the roof of Chili’s on Hannaford Square.

Bennington Rural Fire Department assisted officers in collection of evidence from the roof of the restaurant.

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