I'm just walkin' my stroller through the sprinklers at the park (correction, this isn't Katie's strollers. She walked off with a friend's stroller)

Another First

A few moments ago, Katie, at age 1 year, 1 week and 3 days, made her first pee pee in her potty.

Katie's Healthy Snacks

I made Katie her first batch of cookies. Okay, so I should probably not really call them cookies since they aren't very sweet and are rather healthy for her. But then, what really constitutes a cookie?

At the park on Thursday I was amazed by all the junk food that the parents and caregivers were giving the children. The easy solution to keep a child happy is to give them some chips or super-sugary cookies. I refuse to give Katie that junk food. However, I need something that I can take with us for little snacks when we go out besides fruit and vegetables. So I decided to make my own cookies.

I love to bake so this was a fun task. White sugar has absolutely no nutritional value, so I knew I didn't want to include any in the cookies. I also didn't want to use any oil, so I found ways to get around that as well. Instead of oil, I added applesauce (applesauce without any sweetener added). Instead of sugar, I added a chopped up apple. Good thing Katie likes apples.

The cookies were simple. I mixed in rolled oats, DHA organic baby oatmeal, applesauce, apples, whole wheat flour and some nonfat milk. Katie seems to love the cookies and I don't feel bad about giving her one. They are actually pretty tasty though not very sweet.

I'm ready. Let's get wet.

Katie's Newest Trick

This afternoon, Katie figured out something new: when there is something that she wants that is too high for her to reach, she pushes her child's chair over to it, climbs up, and gets the stuff down. She did it once, so we got Katie out and we moved the chair back. But then Katie did it again. And again. And again. Here's a picture of Katie this afternoon.

Chain Restaurants We Need in NYC

New York Eater came up with a list of the top ten chain restaurants that should come to NYC. Read the list and their commentary HERE. The top ten are:

10. Sonics
9. Waffle House
8. Krispy Creme
7. Dairy Queen
6. Denny's
5. Cracker Barrel
4. P.F. Cheng's
3. Chili's
2. Chick Fil-A
1. In-N-Out

Honorable mention include: Jack-in-the-Box, Whataburger, CiCi's, Cheesecake Factory, Claim Jumper, and Steak 'n' Shake.

I'm thinking a definite yes for:

• Dairy Queen (when you need a Blizzard, you need a Blizzard);
• Chick Fil-A (best chicken sandwiches in the world);
• In-N-Out (enough said);
• CiCi's (I miss $3.99 all-you-can-eat pizza, breadsticks and dessert); and
  
• Jack-in-the-Box (I owe them a lot for getting me through law school; the ability to get a Jumbo Jack for 99 cents in Manhattan would change my world).

I wouldn't mind having a Denny's and Chili's. Though, the only reason I want a Denny's is for sentimental reasons because Wife and I used to go there together many years ago. I'd like to have a Chili's because I have a gift card that I'd like to use.

NYC should probably get a Claim Jumper and Steak 'n' Shake, though I'm not sure that I'd actually go there very often.

Katie's First Pet

I put Katie's first pet on the sidebar (over to the right). The fish will follow your mouse pointer and you can feed them by clicking on your mouse. This should keep you entertained for seconds. It should keep Katie entertained for minutes at a time.

Katie's Adventure with Doner, Falafel and Humas

Yesterday evening, we went out Greenwich Village for dinner. Wife had a doner sandwhich (which was mostly lamb; it is the Turkish variant of gyros or shawarma) and I had a falafel and humas sandwhich. For my money, I think this might be some of the most delicious food in the world (Wife disagrees with me about the falafel and humas, but agrees about the doner). If you don't know what that stuff is, clock on the links - it's worth knowing about if you ever come out to NYC. Who would have guessed that I would eat the vegetarian meal while Wife would chow down with the pile of meat?

We took our food over to Washington Square Park where we relaxed for an hour, surrounded by street performers, and ate our dinner. Katie loved all of the food. Of course, I'm not sure if we've found much of anything Katie doesn't like. She enjoyed pretty significant portions of each of our meals.

This is the view of New Yorkers enjoying the Washington Square Park lawn:


Here's a picture of Katie drinking some water after finishing dinner:

Brunch at Tom's Restaurant

This morning, our little family trekked up to Tom's Restaurant on 112th St. and Broadway, up in the Morningside Heights neighborhood of Manhattan, for brunch. For those who aren't familiar with Tom's Restaurant, it is most famous as "Monk's Cafe" in the television show Seinfeld.

Here is a picture of the famous exterior that I took this morning.


When President Obama was a student at Columbia, he frequently used to eat at Tom's, and Senator McCain said he frequently ate there when he visited his daughter Meghan when she was a student at Columbia.

Katie was very full when we left. She enjoyed a good portion of both of our meals.

It's Code Section 501(c)(3)

I realize that about a third of our readers are not in the United States, but this post is for the benefit of the Americans. Feel free to continue reading, but it won't impact your life.

Do any of the following drive you crazy?

"Its going to be a good day."

"Were do you want to have dinner?"

"Let's go over to you're house."

"They love there new car."

When you read those, do you want to grab a pen and fix the mistake on your computer screen? I do.

Let me share a new one with you that that causes me pain every time I see it. If you are writing about a tax exempt entity and want to cite the Internal Revenue Code to describe such entity, you should describe the entity as a "Section 501(c)(3) organization." It is not a 501C3. Nor is it a 501(c)3. I am flabbergasted by the number of large organizations that write this incorrectly on their website and major publications. This evening, I was reading about half a dozen different charities. All of them had this wrong. To the charities out there: I'm sorry, but it's hard for me to continue reading your website and taking you seriously when you describe yourself as a "501C3."

So, to be clear, if you really want to write this correctly, you should write, "We are a non-profit organization that is tax exempt under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended." I'm ok if you shorten this a a bit, but, please, include the proper parenthesis.

Along the same lines, you save for retirement with a 401(k) plan, NOT a 401k or 401(K) plan.

Little things like that drive me crazy.

Yup, I climbed up here...by myself.

Katie the Climber

As I've mentioned in previous posts, we attempt to contain Katie with boxes (with little success). At this point, the only area that we really try to keep her out of is a small area that is filled with electrical cords. We have boxes piled a couple feet high so Katie can't get to the electrical wires.

About three minutes ago, while Wife and I were watching television and Katie was playing with some toys next to us, Katie pushed some of the boxes together. She made stairs. She then climbed up. I looked over and Katie was standing on top of the pile of boxes. Not only was she standing - she was dancing.

Wife is still hyperventilating.

Walking Leads to Carrying

Now that Katie is walking around during about 14hours of the day, she's learned a new trick. She carries stuff around the apartment. If we turn our back, our stuff is moved from one side of the apartment to the other. Just a moment ago, Katie carried an empty box that is bigger than her across the apartment.

Smile Big for the Camera!

The Bagel Tax

New York State tax officials, under orders to ramp up their audit and compliance efforts, have begun to enforce one of the more obscure distinctions within the state's sales tax law – a tax on SLICED bagels.

Click HERE for the story.

I like books

I thought Los Angeles traffic was bad

You think Los Angeles traffic is bad, how about traffic that stretches 100 km and 9 days. Read about it HERE.

Another Day with Water!!!

Katie LOVES Walking

Shockingly, our happy baby is even happier. Katie absolutely loves this new freedom that walking provides. She was happy when she started crawling from place to place, but her joyous glee as she walks throughout the apartment is amazing.

When I came home tonight, Katie wasn't walking around the apartment, she was downstairs helping the doorman greet everyone as they came home. Katie was running around in circles, happy as can be, "talking" to everyone who walked through the door. Wife says she made a lot of people's night.

Are there more birthday presents? I'm getting really good at unwrapping stuff.

Crocodile Roams the Streets of NYC

Weird stuff happens in Astoria. Last night, a crocodile was found on the street. Yes, a crocodile. Click HERE to read more.

Three Years Ago

Wife and I moved to NYC three years ago yesterday. It's amazing how time flies. It seems like yesterday that we took a red-eye to Newark and eagerly took a Super Shuttle to our new apartment, excited to see what it would look like in real life.

Four years go today, I began a six-month intense academic exercise that I will never forget (or recover).

Next week, this blog will be three years old.

It is amazing how time flies when you're having fun.

Playing in the Water at the Park is Fun!

Katie and her friends at the park

Katie received her first birthday present on Thursday. I am not sure if I should think it is cute or if I should be terrified of things to come. A little boy that we play with several times during the week picked out the present himself. Jake is an adorable 18 month old boy that has befriended Katie.

Jake's mother loves Katie because her son has warmed up to her. Jake is a shy little boy and is usually terrified by other little ones. The first time Jake and Katie met at the park, Katie handed him her cup so that he could play in the water with her. From that moment on, Jake decided he like Katie and started talking to her. His mother was shocked because this is not normal behavior for Jake. Whenever we arrive at the park he runs over to Katie. I cannot seem to get Katie out of the stroller fast enough for him. They love to play in the water together. Jake is a great friend because he lets Katie hold on to him when she starts to fall or when she needs help standing up. It is really quite cute.

Jake's mom knew that Katie's birthday is this Saturday so she and Jake went shopping. He picked out this cute little giraffe that lights up and plays music. It is the perfect gift for Katie – lights and music! When we arrived at the park Thursday Jake came running over with a wrapped present. I quickly removed Katie from the stroller and he handed the present to her With his help, Katie opened up her giraffe with a big smile. They took turns pushing the buttons to play the music.

Katie LOVES other kids. She is very social when it comes to other children (adults are another story). We have been working with her on sharing her toys. On a nightly basis she empties her toy box one by one and hands each toy to Daddy. He responds “thank you” (and usually throws the toys back in the box when she isn't looking). I think she is learning. When we go to the park we take several plastic cups so she can fill them up with water (who needs toys when you have cups!). When another child comes near her she is quick to give him/her the cup she is playing with so the other child can play as well. She doesn't need a toy or cup as long as she has a friend to splash with. Her sharing nature is rewarded by having friendships like the one she has with Jake.

Katie is a REAL Walker

Overnight, Katie has become a real walker. A couple months ago, Katie started to "walk" around as she held onto furnature and other objects. Five weeks ago, she took her first steps without holding onto anything. For the last five weeks, she has preferred to hold onto things as she walked, but would walk unsupported when she felt the need. Today, the day after her first birthday, she can no longer be bothered by holding on to the stuff around the apartment. She's happily running back and forth throughout the apartment waving a toy in each hand.

This is a hat, right?

I'll share the wrapping paper with you, Daddy.

My first birthday cake that Mommy and Daddy made (98% Mommy)

This birthday thing is pretty cool. I got presents!

I've pretty much finished off my first piece of birthday cake.

One year ago right now...

One year ago from this very moment, Katie came out to greet her very exhausted parents.

Somebody's Turning One Today!!!

See those toys behind me? They were all put away two minutes ago.

One Year Ago from Right Now...

One year ago, right about now, Wife's water broke and she was officially admitted to the hospital. That's when we realized our little girl's arrival really was close.

One Year Ago Right Now...

One year ago right now, Wife and I were on our way to the hospital. Yes, we walked.

A Little Girl That Knows How to Sing

Watching this brought tears to Wife's eyes. Yes, I'm serious.

Dude Overboard!

The New York Pizza Burger

Here in New York, we are getting something new called the Whopper Bar. As the name suggests, this is simply a variation of Burger King - it sounds like a trendier version of the classic fast food joint. While I haven't visited one yet, I learned that if I visit this new eatery, I could try the New York Pizza Burger which is "a 9-and-a-half-inch wide burger made with four Whopper patties topped with pepperoni, mozzarella cheese, marinara sauce, and Tuscan pesto sauce." This beast will be available exclusively at the New York City Whopper Bar to fulfill that desire for a burger that tastes like a pizza.

This is what I think of the tax code.

Bye Slide

Enjoy your last days great big Southern California slide. You'll be missed. Click HERE to read what I'm talking about.

Christian Theologian Clark Pinnock Dies at 73.

The influential, and often controversial, theologian died August 15th of a heart attack at the age of 73. In March, the long-time professor of systematic theology announced he was withdrawing from public life because he was battling Alzheimer's disease. He was known to study carefully, think precisely, argue forcefully, and shift his positions willingly if he discovered a more fruitful pathway of understanding. He said he preferred to be known, "not as one who has the courage of his convictions, but one who has the courage to question them and to change old opinions which need changing." Read more about it HERE.

For the most part, I passionately disagreed with Dr. Pinnock's controversial positions (and even plenty that weren't deemed "controversial), but I respected his willingness to "change old opinions that need changing."

Our waiter at Dallas BBQ gave Katie her first balloon. She LOVED it.

I know, the quality of this picture is poor, but I wanted to post the memory. Katie absolutely LOVED the balloon. We're very fortunate that it didn't pop while she was playing with it. She probably wouldn't have loved the experience so much then.

The Walking Tour Continues

As I mentioned on Saturday, we walked about seven miles Saturday morning.

On Saturday afternoon/evening, we rode the subway Downtown, then walked through Chinatown (stopping for dinner), then we walked through Little Italy, Gramercy, Murray Hill, the Lower East Side, the East Village, Midtown East, and Times Square.

Sunday, we continued walking with a journey through Hell's Kitchen over to the pier off of 42nd Street. We then walked up the Hudson River until we got deep into the Upper West Side. We were shocked what a pretty walk that was. Riverside Park is really nice to walk through. We then cut over to the east, walking to Central Park and we walked through the park before walking home.

Total distance walked this past weekend: over 18 miles.

Total distance I carried a camera: over 18 miles.

Total distance I carried Katie: about 9 miles.

Total number of pictures I took: zero.

The condition of my feet: covered in blisters.

FYI - in case you're wondering why I carried Katie: on Saturday morning, I carried her for a while after she woke up from her nap. On Saturday afternoon/evening, I carried her the whole time because I didn't want to bring the stroller (actually I wore her in the Baby Bjorn for this leg of the trip). On Sunday, I carried Katie for the last 30 minutes of the trip because Katie was falling asleep in her stroller and we wanted to keep her awake until we got home.

I love smiling for the camera

I'm generally about this happy.

Saturday Evening in Chinatown

Saturday evening, we went down to Chinatown for dinner. For those not familiar with Chinatown in Manhattan, it is very, very crowded. It's difficult to explain how packed every square foot is down there. We went into our favorite eatery to get some dinner. To help you imagine this properly, we are frequently the only non-Asian folk in the restaurant. Actually, we may be the only non-Asian people that we see on the way from the subway stop to the restaurant. We're probably the only people in the restaurant that need the English translation of the menu.

The basic process at this eatery is that once you walk in, you go to the counter to order food. Once the food is ordered, there is a fight to get a table. And it is a fight. Typically, about twice as many people want tables as can find a place to sit. If there's a spot, grab it. Honestly, most people in NYC just stay to themselves, so frequently someone may sit six inches from me, and we won't acknowledge each other throughout the meal. However, sometimes, we make new friends. A couple months back we ate there and some tourists were lucky enough to be sitting next to us. Wife and I helped them plan the rest of their trip (complete with drawing directions on the back of napkins).

Anyway, on Saturday night, I went up and ordered food with Katie while Wife fought for a table. I spent a total of $5.75 on dinner (which resulted in more food than the three of us could eat). We had three plates in front of us. One big plate was Wife's, one big plate was mine, and one smaller plate was Katie's. I took an assortment of the different foods, cut them up into small pieces and put them on Katie's plate for her. Katie was in heaven. She LOVED having me feed her with chopsticks.

About halfway through the meal, an Asian fellow, who who was about fifty-five years old and spoke broken English, came up to our table and grabbed the soy sauce off the table. He held it up to his nose trying to make sure it was fresh. It was a little funny because it looked like he was trying to use it as nasal spray. He kept repeating over and over, "Is this good? This any good?"

Then the really surprising thing happened - the guy, while laughing, poured the sauce all over Katie's plate, covering her small pieces of with probably about a quarter of a cup of sauce. As he poured, he said, "Taste it for me."

I, along with Wife and four or five tables around us were all pretty shocked. Taken aback, I asked with an irritated tone, "What did you do that for? She can't eat all that sauce."

The guy pretty quickly realized it wasn't funny and began to apologize. He ATTEMPTED to make it all better - he got a new plate for Katie. Not a plate of food, just a new clean empty plate.

Anyway, I made Katie a new plate. Not a big deal, but kinda funny.

After dinner, we went to our favorite Chinese bakery and got a variety of pastries to last us for the week. After sharing a piece of strawberry cake, we shared a strawberry smoothie.

The total amount that we spent in Chinatown: ten bucks and change.

Application for Permission to Date My Daughter

Since all the little boys have already taken an interest in Katie, I thought it would be only appropriate to let these boys know what the application process will be like many, many, many years from now when I begin taking applications for her suitors. Thanks, Scrabble for sending me the template that I will use for the application process.

APPLICATION FOR PERMISSION TO DATE MY DAUGHTER

NOTE: This application will be incomplete and rejected unless accompanied by a complete financial statement, job history, lineage, and current medical report from your doctor.

NAME_____________________________________

DATE OF BIRTH_____________ HEIGHT___________ WEIGHT____________
IQ__________ GPA_____________
SOCIAL SECURITY #_________________ DRIVERS LICENSE #________________
BOY SCOUT RANK AND BADGES_____________________________________
HOME ADDRESS_______________________ CITY/STATE___________ ZIP______
Do you have parents? ___Yes ___No
Number of years they have been married______________________________
If less than your age, explain:

ACCESSORIES SECTION:
A. Do you own or have access to a van? __Yes __No
B. A truck with oversized tires? __Yes __No
C. A waterbed? __Yes __No
D. A pickup with a mattress in the back? __Yes __No
E. A tattoo? __Yes __No
F. Do you have an earring, nose ring, pierced tongue, pierced cheek or a belly button ring? __Yes __No

(IF YOU ANSWERED 'YES' TO ANY OF THE ABOVE, DISCONTINUE APPLICATION AND LEAVE PREMISES IMMEDIATELY. I SUGGEST RUNNING.)

ESSAY SECTION:
In 50 words or less, what does 'LATE' mean to you?

In 50 words or less, what does 'DON'T TOUCH MY DAUGHTER' mean to you?

In 50 words or less, what does 'ABSTINENCE' mean to you?

REFERENCES SECTION:
Church you attend________________________________________
How often you attend ____________________________________
When would be the best time to interview your:
father?_____________
mother?_____________
pastor?_____________

SHORT-ANSWER SECTION:
Answer by filling in the blank. Please answer freely, all answers are confidential.

A: If I were shot, the last place I would want shot would be:

B: If I were beaten, the last bone I would want broken is my:

C: A woman's place is in the:

D: The one thing I hope this application does not ask me about is:

E. What do you want to do IF you grow up?

F. When I meet a girl, the thing I always notice about her first is:

G. What is the current going rate of a hotel room?

I SWEAR THAT ALL INFORMATION SUPPLIED ABOVE IS TRUE AND CORRECT TO THE BEST OF MY KNOWLEDGE UNDER PENALTY OF DEATH, DISMEMBERMENT, NATIVE AMERICAN ANT TORTURE, CRUCIFIXION, ELECTROCUTION, CHINESE WATER TORTURE, RED HOT POKERS, AND HILLARY CLINTON KISS TORTURE.

_______________________________________________
Applicant's Signature (that means sign your name, moron!)

_______________________________________________
Mother's Signature

_______________________________________________
Father's Signature

________________________________
Pastor/Priest/Rabbi State Representative/Congressman

Thank you for your interest, and it had better be genuine.

Please allow twenty -five to thirty years for processing. You will be contacted in writing if you are approved. Please do not try to call or write (since it would cause you injury). If your application is rejected, you will be notified by two gentleman wearing white ties carrying violin cases (you might watch your back). To prepare yourself, start studying Daddy's Rules for Dating (to be posted later).

"Slightly worrying is the fact the driver of the Google Street View car didn't stop or contact police..."

In case you didn't follow the hoopla regarding the "young woman's body" flung on the side of the road that was seen in Google's "street view," click HERE to read an article about it (don't worry, nobody was hurt).

The best quote: "Slightly worrying is the fact the driver of the Google Street View car didn't stop or contact police themselves"

I don't feel like celebrating. I'm going to go play with my toys.

Our Walking Tour of NYC Continues

This morning, we continued our walking tour of NYC. Katie, Mommy and I walked about 7 miles this morning, starting out in Hell's Kitchen, walking through Midtown West/Times Square, stopping at Bryant Park, walking through Midtown East and then traveling north to explore the Upper East Side. We turned around just before getting to Harlem and did our turn again in reverse.

I'm still amazed at how a few blocks produces such a change in atmosphere. In a few minutes we can go from the frantically busy Times Square area to the very distinguished "old money" feel of the Upper East Side.

Nice Catch

The center fielder in a recent Yokohama BayStars/Hiroshima Carp game makes the catch of the century. Click HERE.

Quote of the Day

"How does one little person make such a big mess?" (Wife)

I found Mommy's iPhone!!!!!

A quick stop at the drive through teller....very bad idea.

A quick stop at the drive through teller....very bad idea.

I just got done with my bath and I'm ready for bed.

The Kleptomaniac

Recently, I was coming home from work as Wife and Katie were leaving the local park where Katie played on the swing. Wife pushed Katie's stroller into the building moments before me, so I sped up to that we could ride up the elevator together. After we walked into the apartment, I unstrapped Katie from the stroller and picked her up. But there was a weird clanking noise. As I held Katie against my side, I felt a strange lump.

Katie was wearing a onesie with denim jeans. I felt Katie's tummy and there was an odd lump. I reached down into Katie's top and pulled out my dress watch. Somehow during the day, Katie found my dress watch. Wife has no idea how or when, but Katie stuck it in her shirt to save for later. Wife and Katie had been gallivanting all over the city that afternoon - there's no telling how long it had been in there. We're raising a kleptomaniac.

Could you hurry up and snap the picture. I'm kind of busy here.

Boxes No Longer Work

In our apartment it is very difficult to set up physical barriers for Katie. We don't have a layout that is conducive to baby gates or other traditional barriers. About a month or two ago, Wife ingeniously began to strategically place boxes filled with heavy items (such as books) around the apartment. These boxes have been annoying to climb over, but they have done the trick of stopping Katie from getting into certain things. Katie has now, however, figured out how to beat the boxes.

First, any boxes less than about 18 inches tall she can climb over without much of a problem. While it is hilarious to watch her climb up onto the box (or stack of boxes), she generally doesn't find the trip down to be much fun.

Second, Katie now thinks boxes are walkers. Katie stands up and pushes boxes of books all around the apartment. Wife and I are shocked that Katie has the strength to pull this off.

Third, Wife has placed some heavy boxes in front of drawers that she doesn't want Katie getting into. Katie just slides the boxes out of the way so she can have fun pulling everything out of the drawers.

Unless we can think of another way to contain Katie, we will be forced to baby proof everything in our apartment that is under 3 feet high.

This is what I look like when I sleep. Daddy and I will have a little talk about him posting this picture in about 12 years.

Who Visits Our Blog?

According to Google, our blog has had visitors from 52 states. How is this possible? Because they count DC and "Undefined" (i.e., not sure which state it came from). We have had visits from 98 countries and 2,252 cities.

Somewhat related - thank you to our regular reader in Hong Kong. Thank you for your multiple comments every week. When I have free time, I enjoy trying to translate your Chinese comments (you seem to really like Katie's blue eyes). Unfortunately, your profile links to what seems to be some pretty strange stuff (all written in Chinese), so I'm not posting it on our blog. If you'll take the links off your profile, I'd be happy to post your comments.

I'll be honest. This swing is a lot more fun when you're pushing me, not taking pictures.

Katie is Ready for Her Close-up, Mr. DeVille.

That's right, Katie had her first brush with fame. Friday afternoon Katie and I were going for a walk when we stumbled upon the filming of Miraculous Year (an new HBO series). As you may have noticed if you have read this blog long, it is not uncommon to see filming in NYC.

As pedestrians approach the filming location, there are usually a few production assistants standing on the sidewalk with giant signs warning people that by continuing walking ahead, they may be in the scene. This is nothing new to me, so I just kept walking. Katie was really excited to see all the chaos around us, so she was on the edge of her seat.

As we passed by, a producer quickly grabbed me. The producer asked if Katie and I would be willing to walk by a few more times. Everyone was gushing about how cute Katie was and, of course, she was playing it up! She loved LOVED the attention. Katie and I talked it over and we agreed that we would be willing to walk back and forth a few more times. So after a few minutes of walking back and forth on the sidewalk for the cameras (what a great day to forgo makeup), we were off to continue our walk. As we were leaving I was told that I should consider getting Katie into modeling or acting because she definitely was a star in the making.

I'm climbing on the fun stuff at the park. Yes, of course I can do it by myself.

Here's Lots of Money...Please Go Away

So, one of Baylor University's most high-profile alumni in the business world is currently unemployed. Mark Hurd, at the request of HP's board of director's, resigned as CEO on Friday. Basically, the news stories say that he was accused by sexual harassment but no evidence of that was found; however, in the course of the investigation, it was discovered that he submitted some expense reports that were not entirely accurate. I have absolutely no knowledge about this situation. All I know is (1) what I have read from the media and (2) what is found in Mark Hurd's separation agreement that was publicly filed with the SEC on Friday late afternoon.

From what I've read, this is what I find so fascinating: while executives terminated for this type of offense typically get no severance, Mr. Hurd was able to negotiated an exit package that may be worth more than $35 million, including a cash payment of $12.2 million (the total value of the package will depend upon stock prices).

Now, why was Mr. Hurd able to get such a severance package? I don't know. I do know that In exchange for the huge severance payments, HP will get a couple things that they wouldn't get if they just fired him for cause: (1) Mr. Hurd agreed to waive all lawsuits he has against HP and (2) Mr. Hurd agreed to not disparage HP after he leaves. So, I'm just wondering out loud...why are those two things worth some $35 million to HP?

Katie Likes to Play

Wife and I were playing with Katie when she indicated that she wanted to play on the floor. We obliged and put Katie down by her pile of toys near our bed. The tv was on, and we started watching something for a few minutes. Katie was being nice and quiet. We assumed she was playing with her toys. But it was just too quite, so wife sat up to look over at Katie. I know you didn't see this coming, but Katie wasn't playing with her toys. She had opened up the bottom two drawers of my dresser. Not only did she open up the drawers, she also emptied them for me. The floor is completely covered with my clothes.

Walking Tour of Manhattan

In the last two days, Mommy, Katie and I have walked just under sixteen miles throughout the various Manhattan neighborhoods. Together, we have explored (listed in no particular order):

• Hell's Kitchen/Clinton
• Chelsea
  
• Times Square
• the Upper West Side
• Morningside Heights
  
• Midtown West
• Midtown East
• Gramercy Park
• Murray Hill
  
• Greenwich Village
• the Lower East Side
• the West Village
• the East Village
• (we also went to Woodside this weekend, but that's not in Manhattan)
  

Two thoughts based upon our exploration:

1. Each neighborhood has its own unique atmosphere. Surprisingly, just walking a couple of blocks completely changes the "feel" of the neighborhood.
   
2. We definitely live in the busiest, most "touristy" of all the neighborhoods we have explored.
   

I'm Just an All-American Girl

Just wait. Pretty soon I'll be jumping over these walls.

Memos

Click here for some hilarious memos from the best boss in the world. This is a collection of memos, all from the same company, written by the same guy. Here's a sample:

"Do not speak to me when you see me. If I want to to speak to you, I will do so. I want to save my throat. I don't want to ruin it by saying hello to all of you..."

I'm playing in the water and practicing my clapping with a friend

We're practicing our sharing. You just can't play in the water at the park without a cup.

The FBI vs. Wikipedia

Last month, the FBI wrote to the Wikipedia Foundation and demanded the the online encyclopedia remove a picture of the FBI seal from the article about the FBI. The FBI even quoted a statute as it threatened further legal action if the logo was not removed. In an entertaining response, the General Counsel of Wikipedia refused. Here's a quote to show the feisty nature of Wikipedia's response:

“While we appreciate your desire to revise the statute to reflect your expansive vision of it, the fact is that we must work with the actual language of the statute, not the aspirational version” [that the FBI had quoted in its letter].

You can read the full story here. I'm looking forward to following this story.

Shaq vs. Ending a Career with Dignity

Today news leaked that Shaq is on the verge of signing a one year contract with the Boston Celtics for the minimum salary allowable under NBA rules. Today is also the premier of the second season of the primetime television show "Shaq Vs." Coincidence?

Evidence the NBA has a Sense of Humor

A few hours ago the NBA announced the schedule for some "key games." The reigning NBA champions - the Los Angeles Lakers - will receive their their championship rings when they play the Houston Rockets. That's hilarious.

For those who don't get the joke: after last seasons when the Lakers also won the championship, the Lakers made only one significant roster move. Trevor Ariza, a promising young player who played a key role in the championship run, decided to play hardball with Laker management during his contract negotiations (at least his agent did). The Lakers instantly signed Ron Artest (who played for Houston) to take his place and rescinded their contract offer to Ariza. Ariza then signed with the Rockets for the same amount of money that the Lakers offered him. So, this fall Ariza will get to watch Artest receive the championship ring that likely would have been his if he handled his contract negotiations differently. Artest gets a ring while Ariza gets to be a mediocre player on a bad team.

This is my sailor outfit

You Have the Right to Remain Silent...

Now that most Americans (at least Americans who watch Law & Order on somewhat regular basis) have memorized the basic Miranda rights, the Supreme Court has gone off and changed them. To quote the AP:

"You have the right to remain silent, but only if you tell the police that you're remaining silent. You have a right to a lawyer — before, during and after questioning, even though the police don't have to tell you exactly when the lawyer can be with you. If you can't afford a lawyer, one will be provided to you. Do you understand these rights as they have been read to you, which, by the way, are only good for the next two weeks?"

You can read about the changes HERE.

Hi Daddy. You'd better hurry up and snap this picture. I won't stay here very long.

This is me looking very, very happy

How to Get an In-N-Out Burger in NYC

Here's an explanation of how to get an In-N-Out Burger in NYC.