Picture of the Day: I think I'll sit here and chill for a while

We LOVE a Bargain

Yeah, I'll admit it. I'm cheap. Fortunately, I married someone just as frugal as me. What do you expect, we live in Manhattan, so all our money goes to rent.

We have been checking out high chairs recently, but we have struggled to find anything because, as I said, we're cheap. The cheap stuff we found has been really...well...cheap. I'm not a fan of buying junk. The good stuff gets rather pricey. The great stuff is shockingly expensive (at least shocking to me).

Today, Wife answered an ad on Craigs List and picked up one of the great, trendy high chairs that is still in new condition. The best part, she picked it for less money than we would have spent for any of the cheap junk.

While I was at work, Wife trekked a whole avenue block home while wearing Katie in her Bjorn and carrying the high chair and three trays.

Katie now has her own thrown - a fancy high chair.

Pictures of the Day: I'm attending a wedding! Daddy finally downloaded the pictures off his pocket camera.

Here I am at the ceremony. This is before I started talking and Daddy took me far, far away.



Now people are fawning over me at the reception.

How Does That Happen?

I was looking up a bio for another lawyer at another firm. Suddenly, I stumbled across a profile for a lawyer that I don't know. But there was something familiar about him. Let's see if I can put my finger on it...oh, yes...he looked remarkably like me. The guy had a picture of me as his firm profile picture. The same picture my firm has on its website for me was on this website for this guy.

I immediately shot off an email suggesting that someone might want to fix this if they get a chance (ok, I infused a bit more urgency into my demand). I got an email back saying basically, "Hee hee...whoops...sorry. Mix-ups happen!"

So, I'm left to wonder - how exactly do those kind of mix-ups happen?

Picture of the Day: Daddy got a lot of pictures out of that visit to John's.

Picture of the Day: Ok, you guys eat peanut butter pizza. I'll play with the toys.

Picture of the Day: I'm ridin' a horsey at John's

Tips for Internet Marketers

I get a lot of emails at my work account from marketers trying to get me to buy their services and/or products (i.e., spam). Most of this spam is directed at professionals, such as myself. If this is how you market your product or if this is how you make your living, let me offer you a tip. If you make my Blackberry buzz at midnight on a Sunday night, I am not buying your product. Period.

Now, let me make this very, very clear. If my Blackberry buzzes and I go and pick it up at midnight, and I see you are trying to sell me financial services - you are going on my blocked email list.

And, let's make this even broader: if I am relaxing with my family at 10:00 at night, and my Blackberry beckons me, and it turns out you are trying to sell me a condo near my work. I won't read past the subject line before your email gets deleted. If I'm at the park on the weekend and I get an email asking me to consider using you to copy my legal documents, I will not even give you a second thought (not that I would anyway). If the Blackberry buzzes at 5:00 a.m., and I check my email only to find that you think I would really enjoy a CLE presentation you are putting on, I will not attend.

So, let me break this down for you. If send me an ad directed specifically at me during normal work hours, I just might read it if I feel so inclined. If you interrupt my family or sleeping time, you get absolutely no consideration.

Today's Celebrity Sighting - Al Roker

Today, Wife, Katie and I were walking down the street and we ran into none other than Al Roker. After chatting for a few minutes, Al leaned over and gave Katie a kiss. He said, "I have seen thousands of babies during my long broadcasting career, but you are, without a doubt, the most beautiful. And not only are you beautiful, but I can tell that you are extremely gifted and brilliant."

Ok, that last part is purely fiction. We did see Al Roker walking down the street as he talked on his cell phone (and nobody seemed to care). We didn't get a chance to talk to him, but he did seem nice. I know, the earlier version of the story is a lot more exciting.

Picture of the Day: What's up? You take me to John's Incredible Pizza Factory and then I don't get any peanut butter pizza? So not fair.

Picture of the Day: I'm enjoying my first visit to Chuck E. Cheese.

Picture of the Day: Just standin' around during my first stay at a hotel.

Picture of the Day: Carpet is fun, but I like to play on the bed too.

Picture of the Day: More Carpet!

Picture of the Day: I LOVE cameras!

Picture of the Day: 'bout time I got my crown.

Picture of the Day: I visited the beach. Mommy kept me covered and only let me stay for a few minutes. I still got a minor sunburn.

We Saw Katie's Future

This weekend, our family watched the 2000 Disney film Remember the Titans with Hayden Panettiere (back when she was a cute little kid). As we watched the 9 1/2 year old little girl get so passionate about football we realized - that's probably going to be Katie in a few years when she watches Laker games.

I can already envision the conversation while I'm trying to watch the game:

Katie: "Drew - come on, grab that board. Don't play like you're a guard you big baby. What? The ref is calling a foul? What kind of a call was that?"

Wife: "What do you expect when Crawford officiates a game?"

Katie: "Terrible call. Yo, ref...you wanna borrow my glasses?"

Picture of the Day: I got presents in California!

Katie's Newest Trick

Imagine the scene. You get on an elevator. On the elevator is a woman holding a small baby. You ignore them. After a moment, you realize that the baby is glaring at you - intently. You continue to ignore the baby. The baby continues to glare at you. Finally, you look at the baby and smile. The baby then gives you a huge smile along and begins a conversation with you in baby gibberish.

That's right, Katie's newest trick is that she glares at strangers until they acknowledge her. As soon as she gets some sort of acknowledgment (a word, a smile, anything), she rewards them with a big smile and then she tries to talk to them. But until she gets that acknowledgment, she gves them the most intense glare you can imagine.

Picture of the Day: This is one of my first experiences with carpet. I couldn't find any scrabble pieces on the floor, but mommy brought toys.

Picture of the Day: More Chillin' in SoCal

Tax Jokes for Tax Day

The difference between the short and long income tax forms is simple. If you use the short form, the government gets your money. If you use the long form, your accountant gets your money.


A fine is a tax for doing something wrong.
A tax is a fine for doing something right.


A couple of weeks after hearing a sermon on Psalms 51:2-4 [knowing my own hidden secrets] and Psalm 52:3-4 [lies and deceit], a man wrote the following letter to the IRS: "I have been unable to sleep, knowing that I have cheated on my income tax. I understated my taxable income, and have enclosed a check for $1,500. If I still can't sleep, I will send the rest."

How to Avoid a Tax Audit

"Worried about an IRS audit? Avoid what's called a red flag. That's something the IRS always looks for. For example, say you have some money left in your bank account after paying taxes. That's a red flag."
-- Jay Leno

Tax Day Humor

In honor of Tax Day, below is a strategy for paying your taxes. I suggest you try it and let me know how it goes.

--

To: Internal Revenue Service, Department of the Treasury Washington, DC 20001

Enclosed is my 2009 Form 1040, together with payment. Please take note of the attached article from USA Today archives. In the article, you will note that the Pentagon paid $171.50 each for hammers and NASA paid $600.00 each for toilet seats.

Please find enclosed in this package four toilet seats (value $2,400.00) and six hammers (value $1,029.00). This is in payment for my total tax due of $3,429.00.

Out of a sense of patriotic duty, and to assist in the political purification of our government, I am also enclosing a 1.5 inch Phillips head screw, for which HUD duly recorded and approved a purchase value of $22.00, as my contribution to fulfill the Presidential Election Fund option on Form 1040.

It has been a pleasure to pay my taxes this year, and I look forward to paying them again next year in accordance with officially established government values.

Sincerely,
Another satisfied taxpayer

Picture of the Day: Swingin' in the California Rays

Picture of the Day: I got to take my first ride on an airplane!

Picture of the Day: Let's show everybody how I can sit up by myself. Mommy, you're going to need to let go of my hand for this.

Picture of the Day: Time for more pictures!

Old Guy Rockin' Out

Yesterday afternoon, our little family was walking home from church. When we were almost home, some middle-aged guy driving an expensive car was blaring his grunge rock at an obscenely high volume. There's just something funny about seeing a guy in his mid-40s rocking out to Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit." Of course, as I heard it, all I could think about was Weird Al's version, which, in my humble opinion, is much, much better.

If you know the song, you'll appreciate Weird Al's first two verses:

What is this song all about?
Can't figure any lyrics out
How do the words to it go?
I wish you'd tell me, I don't know

Now I'm mumblin' and I'm screamin'
And I don't know what I'm singin'
Crank the volume, ears are bleedin'
I still don't know what I'm singin'
We're so loud and incoherent
Boy, this oughta bug your parents

Here's Weird Al's parody:

Picture of the Day: I'm in my crib...not sleeping.

Cruelest April Fool's Joke Ever

The West Coast has In-N-Out. We have the Shake Shake. I'll be honest with you, California wins this one...by a lot. Thus, the background for what Wife believes is the cruelest April fool's joke ever. When she saw this picture and learned that In-N-Out staff were handing out leaflets up the street, she started to squeal. Then, she learned it was a joke. Wife is still wondering if she has an intentional infliction of emotional distress lawsuit against these college pranksters.

This was the site last Thursday on the corner of Broadway and 22nd St.


This picture has been posted all over the web. You can read a little more about this cruel joke HERE.

Picture of the Day: Happy Easter! Next year we'll try to reconstruct an empty tomb.

Picture of the Day: Mommy calls me, "Honey Bunny."

Picture of the Day: Looks like you're holding a fun toy.

Picture of the Day: I'm a Dancin' Queen!