EVERLAST SPONSORSHIP!

Is it to early to give my son boxing lessons? The little bloke is 14months. When the wife and I picked him up from infant care he had a red mark below his eye. The daycare lady said another kid hit him in the face.
WTF, these spoiled ass rich kids!
This immediately made me think about the email I received from babycenter.com marking his 13month 3week birthday. It stated; If your toddler indulges in fits of screaming, hitting, and biting, you can take some solace in knowing that his development is right on track.
(AGAIN) WTF!
In my house discipline starts at 13months 3weeks and that’s how I know my sons development is on the right track!

Last year I made it a point to start insisting on a higher level of customer service from businesses I patronized. This required me to follow up when my expected level of customer service was not received and be willing to stop doing business with companies that did not address my customer service complaints in a proper manner.

This practice caused me to stop doing business with two stores. Unfortunately both stores were small business owned. I prefer to give the small business owner my dollar but in both situations the customer service was horrible. You would expect a small business to place more emphasis on customer service. Both businesses were unique to the area in the sense that they were the only local store to offer their products/services. One was a cigar shop and the other was a saltwater aquarium shop. I often wonder if this played a part in their lack of highlighting customer service.

From this point on I will use my blog to spread the word regarding bad customer service experiences. In fairness to companies I will first give them the opportunity to address my concerns as one local grocery store recently did in a timely manner.

If you experience poor customer service please empower yourself via communication with the powers that be. Address your concerns to the owner of a store or the corporate office of a company and feel the since of liberation that comes with being heard.

HOME AGAIN?

Having children has a way of changing your priorities.
I never intended to leave New York to attend school. The offer of an academic scholarship lured me to Washington DC. In retrospect I’m glad it happened. For someone like me, with close family relationships, staying close to home can hinder growth. The man I am today is directly related to my experience isolated from family in the metro DC area.
Now, as a husband and a father, I no longer think isolation from my extended family is necessary for my development. In truth, I believe the distance is now detrimental to my immediate family.
My wife was raised about five minutes from where we live. She has an abundance of local relatives. With the exception of my brother-in-law, shout out to Naz, we hardly see her family. This is not entirely their fault as we do not make a concerted effort to socialize. The problem is; when my wife and I want to catch a movie and we can not find a babysitter, and we live within 10 miles of a few dozen relatives, it becomes hard to justify staying in this locale for “family” reasons.
So now I find myself wondering if it is time to move back to New York. My wife would embrace relocation to NY as she contemplated the move before we even met. The little bloke would miss his uncle, but I’m sure it wouldn’t take much arm twisting for uncle Naz to visit regularly. The bloke would be near his beloved Grandma GG and she would be more than eager to keep him as my wife and I have some “Us” time.
One thing is certain; if we decide to relocate it will not be as easy as typing words in a blog.

WHEN YOUR BODY BETRAYS YOU!!!!!!!!!

I will be 30 in less than a month. My goal has been to be in better shape at 30 than I was at 25. I have spent the last 6 months devoted to this goal.
Like most people with fitness goals I’ve suffered setbacks due to temporary lack of discipline or momentary weakness. Of course there were the “Holidays”, several birthdays and events that threw me off course. By far my biggest problem has been my own body’s mischievousness.
Maybe I should call it spitefulness. My body has dealt me a blow after blow. Getting in shape at 30 is nothing like getting in shape in your early 20s. I have suffered through countless injuries and illnesses over the last 6 months. Many people don’t realize that working out can actually compromise your immune system as your body tries to rebuild muscle. Accompany that fact with the presence of a little germ magnate of a son running around and you have a recipe for constant sickness.
Currently I am recovering from a cold I caught at work and horrible lower back pain. I have not been in the gym in four days which is my longest drought in months. I am dragging my ass to cycling and basketball today if I have to load up on meds to do it. Hopefully over exhortation won’t force me to post from the confines of my bed tomorrow.

BYE BYE BLUE MOOSE!!

Blue Moose is being placed on performance related probation. Many children grow attached to a certain “blankey”. My son’s “blankey” is actually a blue beanie baby moose given to him by his Grandma Misko.
For over a year Blue Moose has faithfully comforted the young bloke. However the moose may soon be sent packing.
The last few weeks have been besieged by restless nights. My wife has left bed to tend to my son far more often than normal. Typically the young bloke can be soothed by a properly heated bottle of organic grade A milk and his Blue Moose. This technique has not worked of late. These 2am tirades have impacted the entire Carmina clan. A sleepless Momma bear is detrimental to us all.
So I got to wondering…. What happened to Blue Moose? Has he been on vacation? …Blue Moose has lost his touch! Blue Moose no longer possesses the power of pacification. The magic is gone!
What went wrong? Maybe Blue Moose was soaked with milk one too many times. Maybe his stints in the washing machine laundered his sway away. Whatever the reason Blue Moose has been put on notice!! Either Blue Moose starts getting results or he will be replaced!

Hallelujah! Sunday Insanity

My Wife’s Professional Opinion!

My blog layout is constantly changing. Why is this? No, it is not because I am fickle or trying to achieve layout perfection. The truth is I am fortunate to be married to a “Social Website” specialist. In her “professional opinion” the flowers in my blog layout made it to difficult to read. To remedy this situation I have condensed my Indian wedding floral arrangement (my wife’s professional term) so my newest post will be easy to read. I hope I have made my wife proud and no longer shame her with my lack of social website savoir-faire.