The Giants Win World Series….uh, exclamation point?

In case you missed it, the Giants won the World Series on Monday. And...the Bay Area has been afflicted by a serious case of "Giants fever."

Crowds went out to party, and a "riot" happened the night of the "Giant Win." The City of San Francisco hosted a ticker tape parade to honor the Giants on Wednesday. On that day, some people called in sick to work, others stayed in line for two hours to buy BART tickets, scores of people got stuck in snarled traffic, and quite a few parents allowed their kids to play hookie to attend the parade.

All of this because the Giants won the World Series.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m happy about their Giant victory -- after all, this will go down in Bay Area history -- but I really think end of the Series would have been more exciting if the Giants won it in San Francisco. If you ask me, the Giants should have let the Rangers win Game 5 so they could kick some Texas Ranger ass right here in the Bay Area. But hey, that could just be me.

(Aside from that, I really wanted to see CJ Wilson pitch. He's the only Texas Ranger I support because he digs hemophilia. Anything to raise awareness, my friends!)

I told you all I’m not a bandwagon fan. I missed Game 4 so I could take my cubs trick-or-treating for Pete’s sake! Aside from that, I wasn’t too worried about missing the game that day anyway because I knew the Giants would eventually win. I'm no psychic, but I think everyone had a feeling that the Giants would win the Series this year. Frankly, the Rangers didn't seem like they were putting up much of a fight. I'm sure their egos were soundly crushed after getting absolutely obliterated for ALL of the games in SF.

Can I be brutally honest for a moment?  The World Series bored me.

Game 5 was about as exciting as the Dela Hoya/Pacquiao fight. That fight and Game 5 reminded me a lot of what it feels like to have disappointing sex. Sure it sounds like it's going to be exciting, but just because something sounds like it's going to be good doesn't mean it's actually going to be good. (No offense, John.)

The only time I got excited during Game 5 was when Renteria hit that home run. Other than that, I was totally unaroused. Disappointing sex is like that, isn't it? You get one good play, but the rest of the time you're just waiting for the whole thing to be over with. I wouldn't exactly call Game 5 a nail-biting, suspense-filled game. Just like so-so sex, I felt like it dragged on. And when it was finally done...well, it was totally anticlimactic. Where was my orgasm, Giants?! Where were the fireworks? And the screaming announcers?

And this is exactly why I think the Giants should have won it in San Francisco.

I know I'm going to get a lot of flack for this post, but it's my blog and I'll say what I want. And, I'm not a hater..,I just had to get these feelings off my chest. I'm Giantly happy that the Giants won -- proud even -- but I can't say that I'm completely satisfied with the way things were excecuted. Maybe next time. After all, the best type of the sexual encounter is the one you have after the disappointing one. You know, when your lover tries to redeem themselves? ;-)

I'm looking forward to next year, Giants!

Here are a few pictures that John took at the ticker tape parade. I was at work, but John had the perfect view from his office. 

And this was just on Market!

 Fear the Beard

 Does painting a horse's ass seem a little odd to you or is it just me?

 Ohhhhh, Gavin!

 Can someone please explain to me why he is licking a red thong???

 Oooohhh Buster Posey!!!!

Happy Halloween!!!

It seems like Halloween 2009 happened just yesterday. That was the year of the Wizard of Oz and NHF's Annual Meeting in San Francisco. Even though we didn't go trick-or-treating that year (we partied with our extended bleeding disorders family at the SF Marriott) Halloween '09 will go down in "lion den history" for being THE BEST Halloween we've ever had.

Halloween 2009

 The Oz kids ;-)

Halloween 2010

This year was a little different. *Technically* this year was Niki's first "real Halloween" because she could actually partake in trick-or-treating. Needless to say, I was very excited to take the cubs out. Especially since we didn't get to trick-or-treat last year. Unfortunately, Game #4 of the World Series was also happening during prime trick-or-treat hours. Even though "Halloween/Trick-or-Treating > World Series" in my book, not all parents feel this way. I shudder at the thought of how many parents opted to stay home to watch the Series instead of taking their kids out to create magical memories.

So where am I going with this? You guessed it -- John stayed home.
 
The fact that the Giants made it to the World Series is awesome, but I'm not going to lie and say that I wasn't disappointed that he stayed home to watch the game. After all, you can replay television, but you can't replay life. I wanted to watch the game too, but I knew that trick-or-treat time would be over by the time the game ended. John's a guy -- I get it. He had complete confidence in my ability to handle Halloween duties for the night -- swollen belly and all!

It was I that took the cubs, SILs, and CIL out for an evening of tricks and treats.

I decided to switch it up bit and took the kids to Colma's residential area first. The city is practically a cemetery itself so I knew that it would be the perfect place to trick-or-treat. And...I was right! Being in my old neighborhood brought back so many memories. There is something spectacular about trick-or-treating right next to a cemetery on All Hallows Eve. I know from personal experience, and I was happy my kids experienced a piece of my childhood. :)

Halloween has changed a lot since way, way back in the day -- it's slowly dying out -- but Colma never loses its spirit.

A cemetery was right over that wall. The kids were weirded out at first. LOL!

 Everybody had the game on as they passed out candy...

 Niki was really enjoying herself. :)

 The boys got used to the spookiness.

 I couldn't quite figure this pumpkin out. ;-)

 

 Ironic, isn't it? A fake graveyard just a few hundred feet away from a real one.

 Only in Colma. :)

 I love this town.

 And this house...

 The cubs, my SILs, and my CIL "J"

The cubs. :)

 We don't care about no law 'round these parts! ;-)

The streets were packed with trick-or-treaters which meant that the houses tried very hard to conserve their candy. After spending about an hour in Colma, the older kids grew impatient as they continued to get only 1 or 2 pieces of candy from each house. It took a lot work to accumulate their loot so they collectively decided that they wanted to try a different neighborhood. I was hesitant to leave at first (finding parking was a nightmare) but it was their Halloween, not mine. We had only gone about up and down three blocks, but I was overruled. On the upside, all of the kids were completely desensitized by the idea of the cemeteries being so close by. (The boys aren't afraid of the cemetery at all thanks to Ethan.)

You can't see it in this picture, but there was a bunch of mausoleums just a few feet behind them. Aren't they cute? And brave? :-D

Unfortunately, we had to work even harder after we left Colma. We went to the TerraBay neighborhood thinking that we could end our night there. We've been going to TerraBay (with my SILs) since Boo was 1-year old because the rich folks that live there always give handfuls of candy.

This year? Not so much.

The streets were completely dead, and I blame it on the World Series. We tried some other local neighborhoods with no such luck. The World Series officially killed Halloween. Suddenly, everyone realized that we probably should have stayed at Colma. But...it was too late. It was close to 9:30 on a school night so we turned in for the night. Nevertheless, my cubbies had a blast that night, and so did I -- swollen uterus and all. 

P.S. I'm secretly happy that the cubs didn't get much candy this year. ;-)

Today's Highlights...

I got off from work at 2:30 today to take Niki to her routine check up with Dr. Awesome. We try and alternate visits between clinics in Oakland and SF, and today's appointment just so happened to be in SF. I was hoping to make it there a little early -- and I was making good time too -- but I got caught in some pretty gnarly traffic. In case you don't already know or you live under a rock, Game 1 of the WORLD SERIES is today!

Lovely, isn't it?

The last time the Giants made it to the World Series was when I was pregnant with Kevie in 2002. The Giants had a damn fine team that year!!!! That was the year I fell in love with J.T. Snow (even more after the Darren Baker incident at home plate), Barry Bonds was is the Homerun King, and Dusty Baker was the best goddamn manager there every was! When they lost, I remember dwelling on the fact I couldn't tell Kevin (when he got older) that the Giants won the World Series when I was pregnant with him. How cool would that story have been?!

Where for art thou, J.T. Snow?

Now here we are -- 8 years later -- and Kevie & Boo have Giants fever! The whole dang Bay Area has caught Giants fever!  Most of the staff at Dr. Awesome's clinic in SF wore Giants gear and they had posters all throughout the clinic showing support for the Gigantes.  And tomorrow, in lieu of uniforms, Kev & Boo's school is allowing all of the kids to wear Giants gear to celebrate.

I lost touch with baseball when I became a Mommy, but you guys probably remember me writing about my love affair with baseball on my old blog. Hell, I had no idea what "Fear the Beard" meant until two weeks ago! Now, I'm struggling to write while my boys (John, Kev, & Boo) excitedly clap and yell things like "Gooo Posey, gooo!" or "Uuuuurribe!" or "5-2 baby, 5-2!" or my personal favorite "Yeah, Diirrrrrty Sanchez!" to the television. Ah, father-son bonding at its finest. ;-) 

I still love J.T. Snow, but Buster Posey is a very close 2nd in my guys-I-think-are-cute-book. 

 And yes, I'm know I'm somewhat of a cougar for feeling this way.

I'm not a bandwagon fan -- frankly I'm opting to write rather than truly watch the game -- but I'm still hoping the Giants kick some Texas Ranger ass tonight. Maybe I can tell Noie the Giants won the World Series when I was pregnant with her.

But I digress...

All went well at Niki's appointment with Dr. Awesome. As usual, Dr. Awesome was THE BEST. Niki lost some weight with the MRSA incident (and now I miss my old blog because I would've linked the original MRSA post), but she's otherwise doing okay. Niki's been bruising easier and she has a nasty hematoma on her tongue, so Dr. Awesome increased her NovoSeven dose from 200mcg to 220mcg. To give you non-medical folk and idea of how much factor that is, it's about the same volume as a single tear drop! And to think -- her factor costs thousands of dollars for one dose! She has a 1ml vial it goes bad about three hours after it's reconstituted. All the "tear drops" left in the vial go to waste.

Nurse Rich got Niki a 2-month supply of hard-to-get Griper needles, and a note allowing her to fly to New Orleans with her factor and infusion supplies. Dr. Awesome brought it with her to the clinic in San Francisco. I called Niki's social worker one month ago about the letter, but she must have forgot to write it for me before she went on vacation. I know I've said this before, but Nurse Richard is the BOMB!  I honestly don't know where we would be if Dr. Awesome and Nurse Rich weren't so wonderful with Niki.

With that being said, John and I finally spilled the beans.

We let Dr. Awesome know that we were naming the baby after her. I was scared that she would be weirded out by it, but you know what she did? She started to tear. And I started to tear! And we hugged. :) And THAT is why John and I love her so much. Even though we don't go to a HTC, we know that our "medical family" genuinely cares about Niki. We're going to Oakland for our next visit so Niki can see Nurse Rich. 

I also mentioned to Dr. Awesome that Niki's case is probably going to be included in a "letter to the editor" for a medical journal. I don't want to go into details until it actually happens, but Niki is the first case that this factor VII deficiency expert knows of where NovoSeven was used as primary prophylactic treatment. Dr. Awesome is doing some awesome things with our little guinea pig!

So, Dr. Awesome is totally worth naming one of our children after. :)

Totally random note: I LOVE the way Tony Bennett sang "God Bless America." So SF!

Cookies & Blue Angels

We were originally supposed to take the kids to see the Blue Angels on Saturday 10/9/10, but John unexpectedly had to work on the car (the PT Cruiser). So, instead of having an impromptu chill session with my friends J&M to fill my day, I ended up staying home to tend to the cubs. I spent all of Saturday lounging in my house clothes and baking.

I learned very quickly that promising the kids that they could lick the bowl (after) does wonders to keep them well-behaved while I bake. The boys really enjoy measuring and mixing things together. Meanwhile, I use the opportunity to teach them about fractions. Niki simply enjoys snacking on whatever morsels of sweetness I give her. So, it's a win-win situation.

Let the picture parade commence...

 Oatmeal & Raisins...

 All mixed-up...

 Fresh Out of the Oven...

 The Finished Product...

 Getting Devoured by John...



My first batch of cookies were a special request from my MIL. She loves oatmeal raisin cookies which is why I whipped some up for her. John just so happened to come home when they were fresh out of the oven. He doesn't really have a sweet tooth, but he loves oatmeal raisin cookies. He devoured some too. Again, it was a win-win situation. :)

I was still in the mood to bake once the oatmeal raisin cookies were done. So, I decided to try a heirloom coconut-chocolate chip cookie recipe. John must have really enjoyed the oatmeal cookies because he decided to hang out with me while I baked. Let me just say that I love it when he keeps me company in the kitchen. I feel so...grown up. (Lol, if that makes any sense.) John snapped some pictures, helped me measure/mix when my arms got tired, and polished off a few of the cookies with Niki as they came out of the oven. Baking has become my therapy again. And I feel a little more Mommy-like too.

My Semi-Sweet Guy Measuring Some Semi-Sweet Chocolate

Coconut & Chocolate

 Me and Noie

Rounded Spoonfuls...sort of.

Before...

After...

My Cookie Monster...

In case you missed it, it was Fleet Week here in the Bay Area! I've always loved the way the City transforms during Fleet Week. (Especially the during the weekend.) All the beautiful people are out and about, love/lust is in the air, and it's tons-o-fun to kick back to see the ladies going ga-ga over cute sailors. (It's good luck to kiss a sailor, you know.) In our younger, pre-cub days, John and I would go out every year with our friends to cruise the City. We would take the Mustang, drive with the top down, and "people watch" on Broadway.

Good times!

It has been years since John and I experienced Fleet Week's "nightlife", but we've made it a family tradition to take the cubs to see the Blue Angels every year. The boys really enjoy the sound of the planes zooming overhead. I like spending time with my kiddos and explaining the world to them. There was nothing like a gorgeous Sunday in the City to make me feel refreshed for the work week! We attended the air show on Sunday, October 10th. Here a few pictures from the day...Enjoy!

He did.

 We paid $40 for parking at Pier 23!!!



 I see this guy everywhere! (Remember my pictures from Folsom?)

Hello, sailor!

Gotta LOVE SF.

 We finally made it.

 They were flying loooooowwwww...

 And high...

 Loooooowwwwww...

 And high....

I love the looks on their faces. :)

We spent the rest of the day enjoying the hot weather at Pier 39...

 Boo and Niki are lefty's. This store is total crap though.

 John and Uncle J carrying the Queen in her chariot. ;-)

The Little Lions

I wish every weekend was like this one. :)