Stamford Talk: Eat, Think, Drive, Blog!

My Photos of Stamford's Movie Sets for "Everybody's Fine"

2009-12-08T13:50:00.001-05:00

Hee hee! This Advocate article features the owners of the home that was one of the 3 movie sets I stalked last spring. (The movie is "Everybody's Fine" with Robert DeNiro, Kate Beckinsale and Drew Barrymore, out in theaters now.)

At the first set, up in North Stamford, I met the location manager and security guy. That was this big beautiful white house.

And here were the signs and trucks I followed to get there:

The article features the second set, in Shippan, where I befriended some policemen and said howdy again to the same security guy. It's just a regular house.

The third set, I ran into the location manager, then one of the same policemen, and got to watch DeNiro work. And actually, that third set I didn't stalk. I was picking my mom up at the train station and happened to glance up and see the location manager. He was horrified to see me but begrudgingly let me know where they were filming (bus area).

These aren't pics of DeNiro. I am WAY TOO SUBTLE for that. These are the policemen and the guy walking in the dark sweatshirt is the location manager, Paul. (Geez, I just remembered his name. I am GOOD with names.)

The Shippan set was totally boring. I stood in the road for two hours, talking to the policemen between "quiet on the set"s- except the set was inside the house, but we still had to be quiet. There were a lot of people wearing black shirts and striding around importantly. But this boring two hours were what got me to know enough people to get close enough to watch DeNiro the third time.

And actually, before all this, I saw them filming on Wash Blvd. There was a car on a flatbed being filmed as it rode. I didn't see who was in the car, and the photo I snapped managed to get the flatbed truck, but not the car! But that was when I got my taste of movie glamour, and there was no looking back.

See? There's the flatbed. To the right, out of the photo, would be the actual car I was trying to photograph and failed, because there's only so much photography you can do while driving PAST something.

Stamford is NOT Drive-Thru Friendly...

2009-12-07T15:21:00.002-05:00

Is that why we're all so damn thin?

The kid fell asleep in the car on the way home from the pediatrician. I was starving but knew we had no food in the house. GREAT! I'll have a little adventure and go thru the Burger King Drive Thru up on High Ridge! That seemed like a "Typical Stay at Home Mom" thing to do, so since I go back to work in January, I figured I'd have that SAHM experience with a nice helping of fries. I had no cash, so I hit the ATM for a twenty, then went to turn into the Burger King. I got a little nervous when it didn't say "Drive Thru" under "Burger King," but I figured EVERY fast food place has a drive thru, or else what's the point. I pulled in. NO DRIVE THRU.

This was very disappointing. I wracked my brain- where else could I get food without exiting my car?

I know there is a drive thru McD's off of exit 9 (right? That's a drive thru right, or isn't it? Now I'm doubting myself.) and I know there's a Drive Thru Dunkin Donuts (exit 6) and Donut Delite (exit 9/Glenbrook). However, I didn't feel like driving that far across town to that McD's, nor did I want donuts or bagels. I wanted fries. And ketchup. And, either a burger or chicken- I hadn't decided.

Instead, I drove home, where I made the risky move of removing the baby from the car. Fortunately he stayed asleep and gave me time to boil some soba noodles and put peanut butter on them. (Delicious.) He's still sleeping, so I'm getting time to blog. All in all this worked out for the best because I got blogging time AND healthier food, but I had gotten excited for junk food. I still wish I had that fast food option for times when the baby falls asleep in the car at an inopportune time.

Bone Marrow Registry Sunday/Monday

2009-12-04T14:13:00.000-05:00

The husband of a good friend and fellow Stamfordite is hosting a bone marrow registration drive over the next few days. One of their best friends has leukemia, so they are hoping for a match. The Monday registration site is on Harbor Drive in Stamford, so I hope some readers can take time out of their day to go and get a cheek swab! Thanks in advance for considering, and please pass the word on, especially if you know anyone who works down there.

Here is part of a note from my friend's husband:

Bone marrow transplants are used as therapy for a variety of serious conditions, including leukemia, Hodgkin’s disease and other deficiencies of the blood and enzymes.

Although statistically, the chances that you will ultimately be asked to provide a transplant are low (about one in a thousand), if you are a match for somebody, you will almost certainly save their life.

The sample process is a simple cheek swab which takes seconds to complete. Indeed, it will take you longer to fill out the paperwork. If you are someday contacted to donate bone marrow, the donation process has never been easier. The vast majority of donors (about 80%) can use a PAINLESS non-surgical outpatient process similar to donating plasma.

The particulars of the two registry drives are as follows:

Sunday, December 6, 2009, 8:00am – 12:15pm
Norwalk, CT
Congregation Beth El
109 East Avenue, “Garden” Room
Norwalk, CT 06851

Monday, December 7, 2009, 11:30am – 5:00pm
Stamford, CT
CRT Capital Group LLC
262 Harbor Drive, Second Floor
Stamford, CT 06902
CONTACT: Duncan at dyin@hdam.com or (203) 856-8148
Directions can be found on company website crtllc.com

Tiger Woods Home Price vs. Stamford Prices

2009-12-01T08:19:00.003-05:00

"Authorities were called to Tiger Woods' 2.4 million dollar home..."
"Tiger Woods pulled out of the driveway of his 2.4 million dollar home..."

I can't tell you how many times I've heard his home price quoted in the news reports. I guess they're thinking that's pricey, but I look at the mansion, and I think, "That's it?!?" That might seem like a crazy reaction to someone in a more isolated area, but I'm telling you, I can't find a decent 3 bedroom in Stamford for under 550,000, so a mansion at 5 times the price, on a lake in Florida, seems like a REALLY GOOD DEAL. Is he in a really crappy part of Florida or something?

Also, is anyone else surprised the 911 caller didn't scream at some point, "Oh my god, it's Tiger Woods!" I'm impressed by that person's discretion.

I tell ya, it's a weird story overall. I don't really buy his wife smashing out the back window of the Escalade to save him, because I don't even think the side of the car was blocked by the tree. Why would she haul him ALL THE WAY out the back, over the center row of seats, if she could just get him out a side window.

Whatever happened was pretty bad, whether Tiger and Elin had a fight, or he just hit the tree as he was running to CVS for Baby Tylenol at 2:30 am, or he was having one of those Ambien sleep-walking episodes... hitting your neighbor's tree stinks no matter who you are.

Stamford Hates Leaves

2009-11-25T11:43:00.003-05:00

I get it, leaf-collecting truck, you are backing up!!! And have been doing so for the last 10 minutes! But guess what! My baby is sleeping!!!

OK, there. I just had to get that out. (Oh, and now they are using a LEAF BLOWER to get what the BEEPING TRUCK missed. Right outside my baby's window.) I mean, I'm glad they are taking the leaves out of the road, because the leaves cause the cars speeding up and down my residential road to careen dangerously close me as they roar around the leaf piles.

Oh, it is quite a symphony of machines outside the window right now. Thank God for "Ocean Waves" on repeat on the baby's CD player.

Aaaaand now the leaf truck is speeding past my house with leaves in its plow.

Every year. Every year, this leaf craziness impresses me. Aaaaand now I hear the baby stirring. Beep, beep, beep. The war on leaves. Because leaves, I guess, are evil.

Thankful For... Stamford Edition

2009-11-24T17:19:00.004-05:00

I am thankful for...

--the lactation consultants at Stamford Hospital, and the mother's group they run on Wednesdays and Fridays
--the Stamford Police, who I think do a really good job, even if I mostly just see them directing traffic around annoying construction sites
--Vinny's Backyard BBQ, for being so baby-friendly, yet always having plenty of wine and thin crust pizza
--Stamford Museum and Nature Center for being free on Wednesdays, and for having such cool exhibits
--Bellini's awesome, if pricy, baby furniture
--the baby section of Bed Bath and Beyond
--Beldotti's Bakery and DiMare Pastry Shop, for making great cookies so easily available to me
--Mrs. Green's, for carrying kooky organic stuff, so I don't have to drive to Whole Foods Greenwich
--Tully Health Center Walk In Clinic
--new blog, Stamford 411, by the Advocate staff

What about you? What Stamford stuff are you thankful for? What did I forget?

I'll go back later and add more links, but for now, I hear the baby fussing!

On Spam and Eggplant

2009-11-19T07:14:00.003-05:00

Oh my god. The baby distracted me for a second, and rather than REJECT 28 spam comments, I PUBLISHED them. I hate myself, but this gives me a chance to share with you a really funny piece of spam I got a long time ago and saved because it was just too funny to trash. I blogged about eggplant parm, and someone left this comment:

ooo... i am an eggplant superfan! sigh. i want the spicy eggplant sooooo badly right now. with rice.
Here I bought a sauce pack so as to skip all the seasonings! and i will try this friday after work. (address of product etc.)

I like the wistfulness of the opening line, and the love this spammer clearly feels for eggplant. I also like envisioning his busy work week, pining for eggplant until he has time to make it on the weekend, but not enough time to season it himself.

I am an eggplant superfan too, especially when it's in the spicy green curry from Little Buddha.

Not So Smart Car

2009-11-16T21:57:00.000-05:00

Last night around 5:30, we passed through a quiet four way stop, and my husband said, "Whoa!" It was dark, but out of the corner of my eye, I saw a car passing behind us.
Me: "What, did that car almost hit us?"
Husband: "No, his lights weren't on!"
Ironically, it was a little blue Smart Car stupidly forgetting to turn on headlights, driving around Stamford almost invisible to other drivers.

You really do need to be on your toes around here. I can't tell you how many drivers seemed determined to sideswipe me as I drove around this weekend.

High Ridge Starbucks Hideousness?

2009-11-14T18:59:00.004-05:00

Did the High Ridge Starbucks purposefully change their design to this cold, open space, or were they just preparing for a square dance tonight? I don't know, because I haven't been there in a while. I'm hoping it's just temporary. You know, for the rave they're hosting tonight, so they had to move all the chairs out. Seriously what is going on with that place? The space seems very unwelcoming.

My husband reported that the staff was also very "enh." He waited a while for my pumpkin spice latte, then said, "Is there a pumpkin spice latte coming?" And the barista said, "Oh, I forgot it," in a very "whatever" tone. Not, "Oh, sorry 'bout that." I mean, at least pretend like you care.

Contrast that with the very friendly girls behind the counter at Beldotti's where we stopped after for some banana bread. That's what we had for our late lunch today, plus an AWESOME black and white cookie!

And then we had Layla's for dinner. It was a true day of laziness for the Stamford Talk household.

On Faces: Stamford Chimp Attack Victim

2009-11-12T08:25:00.002-05:00

I'm scared to look at her face, I think because it's going to make me feel bad for her. Although, from what she says, she doesn't feel bad for herself, so I'm not sure why I'm being overdramatic about it. I think we've all felt pretty bad about the case from the start. What happened to Charla Nash was, obviously, terrible.

So, I appreciate the Stamford Advocate's headline:
Disturbing video: Stamford woman attacked by chimp reveals face on...

"Disturbing" is a subjective term, but I'm going to take their word for it. From what I can see in the still shot that starts the video, she simply does not have much of a face. And that's all I want to know. I feel guilty for saying that, but I have enough trouble sleeping as it is without having that image to think about as I lie awake trying to get back to sleep after the baby's nighttime wakings.

Pretty amazing recovery she's made, though. I recall they were worried about brain injury, and if Nash can go on Oprah and advocate for tougher exotic animal laws, she must be doing OK. I'm happy for her daughter, that even if her mother is physically disfigured, she can at least have an intact personality. Charla Nash seems like a pretty cool lady from what I've read about her.

Baby-Friendly Yoga for Moms!

2009-10-27T21:25:00.001-04:00

I have found some amazing stuff in my months home with my baby.
1. Stamford Hospital Moms Group (every new mom should go to this- Fridays at 11- I made a bunch of awesome new friends plus I love the lactation consultants who run it!)
2. Baby Yoga (the babies do the yoga!) at Elements Yoga in Darien
3. Fairfield County Attachment Parenting Meetup Group
4. My latest thing, Baby-Friendly Yoga at Glow Yoga in Greenwich.

I used to work with Jenn, Glow's owner, and she happens to have a baby about the same age as mine. We wanted to do yoga together with other moms, but do it in a way that the babies could be there. I wasn't sure how our crawlers would allow the moms to do yoga, but we met up today for the first class and it went great.

Basically, the yoga studio is set up with places for the babies to play while the moms do yoga. The non-crawlers can chill on a blanket, and for the crawlers, well, we have an arsenal of containment and entertainment. Pack and play, exersaucer, walker, or just let them roam. In the picture above, you see Jenn containing a baby while a mom does a move. The other great thing about baby-friendly yoga is that there is no pressure for your kid to "be good" or "be quiet" during the class. If you have to get off your mat to feed your kid or change a diaper, no one finds that weird.

Please contact Jenn at jennifferahanson@gmail.com to sign up for the baby-friendly class, or for any of her other classes. She is a wonderful teacher, and in class today, she helped me modify moves because I have a) hip pain and b) elbow pain. (So, other moms should not be intimidated, because I am here to set low standards for you all.)

Please pass the word on to any new(ish) moms that you know!

Glow is just off exit 5 in Greenwich, so very convenient to Stamford.

It's That Time of Year Again: Summer--> Leaf Piles--> Dark Winter

2009-10-27T10:07:00.006-04:00

This is the best time of fall.
The leaves are a beautiful color as they float to the ground.
Everyone's football team still has a chance.
It's sometimes warm in the afternoon.
We haven't set the clocks back yet, so it's still light at 5pm.
The stress of the impending holidays hasn't yet hit.
It's not unpleasantly cold.
Kids still feel OK about school.

In general, I don't yet feel the time crunch that starts to happen after Halloween, when we set the clocks back, and when the daytime is pinched by early darkness, and when it feels like there's just not enough time to get things done before it's pitch black out. Once the Christmas shopping starts, that's when the stress starts. Money and time go out the window. It takes a lot to not fall into that harried state.

Winter is coming.

The leaf piles are starting to build in the street... but not yet forcing me to walk fully in the road... with my baby, amid all the speeding, careless drivers who think that 3 feet is plenty of space for their SUV to give a stroller. Oh, I feel the rage building.

As the leaf piles grow, I do feel the time starting to close in, but I don't think it will feel bad until after Halloween, when it's- UGH!- November! I'm going to work hard to maintain my "everything is cool" feeling that I've had ever since the baby was born.

I'm looking forward to the holiday lights downtown... and... more afternoons at the Stamford Museum and Nature Center... What else does Stamford have to offer us this winter? I need something to hang on to!

Related posts:
-- October 21, 2008-- Leaf Piles: Fall, FC Style

--November 27, 2008-- Blue Holiday Lights Downtown: I Like 'Em

--November 19, 2008-- Let's Get Rid of These Leaves!

Youth Football Follies

2009-10-25T07:40:00.003-04:00

Local sports teams practice on a field near my house where I sometimes walk. Last week, the main sport seemed to be the coaches yelling at the kids. There was so much yelling that I started to think it really wasn't a football practice so much as the "mad coach show." Here are some (pretty much) direct quotes:

"It's week six! WEEK- SIX! And you STILL don't huddle right! You don't come OUT of the huddle right! You don't even line UP right! ...And could you NOT interject a comment after everything I say!"

I should really start bringing pen and paper on my walks, because there were some other funny lines I don't remember.

Here's what I've learned after 11 years of teaching: if you have to yell at kids about the same thing twice, the problem is YOU, not the kids. It's a management issue.

Here's what I suggest to these yelling coaches: Rather than berating, state the problem, the desired solution, and the consequence. (And probably a reward.)
For example: "I'm seeing you line up too slowly. When I say 'go,' you line up as fast as you can. If you don't do it in under 4 seconds, you are ALL running laps. If there's improvement by the end of practice, I'll let you run one less sprint than usual." They'll probably have to run laps twice, but then they'll get lined up faster for the rest of practice.
(Oh, and if anyone walks during laps, the whole team has to keep running until the slowest player finishes.)

I teach the age group of these kids, so I have a lot of sympathy for the coaches. Kids aren't easy to manage, especially middle school boys who are trying to look cool for each other.
But I also have sympathy for the kids who are having their time wasted getting yelled at. A teacher or coach who has a good management system will not have to yell. When you are new, though, you don't understand it's actually more important to have a good management system (and maybe get nothing done at first) rather than try to get stuff done with kids who sense you don't have a good structure to your discipline.

Kids, especially boys, love consequences. Once I had a very boy-heavy class, and I read up on what works best with boys (keep them active, lots of competition, strict rules). I ran my classroom like a football team. "OK, people! Here is what I wanna see! If I don't see it, here's what's gonna happen to you! I repeat: Do this, do not do that, and if I like what I see, I'll reduce your homework a bit. GO!" And when someone messed up, I punished them. They LOVED it. They ate it up. They loved when I threatened them and then followed through on it. They were almost ecstatic.

I'm not joking, they'd cheer for me when I punished someone who didn't follow the expected behavior. It was like we were in a gladiator arena. They would jump out of their chairs and roar their approval.
(And when I say punish, I mean, the person had to like, come after school to close my windows, or be the last to leave for lunch. But if you say it's a punishment, they interpret something little like that as undesirable. The kids were fabulous, so we had a good time with it all. And they did some great writing for me.)

Obama Visits the West Side!

2009-10-23T17:13:00.004-04:00

Maybe he's been reading Stamford Talk, because that is my old stomping grounds, which I blogged about in "Southfield Area: Diversity, Boats, Hoods" (includes description of my famous public rollerblading wipeout).

Obama swung by Eastern Land Management on Selleck St, between Southfield Ave and Exit 6. I feel kind of good that Obama saw a not fabulous part of town before hitting the swanky Hilton. I mean, the rest of Stamford is so boring-looking! (Except Cove- Cove area is interesting looking.)
A commenter on the previous post said that Eastern Land Management received some federal stimulus money. Wonder what for? From the ELM site, they are a landscaping company, nothing too complicated. I guess local small businesses received some stimulus money?

I'm watching News 12 but not seeing much Obama coverage.
Click here, though, for an Advocate photo of Marine One landing in Stamford!

WHAT Local Biz is Obama Gonna Visit Today?

2009-10-23T07:32:00.003-04:00

I have no clue. What ONE local business is worthy of a stop by Obama? Guesses? Umm, Colony Pizza? Ummm, St. Luke's Lifeworks? UBS? RBS?

I need to get a good tip so the baby and I can make a sign that says ~~"We Love Obama"- no-~~ "Kick Butt Barack." Yeah, that's a good message. It expresses my support, rather than unabashed, unconditional love, and encourages him to keep his nose to the grindstone to solve our nation's problems.

If you don't believe I will make a sign, you don't know me at all.

Flu Shot Has Flown the Coop, but Obama Will Be Landing in Stamford

2009-10-22T22:29:00.007-04:00

I'm hating myself because Stamford Hospital ran out of regular flu vaccine before I could get my act together and get the shot.
However, if I get a glimpse of President Obama's helicopter tomorrow, I will feel better. I know he's arriving at the Hilton for a fundraiser, but does anyone know what time?
(And uh isn't this going to cause some traffic problems especially because the Hilton is right by 95? Mental note do NOT go near train station Friday night!)
Edit, Fri AM: Offfff course when I checked my google reader at 3 am, there are three articles in the Advocate about this! A Stamford Times article says the fundraising dinner starts at 5, and that before Obama goes there, he is making a stop at a local business. I NEED TO KNOW WHAT THAT BUSINESS IS, PEOPLE. The baby and I really want to catch a glimpse of the O.

An Advocate article says, in what I can only assume is a joke, "Though President Obama's motorcade is expected to arrive at the Stamford Hilton during Friday evening rush hour, police do not expect significant traffic issues." That must be an attempt to be funny. Anyone who's spent any time on 95 knows that a spare tire on the side of the road can cause significant issues, much less Marine One swooping by.

If I didn't have this baby, and if the weather were going to be nice, I might go hang out near the train station. But it's cloudy and cool, and I'm not really sure if it's responsible mothering to drag your baby to the Stamford train station and hang out there for an hour or two just to see a helicopter. But if I could get a hint of what that local business is....

Swine Flu Freaking Me Out

2009-10-15T07:54:00.006-04:00

I am freaking out about swine flu.

I was already freaking out last week after a friend told me her friend's 5 year old was hospitalized in TX with kidney failure from H1N1. This was a previously healthy kid.
THEN I got an email from a friend in VA yesterday. Her coworker's kid went to a birthday party 2 weeks ago at an elementary school. Every kid at the party came down with the swine flu, and the birthday boy died. ~~Again, a previously healthy kid.~~ Correction: article says the boy had a pre-existing heart condition. Still.

My friend Meg of Fairfield County Child has a post up about where to get the swine flu vaccine (summary: good luck, places have it totally randomly, like the Darien Y has it today, I think the nose spray version). Some pediatricians have the nose spray available, I think, for ages 2-4. Mine doesn't, though. It's a crapshoot, pretty much.

I am definitely getting the swine flu shot or spray for myself. I am leaning toward getting it for my baby, too. I cannot imagine the effects of the vaccine could be worse than the actual swine flu and its accompanying complications. For goodness' sake, the kid ended up in the ER (twice) when we got the flu in CA, and I don't think that was even swine flu. Or maybe it was. But he never had a fever. But they say if you had flu this year, 95% chance it was swine. So maybe we did. That flu we got was certainly frighteningly contagious, which swine supposedly is.

I suppose if I were going to stay home with the baby all winter, and forego playdates and baby classes until flu season is over, I might feel OK about not getting him vaccinated. But one, I don't want to be a total hermit, and two, I'm going to be teaching in January, and he's going to be in daycare, so both he and I will be around a lot of germs. Sigh. I hate to submit my kid to untested vaccines, but this vaccine is made the same way all the other flu vaccines are.

My question is, why WOULDN'T I vaccinate him for swine flu? I'm getting him all the other standard vaccines, including regular flu, so why wouldn't I do one more? He's far more likely to come into contact with swine flu than polio or hepatitis B.

I do see how it seems crazy to give little kids so many vaccines, especially in the first year. I mean, it sucks either way, whether I do it or not.

Good luck to all of you, especially parents, in making your decisions.

Flu Vaccines: Regular Here, Swine Vacc a Comin

2009-10-10T11:46:00.003-04:00

I think I'm gonna bite the bullet and get the swine flu vaccine.
1. I'm a teacher.
2. I have a baby. He already had flu/stomach bug in September, and the sight of your infant vomiting is not pleasant, even if it doesn't go on and on for five days like my baby's did. (For all I know, we already had swine flu.)

Now, Stamford is not yet offering swine flu vaccine to the regular population, so I can't get it yet, but I'm going to swing by Tully next week to get the regular flu shot. My baby already got his first of his two-dose regular flu shot (my pediatricians, like many others, have not yet taken a position on giving kids swine flu shots- I'll cross that bridge later). I do know that I'm going to get the swine flu vaccine, and I'll probably make my husband get it.

Check out this Conn Post article for info.

I'm no vaccine pusher, especially for tiny babies, but my baby's flu was really hard on him- I don't want that to happen again. We had to go to the ER and get IV fluids because of the repeated vomiting, and then after that, he stopped eating/drinking for a few days. It was not good, and he was really only better after a whole week of round the clock care on my part, which was also pretty hard on me.

I used to have a much more wary view of vaccines, but know that I've seen how hard a little old flu can be on a baby, I am knocking down my pediatrician's door to get whatever vacc they are offering (mostly an exaggeration, I'm just saying, I now feel way better about vaccines even though they are a little controversial).

Raising Awareness for Juvenile Myositis

2009-10-02T05:36:00.002-04:00

As a Stamford blogger, I am fortunate to know most of the other local bloggers, including the wonderful Kevin McKeever of Always Home and Uncool. Kevin has asked our blog community to post the following essay to raise awareness in the blogosphere of juvenile myositis, a rare autoimmune disease his daughter was diagnosed with on this day seven years ago.

*

Our pediatrician admitted it early on.

The rash on our 2-year-old daughter's cheeks, joints and legs was something he'd never seen before.

The next doctor wouldn't admit to not knowing.

He rattled off the names of several skins conditions -- none of them seemingly worth his time or bedside manner -- then quickly prescribed antibiotics and showed us the door.

The third doctor admitted she didn't know much.

The biopsy of the chunk of skin she had removed from our daughter's knee showed signs of an "allergic reaction" even though we had ruled out every allergy source -- obvious and otherwise -- that we could.

The fourth doctor had barely closed the door behind her when, looking at the limp blonde cherub in my lap, she admitted she had seen this before. At least one too many times before.

She brought in a gaggle of med students. She pointed out each of the physical symptoms in our daughter:

The rash across her face and temples resembling the silhouette of a butterfly.

The purple-brown spots and smears, called heliotrope, on her eyelids.

The reddish alligator-like skin, known as Gottron papules, covering the knuckles of her hands.

The onset of crippling muscle weakness in her legs and upper body.

She then had an assistant bring in a handful of pages photocopied from an old medical textbook. She handed them to my wife, whose birthday it happened to be that day.

This was her gift -- a diagnosis for her little girl.

That was seven years ago -- Oct. 2, 2002 -- the day our daughter was found to have juvenile dermatomyositis, one of a family of rare autoimmune diseases that can have debilitating and even fatal consequences when not treated quickly and effectively.

Our daughter's first year with the disease consisted of surgical procedures, intravenous infusions, staph infections, pulmonary treatments and worry. Her muscles were too weak for her to walk or swallow solid food for several months. When not in the hospital, she sat on our living room couch, propped up by pillows so she wouldn't tip over, as medicine or nourishment dripped from a bag into her body.

Our daughter, Thing 1, Megan, now age 9, remembers little of that today when she dances or sings or plays soccer. All that remain with her are scars, six to be exact, and the array of pills she takes twice a day to help keep the disease at bay.

What would have happened if it took us more than two months and four doctors before we lucked into someone who could piece all the symptoms together? I don't know.

I do know that the fourth doctor, the one who brought in others to see our daughter's condition so they could easily recognize it if they ever had the misfortune to be presented with it again, was a step toward making sure other parents also never have to find out.

That, too, is my purpose today.

It is also my birthday gift to my wife, My Love, Rhonda, for all you have done these past seven years to make others aware of juvenile myositis diseases and help find a cure for them once and for all.

To read more about children and families affected by juvenile myositis diseases, visit Cure JM Foundation at www.curejm.org.

To make a tax-deductible donation toward JM research, go to www.firstgiving.com/rhondaandkevinmckeever or www.curejm.com/team/donations.htm.

Stamford Talk Note: Even if you don't donate, I think it's important to be aware of this disease in case your child or the child of someone you know ever shows symptoms like this.

Cove Beach Marking: Driving Grown Men Insane

2009-09-29T16:06:00.003-04:00

Well of course a 43 year old rollerblader attacked a man and his 4 year old son on a trike! Have YOU ever tried to decipher the markings of the track and path at Cove Beach?

From the Advocate: Shortly after 9 a.m. Monday, Karamon was skating down the path when he allegedly shouted and cursed at the father that his four-year-old son on a tricycle was in a designated area for in-line skaters, Cooney said.
"Mr. Karamon's contention is that the four-year-old was on the wrong side of the path," Cooney said. "But the path is for use by everybody and we can't have Rollerbladers or anybody cursing out people."
A short while later Karamon was approaching the family again and collided with the father who shielded his four- and two-year-old sons, Cooney said.

Well then, what DO those signs on the round track mean when they show a bike and a skate on the inner loop? Doesn't that mean "this track is for fast people, slow traffic stay out of the way?" Although I won't attack your kid over it, I always thought that slow traffic was supposed to stay on the outside.

I blame the annoying signage for this incident. It really does give the impression that walkers and slow things should be in one lane to let fast bikers and bladers pass by in the other. The problem is that Cove gives the impression that it can be used by really fast people on wheels, when, evidently according to this article, there are NO safety measures to ensure that 4 year olds on trikes don't get run down by testosterone-raging middle aged male rollerbladers.

Stamford Parks and Rec, this is your fault!

(And, that guy obviously LOST HIS POOPIE.)

My baby's shrieking, gotta run! We both have a cold and are hating life right now.

DO NOT THROW ME AWAY!!!

2009-09-25T08:48:00.008-04:00

That was the stern- and ironic!- message written on a cardboard box that my husband put out with the trash this week.

Husband: The guys didn't take that cardboard box.
Me, in "duh" voice: They don't TAKE cardboard, you have to tie it up with string for recycling.
Husband: Of course, it also probably didn't help that you'd written "Do not throw away" on the box.

At this point, I collapsed in laughter. I forgot that I'd written "Do not throw me away!" on that box to remind myself that it contained a cool, yet very lightweight, serving platter.

I wonder what the trash guys thought when they read the box. The really embarrassing part of the story is that another side of the box said, "Use me for a par-tay."

I obviously was NOT going to put the box outside like that. I was going to bundle it up with the other 1,000 boxes in our basement. My husband finds it hard to believe that they won't just take our boxes, so sometimes he brazenly leaves them out with the Toter trash bin.
I laugh whenever I think about the ridiculous message(s) on the box.

Little Buddha: Curry of Champions

2009-09-18T19:58:00.003-04:00

A friend came over with her baby to visit today, and we ordered curry from Little Buddha: she the red with chicken, I the green with beef. I scarfed mine down while my tired baby fussed in a bouncy seat, and she managed to eat hers while her son military crawled around my living room, eating my shoes, shredding my Shape magazine, and pulling over our fireplace wood on himself.

I don't think I'll ever order that red curry, because the green transports me to another world... a world of very spicy food unlike anything else in Stamford. All I needed today was a glass of white wine, or maybe a pale ale, to go with that... but maybe that would have transported me too far!

You can't go wrong with Little Buddha for delivery; our total was 19 bucks for lunch portions. We both would have liked more rice, but you know, us new moms are trying to fit back into our pants... so that's OK.

Starbucks Really is Leaving Me

2009-09-17T20:39:00.003-04:00

Today I was really, really tired. I got motivated to go to the grocery store with the idea that I could grab a latte at the Starbucks inside the Super Stop and Shop. After wrapping up in the dairy and frozen food, I headed back to the Starbucks near the produce and entrance. IT WAS GONE. The Starbucks was gone. The chairs and tables were there, but the coffee-making area was full of boxes. "I'm not going to freak out," I muttered to the baby. (It's a testament to my fatigue level that I didn't notice it when I was IN the produce area upon entering the store.)

I had heard that the Ridgeway Starbucks (on Summer St., right by LA Fitness and Old Navy) was closing, but the SSS closing was a shocker to me. On reflection, the SSS was much less busy that the Ridgeway one, so it makes sense. Still, that didn't help my tired and grumpy mood.

I guess we're left with High Ridge and Ferguson Library locations. Well, Starbucks, it was nice having you so close to me, but now that's over. First the Newfield, now this. We doubted that Stamford was a five Starbucks town, and we were right. There may be another Starbucks I'm forgetting, but the baby is fussing, so I gotta run!

I'd Hammer Out a Love- Between- My Brothers and My Sisters- Aaaaall Over this Laaaaand!

2009-09-17T07:23:00.006-04:00

I'm sad to hear about Mary Travers' death. I met her once and she was really kind. Cheers to her for making such inspiring music- and for marching for Civil Rights, which I didn't know.
Mary, of Peter Paul and Mary, passed away at Danbury Hospital; she'd been fighting leukemia the past few years. My condolences to her family and friends.

To the West Coast and Back

2009-09-15T10:30:00.000-04:00

Wow. Blogging again. Feels weird.

About my long absence: we took a trip to Seattle and California, and thought I'd have time to do some blogging there. Ha! On our second day in CA, both Baby Q (almost 6 months now!) and I got the flu. I got better in a day, but for Q, the next two weeks were composed of 4 doctor visits, 2 ER visits (with 2 bags of IV fluid), countless calls to doctors and lactation consultants, and a pound lost that we are still struggling to regain. We've been home for a few days and are lying low, trying to get back into our routine and make sure he is eating enough. This is the first morning I've had time to set him aside to play while I open my laptop!

On a positive note, Seattle was pretty darn cool, and so was CA (San Fran area). I got to to see my niece and nephews (2, 4 and 6) and they are each so special. My husband flew out after the second ER trip, and Q pretended like he was better, so we got to hit Napa briefly. Of course, the night my husband left, Q vomited 4 times. That was a week ago, and he's been fine since.

As usual, mad props to the lactation consultants at Stamford Hospital, specifically Ellen and Eva, who counseled me over the phone while I was away. They are such a valuable resource, and they are FREE, which is amazing. I highly recommend their Friday Mother's Group to all new moms, breastfeeding or not- I made such awesome friends through it and learned a lot.