Pet Peeve #2: Reckless or inconsiderate drivers
What am I doing these days?
Here's a short list of what I did yesterday:
1. Researched kindergarten options (more to come on this soon). Sounds early right? Believe me, it isn't. It's a very complicated situation in our area.
2. Spoke with a mortgage lender. We're curious to see if we are eligible for any special first-time homebuyer physician loans. This is in part related to #1.
3. Called our local AAA life insurance agent to discuss options and quotes. At my school's financial aid exit interview, I was reminded about the importance of life insurance for those who have children or other dependents. When our first was born, I remember thinking it would probably be a good idea to buy some. Seeing as how I am more than 3 years behind schedule, I figured I should take care of this before I start intern year. Looks like we'll be picking up some term insurance.
4. Shopped for dress shirts and ties for my husband online. Now that he'll be a real attending, he should probably look the part.
5. Made 3 dozen chocolate-chip cookies for my kids' preschool teachers in appreciation for all their hard work this week. It's the NAEYC Week of the Young Child and they've packed the week full of fun activities for the kids. More to come on this soon.
6. Finally finished my intern biography and survey (due today) as well as formatted a photo to send for their files. I have yet to read and sign my contract but I can get to that tomorrow.
7. Updated the website.
8. Purchased some travel insurance (again, through AAA) for our upcoming vacation. I usually don't buy into these things, but with all the airline bankruptcies and the ridiculous policy of specifically not covering strollers and carseats in their usual luggage damage protection, I figured $60 was not a terrible price to pay to make sure we were covered. Schedule delays, lost luggage, and health coverage were included too.
9. Three loads of regular laundry, and then the bath rugs as well (minor potty accident).
10. Collected some outgrown baby and maternity work clothing to pass on to a good friend.
There were a bunch of things I didn't get to yesterday, but are on deck for today:
1. Research, research, research!
2. Read through my residency contract, sign it, and mail it in.
3. Make a huge macaroni casserole for the daycare potluck tomorrow.
4. Organize my school loans (including undergrad) so I know who all my lenders are and what the repayment will be.
5. On a related note, fill out the paperwork to defer my subsidized loans while I am an intern.
There are more, but I should probably stop writing these lists and work on #4 and then start #3 so I can be ready in time for dinner.
Heparin contaminant may have originated in China
Up to 20% off Britax at Amazon.com
We have Britax Decathlons for both boys (fortunately we scored excellent deals on these), and really like them. If you have older models, don't forget to check out their recall (which is hardly a recall, since they just send you these tiny plastic rivets to stick in the bottom of the seat). They are very well-made car seats, and I always feel safe buckling them in. The boys also find them to be very comfortable. The only potential downside is that they are rather large and heavy if you need to move them around a lot. Fortunately, we hardly have to. And since they can be used for kids up to 65 pounds, we'll be able to use them for quite some time.
The sale lasts through March 2, 2008.
Update: eeboo Tot Tower recall
I just filled out the e-form, and will update again once I hear back. I think they will email me a prepaid UPS form to send it back. It's nice that they provide the shipping label, as it is totally a pain (and can be quite costly) to ship toys back when they are recalled. In many cases, it's not even worth it, and you pretty much have to toss the toy in the trash/recycling bin.
One thing kind of irks me about this replacement process. I bought the eeBoo blocks for $19 (full price I believe - the horror!), and the replacement is a matching game that retails at $12. I think that the replacement item should be comparable to (or even valued at more than) the recalled item. Just a courtesy and fairness thing, you know?
Recall: eeBoo Tot Tower toy blocks
We have these blocks (the ABC ones), but fortunately the boys haven't chewed on them much. In any case, I just sent an email to eeBoo and will update once they write back. I think you have to return them to the store or send them back to eeBoo (which is a pain). Recalls should be made easier for consumers, especially with the recent frequency.
You can contact them by phone or email (safety@eeboo.com)
(800) 791-5619 between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. ET Monday through Friday
More details can be found on the CPSC recall page.
Recall: Baby Einstein Discover & Play Color Blocks
In any case, we don't have these blocks, but I do know several families who do. Apparently, it's the blue block that is the culprit. You can find more details here and check to see if your product is affected here. I'm trying to be extra careful about what A puts in his mouth these days, since I really have no idea which toys are actually safe. He's much better now than he was a few months ago (he was practically tasting everything in sight), thank goodness.
Please, world, let's help
My family immigrated from Burma in 1975, for reasons that are now again becoming clear to the rest of the world. Jason and I visited my grandmother there several years ago (she has since passed on), and I was taken by what a peaceful society it was (with the exception of the military, of course). Strangers everywhere would approach us and invite us into their homes, chat with us at the marketplace, and welcome us to their community. It is a tragedy that despite fair elections favoring a democratic government, the military regime has refused to cooperate. Schools close without any notice, currency is deemed useless on any given day, and the military pretty much bullies its way through the country. Raw sewage runs alongside many of the town sidewalks, and many people are poor, hungry, and helpless. And I feel helpless. I've got lots of relatives there, specifically in the small towns where the military has now settled. I'm not sure what I can do, but I feel like I have to do something. I'll be looking into ways I can get involved once our living situation is more stable (I hate living among unpacked boxes - I can't find anything), but if anyone has ideas, I'd appreciate any suggestions.
I don't know much about politics, but I do feel that if there was ever an appropriate time for our government to invade another country, this might be one of them. I guess teak and jade don't compare to oil.
Britax Decathlon Recall
Britax Decathlon Child Restraint Model Numbers beginning with E9L47 Manufacture Dates: February 12, 2005 – July 31, 2007
Charlotte, NC, August 2007- Britax Child Safety, Inc. has decided that a defect, which relates to motor vehicle safety, exists in some Britax Decathlon child restraints.
Under certain circumstances, when the harness adjuster strap is pulled from an extreme side angle, the bezel may separate from the child restraint shell allowing the adjuster to move out of position inside the shell housing. Under these circumstances, caregivers may experience some difficulty while trying to properly adjust the harness. There have been no reported accidents or injuries.
The affected child restraints should not be returned to the Britax retailer. Britax will provide a free repair kit and detailed instructions to all owners beginning August 17, 2007. After August 17, 2007 consumers that have an affected Decathlon and have not registered their child restraint should contact Britax at www.DecathlonRecall.com to order a repair kit.
Visit the Britax site for more details, or go straight to the recall form.
Fisher Price/Mattel toy recall
With the recent uproar about toys with toxic lead levels (particularly those made in China), it's hard not to wonder if we own many more toys with lead-based paint. I did buy some lead test kits recently, but I haven't had a chance to use them yet. I think I will start testing the boys' favorite toys, and I'll post what I find out.
You can see the list of affected toys here. And keep trying if it says the server is too busy.
Update: Close Call
I guess I get pretty annoyed when I see drivers doing things that aren't really effective, but put other cars at risk of getting into an accident. I don't know how many times I have been driving next to someone who is swerving and speeding down the road, only to catch up to them at a traffic light several blocks later. I do think that there traffic rules can be rather conservative (65 mph on the freeway is much slower than then general flow of traffic these days), but they are there for a reason. And maybe I've just become extra cautious now that I have two little boys to worry about, but I'd like to think that we all share the road (and the privilege of being able to drive). I mean, many cars don't even stop at crosswalks around here, and it's a college campus!
I don't know what it is about being inside your own vehicle, but it seems like people have different personalities on the road. Something about enclosing yourself in a private box must feel very empowering and encourage behaviors that wouldn't otherwise be acceptable in an open face-to-face environment. When my dad was teaching me how to drive, he'd always say that a monkey can figure out how to step on the gas and speed, but it takes more skill to slow down and stay in control of your car.
Anyhow, that's enough ranting for now. It was pretty scary. I could feel my heart pounding at the stop light after that happened. If the kids hadn't been in the car with me, I would have gotten out of my car at that light and given the guy a piece of my mind. For all he knew, I could be the neighborhood carpool van this week, and his kids could have been inside my car.
The police department did follow up and Sargeant H. left a message on my phone, stating the driver was going to get a letter from the police. He also apologized for the inconsiderate driver (which really wasn't necessary) and thanked me for the report. There is actually a form online to report these types of incidents, and he said they often had to rely on regular citizens to report erratic behavior in case the police weren't around to see it. I didn't really know what to expect when I emailed them (I had read online that many states do send letters), but I guess that's the best we can do.
On the way home from picking up the kids, I saw one car run through a red light on a very busy street, screeching to avoid hitting cross traffic, and another one (driving next to me) run right through a stop sign that I was slowing down at, causing the pedestrians to scurry back onto the sidewalk. Sheesh.
Close call
I have never reported before, but this situation was so severe that I thought it was necessary. I was driving my two young children to daycare this morning and was exiting --- (going northbound) onto --- Ave. I was in the right lane, and as I neared the branch point (concrete divider), a gentleman in a white Toyota Celica (plate ---) in the second lane immediately veered across the lanes towards the exit (as if he had just realized he was about to miss his exit). I had to pull right to avoid being hit along the side of my minivan (where my infant was sitting), and I honked at him at length, to let him know I was right there in case he didn't see me. He made no motion except to veer a little to the left between myself and the divider, around my car and sped forward to the red traffic light. As I was sitting behind him (we were both waiting to turn left), I jotted down his license plate and car description to report. At that time, he was impatiently inching forward through the red light, perhaps late for work/class, or just knowing I was right there behind him. When the light changed, he sped off to the left towards the university and I turned as well. I made a right turn at --- Road towards the daycare, and he continued on towards campus.
I have been driving for 15 years (and have never gotten any traffic tickets whatsoever), and have experienced many near misses at the expense of reckless drivers, but this was the scariest, as his speed was very high and he missed my vehicle (and children) by mere centimeters. This is why I thought this instance was important to report. As a member of the --- and university communities, I am appalled at such recklessness when it comes to traffic safety in this neighborhood. I'm not sure how this information will help, but I am hoping it does something, if only just to let the driver know that his intent to save seconds off his commute time was at the expense of the safety of others.
Dear Toyota Celica driver,
You are a total jerk. I don't care if you want to risk your own life, but you are not the only one on the road.
Review: Angelcare Movement Sensor & Sound Monitor
