Wednesday, November 29, 2006

Still alive, I think :)

Hey folks, sorry for the lack of posting as of late. We went to Mexico over the holidays and I'm working on summarizing the trip in a different post. I'm still getting caught up here and there, so that's the story.

And just to see how many countries I can go to in the shortest amount of time, I'm off to Brazil in about 2 weeks with work.

Before you get any ideas, this will not be the most glamorous trip in the world. I'll have to (get to?) wear a hard hat, safety glasses and steel-toed shoes while I'm at work. And when you add on the fact that there is no indoor plumbing yet at the office, well, you start to get the picture.

So, more updates coming soon. I promise.

In the mean time, here are the various things in the works in the Rama household:
  • Finish up Thank You notes from the wedding!!! Oy!
  • Decorate for Christmas - yay!
  • Unpack from Mexico
  • Pack for Brazil
  • Figure out what the heck we're doing for the holidays
  • Shop for Christmas presents
  • Briefly entertain the idea of sending out Christmas cards
  • Learn basic Portuguese
  • And on, and on, and on :)

Thursday, November 16, 2006

Doh!

Every now and then, I arrive at work to see that I've been visited in the night by the cubicle elves. Those little guys sometimes leave trinkets and PR garb on our desks when new processes or new HR policies come out.

Well, the latest gadget was a little alien desk clock. He kind of looks like a little space alien guy and has a paper-holder built into his space helmet. Yeah, he's classy.

So anyways, I wanted to set the clock, naturally. I took out the instructions that were placed in his helmet and started perusing them. I did a double take at first, making sure that I could still read properly.


Behold the power of grammar check.

P.S. And yes, I'm a big enough dork to have taken a picture of it.

Monday, November 13, 2006

Gig 'em?

This weekend, the soon-to-be Kuceras joined us for a trip down to Aggieland. Amar had never been to A&M before, so this was a great opportunity to see the campus and take in a good ol' fashioned college football game.

Well, at least that was our hope.

The campus tour went off without a hitch, as the Aggies showed the non-Aggies around. We saw old dorms, old friends, and lots of really, really young-looking freshmen. We even saw some kids in Aggie shirts that read "Class of 2013." Talk about an age check. That really made all of us feel old.


We had lunch at Hullabaloo, downstairs in the MSC. Then we made it outside in time to see the Fightin' Texas Aggie Band march into Kyle Field. Everyone got the A&M garb that they needed, and after a few brief photo-ops, we headed up, up, up to our seats.

We climbed up to the tip top of The Zone and settled in, hoping that the Aggies would not disappoint...especially since this was Amar's inaugural college football game. Right before the game, there was a flyover by 4 planes in honor of Veteran's Day. It was pretty cool (I'll post a video on YouTube later...), but since we were already at a relatively high altitude, for the first few seconds of the flyover, our section was bracing for a possible direct hit.

Well, if you watched it on t.v. or read the recap, it wasn't the best game that's even been played at Kyle Field. We endured the first half, as the Aggies struggled to make a first down. After a great performance by the band, the second half was underway. After we took the lead, our whole section was optimistic about us being able to pull it off.

And then, with 2 minutes left to go, we flushed ourselves down the toilet yet again. Before the game started, I mentioned that I didn't trust our team. And I was right. What business do we have calling a timeout in a situation like that? What business do we have making plays that put the other team in scoring range? What business do we have running out of bounds when we're trying to run out the clock? Ugh!

I think our post-game picture tells the whole story.

Friday, November 10, 2006

Friday?

This week has gone by very slowly. Someone said that Monday felt like it should be Thursday, and I couldn't have agreed more.

Today began with much that same sentiment.

I tried something different with my hair.

I put my makeup on while driving to work.

I got to work, bought a muffin and some coffee and headed up to my desk.

I turned the corner to my aisle and a guy that I work with exclaimed, "Wow! You look miserable!"

"I look miserable?" I replied, and continued on to my desk.

I redid my hair and double-checked my makeup.

I proceeded to work at my desk and in meetings for the next few hours.

I then decided to leave for lunch, so I started to walk to my car.

I met up with some girls I work with and we all headed to the parking lot together.

"Do I look miserable?" I asked, hoping they would emphatically deny that I did.

"Well, I wouldn't say miserable exactly..." said one girl.

The other chimed in, "More like beat down."







Yeah. I'm glad it's Friday.

Friday, November 03, 2006

Fun for free!

For our date night this week, Amar and I went to a book reading. Prior to that, I had never been to a book reading before. But let me just tell you, my friends, it was really worth the time. And it was free, so it was definitely worth the money ;)

We went to hear John Hodgman. Three weeks ago I had no idea who this guy was. I think his book was linked to in some article I was reading, so I looked into what he was working on. Once I saw a picture of him, I instantly recognized him from the Apple ads. He's the PC guy.

So I read about his book, about his sense of humor, and I also started reading his blog. He seemed to have a dry, nerdy sense of humor (I mean that in a good way, John, if you're reading this). And honestly, that was somewhat appealing to me. I was hoping he'd be the same in person.

Well, he was. And it was a riot.

The second floor of Book People was filled with eager fans. We got there early and got pretty good seats. He and his troubadour, Jonathan Coulton, put on quite a nice show. Jonathan even performed his original piece titled "Code Monkey" which seemed to be quite a hit with the crowd.

Last night we caught him on the Daily Show, as he is their Resident Expert. Not bad at all, my friends...

Here's a link to his book: The Areas of My Expertise. If you're the kind of person that's into fake trivia, then you should really check it out. Or, if you're the kind of person that gets a kick out of reading 700 hobo names, then this book is also for you. You will not be disappointed.

Thursday, November 02, 2006

Ode to winter shoes

Now that winter is upon us here in Central Texas, and we've officially turned the heater on in our apartment, it's time to start pulling out the winter gear.

Every year I seem to have the same problem: I have nothing to wear for winter. Sure, winter here only means 45 degrees for more than 5 days in a row, but still, I am a person in need of quality insulation. But somehow, every winter I survive, albeit with chattering teeth and permanent goosebumps. But I do survive.

This winter will be no different, as I have recruited some much needed footwear assistance. I give you my new favorite shoes:

Exhibit A: The Privo
  • The Privo could not be more comfortable
  • The Privo goes with pretty much anything you could throw at it
  • The Privo is all terrain
  • The Privo is also warm
  • The Privo is a trooper


Exhibit B: The Merrell
  • The Merrell is a fun shoe
  • The Merrell will not embarass you at holiday office parties
  • The Merrell likes to keep a low profile
  • The Merrell always uses its blinkers
  • The Merrell has a zipper that makes a fun sound when you walk
  • The Merrell has a fun pull-on loop at the back for easy handling

So, that's the scoop, my friends. Check 'em out if you don't believe me.