I just find it really ironic that these are made in China.
Anyone?
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
Monday, October 15, 2007
A taste of Texas
Last night we joined some friends, headed down to San Antonio and made our way to the Majestic Theater to see Lyle Lovett and his large band.
Now, I'll start off by saying that I'm not a huge country music fan. However, good friends were going so if we didn't like the music, at least we would enjoy the company. However, I will say that the sound of the "large band", some soulful backup singers and Lyle's gritty voice was really neat.
He had a fiddle, cello, 4 piece brass section, multiple guitars, 2 percussionists, a pianist, a steel guitar player and 4 backup vocalists. It was indeed large.
Their set ranged from jazz, to Texas country, to Bluegrass to Gospel. And it all sounded really good. I do wish, however, that they would have turned Lyle's microphone up a bit. In between songs, it was a bit difficult to understand what he was saying between the multiple "umms" but it was entertaining nonetheless.
The singers got really into the music and danced. And they certainly had some moves! The bass player had the biggest beard I think I've ever seen in person, and we half expected another band member to crawl out of it midway through the set.
All in all, it was a fun evening. I particularly liked "The Boat" and "Don't Cry a Tear" if you were curious....
Tuesday, October 09, 2007
Puppies!
Well, at long last, here are some pictures of our new puppies. We've had them for about a month now, and they are doing great!
Their names are Bella and Zoey, and they are Scottish Terriers. They are now about 6 months old, and are still very much in the puppy phase.
Anyhow, more pictures to come in the future, I'm sure. Check out the smugmug page for pictures and captions...
Their names are Bella and Zoey, and they are Scottish Terriers. They are now about 6 months old, and are still very much in the puppy phase.
Anyhow, more pictures to come in the future, I'm sure. Check out the smugmug page for pictures and captions...
Monday, October 08, 2007
A few pictures from Poland
Since we basically worked 12-14 hours each day, I didn't get much time to run around town and take pictures. So on my last day there, I snapped a few from the taxi (most of which came out blurry). I had about 20 minutes of downtime before I had to catch my next taxi on my way out of town, so I ran down to main street and took as many pictures as possible. So here are a few....for more, check out SmugMug (I even added captions!).
Tuesday, October 02, 2007
The joke
Sorry, I realized that I left out the joke from yesterday's post...
I really enjoy puns.
The other day I was listening to the radio and was inspired, for some reason, so I invented a joke. Here goes:
Did you hear the one about the probate lawyer?
For the answer, click on "comments."
I really enjoy puns.
The other day I was listening to the radio and was inspired, for some reason, so I invented a joke. Here goes:
Did you hear the one about the probate lawyer?
For the answer, click on "comments."
Monday, October 01, 2007
So many updates, so little desire to write
Ok, so honestly it's been forever since I've posted anything decent. Or anything at all. And I do apologize. I usually enjoy writing, but lately, I've enjoyed chilling out just a bit more. I have pictures of Poland and puppies to share, along with various other things to write about....
But all my pictures are on my other computer which is currently sitting in a car half way across town. So for now, hopefully a list and a joke will suffice.
Latest happenings:
But all my pictures are on my other computer which is currently sitting in a car half way across town. So for now, hopefully a list and a joke will suffice.
Latest happenings:
- I went to Poland for a week, and lived to tell...
- We got two puppies! Scottish terriers, to be specific
- I am totally loving our sermon series at church lately (Everything from 8/26 onwards...)
- Reading another Brennan Manning book, and loving that as well
- Our company is undergoing a massive "re-org" so the job scene may change a bit in the near future
- Amar and I have been in the same place for more than a week!! Yay!
Monday, September 10, 2007
Poland: The journey begins
Well, I finally made it to Poland, in one piece. I wouldn't say that it was necessarily a smooth trip, but they got me there on-time in the end so a few things had to go right…
The Austin flight wound up taking off 30 minutes after it was supposed to have landed. However, by the time I reached Chicago, our other flight had been delayed as well, so after a sprint to the gate, I made it on the flight with about 30 seconds to spare.
Or so I thought.
The plane sat at the gate for about an hour more, due to an issue with the “flushing mechanism on the toilets” which I was very glad they were keen on fixing.
Or so I thought.
As it turns out, they decided not to fix it, and instead decided to rely on physics to do the flushing for us. Apparently above 15,000 feet, the air pressure differential is enough to provide a good, solid flush. Lesson learned.
We wound up getting to Heathrow about an hour late and had to take the bus to switch terminals. At this point, give the dodgy history of British Airways and their renowned baggage department, I wasn't exactly confident that my baggage was going to make the trip. And then I saw the security line, and I wasn't confident that I would be making the trip.
Or so I thought.
The first line I waited in was basically a batch processing queue for an escalator to nowhere. 20 minutes of waiting. The next line I waited in was a zigzag of about 10 turns that led to a mosh pit. Literally. About 8 random lines all fed into one holding pin, which seemed to lead exactly nowhere.
Or so I thought.
At the end of the second line, after several groups were let through to the next waiting area, I made a break for it and busted past a group of tourists into the next area. The “real” security area. And waited some more…Luckily I didn't have to get patted down, but bunches of other folks did. After the whole security check, about an hour and a half had past, and I wound up with about 20 minutes to spare before the next plane left.
Whew. I have to say that I was a bit impressed. All told, there were about 7 hours of delays, and yet I still made it to Poland on time. And with my luggage. Sweetness.
More on the rest of the trip later. Internet access/availability is a bit spotty, so I may be posting occasionally as I can.
The Austin flight wound up taking off 30 minutes after it was supposed to have landed. However, by the time I reached Chicago, our other flight had been delayed as well, so after a sprint to the gate, I made it on the flight with about 30 seconds to spare.
Or so I thought.
The plane sat at the gate for about an hour more, due to an issue with the “flushing mechanism on the toilets” which I was very glad they were keen on fixing.
Or so I thought.
As it turns out, they decided not to fix it, and instead decided to rely on physics to do the flushing for us. Apparently above 15,000 feet, the air pressure differential is enough to provide a good, solid flush. Lesson learned.
We wound up getting to Heathrow about an hour late and had to take the bus to switch terminals. At this point, give the dodgy history of British Airways and their renowned baggage department, I wasn't exactly confident that my baggage was going to make the trip. And then I saw the security line, and I wasn't confident that I would be making the trip.
Or so I thought.
The first line I waited in was basically a batch processing queue for an escalator to nowhere. 20 minutes of waiting. The next line I waited in was a zigzag of about 10 turns that led to a mosh pit. Literally. About 8 random lines all fed into one holding pin, which seemed to lead exactly nowhere.
Or so I thought.
At the end of the second line, after several groups were let through to the next waiting area, I made a break for it and busted past a group of tourists into the next area. The “real” security area. And waited some more…Luckily I didn't have to get patted down, but bunches of other folks did. After the whole security check, about an hour and a half had past, and I wound up with about 20 minutes to spare before the next plane left.
Whew. I have to say that I was a bit impressed. All told, there were about 7 hours of delays, and yet I still made it to Poland on time. And with my luggage. Sweetness.
More on the rest of the trip later. Internet access/availability is a bit spotty, so I may be posting occasionally as I can.
Thursday, September 06, 2007
Jet setting
Sorry for the delay in posting, my friends. I hate to deprive you of my eloquence...
Things are a bit crazy, but what's new. I'm heading off to Poland tomorrow, which should be interesting. Glamorous, I know. I'll even get to wear a hard hat and steel-toed shoes too!
To be honest, I'm a little nervous. I've never been to this part of the world before, and even though I'll be with co-workers, it'll still feel a bit lonely not having friends and family nearby. There's a 7 hour difference, which might also make staying in touch a bit of a challenge.
Oh, and did I mention the weather? Folks there are advising that we bring scarves, hats and jackets. It's already getting into the 40s at night, and coupled with the rain, it just sounds like an Eastern European paradise ;)
Seriously. I have a blanket in my cubicle and it's 90 degrees outside. Don't be surprised if I look like a block of ice when I return. Wish me luck!
Thursday, August 23, 2007
Houseguest
While one of our friends is out of town, we're taking care of his dog, Wallace. How can you not love a face like this?
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
Friday, August 17, 2007
Tag, you're it: Volume 2
The second "tag" I've received is from my former roommate Malita, and it goes a little something like this:
The Rules:
1. I have to post these rules before I give you the facts.
2. Each player starts with eight random facts/habits about themselves.
3. People who are tagged need to write their own blog (about their eight things) and post these rules.
4. At the end of your blog, choose eight people to get tagged and list their names.
5. Don’t forget to leave them a comment telling them they’re tagged, and to read your blog.
Fact #1:
My "internal clock" can tell you exactly when it is anywhere between 10-10:30 PM on any given day. How? Because that's when I'll inevitably start yawning profusely and falling asleep spontaneously.
Fact #2:
One of my legs is longer than the other. I found this out when, one day while I was using my computer (propped on my lap), I noticed that it sat at an angle. Sure enough, one of my legs is longer than the other from the knee to the ankle. Odd. Maybe that's why I keep walking around in circles....
Fact #3:
I have an addictive personality. Food and beverage addictions, that is. For example, I'm currently coming down off of a 3 year addiction to all things Diet Dr. Pepper. The replacement? My on-going addiction for all things grapefruit. Just the other night, my friend Eryn and I downed an entire 1/2 gallon of the stuff in less than an hour. And it didn't even phase us.
Fact #4:
I am a pathetically awful swimmer. In fact, I really don't like being in the water very much, other than the occasional hike through Barton Springs or sticking my feet in the pool. I pretty much feel like a drowned rat whenever I'm in the pool, flailing around trying to wipe the mascara out from under my eyes while also trying to keep my hair out of my face. It's pretty much the embodiment of glamour.
Fact #5:
I love to make people laugh. So much so, in fact, that kind of a subconscious goal of mine at any given outing with food + friends is to get someone to spit something out of their mouth due to me being funny.
Fact #6:
I am almost always cold. It's reached epidemic proportions, I'm afraid. My office is like a meat locker, and I have to always remember to wear sneakers to movie theaters to keep my feet from freezing right off. Honestly, it's likely partly medical (there's apparently a history of Raynaud's in my family...in fact, if you click that link, my hands look like that picture all the time). But still, I'm always cold. I love that feeling of thawing out when I leave the office and walk outside into the blistering heat. Oh, and that feeling of getting into the car when it's been parked in the sun all day? Love it.
Fact #7:
I really like nature. It just reminds me of how creative God is, and I love that. Just this past week I was flying back from TN and made sure to get a seat on the side of the plane that would face the West so I could take in the sunset. It was amazing. A bonus sub-fact is that I love trees a TON. I could probably hike around Northern California in the Redwoods forever...not to mention the Aspens in Aspen. Kinda catchy...
Fact #8:
I am a very competitive driver. That's probably an understatement, but I'll leave it at that. I'm a safe driver, yes. But I just really like finding the best, most efficient way possible to any given destination. And sadly, yes, I take a lot of pride in that....it's my Achilles heel, I guess.
The Rules:
1. I have to post these rules before I give you the facts.
2. Each player starts with eight random facts/habits about themselves.
3. People who are tagged need to write their own blog (about their eight things) and post these rules.
4. At the end of your blog, choose eight people to get tagged and list their names.
5. Don’t forget to leave them a comment telling them they’re tagged, and to read your blog.
Fact #1:
My "internal clock" can tell you exactly when it is anywhere between 10-10:30 PM on any given day. How? Because that's when I'll inevitably start yawning profusely and falling asleep spontaneously.
Fact #2:
One of my legs is longer than the other. I found this out when, one day while I was using my computer (propped on my lap), I noticed that it sat at an angle. Sure enough, one of my legs is longer than the other from the knee to the ankle. Odd. Maybe that's why I keep walking around in circles....
Fact #3:
I have an addictive personality. Food and beverage addictions, that is. For example, I'm currently coming down off of a 3 year addiction to all things Diet Dr. Pepper. The replacement? My on-going addiction for all things grapefruit. Just the other night, my friend Eryn and I downed an entire 1/2 gallon of the stuff in less than an hour. And it didn't even phase us.
Fact #4:
I am a pathetically awful swimmer. In fact, I really don't like being in the water very much, other than the occasional hike through Barton Springs or sticking my feet in the pool. I pretty much feel like a drowned rat whenever I'm in the pool, flailing around trying to wipe the mascara out from under my eyes while also trying to keep my hair out of my face. It's pretty much the embodiment of glamour.
Fact #5:
I love to make people laugh. So much so, in fact, that kind of a subconscious goal of mine at any given outing with food + friends is to get someone to spit something out of their mouth due to me being funny.
Fact #6:
I am almost always cold. It's reached epidemic proportions, I'm afraid. My office is like a meat locker, and I have to always remember to wear sneakers to movie theaters to keep my feet from freezing right off. Honestly, it's likely partly medical (there's apparently a history of Raynaud's in my family...in fact, if you click that link, my hands look like that picture all the time). But still, I'm always cold. I love that feeling of thawing out when I leave the office and walk outside into the blistering heat. Oh, and that feeling of getting into the car when it's been parked in the sun all day? Love it.
Fact #7:
I really like nature. It just reminds me of how creative God is, and I love that. Just this past week I was flying back from TN and made sure to get a seat on the side of the plane that would face the West so I could take in the sunset. It was amazing. A bonus sub-fact is that I love trees a TON. I could probably hike around Northern California in the Redwoods forever...not to mention the Aspens in Aspen. Kinda catchy...
Fact #8:
I am a very competitive driver. That's probably an understatement, but I'll leave it at that. I'm a safe driver, yes. But I just really like finding the best, most efficient way possible to any given destination. And sadly, yes, I take a lot of pride in that....it's my Achilles heel, I guess.
Thursday, August 16, 2007
Tag, you're it: Volume 1
Apparently I'm getting tagged a lot lately. The latest is from my childhood pal Amanda and it is called "4"...it goes a little somethin like this:
4 jobs I have had in my life:
4 jobs I have had in my life:
- High school volleyball coach for a summer camp
- Bus driver
- COBOL programmer
- Super fabulous IT Project Manager
- Austin, TX (the home I grew up in)
- College Station, TX (dorm room)
- Bryan, TX (Aspen house in the ghetto)
- Austin, TX (in the first home we've owned)
- The Office
- House
- Project Runway (come back, I miss you!)
- Various real estate show....(TLC, Bravo, HGTV, etc.)
- New York
- Boston
- India
- Colorado
- Ice cream
- Homemade mac-n-cheese
- Anything potato-based ;)
- Anything breakfast
- Kayaking on Lake Austin
- Hiking in Aspen
- Hanging out with the McPeople and other dear friends...
- Vising Europe on vacation with my hubby
- Uh, can you say Banana Republic?
- Oh, and IKEA
- Don't forget about Target, my friends
- Lately...Hobby Lobby
- TPalm? Where you at?
- Lippy...you're up!
- McPerson #1
- McPerson #2
Monday, August 13, 2007
New addition to the family?
Almost. But not quite.
Puppies, people. I'm talking about puppies...
Within the past 2 months, we've come so close to getting a dog. Actually, 2 separate times we've almost gotten a dog, and each time the deal fell through...for very different reasons.
So we're on the lookout once again. For now, we're both traveling a bit for our jobs, so it might be best that we take a puppy break...but we both still want one.
P.S. I'm personally obsessed with the K9 Advantix dog. You know, the "there ain't no bugs on me" puppy?! Oh my!!! I'm usually sternly opposed to ALL media that might feature talking animals. But for this little guy, I make an exception. Could he BE any more adorable? I think not. You should totally look those commercials up on YouTube...
Thursday, August 09, 2007
Updated kitchen pictures
Woo hoo! We finally got the back splash tile installed, for those who care. Here are some updated pictures:
Wednesday, August 01, 2007
How it went down
Me: Driving in a parking lot.
Him: Also driving in a parking lot.
Me: Exiting the parking lot in the "main lane".
Him: Pulling into the "main lane" without noticing my car.
Me: Honking wildly as his car gets really close.
Him: Hitting my car and then stopping.
Me: Pulling my car over into the nearest parking space.
Him: Driving around in the parking lot for a few more minutes.
Me: Walking around my car to inspect the damage.
Him: Hanging out in his car with his friend and his cat.
Me: Noticing a bumper-sized scratch just behind the front right wheel of the car.
Him: Still sitting in his car, oblivious.
Me: Walking over to his car.
Him: Not noticing.
Me: Interrupting with, "Um, I think you just hit my car."
Him: (pause..........) "Oh, I did?"
Me: "Yes, you did. I can see paint from my car on your bumper. And paint from your car is on my car."
Him: "OK. I'll be over in a few minutes."
After we exchanged information, and his cat literally got out of its bag, we were both on our merry way. No major damage to report at this point, really. However I was quite floored by his response to my statement about him hitting my car.
"Oh, I did?"
Yes. Don't you remember about 15 seconds ago when I was honking at you and you were paying more attention to your cat than to driving your car? Yeah, that was you hitting my car. So yes, that's what happened. No harm, no foul. But come on here, wouldn't you want to at least check to see if you did any damage to your own vehicle?
*Image courtesy of Wikipedia
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
Boston: Been there, done that
We survived our trip to Boston. Actually, we did more than survive. We loved it! Great weather, tons of stuff to see, a great walking town. It was super fantastic. More detailed updates on Amar's blog: Here and here.
I've uploaded some pictures in two batches. One batch, the unedited one, is every picture I took during our trip. They have not been touched up, cropped, or anything special. A few of my favorites are below. I like to call this the "Rama" series:
First we have SleepaRama:
And then we have TanoRama:
The other batch is a subset of the aforementioned batch, but I've done a little work in Picasa (!). I get a bit carried away with Picasa at times, but I generally enjoy the results. Hope you like 'em as well. Here's a few:
A view from Christopher Columbus park to the water:
A street shot at night in Little Italy:
Links:
All Boston pictures: here
Edited Boston pictures: here
I've uploaded some pictures in two batches. One batch, the unedited one, is every picture I took during our trip. They have not been touched up, cropped, or anything special. A few of my favorites are below. I like to call this the "Rama" series:
First we have SleepaRama:
And then we have TanoRama:
The other batch is a subset of the aforementioned batch, but I've done a little work in Picasa (!). I get a bit carried away with Picasa at times, but I generally enjoy the results. Hope you like 'em as well. Here's a few:
A view from Christopher Columbus park to the water:
A street shot at night in Little Italy:
Links:
All Boston pictures: here
Edited Boston pictures: here
Thursday, July 19, 2007
I think I'll go to Boston
Well, in lieu of taking a big summer vacation, we've opted to delay our official "vacation" until later this year. But November is too long to wait for a break, so we're taking a mini-break this weekend.
I've been there before, way back in high school, and I remember loving it. And since Amar's been there all week in training, he hasn't had much time to see the city. So it should be a fun, long weekend.
Gratuitous Boston Links:
- General Boston info
- We're staying near Boston Common
- We'll be navigating Boston's public transportation system
Wish us luck!
Friday, July 13, 2007
Green thumb?
Ha!
And what's just as fun? I'm growing some basil in the pot right next to it...wish me luck!
Friday, July 06, 2007
Where am I and who are you people?!
Seriously, this must be some freakish hick phenomenon.
Local news shows continue to highlight the fact that the water is laden with bacteria. So I'll be they catch something all right. But that something might be more along the lines of ecoli.
Picture courtesy of Austinist.com
Thursday, July 05, 2007
Moive review: Once
To celebrate our nation's independence yesterday, I, along with millions of other Americans, went to the movies. A group of us saw Once and we loved it. I'd heard a bit about it a few weeks back, and was even listening to a radio show when the star called in to discuss the film. All that I'd heard was that it was sort of a musical, which I now kind of disagree with. While the music does play a huge role in the film, this isn't the song-and-dance type of movie that you'd see Baz Luhrmann produce. (Nothing against Baz, this just isn't at all like his work...)
All in all, it was a great show. I was a huge fan of most of the music, and it just felt so real. The actors were actually the ones that sang and wrote most of the songs, and that was just amazing.
Not to give anything away, but I was glad that this movie didn't end the way I kind of wanted it to. See it, and you'll understand what I mean. Looking forward to downloading the soundtrack...
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