Three Bits of News

Since I'm back on the blogging train, I can resume boring you once again with the mundane-ery of our lives. I know what you're thinking. You're thinking Yay, I just love the minutia of friends'/strangers' lives. But that's what personal blogs are all about, right. So here goes.

First, G and I hit up the Linens N' Things going-out-of-business sale this week-end and finally found a bed set that we liked! It's only taken 2 years!

Check it out! Decorative pillows and matching sheer curtains, thereby making this the single most coordinated room of the house. Quite possibly the most coordinated room of either of our lives...


Close up of the kitty cuteness - only because it's been a while. Now to my Jedi mind tricks. There are no crumpled, messy clothes on this bed. This bed has only two adorable kittens. All else is order and tidiness.

You can't see it now, can you? Amazing how that works...

Second bit - I bought us a webcam! Now we can call Ewa in England and Jola in Poland via Skype, and we can see each other while we gab. Technology is wonderful, isn't it. Especially when you actually use it. I'm a bit embarassed that Greg's mum had a webcam before we did, but we're catching up to you Ewa!

Thirdly, you can use this handy-dandy webcam to take gratuitous pictures of yourself when you're bored. I spent a good 5 minutes entertaining myself tonight, capturing goofy faces while Greg slept downstairs. Here's a not-so-goofy one showcasing my new bangs.


Yes, bangs. The last time I had bangs was probably around 13-years-old. I hadn't meant to get them, but I said the word "bangs" to my hair dresser and that's what she gave me. I don't hate them as much as I did last week.

ACL 2008

Austin City Limits Mustic Festival this year was two weeks later than usual and still hot, but bearably hot for a change. We had 3-day passes but only did half-days on Saturday & Sunday, a good strategy considering this was the first year that I wasn't sick for an entire week after the festival.

Early on Friday - this is actually a small crowd now

Allison Krauss & Robert Plant were awesome!

I love the music at ACL fest, of course. But there are a few other things I love just as much, including...

1. Overpriced festival food

$7 "turkey & brie panini" Ummm...

2. Interesting fashion senses

Batman

Old dude wearing a skirt

Her feet must be boiling!

3. And the ingenuity of festival goers

Ample bicycle parking


Happy ACL fest, everyone!

Ani Worship

Ani Difranco's music moves me deeply.

But I am a sad excuse for a fan compared to my friend Mar who has been known to go on multi-state, groupie road trips to catch show after show after show. Luckily whenever Ani is coming to town, I receive instant notification from Mar and have a concert buddy since Greg is slightly intimidated by the raging lesbian crowd that Ani's shows draw. (FYI, most of the lesbians I've seen at her shows are not so much raging as mooning. Big difference. Nothing to fear, Greg.)

So Ani made another breeze through Austin last month - this time sans baby belly. It was an amazing show as usual! But what made this one even better... Mar brought her most adorable 9-month-old Hadley to the show, and as we walked through the entrance we were asked if we wanted to sit in the VIP section! Because of Hadley!

**All concert moms! Bring your babies to Stubb's! You can't beat the perks!**

Mar & sweet Hadley, who melted Greg with her smiles

Stuart Comes to Austin

Greg's old friend Stuart had to fly over the states for a "very important conference", which incidentally usually translates into a drunken, debaucherous time on some dumb company's dime. So on his way to Seattle, he made a week-end pit stop in Austin to catch up with Greg and me.

First order of business... many, many margaritas at the Hula Hut. Of course!

Greg says Mmmm, girly drinks...

Stu says Mmmm, bar-b-q ribs...

From the Hula Hut patio on Lake Austin

Next order of business... A fierce game of putt putt golf.



Seeing as how much of Stuart's "work" time consists of hobnobbing with VIP's and playing golf, he naturally beat the pants off of Greg and me.

But I had this dinosaur to worry about. What's your excuse, Greg?

Next? Why snow cones, of course.

And dinner on the deck, courtesy of my darling Greg - best cook eva!

And what is a visit to Austin without some serious bar hopping. We ventured over to West 6th to meet up with friends.



I would have had a MUCH better time if I hadn't been forced to be designated driver, but it is a sacrifice I am happy to make to see these smiles. :)

Apologies

I have been seriously slacking on my blog duties lately. Sorry, Ewa!

I am attempting to do some catching up now, but to tide you over, I leave with this scrumptious tidbit.


Greg seriously proud of his rock star parking - right on the corner of 6th across from Opal Divine's. This never happens in Austin.

Tease

Just got this email from the Chairman's office that was sent out to all the grad students in my department:

date: Wed, Oct 1, 2008 at 3:27 PM
subject: Free (Good) Coffee! Hooray!

Hello All~

We have some delicious hot Starbucks in our office up for grabs, complete with sugar and cream. Help yourselves.


And then this:

date: Wed, Oct 1, 2008 at 3:44 PM
subject: Coffee is Gone!

Unless someone wants a big cup of cream.


I appreciate that they're willing to share, but I'm starting to think this is some kind of fun game for them. Kinda like teasing animals at the zoo. Throw out promises of free food to grad students and see how fast they desperately come running to collect on the goods. Maybe we're part of some sociology experiment. So far the only parameters being tested - as far as I can tell - is the bait. They've tried it with doughnuts, cookies, sandwiches, and now coffee.

FYI, so far doughnuts have the fastest clearance kinetics.

Hot Sauce Festival

A few weeks ago, we battled the heat and the crowds for a taste of Austin's local hot sauces.

Mmmm.... Nummy!

Working up a sweat and opening our sinuses.

It's Allliiiiiive!

With each rotation of the mechanical kneading arm of our bread-maker, a simultaneous spasm went through Gomey's little body. Wish I'd caught it on video.

Every Time I Think I'm Out...

...they pull me back in!

I Think I Can, I Think I Can, I Think I Can...

I know you've heard this from me before, but I mean it this time. No, really. Honest! I'm going to get off of my butt and run the 3M Half Marathon here in Austin on January 25th, 2009. That's the day of my 32nd birthday. Thirty-two... Wow... I do not like the sound of those numbers. ::sigh::

Anyway, I'm posting my training schedule in an effort to keep myself honest.

Click on the image, and you'll get a bigger version.

Not too demanding, but not too easy either. Of course, none of this is set in stone. I'm bound to flake or be too sore or just plain too wimpy to get out the door for every single run so I'll allow for a little wiggle room. What I will - MUST - do are the long runs on the week-ends. The long runs are crucial.

Back in 2004, I ran the full Austin marathon with my roomie Tricia. See:

Yes, I know you've seen this picture before.
But I'm really proud of that accomplishment
so I'm going to post it a few more times
if that's okay with you. :)

We ran the marathon in just over 4.5 hours, and the only training I did was one long run per week. I'm not saying that's a good way to train and would not advise it to anyone, but that's what I was able to do and it worked. If I hadn't been getting those long runs in, I would have died after mile 8. I'm sure of it.

So I will say that I'm going to try to stick to this schedule, but at the very least, I will get in a long run each week. The blank days are for either rest or cross-training. "7M with 5M pace" means I'll run a total of 7 miles, which includes a 1-mile warm up, a 5-mile stint at race pace, and a 1-mile cool down. "8M with 4x1600" means I'll run a total of 8 miles, including a warm-up, four 1600 meter runs at slightly faster than race pace with an 800 meter jog between each, and a cool-down. "4M race" means I'll either try to find a local race that I can sign up for or I'll treat that run as a race and do the whole thing at my goal pace.

This is going to be a long, uphill battle because I am so very, very out of shape, but I need to do it. I've been under so much strain lately that sometimes I find it hard to take deep breaths or focus or do anything productive at all. I need an outlet, and running has always been a fantastic stress-reliever for me. I think I'll feel so much better physically, emotionally, spiritually once I'm in the middle of this training.

Now. To find a few suckers wonderful people to train with me...

:)

As Heard From Upstairs

A short news snippet of John McCain: "God put my country first..."

An incredulous Greg: "WHAT?!... Did he just really say that?! Oh my God. What a f#$%ing wanker!"

Me: "Hehehehehe"


Greg is so unbelievably appalled that a politician would state that God prefers any one country that I can't help but chuckle a little bit at his sweet, righteous indignation.

Um... Come Again?

HOLY. CRAP.

Greg and I just came back from the mailbox. Two seconds after we walk through the door, Greg says I need to see something. He turns to me and proudly displays a letter he received from the U.S. Department of Justice's Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

It is an official letter of clearance, stating that he has been "approved to transport, ship, receive or possess explosive materials."



Um.... yeeeaaaaahhhh...

Last Hurrah

A few days after the wedding, we hosted poker before everyone scattered to the four corners of the world again.

Around the table: Ian, Brian, Jacque, John, me, Fred, Lance & Kristie

Mark & the Snee's also dropped by after dinner

We miss you all!

p.s. Our little adopted kitty, who's lounging in the bottom picture, went home the next day. The owners were on vacation in Florida but came back to reclaim him. :( We were thiiiiiisssss close to scheduling him for shots and the snip-snip and buying him a food bowl of his own. Oh well. We're just glad he's back in a loving home.

And Meanwhile...

While we were all partying at the wedding, I got a text message from Katie. Just as the ceremony ended, she gave birth to her beautiful daughter, Lila Rose!

Does this look like the face of a woman
who had to push for three straight hours?
Unfair!


OMG! The cuteness! I can't stand it!!

Little Miss Lila was a big girl! 9 lbs, 10 oz and 22 inches long! With Mom being about 5'10" and Dad at 6'7" and both of them Ironman triathletes, we'll see her playing volleyball at the Olympics one day. I'm sure of it.


In other baby news, my handsome cousin Carey also had his baby, Aisley Grace, four days earlier. He's starting his third year of med school with a brand, new family in tow. No pressure, Carey!

Carey, his wife Lacy, Little Aisley Grace
with my cousin Terra, my aunt Lana and uncle Rodney


The new daddy


Parenthood already taking it's toll

Mark & Brianna's Wedding

I think I can safely say a good time was had by all.

Greg was a reader in the ceremony

Just hitched!

First dance

Brian & Terry chatting with Greg

Sarah busting a gut while Jacque, Ian & Karl smile for camera

Mitra, Greg, Kristie & Fred

Ian busting it on the dance floor

Congregating at the bar

Greg and the groom

Lance & Caroline

Post-wedding beers at the Ginger Man