Their Baby & Ours

They could be twins, right?

Lani keeping a watchful eye on the strange squirmy thing

On Saturday I prepared dinner for us and our friends Claus & Morgan - enchiladas and tres leches cake. That's right, tres leches cake. And it was mmm-mmm-good if I do say so myself. As usual, we had a great time with them and their little August. He's such a flirt, shooting us huge smiles and blowing bubbles for us all night long. I could just eat him!

But I won't.

Sadly, we'll soon be missing these evenings of good food, wine and discussion. Claus & Morgan, our only set of friends with whom we regularly rotate dinners, are moving to San Diego in three weeks . Claus has a new job at UCLA, and Morgan's parents live in SD so we understand the appeal. But it's still very sad. We've been good friends ever since they moved into the apartment next to ours on Far West three years ago and our dinner tradition began. We're really going to miss them, the semi-drunken debates and the culinary fun. :(

But I'll stop being selfish just long enough to wish them the best of luck in this new adventure. They will be greatly missed and will always have a place to stay when they come back to visit.

Ok, back to being selfish... So far that's two things I do not like about Austin. 1) The humidity, and 2) the constant transition of friends. Being a college town and the fact that we've met most of our friends through UT, we're constantly having to say good-bye. It's always hard. And always leaves us with a little hole for a while. But I guess if I'm looking on the bright side, that also means that we have new places to visit and stay throughout the U.S. and, really, the world.

So, Claus & Morgan, we'll give you some time to settle in, but don't be surprised by a raid from the family K sometime in the not too distant future. You've been warned.

European Championships

Gomez tried to get his attention.

Then I gave it a shot.

But in the end, Greg only had eyes for Spain.

What IS That?!?

Another downside to working in a chemistry building: the intermittent smells of death and fart.

Right now a potent waft of the latter is making its way through our labs. We have no idea where it's coming from or where it's going. We just want it to move along, never to return again.

Personally, I blame the organic kids down the hall - possibly a nasty trick but more likely some unfortunate soul forced into research requiring a sulfurous compound that not even the venting of the chemical hoods can contain. I don't know whether to hate him or pity him.

No. Pity, definitely pity. Off to steal a few breaths of fresh air...

A Dining Room! Finally!

This past week-end I dragged poor Greg out to the Four Hands warehouse sale. He was grouchy and wasn't really in the mood to fight the crowds, but guess what... Those sale prices cheered him up really quickly. What can I say? The boy does love a good bargain.

We finally have a real dining room table! Complete with 8 chairs!


Isn't it beautiful? It sure beats our crappy college buy.

Here's a look at the dining room from our stairs. The only thing missing now is a rug to go under the table.

We also bought a new coffee table!

I loved our old one, but it wasn't very functional. This one has a shelf underneath and two drawers to store our remotes. Plus, the new coffee table fills out that space much better.


Unlike the too-small old one...

We also ordered a matching end table that was supposed to fit between the couch and love seat. Unfortunately, it was somehow left out of the delivery. Looks like I'm going to have to track it down. Yay. :(

We're almost done with living room furniture now. The last item will be a TV cabinet to fit a new TV. I've stopped resisting the idea of a big set because I know it will make Greg very happy not having to squint while watching such quality programming as Hell's Kitchen and Wife Swap. ::insert rolling eyes here::

Plus, I think my 13-year-old set may be possessed. A few times I've turned it off, and the screen goes blank but the volume stays on very, very quietly. Maybe it's time to retire the poor thing. Hmmm... I see some plasma vs. LCD research in my near future.

Where the Hell is Matt?

I stole this from my friend Katie's mom's blog.
Because it just makes me very very happy. :)

World peace and cultural understanding through really crap dancing... Love it!

Greg's Birthday Week

Long over-due photos from Greg's birthday extravaganza

On Thursday, happy hour at 219 West

The Turks and Greg in his new Poland top

Janice, Dave & Glenn

Then on Saturday we had a few people over for burgers and games.
Otherwise known as the infamous mojito night...

Greg and Glenn manning the itsy-bitsy grill.
Greg's got mad burger-making skillz.

Glenn & Beth perfecting their Catch Phrase strategy

Drunk Jim, Aubrey, Lance & Brian

Greg, ready for mafia

The dudes - done with mojitos and moving on to Crown and Coke at this stage

Lance mixing super-mojitos - I blame him for my pain.

Cupcake decorating contest - Glenn samples the goods

Ugliest. Cupcakes. Ever.

Maniacal Mark

Greg declares the winners via taste-test.
Jim is deeply engrossed in the evaluation process.
Glenn just really, really wants that cupcake.

New, Pimped Out Deck

You may remember the great deck fiasco of last month. It was, in a word, horrendous. Here's a recap:

Greg in acid-resistant gloves & goggles
about to pump base solution all over our deck
and embark on an 8-hour journey into hell.

That tiny stretch of stripped deck took about an hour. Maybe more...

Still smiling, still optimistic
Or possibly stoned from chemical inhalation
Hard one to call...


It took us days to recover but when we finally did, we hired
Apex Wood Refinishing to complete the job.
Brett stripped, power-washed, and replaced a few rotting boards.

And then painted...

And the final product!

We bought the table, chairs & chaise lounges from Home Depot.
The cushions and umbrellas are from Garden Ridge.

The deck, sexified with flowers, tiki torches and colorful cushions

Ah, now this is what decks are made for...



One final image:
Proof that Greg does manly house stuff, like mowing the lawn.


Busted...

Will Work For Donuts

I just got this email from our department secretary:

date: Fri, Jun 20, 2008 at 3:36 PM
subject: Donuts in graduate office

Hello All!

We have some donuts from Shipley's in the graduate office, about 2 1/2 doz., free for the taking...."first come, first served!"

Penny



Exactly five minutes later, I get this:

date: Fri, Jun 20, 2008 at 3:41 PM
subject: Donuts are all gone!!

Sorry. You graduate students should be "track stars!"

Penny


Bunch of scavengers! Ha ha!

p.s. In case you were wondering, I did not partake. ::giving myself a pat on the back::

The Anti-Stress Diet

Compliments of my friend Bobbi (or Boobs as she's more affectionately known - hi, Boobs!)

*****
This is a specially formulated diet designed to help people
cope with the stress that builds during the day.

Breakfast
1 grapefruit
1 slice whole wheat toast
1 cup skim milk

Lunch
1 small portion lean, steamed chicken
1 cup spinach
1 cup herbal tea
1 Hershey's kiss

Afternoon Snack
The rest of the Hershey Kisses in the bag
1 tub of Hagen-Daz ice cream with chocolate chips

Dinner
4 glasses of wine (red or white) and 2 loaves garlic bread
1 family size supreme pizza
3 Snickers Bars

Late Night Snack
1 whole Sarah Lee cheesecake (eaten directly from the freezer)

******
My diet starts tomorrow...

Champ At All Sports Red-Neck

We went bowling with our poker crowd last night, and do you know what I scored? Huh? Do you?

151, baby!

That may not seem all that impressive to some, but for me, it's nothing short of a miracle.

But it gets even better. Brian, being the consummate gambler that he is, bought four $5 lottery tickets to give as prizes: one for top guy/girl scores, one for the first person to hit two strikes in a row, and one for... well, we never quite categorized that one because Brian's such a sweet guy that he handed it over to Aubree during a guilt trip over a practical joke gone awry. (He really is too nice sometimes.)

So guess who won the ticket for two strikes in a row? I bet you'll never guess... ME! AND it turned out to be a $50 winner!

I also won the ticket for top girl scorer. AND it turned out to be a $15 winner! (The other two were losers so I'm feeling pretty charmed at the moment...)

Not a bad way to end a perfectly crappy, exhausting day.


p.s. It is a testament to my husband's patience and character that he still urges me to come out and spend time with him even after I'm grouchy and quick to bite. Thanks for keeping me sane, babe.

p.p.s. I would be remiss (and unforgiven) if I didn't mention the fact that Greg scored a 160! Yes, he beat me. Consider this to be me bowing before his superior red-neck sports skills.

p.p.p.s. We really need to set Brian up with a lovely girl. Know anyone?

My Recent Unfortunate Accident

Them street sweepers is DANGE-rous, y'all!





Credit where credit is due: I found this originally posted on The Blogess.

Soccer Fan, I Am

Today I'm jogging from campus to our friend Kenan's house to watch Poland's second game in the European Championships. Greg is, of course, all fired up. Poland lost its first game against Germany (the 2 goals were scored by a Pole who plays on the German team - that's gotta hurt...) so they really need to kick some Austrian butt today.

Frankly, watching sports on television is one of my least favorite marital obligations, but I will do it for Greg. I will sacrifice myself in order to cheer on his team of choice. That's how good of a wife I am.

Plus the eye-candy ain't bad either, folks... I would say I'm 50% enjoying the game and 50% enjoying the, uh, scenery...

Ok, maybe it's more like 40%-60%.

ALRIGHT! 30-70. But come on!

Congrats, Danskin Babes!

I'm so jealous!

The Danskin Women's Triathlon in Austin took place this last week-end. I've done this race since 2004 but couldn't fit in training time this year. Rather than wing it (which I've done in the past...), I decided to sit this one out. Now that I've seen pictures though, I wish I'd just gotten off my (hungover) backside and sucked it up. Next year, Danskin, I'm kicking your butt!

But a big congratulations to my friends Audrey and Rose! You ladies rock!




If you've never participated in a triathlon but would like to try, this one is my absolute favorite. You can't beat the support out there.

Repercussions

Mojito, i.e. the devil's cocktail

Last year on Greg's birthday, he and our friend Derek had a few too many of these deceptively deadly drinks.

This year it was my turn to suffer...

Bureaucracy...

You know one of the great things about being a scientific researcher at a big educational institution?

Spending 60 minutes of your life reading over a powerpoint presentation addressing the hazards involved in work you've been conducting for the past 7+ years.

1. It's a little late, isn't it?
2. Most of this is pretty intuitive.
   
3. By now, I think we've all got the hang to taking care of business safely and effectively without a remedial tutorial, thankyouverymuch.
4. What could be condensed to 15 minutes worth of information is dragged out to 60 minutes for what I suspect is a raging case of boredom. And on a completely related topic, why is everyone so stinkin' long-winded?
   
5. I'm a lucky one. Because I procrastinated, I can take the course on-line whereas others have had to sign up for and then sit through a 2-hour talk.
6. Don't mind me. I'm just a bitter grad student with too much to do and too little time to do it...

My day has really been a good one - I promise. I'm just a bit frustrated at the moment.

Happy Birthday, Shumma!

Today my darling Greg turned 34.

Last night I wrapped up the loot.


And this morning before I had even reached full consciousness, I hear Greg loudly clear his throat. And then again. And then again with more insistence. How dare I show signs of wakefulness without properly acknowledging the importance of the day?!

So I rolled over, gave him a big smooch and a buttery Happy birthday. And then because Greg is the eternal 10-year-old when it comes to present time - impatient and giddy and bouncy - I busted out the goods.

First thing in the morning - wearing his Poland soccer top
and talking to his mum. Please note the awesome hair!

Since England isn't playing in the World Cup this year, Greg is throwing the full force of his soccer fan-dom behind Poland. So, of course, he needed the goods. The basket was full of English goodies like Hobb Nobbs, Flake, Cadbury chocolate, Penguins, Terry's chocolate orange, Aerobars, and a bunch of other naughty stuff that will probably disappear way too quickly.

Post-shower photo. Awesome hair is down-graded to simply hair.

Tonight we're meeting a bunch of friends downtown for drinkies & bar grub. Then Saturday, I have a little somethin'-somethin' up my sleeve...

Mwaaaha mwaaaha mwaaahaaaahaaahaa!

Hob-Nobbing

My lab-mate Omar, you know, the one who hung out with Matthew Settle last week? Well, guess who he met last night...

STIFFLER'S MOM!


Otherwise known as Jennifer Coolidge.

Lol. That's right. He got a call from good ol' Matt to go out drinking last night. (And drinking they did!) She's apparently in the same movie and was hanging with the boys for the evening. And as Omar's telling me this, he's trying to act all cool and nonchalant as if he hangs out with film & TV stars all the time. But underneath his slouchy posture and tone of boredom, he's barely containing his down-right giddiness. You can totally tell, especially considering I heard the whole story within one minute of seeing him today. Ha!

But poor guy, he's dragging. To bed at 5:30 a.m. and up at 10 with a whole huge set of experiments to do... Not happening. Instead he's decided to succumb to sleep-deprivation & hang-over and call it a day.

I guess that's the price you pay for rubbing elbows with the beautiful people.

:)