Good to be home!

Ice Ice Baby

Merry Christmas Y'all

Merry Christmas!

Acquainted with the Night

This is a Robert Frost poem.. I thought I'd post it and see if anyone had any of their own opinions or would like to attempt to analyze it. I love the feeling of loneliness, apathy and sadness it evoked in me upon reading it this morning... certain areas of the poem being particularly poignant. I thought I'd paste it and see if anyone had any thoughts.

I have been one acquainted with the night.
I have walked out in rain - and back in rain.
I have outwalked the furthest city light.

I have looked down the saddest city lane.
I have passed by the watchman on his beat
And dropped my eyes, unwilling to explain.

I have stood still and stopped the sound of feet
When far away an interrupted cry
Came over houses from another street,

But not to call me back or say good-bye;
And further still at an unearthly height,
One luminary clock against the sky

Proclaimed the time was neither wrong nor right.
I have been one acquainted with the night.

Other news (and life is strange but that is a longer and more involved story): Justin won standby tickets on Qantas from his Corp Comm team Christmas Party, so it looks like we will be visiting Australia and New Zealand sometime next year (I am particularly interested in the latter).

Will Google Shutdown Wikipedia?

I have read only this morning that Google is coming out with a Wikipedia-esque content system. You can read about it on Google's Blog here. A great follow-up article can be found here. I especially like (well, fear really) what the author points out about search results.

Justin, I hope your admiration and love for Google is depleting, because I feel that, in the name of free-happy-go-lucky services they're really destroying the beauty and diversity of the world wide web by taking it over with their freaky, unlimited enterprise. Blah. Sad that I feel that way but I am so tired of Google developing (and destroying) one thing after another just to turn a profit.

What Google is proposing sounds an awful lot like about.com to me since articles are written by experts in the same manner that About.com is sort of owned by experts. I know a lot of people get onto Wikipedia's case because you cannot site precisely who wrote which bit of information and therefore cannot prove 100% accuracy. However, I personally am so tired of the web existing strictly for personal or business promotion. One beautiful thing about Wikipedia is that it exists mostly for knowledge and not self-promotion - it's faceless. Google's Knols will definitely abolish this small shred of purity. *sigh*

Babies' 1st Snow!

Ruby watching the snow fall

Onboard WiFi - Only on JetBlue

Sorry everyone else who has been trying to do this. But..

Leaving TOMORROW for Africa - Please send me your addresses

Hi Everyone!

I am leaving for Africa tomorrow and I'd really love to send postcards to everyone.

Please email me your addresses - even if you think I SHOULD have them, there is a good chance I don't.

Love you guys. I'll miss y'all. See you when I get back!

Ness

Cutie Puppy Video

I know this is not good quality, but bear with me. It's the first video I've really done with modern technology! I had to learn the essentials of video downloading, "editing" and uploading for my trip. Here are Ruby and Eve on Youtube!

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone - From a Couple of Displaced Texans in New York!

Justin and I made our first official, traditional Thanksgiving dinner! Check out our photos:

Thanksgiving - November 2007

Nice Evening - Shopping and Dining in SoHo

Sunday, Olivia and I had a very productive day of shopping at Roosevelt Field Mall. I also want to mention that she got a fantastic haircut. Photos need to be taken and uploaded! At any rate, we happened to go into Pottery Barn that day and I eyeballed a few things I wanted to show Justin.

It was just after 8 PM last night that he and I finally made it to SoHo, with Justin arriving home a little late and me still being tied up with work. We had but two goals: visit Pottery Barn and exchange a jacket for Justin at Zara. The latter did not work out as they closed at 8 and were uncompromising about letting us in the store. We were able to wander through Pottery Barn. We picked up a Pear scent with diffuser sticks. I have never used such a strange, middle ages type of contraption, so we will see how it works. We also got some really pretty silver beaded coasters.

We wandered through Crate and Barrel, which I heart, but not yesterday. Crate and Barrel, you let me down. *shakes head*

We were on our way to VBar for a glass of wine and dinner, which I have read good reviews about on Yelp! (click for the review here), but wound up at Dos Caminos instead. It's a place I have been meaning to try for a while, and since we were walking past it, we decided to eat there instead. It was so good! Now my sister complains about the price : size ration of margaritas at the 5 Burros! I think she'd have a fit here. The margaritas are small and terribly expensive. I guess it helps you limit yourself. The chips, salsa and guacamole were all delicious as was the shrimp ceviche. I got the ceviche trio, which was comprised of shrimp Veracruzana (cascabel chiles, passion fruit, avocado), lobster ceviche (coconut, lime, habanero, fresh mint), and tuna ceviche (soy-lime marinade, sesame, chiles torreados). The shrimp was hands down the best - very good for any ceviche, even in Texas. Justin got tacos al carbon (grilled chicken breast, citrus-chile, guacamole, orange salsa) which were sooo freaking good. The drinks were good too, I just know they should cost HALF of what they do. I would definitely go back to Dos Caminos, just not very often. ;)

In random news, I am REALLY looking forward to climbing and ice fall in Canada with my sister Val! in January! Yay crampons and ice axes!

Also, Shelley (from JetBlue) got back from London. Here are her photos.

Check out my Africa Blog on Austin-Lehman Adventures' . You could potentially win some cool stuff (unless you are Mom, Dad, Val!, or Justin. Sorry guys)!

Vote for me!

Off to Africa

Africa has always seemed impossibly far away. Growing up in the 1980s and 90s, the few things that stuck out in my mind about Africa were largely negative, from the continent having the largest concentration of AIDs in the world, to seemingly endless wars and the trouble with elephants being poached for their tusks. The benefits of going on safari, seeing the foreign and exotic landscape and animals, and meeting the indigenous people seemed far too dangerous.

It was less than five years ago that I even learned metropolitan cities existed in the middle of what I’d always thought to be severe, hot, dry wilderness. Never mind I had no idea there were wineries and waterfalls. I’d only met one person in my life before I moved to New York who had actually been on a safari in Africa. He is a serious hunter and rancher in Texas. His photographs showed images of exotic animals, beautiful landscapes, smiling people, and huge termite mounds 2 or 3 times as tall as an average person! He’d gone on a luxury safari which had cost him upwards of $10,000. He said he loved it so much he’d go back in a heartbeat. I was completely floored with how safe he felt there, how kind everyone was, and by the beautiful scenery in his photographs. It seemed that there was much, much more to Africa than I’d learned in school.

Just two weeks ago I received a phone call from Dan (Dan Austin - Director and co-founder of Austin-Lehman Adventures) and Carmin (Carmin Arnot - South Africa Regional Director). It was my very last day working for JetBlue Airways. They had both been on the phone for a while going over their plans for an Africa trip and abruptly called to ask me if I wanted to go. I was at a loss for words… OF COURSE I wanted to go! Who in their right mind would say no to a trip to Africa? And I hadn’t even officially started working with Austin-Lehman yet! I was told there was still a lot of planning to be done and that I may end up not being able to go at all – everything was still pending approval. I tried, to little avail, to keep from getting my hopes up or talking about it. Finally, last week, it was confirmed – I am definitely going!

me n evey

Forest Hills, 11375

We are finally completely moved in to our new apartment. Today was the first day we were able to relax and not have to bother with U-HAULS and the like! It is prettier inside, bigger, and right next to amazing shops, restaurants, and an express train to the city, not to mention Justin's work, and Jamaica station - the lifeline to JFK and the LIRR (Long Island Railroad)!

I like being here, but there is still so much unpacking and decorating to be done. I'll enjoy it even more once the new apartment is ship shape. Still, it was nice to walk one block to a movie theater and watch a show last night with Val! and Justin. I really liked 30-Days of Night. As Val! pointed out - I screamed more than anyone in the theater. I also laughed and cried during the movie. I know the fact that I was sleep-deprived from the move and about to start my period contributed to it, but I am glad it made me appreciate the film more.

At any rate, I hope you enjoyed the recent photos I posted from Salem. I will try to get my photos with Justin up from our anniversary trip to Vermont soon.

I have been so busy with my new job, but I am enjoying it. :) I probably should write about it more and describe what I have been doing. Please check out our (new!) website here: Austin-Lehman Adventures.

Talk to y'all soon. Would be nice to hear from those of you I haven't (in a while or ever)!!!

-Ness

Two Big Deals

Salem with Val! - October 2007

First, let me take you on a tour of witches and a town with a dark past... of bubbling cauldrons, of early America, of the power of persuasion, and fanatical religious fear and murder. Let me take you to Salem, Massachusetts as Val! and I explore the dark past and delightful shops that open in a carnival atmosphere every October. View our photo album here!

Second, you'll soon be traveling with me, via blog and photos (and possibly video) to South Africa. I am going to post more about this later. Departure date: November 26, 2007.

Halloween Pumpkin Carving

Random October 2007

After packing for the big move '07, Justin, Thao, and I settled in for some good old fashioned pumpkin carving! We got some AWESOME photos of the pumpkins, us, and the babies! You HAVE to see these!

Chicago

This post was too long in the coming. Sorry it has been a while since we've had a substantial update. So many changes seem to happen all at once. I am sure we'll get back into the swing of things soon.
This is from Saturday, Sept. 29th, 2007:

But can I say how much I love Chicago? Chicago on the tip of Autumn. Is there any thing more special in the world? There is a crispness in the morning air - a distinct chill. Instead of pulling on a jacket over my short-sleeve sweater, I sit in the back of a cab bound for O'Hare - a pony tail, windows rolled down, cold air encircling my arms, my neck.

Nurseries are selling gourds, decorated with golden wheat standing straight, tied against fence posts. A farmer's market was set up outside my hotel window this morning, spanning a large parking lot with the white tops of their booths. The darkness of 6 AM pressing down upon their final preparations. They were prepared to sell the good of a true Midwest harvest. There is a certain magic to a Midwest fall that I've only know of for 4 years now. I want to transplant myself in the middle of it. I want to follow the season across the globe and live eternally in its magic - departing when the first true crystalline winter frost settles over the earth. I want to stretch the golden moments of the season into a lifetime of bright oranges, glorious yellows, and fiery reds. I want to bask eternally in the warm indoors in the evenings, let the logs that burn and smolder in fireplaces heat the room at night - find my comfort in the cinnamon smell of the season.

There is no season I love more.

My mind unfurls into long expanses of imagination. I pull that Autumn world of deep blue and purple twilights, skies dotted with stars, lamplight from windows pouring onto the lawn strewn with browning, dying leaves - I pull this world around myself like an impossibly soft cashmere throw.

Nothing more fantastic than this city's nighttime grid.

My mental wanderings of the morning - of my make-believe life in Chicago, temporarily subsided to my passion for the season. On the way to O'Hare this morning while passing neighborhoods, a park, and businesses, I built a fantasy life for myself. I watched as the orange sun broke above the treetops and made the whole world glow...

My morning walks would stretch only a mile or so. They'd be a nice, casual pace. Darby would walk along side me enjoying the leisurely pace. When I returned home, it would be to a house full of orange morning light and warmth. Justin would be just waking up - laying in bed with the babies (Ruby and Eve). I'd unleash Darby who'd be excited to be at home and see Justin just getting out of bed. He'd want to nuzzle up to him and get an acknowledging pat. Justin and I would go about making breakfast. Definitely orange juice to match the glorious glow of the morning. Maybe I'd bake scones or muffins. We'd relax into our cozy den, looking out into our yard filled with dew. We'd catch up on dreams from the previous night's rest, or dreams on a larger scale.

I hope (I feel) that Chicago is in my future.

first bb post

Waiting on the track. Waiting to come back.

"America can be pretty sneaky,"

Why God hates me and wakes me up at night.

spooooooky

Some mysterious ghouls decorated Vanessa's desk when we were gone on vacation last week.

Happy Anniversary to Us!

Hello World... Today is mine and Justin's 3 year anniversary! :D We've been at this cozy little BnB in Vermont for the last three nights, but tonight we're on our own. We're mulling around staying in Burlington for the night or in Stowe. Vee shall see!

Breakfast - great
Scenery - good to great
Company - excellent

Yesterday we took a gondola ride up to Mount Mansfield and hiked back down. We saw some really lovely foliage and a porcupine! I couldn't imagine skiing that trail in the winter, though! In some areas it seems far too narrow and unforgiving! We also swung by Ben and Jerry's for their factory tour. I was surprised (read: disappointed) to learn that they sold out to a corporation. The place was cute, however, and the people friendly. The "past flavors graveyard" was probably my favorite part, aside from the free sample. They were only sampling one flavor, banana rum. It was actually pretty good though.

Last night we saw 3:10 to Yuma in a tiny little theater that served cocktails while you watch the movie. Afterwards, we came home and cozied up in front of the fireplace, roasting marshmallows, chatting between ourselves, looking through a photo book of VT and enjoying some wine, cheese, and bread before heading to bed. We've both been dealing with allergy problems this trip. They've left me in a somewhat sore mood during the day and tossing and turning at night. Luckily, Justin gave me a dose of Theraflu last night which helped me fall asleep so I feel somewhat rested today.

I just heard the shower turn off, which means it is almost time to go down to breakfast! Woohoo!

the cutey offering

don't go mommy and daddy

ORD - JFK

Breakfast at O'Hare.

Sunday has come at last ;)

Strange, isn't it, that Sunday is my favorite day of the week? It usually means sleeping in all morning, lazily getting up and getting dressed, discussing where we want to go have brunch or lunch, then finally making it somewhere. For a couple of weeks we came home and worked on the lawn/flower beds, sometimes we do a little random shopping or walking, other times we just come home and watch TV or play with the puppies. Today was the last day Justin's mother, sister, and nephew were in town. Justin and I woke up by having puppies unleashed on us by his 6 year old nephew, Christian.

After seeing them off, we made our way to Rouge Bistro for brunch. This is the second Sunday in a row we've gone there. I really liked it the first time. I liked it this time too, but Justin was not as relaxed as last week. After eating, we wandered around and wound up watching The Brave One. It was entertaining. It wasn't an excellent movie, but there were some neat twists to it. We got home about 2 hours ago and let the puppies play in the backyard, put together our new fire pit (on sale from $50 to $10!) and then Justin watered the lawn. We already have some beautiful bright green blades of grass randomly sprouting up!

We just gave the puppies a bath. Justin is watching TV. We are going to plan our week-long vacation tonight. I am really, really looking forward to a week worth of relaxation, hiking, and sightseeing. I've heard of the glorious, vibrant fall foliage of the northeast, and this year I am actually going to see it!

Maybe it's part of my Nomadic Tendencies

But another year, another job. At least that is what it seems like. Am I unstable, or is it the world? Maybe it's a little this, a little that. At any rate, I feel I have found a position where I will be challenged and can stay for a while.

I thought that about JetBlue at first too, but you know, you never really know.

The position is Marketing Manager for an Adventure Travel company. It doesn't get much more perfect than that. I'll post more details soon. :D

Cuteness Overload!!!

Ruby & Eve

I don't know if you can handle this level of cuteness! We have pix from when Ruby and Eve joined our family, their first day at home, random playfulness, and their bath last night when they wore their new ducky robes.

Tired Eve

Thao is outta heeeere!

Bye bye - Thao Friday was Thao's last day at JetBlue. As you can see by looking at her cubicle, it's pretty cleaned out. She is taking the last of her belongings home with her in a basket. Aww! We will sure miss you Little Thao, Tizzle, Thao-wow-wow. Best of luck at MTV. Stay in touch.

Fall is here!

Highs in the 70s, lows in the 50s, a crisp 66 degrees this morning. It's beautiful outside! I have noticed some early foliage changes, mostly just in little trees. I am really looking forward to my first autumn in the northeast.

I am also looking forward to decorating for Halloween, being outside A LOT, trying to take in as much as I can of fall colors, apple picking, apple cider drinking, and taking out my fall dinnerware. :)

guadalupe river over flowing

Life is all about decisions...

And that is not usually a problem for me. I am certainly not the most indecisive person in the world, yet recently (like the last few weeks), I have felt emotionally and pathologically torn in several different directions. What is best for my future, career, happiness, life? Agh!!! I am driving myself crazy looking for a clear path. If only it were all about money, that would make things SO clear - so EASY.

I just want to do my best.
I just want to make a difference.
I want to feel happy, important, and have FUN at work.
I want to truly enjoy what I do and look forward to getting up everyday.
Oh, and be paid fairly. Which doesn't mean get rich (well - one day). I just want to be treated fairly. I wonder if I complain too much.

I am going to snuggle with the babies.

Happy Thoughts: Texas two weekends in a row with friends from work! Yes! AND I get to see my Dad this weekend. Score!

Puppies are Growing!

The Puppies are growing! They were around 2 or 2.5 lbs when we got them. I weighed them today and they are around 3.3 lbs each! Aww :D

They are getting bigger!!!

 
Can you tell we're growing?

The babies say:

Daddy (Justin) is in Florida for work, so it's just Mommy and us. We are playing but not as ferociously as usual. Maybe it is because we miss Dad, or maybe it's because we don't have to fight with the TV for attention.

we wuv u!

congrats mommy on the offer!

Jessica is in Town!

Jessica, Mike's (my ex of many years) little sister is in town for vacation with her boyfriend this week. One day before she leaves we met up for dinner. It's been so nice to see her, talk to her (really, what I mean is listen to her!), and just spend time together.

I definitely plan on visiting her in Alpine, Texas! She is studying at Sul Ross U. Sounds like an awesome area of our great state. :) And it is SO close to Big Bend!

Sweeties Cuddling

Justin is sleeping with our new puppies, Eve and Ruby!

Too Much Driving!

but well worth it to get our babies!
For all of you that are asking, their breed is havanese.

Click here to check out the crazy trip we took - up to Sulphur Springs (near Dallas) to meet up with the puppies' breeders (they're from Oklahoma), to Austin to see Sheila and Justin, to Fredericksburg for a party (Justin's aunt's 50th) and to San Antonio for some rest!

Ruby and Eve got to meet Val! last night, after the usual dash of melodrama. She is thrilled about them and they are interested in her, which is a good sign.

We put dirt and grass in a box in the kitchen thinking they'd associate that with a potty. They associated it more with a play toy, so not only was poo poo and pee pee on the floor in the kitchen this morning - so was a load of dirt! But they seem to be adjusting really well, and Justin will have personal bonding time with them this evening, as I am going out with some Crewmembers for vino. ;)

Sheila and Justin hooked us up on our way through Austin!

Thank you she and justin. We made it to the party in style. and for the record - the puppy on the left is named Eve and the one on the right is Ruby.

covert operation: success

welcome our new additions to our family!

New Phone!

ness n thao on my new phone - still getting used to the angles of things

The cruise boat Queen

Welcome back Thao...

Catching you up on photos from June, we have two sets:

Jenny & Cody's Visit

Jenny & Cody Visited the Big Apple - June 2007 - Click to check out the album!

Hiking in the Shawangunk Mountains

the Gunks - June 2007 - Click to check out the album!

In Princeton NJ

Remember h-bomb

Awesomeness of The Simpsons Premiere

Phew, sorry it's taken me a bit of time to post about this. Last week, on Tuesday, Justin and I (and Thao and some other cool peeps from work) flew out to Burbank, CA.
The reason?
We were going to the premiere of the Simpsons Movie in Los Angeles!!!
(more photos from premiere to come)

Because we all worked on the jetblue.com Simpson's site, or other JetBlue & Simpsons initiatives, and because JetBlue had partnered with The Simpsons, we were lucky enough to be flown out. Also, a rockin' JetBlue sales gal hooked us up with a much, MUCH nicer hotel (Luxe) than we were going to be staying in. Thank you sooo much!

Justin and I drove around a little when we first landed because I'd never been to LA before, so he wanted to show me some sites. We saw Santa Monica Pier and Muscle Beach. hahaha - looked like fun. There are so many fun gymnastic things to swing around on. Unfortunately, my allergies were really irking me, so I wasn't up to doing a whole lot.

We got to the hotel, and I really didn't want to leave. It was gorgeous. I totally could have moved in. I love the brown walls, spacious bedroom, super modern, clean edged furniture but mostly the bathroom, with its jacuzzi tub, spacious counter with dual sink and fabulous shower which really doesn't allow the humidity to seep into the rest of the bathroom. I hate humid bathrooms.

We headed to the pool where a few of the girls were laying out catching some last minute sun before the big night. I got in and started swimming, and Thao joined me straight away, then Justin got in. He and Thao stayed in splashing around for a while after I got out to lay down. I was exhausted. We'd had to get up at 6:00 AM for our flight, and I didn't sleep much on the plane. There really was no time for sleeping, though, because I had to get ready for the festivities!

A couple hours later, we all converged downstairs and drove to a bar near the theaters where the Simpsons Movie was premiering. We all looked STUNNING! We met up with a couple of people from the Ad/Promotions team that had beat us to LA by a day or two, then the GM of the Burbank airport joined us, and we all had drinks and appetizers. It was a really good time.

I was disappointed when we arrived at the theater because we had to wait in line! I was not at all prepared for that, in my beautiful fuschia gown and high heels. I promptly got over it, however, as the star sightings began. There were some people from Heros as well as Lisa Edelstein from House (had to look her up), Dr. Phil, David Hasselhoff, and of course, all the voice actors. One other saving grace: they had popcorn and soda at the ready upon entering the theater!

We laughed the WHOLE time we were in there. I am sure it helped having a lot of the animators in the same theater. The way I know we had some of the animators in the same theater is because of their reaction during the credits. It was awesome. Anyway, definitely go see the movie if you haven't done so yet. You won't be disappointed!!!

We headed to the after party at about 1 AM EST. We were exhausted. One of the girls admitted to dozing off a few times during the movie. What a bummer! At the after party, there was a carnivalesque atmosphere with yellow domes containing bars, an ice cream stand (not any old ice cream stand - DOTS!) and seating areas. There was also an area where you could get the same kind of hot chocolate Ned Flanders made in the movie. Once you see the movie, you will know how awesome this is. Janid (one of our coworkers that is also a singer), Thao, Justin, and I posed for a photograph on the Simpsons couch with the whole Simpsons family (see above)!!! okay, okay, they were not real, but still! That was awesome!
There were copious amounts of food, dessert, squishees, and several strategically located opened bars serving up any drink you could possibly want.
Matt Groening was there signing autographs and posing for pictures. Some of the cast from Reno 911 was there. I had my photo taken with Anna Nicole Smith's Baby's Daddy. I thought it was probably the funniest and most controversial image I could get. ;)
All in all, it was such a fun night.

Justin and I fell asleep practically as soon as we got back to the hotel room. We chose to leave on the later flight the next day, at 3 PM, so we could have a relaxing morning (we didn't get to bed til after 3 AM EST) and see Justin's friend Eric that lives very near BUR. We ate breakfast, drove down Sunset and Hollywood Blvd, caught a glimpse of the Hollywood sign, and met Eric at a cafe to chat for a few minutes before heading to the airport. Eric will actually be landing in NYC tomorrow and spending a week or so with us. Cool beans. :)

Birthday Decorations!

Random July - Birthday, etc.

I really had a great birthday. When I got to work, I saw that my desk area was completely covered in sparkling silver confetti type stuff and there were streamers and balloons (Texas colored balloons, mind you) everywhere! Justin had stayed up late the night before baking batch after batch of sugar cookies. They were so delicious. We got to share them with a lot of ppl from work, but I still had probably 8 or 9 for myself over those two days. ;) As the day progressed, I received a delivery of absolutely beautiful flowers from Justin's Mom, Lyndia. That rocked my socks and continued the momentum of the day. That evening I met up with Val!, my Mom, Dao and Rob, and Leanne at one of the neatest dining establishments to ever grace NYC. It's called Ninja New York and you are served by Ninjas in a super cool atmosphere.
Thanks to everyone for all the awesome gifts, sweet cards, and, mostly, love and caring. :)

New York is rubbing off...

Waa! I feel so unbelievably rude! Justin and I were walking back up a hill toward our hotel room after having breakfast in the hotel restaurant and we passed a woman that was obviously coming from a workout. She seemed happy, but I was avoiding eye-contact with her. Out of the corner of my eye I saw her look at me and smile, which would have been a kind and friendly greeting if I had been aware of myself and returned the gesture. A few moments later, we passed and elderly couple pushing a baby stroller and the woman raised her hand to wave a hello, but neither Justin nor myself looked directly in their faces. After we passed them, I had to express my shock to Justin and describe the events that had just transpired. I am usually one that goes out of my way to greet people/passersby - and I missed two blatant opportunities to do that today. Those sort of things never present themselves in NY. You have to aviod ppl, because the only ones that want to give you any sort of attention are generally up to no good.
Are my nine+ months in New York beginning to change me, and Justin too?

Our hotel: Luxe
More about the Simpsons Premiere evening and after party later. It was a LOT of fun, and I will have photos uploaded by the end of the week.

10 years ago

 

My first day of college - ten years ago!
Man, time flies. Look at the youth and nervous excitement. My old Honda, parked near the volleyball poles, and Dad's old blue truck. The old house and Ackerman's land - the fence is up, so it's not that long ago. Still... strange.

I also think it is worth mentioning that the oldest scanned photos I have are from 1997. I know we scanned some in 95/96, but I don't have a substantial amount so, significantly, the digitalization of my life began in 1997.

happy birthday to nessy!

happy birthday to nessy!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!!!

mmmmm sugar cookies :D
Justin's baking!

and I just called Val! to wish her a happy birthday. She is eating dinner with Mom and Leanne (Annie) in San Francisco at a vegan restaurant. Random!

Yay!!!! It's my birthday! :D I'm 27! :)

At Hill Country with Dad and Justin... and Thao!

There is a serrano in my drink!
So, yeah, I knew I wanted to go to Hill Country this weekend and the fact that my Dad was flying up sealed the deal. I invited Thao to come along, but when I talked to her Saturday she'd already been to the city once, come home, and didn't feel like going back out. I was really disappointed, so she changed her mind, but I told her it was ok if she didn't want to go. I tried calling her a little later to tell her we were on our way, but got her voicemail. When I got off the subway in the city, I had a message from her that went something like this "Hey Vanessa, I changed my mind. I'm not going to go. Happy birthday! See you Monday." What a bummer!

Justin, Dad and I entered the vast Hill Country BBQ joint and put our names on the long (hour and a half long!) waiting list, then sauntered over to the bar, where we killed time drinking and chatting amongst ourselves and with the friendly bartendress. Eventually our names were called and we were taken to the food ordering area - there are three stations from which you order: Meats, Sides, Drinks. Pretty nifty. As we were putting our things down at our table, Justin spotted Thao! She was already getting her food and thought we just hadn't shown up yet. We'd all been waiting for well over an hour without even spotting one another! I was so glad Thao actually was there, but I felt so bad that she was waiting by herself the whole time. She even tried to reach me on my cell, but as I had my phone in my little backpack in the loud restaurant, I didn't even hear it! Maybe that'll teach her to play tricks on people!

We met up at the perfect time and got to share/try a ton of different meats and sides. I am definitely going back when I can taste things again. For whatever reason, my allergies have ridded me of my sense of taste. However, I can tell basic things, like sweet or maybe bitter. Spicy is a little lacking and I didn't notice sour at all. Justin's first drink was (accidentally because of confusion in communication) a bourbon on the rocks. I didn't taste the bourbon at all, but could definitely sense the alcohol as I felt it burn the tip of my tongue slightly and evaporate onto the roof of my mouth.

I did enjoy eating though, so no one should think it was a wasted experience! The textures/colors of the food and the vibrancy of the company were all delightful. ;) And the icing on the cake, or cupcakes, I should say, is that Thao and Justin told one or two of the members of the waitstaff that it was my birthday! I ended up with one cupcake as we sat at the table that would not stay lit because the a/c was on just above us. It had reeses pieces on top and super fluffy and sweet peanut butter flavored icing. I guessed it was peanut butter, and Thao, Dad and Justin confirmed. I even enjoyed that, and I truly do not care for peanut butter! Oh yeah, it had jelly in the middle. Too cute. As we were on our way out of the restaurant, another waiter brought a cupcake out for us. This time the candle kept reigniting itself, so I got to make a few wishes! Super cool! And Justin had a whole cupcake to himself. ;)

We walked and chatted our way over to Rodeo Bar, where we rounded out the night drinking some margaritas and chatting (except Justin drank Captain and Coke. He is not a huge fan of the sleep-inducing margarita). I don't even know how long we were there, but we moved from second floor, to bottom floor (succeeded in acquiring a basket of chips), then back up to the second floor since you can't sit on the first unless you order food. :) All in all it was a really great night/time.

I also wanted to check out Reshma's party, but my Dad was falling asleep and no one was really up for it at that point. I guess hindsight being 20/20, it is probably a good thing, as I woke up with a bad enough hangover as it is. Possibly due to the shoddy quality of tequila Rodeo Bar uses in their drinks. Hrmph!

After a cocktail this morning, of the medical variety, I am finally starting to feel better. Which is a good thing. My Dad is leaving tonight, which is a sad thing. And Justin and I will be celebrating my 27th birthday (waa!) tomorrow with Mom, Val!, David and possibly Annie and Rob. Vee shall see. We will be dining at Ninja New York. Possibly the coolest concept every materialized for a restaurant.

Then the next morning it's off to Los Angeles to see the world premiere of the Simpsons Movie... Sweet!!!

So Kirkwood Called...

And I got to make a puppy e-mail to send out! Yay! So if you are in the San Antonio/Austin area, scurry on over to the studio and get a pet portrait made.

I so miss working for Mary and William. Mary is so supportive and appreciative, and she also gives me free reign and unbounded creativity. I know the corporate world cannot be like that. I just think it's unfortunate. I am also aware my designs (puppy one included) are not up to snuff with people that have studied graphic design.

One Night of Fire

Coincidentally enough, and it is incredibly coincidental as this is the first and only time we've walked across the Brooklyn Bridge in the 8+ months we have been here, we ran into a strange parade of sorts called "One Night of Fire." A man described it to me as a roving free-form celebration. It's more like a bunch of performance artists gathering together to do strange stunts, drink, and debauch. I want to say "freaks" or "degenerates" but that seems really judgmental and potentially unfair, as I don't know any of them. Why don't you decide for yourself?
We have some videos we took with the camera phone, and Justin did some research to find an official website. Here is the flickr gallery from last year.

They have a pretty slick website, (TheDanger.com) as it will send both e-mail and text updates, and they guarantee that the event moves quickly, so if you want to be a part of it, subscribing to text updates is paramount.

I want to revisit my earlier statement about it being unfair to pass judgment without knowing people. It seems best to qualify why I think these people are somewhat undesirable. You see, for a long time I was involved with the Goth scene in San Antonio. Needless to say, the majority of those people were undesirable. The worst among them were often the performers. I guess I found it lame, not only the kind and quality of shows, but the attitude and fakeness they frequently exhibited even off-stage.

Also, a lot of these people seemed like LARPers/Ren Fair enthusiasts. Nuf said.:)

Who knows, though. If I were fifteen and saw this, I'd probably think it was damn cool. Maybe I'm just old and jaded.

Justin:
To sum it up she is trying to say, it's lame but she might go next year.
Video:

We like high places!

Wandering over the brooklyn bridge and what do we come upon.

The Difference a Year can Make.

I was going through MySpace tonight to see if I'd missed anything recently. Surprisingly, posts have been slim, but I had some emails and a page of friend request. Unsurprisingly, I didn't know any of the people making the requests.

I decided to go back and see when the last time I posted on my MySpace blog was, and it was July 27, 2006. About a year ago.

oh yeah
Happy Friday the 13th!!!

At any rate, I was reading the post, and one thing that really stuck out was my "To-Do list:"
"Go to Chicago in Oct. (oh yeah, and Albuquerque)."

For some reason, despite working for an airline now, the ability, care-free requirement, and opportunity to flit off to Albuquerque seems so much less possible now. It strikes me as very odd, but then again, I also feel a lot more isolated being in NYC than I ever did in Texas, even though Justin and I kept very much to ourselves even then... strange.

Oh, yeah, I guess I am still never satisfied. ;) And I miss the convenience of living in the semi-country, and being able to wander downstairs to the Keurig and get a cup of coffee. I miss the nice moments of living with people, but separate from them, so I could make the observation, as I had in my survey from a year ago, that I got a bowl of cereal because Dad had left the Honey Bunches of Oats on the counter.

And, at 9 PM last night I was probably just getting home from eating Queens's version of Mexican food, and laying down to go to bed. I went to bed super early yesterday. I guess I have been exhausted this week, and the one margarita I drank got to me.

Onto more exciting news: Justin and I (and Thao and some other work peeps) will be flying to California, Los Angeles to be exact, to attend the premiere of The Simpsons Movie!!! We get to go because we worked so hard on everything for JetBlue.com. I am very excited about this, but I still don't know what to wear. I am a little sad it's the same day as my JavaScript final is supposed to be. I really need to practice and study. :<

Anyway, I was planning on going to Chicago with Mom, Val!, Dad, and Justin the weekend before that to celebrate our birthday. I just feel like it would be too much traveling all at once, and a little too stressful, so I wanted to cancel or postpone the trip. Val!'s very bummed and angry about it, which sucks. I am not exactly sure what to do now, but I just don't feel comfortable with trying to rush to Chicago.

I thought it would be cool to go to Hill Country BBQ. I guess we'll see.

I hope to update soon with photos. ;)

SuperStaaaaah

Ness with her new car

At JetBlue FSC subway stop

Woohoo

Dublin

Alberts lil' one

Overdue Upate

As usual, I have much to write about and have waited until it is practically bedtime to do so.

Budget, you question?

First things first - to answer the anonymous poster's question about budget: We had guests in town a couple of weeks ago, so we managed to go over budget a few times. The last couple of weeks we've done very well, staying within our budget when food is in question. Today, for instance, we may have spent $25. However, as Justin's birthday is coming up, as is Val!'s, I have purchased some small gifts that fall outside the budget. Even still, I don't expect birthday purchases to TOTAL over $150 - $200. Very much on the cheap this year. I guess my summary is that the budget is being minded and is going well. We did go over budget the night we ate at Carrabbas, however!

Hiking in The Gunks

Justin and I went hiking in Minnewaska State Park/Mohonk Preserve the weekend before last. It was lovely. Tons of rock climbers there too, very hardcore. It makes me want to be more into that sort of thing. I love hiking and climbing. I wish I lived upstate so I could more readily pursue such things. The expedition was nice, though, and the views were delightful.

"Fun Day" at work

Last Friday we had "Fun Day" at work, which was sort of a team building thing for the marketing/revenue departments. It was basically a "Revenge of the Nerds" style decathlon. 7 people were chosen to be captains and I was lucky enough to be one of them. My team consisted of 12 other people (two of which could not attend). Every other team (7 captains = 7 teams) had between 11 - 12 other people.

Leading up to the Fun Day, I was madly preparing for the Simpsons Launch and still trying to get my team organized, motivated, and stylish. Luckily, I had an awesome group of people on my team. We were the "red team." Every team was based on a color (no one was blue - but I bet you can guess why). After a brain storming session, we decided we'd call ourselves the "Chili Peppers" and all have names that would include the word Pepper. I was ONI, for instance, like Pepperoni. We had a Pepper Jack, Peppermint Patty, Fresh Ground Pepper, Pepper Spray, Hot Pepper, Sergeant Pepper, Pickled Pepper, Dr. Pepper, and Salt & Pepper. We had an awesome logo (a fabulous graphics designer was on our team), kick ass bandanas with chili peppers on them (a very motivated gal in Revenue Management was on our team) along with cool socks, and we were all wearing fantastic matching red shirts (tanks for the girls, tees for the boys) with our logo on them. Thank heavens for Old Navy.

Throughout the day we supported one another, strategized, cheered each other on, and competed our little hearts out. It was definitely worth it, because our team WON #1 OVERALL, and, perhaps more importantly, we won for Team Spirit!!! Now we all have positive space tickets as a result of winning 1st and one of our members won a getaway (it was a random drawing out of a hat - but the winner definitely deserves it)! I got a couple of freezing cold bowls of ice poured on my head by my teammates. I have to say, leading a group to public, undisputed victory where everyone enjoyed themselves the whole time and was really proud to be a part of the entire process was incredible. Even more so than successfully launching a promotion. Not that there is anything wrong with quiet victories, but they are not as satisfying.

House

We are looking at buying a house. We looked around Queens, but everything is so unreasonable. I wish we could live upstate, as mentioned before, but I think the commute would kill us. I am open to any and all suggestions, however. I'd like to stay within 1 hour of Forest Hills, and prefer north NY to south (not the Bronx, from what I've seen of it, however).

I will try to get some images of hiking and Fun Day up soon!

Check out our JetBlue Simpsons Page!!!!

That's right! JetBlue is the OFFICIAL Airline of Springfield! Tara is responsible for organizing the whole promotion - TJ for the graphics, and Janid for the awesome copy.

Thao and I are responsible for Rockin' the webpage. Hellz yeah! I did the destination and character matching concept as well as the javascript to make the dropdown list box function to swap the images. The images also change every 30 seconds. Listening to my mom use it - I think that may really bug some people. "Is that my computer or your page? It must be my computer." Woops! I guess we'll see about that. hehe

Thao did a beautiful job integrating the animation into the site... but DON'T click the donut after the little movie plays, no matter how much the pulsating, shiny orb tempts you...

Woohoo!

Verrazano Bridge

Justin and i are going to Carrabbas thanks to the use of Val's car!

What the F? A midterm!?

I thought I was out of school, but lo and behold, I enrolled in a javascript class to improve my programming skills and thus become a more valuable employee. For some reason, it didn't quite sink in that I would have to take a midterm.

As I sit here in javascript class, having just finished my midterm, I am very surprised at how much easier it seems to be now, out of school, just doing this for my own edification, than it seemed when I was actually in the thick of it. I wonder if I went back to school if it would be as hard as it once was.

I guess we'll see how I feel after I actually get my grade. :)

Thoughts from my old notebook

Today, we went to the Museum of Natural History with Jenny and Cody. I love that museum. They are having a mythical creatures exhibit right now but it wasn't as fantastic as I'd hoped. I enjoyed going through the NY State history/ecosystem hall better.

We also tried Pinkberry. My apologies if you actually go to that link and hear the incredibly catchy music. It was pretty darn good. I'd go again if it was more convenient.

Val! and I have been commenting back and forth on a lot of our photos from Portland. Good times.

I switched to a new notebook at work, which resulted in my going through my old one, transferring some still-relevant notes, throwing most everything away, and stealing a couple of sheets of musings I'd written while sitting in meetings but being "checked-out." I thought I'd transcribe them here, despite the fact that they're lacking. Then again, most of my posts here are anyway.

"because you have changed, or because you are new... or because once we fought with you, with your citizens, but have since made amends and you are once again new to us <3"

I am not sure what the above was about.

I like this one a little better;

I am remiss to damage a page completely blank, full of purpose, a thing of beauty almost - not at all ugly or hideous as it sometimes becomes once I've begun my regular scribblings.
              And yet - I have that unfortunate human condition that requires me to deface or destroy those beautiful, pristine things.

He called in... who cares. Half of the time he just sits there bored out of his mind anyway.

I feel sad or lonely or maybe that's not it. Maybe what I feel is dispassionate and insignificant. I don't know, but I imagine that could be it.

I want pizza. I want Cosi. I want happy. I want cozy.

TB strategy - "it's a little all over the place" and "We're still trying to figure out just what it will be." Meaning if you're a man or have the right title people will actually listen and respond to your ideas. What am I missing?

Everything is so small if you want it to be - feels so small.

Like I am so in debt and I don't want to be an insignificant worker bee all my life and I want to do fun stuff and How will I be able to get out of debt in order to justify going back to school.

!

Geocacherz!

Geocaching in central park with v, j and c.

Ness talkin 2 Gina about BLOGs