Ok... so the rest of the weekend was fun / leisurely and darn hot--temperature wise...
On Saturday, we hung out at the sister-un-law's pool for a while and thats about it.
On Sunday we went to brunch at Tin Angel again. I had a delicious quiche but --gasp-- skipped out on the delicious chocolate cake I usually get there.
After brunch, we went to some open houses in the neighborhood. The first place was totally not in our price range (condo units that ranged from $330-570), but I had been anxious to see inside them. They were neat and had cool open floor plans, but there were some small things that didnt appeal to me (some bits of shoddy craftmanship, granite tile on kitchen counters rather than solid granite, etc.) but there were other things that were neat--pool and views of downtown.
We went to another new condo building in the same area that actually had units in our price range. They were nice and neat as well, but didnt have a pool or the downtown view (maybe that's why they were more in our price range, lol).
Our next door neighbor (opposite side than the house that recently sold) also had an open house. It's in our range but was a big no for us... not open enough and just not our style.
Anyway, it's fun to start getting some ideas and going to open houses. We're pretty sure we'll end up in a house, but condo's are still an option. It also helps that we arent in a rush to buy anything and are willing to wait around for a long time rather than settling on something we dont totally love. The good thing about our current place is that the duplex neighbor practically takes care of the mortgage payment. Cha-ching.
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Friday, July 27, 2007
Billionaires eat chain food???
... so tonight... we had a hard time deciding where to go for dinner... my requirements were that I didnt have to get too cutesy/trendy and it was within 1 mile from home... so we settled on Bricktops on West End... we've been there a few times... our duplex neighbor is a manager there (I blogged about him giving us a free meal a while back--but unfortunately, he is out of town this week).
It's close to our place... has good food...and an outdoor dining area and is really nice for a chain (it's not like an Applebees or Ruby Tuesday), but it's not too fru-fru. Well, on the way in, we saw Bill Frist's (thank heavens he isnt my US Senator any longer) brother. His brother was a co-founder of a major hospital chain and they are worth well over a billion. Obviously we arent friends and didnt chat...but it was an interesting sidewalk encounter.
Later...we saw Alice Randall. She is the author of--among other things--'The Wind Done Gone.' This parody of "Gone With the Wind" got a lot of media attention... it was told from the perspective of the slaves rather than the Scarlett O'hara & Rhett Butler crowd. She also was the first African-American woman songwriter with a number-one country song. I became familiar with her in college when she was a guest of a journalistic panel I attended. (David Halberstam also was at this..who was a fantastic Pulitzer Prize winning journalist who unfortunately died this year in a car crash around San Franciso).
We also saw a local network weatherman (who I also shared a plane with once on the way home from San Fran) and a prominent gay socialite/philanthropist (he founded Artrageous!).
Who the hell else did we miss in the dining room???
Bottom line is... who would've thought that these people you see in the society pages on a regular basis were at the same chain (small but expanding) that I went to b/c I didnt want to get "dressed up."
hahaha... I guess every know and then, even a billionaire has to mingle with the common folk. I just wished he would've slipped me a few dollar bills. Cheap Ass!
It's close to our place... has good food...and an outdoor dining area and is really nice for a chain (it's not like an Applebees or Ruby Tuesday), but it's not too fru-fru. Well, on the way in, we saw Bill Frist's (thank heavens he isnt my US Senator any longer) brother. His brother was a co-founder of a major hospital chain and they are worth well over a billion. Obviously we arent friends and didnt chat...but it was an interesting sidewalk encounter.
Later...we saw Alice Randall. She is the author of--among other things--'The Wind Done Gone.' This parody of "Gone With the Wind" got a lot of media attention... it was told from the perspective of the slaves rather than the Scarlett O'hara & Rhett Butler crowd. She also was the first African-American woman songwriter with a number-one country song. I became familiar with her in college when she was a guest of a journalistic panel I attended. (David Halberstam also was at this..who was a fantastic Pulitzer Prize winning journalist who unfortunately died this year in a car crash around San Franciso).
We also saw a local network weatherman (who I also shared a plane with once on the way home from San Fran) and a prominent gay socialite/philanthropist (he founded Artrageous!).
Who the hell else did we miss in the dining room???
Bottom line is... who would've thought that these people you see in the society pages on a regular basis were at the same chain (small but expanding) that I went to b/c I didnt want to get "dressed up."
hahaha... I guess every know and then, even a billionaire has to mingle with the common folk. I just wished he would've slipped me a few dollar bills. Cheap Ass!
Bleep you too, hussy!
It's been a mostly mundane work week... but the commute the past two days has been an experience.
I'm the first to admit I am an aggressive driver... I hate most other drivers... BUT... on the flip side... I know when I'm wrong and make a bad driving move.
I've managed to piss the hell out of two people though this week... on my way home yesterday evening and again on my way in today. I'll spare the complete details...but yesterday...a lady in a mini-van got soooo mad at me b/c I was merging lanes and made some crazy hand gestures like I was impeding her progress (it was 5:45 on one of the busiest junctions in town... gf wasnt going anywhere quickly)... I ALMOST NEVER do this... but str8 up gave her the bird...
well...this morning... on the way in... some other lady in my office park got mad b/c I also merged again (totally not being dangerous... I'd admit if I were wrong... I have been before)... but... she laid on her horn like something crazy... well, we finally got to a red-light...she was behind me...and I gave her my usual response (not the bird)... I turned around and blew her a kiss... I highly suggest you try this tactic... OMG... this drove her crazy... she tooted like a mad man again (mind you...we were sitting at a damn red-light)... Finally we moved on...and bitch turned off to go to Starbucks... dont mess with a guy/gal who is on the way to Starbucks at 8:30am... I guess there should be a special traffic lane for people who cant function without overpriced coffee... I dont understand... you only end up crashing off your caffeine rush later.
Moral of the story... be a courteous, cautious driver at all times... but if someone gets really mad at you and you were in the wrong... give an apologetic wave... if you were totally in the right... blow a kiss... I've done it several times and it DRIVES people even more crazy. I get pleasure from it.
I'm the first to admit I am an aggressive driver... I hate most other drivers... BUT... on the flip side... I know when I'm wrong and make a bad driving move.
I've managed to piss the hell out of two people though this week... on my way home yesterday evening and again on my way in today. I'll spare the complete details...but yesterday...a lady in a mini-van got soooo mad at me b/c I was merging lanes and made some crazy hand gestures like I was impeding her progress (it was 5:45 on one of the busiest junctions in town... gf wasnt going anywhere quickly)... I ALMOST NEVER do this... but str8 up gave her the bird...
well...this morning... on the way in... some other lady in my office park got mad b/c I also merged again (totally not being dangerous... I'd admit if I were wrong... I have been before)... but... she laid on her horn like something crazy... well, we finally got to a red-light...she was behind me...and I gave her my usual response (not the bird)... I turned around and blew her a kiss... I highly suggest you try this tactic... OMG... this drove her crazy... she tooted like a mad man again (mind you...we were sitting at a damn red-light)... Finally we moved on...and bitch turned off to go to Starbucks... dont mess with a guy/gal who is on the way to Starbucks at 8:30am... I guess there should be a special traffic lane for people who cant function without overpriced coffee... I dont understand... you only end up crashing off your caffeine rush later.
Moral of the story... be a courteous, cautious driver at all times... but if someone gets really mad at you and you were in the wrong... give an apologetic wave... if you were totally in the right... blow a kiss... I've done it several times and it DRIVES people even more crazy. I get pleasure from it.
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
Hello, I'm Johnny Cash...
We finally watched "Walk the Line" tonight. It's been on our dvr since October '06, oops.
I really enjoyed the movie. Semi-autobiographical films like that are always interesting. I came around pretty late as a Cash fan. My parents didnt really listen to country music (when I was younger at least), so I never really heard his music for the most part until I was in college. The acting & singing were good in my opinion (and Oscar voters apparently). I'm a bit biased, but I will disclose that I think "Coal Miners Daughter" was better than WTL.
"Coal Miners Daughter" just seemed to be a bit more detailed than WTL even though they were both equal in length. Funny side story on what drew me to Loretta (since I didnt grow up on her music either)... was the CMD movie. When I got a step-mother, she happened to have the video... I watched it at some point soon after...and then proceeded to wear it out.
Surprisingly, Hal got me the DVD for Christmas a few years ago. One of the best gifts EVER! :)
After seeing Loretta back in February, I casually mentioned the trip to my aunt. She said... I always think of you when I hear about Loretta... I had totally forgotten how much I had blabbered on and on about LL until she mentioned that.
Anyway, if you havent seen "Walk the Line," you should. I'm still bummed that their house burned earlier this year :( I saw it once while we were out on the lake and it was definitely unique.
I really enjoyed the movie. Semi-autobiographical films like that are always interesting. I came around pretty late as a Cash fan. My parents didnt really listen to country music (when I was younger at least), so I never really heard his music for the most part until I was in college. The acting & singing were good in my opinion (and Oscar voters apparently). I'm a bit biased, but I will disclose that I think "Coal Miners Daughter" was better than WTL.
"Coal Miners Daughter" just seemed to be a bit more detailed than WTL even though they were both equal in length. Funny side story on what drew me to Loretta (since I didnt grow up on her music either)... was the CMD movie. When I got a step-mother, she happened to have the video... I watched it at some point soon after...and then proceeded to wear it out.
Surprisingly, Hal got me the DVD for Christmas a few years ago. One of the best gifts EVER! :)
After seeing Loretta back in February, I casually mentioned the trip to my aunt. She said... I always think of you when I hear about Loretta... I had totally forgotten how much I had blabbered on and on about LL until she mentioned that.
Anyway, if you havent seen "Walk the Line," you should. I'm still bummed that their house burned earlier this year :( I saw it once while we were out on the lake and it was definitely unique.
Monday, July 23, 2007
Tammy Faye
I blogged about her briefly after seeing the Larry King Live appearance Thursday...but on Saturday, I was still sad to hear that she had died. I'm sure she is in a better place.
The NPR show Fresh Air reminded me of this interview today... if you have time, http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=12169778... (it's a little less than 10 minutes). If you want to delve further, there are more indepth and side interviews about her.
While I still disagree with Tammy about the "gay lifestyle," I still appreciate her approachability (is that a word?).
The NPR show Fresh Air reminded me of this interview today... if you have time, http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=12169778... (it's a little less than 10 minutes). If you want to delve further, there are more indepth and side interviews about her.
While I still disagree with Tammy about the "gay lifestyle," I still appreciate her approachability (is that a word?).
Rush, Rush... hurry, hurry
I freaking love Paula Abdul... crazy, drunk/drugged...who cares?...She's very entertaining. I've been a fan since back in the days when I saw cheerleaders at my school do halftime routines to her song... nice... lol
We were at the grocery tonight...and her song Rush came on... I havent heard that in a long time...and was so distracted that I couldnt concentrate on what I needed until the song was over. My apologies if I held up you up in the aisle with my cart while I was lip singing (get off my back, even Brittney & Madonna do it). Sometimes, you just gotta stop and smell the roses. I almost said the Paula...but that doesnt sound nice.
Anyway, my weekend was delightful. Waking up from the Friday night celebratory dinner was relatively easy... I did some b.s. errands...
and later in the evening...we went Bowling! I'm not so good at it, but it is something I enjoy a few times a year. I got progressively worse... starting out with a score in the 120's...and dropping on average 20 points the next two games. It's all about fun anyway, right???
Nothing too remarkable the rest of the weekend... we chilled out at my sister-un-law's pool on Sunday (get it, gay marriage isnt lawful?)... that's always fun...and enjoyed one of my favorite summer reality shows... Big Brother...it's crazy how addictive that show is to me...but I'm easy :)
We were at the grocery tonight...and her song Rush came on... I havent heard that in a long time...and was so distracted that I couldnt concentrate on what I needed until the song was over. My apologies if I held up you up in the aisle with my cart while I was lip singing (get off my back, even Brittney & Madonna do it). Sometimes, you just gotta stop and smell the roses. I almost said the Paula...but that doesnt sound nice.
Anyway, my weekend was delightful. Waking up from the Friday night celebratory dinner was relatively easy... I did some b.s. errands...
and later in the evening...we went Bowling! I'm not so good at it, but it is something I enjoy a few times a year. I got progressively worse... starting out with a score in the 120's...and dropping on average 20 points the next two games. It's all about fun anyway, right???
Nothing too remarkable the rest of the weekend... we chilled out at my sister-un-law's pool on Sunday (get it, gay marriage isnt lawful?)... that's always fun...and enjoyed one of my favorite summer reality shows... Big Brother...it's crazy how addictive that show is to me...but I'm easy :)
Saturday, July 21, 2007
Drumroll please....
We went out for a celebratory dinner at Parco Cafe last night with Casey (my friend/current manager) & her husband Shane.
What were we celebrating? I accepted an offer on a new position at my company this week! Due to corporate red tape, it will be about a month before I change roles, but I'm going to be a Technical Trainer in our Education group. It's going to be a big change for me, but I'm so excited. I'll be training our customers how to use our software. My educational experience and preference is to be in a more direct face to face interaction with people, so this position is a good fit for me.
Another big change with this position is that I'll be traveling up to 60%, so it's a bit of a lifestyle change. Probably more often than not, I'll be in a not so glamorous city, but you can guarantee I'll keep you posted either way here.
It seriously was a month before I learned about the open position from the time I accepted. I was dying to blog about it, but wanted to keep it quiet in case it didnt go favorably. There was one weekend that I was a nervous wreck...seriously, like the worst stomach cramps / anxiety over a presentation I had to do. Funny enough, I wasnt nervous the actual day I did the presentation, but the anticipation was killing me.
Anyway, I'm super excited... it's definitely a positive step in my professional development. Goodbye to helping clients with problems with servers and quirky software issues... I freaking hated that the whole time anyway.
What were we celebrating? I accepted an offer on a new position at my company this week! Due to corporate red tape, it will be about a month before I change roles, but I'm going to be a Technical Trainer in our Education group. It's going to be a big change for me, but I'm so excited. I'll be training our customers how to use our software. My educational experience and preference is to be in a more direct face to face interaction with people, so this position is a good fit for me.
Another big change with this position is that I'll be traveling up to 60%, so it's a bit of a lifestyle change. Probably more often than not, I'll be in a not so glamorous city, but you can guarantee I'll keep you posted either way here.
It seriously was a month before I learned about the open position from the time I accepted. I was dying to blog about it, but wanted to keep it quiet in case it didnt go favorably. There was one weekend that I was a nervous wreck...seriously, like the worst stomach cramps / anxiety over a presentation I had to do. Funny enough, I wasnt nervous the actual day I did the presentation, but the anticipation was killing me.
Anyway, I'm super excited... it's definitely a positive step in my professional development. Goodbye to helping clients with problems with servers and quirky software issues... I freaking hated that the whole time anyway.
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