Xmas 2008

Christmas this year was without any family. Dan brought home his own ham, mashed potatoes, and broccoli and cheese from work for lunch. For dinner we weren't very hungry, but cooked up some thin ribeye steaks anyway. Here are some unwrapping gift pics (note my feigned surprise at the previously unveiled Kitchen Aid):











It was a lonely day, as Dan was working until 1pm, and then it was just us. One nice thing was that the weather was in the 70s! That made it at least seem like we were in FL per usual. Well, maybe next year will be more "normal".

Wow, it's almost Thanksgiving and I thought we just got here!

This past weekend we put up our new Christmas tree! Beforehand, we got some new ornaments to complement the built-in lights. This is what it looks like now:

Also, we recently signed up for an organic (local optional) grocery delivery through the company Greenling. Their service is customizable as far as which products you want and how often they are delivered. Our first box showed up today! Check it out: romaine lettuce, bibb lettuce, collard greens, mustard greens, avocados, tomatoes, meyer lemons, key limes, radishes, turnips, sweet potatoes, and a bunch of rosemary. Dan made a delicious dinner using 7 of the items. Yum!


We are looking forward to my parents and my sister's visit in the next coming weeks. Our Thanksgiving will be delayed a bit, but nonetheless delicious and special! Much cleaning to do this weekend, and wrapping up of this semester's classes. I'd like to pretend that I'm busy, but I'm really not. I'm watching tv and writing in a blog...signs that I probably have nothing better to do. Anyhow, let the holidays begin!

Ladybird Wildflower Center

Ladybird Wildflower Center is one of my favorite places in Austin. I dropped Dan at work and headed south for another free admission day. Cheapskate, I know, but one day I will be able to give back. Wandering around alone in this place is inevitable. Even if I were with a group of 20 I could find myself drifting off in a plant and architecture induced trance. Those archways are beautiful AND functional - they help transport the rainwater caught from the roof to the 12,000 gallon cistern, part of their "rain-harvesting operation".

I went off on one of the property's trails toward the windmill. I snapped an awful pic but it shows my new haircut.

At the trail head a sign warns you of rattlesnakes and cougars!! I also happened upon some crazy wildlife. I intently watched as this red-striped ribbon snake darted around a mini-pond trying to catch a frog.

Then I did a 180 and watched this female orb-weaver of some sort wrap up some of her catch.

I stayed there until I almost dried out from the sun and had to leave for a drink of water. Twas a beautiful day!

Dream Week

Well, we've had the great opportunity to be able to socialize and eat out lately. A few nights ago we visited a restaurant we've been wanting to try since we first spotted it - Clay Pit. Our friends even went back the next night it was so good. Dan was updating his blog and asking me details about this trip and today's lunch stop at Thai Tara. I started to drool. We've been lucky enough to have eaten such wonderful food lately. I started thinking that this was the best week ever! No, I can think of a better Best Week EVER! It starts like this:

Sunday: Dim Sum (cuz I'm traditional like that), Five Guys cheeseburger w/ french fries, Indian (Clay Pit or Zaranj in Calcutta). Wash it down with a milkshake.

Monday: sugar, pb, chocolate chip cookies (fresh from the oven), NY style pizza, Thanksgiving dinner. Wash it down with milk (cuz it's homey).

Tuesday: pork roll and cheese on a Kaiser, Hellshire fish and festival, Salt Lick BBQ. Wash it down with water (because you don't want the drink to cover up the smoke flavor).

Wednesday: NJ diner: 1 egg over easy w/ sausage link, buttered white bread, home fries, cuban (Cuba Libre in Atlantic City or Philadelphia) – beans/rice, plantain, ropa vieja, Chicago pizza. Wash it down with a famous Cuba Libre mojito!

Thursday: salt fish flittas (made by PoPo), Italian sub (dripping in oil/vinegar), hibachi, Coke

Friday: sausage egg cheese biscuit, Thai Kitchen (Bridgewater, NJ), German spaetzel w/ veal in a mushroom sauce, beer

Saturday: ice cream, Gratzi's Caesar salad of yesteryear w/ cheesy fondue, Sauteed scallops/fish and chips in Galway, Ireland. all washed down with 4 bottles of vodka. Because after that week, what do I have to live for?

Fall has begun

Well, today was the first day of classes for me. In reality I was home all day. This morning I became oriented with my two online courses for this semester: Human Growth and Development, Introduction to Speech. Odd that a speech communication course is online, right? I read all of both syllabi and played around with the online class application called Blackboard. This is my first experience using Blackboard. At TCNJ we used SOCS and at NC State we used WebCT which is now owned by Blackboard. Interesting the tools we have here as American students. I did a study abroad course in Ireland 3 years ago. The professors there did not require you to buy textbooks, there were plenty copies in the library. You also did not have to own a computer. In fact, many did not. I realize it's not required of an American college student, but it's expected. In Ireland, the teacher's did not post their lectures ahead of time online in order for the students to print out slides and take notes. No, some lectureres still used transparencies and overhead projectors! And chalk!

So anyway, tomorrow I will attend the first actual class on a campus - Human Anatomy Lab and Lecture. I am looking forward to this course immensely. I rocked the HS version of this class. It's not the same, but I've also been brushing up on my body parts by watching bloody ER and surgery TV shows. I learn from the TV!

So other than that news in my life, I've lately been working towards a new goal: 100 pushups! I am not very far along, currently starting week 2. I can surprisingly feel a difference in my arms already. My shoulders are hard when you poke them even if I'm not flexing. Hooray!

Anyhow, I look forward to getting into the mix of things this semester!

Bills, bills, bills

Buffalo buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo buffalo. No, not those Bills. I'm talkin' money. Surviving in this world, financially, is simply not acceptable for me. It's just not enough. My recent obsession has been discovering the ways and means to earn money and save money, as in combination you can create wealth. I'm a worrier by birthright (Lue Yen side), so the sooner I can be financially comfortable, the sooner I can enjoy life more. Is that kind of redundant? Anyhow, in recent months, Dan and I have taken up a few new tricks in order to preserve what money we have, while employment was questionable. After all, moving to Austin was our first step toward being independent.

Firstly, I have taken to cutting coupons in the Sunday paper. My grocery doubles and triples coupons depending on the value. This, combined with weekly sales, has made for some very cheap food. This sometimes has me buying food that I would not have normally tried or have been interested in but could not afford. We have built up stockpiles of meats and pantry items this way. Secondly, I have become aware of rebate items at Walgreens and sale/coupons/Extra Buck deals at CVS. I've gotten many free items after learning deals on websites such as HotCouponWorld.com. Additionally, I frequent forums/websites (divagirlsdeals.com, Yahoo Texas Couponers Group) that discuss local deals and suggest websites that give away free samples. Thirdly, Dan and I have looked into supplemental income jobs that we can do from home/nearby. He has signed up for a website called Cha Cha, where he finds answers online in response to questions people text in through their phone. He looks up anything from jokes to directions to trivia and more! This is low paying, but a fun way to learn while earning AND watching the tv at the same time! I recently joined a mystery shopping group. I signed up for my first try - Papa John's pizza! It was a small commission and a free pizza, something I cannot turn down. Well, I called the store to order my pizza and they denied my order! Apparently, I have to order from the store that is 0.77 miles away rather than this one at 1.47 miles away. It blows my mind to have 2 options for 1 delivery store. At home in NJ we couldn't get pizza delivered (Domino's does not count as pizza)! Anyhow, I wasn't able to complete the order and my status was downgraded/suspended on the site. Worse yet, we hadn't planned on making dinner and it's time to eat! (Update: we have leftovers from The Salt Lick, all is well again!) I sent an appeal email, because I really think this is a wonderful opportunity!

Otherwise, we both have the bulk of our money sitting in a low interest savings account (ING). I hope we are able to achieve and sustain the quality of life and standards that we are both accustom to. This is one of many reasons for my "career-change" to nursing. The flexibility, personal satisfaction from helping others, decent pay, and huge chance for growth are all attractive to me. I often look to these blogs for inspiration:
JANE4girls
*about a woman who gave herself an $800 budget/year for her family of 4; inspiring
Spilling Buckets
*about a couple on a quest toward financial freedom (who even share their numbers!); quirky and honest
I also frequent the Money section on MSN.com. Dan is picking up on my hints and has even found enjoyment out of finding the item and price that matches my coupons. I make it a game for him and we both enjoy grocery shopping together. Dorky, huh?

The goal is to not only prepare for an relaxing retirement, but to have fun our entire lives. Have we started yet? I think so, and I can't wait to enjoy the rest! Any suggestions?

Great Outdoor Day!

Today was the last day of Dan's parents visit. We saved up all of the outdoor activities for today it seemed. We checked out the Barton Springs Pool/Barking Springs area. They are dog owners and Looooooved the doggy swimming area. Who can resist smiling there? After a fresh, healthy lunch at Jason's Deli, we went to the Zilker Botanical Garden (Dan likes to refer to it as ZBG and consequently I like to cringe). The beautiful gardens allow you to meander as you wish and daydream. We passed through old buildings based on Swedish settlers from years ago, through butterfly gardens, rose gardens, prehistoric gardens, Cacti/succulent gardens and finally into my favorite part - The Japanese garden. A worker was tying cables and ropes around a rock and over a tree branch. I stopped to ask him what he was working on. "I'm trying to get this rock back up the hill - restoration". I said to him "Wow, restoration looks like hard work!" His reply: "Well, the man who built this garden was 70 when he started it, worked for a year all by himself, and only got help in the last half year before he finished". He said this as if to say 'Anything I do is nothing in comparison'. He may be right. The garden has a continuous stream that wanders underfoot many times, and finally into ponds which empty into more streams and more ponds. The koi seem about a foot and a half long and oddly enough I think I could eat one. Anyhow, following the garden we went to the Zilker Nature Center (don't think that is the right name, but it approximates it). There we saw many of the native Texas creatures, from skunks, to red-tailed hawks, to coyotes. The bobcat was fed while we were there and I watched as it gobbled up baby chicks that were already killed. It gnawed and gnawed until most of the body could fit in its mouth...and then the chick head fell out on the ground. Do not worry! Nothing was wasted. The bobcat carried on with the head and the rest of his bowl of chicks.

For dinner, we went to the downtown location of The Alamo Drafthouse. It is housed in the former Ritz Theatre. We were there for the opening show of Tropic Thunder. I wasn't too hungry, but I ordered a pizza and somehow finished it. The movie was pretty good, pretty funny. I was most surprised by Tom Cruise and Robert Downey, Jr.'s acting. I haven't seen many Tom Cruise films and abhor him as a human. He gained a little acting credit in my book in this show. That doesn't say much - I am far from a movie buff. RDJ's character was played perfectly. That is all I know how to say in reviewing movies. As we walked back to our car, I spotted a comedian we saw last Saturday night - It was Justin Scales! We chatted real quick about how we really thought he was funny, that he was playing another show tonight north of the UT campus, he was impressed that I remembered he was from Oakland and not anywhere local, Dan left him with words of encouragement. I think he felt good about himself after we left; I know I would! So that was our day, lots of sun and fresh air and now we are tired just after 9:30pm. That's a good thing.

Activities

Well, this "vacation" has been quite different from the last. We spend more time in a car and less on our feet. Thursday we picked up Dan's parents from the airport. We spent that evening (their 43rd anniversary) at the Texas Land & Cattle Restaurant. It was already late, so we just went back to the apartment.
Friday we spent the day driving around different areas of the city so they could get a feel for Austin real estate. We had an awesome lunch break at Fire Bowl Cafe. That evening, after a dinner at home, we went to the off-leash dog park to show them what a good time Bailey would have here. It didn't take much convincing. All types and sizes of dogs ran up to us, sniffed us, sniffed each other, offered their backs and ears for scratching. It really is a doggy haven. Saturday we checked out the Austin Farmer's Market in the morning, then met up with long-time friends Sharon and Larry, who drove in from Durant, OK. We had a pleasant lunch at Jo's on 2nd street. After some catch-up, we headed back to their hotel and hung out with some drinks at the resident TGI Friday's. Lovely. They turned out to be really funny people. Larry entertained me with his dry humor. A few times I wasn't even sure he was joking because he keeps his expression absolutely still, but only until I would crack. Then you could see his smile appear in the middle of his beard. Anyhow, we split to wash up and get ready for dinner, which was at IronWorks. The bbq was amazing, even with a full stomach. Luckily they all were as impressed with the meal as Dan and I were the first time we visited. We headed over to the Velveeta Room for a comedy show. The Middle Eastern/bomb-joking MC was way funnier than most emcees, followed by a sub-par hippie who kept forgetting his lines, a chubby gaming nerd with pretty good schtick (who will return in September as headliner) and this dude on crack who no one got except for Dan and me. In fact, I have yet to find many people who appreciate dead baby jokes quite like we do. The main event was a Cuabn-American Air Force pilot who got raunchier than his pretty face originally let on. He kept calling Larry "Grandpa" and soon ate his own words when Larry used Jose's own joke against him. It was one of those 'you had to be there' times and it was brilliant. A few younger women from the show came up to Larry on the street afterwards and congratulated him. The comedian was at first in shock, then picked back up and finished on a high note. It was a great stroll back to the hotel/car and a great evening. OK, getting wordy.
Sunday we drove around different areas of the city again, had a nice fatty lunch at Threadgill's, and saw a brass quintet from the Austin symphony play one of their summer evening series shows. I guess things don't sound so bad when you take a step back.

We were Ham-burgularized!

I woke up this morning to find the front door ajar. So I backed up into the bedroom, woke Dan, and hid until he reported back. The news: Our laptops were gone. After the initial shock and disbelief, we noticed the back sliding glass door open - which leads out onto the balcony. We have a deadbolt that only locks from the inside on the front door...plus I recalled forgetting to lock the glass door after watering plants yesterday. We deduced that the thief either climbed up onto the balcony or down to it from the roof; the next door balconies are far too far away. We are on the 3rd floor!! The easiest way would be from the roof - there is no way a thief is going to carry around a 30 foot ladder. After our initial panic subsided, we noticed that the stupid burglar forgot to take the power cords for BOTH of our computers AND my purse which was sitting in between them!! What a true low-life and moron. The freakiest part of having our things taken, was that it was done in the middle of the night while we slept! I recall waking suddenly in the middle of the night (3:46am) and in my dreary state rationalizing that my bladder had awoken me so.

We reported the theft to the police. The 311 lady was really nice but didn't sound convincing that we'd get our stuff back. Dan's ancient desktop helped us changed all of our financial institution passwords that were saved on our computers. Of course, I called my parents for comfort and Dan chose the exact opposite to spare his mother the stress. Luckily having the Sunday paper on our doorstep helped us find ads for computers on sale. We visited a few stores, then decided on this for me and this one for Dan. Thankfully , Dan's stolen laptop was newly purchased and we think will be paid back through a claim with AMEX. Hopefully mine can be expensed for work. My boss was very empathetic and kind - quite a pleasing change from most bosses.

Today has been the hugest disappointment since our move here. I almost feel like blaming someone (myself?) for putting us through so much stress. But I can't blame the landlords; I can't blame myself. Someone today told me to chalk it up to miscellaneous expenses that occur during life. WHAT? I think it is more fruitful to avoid that and just hate. I will forever be angry and hurt by this - yes it is just a computer, but it is also my privacy, my personal space, my safety. So long sane life, let the nuerosies begin.

Most Beautiful Prehistoric Place on Earth!

We found the most beautiful place on the planet!
Hamilton Pool:



Creek coming from Hamilton Pool:



Takes about 30 mins to get to from the apartment. I would LOVE to go there again. The pool itself was refreshing for the few moments we swam. The rain came through and the park police told us they had to test bacteria levels to determine if it was safe to swim in. We hid under the safety of the overhang until the rain slowed. Then we hiked the trail along the creek that led to the Pedernales River. The hike was just beautiful - cypress trees, frogs croaking, huge boulders. It could pass for dino or fantasy-type movie scenery. We got back to the car in time to make it to my hair appointment. The cut took 4 hours! It was this girl's first time doing this particular cut, and she would have taken much longer had Dad not fussed. Thank goodness he did; we made it to Rosie's Tamale Restaurant JUST IN TIME!

Wednesday we stopped at Chuy's for lunch. I had the most outrageous Chuychanga, with plenty leftover for 2 more meals.

After lunch we stopped at the Umlauf Sculpture Garden. Apparently old lady Umlauf and her late husband donated some sculptures and helped develop this garden just at the bottom of a hill from their property. There is a beautiful stream that trickles through and ends up in this pond:

It made for a nice shady stroll on a hot day.

I'm stuffed

My family often plans vacations around food. Yesterday, was no exception. For lunch, we took a picnic up to the top of Mount Bonnell. The view was spectacular:
On one side you could see the Pennybacker Bridge (AKA 360 Bridge).There were huge houses on both banks. Almost each one had it's own dock, some with a mini harbor. We also saw some people tubing off the back of a boat.Here is a picture of my parents, resting in the heat.
Threadgill's for dinner - where Janis Joplin cut her teeth. They serve up some seriously excellent southern food - where even a meat-eater would get the veggie entrees. Their list of southern-style vegetables is 28 deep! We all dove right in and left happy. That was my second good experience at the restaurant, the first being at the So. location.

We've been busy!

Goodness, as I look back on the past few days, we have done a lot! It doesn't seem like we're moving very fast, minute to minute. But it adds up quickly. Part of the reason I wanted to start this blog was to remember everything. It hasn't been working. I need to post in order to remember it; the problem is nothing seems memorable or note-worthy until later on down the road. Anyhow, I had to refer to my dad's blog in order to recall everything. It turns out that we've recently visited botanical gardens, devoured some of the best Texas BBQ (Iron Works) I've ever had, visited the state history museum, browsed the Austin Farmer's Market, and watched the 4th of July fireworks display with music accompanied by the Austin Symphony. Check out the other site for pics - I've been lazy about carrying my camera around. What a busy few days. We recently planned the next coming week's list of activities/food venues. Stay posted.

The Arrival

So, we took a bike ride Tues. evening down to the river through Zilker. It felt better than ever! Things DO get easier the more you try!
My parents arrived Wed. around 1pm. We sat around for a while, they had lunch, gave them a tour, unloaded the car (during rain, oddly enough). Then, Dan fixed yummy dinner and we headed out! We parked on Riverside and walked across the pedestrian bridge, then down along the hike and bike trail to Congress. We had time to kill before the bats flew out, so we showed them the 2nd street area and tempted them by walking slowly passed Lambert's. The smell emanating is just incredible. Back across Congress Ave. Bridge, we hung out down below to wait. The weather was just perfect, so MANY people were lined up to watch. Of course, Lightsabre Man was there, making a solid $5 per purchase. And then they started...the bats flew out one by one, then two by two, then so many you can hardly keep your eyes focused. They say in the heart of summer, there are up to 3 million bats hanging out. It was quite a spectacle - both Mom and Dad had their cameras constantly flashing. Walked back to Auditorium Shores to watch some doggies. Disappointingly, there were none swimming. Back to the car and home then, some peoples legs were tired *ahem*. We'll have to change that!

Dan's Famous!

The Austin 360 A-LIST posted photos from the Keep Austin Weird Fest and Dan's pic made the cut! In the foreground is proof of all his hard work. Check it out:

(David Weaver)

Errand Day

So today was a general errand day. We shopped around, coupons in hand, and found some pretty good bargains on goods for the home. The most important of which was stocking up on wine for my parents visit. They are currently in Tennessee, at the end of day 2 of their 5 day trip. We got a spare key made today in anticipation of their arrival. We can't wait! They should arrive Wednesday midday in time for lunch. We must plan where to take them first! Together, the 4 of us have developed a loooong list of things to do for each day they are here, but there will never be enough time. Once they move here, we can hang out all the time!
My uncle has been in town for the past few days. We finally got to meet up today at The Austin Symphony's Concerts in the Park. Another amazing event put together for the citizens of the city. More people had gathered for this week's Big Band show than we had seen before. We got to chat with Uncle John and his friend, Dan. Learned a lot about the surrounding towns in the Hill Country. Got some great advice on excellent local restaurants. All in all a great evening!

Keep Austin Weird

Wow am I exhausted. This morning we had breakfast over the Statesman, then headed out to Old Navy for $1 flip flops! That deal was followed by a discount gas deal from our favorite grocery store!
So, last night Dan signed us up as volunteers for the Keep Austin Weird 5K and Festival. We showed up around 2:30 (we got a Crew tshirt and wristband to get in) and were assigned to "backstage/hospitality". This meant that we sat on our butts for a few minutes while the first band up did a sound check. They eventually found a more productive place for us, in the runner's village. There, we had to stuff reusable grocery bags donated from HEB with tshirts and Clif Shot Bloks for the runners. This sounded simple, even in the roasting sun until someone mentioned there are 3,000 runners and there were only 8 of us volunteers. Dan and I became an effective team, building an assembly line and picking up each others slack so one person wasn't always ahead/behind. We worked quietly and at a steady pace and it felt good to accomplish something so easily with him! We were assigned as table managers, according to size of the tshirts. I was assigned a tshirt size that hadn't even begun assembly! Well, anyway eventually we got all set up and the runners started coming through the finish line. We got swamped! I was alone at my table and think I handled it well. I was so proud! Many bottles of water and a huge headache later, it was 8pm and we had to pack up. Dan and I snuck away with some runner's tshirts and enough reusable grocery bags to complete our collection! The music was nice, but we needed some nurishment, so we left. Pluckers was calling our name. We started with the stuffed jalapenos. Got some waaaangs and mine came with mac n cheese (possibly best ever). Our lips were on fire when we left. Very happy to be home for 2 reasons: 1) our bodies are tired and 2) our bodies are dirty. It makes my home such a wonderful place to be!

First Blog EVER!

So this is my first blog ever. Everyone else is doing it and that's a good enough reason for me. So in the spirit of health, Dan and I tried jogging again today. We're starting a regimen of alternating running and walking so we don't tire quickly and give up. I'm not sure if that part is working yet. Anyhow, we jogged down Barton Creek trail towards Barton Springs Pool.
Once there, we watched a deaf kid on the diving board signing what would be his next dive. We thought he was joking at first when he did a double flip motions with his hands. He showed us - when he pulled off that move followed by 2 other impressive dives! The breeze was blowing nicely and the sun was setting. We headed towards the Zilker Hillside Theater stage to watch the beginning of Beauty and the Beast.
This is an outdoor stage with a live orchestra! We stayed for most of the first song until it started to get dark. We were very impressed by the quality of the production - great sets, beautiful voices, real lights/sound, etc. We jogged back down the trail a few minutes and could hear the wonderful music for quite a distance. The community of Austin continues to amaze me. There is actually a system in place, whereby companies sponsor events and people can enjoy things for FREE! The money isn't wasted or pilfered...the citizens reap benefits here that I couldn't have dreamt of in NJ. These accidental opportunities we come across amaze me every time.