A Change

On Thursday, after 4 1/2 years of working for a small company, I got laid off along with 1/3 of the employees. I'm not sure it has quite hit me yet, at least not completely. I feel like I'm just taking a few days off and then I'll be back at my little cube overlooking 183. I knew the company wasn't doing great, but I thought things would turn around. We had just done a joint venture with the company's co-op and figured that I'd be extremely busy. But I guess things just kept going south and they needed to cut costs fast, and that meant dropping staff. So, here I am in Austin, with a BS in Radio-TV-Film, 4 1/2 years of administrative/executive assistant experience and looking for a job. Where do I go from here?

***************************************************

Day 0 - Thursday
Laid off
Commiserate with other lay-off-ees
Tell husband
Go home
Cry
Drink 2 margaritas
Cry
Talk to friend
Cry
Eat leftovers
Watch Sopranos
Cry
Go to sleep

Day 1 - Friday
Sleep in a bit
Apply for Unemployment
Do laundry
Email friends/family for job recs
Call Mom/Dad - find out sister's apartment got broken into
Post on Facebook for job recs
Call Sister - commiserate about our crappy days
Apply for student loan deferment
Update Resume
Get treated to lunch by friend
Go to library
Rush home to apply for job (rec'd by friend) by 5pm
Do more laundry
Vacuum
Eat dinner
Watch TV
Go to bed

Day 2 - Saturday!
Sleep in
Work on resume
Search for jobs
Babysit niece

Day 3 - Sunday
Church
Lunch
Search for jobs
Work on resume
Work on Letter of Interest
Work on List of References
Re-apply for job from Friday to include above additions

Day 4 - Monday
Doctor appointment
Post Office
Search for jobs
Clean bathrooms
Lunch
Search for jobs
Work on new letters of interest
Apply for jobs
Work out
Make dinner
Type this blog

Reunion

Last night, after going through our entire Netflix Instant Watch list, we finally decided on revisiting Can't Hardly Wait. The movie was released the summer between Patrick's senior year of high school and my senior year of high school, so it definitely has a bit of nostalgia about it. The soundtrack to the film carried over to the soundtrack of our senior video that my film class edited and showed at our prom....yes, complete with the footage of me being wheeled off after fainting during the senior panorama picture. It was a hot, humid, September day in Texas. It happens. And while still in high school, I even got the poster from a friend who worked in a video store.

Besides some of the obvious ones: Jennifer Love Hewitt, Ethan Embry and Seth Green, that film seemed to be a jumping off point for so many actors in their late teens early 20s. There even seemed to be a pre-union (instead of reunion?) of Six Feet Under actors in there. Patrick pointed out that he has now seen Lauren Ambrose get licked by Eric Balfour in two different shows. Every time the shot or point of view changed, another familiar face jumped out and Patrick or I would yell "That Guy!" or "That Girl!"

And for all those people I didn't recognize, I wonder what happened to them. I wonder where they are now? 10 Years later. That's kind of how I feel on Facebook sometimes: getting a friend request from someone I can't quite remember or wondering about an old friend. My 10 year high school reunion is coming up this fall. I'm not even sure if I will be going...I'm just not quite sure if I'm ready for that

Woo Hoo!

"One sister down, one sister to go!" That's what I told my sister after finding out that Laura, Eric and Sophie were officially moving to Austin. Patrick's and my 5-10 year plan for all of our loved ones to be in Austin is slowly starting to take shape!

It's been quite awhile since we've lived in the same city as immediate family, so I'm a bit curious how often we will get to see each other. I wonder what we'll do for the holidays and if we'll be traveling as much as we used to. But I guess that's what marriage is all about: family and compromise.

So, after living in Brooklyn for the past decade, they are making the leap and setting up shop down here. It's always been something we've wistfully talked about, so I don't think it has still quite sunk in yet. And still a small part of me says, I'll believe it when I see it. But I have faith and we are beyond excited! I am so excited to have them here because I've always wanted to have a closer relationship with them, to actually know them. To see them more than a couple times a year. To have our niece recognize me and know me by name when I scoop her up, instead of "who is this crazy lady holding me?" To babysit Sophie so Laura & Eric can have a night out. To be able to meet for happy hour after work or brunch on the weekend. So, yeah we are pretty darn excited and can't wait!

From New York Trip - Sophie's Birthday

Can't wait to see this face (and her parents') more often!

Going to the Chapel....

This weekend, Patrick and I got to witness an old friend marry a beautiful, intelligent, and funny young woman, who has also become a good friend to us. We've always hoped that Jake would find a good woman that appreciated him as much as we do, and I think he got that and more.

The first time we met Jill, they had met us at Salt Lick for dinner about four years ago, and we were blown away. "This girl is gorgeous! How did Jake land her?" Not that Jake isn't wonderfully adorable, but this girl, this young woman, looked like she walked right off of a magazine photo shoot. Plus she's extremely smart, and at the time was excited to be heading to UT to become an engineer. At the end of our double date, Jill and I were talking about 10 feet away from Patrick and Jake, who were standing by our car, also talking. And Jill and I heard an extremely loud "WHAT?!?" Evidently, Jake was telling Patrick about the first time he asked Jill out and she said yes. The "What?!?" was his inner dialogue, surprised at her answer.

The wedding was gorgeous, the food was great, beer was enjoyed by all, and the bride looked amazing. I am so excited for Jake and Jill and can't wait to see what the future has in store for them!

The Next Day

As I left Patrick's office last night, I turned my key in the ignition and Barack Obama's voice filled my car. "We have come so far...but there is so much more to do." He spoke of Ann Nixon Cooper and all that she has seen in her century of being on this earth and wondered what the next century will bring. What change will my niece see? What will Patrick's and my children be able to celebrate? Will bans on gay marriage finally be viewed as a horrible injustice the way we now view racism and slavery? I hope and pray that we continue to work towards building a nation not on hate, but on love.

Once Patrick got back home, we popped open a bottle of champagne and toasted to our new President-Elect and to our future.

Yes we can!

Barack the Vote!!

I'm so happy to post that Barack Obama is the new President Elect!!! Amazing. Simply amazing. Patrick and I were driving from Flying Saucer back to his office when my Mom called at 10:00pm with the exciting news. I guess NBC had called it because NPR hadn't announced it quite yet. And as we were talking they finally said that the race had been called.

Yay!!! Go Obama!!

Yes We Can!

I'm getting anxious about the outcome tonight but am hoping and praying for the best! If you still haven't voted, get out there before the polls close! What are you waiting for??

The last time I watched this video was back in March, and it still sends a chill down my back and brings a tear to my eye.

Community

Over the past month and a half Patrick and I started going to a new church that meets in a high school gym. I was a little skeptical at first, but after hearing 4 different people talk about this church and how incredible the pastor is, I really wanted to check it out. It seemed that Patrick and I had been in a rut as far as churches go. We got frustrated with the one that we had been attending, because half of the congregation would leave before the benediction, I'm guessing so that they could beat the traffic out and arrive that much earlier at Chili's. We've checked out a few other churches in the area, but they seem to either be "cotton candy" religion, have horrible music, have no one our age or even under the age of 65, or we just plain felt out of place.

So after a friend from high school, a friend from college, a friend of another friend, and a local photographer all have mentioned attending this church and how amazing it was, I knew that something was happening there and I wanted to find out what that was.

After that first Sunday visiting The Stone, I knew I had found a home. But since Patrick is Catholic and I am Protestant, we don't always seem to agree on these types of things. But this church is different and it's calling us both to build a community here.

They have been renting a meeting space at Austin High for a few years now, but they recently bought a piece of land in a community that is a stone's throw away from Patrick's office. This is a neighborhood that is in desperate need of hope, love, shelter, and a place that could help them get back up on their feet. It's a rough neighborhood, plain and simple, but The Stone is wanting to turn that around and be a church for this city and for this community in particular.

I've never been a part of a church that has their heart broken for people like this. It has always just been a safe, easy place to go on Sundays. But this, this is a whole 'nother animal. And I am completely loving it.

Vote!

Friday is that last day of early voting so Go Vote!!


The Great Schlep from The Great Schlep on Vimeo.

Fact Check!

We now have less than a month until our nation elects new leaders. But before you cast your vote, either during early voting or on November 4th, PLEASE go spend some time on Fact Check. There has been so much spin put on every statement that every candidate says and every ad that has been put out there. I've heard a lot of misleading half-truths and without doing a little bit of reading, you could be voting for someone with whom you don't really agree. Be an informed voter, and find out the truth behind the candidates' statements, voting records, health care plans, and visions for our country.

And after doing all your research, sit back and enjoy these videos.

Register to Vote

Today (October 6th) is the last day you can register to vote, at least in the state of Texas. Make sure all your information is in order!!

Pictures & Books

Our computer at home is literally sitting wide open on the floor with the monitor displaying a bright blue screen saying something about BIOS. So, that means my pictures of L.A., my new Locks of Love haircut, and our "new" chair are still living in my camera. Blah. I guess they'll show up eventually.

Last night, I finished a cute book that I actually ended up giving my Dad for Father's Day. And despite the title of the book, I think it's really a sweet and loving look at parenthood, but specifically about fathers. Written by mothers, fathers, daughters, sons, wives, and husbands - it let me reminisce about childhood and look towards the future of being a parent and a wife of a father. I hope my Dad enjoyed or is enjoying the book as much as I did.

Make Your Vote Count Twice!

This is the first time in my short voting history where I have felt excited that my vote might actually count for something. For a moderate-liberal who usually votes democrat, living in a "red state" usually means that my vote gets thrown aside and forgotten about. And by the time the democratic primaries have made it to Texas, the candidate has already been chosen.

For the first time, I am seeing potential presidential candidates in TV commercials, visiting Texas, and even debating in my town, at my alma mater! Yes, I'm sure this will get old after awhile, but it's nice to finally be considered.

I have never voted in a primary and when I found out that Texas has a "two-step" process, that confused me even more. For those of you in the same boat as I am, check out the below information:

If you want to make sure your vote really counts (in effect, counts twice) for your candidate of choice, you do in fact need to do two things.

What to do:

1. Cast your vote in the usual way, either by Early Voting or on March 4th
2. At 7:15 PM on March 4th, after the primaries close, head (back) to your polling place. There, you sign a form that indicates your support for your candidate of choice. You can leave then, or you can stick around and help appoint delegates to the State Senate seat convention.

Special note for Austinites: Our State Senate district, represented by Kirk Watson, is the most powerful Democratic district in the state of Texas; we get eight additional delegates in the caucus portion. That's why it's extra-special important that if you feel very, very strongly about your candidate of choice, you need to get your arse to the caucus, stat. You don't have to for your primary vote to count, but if you want more than just party insiders to do the voting at the caucus, go!

For a more lengthy explanation of the delegate choosing process, go here.

Live at the Lake

We hopped up onto a half-wall overlooking the three infinity pools that blend into Lake Travis. Expensive cheap beers in hand and people watching. Laughing at the young drunk girls that keep slapping older men on the bums and stumbling into people because their not paying attention to where their feet are taking them.

The couple next to us has their 4 month old girl with them and are talking to another couple with their baby boy. The little girl seems so tiny, so tiny for four months. My niece seemed so much bigger than her, even at two months. I hope we do these things when we have kids, Patrick says we have to. We will have to get out of the house with the kids if we want to stay sane.

Waiting for the music to start, we stroll into some of the surrounding pools. Patrick teases me because I'm not fond of treading water in the deep end. We feel we could get used to this: Lakeway Resort pools, overlooking Lake Travis, with good music playing into the night. We go back to our perch on the wall for a bit and joke about the women decked out in way too much makeup and non-appropriate dresses for the poolside. Some of the music starts but it's no one I've heard of.

Finally, Bob starts to play, but he's doing a mellow set and only by the time we're ready to leave he starts to pick it up. We stay for a few more songs, then get out of there before all the drunk people leave and we decide we'll catch him at Antone's or Saxon another time. On our way home, a fire truck blares past us followed by an ambulance. Thank God we left when we did.

I wish I may, I wish I might...

A couple of weekends ago, Patrick and I took a late night drive just to the outskirts of town to get away from city lights, which for us is about 20 minutes. A friend had tipped us off to the meteor shower happening that weekend and since we are the 8-5, Monday through Friday work-type-people, we decided to check it out Saturday night but had to miss the big show on Sunday. We brought a couple of beach towels and laid down in the back of his truck on the side of Pale Face Road. Every once in awhile we saw something out of the corner of our eyes shoot across the sky, but nothing really bright in the center of our view. It was already pretty late (at least for us) and we still had to drive back. Patrick said, "Ok, give me one good one so we can go home!"

Nothing.

Couple of crazies just staring at the sk- "WHOA! Did you see that???" I was so shocked that I stood up pointing towards the streak of light.

It went so far and was so bright, that it left a trail which led to where it landed out in Marble Falls.

We used to be able to see these meteor showers right outside of our apartment, either sitting at the pool or just by walking down to our car. But now that there is a Walmart just down the street, we can barely see the major constellations. I don't even want to imagine how far we'll have to drive to see the stars when our kids are old enough to recognize the big dipper.

Take-out

I'm not sure what the change was, but all of a sudden, Patrick and I have been eating more and more Asian food. He is finding that he likes and actually craves certain things and I'm not going to complain. Recently, we've been having Pei Wei about once a week and occasionally, I'll find a take-out container in the top of the trash can or a fortune cookie wrapper accidentally left out, only to find out he had Chinese food without me. For a girl who, for years (can you believe we've been together for 8?!), begged him to join me for some chicken lo mein or pad thai and after repeated turn downs, accepted that the only time I would get my Chinese fix was without him.

Not too long ago, on one of our Pei Wei take-out nights, we opened our fortune cookies and found this:

Besides 6 and 49 being on our next Lotto ticket, have any ideas as to what that means?

Go Green! (or How did that Happen? or Just Married!)

This past weekend was a packed full of reuniting of friends and family. On Saturday spent some time with Patrick's Godson and his family, went to a wedding shower, had dinner and drinks with some girlfriends and their hubbies (think triple date), and met my friend's new dachshund/Labrador mix puppy. That's right, a little wiener dog had some "special time" with a big 'ole Labrador and produced Zephie, a cute as can be dog, with a long dachshund body but with taller thicker legs and paws like a lab. I wonder if she'll like to swim?

On Sunday we spent the day at Veteran's Park in Arlington for Earth Day which pretty much included walking around all the different stations and saying hi to my parents, aunts, uncles, cousins, my grandmother and my precocious little flower girl. Yes, my family is very green.

At the wedding shower a couple of my friends' mothers (one of which being the mother of the bride) started talking about grandchildren and how they just can't wait to be grandmothers. And when were they going to get to see some grand babies around here? Because, they aren't getting any younger, you know. And at this point I was trying to remember, if I was at the wedding shower or the baby shower I was invited to, because somewhere things started to get a little hazy. And then the bride said, I'm not even married yet Mom. Oh, right, wedding shower.

I have to say, as much as my mom is a baby person and I know that she will be thrilled when Patrick and I decide to expand our little family, I am so thankful that neither of my parents (nor Patrick's parents) have ever bugged us about producing grand kids right away. Sure, there has been a jab here and there but it has always been with a smile, a hope for the future, and probably more directed towards Patrick's sister. Because she's the older one and had been married longer. But now that Sophie is here, I'm sure that little itch is satisfied for awhile.

It's a long ways off, but because of the arrival of our little niece, the topic has definitely been floating among conversation.