Birthday in NYC

Patrick and I spent my birthday weekend in New York feasting on tasty food and hanging out with our sisters and their respective others. We took advantage of as much free stuff as possible and while doing so got to see Dave Attell and a number of other comedians at Comedy Central Park Summerstage and Superchunk at McCaren Park Pool. We even got into the Modern Museum of Art for free!

Since Patrick and I had been to NYC a few times before, we tried to treat this trip as a little more low key than before. We didn't do as many touristy stuff and mostly just wanted to spend time with family and friends and eat and eat and eat. Eat a lot of good food. We didn't get into NYC until about midnight on Thursday night. Luckily Anytime was open and grabbed some amazing sandwiches there. On Friday, we went to eat lunch at Sea (where part of Garden State was shot) and Anna Maria's Pizza (where I ran after Eric when we saw him pass by the window) for a quick slice before the comedy show.

Sea

Rachael & Hagan took us all to a little place in the village on my birthday that had unlimited mimosa included with your meal at brunch. I thought I had 3 mimosas. I was later told that I had three full glasses, but they kept topping me off, so who knows how much I actually had. I felt pretty good the rest of the day. And since Rach doesn't want anyone else to find out about this place, it will go unnamed for now.

unlimited!

After stuffing our faces, we strolled over to have a long line greet us at Magnolia Bakery and grabbed up some of their famous cupcakes and banana pudding. Mmmmmmm...

Between Teddy's and Frank on Sunday, I think we did pretty good food wise.

Hagan & Rachael (our gracious hosts)

And in between all the eating and walking, we got to have some good times with Rachael, Hagan, Laura, Eric, Sophia, Nancy and Emily. It was nice to just hang out their places and relax for a few days. Watching Dexter, laughing because Patrick and I had so much trouble with those damn metrocards or just cooing at Sophie.

Happy Sophie

I'm sure New Yorkers don't, but I actually miss the subway. I miss not having to drive in traffic and being able to walk everywhere. And if there wasn't so much good food to be eaten, I would probably lose weight if we lived there. It would be so nice to live close to our sisters, the husband/boyfriend, and our new niece. But after hearing Hagan complain about places with no A/C, no dishwashers, high priced everything and waiting with bated breath to get down to Austin, I think I'm happy to just visit. Until next time New York!

Still on My Mind...

It probably has to do with the fact that Patrick and I have been Netflixing Six Feet Under and Ghost Hunters recently, but it still kind of makes me question my sanity. We had been away at a friend's wedding over Memorial Day weekend and upon coming home, I was putting some clean dishes away. When I opened a drawer to put up one of whisks, I saw a spatula that had been missing for weeks and weeks laying across my drawer organizer. I called to Patrick, celebrating that he had found our wonderful spatula and we can now stir things up to 500 degrees on our stove again! And he looked at me and said "What??"

Yeah, he didn't find it. And I would never put a utensil across an organizer instead of in it, where it belongs! (Just ask Patrick about folding towels, and you'll soon find out how particular I really am.)

So, who or what did this? Chloe? Calliope? Honestly, I just don't think that have that much talent in them. I mean, I love our cats, but Chloe can be kind of an idiot sometimes. What cat do you know who trips over her own feet?

But really, kinda weirded out by that whole experience.

Yatta!

Ever since Patrick and I watched The Pursuit of Happyness, we (and when I say "we" I mean Patrick) have been obsessed with solving a Rubik's Cube. It started out with actually trying to find one, because apparently, everyone else who also watched that movie also wanted to try their hands at it. We went to a couple of Targets, Toys 'R Us, and HEBs but everywhere was sold out. We did end up finding a mini one at Toys 'R Us that was on a key chain, but it was a pain to deal with, being so tiny.

With our friends' suggestion of trying the educational toy store, we finally found a full sized Rubik's Cube. The first few days of having it was complete frustration. And then we ended up giving it to a couple of our friends as they headed out on a road trip to move to their new house in Oregon. So, we were cube-less for a little while.

This week while trying to solve the mini Rubik's, and coming really close, it fell apart in Patrick's hands. He tried to put it back together but something wasn't right and there area couple of blocks that are definitely in the wrong place. So I went back to the toy store and thankfully, they still had a couple left. Patrick couldn't put it down.

Yesterday, I came home from work and as soon as I walked in the door, he handed me the Rubik's cube and told me to mess it up more. And then, right there before my eyes, within less than 5 minutes, he solved it!

If you have seen The Pursuit of Happyness and watched any of the extras on the DVD, you've seen someone solve it, seen the speedcubing competitions and even the blindfolded ones, but watching it right in front of you is pretty darn cool. So, yeah, my husband's a genius.

What! No Trifle???

Patrick and I got to meet our first niece, who is about the cutest thing in the world, and also got to spend some time with her parents, aka The Baby Bringers.

Oh, and that's right, Central Market decided to not serve Trifle at the Mother's Day Brunch. After all the talk and all the hype, it wasn't even there. They did have some citrus-y thing that they were trying to pass off as Trifle, but I couldn't even bring myself to try it. I'm guessing it would be to close to Patrick and Laura's "Raspberry Fool" incident, which you'll have to ask them about. Or maybe don't, I believe he's still a little bitter.

Mama's Day

We're headed up to Arlington to celebrate Mother's Day this weekend. For the past few years, the Hiler family (my Mom's side) has had the tradition of celebrating while stuffing ourselves with trifle during the brunch at Central Market. I think that's the main reason my grandmother goes at least: the trifle. And if, God forbid, it rains around 11AM on Sunday, somehow we need to smuggle some trifle out of Central Market to give to her, because she anticipates it 364 days out of the year.

This year is a little bit different in that not only are Patrick's parents coming up to hang out, but so are his sister, our brother-in-law and our 6 week old niece! We finally get to meet Sophie! And now, I should probably warn her parents that my family, each and every one of them, are serious baby people. All of them love babies. Even the stinky, smelly, funny-looking babies (which Sophie is not at all.) So, at brunch, when 15 or more of my family members oooh and aaah over your little one and want to squeeze her little toes, don't be scared. I don't think they have any control over it.

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.

A Tragedy

Last night, Patrick and I were talking about the horrible events that happened in Virginia early this week and how the media seems to constantly be focusing on the gunman. Everywhere I look I see pictures of him or speculations as to why he did it or now, the horrible video he mailed to NBC. This morning while getting ready for work, I was listening to Good Morning America play in the background and the psychiatrist being interviewed told GMA and the public in general that they needed to stop playing the video. That it does no good to broadcast this "message" because we can't learn from this character that he is portraying. The boy in the video is not himself, it's just an act. The media is just giving him what he wanted: infamy.

Instead of telling the shooters' story, why don't we hear victims' stories, once they or their families are emotionally ready? It took me way too long to find stories about the innocent people who lost their lives and am feeling bombarded by images of the hateful boy who took them.

I can't even imagine the horror of hearing that someone I loved had gone through that. A husband lost his wife, wives lost their husbands, and parents lost their children. My heart and prayers go out to the families and friends who lost those they love.

You can call me Aunt Ruthie!

Laura and Eric will give the full story, but I just wanted to let everyone know that Mom and Baby are doing great.

You can also read more here.

Thanks for all the prayers!

Passing the Time

A weekend of staying up late and waking up early makes for a difficult Monday morning. Combine that with rainy weather, a view from my cube of gray clouds and wet feet and all I want to do is go home, curl up on the couch with my husband and cats while watching the last two episodes of Sports Night.

On the drive back from the retreat this weekend, Patrick called his sister who answered with a "No baby yet!" Yesterday was the due date, but it appears that our niece is not quite done cooking. I'm sure the future parents are just on the edge of their seats anticipating their new arrival, because I know we are and the Lord knows Patrick's parents are!!!
***Just a reminder, at our wedding, in his toast to our marriage, Patrick's dad stated that they would have to resort to making their own grandchildren if they didn't get any from his kids soon.*** So, I'm glad it didn't have to come to that because I'm not even sure how that would work.

In other news, the bluebonnets are blooming here in Central Texas and they are beautiful! I am so sad that I forgot to pack my camera over the weekend because the road to the retreat was lined with a sea of blue and green, speckled with reds, yellows, and pinks. I love how gorgeous Texas gets in the springtime.

M&Ms

Patrick and me as M&Ms

M&M yourself.

Random Things Before The Weekend

Friday afternoon. It's spring break in Austin but not in my office. Yet, only five people are here, and I'm wishing I wasn't one of them.

You know you've been watching too much of one television show when you start talking like the characters. Coming back from Phil's Icehouse last night, Patrick and I had a "Sorkin Speak" moment. We've been Netflix-ing Sports Night and when you watch 3 or 4 hours of that show in a row it kind of gets in your head.

Besides watching lots of Sports Night episodes I've been reading back to back Christopher Moore novels and I'm finally on the last one, which I originally gave to Patrick for Valentines Day, because, you know, the subtitle is "A Love Story." I'm trying not to read it too fast because I don't want it all to end and then have to wait for the next one to come out.

"Keep Austin Wealthy"??

I'm not sure if you've seen these yet, but I saw it this morning for the first time and I can't find any real information about it on the internet. On a Mazda 626, turning from 2222 to head North on 360, was a bumper sticker that said "Keep Austin Wealthy".

My first thought was really? On a Mazda 626? It's not a bad car by any means, but it makes more sense on an oversized Cadillac SUV or a BMW 7 Series, not a Mazda. Patrick says it even makes more sense on a 1970s VW Rabbit (like my Dad had) - kind of an irony thing.

So, is this a snub to the "Keep Austin Weird" campaign? Do these people hate local businesses or do they just want to keep and add more Big Business to our city? Do these people hate the poor? Are they for those horrible McMansions that drive up the cost of property taxes in Hyde Park?

What I am trying to find out is this: What does the "Keep Austin Wealthy" bumper sticker campaign truly mean?

New Music

I am loving this website I just found out about called pandora. You enter in some of your favorite artists and the website creates your own personal radio station that includes music that is similar to your faves. You can create multiple radio stations for all the different types of music you like and the different moods you are in. You can find my personal radio here.

Quoting my friend Tracy who was quoting Scrubs: "if my heart could sing it would be songs like these!"

Austinite or Austonian?

I thought that it had been decided long ago that those who called Austin home were referred to as Austinites, not the pretentious sounding Austonian.

Check out this article from the Statesman: How to tell an Austinite from an Austonian

Which are you? I am definitely an Austinite!

In Honor Of

When my work moved offices, I moved from being in an office with my own close-able door to a cubicle where my back faces the entire room. It is taking me some time to get used to not only being so out in the open, but also the new position that I have at work - so that's my excuse for why it's been a long time since I've written.

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Usually, I would be ecstatic to be heading to Houston to get to visit with a whole bunch of friends whom haven't gotten together at one time in years. But this occasion isn't a wedding or a baby shower or a birthday party. On Monday, I was away from my desk for a good part of the morning and when I returned I had 5 or 6 missed calls. I wasn't surprised to see Patrick's name on the missed list but when a few others were all in there together, I knew something was going on. So, today, we're heading to Houston to pay our respects and honor the life of the father of one of our good friends. Good night Mr. Meñez, you will be missed.

A Kitty Christmas Adventure

I stayed up until about 12:30 am last night folding clothes and packing my suitcase. And today, after I leave work and do about a million errands, Patrick and I are going to pack up the truck and head to Houston, then a few days later, to Arlington. I can't wait to see family and friends, especially ones that I haven't seen in over a year.

It will be interesting travelling this much with two cats. We've done it with one a couple of times, but riding in a vehicle with two cats can be a little much. They feed off each other. One will meow, then the other, it almost sounds like they're talking (or yelling) to each other. I guess it's just another thing to prepare us for having kids, kind of like what happened last night...

To get them all pretty for Christmas, we gave the cats a bath last night. Well, I helped with Calliope, who didn't complain too much, and then while the bathtub was filling up for Chloe, I started dinner. Then, a good friend who I hadn't talked to in awhile called, so I was a little distracted. Even though the bathroom door was closed and I had closed the door to the bedroom, where I was on the phone, I could hear Chloe meowing pretty loudly and even Amy could hear it over the phone. Finally, Patrick walked out with a swaddled up Chloe and I eventually hung up with Amy. A little while later, he told me that Chloe had done something she had never done before while giving her a bath. She peed on him. I guess she wasn't too happy about getting in the water, or maybe she was just that excited.

A Gift from Me to You

We only have three more small presents to buy, two of which Patrick is taking care of this afternoon. Patrick's goal was to be done with Christmas shopping in September, which was a little more lofty than my goal, which was to have them all bought by Thanksgiving. So, we didn't meet our goals this year, but we seriously did better than any year before. Thank goodness for Amazon and other websites that have free shipping and even better, no taxes!

Also, I have been loving all the wish lists out there, especially the thethingsiwant.com ones. I love being able to hit the "Reserve" button and go find the exact thing that person wants, it makes me happy!

I think this has also been the Christmas that I have been the most organized. Creating an automatically updated spreadsheet on Google to track gifts to purchase, ones already purchased and our spending budget has made things so much easier. I don't have to worry about using a jump drive or emailing myself the latest version and it's accessible on any computer that has an internet connection. I wish they had had this when I was doing spreadsheets for our wedding because then I could have even added viewers and collaborators, hmm... actually, maybe that's a good thing. What's the saying? Something about too many cooks in the kitchen...

For next Christmas, we're going to try to get a major jump on things and start right after the New Year. I hope no one minds getting a 2007 The 365 Puppies a Year Calendar and 1 year old Christmas candy - how long do m&m's last anyway?

Wrapping Up for Christmas

In two weeks, Patrick and I will be heading to Houston for our annual Christmas Triangle Trek. We spend a few days before Christmas in Houston, celebrate with his family on Christmas Eve, then drive to Arlington early Christmas morning, celebrate with my family that day and spend a few days after Christmas in Arlington, then drive back to Austin. It can be exhausting, but I can't wait!

I can't believe that there are only two weeks left. I still have a number of things to order or buy and right now, everything else is piled up in our closet ready to be wrapped. Growing up, my mom was always the expert gift wrapper and bow maker. She always creates beautiful presentations for gifts, always topped with a handmade bow. She tried to teach me a number of times, saying "You can do it, it's so easy! All you do is..." But I usually just stole one of the gently used ones she had already made because I was too busy, lazy or preoccupied with something else to sit down and learn. It wasn't until I worked at The Container Store a couple of years ago that I finally learned how to make a decent bow (but nothing compared to those my mother makes) and some variations of it as well (the Aster bow is my favorite.)

Christmas seems to be the only time I sit down and wrap presents and actually look forward to it, every other time of year for birthdays, I'm just a bag and run type of girl.

TGIF

It is five minutes till five and I'm itching to get out. Mexican martinis are waiting.

A Wintry Mix

That is what the weatherman said last night, that we should expect a "wintry mix" today. And between the rain coming down as I drove to work, the ice on Patrick's windshield wipers and the snow flurries I saw as I walked into my building, I think that the forecaster was actually right this time! I know that I should be used to this since I've lived in Texas my whole life, but it will always surprise me when we have 80 degree weather one day where I'm wearing my flip flops and then freezing weather less than 12 hours later and I'm bundled up in my down coat.

So, if you haven't yet been hit by the cold and you're missing that white powdery substance, you can make your own snowflakes here.