what greets me every morning when I get off the train to work:
not a bad way to start the day, eh?
Monday, June 25, 2012
Saturday, June 23, 2012
it's a chi kind of summer
Despite the ridiculous number of evenings I've spent eating Triscuits for dinner at the office, there has been so much to love already about this summer!
Arlington Racetrack My friends and I are becoming regulars at the local horsetrack. What a weird thing to say. Anyway, I was on an amazing winning streak based off of some pretty basic betting tenets (cool name? check.) but this last time I finally entered the red so I may have to learn how to dissect the super-intense programs they give you to make some educated decisions. ORRRRRR start choosing horses by the jockey's name instead.
Concerts When Lundy was in town for work (I'm seeing a trend and I like it!), our friend Chrissy invited us to come see Miranda Lambert and Brad Paisley play at Wrigley Field...for free. I knew zero songs but it was pretty amazing to see a show at such an iconic venue. Plus the country fans were totally different from Texas-style rednecks...as Lundy put it..."these people are all normal."
In the spirit of keeping it real (i.e. I had no control over timing), Brian and I had tickets to see Radiohead the next night. Talk about shifting gears. The venue was an hour away and one of our friends conjured up a little ride for us.
Radiohead was great in terms of delivering a low-key, music appreciation hour, but I was disappointed in how much new stuff was played, seeing as how I stopped actively listening around 2001. They'll be a once-in-a-lifetime kind of show for me I think. Until I'm jonesing for my next stripper limo, I guess.
Up next on the immediate horizon - CAMPING! I can't wait. My sobriety was in question when I realized a massive REI sale was minutes away from ending on Memorial Day and went ahead and ordered a several-hundred-dollar tent...so I'm feeling pretty good about that purchase. Unfortunately the only campsite available was in the Quiet Loop, which is not my specialty, but I'm pumped to detach from this crazy city life and take a deep breath...only a few weeks to go!
With Kim and the other Laura,
who is the main reason my friends here call me LB :)
Baseball games For someone who doesn't know shit about the Cubs, I'm rather enjoying myself these days! We have season tickets through work and everyone gets to participate in a lottery to select 1 game, and fortunately I got the Memorial Day game. Brian and I took Mark & Kim, which was super fun as usual, and during the Star Spangled Banner they released a bald eagle during the crescendo of the song so it was pretty much the most American place to be on earth. I also got to see them play the Red Sox this past weekend with some work friends (poaching on someone else's tickets, yes please). And last but not least, DJ & Sally were in town a few weeks ago for her work, so while these other jokers were working, DJ and I flew solo to a White Sox game on the other side of town. Pretty nice to sit in a modern stadium with instant replay screens, but I definitely prefer the old-school, ivy-fenced Wrigley. 
work friends at Wrigley!
south side for the White Sox
Concerts When Lundy was in town for work (I'm seeing a trend and I like it!), our friend Chrissy invited us to come see Miranda Lambert and Brad Paisley play at Wrigley Field...for free. I knew zero songs but it was pretty amazing to see a show at such an iconic venue. Plus the country fans were totally different from Texas-style rednecks...as Lundy put it..."these people are all normal."
In the spirit of keeping it real (i.e. I had no control over timing), Brian and I had tickets to see Radiohead the next night. Talk about shifting gears. The venue was an hour away and one of our friends conjured up a little ride for us.
This further proved the old adage:
"A limo with a stripper pole is where it's at."
Radiohead was great in terms of delivering a low-key, music appreciation hour, but I was disappointed in how much new stuff was played, seeing as how I stopped actively listening around 2001. They'll be a once-in-a-lifetime kind of show for me I think. Until I'm jonesing for my next stripper limo, I guess.
Up next on the immediate horizon - CAMPING! I can't wait. My sobriety was in question when I realized a massive REI sale was minutes away from ending on Memorial Day and went ahead and ordered a several-hundred-dollar tent...so I'm feeling pretty good about that purchase. Unfortunately the only campsite available was in the Quiet Loop, which is not my specialty, but I'm pumped to detach from this crazy city life and take a deep breath...only a few weeks to go!
Saturday, June 2, 2012
2 years!
Brian got back just in time to celebrate our two-year anniversary! We treated ourselves to dinner at a fondue restaurant called Geja's, which is where we went for dinner after we got engaged. Except the first time around, I was in too much shock to do anything but drink. THIS time, I made up for it by eating everything they put in front of me - hooray! It was a great way to say "WHAT UP 2 YEARS!" because 1) the menu is based around melted cheese and sauces and chocolate and I love all those things dearly, and 2) it was our first time to sit across the table and have a real live face-to-face conversation in over a month. We tend to not eat out very much either, so it was awesome to have a long, lazy dinner with a nice bottle of wine in a cozy booth.
3 years ago, after our engagement...
...to now!
So far we're adhering to some version of anniversary traditions, so last year it was paper and this year was cotton. I scored a new pair of awesome sheets, which measures pretty high in my book since I'm obsessed with having the softest sheets alive, and Brian got two new shirts for two things that I'm usually not jonesing to do but decided to make happen this weekend: go fishing and play in a poker tournament. I had the day off on Friday so we hit the local harbor, which is less than two miles from our house...unexplored benefit to living in a lake city! There was a whole little fishing community down there too...I don't think we quite fit in seeing as how everyone sat on buckets and caught multiple fish, while we sat on rocks, drank beer, and got approximately 4 bites, but whatever. I have to say, I would go back! With my bucket, obviously.
cute shirt, right?
great view of the city!
Then for poker, we took off Sunday and headed for the Horseshoe Casino in Indiana for a tournament! Ah! We've been to three or four casinos together, and I always stick to craps while he plays poker. He pretty much loves poker (plays free games on his phone all the time, watches it on tv, etc.) but I've always been way too intimidated to sit down at a table of strangers and pretend like I know what I'm doing. We spent some time "prepping" by playing online beforehand to make sure I had a general grasp of what to do so I hopefully wouldn't throw up on myself at the table. (Set the bar low, people).
So come Sunday, we're on our way to the casino and I call to make sure we can secure a spot, and...drumroll...I had gotten the time wrong and we'd missed the tournament. WAH WAH. Naturally, I was pretty pissed at myself but after calling a bunch of other casinos and considering driving to Milwaukee to go to one (close to 2 hours away), we "folded". Ha...ha. We came home and played some more poker online instead because we're super cool. Eventually we rode our bikes to the beach and spent the afternoon there, which was pretty much my fantasy day. I know we'll make it to another tournament now that I've gone through intense DesGranges training, so I'll post back to report any major winnings.
Happy two years!
Saturday, May 26, 2012
stay-at-home wife
Ah, to be in a long distance relationship...I almost forgot what it was like! I have to say, I don't know how we did it for so long. Brian just finished his annual month-long pilgrimage in Miami, and I was super ready for him to come home! I tried to really relish a few things in his absence, including getting more sleep, having the car at my disposal (since normally we share), and working as much as I need to (without being tempted to throw in the towel to go hang out with him). As you can see, the list is short and not too distinguished. The truth is, he's a great husband and my life never feels restrained with him in it, so it doesn't really feel "free-er" when he's gone. The good thing is, he had a complete blast in Miami. Audiences loved the show he was a part of and he got to go to the beach, play poker, go fishing, rent a motorcycle and drive down the keys (JEALOUS) and see lots of cool shows/bands/etc. All while getting paid. It's a pretty good gig :)
Despite a few moments when I thought this long-distance thing was not my cup of tea anymore, I've had some really fun things interspersed to keep me distracted! My big excursion was to Austin for Rachel & Justin's wedding...such a sweet event! They wrote their own vows (including vows to his daughter) and I basically cried through the whole ceremony, awesome. Let's also note that Rachel looked amazing as well and they danced all night - very picturesque.
Sadly the weekend was really short, but I got to see everyone who was in town and squeezed in a lot of QT with the girls during the 48 hours I was there. The weather was perfectamundo and made me miss Tejas hard. Every meal I had was outdoors except for the actual wedding dinner (but the apps were outdoors!) which is pretty amazing.
I have to say, I'm just so torn every time I go back. There's just this feeling I get when I'm there...and I've overanalyzed the crap out of it to no avail...but I think because I grew up there when I was little and now I associate the city strongly with my dad, it just feels so right. Then again, every time I visit it feels tinier. Chicago is SO BIG, and to a fault at times, but there's an incredible energy that comes with that. There are so many cool things that go on, at all times. Plus it's strange to run into people you know. I don't know, I just really like the hustle and bustle and am not sure how it would feel to go back to feeling like you know everyone. The cities are so different and they're impossible to compare! But in a few months we'll re-sign our lease here, so I guess no formal comparison is needed just yet :)
Despite a few moments when I thought this long-distance thing was not my cup of tea anymore, I've had some really fun things interspersed to keep me distracted! My big excursion was to Austin for Rachel & Justin's wedding...such a sweet event! They wrote their own vows (including vows to his daughter) and I basically cried through the whole ceremony, awesome. Let's also note that Rachel looked amazing as well and they danced all night - very picturesque.
Sadly the weekend was really short, but I got to see everyone who was in town and squeezed in a lot of QT with the girls during the 48 hours I was there. The weather was perfectamundo and made me miss Tejas hard. Every meal I had was outdoors except for the actual wedding dinner (but the apps were outdoors!) which is pretty amazing.
loved enjoying the warm breeze on the porch
with Megan in my old 'hood (on my old bench!)
Sno Beach with Amy & Matt...So. Delicious.
late night with the ladies at Sidebar - hugs!
Friday, May 4, 2012
the joy of skiing 3
Tahoe
For our third skiing trip, we used a timeshare that Brian's parents have—one of those where you have a certain amount of credit and can apply it to any of the places they have. We've never been able to use it so we didn't know what to expect, but it was a fantastic experience! Our place was right next to a lift, it was exactly as advertised (no surprises), and the staff helped us get adjoining rooms so our whole crew could be together. We planned the trip with our friends Jess & Ryan (from our wedding), and then Eric & Chrissy (also from our wedding) decided to squeeze in a spring skiing trip and jumped on our bandwagon too! Again, such a great group. Chrissy is probably the only person I would allow to snuggle in bed with me and Brian and then make me hold hands with her...she's special :) And when I discovered that our 2 bedrooms were divided by an oversized jacuzzi with "doors" as walls...I knew Chrissy would violate me while I was showering...which she did.
We had some crazy skiing there! On our first day at Heavenly, high winds shut down a ton of lifts, so we were stuck with about 5 short runs and a terrain park all day. Which means I learned how to go on baby jumps :) I had SO much fun learning to catch air, although I can't imagine I'd get too crazy doing this in "everyday" skiing. On our second day, we drove to another mountain nearby called Sierra and spent the day there. The blues there were basically blue-blacks, and then I went ahead and accidentally skiied a black (thinking it was a green...ah, faded signs...) so I guess I can check that off the list. Then on our third day, I had my most favorite day of skiing ever! Jess, Chrissy, & I skiied together while the guys went off and did crazy shit. We got a huge storm so the first part of the day was freezing but so snowy! It was like skiing on marshmallows! And there were also a lot of lumps so I did get to practice my new attempts at taking little jumps (such a joke, really). Then in the middle of the day the storm passed and we got blue skies, fresh powder, and quiet long runs. So so beautiful. And then squeezing in some great conversation on the lifts was awesome too. We finished the day back at the terrain park! I think the whole trip really helped me really push myself to improve, and Brian learned that I can improve on my own without his constant encouragement :)
After such a fun season and so much time on the mountain, I'm sad that we have to wait until next season to go back. I love that so many of our good friends are fun to ski with, and I know there are more of you out there! Let's go!
For our third skiing trip, we used a timeshare that Brian's parents have—one of those where you have a certain amount of credit and can apply it to any of the places they have. We've never been able to use it so we didn't know what to expect, but it was a fantastic experience! Our place was right next to a lift, it was exactly as advertised (no surprises), and the staff helped us get adjoining rooms so our whole crew could be together. We planned the trip with our friends Jess & Ryan (from our wedding), and then Eric & Chrissy (also from our wedding) decided to squeeze in a spring skiing trip and jumped on our bandwagon too! Again, such a great group. Chrissy is probably the only person I would allow to snuggle in bed with me and Brian and then make me hold hands with her...she's special :) And when I discovered that our 2 bedrooms were divided by an oversized jacuzzi with "doors" as walls...I knew Chrissy would violate me while I was showering...which she did.
the famous jacuzzi (with Jess & Ryan in the background)
lunch in town
taking a break at Sierra - such intense skiing (for me) there!
We had some crazy skiing there! On our first day at Heavenly, high winds shut down a ton of lifts, so we were stuck with about 5 short runs and a terrain park all day. Which means I learned how to go on baby jumps :) I had SO much fun learning to catch air, although I can't imagine I'd get too crazy doing this in "everyday" skiing. On our second day, we drove to another mountain nearby called Sierra and spent the day there. The blues there were basically blue-blacks, and then I went ahead and accidentally skiied a black (thinking it was a green...ah, faded signs...) so I guess I can check that off the list. Then on our third day, I had my most favorite day of skiing ever! Jess, Chrissy, & I skiied together while the guys went off and did crazy shit. We got a huge storm so the first part of the day was freezing but so snowy! It was like skiing on marshmallows! And there were also a lot of lumps so I did get to practice my new attempts at taking little jumps (such a joke, really). Then in the middle of the day the storm passed and we got blue skies, fresh powder, and quiet long runs. So so beautiful. And then squeezing in some great conversation on the lifts was awesome too. We finished the day back at the terrain park! I think the whole trip really helped me really push myself to improve, and Brian learned that I can improve on my own without his constant encouragement :)
After such a fun season and so much time on the mountain, I'm sad that we have to wait until next season to go back. I love that so many of our good friends are fun to ski with, and I know there are more of you out there! Let's go!
a break from the storm back at Heavenly
an amazing view of Nevada!
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
my annual guinness
Today really creeped up on me - I've been so wrapped up in work and other things that need to be posted about, that what would've been my dad's 64th birthday is suddenly here. I'm giving this year's gift to the Hill Country Aeromodelers, which is a conspicuous way of saying Big Kids Group. These guys operate out of south Austin and meet every few weeks to fly their homemade radio controlled planes, which is so my dad.
I loved this club because it reminded me of my dad when we lived in our house in Austin (until I was 7). We had a second story to the house that was just one unairconditioned, light-filled, treehouse of a room that he used exclusively to build model things....planes, trains, cars, whatever. He painted them too, so the room always smelled of a really intense lacquer. I loved it. When I was older, he took me several times to the Fry's parking lot (you heard me) because they held weekly remote-control car races. And he always loved all things aviation, from his real plane to flying kites in Zilker Park. Actually I just found this email he sent a few years ago:
I'm scanning in family pics and found this one of your great granddaddy
(and your grandaddy) and his airplane from 1967 probably taken by me.
Thanks to the registration number visible and Google - I just got off the
phone with the 73 year old man in Peoria Illinois who now owns it and he is
very interested in getting scans of the pics I have of it and your great
granddaddy's pilot's license, etc. He is going to send me current pictures
of it. He's very active in aviation and edits the newsletter for his local
airplane club. I'll show you the other pics when you are here.
-Genealogy Pops
Then my dad and the guy who owns the plane had a super nerd-out exchange that ended up in the local aviation newsletter - what what!
Pretty cute, right? So anyway, it's safe to say he would dig this club.
Sip a Guinness today for Ed!
I loved this club because it reminded me of my dad when we lived in our house in Austin (until I was 7). We had a second story to the house that was just one unairconditioned, light-filled, treehouse of a room that he used exclusively to build model things....planes, trains, cars, whatever. He painted them too, so the room always smelled of a really intense lacquer. I loved it. When I was older, he took me several times to the Fry's parking lot (you heard me) because they held weekly remote-control car races. And he always loved all things aviation, from his real plane to flying kites in Zilker Park. Actually I just found this email he sent a few years ago:
I'm scanning in family pics and found this one of your great granddaddy
(and your grandaddy) and his airplane from 1967 probably taken by me.
Thanks to the registration number visible and Google - I just got off the
phone with the 73 year old man in Peoria Illinois who now owns it and he is
very interested in getting scans of the pics I have of it and your great
granddaddy's pilot's license, etc. He is going to send me current pictures
of it. He's very active in aviation and edits the newsletter for his local
airplane club. I'll show you the other pics when you are here.
-Genealogy Pops
P.S. That means I now live near this plane, which basically makes me want to buy it.
Then my dad and the guy who owns the plane had a super nerd-out exchange that ended up in the local aviation newsletter - what what!
Pretty cute, right? So anyway, it's safe to say he would dig this club.
Sip a Guinness today for Ed!
Thursday, April 19, 2012
the joy of skiing 2
Snowstar
Last month while Brian was working, I went to Kim's hometown in Western Illinois with some of our friends to visit the local ski hill. And let's be clear that when I say hill, I actually mean hill. It was great for me though because every time I ski with Brian...God bless him but he pushes me pretty hard...so this time I could ski on my own terms! Since there was really anything to "push" toward (the steepest run was like 200 feet of what would equate to a Colorado blue), I spent a lot of time just working on my skillz. That's right. The kind with a Z.
Last month while Brian was working, I went to Kim's hometown in Western Illinois with some of our friends to visit the local ski hill. And let's be clear that when I say hill, I actually mean hill. It was great for me though because every time I ski with Brian...God bless him but he pushes me pretty hard...so this time I could ski on my own terms! Since there was really anything to "push" toward (the steepest run was like 200 feet of what would equate to a Colorado blue), I spent a lot of time just working on my skillz. That's right. The kind with a Z.
Kim, Mark, Jackson, Abbey, Jay & me
matching $3 walmart hats - there was no saying no
Kim's family farm (rather, corn field)...so pretty
She and Mark get married here in September!
check out that gnarly run in the background
this was Jay's first time snowboarding but he'd already bought a matching jacket & pants, boots, and a snowboard. good thing he liked it.
Notably, we also went tubing, which was my first time! Tubing is I guess like sledding, but since I haven't really done that either, I can't be sure. They had a huge hill with four lanes, and you could innertube down by yourself or tie your tube together with a few others. Holy crap. This was reminiscent of my ridiculous happiness on the slip 'n slide, just with more screams and a side of tears (from laughing so hard). Actually I caused some 8-year-old to ask one of my friends "What's wrong with that girl?" to which they naturally answered "Oh, she's from Texas." Cool.
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