Guess Who is Grounded?

One hint:  It's not Todd, Mindy or me.

Dear Santa,

Please bring throw pillows for the couch for the dogs humans.  One stuffed and one with feathers would be great.

Love,
Todd & Kristin

101 in 1001

I have been so busy not working on my 101 in 1001 that I didn't even know it had ended. Well, I didn't too hot on ticking things off my list, but I always have good intentions!  Here is my final list:

From January 1, 2008, I had 1001 days to complete 101 things. Items in italics were activities in progress and those that are crossed out were completed!

1. Think of 101 things to do before 1001 days ends!

2. Get pregnant AND have a baby

3. Read more often - at least 4 books/year

4. Consistently walk the dogs 2-3x/week

5. Have a girls’ weekend with college friends

6. Clean out and organize the house

7. Paint & organize laundry room

8. Find a new teaching position or new job (well, I got sent back to 4th)

9. Set up a 403b

10. Clean out my closet - at least 1/2 must be donated

11. Get a new computer

12. Finish our wedding scrapbook

13. Send all of our photos for scanning at scanmyphotos.com

14. Share scanned photos with friends & family

15. Visit family & friends in Georgia

16. Vacation out of the country

17. Have an official date night with Todd at least 2x/month

18. Recarpet the bedrooms

19. Wood flooring in the formal living/dining

20. Buy new bedroom furniture

21. Lose weight

22. Try yoga

23. Build up savings

24. Switch AMEX to my married name

25. Watch "Gone With the Wind"

26. Sell items on "stuff to sell" list

27. Have wing back chairs reupholstered

28. Buy new dining room set

29. Learn Photoshop

30. Get a sewing machine (Mary gave me hers.)

31. Learn to sew (with my new machine)

32. Sew cases for throw pillows & make dog beds (bought some)

33. Finish cross-stitch quilt Never mind - the damn dogs ate it. :(

34. Make or buy curtains for den & living room

35. Keep my car clean (Car Spa!) at least 2x/yr

36. Work on my fear of heights Screw that. I'm going to die someday falling off the curb anyway.

37. Get a pedicure

38. Go on a scrapbook retreat This could become a habit!

39. Start a small garden on the west side of the house.

40. Finish painting the house (interior)

41. Have family/friends over for a nice dinner (w/ china, flatware & Waterford!)

42. Eat the food in the freezer or dump it

43. Buy entertainment center for the den

44. Landscape the front yard

45. Keep blog updated

46. Enter debits in checkbook and keep balanced on a regular basis (Forget it - learned I REALLY suck BAD at this)

47. See more movies - theater & home Thank you, Netflix!

48. Figure out what to put above the mantel

49. Work together to find "a place for everything" so everything will be in its place

50. Buy a new, tall plant for the den

51. Donate extra blankets & sheets to local animal shelter

52. Create a will & file with attorney

53. Mail in my organ donor registration card

54. Update my passport

55. Meet with a financial planner

56. Wash, dry, fold & put away laundry every 1-2 weeks

57. Get home computers networked

58. Setup a shared calendar on said network Bought a magnetic white board calendar for fridge.

59. Clean the weeks in between the maid's visits

60. Make our bed at least 3x/week (w/ Todd's help . . . or not)

61. Learn to like the Sonicare toothbrush (never will - makes my nose itch)

62. Complete one set of the Crest whitening strips in my cabinet

63. Take a few clothing items to consignment

64. Clean out & organize all linens

65. Re-register to vote

66. Learn more about the election process

67. See a dermatologist

68. Reorganize kitchen tools

69. Strip cabinet and use for storing serving pieces

70. Sell stuff on Craig's List

71. Put black shutters on front of house (paint existing or buy new)

72. Clean out under bathroom cabinets

73. Recycle magazines

74. Learn the dance to "Thriller" (Note: This was on my list before Michael Jackson's death.)

75. Convince Todd that he would enjoy learning the two-step (and take me dancing!)

76. Go boot scooting with friends (even if Todd won't go)

77. Paint & glaze kitchen cabinets

78. Replace lovely golden, laminate countertops in kitchen

79. Try one new recipe each month

80. Get finances merged

81. Encourage/bribe/force Todd to clean out his office

82. Assist Todd in cleaning out the garage

83. Plant flowers & keep them alive

84. Clean up & reupholster rocking chair for my classroom

85. Laminate & cut out all the Math crap I need for school

86. Get my laptop connected to network & printer

87. Use my mom's pool at least 2x/month each summer

88. Clean out entry closet

89. Socialize Stevie more so he won't be a jerk dog around other puppies

90. Schedule Steve's surgery :(

91. Paint/tile/replace countertop in middle bathroom

92. Clean all of the baseboards & chair railings in the house

93. Quilt my old sorority & fraternity t-shirts

94. Repair/replace windows, doors, and exterior siding/trim

95. Go to the eye doctor and get glasses and/or contacts since Lasik didn't work too well. I'm now a four-eyes!

96. Redecorate the guest room

97. Clean out guest room closet

98. Organize gift wrap, ribbons, etc.

99. Sell or get rid of king-size bed in guest room.

100. Figure out the date when all of this should be complete. I think my finish date is September 29, 2010.

Wow . . . time flies when you aren't accomplishing much!  Guess I got some of my goals accomplished, but not as many as I had planned to do.

Is that a squash . . .

or is Todd happy to see me?

I think it's a bit of both.  :)  Apparently, my gardener husband did such a good job ignoring his garden that it produced from the 5-lb. squash plant!  This photo cracks me up just because it is Todd beeing goofy.

We have both been completely overwhelmed with work/school.  Maybe if things ever settle down (and something in our lives happens more than work-related stuff), I'll have more to say!  Until then, we are counting down the days until the Thanksgiving break and holiday.

Welcome Fall!

With the gorgeous weather and amazing temperatures we've had the past couple of weeks, I decided to do a little bit of "autumning" around the house.  Both Todd and I have been SO VERY BUSY with work, but we are enjoying the changing of the seasons.

I bought mums last weekend and can't wait for them to fully bloom.  Today I bought pumpkins and decorated them.  We can carve them if we want when it gets closer to Halloween.  They definitely aren't perfect, but I had a good time making them, so I'm okay with that!  Here are a few blurry shots of my handiwork.

Rewind: San Francisco - Day Two

Wednesday, July 28, 2010

Wednesday morning, we woke up to the cool breezes at Casa Pacifica and prepared for a new day of adventure.  After I learned to use the orange tree picker (which may have an official name), showered and packed, we headed out for Monterey.  It was about an hour drive from Niles, and we were looking forward to enjoying the scenery on the way down.  Not far on our trip, signs were beckoning us and we had to stop quickly.  The Gods of all things burger & fries were calling our names.  Who were we to ignore them?

Since there is not an In-N-Out Burger to be found in Texas (coming soon though!), you know we just HAD to!  If you've had In-N-Out before, then you know exactly what I'm talking about.  If you haven't, then you're missing out!

After ordering some good burgers and fries, eating them outdoors without sweating to death (another thing not to be found in Texas in July), we were again on our way.  Notice Todd's arm in the background . . . nobody touches the food before a photo is snapped!  :)

We headed into Monterey and went directly to our first destination --- The Monterey Bay Aquarium.  While as teachers we prefer not to be surrounded by children during our summer vacations, we were really excited about seeing the aquarium.  Enthralled by all it has to offer, we saw amazing exhibits of sea life and enjoyed the fantastic views of the bay.  Because of the tons of pics we took at the Aquarium, I'm adding a slide show here.  :)

 After a few hours at the aquarium, we ventured out for some shopping.  Of course we had to buy some t-shirts and postcards, and I tried to convince Todd that this hat was awesome!  I don't think he quite agreed.

I still laugh my ass off every time I see this!

After our shopping expedition was over, we hopped in the car and headed towards Carmel.  We took the famous & beautiful 17 Mile Drive.  Although we only drove maybe half of 17 Mile Drive (that's the actual name of the road), it was so beautiful that it took us a long time because of all the stops and photos taken!

There were amazing views, sea life, beautiful beaches, deer, amazing homes, chilly water, and crisp, clean air.  We truly could have spent hours just cruising around and taking pics. As we headed in to Carmel-by-the-Sea, we stopped at Carmel Beach to admire more beauty, remember how freaking hot it was in Dallas, and relax. 

Walking around Carmel, we saw many shops and restaurants. After checking out menus and using our trusty tourist map, we decided on Flaherty's for dinner.  They had awesome seafood, so it was a great decision.  We were spent, but we had no hotel reservations.  Since we knew the area a bit better and there were more hotel options, we headed back to Monterey.  We landed at the Hotel Pacific.  Another score!

Since we arrived so late (after 9pm), the hotel upgraded us to a suite and we enjoyed all of the space and amenities.  As you'll see in the pics, the suite had an awesome king-sized feather bed, big tub and separate shower, open windows, fireplace, flat screen TV, breakfast nook, patio/balcony, and more.  It was so "California!"  We wanted to spend more time there - as in move in for a while.  :)

By the time we got settled, we hit the sack.  We slept for almost twelve hours (!!!) and took our own sweet time getting ready.  We literally left at noon the next day - check out time.

Tomorrow . . . Monterey's Fisherman's Wharf, dining, seals, lots of seals, even more seals, a drive to Los Gatos, views from my friend Penny's house, dinner, and back to Cafe Pacifica for beverages and bed.  I promise to try to finish blogging this trip before  . . . Christmas.  I really do.

Pray for Maverick

Please pray for Maverick, who is the baby boy of my friends.  I went to college with Maverick's aunt and uncle and have known his Mommy since she was a young girl.  The same week that my friends were burying their sister after she was brutally murdered, it was learned that a mass in the belly of three-week old Maverick was neuroblastoma.  He has been in the hospital since August 30 and is now fighting for a life that he hasn't even yet begun to experience.

No matter what your belief system may be, your prayers/thoughts/good wishes/super vibes or whatever you can offer for the healing of this tiny, precious boy are needed.

Rewind: San Francisco - Day One

Now, before I beginning the process of blogging about our amazing trip to San Francisco, I need to post a little disclaimer here.  Between Todd and I, a few shots by our friends Greg and Shareen, and a handful of video, we have over 2500 photos from our one week stay in Northern California.  You will only see a tiny fraction of those photos as I post about each day!

Thursday, July 27, 2010
After staying a couple of nights with the in laws, we flew out of Austin to head to San Francisco.  We awoke at 5 am, left for the airport at 6am, checked in at 7am for a flight that left at 8 am.  Can you tell by looking at our tired faces?  (And yes, we flew Jet Blue.)

The cool thing about flying west is that we arrived at the SFO Airport at 9:30 am.  It was awesome because we had the entire day ahead of us, and Shareen, our wonderful friend/hostess/tour guide/driver to get us started.

First stop:  Chinatown!  I'd never been to a "real" Chinatown, so I was interested in what was ahead.  I quickly learned about the steep streets of San Fran, so we decided to hop a cable car to make it down the hill.  I swear every single Asian visiting SF was on that cable car.  I didn't understand a word that was being spoken, so it was almost like being in a foreign country.   Can you see everyone in that car???

Going back up the hill was much smoother with very few people sharing the car with us - especially since we moved a few people to get a good shot.  :)

Chinatown has such ornate architecture and decor, and I had to get some shots.  Although I am not really in to most things Asian, I found some of what we saw to be very interesting.

We decided to shop some.  Of course the jewelry and trinkets were the most exciting for us girls.  There were also figures carved from ivory.  This was hand carved from one tusk of an elephant - just one:

There were also Kama Sudra-esque figurines in the window as well.  Hey, kids, check this out!

After shopping, we made our way to Ross Alley.

Ross Alley - some chick, Shareen & Todd

It's not a pretty site, it is an historical place and houses a great place - the Fortune Cookie Factory!  After waiting in line in the very crowded doorway/shop, we were greeted by a smiling old man who gave us broken cookies to sample.  We bought some chocolate fortune cookies and "adult" fortune cookies, then paid the shopkeeper fifty cents to get our photo with one of the cookie maker ladies.  This photo makes me laugh because it's the best of a few we took because I was trying to get the lady to smile!

Getting a sample of cookies made us hungry, so we started looking for a yummy place to eat.  We decided against this place even though Todd approved of the dead birds in the window.

We found another place and stopped in for some Dim Sum and TsingTao beer.  Everything was really good and the beer hit the spot.

I'll have one of . . . THESE!  This MUST have been what I had, or does it appear that I was guessing?

After heading back up the sstteeeppp hill from Chinatown, we headed to the amazing and famous Golden Gate Bridge.  I took a few shots from the open sunroof as we crossed the bridge towards Sausalito.

After a few posed shots on a windy afternoon:

. . . it was time for "jump shots!"  Can I just tell you how--much--fun Todd had taking all of these shots?    Would you believe me if I told you that Todd kept yelling, "MORE!  Let's do more!!!!"  Hahaha!  Uhhhh, no.  It definitely was not like that, but Shareen and I didn't seem to care.  I was so busy trying to perfect my landing that my jumping skillz suffered.  You may also notice that I had difficulty in keeping my clothes and sunglasses on!  We took so many trying to get a good one, that I just put them all in a slide show so you can laugh as well.  :)  The funniest part of our time at the Bridge was when Todd figured out that we were finally finished with our semi-futile attempt at the perfect jump shot, a very kind man walked by and said, "Would you like me to take some of the three of you?"  I was laughing so hard that I'm truly surprised that I didn't pee my pants.

As we left the amazing Golden Gate Bridge, we headed back through San Fran to take the Oakland Bay Bridge to our friends' house.  First, we had to drive the Crooked Street and get some really cool shots.  I can't imagine how/why people live on that street, but they do.

As you can tell, we were still a good ways up from the Bay.

Next stop: Casa Pacifica.  Casa Pacifica is the name our friends gave their home since they have so many visitors.  Really, who wouldn't want to visit a place with such beautiful weather, an orange tree outside your window, and amazing hospitality!  We made it into Niles (a small suburb of Fremont) in time to drop off our bags and head over for our 4:30 massages.  Todd and I had a couples room where "Andy" and "Rita" (their American names, I'm sure) gave us some amazing deep tissue massages.  I'd been having problems with pain and numbness in my arms and hands and gave Rita a heads up to work on them.  Rita, who spoke no English, beat the hell out of me.  I was literally crying out in pain, but I needed it.  My main concern was taking away from Todd's relaxing experience.  He said that he almost asked if I was okay and then thought, "Hey, she's a big girl," and resumed his massage.  :)  After a short time, Rita said something to Andy who said to me, "Rita say you have lots of problem."  Dude . . . what a loaded statement that is!  "You want 'nother thirty minute?"  I declined so Todd and Shareen wouldn't have to wait on me, and Rita continued her ass-kicking.  Let me just say that the fingerprint bruises all over my arms for the next few days did the trick.  No more numb hands or arm pain!  There were no photos of me practically naked screaming in pain.  I know, I'm a bad blogger.  Get over it.

After scraping our relaxed bodies back to the house, we headed back to Casa Pacifica with a brief stop by the famous "Taco Truck."  I've never bought food from a truck/trailer before, but it was good!

Todd, Shareen, and I enjoyed our taco appetizers and beverages while we waited for Greg to get home from work.  Entertainment was also provided by the awesome Dexter.  "Dexie" (as I called him) became quite close during our visit, which helped me get through missing our babies so badly.  He's such a star that every time I took his photo, he blinked!

We were later treated to a delicious dinner on the back patio.  Greg lit up the heaters --- yes, heaters in July! --- so we'd stay warm enough under our blankets while we ate and chatted.  We then began telling stories and catching up when Greg introduced us to a new friend: Amarula.  What a delicious little drink it was, over and over again!

After a long day of travel, sightseeing, shopping, relaxing, and hanging with friends, we settled in our new home away from home.  Windows open, fan on, and comfy covers provided us the first of many cool nights to come.

Next: Day Two - Monterey and Carmel