This was mine and Amy's first Christmas as a married couple. Overall, it was a good holiday. I successfully negotiated a stomach bug, Amy and I both went a little overboard with gifts, my best friend and I were able to bring closure to an issue out there, and I got a late Christmas gift when the Cowboys lost yesterday.
I was able to spend some quality time with my best friend Mike over the weekend. For those of you keeping score at home, this is the same Mike who backed out (albeit with plenty of notice) of being the best man at my wedding due to some irrational boss issues. We were finally able to bring any issues remaining from that to closure. It was great seeing Mike. There was a group dinner on Saturday and we got to see Mike, Kyria and some friends we only see at these group dinners.
Love was just fantastic. I can't wait to see more Cirque shows. Plus, it was extra special since I got to see it with my wife!
Our Christmas plans got moved around a lot between my stomach issues and then trying to coordinate with my sister so that we could open gifts as a family. We were able to come to a compromise, but I wasn't able to keep a promise I made to Amy, namely taking her to see Dreamgirls. I promise that I will do it before the end of the year. Vegas Princess and Prince Charming were able to join us for dinner, which was lovely.
All in all, not a shabby holiday. I got to spend it with my wife and my family. What more could I ask for?
Tuesday, December 26, 2006
Monday, December 18, 2006
Hanukkah 2006
Well, it's here. The Festival of Lights. I'll admit that I slightly overlooked Hanukkah last year since it started at the same time as Christmas. Then there was a slight miscommunication between Amy and I over gifts for Hanukkah. So I was left to pull something substantial together at the last minute that we would exchange with her Dad on Saturday.
Since there was a break between Hanukkah and Christmas this year, we decided to go to LA for her family's Hanukkah party. This was my first real family function. Her cousin's wedding in July really doesn't count, because everyone was sort of split up. We flew in on Friday and finished up some last minute shopping.
Saturday was crazy. We were staying in the Valley. We needed to wrap gifts. So Amy got up early and wrapped gifts. We headed to a friend's house in the city for brunch and gifts. We can never spend too much time with these folks. They are among our favorite people. Then, we dashed back to the hotel to meet up with her Dad to have our own private Hanukkah with him. That was nice. Amy loved her gifts from her Dad and I, and mine were awesome. We got Hal a digital camera and photo printer. Then off to Ventura (about an hour away) for the Kaltman Family Hanukkah party. That ended up being a lot of fun. We spend some time with her aunts, uncles, cousins and their kids. I practiced the Hebrew prayers so as to not embarrass myself. However, they had the kids do it and I was off the hook.
Sunday was nuts. Went to a friend's house in the Valley for her son's second birthday party. I think my ears are still ringing. I talked to her friend's Dad most of time. They said they were trying to save me, but I was enjoying myself. Then off to her Mom's house to meet with a doll merchant. That was rough. Finally, we headed out to lunch and then off to the airport.
We are having friends over tomorrow for dinner, latkes and candles. It should be a good time.
I should excuse myself so that I can get back to work on my Hebrew. Baruch atah Adonai, Eloheinu melech ha-olam...
Since there was a break between Hanukkah and Christmas this year, we decided to go to LA for her family's Hanukkah party. This was my first real family function. Her cousin's wedding in July really doesn't count, because everyone was sort of split up. We flew in on Friday and finished up some last minute shopping.
Saturday was crazy. We were staying in the Valley. We needed to wrap gifts. So Amy got up early and wrapped gifts. We headed to a friend's house in the city for brunch and gifts. We can never spend too much time with these folks. They are among our favorite people. Then, we dashed back to the hotel to meet up with her Dad to have our own private Hanukkah with him. That was nice. Amy loved her gifts from her Dad and I, and mine were awesome. We got Hal a digital camera and photo printer. Then off to Ventura (about an hour away) for the Kaltman Family Hanukkah party. That ended up being a lot of fun. We spend some time with her aunts, uncles, cousins and their kids. I practiced the Hebrew prayers so as to not embarrass myself. However, they had the kids do it and I was off the hook.
Sunday was nuts. Went to a friend's house in the Valley for her son's second birthday party. I think my ears are still ringing. I talked to her friend's Dad most of time. They said they were trying to save me, but I was enjoying myself. Then off to her Mom's house to meet with a doll merchant. That was rough. Finally, we headed out to lunch and then off to the airport.
We are having friends over tomorrow for dinner, latkes and candles. It should be a good time.
I should excuse myself so that I can get back to work on my Hebrew. Baruch atah Adonai, Eloheinu melech ha-olam...
Wednesday, December 13, 2006
Wackjobs all
Well, another post about the wackjobs that are in this world. One set is close to home, while the other not so much.
First, the wackjobs in Pahrump. This is the small town in Nye County, Nevada - where prostitution is legal, I might add - that recently passed an ordinance making English the official language of the town; depriving illegal immigrants of all public services administered by the the town which at last count, was simply police protection and the sheriff has said he wouldn't enforce it; and finally illegal to fly a foreign flag without also flying the US flag. That was evidently just the first act.
Last night, in the current board's final meeting in its current makeup they same Councilman that proposed the previous resolution introduced one that went even further - all "undocumented foreign nationals" to register themselves at the Town Office within 24 hours of arrival and pay a $200 fee. They would need to fill out a form listing relatives in Nevada and provide a list of all forged or counterfeit documents they might hold. Failure to do so would result in a fine and jail time. Finally, if any non-governmental agency challenges the ordinance in court, they first would need to shell out $20K to cover any costs incurred by the town. Call it the "ACLU clause."
I am not unsympathetic to their frustration. I do happen to believe that something needs to be done to address illegal immigration. Whether it is more funding so that existing laws can be enforced or coming up with a new comprehensive plan, we need leadership from the federal government because this is more a national, not a state or local issue. Plus, this resolution is essentially unenforcable. Do you expect undocumented nationals to 1. register in the first place, 2. have $200 and 3. essentially confess to breaking the law by listing all the illegally obtained documents they hold? And how do you know exactly who is here legally vs. illegally? Road-side checkpoints? Stopping people on the street randomly?
We need common sense solutions - not these xenophobic and short-minded band-aids. Enough on local wackjobs.
Leading the list of international wackjobs this week is Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and his Holocaust conference. One of the tenets was that either the Holocaust was 1. A fabrication or 2. an exaggeration. There is physical evidence that the Holocaust took place and if anything, is typically under-reported. If you ask your typical person how many people died in the Nazi death camps, you'll hear the number of 6 million. However, a total of 9 million people died in Concentration Camps. Six million Jews perished, but nearly 3 million Gypsies, Communists and other "non-Aryans" were shipped off to death camps as well.
This guy gets a lot of press for saying wacky things. You almost have to wonder if it is just a publicity stunt or what...
First, the wackjobs in Pahrump. This is the small town in Nye County, Nevada - where prostitution is legal, I might add - that recently passed an ordinance making English the official language of the town; depriving illegal immigrants of all public services administered by the the town which at last count, was simply police protection and the sheriff has said he wouldn't enforce it; and finally illegal to fly a foreign flag without also flying the US flag. That was evidently just the first act.
Last night, in the current board's final meeting in its current makeup they same Councilman that proposed the previous resolution introduced one that went even further - all "undocumented foreign nationals" to register themselves at the Town Office within 24 hours of arrival and pay a $200 fee. They would need to fill out a form listing relatives in Nevada and provide a list of all forged or counterfeit documents they might hold. Failure to do so would result in a fine and jail time. Finally, if any non-governmental agency challenges the ordinance in court, they first would need to shell out $20K to cover any costs incurred by the town. Call it the "ACLU clause."
I am not unsympathetic to their frustration. I do happen to believe that something needs to be done to address illegal immigration. Whether it is more funding so that existing laws can be enforced or coming up with a new comprehensive plan, we need leadership from the federal government because this is more a national, not a state or local issue. Plus, this resolution is essentially unenforcable. Do you expect undocumented nationals to 1. register in the first place, 2. have $200 and 3. essentially confess to breaking the law by listing all the illegally obtained documents they hold? And how do you know exactly who is here legally vs. illegally? Road-side checkpoints? Stopping people on the street randomly?
We need common sense solutions - not these xenophobic and short-minded band-aids. Enough on local wackjobs.
Leading the list of international wackjobs this week is Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and his Holocaust conference. One of the tenets was that either the Holocaust was 1. A fabrication or 2. an exaggeration. There is physical evidence that the Holocaust took place and if anything, is typically under-reported. If you ask your typical person how many people died in the Nazi death camps, you'll hear the number of 6 million. However, a total of 9 million people died in Concentration Camps. Six million Jews perished, but nearly 3 million Gypsies, Communists and other "non-Aryans" were shipped off to death camps as well.
This guy gets a lot of press for saying wacky things. You almost have to wonder if it is just a publicity stunt or what...
Tuesday, December 12, 2006
Good TV and no fights about holiday cards
OK. First, Monday TV was great last night. Not so good to write out your holiday cards to.
Another classic How I Met Your Mother. Between sick Barney and trying to figure out which really bad word Ted said (oh come on - you know you were trying to figure it out too!), just hilarious.
The Class was good. I agree with the TV Guide people, the more we get to know Duncan, Amy and I can't understand why he still lives with his mother. (Note to self - do NOT get Amy a stripper pole for our first anniversary.)
Two and a Half Men, while crude, had some good moments. The constant Rose and Bertha narration was great, a Susan Sullivan had a great guest spot.
The New Adventures of Old Christine is starting to grow on us again. Tonight's episode - Prius vs. Hummer - was somewhat indicative of the change that Amy's dealing with going from her Civic to a Honda Pilot.
In spite of all of the good TV, we managed to get through most of the Holiday cards - without a fight. Sunday's Holiday Card session wasn't quite as smooth as we got ourselves into a fight over passive aggression other people being rude.
Unfortunately, this evening of good TV and holiday cards was the by product of Amy cracking a crown. We had originally planned to go out with some friends last night. They were meeting up with some of their other friends from church. We like hanging out with them, and some of their friends are fun. All things considered, we just needed to stay in last night, I think. Besides, there was ice cream to eat!
Another classic How I Met Your Mother. Between sick Barney and trying to figure out which really bad word Ted said (oh come on - you know you were trying to figure it out too!), just hilarious.
The Class was good. I agree with the TV Guide people, the more we get to know Duncan, Amy and I can't understand why he still lives with his mother. (Note to self - do NOT get Amy a stripper pole for our first anniversary.)
Two and a Half Men, while crude, had some good moments. The constant Rose and Bertha narration was great, a Susan Sullivan had a great guest spot.
The New Adventures of Old Christine is starting to grow on us again. Tonight's episode - Prius vs. Hummer - was somewhat indicative of the change that Amy's dealing with going from her Civic to a Honda Pilot.
In spite of all of the good TV, we managed to get through most of the Holiday cards - without a fight. Sunday's Holiday Card session wasn't quite as smooth as we got ourselves into a fight over passive aggression other people being rude.
Unfortunately, this evening of good TV and holiday cards was the by product of Amy cracking a crown. We had originally planned to go out with some friends last night. They were meeting up with some of their other friends from church. We like hanging out with them, and some of their friends are fun. All things considered, we just needed to stay in last night, I think. Besides, there was ice cream to eat!
Monday, December 11, 2006
Somethings never get old
A few comments on this fine Monday morning.
1. It was a really good football weekend. I missed watching the Bills school the Jets in New Jersey 31-13. However, I did manage to watch the Cowboys get their buts kicked by Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints 42-17 in Texas Stadium. That was great. I feel bad for Lora and my brother in law this morning. That smack-down must still hurt.
2. Amy's Nana is reading the Book of Mormon. She's 92 and Jewish. I don't really think she has any intention of converting. Frankly, I can't really see her sitting through a three hour church service. I think she's reading it like a trashy novel - kept referring to it as "her book." Who would have thunk it - Mormon Nana.
3. Wrapping up holiday shopping. I think we just need to finish up Amy's little cousins, and I need to get one more thing for Amy.
4. Mom is working 40 hours this week. What's upsetting to us is that she is working three nights. Tonight, she's scheduled until 10:30 p.m. I know it's her life and as long as she's happy, but driving 35-45 minutes one direction, and she's a tentative driver makes me nervous on her way home.
5. Had some fun putting together our Bissell carpet cleaner last night - a chore made manditory with Rosebud once again using the carpet as her litter box. It was just a disaster from the start. First, when I put the hose in its holster, I inadevertly depressed the trigger and got water EVERYWHERE. Then the brushes stopped spinning, so I needed to take the thing apart, clean out the pet hair, and then it worked again. That's why they tell you to vacuum first. After that, it was fine. The carpet got cleaned and I think I got most of the urine up.
1. It was a really good football weekend. I missed watching the Bills school the Jets in New Jersey 31-13. However, I did manage to watch the Cowboys get their buts kicked by Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints 42-17 in Texas Stadium. That was great. I feel bad for Lora and my brother in law this morning. That smack-down must still hurt.
2. Amy's Nana is reading the Book of Mormon. She's 92 and Jewish. I don't really think she has any intention of converting. Frankly, I can't really see her sitting through a three hour church service. I think she's reading it like a trashy novel - kept referring to it as "her book." Who would have thunk it - Mormon Nana.
3. Wrapping up holiday shopping. I think we just need to finish up Amy's little cousins, and I need to get one more thing for Amy.
4. Mom is working 40 hours this week. What's upsetting to us is that she is working three nights. Tonight, she's scheduled until 10:30 p.m. I know it's her life and as long as she's happy, but driving 35-45 minutes one direction, and she's a tentative driver makes me nervous on her way home.
5. Had some fun putting together our Bissell carpet cleaner last night - a chore made manditory with Rosebud once again using the carpet as her litter box. It was just a disaster from the start. First, when I put the hose in its holster, I inadevertly depressed the trigger and got water EVERYWHERE. Then the brushes stopped spinning, so I needed to take the thing apart, clean out the pet hair, and then it worked again. That's why they tell you to vacuum first. After that, it was fine. The carpet got cleaned and I think I got most of the urine up.
Wednesday, December 06, 2006
The Holidays
I love the Holidays, but I hate them.
Things I love:
Things I love:
- Holiday cheer - people are generally nicer and most, well, humane
- Gingerbread Lattes at Starbucks (although they don't seem as yummy as in the past)
- Spending time with friends and family. This is mine and Amy's first Christmas together married, and our first in the new house. That's exciting to me.
- Giving a gift so perfect that it makes the recipient cry (in the good way.)
Things I hate:
- Holiday shopping. I usually do OK deciding what to get people, but when I can't figure it out, I can't stand walking around stores looking for things.
- The Mall. While people are happier this time of year, they are absolutely miserable while hunting people down for parking spaces, fighting over this year's "must have" toy and the like.
- Holiday cards. I like receiving them, and sending them, but I always put it off until too late.
- Holiday decorating. Too much effort for two weeks worth of enjoyment.
Anyway, I'm mostly glad the holidays are here. If for no other reason that I get to spend more time with Amy!
Tuesday, November 28, 2006
Odds and Ends and other snippets
A few musings after a wonderful Thanksgiving with my wife, our family and friends.
An interesting piece on how the Southern Nevada print media needs to elevate their game on Nevada Today. While it is written by Tom Gallagher, who brings his own bias, he has a very valid point.
Speaking of bringing their "A Game," another classic episode of How I Met Your Mother. It just keeps getting more and more funny, if possible.
I hope we see more episodes of The Class like last nights. Something that starts bringing the octet together more often instead of watching 3-4 story lines inone show will make the show stronger.
Amy rocks. Her oatmeal-craisin-chocolate chip cookies rule.
Blech. We really haven't started Christmas shopping yet. Our window for online shopping is getting smaller and smaller.
Looks like we are going to one of our favorite Henderson hangouts on Thursday, which is cool. However, I'm not sure if they are going to be serving food much after Friday. This may be our last chance to get our fix.
Hope you all had a great Thanksgiving. Ours was fantastic - flaming marshmallows and all.
Tuesday, November 21, 2006
Laugh-out loud funny
OMG. I haven't laughed that hard in a long time. A classic How I Met Your Mother episode! Every single joke was funny. The slap bet was classic, the rapid fire "Lawyering" questions about whether or not Robin was really married and how Ted spent his lunch hour and the final punchline about why Robin is afraid to go to the Mall was classic. I've heard of weird phobias, but a distinct fear of going to a shopping mall takes the cake.
Amy and I really have gotten into The Class. It's a cute little show but it's almost like three-four little shows in one. You don't see a lot of cross-group interaction and that makes for a little confusion. Two and a Half Men was just classic. Absolutely classic.
Unfortunately, the events of the last few months have found us with little time to catch up on TiVo, so I haven't seen much CSI this year, and Amy's really wanted to watch Heroes, but shows we already like such as Studio 60 are taking up space on our DVR. I don't really see us getting too much more time to catch up, but I could be wrong.
Now I have to find a way to get that song from How I Met Your Mother out of my head!
Amy and I really have gotten into The Class. It's a cute little show but it's almost like three-four little shows in one. You don't see a lot of cross-group interaction and that makes for a little confusion. Two and a Half Men was just classic. Absolutely classic.
Unfortunately, the events of the last few months have found us with little time to catch up on TiVo, so I haven't seen much CSI this year, and Amy's really wanted to watch Heroes, but shows we already like such as Studio 60 are taking up space on our DVR. I don't really see us getting too much more time to catch up, but I could be wrong.
Now I have to find a way to get that song from How I Met Your Mother out of my head!
Monday, November 13, 2006
I'm back!
I'm back from India, and very happy to be back. It's odd to think that this is going to be a calm period for us, with Thanksgiving a week and a half a way, but it really is. After everything else, it's just good to be home.
So on this most recent India trip, I once again forgot to take a camera. Not that there was much to see. When I'm in India, I get up, go to work, go back to the hotel and go to sleep. I really should get in some sightseeing, but that would require extra time, and my time there is short and I don't want to extend my trip because I really just want to get home. I'll get pictures eventually, I promise.
It was really interesting watching the US Mid-Term elections over there. First off, BBC World carried election returns like CNN or a US-based network would. While the Indian news outlets weren't quite as focused on it, they still got more coverage than I was expecting. Even my co-workers were talking to me about it. I was amazed at the level of interest.
Other than that, I'm glad to be home!
So on this most recent India trip, I once again forgot to take a camera. Not that there was much to see. When I'm in India, I get up, go to work, go back to the hotel and go to sleep. I really should get in some sightseeing, but that would require extra time, and my time there is short and I don't want to extend my trip because I really just want to get home. I'll get pictures eventually, I promise.
It was really interesting watching the US Mid-Term elections over there. First off, BBC World carried election returns like CNN or a US-based network would. While the Indian news outlets weren't quite as focused on it, they still got more coverage than I was expecting. Even my co-workers were talking to me about it. I was amazed at the level of interest.
Other than that, I'm glad to be home!
Friday, November 03, 2006
Amazing
That's all I can say about the wedding and the honeymoon. The wedding was absolutely magical. Amy looked absolutely stunning. I will always remember how she looked when she turned the corner to walk down the aisle. It was as if a Greek goddess was moving towards me. The reception was just fantastic. Aside from not really getting to eat and visit with our guests appropriately, the evening was absolutely perfect.
The honeymoon was awesome. From our arrival at the Grand Lido Negril, we knew we were in paradise. Our room was all of 30 paces off the main beach, and the whole trip was about relaxation and rejuvenation. While about 3/4 of the way through our second full day Amy got a little antsy do start doing things, all in all it was just what the doctor ordered to help destress after the events of the last six months and start our marriage out fresh. I won't go into boring details about what we did and the like, just know that we loved the resort so much, we have seriously talked about making it a regular on the vacation circuit. It will always be a special place to us.
So now, back to the grindstone. I'm off on Saturday for a week in India, but I also think I'm coming down with something. I'll be ODing on Airborne and Mucinex D from now until then. Hopefully I can kick this before it becomes a full-blown thing.
The honeymoon was awesome. From our arrival at the Grand Lido Negril, we knew we were in paradise. Our room was all of 30 paces off the main beach, and the whole trip was about relaxation and rejuvenation. While about 3/4 of the way through our second full day Amy got a little antsy do start doing things, all in all it was just what the doctor ordered to help destress after the events of the last six months and start our marriage out fresh. I won't go into boring details about what we did and the like, just know that we loved the resort so much, we have seriously talked about making it a regular on the vacation circuit. It will always be a special place to us.
So now, back to the grindstone. I'm off on Saturday for a week in India, but I also think I'm coming down with something. I'll be ODing on Airborne and Mucinex D from now until then. Hopefully I can kick this before it becomes a full-blown thing.
Wednesday, October 18, 2006
Four days and counting
Four days and counting until the big day! Things are definitely getting excited. Excited about seeing family and friends. Excited about the honeymoon. But mostly, excited about marrying the woman I am so schmoopy in love with.
What's starting to depress me are the folks that are now backing out. Yesterday, my Aunt and my Mom's older sister called her to say she wasn't feeling well and wouldn't be able to make it. Given all the weather issues they had in Buffalo last week, I'm not really surprised. Then my cousin called last night. She is having a "procedure" done on Friday morning and won't be able to travel from Maryland until at least 10 a.m. ET on Sunday. She's going to see if she can make it, though. That would bring my grand total of one aunt, two uncles, and eight cousins plus five significant others attending down to one uncle. Most have good reasons. Not working right now, no child care, unknown legal issues - the list goes on. I do realize that all of these people are gravy to the day, but it would still be nice to have them around.
Anyway, the honeymoon is confirmed, today is Amy's last day worked until we get back! I probably won't post again until we are back from Jamaica. We'll take plenty of photos and will publish some of the more PG-rated ones!
What's starting to depress me are the folks that are now backing out. Yesterday, my Aunt and my Mom's older sister called her to say she wasn't feeling well and wouldn't be able to make it. Given all the weather issues they had in Buffalo last week, I'm not really surprised. Then my cousin called last night. She is having a "procedure" done on Friday morning and won't be able to travel from Maryland until at least 10 a.m. ET on Sunday. She's going to see if she can make it, though. That would bring my grand total of one aunt, two uncles, and eight cousins plus five significant others attending down to one uncle. Most have good reasons. Not working right now, no child care, unknown legal issues - the list goes on. I do realize that all of these people are gravy to the day, but it would still be nice to have them around.
Anyway, the honeymoon is confirmed, today is Amy's last day worked until we get back! I probably won't post again until we are back from Jamaica. We'll take plenty of photos and will publish some of the more PG-rated ones!
Tuesday, October 10, 2006
Batter Up!
OK. Now baseball gets serious. The American League Championship Series starts tonight in Oakland, with the Wild-Card Tigers facing the West Division Champion Oakland Athletics. How cool is this? Both divisional series were entertaining. Oakland's games in Minnesota were nail-biters until big innings later in the game, and the Tigers were just amazing to watch in their final two games against the Yankees.
I'm an American League guy. The National League Championship Series between the Cardinals and the Mets is only slightly interesting to me. It will get more attention because the biggest draws will be in bigger media markets. However the American League, for my money is where it is at. You have two smaller market teams. The Tigers are just three years removed from a 119-loss season. Everyone wondered if the A's could make it out of the division series.
To rip off a phrase from Major League Baseball, I LIVE FOR THIS!
I'm an American League guy. The National League Championship Series between the Cardinals and the Mets is only slightly interesting to me. It will get more attention because the biggest draws will be in bigger media markets. However the American League, for my money is where it is at. You have two smaller market teams. The Tigers are just three years removed from a 119-loss season. Everyone wondered if the A's could make it out of the division series.
To rip off a phrase from Major League Baseball, I LIVE FOR THIS!
Monday, October 02, 2006
Mmm...enchilada's
Happy Monday everyone!
Two main highlights from last week. First, last Monday was my Mom's birthday. Initially she had asked to go out for Chinese food, but my Dad took her to a buffet on her birthday so she could have Chinese food. While I realize that isn't true Chinese food, we took her for Mexican. My Dad, for his part, opted to stay home. I'll admit I was a little disappointed in Dad. You can usually make something work. Had he been a little flexible, we would have taken Mom to someplace where maybe Dad could have had a cheeseburger or something. But since he wasn't we went to Cabo in the Santa Fe Station.
My Mom loved it. Not only did she get a chance to have a second birthday dinner, but she got to try something new. She got herself sort of a Mexican Prime Rib stew. It was a little spicy, but she enjoyed it. I got chicken enchiladas, while Amy got a combination plate. She tried a little bit of everything. She enjoyed herself so much that we have decided to make this a regular thing where we go out without my Dad.
The second highlight is that the majority of the wedding is now paid for. It is a very good feeling. I can't believe it's less than three weeks. I'm sure Amy will go into a little more detail on the wedding blog, so you may want to check over there.
Two main highlights from last week. First, last Monday was my Mom's birthday. Initially she had asked to go out for Chinese food, but my Dad took her to a buffet on her birthday so she could have Chinese food. While I realize that isn't true Chinese food, we took her for Mexican. My Dad, for his part, opted to stay home. I'll admit I was a little disappointed in Dad. You can usually make something work. Had he been a little flexible, we would have taken Mom to someplace where maybe Dad could have had a cheeseburger or something. But since he wasn't we went to Cabo in the Santa Fe Station.
My Mom loved it. Not only did she get a chance to have a second birthday dinner, but she got to try something new. She got herself sort of a Mexican Prime Rib stew. It was a little spicy, but she enjoyed it. I got chicken enchiladas, while Amy got a combination plate. She tried a little bit of everything. She enjoyed herself so much that we have decided to make this a regular thing where we go out without my Dad.
The second highlight is that the majority of the wedding is now paid for. It is a very good feeling. I can't believe it's less than three weeks. I'm sure Amy will go into a little more detail on the wedding blog, so you may want to check over there.
Wednesday, September 27, 2006
The A's Win the Pennant
OK. So it wasn't Bobby Thomson's epic shot to win the 1951 National League pennant for the New York Giants, but I'll take it. Their 12-3 victory over Seattle combined with the Los Angeles Angels of Canoga Park's loss to Texas handed to A's their first division title and playoff appearance since 2003. This year's division winners were not without their own drama. Instead of winning one more game while the Angels were in Oakland, and after blowing a 9-3 lead in Seattle on Monday night, they were finally able to close the deal. They can now rest some of their starters for the playoffs. Maybe this is the year they get out of the Division Series.
In other sports news, it is encouraging to see the Buffalo Sabres are pre-season picks to advance far in the Stanley Cup playoffs. If only these predictions held true. I like it better when my teams defy expectations and "over-achieve."
The Bills lost this weekend to the Jets. My sister and her husband made it to the game. Got a sweatheart deal on tickets thanks to her best friend's husband. Seventeen rows up from the 40 yard line. I didn't catch the game, but it looked competitive, save the three turnover differential.
I'm trying to make heads or tails out of this Terrell Owens drama. I'm not sure if it is a publicity stunt or what. He's just one emotionally damaged man, that's for sure.
Anyway, Go A's, looking forward to hockey season and the Bills play Minnesota this weekend.
In other sports news, it is encouraging to see the Buffalo Sabres are pre-season picks to advance far in the Stanley Cup playoffs. If only these predictions held true. I like it better when my teams defy expectations and "over-achieve."
The Bills lost this weekend to the Jets. My sister and her husband made it to the game. Got a sweatheart deal on tickets thanks to her best friend's husband. Seventeen rows up from the 40 yard line. I didn't catch the game, but it looked competitive, save the three turnover differential.
I'm trying to make heads or tails out of this Terrell Owens drama. I'm not sure if it is a publicity stunt or what. He's just one emotionally damaged man, that's for sure.
Anyway, Go A's, looking forward to hockey season and the Bills play Minnesota this weekend.
Wednesday, September 20, 2006
Premiere Week - Monday Report
OK. I think Monday nights are going to be the new Thursday night. We had dinner with some friends Monday night, so we TiVo-ed the Monday night premieres. We settled in around 8 p.m. or so to watch the Monday night shows.
The Class was very cute. Sort of a next generation of Friends. We'll see how this one plays out. I hope Andrea Anders doesn't have a Joey curse...
How I Met Your Mother should really be titled Barney's Guide to Awesomeness. It's such a great, great character. His delivery and facial expressions are fantastic. As other blogs have mentioned, it will be interesting to see how things develop between Marshall and Lily should Lily come back. I think she will, if for no other reason because Robin needs a female friend on the show.
Two and a Half Men was relatively predictable, although the running gag about how long Alan's marriage was going to last was pretty funny - especially considering his first wife won it.
Oh. My. God. I was looking forward to the premiere of Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, and boy did it deliver. We got thrown directly into the action. Judd Hirsch did a great guest spot bemoaning the state of television today, it will be interesting to see Steven Webber play a hard-ass. The "big three" of Amanda Peet, Matthew Perry and Bradley Whitford will be a good triumvirate to watch develop. Very, very smart television. That's all I have to say. I know I'll be watching every week.
The only show we didn't watch was Weeds, but we'll catch that tonight. Besides, it wasn't a premiere, it was getting late and we were really kind of sleepy.
The Class was very cute. Sort of a next generation of Friends. We'll see how this one plays out. I hope Andrea Anders doesn't have a Joey curse...
How I Met Your Mother should really be titled Barney's Guide to Awesomeness. It's such a great, great character. His delivery and facial expressions are fantastic. As other blogs have mentioned, it will be interesting to see how things develop between Marshall and Lily should Lily come back. I think she will, if for no other reason because Robin needs a female friend on the show.
Two and a Half Men was relatively predictable, although the running gag about how long Alan's marriage was going to last was pretty funny - especially considering his first wife won it.
Oh. My. God. I was looking forward to the premiere of Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, and boy did it deliver. We got thrown directly into the action. Judd Hirsch did a great guest spot bemoaning the state of television today, it will be interesting to see Steven Webber play a hard-ass. The "big three" of Amanda Peet, Matthew Perry and Bradley Whitford will be a good triumvirate to watch develop. Very, very smart television. That's all I have to say. I know I'll be watching every week.
The only show we didn't watch was Weeds, but we'll catch that tonight. Besides, it wasn't a premiere, it was getting late and we were really kind of sleepy.
Monday, September 18, 2006
Is it Monday already?
Well another weekend in the books. Not too bad. Somewhat relaxing. Really need a nap, but nothing to horrible.
On the sports front, it was a GREAT weekend. First, the A's swept the White Sox. This, combined with at least two Angels losses put the A's up 7 games. Yes, they have seven games against the Angels left, but it is entirely possible they could wrap up the division at home this week. I'm all for them closing it out before the season-ending series in Anaheim. I love the drama of a pennant race as much as the next fan, but not when it includes my team. Second, the Bills beat Miami 16-6 in Miami! What made it even more impressive is they did it with as many as 5 rookies on Defense. While their stats weren't pretty, they kept Daunte Culpepper looking like a rookie, which was awesome. This is going to be an interesting year.
Amy had her bridal shower this past weekend. She thought she was going to be uncomfortable with so many people paying attention to her. It was mostly happy for her, with just a twinge of sadness. Thanks to Teri and Lora for throwing Amy has an awesome shower!
The pets are still struggling on their road to socialization. The cats basically hide under the bed if the dogs are in the bedroom and if the dogs aren't in the bedroom, they don't leave the room. However, on the positive side, I think we are on track to get the dogs back on dry food. The smell of the wet food grosses Amy out and it was becoming quite the pain to mix dry and canned.
Work is busy, but that's a good thing. Amy heads back to work tomorrow and we are off to LA this weekend for the High Holy Days!
On the sports front, it was a GREAT weekend. First, the A's swept the White Sox. This, combined with at least two Angels losses put the A's up 7 games. Yes, they have seven games against the Angels left, but it is entirely possible they could wrap up the division at home this week. I'm all for them closing it out before the season-ending series in Anaheim. I love the drama of a pennant race as much as the next fan, but not when it includes my team. Second, the Bills beat Miami 16-6 in Miami! What made it even more impressive is they did it with as many as 5 rookies on Defense. While their stats weren't pretty, they kept Daunte Culpepper looking like a rookie, which was awesome. This is going to be an interesting year.
Amy had her bridal shower this past weekend. She thought she was going to be uncomfortable with so many people paying attention to her. It was mostly happy for her, with just a twinge of sadness. Thanks to Teri and Lora for throwing Amy has an awesome shower!
The pets are still struggling on their road to socialization. The cats basically hide under the bed if the dogs are in the bedroom and if the dogs aren't in the bedroom, they don't leave the room. However, on the positive side, I think we are on track to get the dogs back on dry food. The smell of the wet food grosses Amy out and it was becoming quite the pain to mix dry and canned.
Work is busy, but that's a good thing. Amy heads back to work tomorrow and we are off to LA this weekend for the High Holy Days!
Wednesday, September 13, 2006
Update
All, to update my Monday blog, Amy made it through surgery just fine. The doctor was pleased with how the procedure went, and once Amy was able to snap out of the anesthesia a little bit more and perform some much needed biological functions, we were sent home.
She'll be home resting the remainder of the week. She doesn't return to work until Tuesday of next week.
Thank you all for your thoughts and prayers. I have no doubt that it helped!
She'll be home resting the remainder of the week. She doesn't return to work until Tuesday of next week.
Thank you all for your thoughts and prayers. I have no doubt that it helped!
Monday, September 11, 2006
Post-Weekend Mish-Mash
Well, the first weekend of the brand-new NFL season is almost in the books. My first week Fantasy Football game is going to be close. Very close. Stupid Daunte Culpepper...
Speaking of football, Amy, Dad and I treked from Aliante to Green Valley to watch our beloved Bills kick off another year. In typical Bills fashion, they started out strong, kept the Pats off balance and ran out to an early lead. However, after being stopped short on 4th and 1 (which I agree with the call to go for it), they seemed to fall apart and they lost the game by 2 points. I know this is a team in transition, but a 5 year transition? I would like to see the playoffs some time soon....
Caught up on some TiVo this weekend. I'm man enough to admit that I watch a daytime drama and have for years. On Thursday, Guiding Light celebrated it's 15,000th episode. It started out as a very religious show, with a candle or "guiding light" in the window of the minister's house (the same guy that played the dad on Soap). Anywya, they've been broadcasting for over 60 years. It's just very impressive, that's all.
I was reading an article about the new season of The Simpsons. During that article Matt Groening made a comment that made me think - whatever happened to the Rumpus Room? You don't hear about those anymore.
We got some wedding stuff done. I'll let Amy update you on those, and she's having her surgery tomorrow morning. Please keep her/us in your thoughts and prayers.
Speaking of football, Amy, Dad and I treked from Aliante to Green Valley to watch our beloved Bills kick off another year. In typical Bills fashion, they started out strong, kept the Pats off balance and ran out to an early lead. However, after being stopped short on 4th and 1 (which I agree with the call to go for it), they seemed to fall apart and they lost the game by 2 points. I know this is a team in transition, but a 5 year transition? I would like to see the playoffs some time soon....
Caught up on some TiVo this weekend. I'm man enough to admit that I watch a daytime drama and have for years. On Thursday, Guiding Light celebrated it's 15,000th episode. It started out as a very religious show, with a candle or "guiding light" in the window of the minister's house (the same guy that played the dad on Soap). Anywya, they've been broadcasting for over 60 years. It's just very impressive, that's all.
I was reading an article about the new season of The Simpsons. During that article Matt Groening made a comment that made me think - whatever happened to the Rumpus Room? You don't hear about those anymore.
We got some wedding stuff done. I'll let Amy update you on those, and she's having her surgery tomorrow morning. Please keep her/us in your thoughts and prayers.
Friday, September 08, 2006
Pre-Weekend Mish-Mosh
Here it is Friday night. I'm taking Amy to Paymon's Mediterranean Cafe tonight for dinner. She doesn't know it yet, and she won't get a chance to check blogs before dinner so she'll be pleasantly surprised (I hope).
This was something of a rough week. The reality of the situation is starting to set in, and with Amy's impending surgery on Tuesday it's getting a little bit more real. Oh yeah - and I was dumb enough to read the death certificate with the time of death on it too. I'm still glad we weren't in the room as things went south, but we were really just there maybe 30 minutes before to be honest.
Wedding invitation responses are starting to trickle in. Most of my family won't be able to make it in for the wedding. Too expensive or work commitments. My Mom's siblings will be here and at least one cousin on that side will make it, which will be nice.
My Dad's brother had his travel arrangements all set and now he won't be able to make it. It's a little sad - he is my Godfather and all, but I figure it must be really important because he was definitely looking forward to the wedding. I'm not sure if any cousins on that side will make it - we've gotten one formal decline, one verbal decline and one "we might make it." I suspect the one I haven't heard from yet is probably not going to make it either.
As we expected, the brunt of the issues are emanating from Amy's family. The "grapevine" is telling us that at least two cousins are "pissed" that we are having a no kids wedding. We've gotten their declines already. It's making Amy very sad because she is afraid she will be persona non grata in her family and she's hurting. I want to fix it, but no that I can't. Ultimately, playing the "what if" game isn't going to get us very far.
The person originally slated to be my best man is not going to be able to make the wedding. My feelings are hurt, and we had several looooooooong talks about it. In the end, I can't expend the energy being upset. Too much other stuff is going on and ultimately, it's not going to change the end result.
I guess my real feeling is that there are only five people that need to be there - the officiant, two witnesses and Amy and I. Everyone else is gravy and if they aren't going to be there, they are going to miss one hell of a party!
This weekend should be pretty uneventful. We have friends coming over for dinner on Saturday night. Hopefully the pool will be warm enough (it was 78 a few minutes ago, and I just pulled the cover back on) to go in. The moral of that story is don't leave the solar cover off for 5 days especially when it gets windy and rainy. Sunday is the return of football. Amy and I are picking Dad up at 8:30 so we get a good seat at the bar! GO BILLS!
This was something of a rough week. The reality of the situation is starting to set in, and with Amy's impending surgery on Tuesday it's getting a little bit more real. Oh yeah - and I was dumb enough to read the death certificate with the time of death on it too. I'm still glad we weren't in the room as things went south, but we were really just there maybe 30 minutes before to be honest.
Wedding invitation responses are starting to trickle in. Most of my family won't be able to make it in for the wedding. Too expensive or work commitments. My Mom's siblings will be here and at least one cousin on that side will make it, which will be nice.
My Dad's brother had his travel arrangements all set and now he won't be able to make it. It's a little sad - he is my Godfather and all, but I figure it must be really important because he was definitely looking forward to the wedding. I'm not sure if any cousins on that side will make it - we've gotten one formal decline, one verbal decline and one "we might make it." I suspect the one I haven't heard from yet is probably not going to make it either.
As we expected, the brunt of the issues are emanating from Amy's family. The "grapevine" is telling us that at least two cousins are "pissed" that we are having a no kids wedding. We've gotten their declines already. It's making Amy very sad because she is afraid she will be persona non grata in her family and she's hurting. I want to fix it, but no that I can't. Ultimately, playing the "what if" game isn't going to get us very far.
The person originally slated to be my best man is not going to be able to make the wedding. My feelings are hurt, and we had several looooooooong talks about it. In the end, I can't expend the energy being upset. Too much other stuff is going on and ultimately, it's not going to change the end result.
I guess my real feeling is that there are only five people that need to be there - the officiant, two witnesses and Amy and I. Everyone else is gravy and if they aren't going to be there, they are going to miss one hell of a party!
This weekend should be pretty uneventful. We have friends coming over for dinner on Saturday night. Hopefully the pool will be warm enough (it was 78 a few minutes ago, and I just pulled the cover back on) to go in. The moral of that story is don't leave the solar cover off for 5 days especially when it gets windy and rainy. Sunday is the return of football. Amy and I are picking Dad up at 8:30 so we get a good seat at the bar! GO BILLS!
Monday, September 04, 2006
Happy Labor Day!
I had a professor in college that used to say the best thing about a three day weekend, was a four day work week. After the last few weeks, I was ready for a long weekend and a shortened work week. This being said, it's not like we sat around all weekend.
Saturday, Amy and I ran some errands early. As you may have heard, one of our new dogs spent quite a bit of time at the vet's office this week. The good news is that she's feeling better. The bad news is that she was only eating canned food. I don't mind the smell, but Amy can't stand it. I bought a couple of can's at the vet's office Friday, but needed more and on Saturday while Amy was at Kohl's running a couple of errands, I went to PetSmart. $20 later in canned food (barely enough for the week), we were on our way to Costco to spend more money than planned. From there Amy and Teri went to run some more errands and go to the Mall.
I, on the other hand, opted to go upgrade my cell phone. I've been w/Cingular for two years now and it was time to upgrade. I went from an itty bitty Nokia to my new itty bitty Motorola SLVR. It's freakin' awesome so far. I've only had it a couple of days, but I'm pretty happy thus far.
Saturday night we went to dinner at a friend's house in Southern Highlands. We came to the realization that we really couldn't live further apart, as we live in Aliante. The drive home wasn't that bad as we made it home in about 30 minutes.
Sunday was relatively lazy as Amy was recovering from a reaction to prescription cough syrup. My Mom and I went to pick up Amy's wedding band at the store, and I showed her mine. I thought she wa going to cry. Mom was very excited. While we were out, I bought Amy a paid of Crocs clogs. They are ugly as sin, but from what I understand damn comfortable.
Monday was nice a relaxing. Shopped for a flat panel monitor for Amy, swam for a little while and just generally hung out together. Top that off with a pizza dinner and life doesn't get much better.
Hope your weekends were relaxing...
Saturday, Amy and I ran some errands early. As you may have heard, one of our new dogs spent quite a bit of time at the vet's office this week. The good news is that she's feeling better. The bad news is that she was only eating canned food. I don't mind the smell, but Amy can't stand it. I bought a couple of can's at the vet's office Friday, but needed more and on Saturday while Amy was at Kohl's running a couple of errands, I went to PetSmart. $20 later in canned food (barely enough for the week), we were on our way to Costco to spend more money than planned. From there Amy and Teri went to run some more errands and go to the Mall.
I, on the other hand, opted to go upgrade my cell phone. I've been w/Cingular for two years now and it was time to upgrade. I went from an itty bitty Nokia to my new itty bitty Motorola SLVR. It's freakin' awesome so far. I've only had it a couple of days, but I'm pretty happy thus far.
Saturday night we went to dinner at a friend's house in Southern Highlands. We came to the realization that we really couldn't live further apart, as we live in Aliante. The drive home wasn't that bad as we made it home in about 30 minutes.
Sunday was relatively lazy as Amy was recovering from a reaction to prescription cough syrup. My Mom and I went to pick up Amy's wedding band at the store, and I showed her mine. I thought she wa going to cry. Mom was very excited. While we were out, I bought Amy a paid of Crocs clogs. They are ugly as sin, but from what I understand damn comfortable.
Monday was nice a relaxing. Shopped for a flat panel monitor for Amy, swam for a little while and just generally hung out together. Top that off with a pizza dinner and life doesn't get much better.
Hope your weekends were relaxing...
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