Date Night

Ben will probably be traveling for the next 3 weeks and then I am gone for a week, so we thought we would go on a movie date tonight. We both rarely like to see movies in crowded theaters, so that means Sex and the City is out. I haven't seen the first 3 Indiana Jones movies (yeah I was under a rock in the 80s) so the newest Indy is out. I think we have narrowed it down to Baby Mama since it has the oldest release date and a decent score on Rotten Tomatoes. I'll let you know what we think!

Sticker Shock

Well it has finally happened. I paid at least $4/gallon for gas today (actually $4.21), and Ben is paying a high price for diesel (over $5/gallon!). Two years ago I thought I would be paying this price by the end of summer, so I am not totally sold that the $5/gallon by Labor Day weekend will happen.

Quiet Days

The rest of Memorial Day Weekend was cold/rainy and kinda quiet for Ben and I. He golfed and worked on the yard, I did chores and ran errands. The only sorta Memorial Day thing we did was watch Carrier At War: USS Enterprise on Showtime one night. It was especially interesting for me since my Dad was stationed on the USS JFK 40 years ago. A little bit of random searching and I stumbled upon Carrier on the PBS website. It is a 10-part online documentary following the USS Nimitz and I am hooked!

Beer Fest 2008

Yesterday's Avila Beer Festival was just as much fun as last years! Hanging out with friends was great, the weather was awesome, and Ben really enjoyed the beer. It doesn't show it in the pictures, but I also left with the gift of a sunburn. Ben can't believe it - "How do you get a bad sunburn, while wearing sunscreen, on a cloudy day in Avila?!" Yeah my skin is weird, so I'll be back next year with a giant hat!

A Pause

I came across this link from a friend's shared items on Google Reader. The link contains pictures a photographer took of a wedding in Sichuan, China that was immediately followed by the 7.9 earthquake. It made me stop and think, so I thought I would share.

Fair Time Yet Again

Yesterday I heard a radio commercial announcing Fergie performing at the Mid-State Fair on July 31st! Tickets go on sale Friday, May 30th at 10am if you are interested.

As much as I would love to go, I have to draw the line at 3 concerts per week for my own sanity and wallet!

4-H: It's Still A Thing

Emily and Scott watched a Simpsons episode a few weeks ago that had Bart in a 4-H Club, and thought I should check it out since I did that whole thing for 9 years (yeah I was a total nerd). I was laughing a lot remembering the good times, crazy uniforms, and rituals (I want to point out that Emily and I remembered the pledge - Rachel & Heather, remember too?). If you want to watch the episode, it is on the Fox website and is titled "Apocalypse Cow".

Update: As promised, here are some old pictures of us looking AMAZING in the sweet 4-H uniforms! Unfortunately I don't have any pictures of Rachel, but I'm working on that (hint, hint Rachel)!

Forget the Kitchen Sink

I just got back from Pennsylvania and traveled smoothly thanks to only having a carry-on. It's definitely the way to travel. Ben and I have learned to manage with only one checked bag no matter how long we are gone (which is now an airline requirement), but those that can travel for extended periods with only a carry-on are definitely amazing and someday I will learn their secret. I was reading some blogs before I left and came across an npr article on "bundle wrapping" that didn't seem like a bad idea and possibly the secret!

Go California!

This has been all over the news shown at the airports today. Equality is a good thing.

Andrea: 1, Fear: 0

Yay, I made it through my big presentation! It was a big step for me as I have never done a public speaking engagement before and found myself in a big room, with multiple screens, a microphone, and lots of people staring at me without a single familiar face in the audience. Well I proudly faced my fear (though I am definitely glad to not have to do it again anytime soon) and now am off to take a nap since I haven't slept for two days!

Pop Culture in Life

Ben was in Houston last week and got to catch an Astros game with some co-workers thanks to tickets from the company part supplier. The seats were really good, just a few rows behind home plate, in the area where the Bush family usually sits. I got to contribute my usually useless pop culture knowledge when Ben called and expressed shock that they were not in attendance, and I informed him that they were probably preparing for Jenna's wedding. He didn't know what I was talking about, or really care, but I was glad the useless news that has been all over the media was useful for something.

In A Name

The popular baby names for 2007 were posted on the Social Security Administration website. It's fun to search through the 100-year history and look at the trends. Ben and I learned this evening that neither our first or middle names were ever really popular. Check out your name if you have a few minutes to waste on the internet!

Mawage

"Mawage is wot bwings us togeder tooday."

Did you catch The Princess Bride reference on Scrubs last night? It reminded me of our wonderful minister in Scotland (who sounded a lot like The Impressive Clergyman every time he said marriage), and then I realized I never posted the pictures on Tuesday like I promised. I am such a slacker!
So the wedding pictures are posted - Enjoy the weekend!

A Summer Southern Trip?

Since it has such an awesome line-up, Ben and I are trying to figure out how to go to Bonnaroo this year without spending much more than the cost of the tickets (which are pricey) or taking too many days off work. It sounds impossible, but I am determined to make it work. With airplane tickets at $550/person that doesn't work. It would take 4 days to drive there and back, so that doesn't work either. I am now looking at the possibility of flying with Ben to Houston a few days prior (I would be the free companion ticket under a new credit card Ben is looking at) and then driving to Tennessee (which should take 12 hours each way). I would be stuck in wonderful Houston for a few days while Ben works, but it would allow us to only have the cost of gas in addition to the ticket prices.

I have my fingers crossed!

Groovin'

I am desperately trying to focus and finish a presentation for work and the wonderful undergrads introduced me to Pandora, a personalized internet radio service. Check it out if you want to find new music or if you just like your music commercial free!

Pics Are Up

I was a busy little bee this weekend and went through a couple thousand pictures (the downside of the digital camera) and have 3 albums posted - Italy, Scotland, and the Honeymoon. There are a lot of pictures of me, but I am not a narcissist! Ben was busy snapping away with his new camera and trying out the fancy features, so I didn't think I needed to take out my camera. Going through the pictures this weekend and finding very few to post, I have learned my lesson.

The wedding pictures should be up this evening, and hopefully (*crossing the fingers*) the backpacking pictures will be up this weekend. Enjoy!

Fair Time Again

Look familiar?
I just saw a TV commercial announcing Matchbox Twenty performing at the Mid-State Fair on July 29th! Tickets go on sale Friday, May 16th at 10am and I am definitely getting one (or more if there is interest)!

Looks to be a very good Fair line-up this year, and I am going to be busy with 3 concerts in 6 days!

I Knew It!

For all the first-borns out there...our plight!

It's Emily's Birthday!

In celebration of her day, here are a few shots of Emily from the trip!


Happy 22nd Birthday Emily!