Archive for January, 2010

Andy and I recently had the pleasure of attending the show of the fantastic Eddie Izzard at the American Airlines Center. He’s a hilarious British comedian who sometimes has an affinity for dresses and makeup. Yes he’s, as he likes to describe it, an “executive transvestite”. He doesn’t always dress in drag, but he does look rather fabulous either way. His comedy is very in sync with the Monty Python fellas. In fact, he often cites them as his inspiration. Eddie’s an absolute hoot and forces you to venture outside of the box. But he also likes to direct his shows towards the “on the lid of the box” thinkers. You know, the people with the potential of being independent but are a little wary of doing it alone. Eddie is there to shove you off the edge.

If you ever have the opportunity to see his show live, I would highly recommend it. But several of his works can be found on DVD. For instance, Andy had Dressed to Kill, which we watched this past weekend. Though sometimes his jokes make me a little impatient because he tends to ramble incessantly and wander off on random tangents (something you would think I could appreciate more…). But in the same token, it’s through the rambling tangents that some of his best lines and points come about. So, stick with it. I promise you won’t be disappointed in the end. In fact, if you have the patience or just want a quick look at our man Eddie, I managed to find his most recent tour, Stripped, on YouTube…(it’s not available on DVD in Region 1 as of yet)

It looks like the entire London performance has been uploaded to YouTube in ten minute segments. Have fun and jump off that lid!!

When my sister was here last weekend for my birthday, I asked her to bring along her fantastically fancy D-SLR camera for me to play with. You know, one of those old fashioned looking cameras with all the huge lenses and can usually be seen hanging around the necks of tourists? Well, it turns out that I love it! I’ve always known that the clarity, light, and results in general turn out better with an SLR camera. It makes sense, since you get better quality and precision. But since it’s generally a fairly expensive purchase, I’ve never really had to think about it.

Well with my old trusty Nikon point and shoot out of commission, I let myself ponder the possibility of a much better camera. That’s when I found an amazing deal at Costco…For a limited time (until the end of January 2010), you can get a Nikon D3000 D-SLR camera with a memory card, a carrying case and two lenses for $100 off the regular price!

After a lot of research and careful justification, Andy and I decided that we needed a joint Christmas and birthday present. (We were going to buy a TiVo as a joint Christmas gift to ourselves, but after some consideration have since determined that we don’t really need it…) And with that, Andy and I snatched that camera deal up faster than a shutter…shutters? What exactly does a camera shutter do? Snaps? Clicks? Blinks? Hm…you get the idea.

Of course, you know who is going to suffer the most from our new camera purchase right? The pets!! Look at Jabber in all her goofy clarity!

And I certainly can't miss a photo opportunity of our fuzzy little Attila!

I absolutely love our new camera. Is it a little bulky for everyday use? Yes, sadly it is. But with all our future travel plans and this year being the year of weddings…I think it will be a handy item to have around. I was even able to tote it to our game night last night. Yes, we played a board game on a Saturday night. But I’ve discovered that we have just as much fun, and it costs a whole heck of a lot less! Don’t worry, we’re not done partying as of yet. We’ve just found a better balance of weekend activities.

Six players ruthlessly battling for the honors of first place!

Recently, we’ve all been obsessed with Settlers of Catan. It’s an interesting mix of Monopoly and Risk. Though I find it rather entertaining, I can NEVER seem to win!! Out of 10+ rounds, I can never get the upper hand that’s needed to conquer over everyone else, not even close. I think it’s due to the fact that I just can’t be that aggressive, I have a terrible poker face, and if you ask me for something I’ll generally just hand it over to you. No matter, it’s enjoyable to be in a room of friends trying to con each other out of a possible victory.

Another birthday, another year of my life spent. At first this seemed like a rather depressing idea. But when I went back to review all the things that I’ve experienced or accomplished in my 26th year, it’s really not so bad! Here’s the quick off the top of my head list that I was able to remember, I’m sure there’s more…but my memory is starting to go.

1. Went on a fantastic ski trip to Keystone, CO with our friends in February 2009.
2. Adopted the fluffiest of fluffy cats, our beloved Attila.
3. Ran the Cowtown 5K race with two of my best friends, Carrie and Ashley…something I’m not likely to do ever again. The girls did wonderfully, but I thought I was going to cry from the cold and the pain. Plus, it’s expensive AND absolutely the least fun thing I can think of to do besides being tortured for information. (I really do hate running. Despite my hatred, I am desperately trying to get back into the habit. Wish me luck! And yes, I will grumble with every step I take!)
4. Planned a couple of pretty amazing girls’ nights out, if I do say so myself! I wish we could do it more often, but it does tend to get fairly expensive and hard to coordinate. So, bi-annually is probably the best I can offer. (Last year’s were in February 2009 and September 2009)
5. Tried Spam…which is now one of our favorite “we’re too lazy to cook anything complicated but don’t have enough money in our budget to go out for dinner” meals. If you’ve not tried it, don’t let it’s less than honorable reputation make you turn away in disgust.
6. Joined in the Fiesta festivities in Erin’s hometown at the time, San Antonio!
7. Played on a kickball team, the Bucky Ballers for two seasons! Me? Sports? Who would ever have believed it!
8. Finally got to see the fields of Texas bluebonnets in the spring.
9. Enjoyed a Trommer family vacation in a beautiful cabin in Oklahoma.
10. Celebrated Andy’s 27th birthday at a lake house near New Braunfels.
11. Had LASIK surgery, no more glasses!!
12. Watched and made somewhat unhelpful comments as the boys began their brewing process. (Okay, this may not be considered an accomplishment for me. But I’m counting it in my list because it happens under my supervision…)
13. Journeyed across the ocean to tour the beautiful countries of France and Spain. Now that I’ve got my European appetite whetted, I’m ready for more!
14. Transformed into a scary zombie…my first spooky Halloween costume. I usually tend to veer towards the happy and pretty costumes, your typical princesses, tigers, and cartoon characters.
15. Cut my hair shorter than I’ve ever had it before in my adult life…and I loved it!
16. Played Settlers of Catan for the first time, and now it’s one of our favorite board games!
17. Rode the TRE for the first time. Now if we have to go to Dallas, we always take the train from Fort Worth. We love public transportation!
18. Attended my first professional hockey game, the Detroit Red Wings versus the Dallas Stars.
19. Became obsessed with my new favorite television show of all time, Doctor Who on the BBC. Love love love!!
20. Met up with my college lab partner in Waco, Texas. We discovered that we still get along splendidly, even after five years of little to no communication. It’s nice to know that sometimes people just get along, and it doesn’t matter how much time passes.
21. Am currently in the process of trying to appreciate wine. It’s going moderately well. I’ve discovered that if I have cheese to snack on while sipping on the said bitter liquid, I can stomach it much better. No, I don’t think I’m on my way to alcoholism. When you go to a fancy meal, it would be nice to enjoy a toast to a glass of wine rather than a refined glass of Diet Coke.
22. Fell in love with my little kitten niece, Puffykin! She’s one adorably naughty furball!
23. I am currently in a job that challenges and interests me, and I think that’s more than most people can say about their careers. I’m lucky and I know it.
24. Helped my baby sister move away from the parents to a city she can call her own, the fun and fabulous Austin.
25. Cheered in 2010 with some of my closest friends. A girl simply couldn’t ask for a better New Year’s Eve!
26. Most importantly, I think I’m learning to accept new experiences as they come. I’m trying very hard to give new things a try before I dismiss them, something I used to do very quickly. There was a lot of the “You want me to eat what?! Do what?!” attitude before. And…if I am to do a similar list next year after my 28th birthday (gasp…), then I’d better do even more to surpass my comfort level.

There you have it, 26 items for 26 years. Let’s hope 27 is as wonderful as it’s started out being. My friends and I celebrated at a magnificently fun birthday party that Andy planned for me at Fat Daddy’s in downtown Fort Worth. A fun 80′s cover band, the Spazmatics, played until the wee hours of the morning.

Cathy, me, and Brittany ready to get the party started!

Jacques, me, and Ethan grooving to some tunes.

Andy and my fantastically sparkly self celebrating another year.

Thank you for all your birthday wishes and thoughts. Be prepared, 27 is going to be amazing!

I grew up in Kansas City and went to college in Ames, Iowa. Both of these places are absolutely freezing during the winter. In Iowa particularly, where snow was on the ground from November all the way through to March. Even though I now live in Texas, I’ve learned a lot from these cold weather experiences. With the addition of some sound advice of my mom, I have learned to keep several items in my car at all times.

1. Ice Scraper – This is a no brainer for those of you who are used to the cold weather. But the presence of this tiny item has become an alarming issue for those that live in a slightly warmer climate (cough cough Texas cough). PLEASE do not let me catch you scraping your icy windows with a credit card, a cd, or your driver’s license! Just get yourself a $1.99 ice scraper from any gas station the next time you have to stop and get gasoline! Keep it in your car, don’t take it out unless it’s to scrape your windows!
2. Hat, Mittens, and Scarf – You never know what the weather is going to do. But it would be nice to have some warm clothing available if, for instance, you have to get out of your car to scrape windows during a freak snow storm. Obviously you don’t have to put your favorite accessories in the trunk of your car for all eternity, just a backup set will do. I think mine are black fleece with a fuzzy snowflake pattern. Not exactly fashionable, but it will keep me warm!
3. First Aid Kit – Have a few things handy for emergencies (i.e. bandages, antiseptic, analgesics…etc). I was lucky enough to get such a kit from my work last year. It went straight in my car and that is where it has stayed.
4. Flashlight – So I don’t have to worry about batteries, I have placed a wind-up version in my trunk. I’m not really sure why I need a flashlight with me during my travels, but it certainly doesn’t seem like a bad idea! (especially since I have a tendency to panic more frequently in the dark…)
5. Jumper Cables – I’ve never had a need to jump my car’s battery, but when it happens…I’ll be prepared!
6. Bottled Water – Okay, I admit that I don’t currently have this item in my car. But Andy has suggested that I keep a bottle of water in my “Just In Case” box. Again it seems a little silly, but I’m definitely the type that is more comfortable when I’m over-prepared.

I’m sure everybody has a different list of must have items depending on where you live and what you’re used to. Let me know if you have anything to add to my list!

Last New Year’s Eve was spent wandering the streets of Fort Worth with our friends trying to find somewhere to celebrate the incoming year. Every restaurant, bar, and club was completely booked and with a line of hopeful party goers to the street trying their luck to get in to any destination. We were fortunate to find a bar off the beaten path that accepted our non-reservation weary feet.

This year, I made sure that we had a designated place to be. After some coordination and many annoying telephone calls and texts to my dearest friends, I pieced together a reservation at the Pour House to ring in 2010. We gathered all 25 of us at Ethan’s apartment and headed over to the recently opened bar, which is conveniently right next door! They had a bizarre “Naughty and Nice” theme that we all happened to ignore. All the waiters, waitresses, busboys, and bartenders were dressed like feathery angels in bustiers (bizarre), red pleathered mini skirt clad devils (odd), or just fully decked out in demon gear (creepy!). But the rest of us looked festive and ready to send 2009 out with a bang!

Amber, me, and Brandon getting ready for the champagne countdown. Who needs a glass when you've got the bottle?

Andy and Carrie in a very nice pose, leave it to Ethan and Rick to make it more...interesting.

Brittany and Adam, both being equally cute, in a pre-party picture.

It was a fantastic night! I feel we did 2009 justice, and at the same time showed 2010 what high expectations we have for this upcoming year! I’m very fortunate that I was able to spend the evening with friends and I feel blessed. (as corny as that may sound)

The rest of the weekend was spent being relatively productive! (Yes, I’m as shocked as you are that we’ve actually been making ourselves useful!) We put away Christmas decorations (an always depressing task), did some housework (our kitchen needed a lot of love and Chlorox), went to the gym (not fun at all, but necessary),  played with Attila (we got a $2.50 laser pointer on clearance at Target), ran some errands (Andy needed new work shoes), worked on Christmas Thank You cards (yes, they’re coming…but Angela decided stupidly to hand make them, making the process much much slower. Sorry!) and kept an eye on the cone headed Jabber (she looks a little like an alien dog).

Jabber hurt her paw a couple of weeks ago, which led to stitches. The stitches led to Jabber licking her paw uncontollably, and as we warned her...leads to being put in the cone of shame. (If you haven't watched Pixar's UP yet, you really should! You'll get the "Cone of Shame" reference from there...)

All in all, I’m pretty happy with our three day weekend. We accomplished a lot, but stopped to have some fun too. It’s a good combination. I hope everyone out there also had a marvelous New Year’s! Wishing you the best in 2010! (Click here for more New Year’s pictures)