Tag: halloween

2008 in Review

December 27th, 2008 · · Austin, Big Brothers & Big Sisters of America, Birthdays, holidays, Houston, love, memory, new thing(s) of the week, on the nightstand, Personal Finance, pursuit of happiness, resolutions 2008, savory, scary thing(s) of the week, still-frames, the grind, the not so single life, the single life, wanderlust 4 comments - Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

January
- Kim came up for New Years. We celebrated downtown with Alan’s couple of friends and Jon and the boys.
- Kim and I wrote on two balloons on New Year’s Day. One balloon of our regrets and things we’re letting go. The other balloon our desires for 2009. Then we ever so poetically, released them on my balcony.
-I went to San Diego for the fourth time. I made it to the zoo and stayed at the same hotel as Jon and Kate plus Eight when they went to San Diego on their way to Hawaii.
- Made Jambalaya for the first time.
-Ate a lot of food with Jon while he was visiting Texas.



At Paradise Pointe Resort in San Diego.

February
- Spent my favorite holiday with Jamie.
- Did my own taxes for the first time
- Found a new hair stylist of of Sixth Street after asking her for a kiss for Bing for his birthday.
- Sent out Valentine cards and packages.



Celebrated Bing’s birthday on Sixth Street. The night I met my hair dresser.

March
- Watched a lot of movies and cooked a lot of dinners with Alan.
- Cindy came up to visit. Introduced her finally to Flip Happy Crepes.
- I got about 3 hours of sleep a night.
- I go to San Diego for work yet again and stay at a hotel that had sex toys in their mini bar available to purchase.
- I search for a Madam Mam’s replacement. (Never found it)
- I celebrated Brandi’s birthday with Jessica. This is the 2nd time in 2008 we managed to spend some time together. We went downtown for her birthday and ate at Hula Hut.



With my girls, celebrating Brandi’s birthday. I wish this year we saw each other more. There was a time a year or two ago we saw each other once a week at least.

April
- I go to Second Chance Prom with Neville. Sweet since I didn’t have a date to my highs school prom. Well.. Liz was my date :)
- I meet my little and take her to celebrate Earth Day at Republic Square.
- I take a fabulous vacation to NYC (originally suppose to include Boston too and visit Mary Ellen but her paper got accepted into a conference). I got to see the Jennifers and Jon. Jon was my lovely host. (entry, entry, entry, entry)
- Had my first Brazilian Wax. Yikes.
- The father of two of the kids I’ve babysat since both of them were born, died.



Jon and I in NY.

May
- My brother graduates college! My parents came up to see him walk.
- Alan and I didn’t renew our lease and I started to mourn the apartment. I was in love with our location and view.
- Continue to babysit for the boys who lost their father. Started with the night of the memorial service and then the funeral.
- Selina asked me to be her bridesmaid.
- My brother turned 23. Making me feel old.



Our view.

June
- Go to funnest book signing I’ve been to with Si Nae and her boyfriend. We went to see Chuck Palahniuk promote Snuff. He threw out blow up dolls.
- I worked a lot.
- I saw a lot of movies with Alan.



Si Nae, her boy, and Chuck Palahniuk!

July
- Alan and I moved out and stopped being roommates :( But it was a good move for us :).
- Went to Florida for the first time to get Mary Ellen married. Flew in a few days early and I joined her clan in cooking, building, bitching, bonding, all in the name of love and the most beautiful wedding I’ve been to yet. It was pretty much a DIY wedding and you can see the labor of love in everything. The baby food jars around the garden sheltering tea light candles, the fireworks/crackers, the dance floor her uncles and aunts built, the cascading fruit basket one of her uncle fashioned at 3 in the morning the night before the wedding, etc. SO many details that were not only beautiful on its own, but also in the labor and thought and love that it represented.
- I take a Thursday off of work and Brandi and Jessica and I hang out for the third time this year. They treated me to a trip to Schiltterbahn for my birthday. Last year it was Sea World.
- Turned 25. Jen T who normally only comes once or twice a year happened to be in town for my birthday :). Si Nae dropped by flowers. I had a pretty birthday cake in the shape of a snow globe. I celebrated with friends. Felt special. Alan took me out to a romantic dinner and bought me a cell phone. It was a good birthday. Though I hate that I’m now 25.



Birthday celebration.

August
- Lily teaches us to make sushi.
- Alan introduces me to Mikados. I mention this because now we go here fairly often for sushi. I’ve yet to take him to Musashinos.
- Cindy comes and stays with me for almost 2 months for her pharmacy school rotation.
- I take my little to her first play. Jack and the Beanstalk.
- Nisreen and Nino get engaged and Nisreen asks me to be one of her bridesmaids.



Sushi making night

September
- I take my certification test and am now certified in clinical research.
- I go to the Domain with Nisreen to study for that test. We go just looking around for her wedding dress and we actually FIND it at St. Thomas.
- I fly to Orlando for work, wishing Alan had gone.
- I take my little to her first UT football game.
- Cindy and I try to learn about football.



So it wouldn’t just be for me why I wanted Alan in Orlando with me. Lookit the golf course!

October
- To my surprise, I’m taken by UT football. Really taken after watching OU game. I thought I had burnt out on football forever, but it’s really quite addicting.
- Alan takes me to see UT/Missouri game.
- Alan had a birthday.
- I dress up as a Hula girl for Halloween.



Kissing Meatwad.

November
- Ran my first 5k with Nisreen, Katambra, and Melissa.
- Jessica has a birthday, so the three of us (Brandi, Jessica, and I) reunite for the fourth time this year. FOUR times. That’s so sad. We go to Pete’s Dueling Pianos with plans to go to ren fest again but Brandi got struck with hives.
- I practically live at work.
- My brother breaks in his apartment by hosting a Thanksgiving meal. He makes his first turkey. Delicious!
- I take my little to the Paramount theatre for the first time. We see The Hungry Caterpillar. Then I have a mini high school reunion.
- I take Thanksgiving week off from work and spend a week in Houston.
- I see fireworks with Kim and kind of Chris.



Nisreen pours everyone a double shot of bourbon at my brother’s Thanksgiving dinner.

December
- I finish paying off my car :) One of my New Year’s Resolutions. I bought in July 2007. Not bad, if I do say so myself.
- I spend Christmas in Houston.
- On the 26th of December, Kim and I for the 2nd time release balloons for New Years. We’re stunned that this time around, we do not have any regrets to write on that regret balloon. Instead, we write what we want to stay away from. Good times with Ms. Kim.
- I get to see my best friend, Mary Ellen. Second time this year. First time being for her wedding in July.
- I go back on Saturday (today) to get some work done and to spend NYE in Austin. With friends and beau.



Our balloons. Purple = wishes. Pink = what we’ll stay away from. Since we didn’t have regrets this year.

It’s been a good year. I read 10 books, ate a lot of Pho, and laughed a lot.

Hulaween

November 1st, 2008 · · Austin, holidays, still-frames 5 comments - Tags: ,

Some Halloween (Hulaween?) photos from last night stolen from Stephanie.

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exhausted. new things follow.

November 3rd, 2007 · · Austin, Birthdays, new thing(s) of the week, savory, silver screen, still-frames, the grind One comment - Tags: , , , ,

I was originally supposed to go out downtown tonight for a birthday after spending all day near Houston at the Renaissance Festival but Oprah tells me I need more sleep and less stress to live longer. (Michael pointed out that my family has told me the same thing for years but some how hearing Dr. Oz on Oprah resonates a tiny bit deeper) but I’m sitting it out tonight. Sitting it out on anything is a big accomplishment for me.

New things this past week.

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The supervisor has been raving and raving about Homeslice since I’ve known her. I finally made my way to the small Austiny (it IS located on South Congress) pizzeria the night Jessica, Brandi, and I suffered our way through the haunted house. Some notes. Seating is tough but I expected that. Service is typical of Austiny places (Think Thunderclouds and Kerbey Lane). Pizza’s good. Crust is tasty. They don’t have Canadian Bacon but they DO have artichoke. Mmm. Artichoke. I was famished and forgot to take a snap of the pic. I’m pleased. Still partial to Austin Pizza over it but definitely see why it’s so popular.

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Competed in an ice cream eating contest for a 5th grade class’s fundraiser. I got my ass handed to me by a bunch of kids AND one big and bald biker. My teeth hurt that whole day and the next day. I sucked.

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Today went to my first Renaissance Festival for Jessica’s birthday. I loved it. Was like stepping into a totally different world of double entendres, medieval vernacular, and blatantly (and sometimes badly) displayed cleavage. Had fried alligator which I haven’t had since I was a kid, turkey legs, sausages, and funnel cakes. Ate ate ate. My absolute favorite Ren Fest experience was riding the elephant for no more than 2 minutes. Had me some fun and am now going to veg out on my couch infront of Spanglish.

HalloNEWeen. Get it? GET IT?

October 30th, 2007 · · Austin, holidays, new thing(s) of the week, still-frames One comment - Tags:

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HalloNEWeen things of the HalloWEEK (Get it now?) include my first carved pumpkin. I’ve carved pumpkins as a class as a child but never on my own before. Jamie threw a pumpkin carving drinking girly party Friday. I was one of the first to start and one of the last to finish. I blame it on picking a not so easy decal as my first pumpkin. I made a bat! Here’s a phone camera quality picture of it all lit up.

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It was fun. I want to start doing this every Halloween. Maybe next year I’ll roast the seeds to put a new spin on it.

Then last night I went to Gruesome Gardens with Jessica and Brandi. I scare really really easily. We bought tickets to go see all three haunted houses located at the Great Outdoors on South Congress. Honestly, I can’t tell you what was all there since I had my eyes squeezed shut throughout the whole thing. Jessica and Brandi literally had to drag me in all three times and I screamed wailed out “OH MY GOD. PLEASE. I DON’T WANT TO DO THIS ANYMORE. AHHHHHHHHHHHH” maybe 10 times.

It didn’t matter that I had my eyes closed through last house called “House of Weird Sensations” since it was pitch black. We had to feel our way/push our way through a rubbery black soft maze. There were soft whispers taunting us in the dark. With our arms linked, we all kind of panted our way through the darkness. Every now and again Jessica and I would hit our head on a wall /dead end and we’d break our silence with a unison “OW” which served as comedic relief.

The scariest moment occured when all of a sudden Jessica is screaming screaming screaming. SCREAMING. Brandi and I screamed along with her. I didn’t open my eyes even then but I was terrified for Jessica since she’s kind of ballsy. Half in a panic, we felt our way out shortly after. Hahahhaha. Later in her car she tells us she accidentally grabbed someone’s hand who happened to be lost too and freaked out. So our scariest moment happened with someone who wasn’t even a paid employee.

I don’t think haunted houses are for me. I can’t even open my eyes. I have nothing visually descriptive to share.

Halloween pictures

October 28th, 2007 · · holidays, still-frames 7 comments - Tags: ,

Last night a group of 6 friends went out to celebrate Halloween.. Started off at a big giant house party and then proceeded to 4th street… then 6th street… then a loft party… then another loft party of a random person whom we didn’t even know… all without a car. Hunting for cabs made it feel like a pilgrimage of some sort. Here are some favorite photos.

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My roomie and I. He handed out packets of M&Ms and his costume says “S&M” Har har! Oh, and his favorite line of the night was “I’m a cannibal!” My favorite line was, “I’m a cat walking!!”

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poor puppy was not happy with his costume

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It’s the Bachelor! Fricking cute isn’t he?

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Spartan with his Spartan queen. He kept getting, “THIS IS SPARTA!!!” all night. He also tried to find a Persian to fight.

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I love this movie.

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Bill thought he was the real Mystery. Hahah.

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Adorable costume. She’s so cute.

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The holy couple of the night. The priest has a plastic testicle that when you squeeze would make his “penis” inflate.

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I wanted to see…

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At the end of the night it started to get really cold. Orange M&M gave me his costume for an extra layer. When we got back to Jessica’s place she lent me her hoodie. I guess I found that amusing enough to take a picture.