Showing posts with label friends. Show all posts
Showing posts with label friends. Show all posts

Thursday, July 29, 2010

Summer Sports


Things I am doing this summer:

Messy, sweaty soccer team (currently UNDEFEATED!!!!!!)
Happiness is a Warm Goal.
You expected this sport, though, didn't you? Play-offs are next Tuesday, come watch us kick some ASSC butt!

Dancing! (definitely a sport-especially with THAT guy). :)

Weddings-also a sport. Probably the most challenging sport of the summer because of the e-m-o-t-i-o-n-s. So many of them...everywhere!! Charlotte and Jeremy got married and it was lovely and they are lovely. Charlotte was the most hilarious bride ever. See exhibit A (photo).

Boating, also a legit sport. Especially when I am the captain
(which I obviously was NOT-don't drink and drive, friends)!

Sloshball...sport of the summer! We've played it thrice and I'm sure someone will squeeze in a final round of it somehow! Here are a few more sloshball pics cause they're funny!
Yes, these boys are tough soccer players by night, slutty sloshball players by day.
Seems counterintuitive, no?

Things I am NOT doing this summer:
Working on Prospectus
Writing my Program Evaluation paper that is due tomorrow.
Being productive.
Remembering I am 30.

Thursday, June 3, 2010

The Energizer Bunny Takes a Break



This is NOT my advisor, by the way. Just a phenomenal bird we met on vaycay.

Yesterday, while at my advisor's house for a research/consultation meeting, I was about to propose a research idea myself and my ed psych twin (mostly my twin, Carlton) had on our research team's data when she stopped me in my tracks and said, "Jaimie, you have got to slow down. I'm worried about you and your health." It's true that I am overcommitted in many ways, but I cannot completely devote my life to my education. I need to juggle lots of social and physical activities because it keeps me engaged, active, and sane. Sometimes I doth protest too much about them, but in the end, I know it reminds me that there is more to life than educational psychology. I digress.

My one beef about being a grad student is that, while I really need vacations, I can't really afford them. Enter last weekend in Longboat Key, FL (near Tampa). In addition to my graduate accolades, I have added wedding officiant as well and last weekend I performed a ceremony for two individuals who are not only great friends, but one of the best looking couples I know.

Meow Mr. and Mrs. Mayberry!
Everything about that weekend was spectacularly relaxing. The views and beaches were gorgeous, the food was delicious, the company was incredible (both established and new friendships), and so forth. My parents graciously visited for a couple of days and we had the best time!

These are my rents; Danielle followed the "bellybutton rule", that is: Only take photos at the beach from the bellybutton and up. The bird in the lefthand corner is not in our family-yet. If you know my parents (read: MOM), they definitely found a way to bring him back.

Bobby was inundated at work and couldn't accompany me, so the lovely and befreckled Danielle was my date. As per usual, her heart-breaking streak continued into Florida where a very disappointed wedding MC went home alone. :) Danielle and I shared some hilarious moments. I need to dedicate an entry to our pillow talk (it's not what it sounds like, for serious), so I'll think about that for next time. Check out some pics below!

Rehearsal dinner sunset
New friends cooling off in the pool post-ceremony. I am not pictured here in case you don't remember what I look like.
Gizmo enjoying his pina colada on the beach. Though it IS swimsuit season, this refreshment was mandatory.

Here I am, with the beautiful bride and my beautiful date. :)

And, we're off to Florida (same area, different date) again this weekend. Bobby has never had the pleasure of sitting next to me in an airplane (yes, I'm a talker). Look out, son! I am going to annoy you for a good 2.5 hours. :) Until next time, ciao!

Friday, May 14, 2010

An Ode to Vicodin

Ouch, just plain ouch! For those of you who don't know, I am on Day One of surgery recovery. I have a really fun girl condition called endometriosis, which basically means that once/month it feels like someone takes a small dagger and stabs my insides repeatedly for 15 second intervals. Let's just say that I have that lamaze thing down pat!

I was rather nervous the day of surgery since the only other experience I've had with being sliced open was a recent wisdom teeth removal. I had a few friends who shared their experiences with me for the laparoscopy (lap) and hysteroscopy (hyst), and most of them recounted much easier recovery and surgical experiences than those of my friends who disclosed their wisdom teeth horrors. Though the pre-op procedures for the lap/hyst were MUCH scarier (think hospital setting, hospital gown, disposable pants, footies, and hair net) and kind of weird (I had the iv in and they wheeled me into the OR. I had to walk from one bed to the operating table and sit on it!)-very strange!! Bobby said I looked like a blue cafeteria lady. In retrospect, I should have posed in my Smurf-like sartorial splendor.

Kind of like him:
Bobby graciously took the day off of work to be my chauffeur and nurse. I have neglected to mention that Bobby also fasted with me in solidarity and also took some rather icky medicine which makes you...well, you know...he did that, too! His loyalty knows no bounds!

Right before the surgery, I was starting to freak out. Bobby brought the laptop over (yes, Matilda was there too!) and presented the website http://kittenwar.com/ and we voted on the cutest kittens! He also read me highlights from http://www.fmylife.com/ . Before long, I was definitely giggling.

I clearly don't remember much after that. I woke up in the recovery room and had a tough time staying awake. Here's where the fun begins! I felt like I was pregnant and floating on a cloud. Part of the surgery requires that your insides be filled with gas so the doctors can better access your organs. Specifically, they filled up my uterus so I looked like I was in my second trimester. I still kind of do. :)

The anesthesia and percocet combination left me incredibly itchy. I sort of felt like a crack addict. Listen up, crackheads-I found a cure for us! Go to Bath and Bodyworks and invest in some Rosemary Mint lotion. It is so soothing. I can't help with the addicted to crack part, but at least you won't itch anymore!!
I have two small incisions on my tummy (one on my bellybutton and one below it), but because I pierced my bellybutton in high school, I don't even think the bellybutton scar will be visible underneath the little hole I already have in my tummy! That was so smart on my part! I knew it would pay off! :) The heating pad has become my best friend, and because cats love warmth, it has also become my cat's best friend. Tabitha is having a hard time understanding why I won't let her lay on my tummy right now. In defiance, she is taking the liberty of sampling any unguarded beverages/plants in my house. Although the title of this blog entry is "An Ode to Vicodin" I actually quite disappointed with my pain meds. I wish they sent me home with an iv of anesthesia instead! I digress...

It's no secret that I have wonderful people in my life. I took a pic of my loot, so far. If you plan on getting sick or having surgery, i highly recommend befriending some of my friends. :)

And one of our favorite visitors, Sky's boyfriend. They even got matching haircuts!!

Monday, April 12, 2010

Elton Sparkles and Cartwheels Through His Austin Concert

Katie, a recent blog feature (pictured a few blogs ago with her pup, Gomez), accompanied me to the Elton John concert this past weekend. I impulsively purchased these tickets because...well, it's ELTON JOHN. He is a legend and I couldn't risk losing another cultural/historical experience (a la Michael Jackson) where I promised myself I'd see him one day. Friends, Saturday was the day. Saturday, we saw the ROCKET MAN.

First, let me preface this blog by stating that (before this concert), I probably couldn't have named 5 Elton songs off the top of my head. In fact, I was keeping count of songs I had heard before. I think he sang about 10 I knew. Never mind, I am getting ahead of myself. It all started when we climbed to our seats.

Yes, climbed. These tickets sold out in 10 minutes, so I just wanted 2 seats together. I am horrible at interpreting seating charts, so I just gave up when purchasing these. In retrospect, I am glad that I ignored that resource. It was so much better to experience it firsthand. When Katie showed her ticket to the usher, she was told to hit the wall and turn right. I have never felt fearful of the location of my seats at any show before, until now. Katie and I were up against the wall, sitting in the last possible seats in the Frank Erwin Center. At first, we were slightly bummed until we realized that we could DANCE THE ENTIRE TIME AND NO ONE COULD SAY ANYTHING ABOUT IT. And dance we did. Katie taught me ballet moves from her classes at age 5. I was doing some terrible version of a shimmy that didn't really work with the music. It was epic.

Some favorite concert moments:
  • Freddy's text message: "Can you feel the love tonight like a candle in the wind now that you're in the world? That's all I know."
  • Elton's piano cartwheel
  • Elton's bedazzled tuxedo jacket with tails to his feet
  • Elton's diverse fans and their attire (think feather boas, sequins, and glitter)
  • Katie and I wondering where we should sit if our tickets say "stage right of Elton" in the place of a row and seat
  • Backup dancing, singing, screaming, song requesting, song familiarity statistical updates
  • Katie and I performing tandem sunbursts to "Your Song"
  • Attempting to befriend our neighbors and the subsequent friendship rejection
**Will add photos tonight, when I can better feel the love

Monday, March 1, 2010

Blog Tease



Hi blog!

I am sorry for neglecting you lately! I have so many a
wesome things to report, but I am too busy right now to do so. Instead, I will list a few activities upon which I plan to elaborate when I catch my breath.

1. Officiating Bronwyn and Ed' s wedding (3/27)--check out the prairie romance novel hair!


1a. Bronwyn's bachelorette party!


1b. Bronwyn, the gorgeous bride!

2. Pitching for my softball team
3. Deciding I want to be a roller derby girl when I grow up (3/28)
4. Getting a CAT! (2/13)

5. Celebrating one year with Bobby and our San Antonio anniversary adventure
6. Our Olympics Opening Ceremonies party!
7. The return to hardcore soccer (eek!)

I will do my best to write and attach pictures soon!

Love,
Jaimie

Sunday, January 31, 2010

Inspired by 365 Things..

My most recent adventure: Rollerskating!


I constantly oscillate between wanting to stay home and yearning to do lots of fun things on the weekend in this great city of Austin (and surrounding areas). The "365 Things To Do in Austin" Facebook group inspired me, so I decided to make my own list of things I want to do in this next year. I may not find 365 things, but maybe 30 is a nice place to start; one for every year of my life! In no particular order...

1. Two-stepping at the Broken Spoke
2. Visiting the Saturday morning downtown farmer's market (http://www.austinfarmersmarket.org/)
3. Renting bicycles and exploring the town on a Sunday
4. Taking a cooking class at Central Market
5. Attending a Movie in the Park this summer
6. Salsa lessons anywhere
7. Visiting the winery in Fredericksberg
8. Stubb's BBQ Gospel Brunch
9. Austin Segway Tour (http://www.segcity.com/)
10. Take a day trip to Enchanted Rock
11. Go camping with Skylar and friends when the weather improves.
12. Attend a Roller Derby match (http://www.txrollergirls.com/)
13. Go to a Master Pancake show at the Alamo
14. Go see another Gnap! improv production
15. Ready, Aim, Fire! at a shooting range
16. Visit the Austin Planetarium
17. Wear my fairy wings at the Renaissance Festival
18. Stand up for at least 15 seconds at the Texas Ski Ranch (http://www.texasskiranch.com/)
19. Ride the Zilker Park train
20. Go ice skating here: http://www.chaparralice.com/

**Okay, Austin. Help me fill in the blanks! Tell me your favorite Austin pastimes and/or things you think I should check out!

21.
22.
23.
24.
25.
26.
27.
28.
29.
30.

Thursday, December 17, 2009

It's Gettin Hot In Here!

I'm in south Florida and, naturally, there's a moderate to severe monsoon in full effect right now. My teeth are throbbing because I was finally granted my wisdom tooth cleansing syringe, so though I can sort of gum down solid food, it gets lodged in my wisdom tooth cavities and causes extreme pain. Need more ice cream (and cowbell). The topic of this evening's blog is the Miami Heat/Orlando Magic game we just attended. It was quite the evening.
We were able to go because my new friend Megan (my parents' trainer) got 4 tickets from one of her clients. The seats were pretty awesome, but so was the company. To my right, old college pal and long-time n'er do well, Jona. To my left, my sister Ashley and Megan.

I can't tell you the last time I attended a Heat game-maybe never?? I know next to nothing about basketball because I, myself, cannot play. I harbor disdain for the things I cannot do, so I refuse to acknowledge their existence. Kidding. Still, I really know nothing. I know different points are awarded for various shots on the court. I know there's a center and a forward and a point guard, and the point guard is usually the little guy/quarterback. I know most basketball players are not regulation height; they are descents of Jack and/or Jack's Beanstalk. And, that's about it. Someone asked me to name the Miami Heat players and my response? "Yao Ming, not Tony Parker, Jamal Walker, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, and Scotty Pippen." I threw in "Darryl Strawberry" to be cute, but really...I didn't even know Dwayne Wade. For shame, Jaimie. For shame.
(Note to readers: I know now.)

When we found our seats, I immediately began snapping photos (because it's what I do best). We decided on pretzels and beer, so I tasked the group with this while I sat and people watched. Here's what I observed: Miami Heat basketball fans love Affliction t-shirts (shocker), bedazzled designer jeans, bump-its (http://www.bighappiehair.com/), and everything is freezer packed to them. What I mean by this is: it appears as if someone dressed themselves, made an air-tight seal with their fabric, and commissioned a friend to suck any excess particles that existed between themselves and the clothing. Their sartorial splendor is what us Texas folk call "Tyeeeee-t". No bueno. They are all ages, colors, and sizes, and (as I also learned this evening), all levels of class.

Exhibit A) The lady in front of us had a pretty cute toddler, but he became less cute when his bum was bared for all fans to peruse as his mother CHANGED HIS DIAPER in the row in front of us. I don't want to know what she did with the dirty diaper. All I know is that my group emitted a few dry heaves.

Exhibit B) We found an orphaned, dismantled cell phone in the row above us, so I took it upon myself to Humpty Dumpty it and make a plan. I decided I would conduct some research on their call history, see who was most often called and texted, and then text that person informing them that I have a cell phone for ransom. The problem was this: Most of the texts were in Spanish. They don't call Miami "Little Cuba" for nothing. I did my best and opted on "Pilon". I began a new text to Pilon identifying myself and indicating that the owner was MIA. I sent it and waited. Wonder of wonders-Pilon texted back! "Where r u?" Just as I was about to respond, this well-dressed organized crime boss saunters in behind us, settled in his seat, picks up his beer, extends his pinky ring, and takes a sip. We determined this fine Razor had to belong to him. Lo and behold! I probably should have held out for the ransom, but I suppose (in some ways), I got it. Freedom. La liberdad.

By far, my favorite part of the game was the between-play entertainment. There was a martial arts school of children performing their sequences (awww) and a group of adults kickboxing to ACDC's "T.N.T." (awkward). They had a Benihana's flip the shrimp competition where one contestant, dressed in an apron, had to flick stuffed crustaceans into a giant chef's hat (awkward). There were the critically acclaimed Miami Heat dancers (ranked the #1 dance team for 4 consecutive years, mind you-

Finally, they promotion team selected 3 little boys (age 4, approx) and they were dressed in Miami Heat basketball shorts, but the size would fit a 6'7 man. They looped the drawstring over their heads, fitted them in their GIANT sneakers, and lined them up. Poor kids could barely stand as it was. To boot, the kids had to run about 10 feet, toss on the final touch on the uniform (a regulation sized jersey). Then, they had to race 5 more feet, grab a mini basketball, and dunk on a hoop about as tall as the toddlers. Man, that was awesome. I cheered louder for them than I did for Yao Ming. Or whomever.

After a quick game of Telephone, we decided to leave a quarter early. Jona's never played Telephone (probably because he's never attended a 5th grade girls' sleepover party), so he kept inappropriately using the "Operator" tool.

All in all, our early departure turned out to be a phenomenal decision because we beat the rain by seconds. On our way back to the car, a bum lunged at Ashley and Jona. We were gifted car flags on the way in to the game, but Ashley was unarmed because she bequeathed it to a homeless man. With the leftover flags, we wanted to decorate Jona's car for the ride home. We think our mom is going to have an excellent surprise when she returns from her cruise--she's a Heat fan! We screamed Counting Crows songs in Hurricane Florida on the way home and I used my various pill bottles for maracas. The Ibprofen was most useful; the Synthroid was the least.

Goooo Heat!

Friday, November 27, 2009

Thanksgiving Lessons Learned


So it's no secret that I don't really "cook", but when I found myself in Austin to celebrate this holiday, I knew I had to take action. I decided to host the dinner and worry about the cooking part later. In earnest, I was hoping someone else would make the turkey, and I could fumble with some side dishes. This IS Austin, after all. We could have had turkey and Lucky Charms, Special K, and Frosted Flakes and no one would be the wiser. Here is my Thanksgiving tale.















It all started on the Monday evening before Thanksgiving. I started to panic because I had zero ingredients and 7 people coming. I thought to myself, "I better run to the store before all of the turkeys are gone!!" So...I did! While at the store, I weighed my turkey options: 1) this bird is already cooked, but I don't know of I should get it because it's rubbed with some cajun spices and that could be weird with sweet potatoes; 2) this other bird is very small and it's plastic wrapping makes it nearly indistinguishable as a bird carcass--What?!?! I am just being honest!! These are MY thoughts!; 3) this other label says the turkey is young (I immediately grieve his abbreviated life), but it does weigh a lot and someone may have told me to get 2 lbs of turkey for every guest, so it might be a winner. The con is that I have to pick it up and it's transparent wrapping allows me to see exactly what it is! Gross! I tried to stand in front of the turkey freezer looking helpless for a while so that someone would make the choice for me, but the grocery store had another plan in mind for my visit. It gave me an idea!

I suddenly had an idea-I will steal a plastic bag from the check-out line and use that to transport this thing. No big d...wait! 15.75 pounds is heavy, especially when you have elongated your arms so as to accommodate the turkey transfer, that they are barely in their sockets anymore. My only goal was that the bird doesn't really touch me. "Easy, Jaimie. That's a good girl...just lift him up and...ohhh nooo. FUMBLE! He TOUCHED MY STOMACH." Okay, so it was only the frost from the freezer, but that was enough. I sprinted, with cart, out of the aisle and never looked back. I gained composure somewhere in aisle 7, canned goods. Whew. That was a close one. I took great pleasure looking out into the sea of tin, and selecting the cans that would morph into my green bean casserole, sweet potato casserole, and cranberry sauce. That was cake!! Onward!

So, it's the night before the big day and Bobby comes over after work. We sit and watch the food network show Man VS. Food for a while, cracking jokes about our upcoming meal. We still don't have several ingredients and time is ticking, so I coax Bobby off the couch and we make a 11 pm food run. We decided to use Alton Brown's recipe: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/good-eats-roast-turkey-recipe/index.html, but it called for several weird additions (Allspice berries?), so we were led on a wild turkey chase all over Walmart trying to find out what he really means by sage leaves. "Oh, are you referring to these BAY leaves? I thought so." After we completely redefined said recipe, we were ready to head home and start a'cookin. Or, Bobby was ready to. I was ready to sort of watch, but not for the gross parts.

Alton told us to create a brine, so I scampered around the house to find said items. A 5 gallon bucket? Oh, you mean this orange paint canister from Home Depot?? Bobby suffered a minor tennis court rib injury last weekend (he was trying to escape me and did a face/torso plant into the court, as we all know--You can run from Jaimie Krause, but you cannot hide). In any event, he couldn't really lift heavy things, so I had to help. Yuck. We purchased hemp in lieu of twine for the legs, so our bird was very Rastafari. Like this, but a turkey instead.

The turkey was finally settled into his cool briny bath on my porch. Because it was 35 degrees outside, I used my porch for a makeshift fridge. Thanks, Mother Nature. I was slightly worried that an animal would try to claw it's way into the tin-foiled cover that was the brine sealant. I think I checked it several times in my sleep. Good night, world. It's 2 am.

Now, it's the morning of Thanksgiving and I force myself out of my cozy bed at 11 am. I start to get nervous because I have heard that people cook turkeys for hours and hours, and ours is still hanging out on my porch in a bath of allspice berries. Bobby assures me that Alton assured him we only needed 2.5 hours to cook it. Still, I secretly don't believe him and try to start the feast on my own. I take out many of the ingredients I purchased and make piles. I finally figure out what else to do...

I put on my apron...















I re-arrange the piles...

I set the table. The End. Not really, but that is almost my finale!

Danielle comes over (thank God for her) and we really get started! Or, they do. I "supervise".

As I said on Facebook, you can't see me, but I am singing to Bobby in the background (to the tune of Meatloaf's ballad), "I will do anything for love, but I won't do that. Oh no, no, I won't touch dead animals and stuff them with veggies. I won't rub their raw skin with spices or tie their legs together. I won't even send them off to their final cooking place. And I won't even collect it's temperature. Oh no, no I won't do that..."



Lesson one: One thing we learned from this experience is the right way to cook a turkey. We sort of cooked it upside down. Oops.






















Lesson two: Also, it's a good idea not to carve a turkey with a butter knife, because no matter how delicious it tastes, it still looks like this:


And takes 3 boys and 4 dogs to carve it















But when all is said and done
...a feast emerges!!






















Lesson three: Do not schedule your Thanksgiving
meal at the exact same time at the UT football
game because everyone will secretly want to watch
the game instead
















Lesson four: DO invite over your most kitchen-savvy friend
and thank her profusely for her ability to cook.














Lesson five: DO take a Thanksgiving prom photo to remember it always


















Lesson six: DO take a Thanksgiving nap
















Lesson seven: DO have awesome friends!