Rich & Elizabeth

We are leaving the downtown scene for the burbs! Moving at the end of the month and getting packed again (luckily, a lot of what we brought down here is nicely organized and ready to go thanks to all of the great plastic boxes from The Container Store). Our new place is so much bigger and we have a spare bedroom (technically a den) which will be perfect for visitors (So come on down and visit us!) Right now, I can do everything in less than 10 steps – cook dinner, do laundry, dry laundry, put away dishes, pay bills, eat dinner and watch tv. But in a few weeks, it might just take me 100! I might need to start taking mid-day naps to get all of the household chores done. There is a utility room for a FULL size washer and dryer (no more running laundry behind a closet door that sounds like it is going to take off) which means that I can do more laundry and have things hanging to dry out of sight. And there is a garden tub which just sound heavenly and his & hers sinks in the bathroom (so now we will really know who is messier). And the bedroom has a nice walk-in closet which we share now, but…there is also a closet in the den if you get my drift (just the right size for boy clothes and two big boxes of wheels if you ask me).

Rich is excited to be closer to our favorite car wash (he does it himself, I roll through the auto – both are fantastic) and I am excited to be closer to groceries and shopping. Hopefully we can sell our bar stools and get a dining table – I think it will make my dinners taste even better! And we will need a vacuum which I have always dreaded but after the concrete floors which have turned out to be a dust bunnies dream, I am looking forward to zoom zoomin around. Unfortunately, I don’t think that Palmer will be coming with us to the new place – unless he is a dandelion palm tree, I would have to say that he is not looking so hot these days…I think it was the 17 days without water that did him in; he just hasn’t been able to recover.

This should keep me busy while I wait for a job. I have been fishing but no bites (even went to the bookstore…application hard to interpret and kind of intense for stocking shelves with literature. Why do they need to know if I have any regrets in life? Or if I have a problem criticizing people’s work? (What are they looking for? I mean, if your job is done poorly, shouldn’t you be told?) Or if I think that people should keep their problems to themselves – needless to say, I said “I agree” even though thinking back on it, they probably wanted me to say, “Strongly disagree” but do they really want their employees to spread stories of their sorry personal lives around the store??)

I have been trying the Flat Belly Diet (by trying, I mean that I skimmed through the book and got the gist of it and based on my interpretation, I am eating mushy things (such a prunes and avocados) that don’t bulk up my tummy) as well as baking up a storm of carbohydrates which have been delicious and I do not regret (do you hear that bookstore??) indulging in them between my prunie fix. I made pretzels for one of our Superbowl snacks and they were so great that I am going to make more this week (perfect for Valentine’s day – they look like heart…although a hollow heart which probably doesn’t completely translate but a heart nonetheless). I had been drinking my Sassy Water (a staple of the Flat Belly Diet) but then I took a sip and the lemons must have gotten shaken too much because it was wicked strong and my taste buds are so scarred that I can’t bring myself to drink it quite yet.

In a couple weeks we start our archery classes! Yes, me and a bow and arrow – poetic. Rich thinks that this could be my calling and I could become the Black Widow of arrow shooting. Wouldn’t that be something! What if they have never seen such talent in their life and I get recruited to be a secret agent bow and arrow sniper??

It is a bit chilly down here and a little rainy but sure beats the snow! Hope everyone is keeping warm!

It was back to Buffalo for Christmas but not without a fight (or should I say fLight?) First our flight to Chicago was delayed then our flight from Chicago (to Buffalo) was canceled. So what did we do? We rented a car and at close to midnight (commencing Rich’s birthday) we were on the road. At around 7 a.m. after 7 hours of driving, it was time to give Rich a break from the wheel and with only about an hour left to go, my driving did not go unnoticed – by a state trooper… Grrr. But we continued onward and upon crossing the Buffalo city limit (both exhausted and now upset), there was no stopping – it was straight to the airport to pick up our suitcase (apparently our suitcase gets a plane ride even if we don’t). Well, our suitcase did not make it on that first plane out (nor the second or the third…) Still, no stopping us now – it was time to meet my parents, get a car and go to birthday lunch!

Could we have skipped the lunch and gone to bed? If it was up to Rich, yes. But I had another agenda. His surprise party that night! We had to make it there and my logic (albeit logic of someone who requires 8 hours of sleep and did not get any) was that we must stick to the plan – lunch, bowtie party, surprise party! Rich got in a quick nap while I ran to Target for necessities so that we could shower and have no excuse for not going to the bowtie party (besides not having our bowties which were strategically packed in the lost luggage). The plan worked and with Brandon’s help (carrying on a faux conversation with a faux half-in-the-bag friend who needed a ride) we made it to the surprise party on the dot! At first, Rich had no idea what was going on but as soon as he figured out that the “Surprises” were for him he looked very flattered. It was a lot of fun! And he said he didn’t want a surprise party – pshaw!

The next morning (Christmas Eve), our suitcase was delivered and just in the (St.) Nick of time because it contained most of our Christmas presents. And, it also had my New Years dress which I had just bought the morning we left Austin (the thought of losing this dress before I even got to wear it was what fueled most of my stern inflections with the airline’s customer service). If I had not gotten it back, I would have had every right to be fuming because it was absolutely smashing (shame on those of you who I saw stumbling around midnight in their North Faces).

Anywho, what could be more upsetting than Ugg boots to a party? My last meal of 2009? I ordered the special – the “whole fish” – and what did I get? The whole fish! Head to tail including his lil fishy fin just at staring me. I screamed and the fella was taken back to the kitchen and returned to me without a head – this was still just not okay. It was still obvious that it was a fish. Ick! I mean, what was that? An audition for Survivor Southtowns?? I should have gone with the boeuf bourguignon – still not sure what that is (but it was “the” to-do in Julie and Julia) and it probably wouldn’t have come out with a tail.

We made it out to Eville for a few snowboarding runs (4 for me to be exact, but the last one was without a tumble which I figured a good time to call it a night before Olympic dreams got to my head) but 17 days, lots of yummy treats and Buffalo staples (Timmy Ho’s – how we have missed you), no gym – we are looking forward to working out again! But not this weekend – this weekend, I am on a sugar detox. Although on Friday night (after our big date to Barnes and Noble) we decided to do something crazy and stopped at Mighty Fine for a milkshake and walked out with a lemonade one! Yum!

So our trip was pretty much go-go-go until it was time to go home – then it came to a what-the-heck hault. We tried to check-in online the morning of our flight like good little travelers only to find out that our confirmation code was no longer valid. “Why?” you ask? Well, you see, when we called to refund our canceled flight from O’Hare to Buffalo, they decided to cancel the remainder of our reservation. Translation: They canceled our flight home and proceeded to “assist” us by offering to rebook our tickets for an amount more than the price of our two round trips. We declined and booked a flight home through Southwest. I remember flying being so much more fun when I was little…maybe because the seat was bigger. Seriously, maybe the 17 days of stuffing myself really did do me in, but airplane seating is very cozy to which my personal space says, “No thank you.”

So here we are back in Austin. I went to put on a pair of shoes that I wore trudging through the snow and the salt has made them so stiff and harsh that I can’t even force my lil piggies in them. Perhaps I will take them down to the pool for a quick soak. No snow here in case you were wondering.

Yesterday we went to see “Youth in Revolt” (which was very funny) at a Cinemark in Bee Caves (which had diy butter!) in an outdoor shopping center (the Hill Country Galleria) that I did not know about but must go back on a nice warm day to do a bit of shopping! It’s like an affordable version of the Domain – guilt-free shopping in a desirable outdoor setting. FYI: I am very disappointed the lack of after Christmas shopping. The sales are there, but not the merchandise (i.e., the lambie blanket at Bath and Body Works which I already have one of but love it so much that I wanted another and was holding out for their annual post holiday sale…but it’s just not to be found anywhere…). Back to the movie – $19 for the two of us! Before the popcorn and small cherry coke…instead of taking it out on the Red Box, I think Hollywood needs to work on the price of a movie ticket so that more people go to the show.

This morning we took a walk and I found a new house that I would like to buy! How much? Well, before I tell you the price (which is probably negotiable), let me remind you of that 4.8 million dollar number I found on Thanksgiving. I think you will agree, this one is a steal! At just a little over 1 million (percentage wise, that is quite a large cut in my kind request for shelter – you can’t deny me of shelter, can you??) and again, another spectacular view of the city.

Our First Thanksgiving in Austin

First, Richie came home from work with a harvest bouquet for me and it just made my day! He has surprised me with flowers twice now since we have been here and it is such a surprise that I never have a vase for them. I am thinking of buying one to tuck away but no not want to jinx myself.

Then, on Thursday morning, I woke up and turned on the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and then Rich woke up and we went out for a walk around downtown. We walked faaar and even ran into a man from Buffalo on our way to Whole Foods for coffee fuel. We found lots of cute homes – the one we really like is 1.8 million dollars! But it has a great view of the city! Please click here to see it. It is pretty fantastic (and rather inexpensive compared to Amelia Bullock’s other properties listed – just food for thought while you are looking).

So then we came home and made breakfast and then I got cooking and I must say, I make one heck of a Turkey Day dinner! I even made a turkey – I wasn’t going to (I was going to cheat and buy a rotisserie chicken or employ a prefab turkey from Boston Market) but Gus was just the perfect little turkey at 6.66 pounds Rich got him out of the bag and got rid of all the “extras” and put him in the pan for me. We took turns basting him (when Rich “heard” the obnoxious, hard-to-miss-even-with-a-deaf-ear timer go off) and he turned out just sooo melt-in-your-mouth delicious! And it was so easy! There should be a national Semi-Annual Turkey Day celebration! We are almost out of leftovers. (Just a few bites of smashed baked potatoes left for Rich.)

We didn’t end up going shopping on Black Friday – Rich even said he would go with me but there wasn’t anything great worth going out. But, we did go out to see Blind Side and we really liked it! Then we went to Borders and Cavender’s (a cowboy boot store) and Central Market for dinner. I love Central Market – they have a little help yourself stand of beauty scrubs – I bought the Hibiscus Salt Scrub and it is wonderful! And they have my Stash licorice tea! (I still can’t find the Chocolate Mint one in stores.)

Today, we went to Mattress Firm to exchange our mattress. They have a 90-day comfort guarantee policy and today is day 88. So, since we do not like it, better late than never! We got a great deal though – we are getting the Cadillac of mattresses! Totally worth it so far. I can not wait until it is delivered on Tuesday. I think that I will buy new sheets and new pillows!!

Tonight we are going to sip on some Drank. What is Drank? It is a purple drink. Last week, while we were in Houston, Rich and his friends found it at Specs. They drank it and within about 20 minutes they were all fast asleep on the couch. So last night, we bought some melatonin and Valerian root but they did not seem to be as effective as the Drank. So today we stopped by Specs and picked some up.

The apartment is all decorated for Christmas! We bought a little tree and lights, wrapped the doors with paper and ribbon, put bows on the bar stools and hung tinsel garland everywhere! And guess what, at Michaels, they have Buffalo Snow! It is really called Buffalo Snow! (Rich asked if it is black and gritty.) Must have some!