big bend it like beckham

I’m back! Big Bend was fun, but first, here is my Lake Charles Painting Pictorial from 2 weeks ago.

Bo + Spackle = Fun Times:

Teamwork is important whilst spackling:

Aneil & Lauren try to do actual work whiles Amee tries to spackle Aneil’s head:

Aunt Jenny provides donuts + provides occasional commentary:

Okay, so last week was spring break. Which meant I got to go to work + work on my Finance project, so it wasn’t much of a break. On the plus side, since I had no classes, I got to watch American Idol for the first time. The dad-looking guy makes me laugh, and there are a couple of girls who are awesome. Also although I hate modern rock, that bald-headed "rocker" guy is really good.

Thursday I left work and headed to Austin. Along the way I was so excited because I stopped at a random gas station that stocked Trolli Strawberry Puffs, which, for whatever reason, you can’t find anywhere anymore! (Maybe because they’re sort of gross, but I love them.) This falls into my list of items that have been discontinued and I mourn the loss regularly:

5. Revlon Lipstick Color "Granite"
4. Freaks and Geeks
3. Tato Skins Chips (which in all fairness have been reinvented as TGIFridays Chips)
2. Trolli Strawberry Puffs
1. LEMON COOLERS! (damn you Keebler for purchasing the glorious Sunshine cookie company and discontinuing the best cookie of all time)

Okay yeah, so then, Aneil and I feasted (!) on Olive Garden Unlimited Soup + Salad + Spaghetti + Breadsticks. We just kept eating and eating lettuce and the nice waiter kept heaping grated cheese on all of our foods. It was strangely satisfying and delicious.

Then we had to get up super early to depart for Big Bend, which, it turns out is >500 miles away from Austin. We rode in my car and brought along Aneil’s friend Ashley, and his girlfriend/friend/something-or-other, Kristen. Both were real nice and Ashley found me to be a little odd, I think:

The other car consisted of Aneil’s friends Brent and Kenneth, also both very cool/nice/etc:

We finally got to Big Bend about 8 hours later…the scenery was great:

And our accommodations cozy (although every time the wind blew the rain cover I thought it was a bear/mountain lion):

Friday night was the chili cook out and it was delic-i-o-so. I filled my tummie with chili and s’mores and beer before heading to bed at like, 10:30.
Next morning we woke up and drove out to Boquillas Canyon to hike and look at Mexico from across the Rio Grande. While there we climbed one of the rocks:

So we could run down it:

But I was worried about my lil granny knees so I slid down it on butt:

Then we practiced the ancient art of rock skipping, and got somewhat addicted to it:

The perfect rock! (note crazed look in eye):

We also drove out to the hot springs and dipped our feet in. (It was hot) And then dipped them in the Rio Grande (It was cold). Post hiking, we were worn out, but had to rush to take showers at the lodge and get ready for the wedding. The weather turned out to be really pretty and everything fell into place. Here are Bob & Steph looking pretty:

The reception was fun. I didn’t take any pictures (doh!) but they decorated the ramada with white tarps and tulle and it was adorable and festive and super fun. The bikers/caterers, Pam and Sid, were really nice and made yummie fajitas (love that guac!) and in lieu of cake they had cookies in the shape of Texas that said Bob (heart) Steph. Adorable. We danced the night away, but of course were in bed by 9:30.

Next morning we were up and out of there. Goodbye Big Bend!

Seriously, it was the longest drive ever, especially because everyone got dropped off in Austin (around 5pm) and I had to keep driving by myself to Houston until 10pm or so. Phew! Getting up early Monday to drive to one of the plants at 7am was exhausting to say the least.

Anywho, I should start studying for my Stat test or something. Woo.

we're gonna go...where...we....can....shiiiiine

Last week was very eventful. I went home weekend before last to begin Mom’s House Renovation Phase II, which included cleaning/spackling/taping walls. She decided to paint all the bedrooms + hallway + dining room. Exhausting. She also had surgery on Monday, so I stayed in town for that. It’s scary when your parents get sick and you have to be the one taking care of them. I guess that’s just how it works, but it still feels weird.

Then I had stupid Finance midterm, which I’m still convinced I’m not prepared for, but I took it and feel like I passed it at least, and that’s all one can really hope for when they haven’t really learned anything in 2 months.

Luckily the week took an upturn on Thursday. Aneil came over for our 5-month-iversary (go ahead and vomit on us). We ate Freebirds and I baked cake in a box and we toasted with cheap champagne. Very fun. Highlight was the David Gray concert at Verizon Wireless (I do love that venue). The crowd was weird and old and white, and I mean we had to make fun of pretty much everyone there…middle-aged ladies with bared midriffs, drunk girls doing “sexy dances”, girls exclaiming that they haven’t been to anything this “crazy” since the Dave concert when he did 2 encores! Because he like never does 2 encores! Bleh. However, David Gray is fabulous live. His voice was top notch and his band was excellent (love that drummer!). He was lovely and his songs are lovely and I cried a little during “Freedom”. Plus he is charming and Welsh and you just can’t top that.

Friday we departed for Lake Charles Painting Fest. We arrived in LC in time to watch the History Channel with mom and Aunt Jen and eat tons of pizza. Then mom put us to work prepping the rest of the rooms…there was sanding and priming and more taping and more spackling! So exhausting! We worked until 1am, watched an infomercial and went to bed on the raft-esque air mattress. The next day was better. Although we were super tired, there were donuts and pasa and eggrolls and magic shell! Plus Amee, Bo, and Lauren arrived to help. I will basically be indebted to them for the rest of my life. It was exhausting and my back was pretty sore from sleeping on the raft, but we accomplished a lot. We also got to watch the latest Harry Potter movie, which was pretty excellent, I must say.

This week has been equally hectic. I have a Finance project to work on, plus I leave on Thursday for Austin on the way to Big Bend for Aneil’s friends’ outdoorsy themed wedding. We will be camping and everything. My back will probably officially revolt and hate me for life, but what can you do? Hope everyone is having smashing times. I’m exhausted and would kill for a weekend of drinking and watching tv and loafing about in general.

oh, my life is changing everyday, in every possible way

I was so delighted with all of my previous post’s fabulously long comments that I decided to respond (especially since I will be away from internet for 4 whole days!)

Right after I posted about the MSC faux Chinese, I remembered the taco salads! I looooved them even though they were sort of whatever. In fact, I am going to be in CS on Friday so I am planning on getting one for lunch. (I also get to meet Chad for dinner so I am super excited!) Eeep!

It is sort of weird. I have to go to A&M to interview potential new hire engineers for the company. I don’t really know how I feel about this. I mean, the course of these kids’ careers could depend upon my personal opinion of them. It feel funny. I think about how my life would be so much different if I had taken a different job in a different city with different people and it’s sort of amazing the kind of influence that your job has on every aspect of life! If I hadn’t moved to Houston, maybe I wouldn’t have stayed as close to Amee or Maria and they are best friends! And I wouldn’t have met my work best friends. And maybe because of that I would never have met Aneil since I wouldn’t constantly hang out with Maria, Casey and that gang. And maybe I wouldn’t be in school because the company wouldn’t be paying for it. I guess you can play this game with every decision you’ve ever had to make, but the idea that I will be directly involved with these decisions in other peoples’ lives is a lil freaky.

I guess you could also say that you have profound effects on people lives every day without realizing it (think: “Merry Christmas you old Building & Loan!” in my best Jimmy Stewart voice).

Okay, moving on…

We did walk through the tunnels, but it wasn’t “powerwalking”. I would know, since I took that stupidly hard kinesiology class at A&M. (It didn’t hurt my triceps but my shins! Oh man, my shins hurt all semester!) Instead it was brisk walking whilst dodging professionals meandering to lunch. There was also the constant smell of various foods, so that wasn’t too bad.

I got an A on my Statistics exam! Wooooo! But I have a Finance exam next week, and I know absolutely nothing. UGH.

Okay so I watched Project Runway Finale Part I…I cannot believe they are spreading it out over 2 weeks! Jerks! I gotta say I love Santino a lil more now that we visited his hometown and got to see his interracial couple best friends with tons of halfsie babies. Plus I adore his collection. What’s with Chloe’s puff sleeves? And why did she wait 5 months to start on her collection? So weird. Daniel V.’s collection was underwhelming although I didn’t understand why Tim Gunn haaaated it. Also, now that Heidi Klum is no longer pregnant I find her more irritating than charming. And when she informed the contestants that they had to make ANOTHER outfit and they’re all so sad, I was like, ugh STUPID Heidi!

And I received my hat in the mail today! I looooove it! Amanda T. is the best ever. Too bad it was like, 85 degrees today.

Anywho, I’m off to CS then to Lake Charles to commence paint project phase II (fill in holes). I also have to study (a lot) for exam so I’ll be out of pocket for about a week. But my return will be triumphant! Project Runway finale post-exam! Then Thurs Aneil and I are going to see David Gray (yay!). So stay tuned…