Happy 2009

We're headed over to our friends' house to ring in the new year, so I wanted to give a shout out to everyone before the big event.

HAPPY NEW YEAR
2009

May this year bring you joy, love, peace and happiness!

New Bedroom Set

Here it is - I ordered a duvet cover online, but it hasn't made it in yet. Maybe more pics when that comes in - who knows... Some things have to remain a mystery! More pics can be found on my Flickr site.

One New Years Resolution

I'm not listing my New Years Resolutions this year. I read through last year's and it was a depressing realization as to how many did not get accomplished. So instead of doing the same thing, you can just read my blog unknowingly following what may or may not be a resolution.

I will tell you one, however. I want to learn how to sew - I've probably mentioned this before. But this time, I'm arming myself. Since Mom got a new sewing machine for Chrismas, I'll be getting mine back from her. I also received from both sides of the fam (mine and Jeff's) sewing supplies. Pin Cushion, scissors, needles, a sewing kit, etc. The only thing I need is fabric and some thread. Perhaps I'll check out some fabric stores on my lunch hour one day this week.

Anyway, after perusing online this afternoon looking for bedding for our new bedroom set, I came across this rosette quilt. It was beautiful. I want to learn how to do this so bad. To be able to make my own things would be a dream come true.

Growing Up

Jeff and I did our part today to contribute to the economy. We bought real grown up furniture! We've been talking about buying a bedroom set (and upgrading to a king) for quite some time, but haven't taken the time to look. So today, we set out and found one. I decided against black furniture for our bedroom as I didn't want my entire house to consist of black furniture (plus it's hard to clean). We ended up with the following. Can't wait to get them - delivery is on Wednesday! Happy New Year to us - maybe this will help with our back issues.

The nighttime (and daytime) sniffling sneezing coughing aching stuffy head fever

(so you can rest better medicine) ... or not.

I'm sick. I've been sick for about 5 days now. Maybe 6 if you want to get down to the hours. I thought I was getting better, but I keep relapsing. It didn't help that I was out in below freezing weather last night trying to enjoy the sights and sounds of the Christmas season. I apologize to my friends if I seemed less than interested and/or rushed through our time at Hill Country Christmas last night. I probably should of called in sick, in retrospect I know I should have. Thus the reason Jeff and I made our hasty departure and upon arrival back at our house, we both fell promptly asleep.

I also apologize to my coworkers who have to listen to my incessant coughing, hacking and until recently sneezing fits. I'm stingy with my PTO; there's no other excuse for it. I am aware that I probably should of called in sick for at least two of those days. But ... I can't bring myself to waste my hard earned time off hours on this crap. I already used 16 precious hours back in November when I got that God awful flu bug. That was horrible in it's own right. Let's not recap on that.

Anyway, I hope I'm feeling better by Christmas. We're traveling tomorrow, so that gives me the opportunity to snooze on the car ride (fyi, Jeff, you're driving - not it!). I just ready to get past the dread that I feel before going to bed of the possibility I may drown in my own snot. Oh yes, I did go there.

Merry Christmas and Safe Travels!

Elefante Blanco Feliz

I can't wait to give my gift tomorrow at our white elephant party! There's a running joke within my group at the office, but I still think you'll find the humor even if you're not in on it!

Slackey McSlackster

I've dropped the ball this Christmas season - there will be no Christmas cards distributed from the Koenig Kasa this year, folks. With every fantastic card I receive, more and more guilt eats at me. There is no excuse. Next year. For sure! The biggest and baddest of them all!

Happy Birthday, Mr. President

To my fantastic husband, Jeff - Happy Birthday!

There are too many reasons to list why you are special to me.

Love you, your wife.

O Tannenbaum

Jeff and I (plus the padres) went out to the Pipe Creek Christmas Tree Farm this weekend to bag our annual tree! We had a great time, as usual - unfortunately JR and Ashley missed this outing, but maybe another year. Dad, rapidly recover post-openheart surgery, wanted to get there early to beat the crowd and get the best pick. There must of been at least 20 people waiting for the gates to open when we got there.

It took us about 30 minutes all-in-all to pick two perfect trees, chop them down, drag them to the front and load them up in the truck. But I felt festive the entire time! These trees may not be as big and as full as the ones that are chopped down from the north and shipped in, but I'm proud to support local Texas products, especially my own local economy. Plus, this Christmas tree farm is an older couples retirement business, I just want to help them out!

Once we got home, we strung lights on the tree and added our ornaments. Then I decorated the rest of the house (which didn't take long).

I guess it takes a while to collect Christmas decor. I don't seem to have much. Only 1 large tub (filled mostly with lights) and 1 smaller one. Compared to my Mom, this is measley. Each year, I'll add one new item. But it just seems to me at a time where I'm already spending so much money on presents for family and friends, why spend the extra cash on decor to boot!? I can't bring myself to do it...yet. Ah well!

Check out my Flickr site for more pics of our place!

It's beginning to look a lot like winter

Since the house is on fire let us warm ourselves. ~Italian Proverb

Now it feels like the winter time! Look, I realize I don't live in the coldest climate in the world, but when it is cold, I love a good fire! We were originally going to burn real wood, but because this isn't our final house, we don't want to have to deal with the mess that a real fire brings inside the hearth. So we bought some ceramic ones from Home Depot today and boy, does it look beautiful! Now, I must go snuggle on my couch under a cushy blanket and watch White Christmas with Bing Crosby! Bring on the holidays!

Into the Wild

Good news! Dad is being released from the hospital today! What a Happy Thanksgiving afterall. He should be home sometime this afternoon. Yahoo!

Giving Thanks

This years Thanksgiving we will be detouring from our normal path of stuffing ourselves full to the point where we might pop; from spending hours playing board games and catching up with extended family and close friends; from watching tv and football games until we fall asleep in our chairs, gluttons, but happy gluttons nonetheless.

No, my friends and family, this year we will spend this day of thanks merely being thankful. Thankful that my father avoided what can only be described as a near hearattack; thankful for the doctors and staff at Methodist Hospital here in San Antonio for taking fantastic care of him; thankful to our close knit family and friends for supporting our family when we needed it the most; and most of all thankful to God.

Change is a tough bite for us all to swallow. And it never goes down easy. But the time has come for this family to make one - and I think at this point we are ready. The events of this past week have opened our eyes, more like pried open our eyes, to the importance of taking care of our bodies. This body. This one body.

We need to take care of this body - give it the exercise it needs to stay healthy and most importantly feed it the things it needs to run efficiently and effectively. Problems now, if not corrected, will only lead to larger problems later.

I am no poster child. I have my own addictions that need to be broken. But I'm awake now. Wide awake. And I'm sorry my father had to be used to set this example to us. But it worked. And I'm listening.

Happy Thanksgiving! Don't forget to hug the ones you love.

Another Anniversary

One year ago today we bought our house! I can't believe it's already been a year. Time has flown. We've done a ton of projects around this place, and I still have quite a long list left.

I know it's not a huge deal, but I'm quite proud that we have successfully paid a mortgage for 12 consecutive months.

And to think back about how nervous I was to buy this place!

Strangers in the Night

I think one of the most interesting and amazing aspects of any crisis is the ability to bring people together. If you've ever had the experience of spending a lot of time in a hospital waiting room, you'll understand where I'm going with this.

The faces inside the room are ones that become more familiar every day. You share their happy news and your share their disappointment. This past few days has been a wave of emotion in this respect.

There was very large family that was in the waiting room on Friday, the day of dad's surgery. They were loud, and obnoxious and a bit 'uncivilized' if you want my honest opinion, but they were a family none the less. And they did not have it easy. There father was recovering in ICU (operation unknown) and apparently he wasn't doing well. They were having difficulties with the doctor and his treatment and there were a lot of anger and tears flowing. On Saturday morning, we found out that their dad didn't make it. We didn't see that family anymore.

Another woman and her family were occupying the back corner of the waiting room. Again, I'm unsure whom their relative was and what they were in for. But we got to see the doctor walk over to the family and tell them in so many words that "Let this be a lesson to everyone to take care of themselves." This woman was in the waiting room every time I arrived and she was there every time I left. The doctor had also mentioned how unhealthy it was for her to set up camp in the room. She needed to get out of there and get some normalcy. She still stayed. And as of this evening, she was still in there when I left.

My father was the first one in to surgery on Friday morning, but while we were waiting, they wheeled another man in. Probably in his late 60's, but the family was obviously European (I'm thinking Swedish or somewhere around those parts). We kept crossing their paths in the ICU when we'd go to visit Dad. This morning Jeff and JR rode the elevator with the daughter and got the scoop. They have been in San Antonio on vacation and were at the pool when the father blacked out and collapsed. Apparently he stopped breathing and his son-in-law (we are assuming) had to administer CPR while the ambulance was called. She said they even used the defibrillators on him. He underwent a bypass surgery as well, but he had SIX blockages. I can not imagine how they are feeling. In a foreign country and having this come on so unexpectedly. However, good news reigns. There father is doing excellent in recovery as well and he's expected to be moved out of the ICU shortly. Great news!

And to the saddest, and happiest, story of them all. As soon as Dad was rolled towards the surgical room on Friday morning, we took ourselves to the surgical waiting room to wait for news. There was a man sleeping on the chair, he looked very uncomfortable, but he was snoring away. He continued in the position for at least 2 more hours. I didn't think much about him until we rode with him in the elevator later that day. He was going on his 6th week at the hospital. His son, age 14, was undergoing his 4th surgery in as many weeks and this last one was a full blown heart transplant. Can you believe it? Age 14. I was shocked. On Saturday morning, as we were celebrating Dad's speedy recovery, we saw the 14 year old being wheeled back into the ICU. He'd had some bleeding that morning and they had to go in and see what was wrong. In the midst of this, his gall bladder erupted and they had to do even more surgery. By mid-day, by way of family member conversations, it sounded like he was going to have to have a kidney transplant. I was so upset by this kid. It made me so sad to think about all the normal 14 year olds out there living life, taking things for granted and this kid was struggling for life. His family was in and out of the ICU all day checking in on him. It hurt me to look at their expressions. I prayed so hard for that kid on Saturday night. When I went to the hospital this morning to visit dad, I expected the worst. But good news greeted us. His heart and kidneys were both doing better and I think they are postponing the kidney transplant. What great news! I was relieved. Don't' get me wrong though, he's still very critical and anything can still happen. I don't know this kid. I don't know his story. I just know that a 14 year old deserves a chance at life and that he needs all the prayers he can get.

And now, a quick update on Dad. He's doing fabulous! He got orders to move to the 6th floor this morning, but as of this evening they were still waiting on a room to open up down there. Apparently, transfers take a while *sigh*. They removed his chest tubes around 3pm and after that he said he felt even better. It was almost like he was back to his old self today. It was great to see. However, I have a definite feeling that the grouchiness is fixing to break the horizon. Boredom is fixing to set in! Maybe it's a good thing that I head back to work in the morning!

*Pic depicts me pinching Dad's oxygen tube shut :)

Movie Review: Twilight

If I could sum this entire movie up in one sentence, here's what it would be: Read the books and stop there.

This movie was horrible. Horrible. What a complete and total flop and an utter disappointment from a semi-Twilight fan.

I was so excited to go see this movie. We had some downtime yesterday in between visiting hours at the hospital, so Jeff took me to see an early showing since he knew that I'd been anticipating this movie for a few weeks. If I knew then, what I know now, I'd of saved myself the $14.

I tried to go in with an open mind. I know from experience that movies don't follow their books to a 'T' and I was prepared for that. Two things were positive. One. Robert Pattinson was cast perfectly for the role of Edward. He fit the description and I think that if he was to have been given a decent screenplay, he'd of acted the part better as well. I also thought that Kristen Stewart was the perfect Bella. Sometimes, her delivery was a bit 'iffy' but I think as far as looks go, she was cast perfectly.

That's where the praises end. To start, the character development is very poor in the film. You'd have to read to book to completely understand each one of them. You hardly get to know anything about the extended Cullen family, and there was hardly anything about their special talents. Billy Black and Jacob were portrayed horribly (not to mention the disturbingly horrible hair extensions on the actor who played Jacob - it's like they threw a mullet on him).

I also felt like the director was trying to do too much. She obviously wanted this to appeal to teenagers instead of the masses, which was her mistake. I think if they would of listened to any research polls, they would of found that their fan base extended well into 20-somethings and even 30-somethings. What about appealing to us? She also tried to go for the humor factor way too much, which fell completely flat. Cornball would be a good word to use here.

Flash back scenes and story lines were terrible. It's like it was a bad made for tv movie at points.

And the soundtrack!! Who commissioned this music?! I read that the soundtrack was selling like hot cakes on itunes and I came *this close* to buying it. Boy, I'm glad I didn't make that mistake. It's hard to explain it in writing, but if you make the mistake of watching the movie, just pay attention, you'll see what I mean. I doesn't fit the time, it doesn't fit the scenes, it's completely off.

Jeff also mentioned the lack of action. I was too wrapped up in analyzing the movie, I didn't realize to a non-Twilight reader what they might think. This is something I had mentioned in my book review, the lack of action. Well guess what? It looks like that translated on to the big screen. Surprise.

To be quite honest, I almost wanted to leave half way through the movie. I was embarrassed to even show that I had paid money (hard earned money at that) to go see this piece of crap.

Shame on you Catherine Hardwicke for not speaking to all the Twilight readers. And shame on you, Stephenie Meyer for allowing your book to be portrayed this way.

I heard they made enough money to do a sequel. If it's anything like this movie, I'm boycotting.

Please, please, save your money. It's not worth it and you'll lose your appetite for the books..

Road to Recovery

Dad pre-surgery*


My father (my father!!) under went quintuple (oh no, I did not stutter) bypass surgery yesterday morning. Thank God, everything went well and he is on a fast mend!

Today he was able to sit up in a chair and he even got to eat. Even if it was just a liquid dinner of chicken broth, tea and cherry slush. He looks great considering the circumstances.

His only complaint is that his throat is raw from where the breathing tube was shoved down. That and he's extremely sore. I asked him if he was in pain, but he said on a scale of 1 to 10, he was a 3. I think that's great considering he was less than 36 hours out of open heart surgery, don't you?

Tomorrow they are going to try to walk him and if he's doing well enough, he'll get moved out of ICU either tomorrow evening or Monday morning.


We are so blessed to have such fantastic friends and family. I thank all of you for your thoughts and prayers and ask that you continue to pray for my Dad's speedy recovery.

You can also check out Mom's site for updates.

*only my family would take pics at a hospital :)

Book Review: Breaking Dawn

Warning: Spoilers Ahead!!!

I finished the series! In less than 3 weeks, I managed to read all four books in the Twilight Saga by Stephenie Meyer. I went into this series of books with only this question, "What's all the big deal about?" As mentioned in my prior posts, I found out about the movie before I heard about the books. So, as any good critic would do, I headed down to Books-A-Million to start with the source. I think because I went into this series questioning the interest, I was probably reading with a more critcal eye than most. See my prior book reviews for more info.

So without further ado, I present my last Twilight Saga book review....

Book 4: Breaking Dawn
I was looking forward to seeing how the story would end. And at the same time, not looking forward to the ending - much like I was sad to see the Potter series finished (but this was on a much smaller scale). Would Bella and Edward actually marry as teenagers? Would she become an immortal to be with Edward? How would the tension with Jacob be resolved? So many questions ran through my head before I started the 750-page novel.

In the fourth book, Meyer is forced to close a lot of storylines. It is apparent that she has a lot on her plate, which I guess attributes to the amount of pages in the last novel. She also addresses a lot of issues that I'm not quite sure are for a teenagers eyes.

To start the novel (turn back now if you are not wanting the spoilers) Edward and Bella end up getting married. Yes, she did it. She married them off. I was a little disappointed in this, to be honest. I thought that logic would set in (it's 2008 for goodness sake) and that Meyer wouldn't write about teenage weddings, but she gave in and Bella and Edward said their 'I do's'. If that's not enough, Meyer advances the story further when she introduces the next twist...

Pregnancy. This threw me for a loop to be honest. Not that it was a shocker, but I felt this was something that didn't need to be brought into the story line. She would of obviously had to created a different storyline, as the rest of the novel was driven by the results of the pregnancy, but I just didn't feel this was necessary.

To add to this part of the story, Meyer finally gives in to the readers wants and Bella is made to be immortal. Here was my biggest let down of them all. I had prepared myself, and I feel that Meyer prepared her readers for disappointment on Bella becoming a vampire. There were so many reasons for her NOT to become immortal. Sure it would of been a bit wierd (especially after introducing Renesmee) but she had been going that direction for the past three novels and

I feel in this book she was just like, "Okay, fine, here you go. Bam. She's immortal." What about Charlie? What about Renee? What about everything else? Because she had a child, that makes it okay? Maybe for me it wasn't about her becoming immortal. Maybe for me it was about the way they made her immortal.

I'll be honest. The moment the baby was introduced, I was on the defense. Especially after Jacob's reaction. I could of guessed that one from a MILE away. And talk about wierd. That one was really bizarre and never had closure at the end of the fourth novel. Is Meyer planning on writing a story based on Jacob and Renesmee? What happens if she stops aging at age 7 like the other half-breed introduced in the novel!? This just doesn't make sense, Meyer!

The fourth book was by far my least favorite. She tried to appease too many readers and at the same time rushed through some endings and introduced bizarre twists. I was left dissatisfied and questioning.

10 years ago today…

I met Jeff Koenig. Aggie Bonfire 1998. A friend from high school was in town with a buddy from college and needed a place to crash.

I admit, I tried to sneak them in to my dorm room. But I had a hardcore RA and we didn’t get away with it.

I still remember meeting him. He was shy, quiet and blonde. Yes, blonde. But he had these cute dimples when he smiled.

We didn’t have a lot of conversation – he probably thought I was insane. Hell, he thinks I’m insane now. I had on my Aggie overalls and was probably as obnoxious as I always was (…am.)

There was a lot going on that night, so after we parted ways, that was that.

Who’d of thought I had just met my future husband!?

Come back on December 5th for the rest of the story.

Left Brain vs. Right Brain

Left Brain: Logical, Sequential, Rational, Analytical,Objective,Looks at parts
Right Brain: Random, Intuitive, Holistic, Synthesizing, Subjective, Looks at wholes

A sequence of events occured yesterday at work, that have left me pondering...

I have always struggled with an inner balance of thought known as left brain vs. right brain. If you were to ask me how I define myself, I would consider myself to hold both characteristics of a left and right brain personality. Is this possible? Must we be on a "side" or can we express traits of each?

Right Brain. I'd like to consider myself a logical person (even if I am passionate and opionated). I love problems and I enjoy the challenge of finding solutions. Numbers speak to me - specifically when it comes to finances. My obsessive compulsive nature and control freak tendencies seems to fit comfortably under the left brain ideology. I do my best work under tight deadlines and if you say it can't be done, specifically if I, myself, can't do something, I will work and work until I prove you wrong. It's a competitive thing and I enjoy it. To a point.....

Left Brain. Please do not consider me egotistical when I say that I think I'm creative. My brain is constantly running 150 mph and rarely slows down. I have, at minimum, a hundred (*wink*) cool ideas that cycle through my thoughts on a daily basis, but little if none make it to fruition. I enjoy writing, a random event that occurs only when my mind and the stars align in a perfect unison with the universe. I love photography - something that has been a recent discovery and something that I am working on nurturing. I love design - whether it's web design or something for print.

Could all of this attribute to my indecisive behavior in life? What I want versus what I need? This inner balance, more like an inner struggle, is constantly battling inside me. The logical versus the random. The rational versus the irrational. Just ask Jeff, I'm sure he'd be the first to agree.

I know I have it in me to be creative - I know it. But my rational side fights with me so that I don't give enough devotion to that side of me. Why? Is the world going to stop turning. Will Jeff and I squander everything and live like paupers? Hardly is my answer. So why am I so hesitant?

It's time to start refocusing....

Happy Veterans Day

To all who have served and continue to serve our great country. My father, my grandfathers, my friends and extended family. Thank you. You have not and will not be forgotten.

Etsy.com

Here's a cute pic of our niece, Clara in the tutu and wings we got her for her bday! I found the outfit on Etsy, my new favorite website. All unique handmade items for one-of-a-kind gifts. Check it out if you haven't been already. I bought this particular piece from Hannah's Tutus, whom I totally recommend if you have a little girl or a cute, adorable 3-year old niece like us!

Needless to say, I'll be trying to do most of my Christmas shopping on Etsy this year.

Book Review(s): New Moon & Eclipse

More book reviews from the Twilight Series by Stephenie Meyer.

Warning!!! May be spoilers!

Book 2: New Moon

Going into the second book, I was looking for more action, considering my disappointment in that arena from the first book. I was also apprehensive on how Meyer would develop the relationship between Bella and Edward when the obsession level in the first novel was so high. Where could this possibly be going? But Meyer delivered by throwing me for a loop that I, perhaps a bit naive, didn't see coming. Without giving away the story, this so-called-loop kept me turning the pages for most of the novel.

The second book also develops the friendship between Bella and Jacob Black, her father's best friend's son. To progress the story, Meyer introduces, perhaps the most well known foe of any vampire - think Underworld - you guessed it! The Werewolf. Don't worry, friends and fam, if you know me and my 'issues' with werewolves (yes, I know they are not real). I survived this aspect of the book, because Meyer takes a differnt angle with the wolves - one of protector.

To get back to the story, the relationship between Bella and Jacob progress to deep friendship and a crush, at least on one side. However, no happily ever after at the end of this book for these two. This book kept my attention with the twist offered at the beginning and kept me turning the pages eagerly all the way into Book 3.

Book 3: Eclipse
The third book in the Twilight Saga introduced the cliched love triangle between Bella, Edward and Jacob. At times, I must admit, this got on my nerves as I thought Meyer was a little hung up on this and could of advanced the conflict in the book a little bit sooner.

However, the action scene in this book was by far the best of the entire saga, even though I'm not quite finished with the fourth book. The concept of newborn vampires was very original and kept my interest during most of the scenes.

In the third book (and here comes the spoiler) Bella and Edward become engaged. Trying to read this from a tweens perspective, I thought this to be a bit out of the norm (at least for today's kids). And although Edwards is technically 108 years old, Bella is only 18. She seems less concerned for any 'life' other than the immortal and more excited to become one of the Cullens. I know it's presumptive, but I thought to myself while reading this, I hope some emotional, unstable tween girl is not reading this thinking that this is the best path for them. Aside from the vampire part, I'm talking more of the obsession to belong to a guy. It had me a pit skeptical.

But if I put my pessimistic attitude aside and just enjoy the writing and story (and also forget the targeted audience), Meyer again delivers an original story that will keep the readers attention.

I'm almost finished with the fourth novel and will post my review soon!

Word to My Mother

Today, my beautiful mother, Patricia, celebrates her 58th birthday (sorry to rat you out Mom). Not to copy my cousin, Em, but just a few quick points about my mom.

• She's done a wonderful job raising me and my brother. We may be 'quirky' but at least we're not boring.


• She has been a best friend to me in my adulthood, but always conscious not to cross the 'mother line'.


• She's the most hardcore Republican I know. No seriously. Read her blog. But I love her for it!


• She has successfully lost 65 lbs in one year. Words can not express how proud I am of her because of this.


• She has put up with my stubborn ass father (and I can say this since I'm his duplicate) for over 38 years! That says something about her patience.


• She is the best daughter anyone could have. I have watched her over these past few years having to take care of her parents. Difficult would be an understatement to say the least. She made sure my Papa was taken care of till he passed away last December and she's making sure that Grandma gets the best care that she can.


• She has taught me the art of 'what they don't know won't hurt them' when it comes to marriage. For instance, I buy a book, hide it for a few weeks. If Jeff says, "When did you by that book?" I say, "Oh, a long time ago." Thanks, Mom, this one has come in handy SO MANY TIMES :)

Book Review: Twilight

Last week I saw an ad on tv for a new movie coming out at the end of this month, Twilight. It continued to reappear on website ads and banners. So my curiousity got the best of me, as it usually does, and I did some investigation. I mean it has vampires in it, and although I'm hardly the most 'sci-fi' of my immediate family, I still can't completely suppress the gene.

Turns out the series is aimed at the 'tween crowd, no big surprise there. Originally printed in 2005, the Twilight saga is comprised of 4 books. I had my hesitations going into it. I figured it'd be a very easy read and a little hokey for the teens.

Overall, it was a pretty easy read. While the story line isn't the most original, there are some differences in these vampires than any I've read in past novels (or seen in any movies for that matter). This first book is based completely on the obsession between Bella Swan and Edward Cullen. Although I love any romantic story, I can be the first to recognize when it goes overboard. I think the book is a little to engrossed in their romance and needed a bit more to the plot. The main antagonist doesn't even bear his head until you're almost 2/3 of the way done with the book. Which led to a quick and hasty ending. Not that I was disappointed with the way it ended, only that it was a bit rushed.

All-in-all, I liked the book. But I forwarn any future reader, don't go in with super high expectations of the story. It's for the 'tweens, not adults - but that's not to say it won't entertain you. I made the mistake of telling Jeff about the movie coming out in the next few weeks. He rolled his eyes and laughed.

Happy Birthday, Bro!

Today my brother, J.R., turns 32! Happy Birthday, bro. Miss you!

Happy Halloween

Viral Infection

I've got a virus that has put me out of commission for the past two days. Hopefully, I'll be well enough to return to work tomorrow (crossing fingers). Beware, this crud is awful!

Palin Rap

In case you missed this last night, for your viewing pleasure:

Missed Opportunity

I saw the coolest thing on our way out to dinner tonight. The hay fields across the road from our neighborhood have recently been bailed. I was checking out the progress of one of the fields tonight, when I saw it. A beautiful hawk, sitting right on top of one of the bails. It was so neat. He was so prestigious looking. So "Yes, I'm gorgeous and I know it." I was so bummed I didn't have my camera! That would of been such a cool shot!

We are fortunate to have some hawks as local residents. I've seen at least two of them together at one time, but I think there may be more. Our proximity to Government Canyon leads me to believe that. I love hawks... I think they are one of the most beautiful birds and their screech, at least to me, sounds so cool! A wildlife nerd, perhaps. But they have become a rarity over the years and I feel special to have at least two so near to me.

I'll get that picture eventually. I'm determined.

Class of 1998

My four month project is at it's end. Our10-year class reunion went off without a hitch this weekend. I've got more to talk about, but not enough energy at the moment. Here's what we all look like today!

October 1

october 1

2005 - 2008

jeff and colleen

three years and counting

Day Three: Minnesota

Better late than never....

We had a lot to do before my 3pm drop-off at the airport on Sunday. Kelli wanted to show me downtown St. Paul, so we headed that direction shortly after breakfast. We drove down the most picturesque streets where autumn leaves were falling outside victorian homes - absolutely breathtaking.

After an early lunch at a pizzeria and some more touring through downtown St. Paul, we headed to Stillwater, MN, an old logging town. The town is small and quaint, but very popular with the tourists. They offer steamboat rides on the large St. Croix River and, funny enough, gondola rides. The boutique shops line the main street. We took about an hour to tour the town and then we headed across the bridge into Wisconsin, just long enough for me to take my picture next to the welcome sign (coming soon!).

We made our way back towards the general direction of the airport, but we only had one more stop left - Minnehaha Park - home to Minnehaha Falls. This city park is located just next to an industrial area, but you'd never know when you walk down it's many hike and bike paths. I got some pretty good shots at this place.

Then it was off to the airport! After a few small delays in Atlanta, I touched down in San Antonio at 11:30pm. (I almost forgot the most important part!!) I was greeted at baggage claim by my wonderful husband holding a beautiful bouquet of tulips *love him* .

All in all, a fantastic trip. For those who've not contemplated a vacation to Minnesota, I urge you to think about visiting. It's truly a beautiful state with a fantastic history and breathtaking scenery!

Day Two: Minnesota

Kelli took me on a tour of the Greater Minneapolis Area today. We toured around Medicine Lake which had some gorgeous houses - primo real estate. Then we drove Thedore Wirth Parkway which took us on a tour of Cedar Lake, Lake of the Isles, Lake Calhoun and Lake Harriett. Everyone was outside; runnng, biking, rollerblading, playing with their dogs. It was awesome and entirely enviable. Today's weather was beautiful with a nice nip in the air - add to that beautiful scenery and gorgeous foliage and you have yourself a fantastic Autumn day. sigh.

Afterwards, we stopped at the huge REI store (I wish they would get one of these in San Antonio) and then made our way over to BW3 to meet up with Rick for some college football and a late lunch.

Then we decided to head over to the Mill District. Photographer's dream. A mix of old crumbled mill's (Gold Medal Mill) and urban architecture and it made for a beautiful scene. There must of been someone getting married down there, because we saw a bunch of people wearing tuxedos. What an awesome location!

We checked out the mighty Missippi River on top of the Stone Arch Bridge and checked out the lock dam and Saint Anthony Falls. This area was so beautiful and very trendy. This is ideal real estate for the loft districts.

We took a scenic route home, even going offroad to get a picture of a beautiful tree that is turning a beautiful color of orange red. We just topped off our night by eating some tasty pizza from River Inn here in Hanover and are waiting for Saturday Night Live to come one so we can relive the old days. Rebels, I know.

Day One: Minnesota

I flew in at 10:39 pm Thursday night. Kelli and I were able to catch up on our 40 minute commute back to her house in Hanover, MN, a small town just outside Minneapolis. I obviously couldn't see a thing as it was dark outside.

But Friday morning was a different ballgame. I peered outside the bedroom window to be greeted with vibrant green lawns and the beautiful colors of fall making it's way through the leaves. Magnificent.

Most of the day was spent relaxing, which I was most thankful for. We spent lunch in 'downtown' Hanover, if there is such a thing, and we visited the Crow River bridge - absolutely beautiful.

The evening was spent around a campfire, in which I ened up being the party pooper and bailing early to catch some zzzzz's.

On Saturday, Minneapolis and more!

Check out my photos on Flickr by clicking on the photos to the left.

An Apple a Day...

When we were in San Francisco back in August, we demoed the Apple TV, courtesy of JR and Ashley. Jeff immediately loved it and has been dropping hints left and right ever since. This weekend he got his way (like he always does) and we bought one. I thought I would totally be oblivious on how to use this device, but it is soooo easy.

Truth be told, it was so easy I totally monopolized it last night, and Jeff barely touched it. In fact, I've already purchased two movies.

If I don't watch out, the Apple TV is going to cause some problems in the Koenig Kasa!

Singing with the Blues

I've spent most of tonight puruising my music libraries and purchasing just a few things from iTunes. I downloaded Blues Traveler's Hook. Most of their album, Four, brings back memories for me.

In our lives there's a point in which we all start paying attention to music. I remember I was in 7th grade and I had listened to Blues Traveler's Run Around. I proceeded to purchase my very first CD, from Columbia House (remember those buy 14 for the price of 1 programs). I think this album had a huge impact on my music choices in life (i.e. Dave Matthews, Counting Crows, Jack Johnson, Josh Kelley, Jason Mraz, Hootie, etc.).

Playing With Fire

I've been pulled over TWICE in less than 1 week. Twice. TWICE!

I fess up to the first. I was speeding. I was going 42 in a 30 - and I sweet talked the nice man into a warning. Truly, he was a nice man for letting me go. Surprisingly nothing came up about the EXPIRED registration. Shocking!

Today, I was running an errand at lunch and I noticed a car tailing me. I checked my speed - I was going maybe 5-8 mph over the speed limit. I couldn't tell if it was cop or not, because there were no lights on top. I end up switching lanes and he doesn't follow me so I figured he must not care about me. Wrong. At the next opportunity, most likely after he was done running my plates, the lights go on and he rides up on my bumper again. I thought "I can not believe this guy is pulling me over for 5-8 mph over the speed limit" - but he comes up and says he's pulling me over because of my EXPIRED ("way past expired" in his words) registration. B.U.S.T.E.D!

I can not believe we drove almost 1700 miles from San Francisco to San Antonio without getting caught and I run a five minute errand at lunch and get busted! I guess that's just how it works.

I told him my sob story (without the tears) and I, again, ended up with a warning (knocking on wood).

Lessons Learned: Harass brother more often to take care of paperwork before my good luck runs out!

Coming Soon!

Fall. I can not WAIT! The air is chaning, the first cool front is making it's way into our area tonight.

I am quite certain I have purchased every possible pumpkin spice, spiced cake, apple-cinnamon candle within 10 miles of my house. And I am burning them. Every day. With baited breath and extreme anticipation.

I can not wait to enjoy the porch that we slaved over this summer. The hammocks mock me ever day when I walk on to the porch to water my plants.

Today I made a wreath for my front door. I purchased a ton of these berry strands for my wedding which was almost 3 years ago. It was time to put them to good use. Here's a few pics.

Hurricane Ike

It's about 10:36pm. Jeff spoke to his brother who lives northwest of Houston. They lost power at 9:40pm. Jeff's parents live on the southwest side of town and when he spoke to them earlier, they were doing fine. They've boarded up some of their windows. We've not yet spoken to them, they may be part of the 200,000 that have lost power. I was most worried about his sister, Jenny, who lives farther south. She's gone up to stay at her parents house, thank goodness. Unfortunately, her husband, Ryan, since he's a cop had to go on 24 hour watch so he's unable to be with them.

Jeff just got off of the phone with his parents and they are just experiencing strong winds and sprinkling. And they still have power.

It looks like the eye is going to hit Galveston in about 1.5 hours.

Our thoughts and prayers are with our family and friends and all others who are going through this insanely large hurricane!!

Williams vs. Manning

I saw this commercial the other day and thought it was hilarious. Disregard the last 38 seconds or so, I couldn't find a better video.

Weekend Project #6: Master Bath

Okay, so I know I said I was burnt out on weekend projects, but if you know me, you know how I am - so know other explanation is necessary.

I wanted to create a relaxing bathroom, so I decided that blue was the way to go. I wanted to do a blue with a gray under tone. Let's just say, that's not exactly what I got. I picked the color Sonata by Behr that looked like it had some grays in it. I even thought it was going to be darker. But....instead I got baby blue. Trust me. It's baby blue. There's no other way around it.

I don't care though. It's finished and I'm done with painting .... one day it will change. When this house is in someone else's care, that is!

Here's some before and afters:

And?

One more post, then back to my margarita (oh, the anticipation). A complaint if you will. Many times, in discussions with professionals in general, if complaints have been lodged against someone's personality or demeanor, I've received a flurry of excuses, but none so often as the phrase "well, he/she is 'really smart' ".

My response? "And? How does them being smart have anything to do with their lame-ass personality? or why should that excuse them from being rude? I don't care that they are "SMART". If they were smart, they'd treat people with more respect and gain more friends than foes."

Okay, venting complete - back to margarita - I could go for a good 'ol fashioned brain freeze!

Representation

Instead of writing a long-winded blog to explain the past few days, I've decided to provide a photo that best reflects it.

Schmap.com

A few weeks ago, a photo under my Flickr page was tagged by an editor for Schmap.com. This was the first time I'd heard of this site, as I'd always used google or yahoo for all my 'mapping' needs. The woman said that they would like to use my photo as a 'possible' selection in the 2008 Schmap.com San Antonio edition. No money, but at least I'd be credited. After scanning the fineprint, I consented. And then I forgot about it. To be honest, I wasn't sure it was all legit.

But today, I found out that my photo was selected (along with 20 other people, so it seems, but who cares!) - I was pretty excited! I guess you don't have to be a 'pro' to be found out there. This comes at a great point in life, considering one of my latest posts.

I had a few good shots around Fredericksburg this weekend, but nothing I can say that was 'awesome'. Check them out on my Flickr site.

An interesting turn of events...

*WARNING: Political Blog - Proceed at your own risk*

A woman? 44 years old? Alaska (aka oil fields)?

Touche John McCain....a very bold move. I must do more research on Sarah Palin. What are her stances on certain issues.

Interesting, McCain. I never saw this coming!

I have to admit, this has been the most interesting presidential race I can remember.

Creative Juices

My blood is starting to boil – I feel a project coming on. I’m sick of house projects, and my pocket book can’t afford them right now, so that nixes that idea. Instead, after hours of flipping through Flickr photos on random sites, I think I need a photo walk (is that the right terminology oh great Flickr Photogs?).

I’m headed to Fredericksburg on Saturday, which should offer up plenty of photography opportunities (let’s hope). I should really start taking more photos around the house and start playing with lighting, etc.

Ashley turned me on to a website: dooce.com. Aside from her witty humor, this woman takes THE best photos of her dog, Chuck, that I have ever seen. That dog has the most patience I’ve ever seen. And, oh to have these candid shots hanging around your house. It’d be awesome! Of course, every time I even approach Sonny with the camera he gets so excited he can hardly sit still. Therefore, I end up with blurred pictures or a gigantic nose close up.

Nevertheless, I am determined to take more pics, if only so that I can start framing most of them to put on my walls. Which leads me to another point.

I’ve started to resent commercial décor. Specifically, wall art. I’ve been up and down the rows of pictures and artwork. I’ve looked at every sconce in most large retailer stores. I’ve eyed a few sculpted pieces of art work that would add ‘character’ to my wall, but alas, I can’t bring myself to buy anything. Unless the piece has meaning to me, I can’t see why I would want to hang that in my house.

I want to be able to look at each piece and say “That reminds me of….”

All this being said, I’m eagerly looking forward to this weekend!

Widgets

I've reinstalled my Flickr badge on my sidebar! whew! And, I've uploaded Desmond's 1st Bday pics. I had to pick and choose, many of my shots came out blurry - argh! Low lighting on my part, sorry guys!

I also tried to reinstall the Netflix Widget my bro created - the one I prefer. However, something is jacked when I put in my RSS feed and his widget is not working (at least for me). Bro, if you're reading this. Help a sista out? I'm currently using one from Adaptive Blue, when I'd much rather be using one by jforsythe. :)

Drama Queen

I overreacted. About my eye. Okay? I apologize now to all who were at my house over the weekend.

I saw the doctor this morning. Apparently the silicon contacts he prescribed me become extremely dry at night (something I've been dealing with) and I've managed to pull off some cells on my eye (ew is right). So therefore, it was irritated.

I could of sworn it was pink eye, except for the nasty puss part. Ew, I hate that word.

Sorry everyone, I tend to lean towards the drama! ha!

M.I.S.E.R.A.B.L.E.

To all who were at my house over the weekend, I pose a question. Has your son/daughter/spouse/friend/mother/father/etc. recently had a case of the pink eye?
OR
Do you/they know of someone who has had pink eye lately?

I ask this question for one reason and one reason alone. I've caught something. In my eye. Go figure.

It's swollen. Red. 1/2 the size of my right eye. Red. Watery. And red.

It's causing a chain reaction of issues from my shoulders up (super headache, runny nose, etc.).

I've got an eye doctor appt at 8am tomorrow. Quite frankly, I'm sick of seeing my optometrist. I only recently worked out my new prescription.

1691

That's the number of miles Jeff and I drove from San Francisco to San Antonio.

28

The number of hours it took for us to drive it straight - stops included.

9

Unfortunately, the number of hours left until I have to go back to work.

2

The number of exhausted people in my household fixing to get some shut eye.

Day Three: Fisherman's Wharf

Today was our last day in San Francisco. Jeff and I wanted to take some pics around the wharf area and J.R. and Ashley needed to run some errands, so we split our separate ways and decided to meet up later for dinner.

This was going to be a test on how well Jeff and I could find our way around on the public transportation system. I'll admit, that because I did not grow using public transporation, it always intimidates me. But, I set my mind to it today and found it very easy. I mean, if drunken bums can find their way around on the MUNI, I guess I can to.

We took the MUNI bus from Noe Valley down to the Castro district. We then went underground and took the subway system down to the Embarcadero. We walked around the Pier 39 area for a few areas and took the MUNI back to the Castro district where we grabbed some lunch.

We had a bbq outisde on JR and Ashley's great looking patio - they've done a fantastic job renovating the back yard. It's awesome!

Now, it's time to pack and hit the sheets early. We're gonna try to roll out of here @ 4am. We'll be losing 2 hours on the trek back to Texas. Pray for Jeff and I that we don't kill each other on the ride home! ha!

Check out my Flickr site.

Karaoke @ Yet Wah

Oh My Goodness! What almost ended up as a night of ordering in took a completely different direction when we finally decided to go eat Chinese food at a local restaurant Ashley & J.R. have been to before, Yet Wah.

After many a mai-tai and some Tsing Tao, we decided to go watch the karaoke that was going on in the bar area. That's when we made the decision to join in - subsequently, J.R added all our names to the karaoke list!

J.R. sang "Green-Eyed Lady"(Sugarloaf), I sang "Maggie May" (Rod Stewart), Jeff sang "You Should Be Dancin'"(BeeGees), and Ashley sang "Sweet Caroline" (Neil Diamond). It was fantastic! But I think we were all trumped by Luis, an asian man wearing a Superman shirt (in which he revealed halfway through his last song) and Stan, another asian man sporting a Metallica shirt. Ahhh....good memories.

Did I mention we were having a good time?

I had a random thought during karaoke. There are are these fantastic athletes half way across the world peforming awesome athletic feats, and here I am, singing karaoke in a dimly lit Chinese restaurant bar in San Francisco, CA. Ahhh... life. It's great.

Day Two: Muir Woods and Muir Beach

We missed seeing Muir Woods on our last trip out to San Francisco. So I had it on the 'tentative' agenda for this round. This morning, after eating a hearty breakfast (lay off me, I'm on vacation) at Kookez on 24th St., we made our way out to the redwoods.


We spent about 2 hours hiking through the forest - the trees were huge, and impossible to capture in one frame on my camera. The day was beautiful with the temperature reaching somewhere in the low '70's, much warmer than the actual city. I loved how the sunlight filtered through the tree canopy.


J.R. and I joked a lot about gnomes. This relates back to our childhood when we watched The Gnome Mobile countless times. If you haven't seen it by now, I'm sorry to say you probably shouldn't. It's one of those movies that must be captured in your youth. Otherwise you're just not going to get it.


After we left Muir Woods, we traveled down (or was it up) to Muir Beach. All I have to say is "WOW" - the views were breathtaking, but the air was quite CRISP! These California beaches are ch-ch-chilly! We then headed to Stinson Beach to catch some grub at a local grill.


I got to test drive my (well, almost mine) 4Runner on the way back - and might I add it was suh-weet! The roads on the way back were extremely curvy! Let's just say I had to have my hands on the 2 and 10 position the entire time.



Now we're back at J.R. and Ashley's and ready to chill for the rest of the evening! Tomorrow, I think we'll head down to the wharf to catch some seafood for lunch and then we want to try to get some great pics of the city for our travel wall back at the house.


Check out my pics of day 2 on my Flickr site and pics from our FREEZING baseball game last night. It's crazy to see people dressed in parkas, scarves and mittens in AUGUST!

Day One: Relaxation, Mission District and SF Giants game

Our first day in San Francisco is coming to an end (well, after the baseball game tonight). The day has been eventful, but relaxing - if that makes any sense!

We started out by walking down to Martha's to grab some coffee on 24th street in Noe Valley where JR and Ashley live. I remember this street well from our last visit in October 2006. Bakeries, boutiques, flower and coffee shops. It screams urban living. My favorite part are the doors to the left or right of each shop that leads upstairs to someone's undoubtedly cute victorian apartment. Dogs are everywhere - tied to leashes outside a bagel shop. I glanced into the Starbucks on our journey and saw two small dogs on their owners laps. It's amazing the tolerance for pets around here - I love it! I did see one sign that said "Absolutely NO DOGS allowed" - judging from their patronage (zero) I'd guess folks don't take too kindly to that sign and I imagine it will be out of businss in the next few months.

On our return to their place, we grabbed Ashley and head to the Mission district to eat at Tartine, a trendy bakery that served tarts, quiches, cookies and Mexican Coca-Cola. We then walked up and down the mission distrcit looking into thrift shops and boutiques. Jeff and I snagged some cool tins to hang on our dining room wall. YES! We are finally going to hang things on the walls!

After we were done shopping we caught some lunch at Papolote on 24th. Back to JR and Ashley's where we crashed!

Next up? San Francisco Giants game tonight! Should be fun. Meanwhile, check out my shots on my Flickr site.

At the LAX

We landed @ LAX around 7:20 PST, only to find out our next flight was delayed 2 hours. I've never switched flights before (wierd, I know) but we managed to find our way onto another flight that was supposed to leave at 7:05 PST but got delayed till 9:10 PST - let's see if we actually get out of here at that time. AND, better yet, let's see if our luggage made the change.

Please let this next flight be quick - and painless.