Up in the Air

We recently went to watch Up in the Air by Jason Reitman. It was a great movie. I "oh my gosh, yes"ed at every single comment George Clooney made when he was coaching Anna Kendrick (who looked so cute at the Golden Globes!) on which line to choose when going through security. I am by no means a master traveler, but I have gone through more airport security in the past 6 months of new employment than I'd ever really care to. So he picks apart every type of traveler from a traveling mom with kids (which I am always very impressed and sympathetic) to old people and opts for Asians who are very efficient. I actually felt a sense of pride at that moment, because yes, I really do try to be efficient when I'm going through security. The following are non-negotiables. Everyone should be prepping:

1. Yes, you have to take off every type of outerwear. Including bf sweaters/large cardigans.
2. Why are you wearing lace-ups instead of easily slipped on/off shoes?
3. If you don't know that you need to take your lap top out of the bag at this point....
4. Men: remove your belts! (in the most proper way possible)
5. Keep clear baggy easily accessible, your shoes don't have to be in bins....be patient.

In other news...

For girls who are "squatters" over the john, do y'all hate the auto flushers that flush too hard? I feel like you have to be extra fast (I'll spare the details of being fast at what) so droplets don't get on you. Sorry if that's gross, but typically airport toilets are like this, so it made me think of it.

Pedestrians, do you try to cross the street when it's your right of way extra fast even if the countdown hasn't started cause you know the car turning right hates you for taking your time?

If you're shopping for something online do you want it a bit less if there's a lot of stock available versus something that you see is sold out in sizes you wear? For example, I really want a pair of rain boots lately (considering it's been raining for the past 5 days) and the beige color is available, but the black, blue and purple are sold out. I like the beige, I could deal with beige, but I think subconsciously I don't want it cause it's available. I'm weird.

Til my next random thought...

a new decade

10 years ago I had almost had my license for a year and was about to get my own car, unknown to me, in about 5 months. I thought high school was the best years I'd ever have - I had THAT much fun with my friends. I had yet to go on a first date, yet to be kissed, but I did have good ole cellie - same number to this day. Well man times have changed. 10 years later I am married, I've moved halfway across the country, and I'm wondering when the best years of my life will be (though college gave high school a run for its money). However I am glad that some things never change. I was so sad that the greatest blizzard of the past decade had hit Wichita Falls on our way home, and we were literally closed off from the city, but we finally made it on Christmas Day. That night we had hot pot with my fam in Wichita Falls followed by an invigorating session of Blackjack in which Mark was the banker:


I think everyone had fun until it got to the point when people were laying down bets to flip the highest card. Sigh. Good times. Here's my extended fam at their best:


Then we had a snowball fight with the best gear we could find:










Classy.


So yea, I'm thankful that these things don't change. We also spent some time in Houston and didn't get to see AS many people as we'd hoped, but got to spend good time with family too. Looking forward to a new year and a new decade hopefully starting off with a big W.

See y'all in Pasadena. Hook 'em!!

umm..yeaaaaa

I had the best weekend this past weekend that I've had in a while. Two of our closest friends came up to visit and the other half of this blog (or the kid who only posted ONCE, but gets half the glory of its namesake...) planned a REALLY great weekend. It really was a blast - good food, good company and really good laughs. I miss the Mertzes, and I ALMOST forgot (how could I???) how funny some of our friends are. But this isn't the whole point of this post. I've been thinking about this for some time now, really since we first moved to SF, and the thing is...I think I've become more awkward in conversation. I mean I've always loved socializing, it's really half of my job now - literally - and I find myself in social settings thinking to myself, "Say something, girl. OOooOoo not that..." And I don't believe that I make uncomfortable comments (at least I hope not - though I guess I won't really know, cause the people who have been in said settings probably don't read my blog..), but sometimes I just don't know what to say. Or I'll make a comment thinking it's a funny joke and either nobody will even courtesy chuckle or it'll just go unnoticed. I don't have any real theories as to why this is occurring to me now, especially since we've moved to a brand new city and now more than ever need to utilize social skills that will aid us in acquiring friends (and I say us, but really it's just me. James is a hit!). Anyways, just a thought.

In other news I'm excited to go back to Wichita Falls. I feel like a lot of people will be home, reunions will be had, and I wanna see our newly renovated restaurant - woo hoo! I also want to have a sip of beer out of the lava lamp at Krank It Karoake, the Falls' hidden gem. This will most likely be my last post unless boredom stages a hostile takeover while I'm at home - which is likely a possibility. I'll be on high alert.

Winner, winner, chicken dinner!

Well, I have obviously been very bad at updating this blog. Thank you to the three of you loyal followers who persistently remind me that I need to update. I still haven't taken pictures of our place to post, and I think it's because I really don't like how it's decorated. But even more frustrating, I'm not sure who I want it to be decorated. I mean we do have a salmon toned pink sofa and a huge UT flag hanging above where a real fire place would be (except that it's a wall). I wish I could turn it into an instant SF apartment with a cozy feeling and randomly colored rugs/throws to feel homey. But I do love our kitchen, because it is quaint (ie there is not much room). Now that I'm typing this, I'm wondering if I've previously blogged about this already...or maybe that I've been wanting to blog about it...oh gosh. So seester dos recently started a blog (recently as in tonight), and that has also prompted me to update. I'm currently at my hotel in LA on a business trip, and my nose is so stuffed up that I have to breathe out of my mouth. And you know it's gotten to the point that my mouth is way too dry, and I didn't even get to really enjoy the Papa John's pizza I ordered (ham, pineapple and jalapenos for those who are wondering) tonight. I digress...

I was just about to blog about random thoughts, but instead my very recent trip to Vegas and my deep love for Vegas has prompted me to blog about that instead. So we went to Vegas for Thanksgiving, and I shield your judgments (or perhaps this is my subconscious guilt voicing itself..) by saying we were JUST in Austin for a wedding and shared a fantabulous Thanksgiving meal the Sunday night before we left with James' fam. We met up with our friends BL&JL and their friends, and we had a great time, good food and we came out on top after our trip. Now a couple of things. James and I recalled a conversation we had with another fellow casino patron and friend a while back, and we talked about the lure of Vegas. Because we all love gambling, and we all agreed gambling is gambling wherever you are, but for some reason, it's just different in Vegas. And I think it's because it's the AMAZING food, the vibe and how one can almost avoid materializing every bet placed. We've eaten at a ton of places in my previous trips, but only in the most recent have we gone to Michelin-rated restaurants. Nonetheless, the buffets have always been awesome and the hotel restaurants top notch as well. In Vegas, it's harder for me to visualize my $X bet as a pair of shoes or a purse or something tangible. And I don't think I gamble any crazier than at other local places, but I dunno. Also, the rush that you get from winning a good split followed by another and then a double down in Blackjack is so fun! I also play Roulette, because I usually hit a number, so I feel like it's a good game to play. We definitely stayed away from the craps tables as our luck has not been so good there the past few times. I've also noticed that I've become a gambling snob. I used to hear my parents talk about it and complain about people who come in in the middle of the shoe or stay on 15's, and I thought well they'll play how they wanna play. But then this guy sat next to James and single-handedly busted three of James' hands in a row, because he didn't hit when the book said he's supposed to. This is one of many reasons I like to gamble late at night, past 1 or even 2 am when there aren't randoms and drunks floating from table to table. I feel very badly, I honestly do, but I really don't like seriously playing when there are those types of people at the table. And I realize everyone has to learn at some point, and I hope this doesn't turn any of our friends away from ever wanting to join us on trips (especially if they haven't played much in the past), but I guess when I'm in the zone I just prefer to be at a table of "good" players.

One of the highlights: Beatles LOVE! That show was awesome. Not only did it incorporate dancing, skating and a mini bubble show, this Cirque du Soleil show was done to the tune of Beatles' songs (obviously) and it also told a story the whole way through. I really, really loved it. We also went out for the first time in Vegas to LAX at Luxor with our friends. As many times as I've gone to Vegas I've never gone out, and it was really fun. I think we expected the club to blow our minds, but it was just okay. I mean it was definitely roomy, had a good DJ mixing and was crowded, but yea. So I'm now recovering from 3 near all-nighters in the desert city. So I guess that's really it. Hopefully this holds us over until I can ramble on about more things that are meaningful.

DICLAIMER: I feel there is no way to blog about this without sounding like a complete compulsive gambler or a junkie feeding an addiction, but please know that we are not such people!

Okay two random thoughts I must get off my chest: I'm tired of hearing about Tiger and who are these random people who crashed the White House dinner party? More importantly, who cares??? I'm actually impressed that they crashed it and wonder if I could've gotten in myself...

Three things I should be putting more thought into:
1. What is going on in Afghanistan now? (I know more troops were just approved)
2. Booking our return flight from Texas post New Year's Eve
3. A good optometrist, dentist, family practice doctor and hair stylist in SF

What if...

The other day a friend of mine got a new blackberry and had posted a status on facebook to add more Blackberry Messenger friends (which is awesome and perhaps the only thing that bb has on the iPhone). Well I immediately pinged him my PIN so we could be friends, sent him James' and also gave him another friend's PIN who was living in the same city as him. This is all leading somewhere folks, stay with me. Well I started chatting with James afterwards and said, I wish I could just be a socialite. In my mind I would just make friends, introduce people to each other and have free stuff dumped on my front porch daily. But then I found this website (thank you google): www.wikihow.com/Become-a-Socialite

Well I wouldn't want to be a Paris Hilton, I'm already married and I could refrain from loving expensive things. I could just be an average jane's socialite. I guess amongst the average young working professional class, and that would be my job. I could make a ton of friends and just connect them with each other - like a human LinkedIn/Facebook/MySpace. Sometimes I think about it, and we do have really random groups/pockets of friends who are all really different from one another.

DISCLAIMER: not saying we're soooo popular

And I've tried to mesh groups, but it's never been quite that successful. So we keep it separate unless it's a big thing like birthdays and such. So if we have the ability to make these different types of friends, it would be so useful to me if I became a socialite. I'm already on my way! A big what if. Do you think this could work?? Or do you feel as if I just sound like a self-proclaimed prom queen...



In other news I finally sprang for some yoga type pants. I realized after joining my Pilates class that there was a good reason that girls didn't just wear shorts. I always felt like I was flashing Amy, my mat class instructor. Well flash no more Jen, you have yoga pants. And I gotta admit, I thought they were more for fluffy girls who wanted to look cute when they were exercising, but when I was trying them on I thought OooOoOO, these fit nice. I feel sexier, more fit and slimmer already! So maybe THAT'S why girls tend to buy them. Don't get me wrong, I still like my Nike running shorts, and I'll stick by em til I die, but SF is a bit cold and the pants are snug. Don't judge me.

ALSO - calling all website saavy people:
PLEASE HELP ME REDO MY PICTURES AT THE TOP OF THIS PAGE! I want to update the pictures, because believe it or not there are MORE pictures of us eating and drinking good food and drinks. I just remember last time it took me a while, and it was really frustrating. So maybe if you're good at it, and maybe if you take pity on those of us who aren't so much good at it then you'll help?