No this pic is not of Jess and Rob (its of Jess and Cat) but this weekend Jess and Rob got engaged! Woohoo! I've been asking Jess for probably a year what the hell is the hold up. No more hold up. Way to go Rob. I'll give the nutshell version - he proposed at her place after seeing Dave Matthews Band at Fenway. Perfect. And he called her dad the day before to ask for the blessing. Even more perfect.
I really don't have much else to say besides "Woohoo!" I love Jess and I love Rob and I am so happy for them. They are going to be a super cute married couple.
May 31, 2009
May 28, 2009
Circle Searching
A few weeks ago Ross came home and told me about GAGLE - Gab and Give, Let's Eat! It's a women's giving circle based around dinner parties and check writing. I'm not sure what talk radio show he was listening to that he heard about this. Believe it or not, women's charity is not nearly as popular a topic on his radio as baseball or football. Go figure.
We got to chatting about giving circles and he says to me "I wouldn't mind being part of one...I'd write the check and you could go do the social part. I'll come to like the end of year party." Now not to say my honey isn't charitable but I've never heard him suggest we write checks to people. I'm the bleeding heart. He's more of a "you should pull yourself up by your bootstraps but if your home burns down, I'll pull you out" kinda guy.
As a side note, as I read The Daily Beast today, I realized this is pretty normal. We've talked about it at the office before but men and women have different motivations to give. Women want relationships and communtiy health. Men want to be the best. So is it surprising that I am the bleeding heart and Ross is more action baseed? Probably not.
Anyways, so Ross said that once the Team Black cause is met (ie we buy a house and fill it with a little bit of new furniture) a giving circle could be part of world. Well this thrilled me. I love the idea. I love the charity, community and common demoninator implied in it. It's really all the things I would look for in a church but without the personal conflict (for me) about faith. SWEET.
I looked online today for Austin giving circles. There's Impact Austin but its all gals. I found a statewide circle but its all for the arts. I have nothing against the arts but I'm personally more into education and health.
So how does a young couple who wants to be simultaneously charitable and social do this? Do I need to start a giving circle? I could do that but the last thing I tried to start, a book club, quickly turned into a very flexible wine club. Is Austin's cuture right for a giving circle? I'm inclined to say yes but maybe not. Maybe we should join the United Way's Young Leader's Society but then its UWCA deciding where the money goes. I mostly think UWCA does a pretty good job but I would like to be involved in the process. That's part of the appeal of a giving circle.
We're not quite ready to be notably charitable. Not to sound greedy or selfish, but for the moment, time is the only thing we can give in hefty contributions. Between YNPN and the Sam Bass volunteer fire department, we're doing about all we can do. We've got a few years for Austin to develop an appealing giving circle or network. Maybe the I live here, I give here campaign can get something going. Or a new branch of the United Way or the Austin Community Foundation. Whoever does it, I hope it happens and we can jump on board.
Otherwise I may have to do it myself.
We got to chatting about giving circles and he says to me "I wouldn't mind being part of one...I'd write the check and you could go do the social part. I'll come to like the end of year party." Now not to say my honey isn't charitable but I've never heard him suggest we write checks to people. I'm the bleeding heart. He's more of a "you should pull yourself up by your bootstraps but if your home burns down, I'll pull you out" kinda guy.
As a side note, as I read The Daily Beast today, I realized this is pretty normal. We've talked about it at the office before but men and women have different motivations to give. Women want relationships and communtiy health. Men want to be the best. So is it surprising that I am the bleeding heart and Ross is more action baseed? Probably not.
Anyways, so Ross said that once the Team Black cause is met (ie we buy a house and fill it with a little bit of new furniture) a giving circle could be part of world. Well this thrilled me. I love the idea. I love the charity, community and common demoninator implied in it. It's really all the things I would look for in a church but without the personal conflict (for me) about faith. SWEET.
I looked online today for Austin giving circles. There's Impact Austin but its all gals. I found a statewide circle but its all for the arts. I have nothing against the arts but I'm personally more into education and health.
So how does a young couple who wants to be simultaneously charitable and social do this? Do I need to start a giving circle? I could do that but the last thing I tried to start, a book club, quickly turned into a very flexible wine club. Is Austin's cuture right for a giving circle? I'm inclined to say yes but maybe not. Maybe we should join the United Way's Young Leader's Society but then its UWCA deciding where the money goes. I mostly think UWCA does a pretty good job but I would like to be involved in the process. That's part of the appeal of a giving circle.
We're not quite ready to be notably charitable. Not to sound greedy or selfish, but for the moment, time is the only thing we can give in hefty contributions. Between YNPN and the Sam Bass volunteer fire department, we're doing about all we can do. We've got a few years for Austin to develop an appealing giving circle or network. Maybe the I live here, I give here campaign can get something going. Or a new branch of the United Way or the Austin Community Foundation. Whoever does it, I hope it happens and we can jump on board.
Otherwise I may have to do it myself.
May 25, 2009
Personal Social Media Plan
I realize that just because GSCTX is about to have a social media plan - woohoo! - I as an individual do not also need one. But I would also like if in at least one of the...counting...1, 2...5,6, if in at least one of the six social media tools I use, I could do something more useful for the world than get on soapboxes about the top 10% law or share my excitement for my honeymoon. Something more productive and helpful than telling you how cute my wedding shoes are.
Don't expect this blog to be that thing though. No, I think I am going to focus my Twitterings on sharing useful, inspiring information with others. I'm sure not every tweet will make the world a better place but if more do than not, that's a good thing.
And in a digression, I was chatting with Mom weeks, maybe months ago, about what is it that I am most passionate about. Brittany for example knows its heart health. As I thought about tweeting to make the world a better place I was reminded of my personal mission statement which entirely revolved around the health of my family and community. Maybe whereas Brittany might one day tweet or blog all about heart health, maybe I should just be tweeting about a billion ways to make my family and my community healthier and happier. Whether the tweet is about ways to reduce breast cancer risk or creating awareness of online predators, maybe its just all about sharing what I learn and employ to make my life better with others so their lives can be better too.
I get that "making the world a better place" is a pretty broad and ambitious mission for any organization or person. However when I think about it, I think that might be mine. I don't mean to say "well I'm this wonderful and ambitious person who is going to cure everything from over-priced shoes to genocide through social media." I guess I mean that I can't pick just one narrow focused mission. I can't dedicate myself just to one thing. There's too much else that needs help!
Now maybe you are thinking "oh H-E-double hockey sticks, she's jumping ship on the Girl Scouts" but no, I'm certainly not. I may want to make every part of the world better but honestly, I can only have one job at a time. And Girl Scouts is good because its all about helping millions of girls go out and do good things. Millions of girls, plus all their parents, plus all the grown-up Girl Scouts is a pretty hefty chunk of people. If you are trying to help other people live better lives and help their communities grow, starting with the Girl Scouts ain't half bad. And, as a bonus, its a "teach a man how to fish" type of organization which is what I love. I understand that some basic needs just need to be handed out sometimes but for me, teaching someone how to balance their checkbook, use Microsoft Word, read a book, speak in an interview, say no to drugs, set a goal, cook a healthy meal, all these things and more prevent that person from needing charity and hand-outs later in life. That's what Girl Scouts and many other organizations do and holy cow, it feels good.
Anyway, I guess this all stemmed from thinking "I can't twitter about just Girl Scouts. Too many other things need to be out there too!" and from loving the passion and holistic approach of organizations like We Are One Central Texas, the United Way and YNPN. Organizations that say "lots of things need to happen and we're here to make them happen." I hope I can help make all those things happen a little bit faster by doing some do-gooder tweeting.
Don't expect this blog to be that thing though. No, I think I am going to focus my Twitterings on sharing useful, inspiring information with others. I'm sure not every tweet will make the world a better place but if more do than not, that's a good thing.
And in a digression, I was chatting with Mom weeks, maybe months ago, about what is it that I am most passionate about. Brittany for example knows its heart health. As I thought about tweeting to make the world a better place I was reminded of my personal mission statement which entirely revolved around the health of my family and community. Maybe whereas Brittany might one day tweet or blog all about heart health, maybe I should just be tweeting about a billion ways to make my family and my community healthier and happier. Whether the tweet is about ways to reduce breast cancer risk or creating awareness of online predators, maybe its just all about sharing what I learn and employ to make my life better with others so their lives can be better too.
I get that "making the world a better place" is a pretty broad and ambitious mission for any organization or person. However when I think about it, I think that might be mine. I don't mean to say "well I'm this wonderful and ambitious person who is going to cure everything from over-priced shoes to genocide through social media." I guess I mean that I can't pick just one narrow focused mission. I can't dedicate myself just to one thing. There's too much else that needs help!
Now maybe you are thinking "oh H-E-double hockey sticks, she's jumping ship on the Girl Scouts" but no, I'm certainly not. I may want to make every part of the world better but honestly, I can only have one job at a time. And Girl Scouts is good because its all about helping millions of girls go out and do good things. Millions of girls, plus all their parents, plus all the grown-up Girl Scouts is a pretty hefty chunk of people. If you are trying to help other people live better lives and help their communities grow, starting with the Girl Scouts ain't half bad. And, as a bonus, its a "teach a man how to fish" type of organization which is what I love. I understand that some basic needs just need to be handed out sometimes but for me, teaching someone how to balance their checkbook, use Microsoft Word, read a book, speak in an interview, say no to drugs, set a goal, cook a healthy meal, all these things and more prevent that person from needing charity and hand-outs later in life. That's what Girl Scouts and many other organizations do and holy cow, it feels good.
Anyway, I guess this all stemmed from thinking "I can't twitter about just Girl Scouts. Too many other things need to be out there too!" and from loving the passion and holistic approach of organizations like We Are One Central Texas, the United Way and YNPN. Organizations that say "lots of things need to happen and we're here to make them happen." I hope I can help make all those things happen a little bit faster by doing some do-gooder tweeting.
May 21, 2009
Woman v. Red
This week I've had dinner with my in-laws, chaired an event and worked a benefit night. But what story am I going to share with you via blog? My battle with the big red stain. Because let's face it, beating a big red stain, sometimes, that's just life.
I came home from work today to this. Actually it was worse than this because this is on round two of carpet foam cleaners. What happened, I can only assume, is that this red drink was left on the coffee table and Lexi knocked it over. And holy cow did it leave a BIG RED STAIN on my white (beige, whatever) carpet.
Folks, I carpet cleaned, I bleached (watered down but nonetheless) and then I googled. It took two hours of various trials but toward the end I found: the red stain remover from God. It must be from Him because that is how well it worked.
Next time you have to fight a big dirty red nasty stain, here's what you do. Mix 2 cups of hot water with 2 teaspoons of dish soap. Pour it on the stain to saturate it. Then get a white towel and put it in
hot water. Wring out the excess water, fold it and put it on your big red stain. Next get your iron and put it on a steam setting. Place the iron on top of your towel (and therefore big red stain) and let it sit for 2 minutes. Check it occasionally. The heat and hot soapy water should case the red to be soaked up into your white towel. Keep rinsing the towel and repeating til you are pleased with the results. Then use some clean water on it (soaking up any left over sugar so it doesn't attract dirt and turn the spot into a big gray stain). They WHALAH (sp?)! You will have beat the stain as I did.That spot is now actually closer to white than the rest of my carpet. Hopefully when the whole thing gets cleaned next month it will even out.
OK that's the end of being lame and discussing carpet stains. But the point is - I WON!
May 18, 2009
The Bachelorette Blog
I started with a couple comments on Twitter but it just wasn't sufficient. Besides, what if reporters start following me on Twitter and realize how mildly in love with reality romance I am? That can't be good for my career.
That said, here's the play by play of the Bachelorette... (btw Mom if we just lived in the same town I would have someone to share my guilty love with and I wouldn't have to subject all these smart, nice people to such trash, but alas you don't and I need a commentary outlet.)
Starter Scenes
Jill lose weight? She looks hot. Good for her. Still though one bikini scene would have been enough. You don't need to sell America on this girl. We already love her!
The Guys
That said, here's the play by play of the Bachelorette... (btw Mom if we just lived in the same town I would have someone to share my guilty love with and I wouldn't have to subject all these smart, nice people to such trash, but alas you don't and I need a commentary outlet.)
Starter Scenes
Jill lose weight? She looks hot. Good for her. Still though one bikini scene would have been enough. You don't need to sell America on this girl. We already love her!
The Guys
- First handful of guys - seems to be LA/NYC or bust. need some variety
- Texans - how stereotypical! An oil man from Houston (really Tiki Island which is closer to home than Houston probably) and a musician from Austin. But so far they are my favorite, from my two hometowns
- Billbro - what the hell man? dude anyone who renames himself Billbro...
- Another Texan - and I liked him before I knew he was Texan! Hottie pilot!...Oh wow, yeah if I was not marrying Ross, this guy would be who I'd call. HELLO JAKE!
- Do you think if I promised not to fall in love, Ross would let me go on the Bachelorette just to collect the sweet clothes?And how many people does it take to make someone look that nice on TV? Could I get them for my 5 a.m. TV interviews during cookie season?
- Jake will be remembered for his tie if nothing else. Way to go out on a limb.
- Another Texan! And a bartender. As Ross knows, I love a bartender but especially if they are also firefighters.Oh and this is the clothes subtitle...yeah, he wore some.
- That is a hot cowboy hat. I wish he were a Texan. I should ask Ross to wear his cowboy hat more.
- I LOVE that they gave the Brit captions ("to wear," keeping with our clothes theme). As if he doesn't speak English. GREAT.
May 16, 2009
Where's the Ross?
Oh, he's in Dallas. Ross, Rick and Ryan (no actually we don't have friends whose names start with a letter other than R, funny you should ask) are all in Dallas for a buddy's birthday. Will there be mayhem? Yes. Will they party like college kids? Yes. Will Ross have bruises from paintball? Yes. Are Sus and I upset about being abandoned with the dogs? No. In fact, I might go out on a limb and say we're pleased about it.
As you know I like Ross, quite a bit even. And I like Rick and Ryan. I even like the birthday boy, Aaron, and most their other Dallas friends. But there is little if any reason that the wives need to be around for those shenanigans. We can't keep up no matter how hard we try.
So til tomorrow night, its just us girls. Me and Lex during the day and Kandi, Sus and I tonight for Kandi's birthday. I'm in to co-ed groups but sometimes a weekend with the girls is A-OK.
As you know I like Ross, quite a bit even. And I like Rick and Ryan. I even like the birthday boy, Aaron, and most their other Dallas friends. But there is little if any reason that the wives need to be around for those shenanigans. We can't keep up no matter how hard we try.
So til tomorrow night, its just us girls. Me and Lex during the day and Kandi, Sus and I tonight for Kandi's birthday. I'm in to co-ed groups but sometimes a weekend with the girls is A-OK.
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