The girl who moves again

After 2.5 years in Chicago, I am moving back to Austin. It has been a whirlwind November. And, as I enjoy my morning coffee, I will list a snapshot of all that I accomplished these past few weeks.

• I got a job offer!
• I told my boss. Negotiations ensued...
• I accepted a new job as a talent acquisition partner with Harte Hanks
• I gave my two weeks to Morningstar 
• I got pre-qualified for a home loan. So I know about how much monthly payments would be and potentially how much I want in savings for a downpayment. $$$
• I arranged short term Austin housing in the form of my super generous friend, Chad and his pup, Tyrion.
• I finally found a subletter! And, made a new friend in the process. Jenna from Denver agreed to buy all my furniture  (quite a steal!) And carry out the remainder of my lease.
• I visited Kansas City for Katie and Dave's wedding weekend. Fulfilled my role as a bridesmaid.
• I bought a car! 2015 Honda Civic EX.
• I drove 8 hours and roughly 500 miles from KC to Chicago.
• I packed up all my personal affects, giving away A LOT of great stuff to my Chicago friends.
• I said farewell to a limited number of Chicagoans. Thank you for hanging with me these past few years.
• I celebrated my 5.5 years at Morningstar with champagne, Specialty's cookies, Latinicity, Starfruit, and lots of kind emails, hugs, and well wishes. Good luck to all.
• I loaded up my new car, Chance, and took 7 boxes to the post office. Sure hope they make it to Chad's house next week...
• I finalized the sublet paperwork with Jenna and other administrative moving items.
• I packed up Chance and hit the road!
• I drove 8 hours and another 500ish miles from Chicago to KC to celebrate Thanksgiving and my 10 year high school reunion.
• I drove another 13.5 hours through horrific Dallas traffic and finally made it back to Austin!
• 

The Garbage Truck Incident

This year, I am thankful for not being crushed by a garbage truck.

Because I came close.

Chris and I had a wonderful trip to see my friends and family up in Kansas this past week, however we also nearly got smushed by garbage. It’s a sucky story, and I wish it hadn’t happened. But it did, we are fine, but the miata is not.

This was taken while the car was on the tow truck. According to the police, it was not drivable. The steering and the front left wheel weren't communicating correctly. The police officer gave the garbage truck driver a ticket for an improperly executed right-turn, so technically I was not at fault. But still, be careful out there.

Besides wrecking my mom's car, our Thanksgiving break consisted of visiting with lots of people I love, eating many delicious foods, and seeing tons of Kansas.

We toured the Boulevard brewery.

Made a trip out to Lawrence

Feasted with the Kapka/Farris family.

And made it back to Austin in time for Nate's deep-fried turkey.
The weather was perfect for most of the trip (we had one 20 degree day) and I got to see most of the people I wanted too. It never feels like there's enough time to see everybody. I should be back there around Easter, but for now, cheers to the rest of 2012, sure is flying by.

What I Ate Last Weekend - Dining in Kansas City

Last weekend (why am I always so behind on my posts?!?) I visited my friends and family up in Kansas to make sure everybody was still doing well and hadn’t forgotten about me. It was the first trip in many trips that my mom didn’t feel like cooking for me, so we went out to eat so many times! Everywhere we went was someplace new and everything we ate was delicious. Kansas City is becoming pretty hip. I like it.

Friday, brunch at Chez Elle
My dad is totally digging this random intersection just west of downtown, around the corner from the Boulevard Brewing Company. When I was home for Easter, he took me to The Blue Bird Bistro, but this time, he picked this adorable creperie around the corner. The restaurant is in the old Summit Theatre, and there are condos for sale above. You could rent a 3 bedroom, 2.5 bath for under $2,000/month. What a bargain.

Friday, dinner at Martin City Brewing Company
My mom’s been talking about “The Pub” since it opened and was delighted that I had the time and energy to check it out with her during this trip. Martin City is this tiny little town along the train tracks about 10 minutes southeast of Leawood. Growing up, we went there for gymnastics lessons, mini golf, or Sonic, and then later for Tropical Sno (mmm shaved ice). Martin City Brewing Company hasn’t been open for very long, and they aren’t selling their own beer quite yet, but the current selection of microbrews and the not-bar-like menu were fantastic. I highly recommend the scallops and risotto balls.

Saturday, brunch at The River Market
If you’re ever in KC on a Saturday morning, I highly recommend the trip to Downtown Kansas City’s River Market. For locals, there’s tons of fresh produce, flowers, spices, and other amazing things for sale. The prices we totally reasonable, and the samples were delish. After our coffees, my Mom and I had some spinach pies from a little Indian bakery. They were served with tzatziki, which spawned a lengthy conversation about Dahv Dahv, making your own yogurt sauce, and eating gluten free.

Saturday, dinner at Swagger’s
For my last night in KC, my mom wanted to take us all to Jack Stack, one of her standbys for a tasty spinach salad. Apparently a lot of other families were craving the same thing... Rather than wait around for a table we walked across the parking lot to the brand new bar and grill, Swaggers. While the name is less than desirable, the menu and beer selection was surprisingly vast. I chose a Swagger’s Light Lager while Reg spent about 20 minutes scouring the menu for the beer with the highest ABV. To eat, I tried convincing the bros to get The Dead Texan (knowing Chris would have ordered it, had he been there) but everybody choose slightly more reasonably, but still gigantic burgers and sandwiches, many that had been featured on Diners Drive-Ins and Dives. Cool!

Some Kapkas, just before heading to the airport
And thus begins a seriously overdue health food binge.

30 Days of Thankful - Part 3

Thanksgiving has come and gone, but before November ends, let's finish up a few more things I'm thankful for.

November 17th – I should have saved the new babies post for this date because on the 17th I faced my fears and helped Dasha babysit Ellie. I will proudly admit, it was way less terrifying than I’d imagined. Still, when I got home that night I realized how thankful I am to not have a child just yet. Ellie wore me out! Someday I know it’ll be great, but... not today.

Sometimes you just have to feed the kid from the kitchen floor.
November 18th – I am thankful for Fridays! Knowing you get the next day off always makes working so much easier. Especially when you have a long weekend coming up.

November 19th – My mom’s birthday was the 19th. I already said how thankful I am for her; I am also thankful for the things that make her happy. Some of those things are the same as mine (sunshine, bros, Kansas) but they also include things like Survivor, Kayaking, and Yogurt. I am thankful for those things, and that she gets to visit Chris and I for Christmas this year.

November 20th – I am thankful for my home. The Bastrop fires this fall really put this one into perspective for me. I'm really glad I have a kitchen, couch, laundry room, TWO bathrooms, and nice comfy bed to come home to every day.

November 21st – I am thankful for paid-time-off. PTO may be the best perk from a salaried position. I took half of Tuesday and all of Wednesday off for Thanksgiving and BOY do I thank my boss and my company for our extremely lax vacation policy. Unlimited days?! Thank you very much.

November 22nd - I am thankful for potlucks! Our work Thanksgiving feast was epic. We had so many potatoes, beans, stuffings, and my orange-chipotle spiced pecans. Potlucks are so much fun because you only have to cook a small amount, but together you create such a big meal with such a fun variety of flavors. Delicious.

November 23rd – Hanging out with high school friends in Kansas is always so interesting to me. Some aspects of our personalities have changed so much from what we were like back at North, but other parts are exactly the same. I am really thankful I got to spend a little time with Katie and Jonas this past weekend. If only we all lived in the same city all the time.

UT football game feast, thanks Davidows.
November 24th – Happy Thanksgiving! I am thankful for food. I love food and I’m very thankful it's readily available to me.

Thanksgiving dinner at my dad's.
November 25th – On “Black Friday” my mom took my brothers and me to the KC Zoo. I hadn’t been to the zoo in years and it was pretty amusing to return. We all felt it was a much more positive experience to explore in the brisk 45 degrees than it is in the sweltering 95 degree KC summers. Even though I don’t like animals, I am thankful that they can provide joy to others. Some people really like animals, so I guess I'm glad they’re around.

Can you spot the Roo?
November 26th – I am thankful for the newspaper. Another one of my favorite parts about Kansas is reading my mom’s Kansas City Star. I don’t get the paper here, so I love reading it when it’s available. And, I am also thankful for crossword puzzles.

November 27th – I am thankful for my salary. That twice a month paycheck keeps me afloat and without it I know I’d be stressing like crazy.

November 28th – I am thankful for Christmas time! I brought back all my favorite ornaments for Chris' and my first tree together, and I even made a wreath.

You can make it too.
November 29th – Like last year, my friends and I have chosen two charities for the holidays. We’re adopting a local family through Any Baby Can, and we’re buying some ducks through the Heifer organization. I am really thankful everybody was excited to participate in these organizations again. I am also thankful I've gotten a little less scrooge-like with my money over the years.

Nate's pillow friend, from last year.
November 30th – Thirty whole things! Did I forget anything? I have so many things to be thankful for; it’s hard to pick and choose the “best ones.” I guess one final thing I am really thankful for is the inspiration and support to start blogging again (aka, you). Blogging has been very therapeutic for me. I’m thankful I got my act together on that one.

Ok two final pics from Thanksgiving break.

Crackers the cat.

A tree in my dad's lawn. This picture was taken on Wednesday morning. By Sunday, that tree was almost totally leaf-less.

30 Days of Thankful - Part 2

I tried to start this blog post on Sunday night, but the creativity was not flowing. Something about sitting on the couch snuggling with Khyra made me want to shut my laptop and grab a book (or the TV remote). I suppose I don't really do computers on the weekend anymore... sitting in front of them all day M-F at work makes me say to myself on weekends, "Oh, it can wait until Monday."

Or Wednesday...

Shall we continue?

November 9th - I am thankful for my education. Without a degree I would never have gotten my job. Despite how crappy college turned out to be for me, I'm very glad I stuck it out and graduated.

With Shirin and Alex before UT's December CommencementNovember 10th - I am thankful for my mom and pops. Thanks for college! For high school play costumes, band uniforms, instruments, dance classes, flute lessons, and everything else you sponsored. Thanks for coaching me through job interviews and nagging me to "follow up!" Thanks for helping me with my spelling words, state capitals, and the dreaded bug project. Thanks for treating me like an adult at the appropriate time and for punishing me when I acted like a bratty brat. Thanks for encouraging me to do whatever I want, still! Way to go guys, keep it up.

Last month, at Gingerman

In Fredericksburg, last spring
November 11th - Even though Hank and Reg will always do weird things, I sure am thankful for my bros. Growing up would not be the same without them and their gross friends. I realized it a lot during my Christmas vacation with Chris' family last year. He has two brothers too, and when all three of them were together last year, it was very similar to Hank and Reg's behavior. Oh, except now they are all 20-somethings and thus even bigger and louder. So, thanks to the training I got for what boys do. Wresting... farting... yah, that’s about all boys do.

Typical
November 12th – I did the weather, I did my friends, but I didn’t do AUSTIN! I am so thankful I decided to go to UT and met Chris and stayed in Austin. Texas sucks, but Austin is terrific. There are so many random things to do and so many new neighborhoods to discover. It’s urban, it’s rural, it’s residential and through the last few years, it’s become home.

Photo from, 365 Things to Do in Austin, taken yesterday morning.
November 13th – And even though I love Austin, I love Kansas too. I am thankful I get to travel next week and spend Thanksgiving in KC. Kansas was such a great home for me for so many years. I met some of my best friends there, had some awesome seasons (spring and fall- like none other), and had a really great education. Kansas shaped me into who I am. So thanks Sunflower State; I can’t wait to come visit you!

Us girls at the Royal's Game
November 14th – One thing I’ll always think of right away when I think about Kansas is theatre. It used to be such an enormous part of my life and I’m super thankful for all the skills I learned, the confidence I gained, and the memories I have from my early week-long theatre camps, elementary school “plays,” The Wall of Fame, CCS, Drama Conference, and BVN Rep Theatre. Theatre gave me a lot of direction (ha) and I’m very thankful it was/is? such a huge part of my life.

November 15th – I never thought I’d say this is important enough to put it on my list, but I am thankful for new babies. First there was Ellie, then my step-family’s kid, then Avery, another step-family’s kid on the way, and next March we’ll have Baby Hutson. I still think babies are super weird, but they can also be really amusing and cute.

Baby Ellie at TWO weeks old. She was so tiny!
November 16th – Today seems like the perfect day to do it because Chris comes home from Germany today! I sure am thankful I met him. I’m thankful he got to go to Germany for work and am thankful he gets to come home too. I definitely didn’t think I’d miss him as much as I did. Guess I like him. :-)

Fall 2008

Only one more Thanksgiving post to go. November is flying by.

Visitors from Kansas

As I mentioned last week, this past weekend two of my best Kansas-friends came down to Austin for a weekend visit. Wildg had never been to Austin and KV had visited me once before, right after I graduated from UT.

Last time she was here.

The three of us had an awesome time touring around the city and hanging out with many of my Austin-friends. It was especially fun for me to check out so many places on my “to do in Austin” list. It seems like every time I cross something off the list, something else gets added on.

Because of their suggestions, and maybe because of Cup of Jo’s Guide to NYC, I’ve been inspired to add more Austin-centered places and events to my little blog. I know haven’t been everywhere, so it’ll be a work in progress for all of us.

Our weekend, in summary:

James’ house for the UT v. OU game – Although the result was unfortunate, it was a good setting for the girls to meet the framily* and witness first-hand, how insane the UT/OU rivalry is.

The Bats on the Congress Bridge – This is a MUST SEE for any Austin resident or visitor. The first time I saw them was standing on the side of Town Lake with my family back in ’05. It’s way cooler standing on the bridge. So many bats! I can’t wait to go back and see them again when my dad visits.

Hard to see them, but there's tons.
Jolvita’s to see The Eggmen – The Eggmen are Austin’s BEST Beatles Cover Band. I love them. And the hilarious 40-somethings dancing to them at Jolvita’s made for excellent people watching.

Sandy’s Frozen Custard – When I told my mom that KV and Wilg were coming she said, “Oh make sure to take them to Sandy’s for an ice cream cone!”

Taco Shack – They’d never had breakfast tacos before. EVER.

Kung Fu Saloon – Chris and I listen to Chillville almost every Sunday morning. We’ve heard the ads for unlimited game play, $1 mimosa, and the bloody mary bar countless times, yet this was the first time I’d been there. Needless to say, we will surely be back. FREE skiball. So fun.

The State Capital Building– How horrible is it that in all these years as an Austin resident I’ve never been inside the Capital building? Well, now I have. It was old. And quite large. Interesting fact: at the time it was built, Texas was unsure of its borders. Thus, they just have the star image everywhere inside, but the actual state outline is nowhere to be found.

First & Annie Street Art

Yay, we saw it!
South Congress – One of my favorite spots in Austin. Allen’s Boots, Uncommon Objects, Lucy in Disguise, Tesoros Trading… unfortunately the street vendors weren’t there (RAIN!) but SoCo is sooo the first thing on my list of places to take visitors.

Whole Foods – This is my dad’s favorite spot in Austin. We dined at the seafood area and grabbed a few things for Chris’ surprise birthday party that night. OH MAN I just remembered, they were giving out fresh baked ciabatta bread samples at the bakery. It was melt-in-your-mouth delicious.

Photo from The Statesmen.com
Tacodeli – The breakfast tacos were such a hit the day before that we… got them again! Please note, Tacodeli is my favorite taco spot (but I still haven’t had them all).

UT Campus –We wandered from north of Kinsolving down to the new SAC building. Shoot, I forgot to take them inside Gregory Gym. Then we headed west to see the ridiculous statue placement (image below) before crossing through the main mall and down to the Drag. We made a few stops inside the Co-op, Tylers, Whole Earth Provision Co., swung by the DG house for Wildg, and then headed up north toward Toy Joy.

Spiderhouse - Chris couldn’t believe I’d never been to Spiderhouse. But nope! Wildg summed it up when we walked through the patio and she said, “Oh, let’s sit at the table by the bathtub.” Only in Austin.

Madam Ma’ams – The last stop on our roughly 2 mile walk was for a late lunch. Although the service was troublesome, the meal was delicious (per usual). We headed off to the airport and I told them to grab some Amy’s just before taking off to really complete the trip (and make their plane-mates supremely jealous).

If only we’d had time for the Cathedral of Junk and Master Pancake at the Alamo. Until next time, I’m sure. And in conclusion, I leave you this little facebook finding in anticipation for the week to come.

*Framily: Friends who might as well be family.
Also, super thanks to Wildgen for all the photos!