Darth Vader, Frat Boys, Long Days...

Phew! What a couple of weeks. I thought I was busy last month, boy was I wrong. Here's the skinny...

Gus and I went to New Mexico two weeks ago to visit his family and attend the Albuquerque International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta. Let me tell you, this was awesome and exactly what I needed. Last time I was in New Mexico was for Thanksgiving and Gus' sister's wedding. While it was amazing to be a part of their family's celebration, it was awesome to just relax and enjoy my surroundings this time.

The first thing we did was go to the Santa Fe Ski Basin to see the Aspen trees changing. The leaves were stunning colors of red, orange, yellow, and green! We hiked around and took tons of pictures. Everything was so lovely and the day was so clear. It was a great start to the week.

We had originally planned to attend the balloon fiesta the day after we got in, but it was unfortunately rained out. Since I REALLY wanted to go see the balloons, we decided to head back down to Albuquerque on Thursday. That evening, we went to the Special Shapes "Glowdeo." Basically, all the uniquely shaped balloons (think Darth Vader, Pooh Bear, giant pigs, etc.) are blown up in the field and remain tethered to the ground. You have the opportunity to wander around and check out the balloons, and of course snap a TON of pictures. Once the sun sets, the special shapes balloons light up at the same time and in different patterns. I'm sure you can imagine how beautiful this sight was. I was in simply in awe.

The next morning, Gus and I got up at 5:15AM to catch the bus to the morning launch of the balloons. Since hot air balloons fly the best in cold weather, they launched very early in the morning. Even though I desparately needed a hot chocolate, I was sooo glad we came. We got to see all the special shape balloons blown up again, but this time they launched into the air. It was so colorful and exciting that I felt like a kid in a candy store. It was hard to know where to look because the balloons were everywhere. After the special shapes had gone, the normal balloons started pouring in for the Honda "Key Grab" Competition. Basically, there were three poles sticking up in the middle of the field with car keys on top. Each of the balloons had the opportunity to swoop in and grab the key, and thus win a car! We saw two balloons reach success, two balloons drop the keys, and numerous balloons come in a little too low, if you know what I mean! Ouch. Overall, the experience was amazing and I would highly recommend everyone attend this fiesta at least once in their life!

Needless to say, the rest of our week wasn't as exciting, but I enjoyed it immensely. We did large amounts of hanging out with Gus' family, watching football, going to a movie, eating delicious food, and just generally enjoying our time together.

Once Gus and I returned to Seattle, our apartment search was on! We didn't exactly plan our vacation at the best time since our current lease is up at the end of October, and we had decided to get separate places from our roommates. Gus and I spent the weekend and entire next week searching for a place. We saw many good apartments and many duds, but eventually we found the perfect apartment. Unfortunately, it is located in the University District! I mean, literally down the street are numerous frat houses. I wasn't convinced that this apartment was going to work. However, seeing is believing. Our apartment is on the back of the building and on the downside slope of a hill. From the front of the building, our apartment would be considered underground. We won't have any neighbors and no one can walk anywhere near our apartment. With a washer & dryer in the unit, I was sold and the rest is history. Now we are working on packing and moving... oy. If you need our new address, leave me a comment and I'll send you an email.

Finally, I promised a work update. Life is crazy on that front. My yearly review is slated for Friday, and I'm hoping to get good news. Stay tuned to hear because if it's good, I'm sure I won't be able to keep it quiet. :)

Anyway, I want you all to know that I love you dearly. Here are some teaser pictures for you to enjoy. Go to my Flickr site for more of the balloons and Aspens: http://flickr.com/photos/29006243@N02/sets/72157608005747110/. I have also put up two videos on YouTube (on the right of this page) of a balloon being blown up.

Quick Update

Oy. Where to begin? Gus and I have been super busy these last two weeks, which is why I haven't gotten on here to update lately. So don't despair. I promise I will post on here this weekend. Things to look forward to:

1. New Apartment details
2. Adventures in New Mexico
   
3. Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta photos and stories
4. Halloween plans...

Stay tuned!

Jeanine LOVES free tickets!

Thanks again to everyone who celebrated my birthday at Fremont's Oktoberfest or sent me messages/cards/gifts. I really do appreciate your kindness and friendship.

Last week was no exception to the busyness that can be my life. I walked into Monday thinking that a "normal week" was in store for me. Boy was I wrong. I spent all day Monday in the office of our video guy where we created and edited a highlights video of our clients' first quarter. I had no idea that this takes sooooo long. What a process!

At the end of Monday, an email came across asking if anyone wanted tickets to the Mariner's game that night... FREE BOX SUITE TICKETS in the Moyer Foundation Suite. Um duh! I was dying to go. I immediately called Gus and politely told him to take a bus downtown after work because we were getting spoiled! This was by far the best place I have ever sat at a game (and probably will ever sit). Pretty much directly behind home plate and above the press box, our seats were padded with wheels and tables in front of us for food. The whole level is warm and carpeted, and the bathrooms are lovely. It really made me feel bad for the "riffraff" sitting in the sections outside of the suite level, haha! Behind our seats in the actual box there was a large TV, sink, fridge, arm chairs, breakfast bar with high stools that looked out on the game... I think you get the picture. I'm so glad that I didn't miss that email.

Tuesday through Thursday found themselves to be relatively normal days, but on Friday, I once again found myself the recipient of free baseball tickets. This time they were directly across from third base on the first level 20 rows back! Gus decided not to attend (something about silly presidential debates), so I took my roommate, Ceci. We had a wonderful time. There were flyballs coming at us from everywhere, and it was Fan Appreciation Night so there were tons of prize giveaways (we didnt win any though). Man, I still LOVE free tickets. How can I resist?

Finally, my weekend came to a close on a relaxing note. Gus and I enjoyed dinner at the Matador on Saturday and met his buddy Beau out for some drinks. Today, we are doing nothing but relax, eat pizza, watch way too much football, and play with Jack and China. For next week, Gus will be gone most of the week to a training in Longview, WA and we leave Saturday for the balloon fiesta in Albuquerque, NM!

It's Official, 25 years and counting...

Thanks to everyone who sent/called me with birthday wishes yesterday. I really appreicate your kindness! I had a wonderful day. :)

Just to give everyone an update on my birthday activities, here you go:

9:00 - Slept in. Not going to work on my birthday. haha
11:00 - Shopping in Bellevue mall.
12:00 - Lunch with Gus at The Cheesecake Factory! Yummy!
1:45 - Swedish hot stone massage at Spa Scotta (I highly recommend this massage and location).
5:00 - Stuck in traffic downtown Seattle trying to get to dinner.
6:00 - Finally arrive for Spanish tapas with Gus at Tango.
7:30 - Phantom of the Opera broadway production (fantastic! horray!).
10:30 - Home in bed wishing everyday was so exciting and relaxed.

Also, I'm celebrating with friends tomorrow (Friday) night at Fremont's Oktoberfest. There are many many different types of beer to sample and plenty of activities to enjoy. It's going to be a great weekend. If you're in Seattle, and you would like to join us, let me know!

Peace.

Sorry for the delay, I've been in San Fran!

Hi Everyone - Sorry it has been so long since I posted. Hope you enjoy the wedding photos below. Just to catch you up to my activities...

I spent most of last week in San Francisco with my new client. We were attending the CTIA Wireless trade show, and meeting with reporters, bloggers, and analysts in order to show off our new phones! We spent all day Wednesday and Thursday in a restaurant where I ushered people back and forth for the meetings. I saw the same demo and listened to the same information so many times, and I could definitely give them myself... possibly even in my sleep!

Each night, I went out to drinks and drinks with my clients or colleagues, and boy did I eat well! The first night we went to The Slanted Door which is a highly sought after location. The food definitely lived up to its reputation and practically melted in your mouth. Filet mignon, halibut, tiger prawns, on and on. Mmmm... I also had drinks with an old colleague of mine who has relocated to SF. The next night, I attended my Windows Mobile client's happy hour press event and accompanied them to a fancy sushi restaurant for dinner. I tried many different kinds of sushi, but my favorite part was the last dish they brought out... filet mignon and wasabi mashed potatoes. I let everyone know that this is how a Montana girl ends a sushi meal!

On my final night in SF, I was left to myself, as many of my colleagues had headed home that morning (I had meetings until 6 that night). Since I had never been to SF, I decided to take advantage and hopped a cable car towards the Fisherman's Wharf. I got out at Lombard Street, the most crooked street in the world, and walked the rest of the way to the water. Walking down the hill, you could see Alcatraz out in the bay, but it was way too foggy to see the Golden Gate Bridge... bummer. Maybe next time. After much wandering, I found a lovely Italian restaurant and treated myself to a lovely meal. I then hopped on the next cable car and went back to the hotel.

The next morning, I was on my way back to Seattle, but not before being sufficiently held up at the airport security check. They kept running my bags through the scanner and finally decided to open them and search. After 10-15 minutes of not letting anyone behind me through the checkpoint, they finally discovered the "mysterious" item they were looking for. Guess what it was? MY NECKLACE! Haha. I had removed it and put it in my coat pocket so it wouldn't set off the alarm. Necklaces are quite dangerous, so I'm not sure what I was thinking by bringing it with me. Finally, I was let through and hopped my flight back home.

It was definitely one of the most exhausting "vacations" of my life, but I thoroughly enjoyed it! Pics below...

Cable Car!

Waiting in line for the cable car.

The top of Lombard Street

Another view from Lombard St.

At the bottom of Lombard St.

Alcatraz out in the bay.

Some boats at the Fisherman's Wharf

Another of Alcatraz in the fog

Bumbershoot?! What's that?

Last weekend we also attending a large music festival in Seattle called "Bumbershoot." This is a three day long festival that features every kind of music you can imagine. Since we had the wedding on Saturday and Sunday, we were only able to attend on Monday. Next year, I vow to attend all three days (as long as the lineup is good!).

"Bumberchute" is apparently another word for umbrella. This signifies the wide range of groups that perform at the show. They changed the spelling of "chute" to "shoot," I guess to make it a more appealing looking word. Very strange!

Anyway, we had a fabulous time! We got to the Seattle Center where the festival was held and wandered around checking out the approximately 13 very different venues! We then went to our first concert, Paramore. Paramore is a younger group whose style would fit in the punk/emo category, in my humble opinion. I'm sure there's a more technical term for it. Next, we saw The Offspring. This concert was soooo much fun. I saw this band back when I was in high school, and I got a kick out of the 15 year-olds rocking out to their music. They probably weren't alive when Offspring hit it big! That makes me feel pretty old. Regardless, this band still has it and boy can they ROCK!

After that show, we grabbed some food and wandered around the various market vendors. As we made our way to the next show, The Flobots, we received a call from Brittney's co-worker who said the show was already full! Don't be too sad for us though. Brittney's friend knows Flobots' emcee, Jamie, and was able to get us in... Don't mind us, we are with the band! Their music is hiphop style, and the show was amazing! Very politically minded, the emcees wasted no time expressing their various views of the world and urging the crowd to use their god-given tools, whatever they may be, to make the world a better place. Wow... I highly recommend this show. I have uploaded a video of one of their songs, Handlebars. You can see it to the right on my YouTube list. Keep in mind, this video is being taken with my arms fully extended over my head with me on my tippy toes. By the way, this is the view I have at all concerts... bummer.

Having learned our lesson of almost missing that show, Brittney and I immediately went to the venue for Death Cab For Cutie (an amazing Seattle-based band) so that we wouldn't miss out. In the mean time, Gus attended one of his fave shows, Del Tha Funky Homosapien. Haha. The Death Cab show was fabulous as expected, and the ticket cost was more than worth the experience. Yay!

Bumbershoot Mainstage!

Crowd Shots!

The Offspring show

Remember, this is the crowd at 3:00pm...

Britt and Pat give their best "rock out" faces

Elaine, Nate, Ryan, Christen are also rockin' out.

These people performed on flexible poles... wild!

Heather Hazel Wedding

As perfectly follows the theme of my summer, I attended the wedding of yet another friend last weekend. Heather is someone I know beginning with my study abroad adventure in Florence and continuing on to our senior year in college.

Heather was fortunate enough to meet her husband,Chris Thorn, when they were both very young. Not knowing yet that this day would come, they attended grade school together. I swear that these are two of the nicest people you will ever meet. At the end of her college career, they reconnected and the rest is history.

The wedding was held in Yakima and you couldn't have asked for a more beautiful day. The sun was shining, a light breeze blew, and many people came to celebrate. After the catholic ceremony, we went to the reception where we enjoyed wine and passed apetizers until the wedding party arrived. Shortly after we were invited inside for a lovely dinner of salmon and pasta salad. The evening continued on to the cake, speeches, and of course DANCING!

Gus, Brittney, Ceci and I danced up a storm with the rest of the guests. We met some very nice people during the party, and we hope to have the chance to see them again. The following day, Heather and Chris embarked on their honeymoon trip... a cruise to Alaska!

I wish them all the best. Here are the pics: