On the move

A Fall Saturday

noreply@blogger.com (Becca) — Sun, 21 Oct 2007 00:45:00 +0000

Today was a truly lovely day. When I woke up this morning, it was chilly outside…and I knew it was going to finally be one of those gorgeous, sunny, breezy fall days with a not-so-high-as-it-has-been temperature!

Fall is my favorite season and always has been. I love the wind, the falling leaves, the football, and of course…fall fashion!

A few (well…12) of my favorite fall things:

- Pumpkin, Spice, and Apple scented candles

- Making soup

- Going for a walk

- Sweaters

- Coats/Jackets

- Scarves

- Boots

- Fall/Winter materials (houndstooth, tweed, and cashmere…)

- Football

- The anticipation of Thanksgiving Day

- Crunching leaves

- Planning for the holidays

So because the first day of fall came and went without me noticing, thanks to a particularly tough work schedule at the time…I decided to celebrate fall today! Aside from taking Muggsy to the vet, I cleaned the house, shopped for fall goodies, rummaged through my cookbooks for fall recipes, looked at fall fashion online, read up on fall fashion trends in my magazines, and took a walk with the dog. As a result…my house smells like a spiced pumpkin candle, I have yummy recipes to make tomorrow, my summer wardrobe is packed under the bed, and I have begun to create my fall fashion wish list!

If I had unlimited means, I would purchase the following items right away: (Christmas shoppers...feel free to take note...hehehe...)

and This…

Isn't wishful thinking so fun?!? Happy fall! :)

Health, Wealth, Happiness

noreply@blogger.com (Becca) — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 01:39:00 +0000

Health:

Today I inadvertently (when Muggsy had an accident in the living room) discovered that our dog needed to be taken to the vet right away. I won't go in to the particulars, but let's just say that I detected a small creature that had obviously found its way into and through our poor little dog! So, Jarrod and Muggsy went to a brand new vet and received an unpleasant diagnosis that indicated the presence of a tape worm. Yes, ewww. Fortunately that issue can be resolved by two pills that will zap it and make it disappear. Anyway, big adventure for Muggsy. The bad news is that he somehow got a tape worm and we're all disgusted by that. The good news is that we have a new vet and M is now parasite-free.

Wealth:

Ok, well I wouldn't really say "wealth", but to us it is absolutely huge that I FINALLY got a job. I won't spill the details on my blog but rest assured that it is a fabulous position with a fabulous company and if you want to know about it I will be happy to tell you over email or the phone! In short, I got the job that I really wanted and after having just completed my 5th day I can honestly say that I love it. Anyway, the point is...paychecks coming soon. Phew!

Happiness:

Since my last post we have met new friends, seen new places, tasted new food and settled in to our daily routine. So far, so good. The weather was absolutely gorgeous today and we came home from work and were able to open the doors and windows to let the breeze blow through our apartment. There seems to always be a breeze here and they say that it comes off the ocean (which seems weird seeing as how the gulf is a few hours away, but whatever). Most days it is warm, but today we got a little taste of fall!

Last Friday we attended our first "First Friday". This San Antonio tradition happens on the ...you guessed it...first friday...of every month. We spent the evening with friends at the Blue Star Brewery and surrounding art galleries eating food, sipping beer, touring gallery exhibits (all the galleries stay open and let you walk through with your beer!), and listening to live music. It was tons of fun! If anyone visits us on a first friday weekend, they can rest assured we will be exposing them to this fun tradition!

Also, last week I ventured over to the Central Market for the first time. Oh. My. Gosh. That is the nicest grocery store I've ever been in! Tons of fresh produce (including the exciting, rare-ish things like pomegranates, white asparagus, and purple potatoes!), lots of organic food and specialty ethnic foods, a huge wine and beer selection, ready-made meals for two (that are fantastic!) and much much more. I spent nearly 2 hours walking around and taking it all in. Yes, I realize that the store is not that big and that this makes me somewhat of a dork...but I had a blast!

Last but not least, we now have a digital camera! As soon as I have the time, I will post some pics of the new place. :)

Tidbits from a San Antonio Newbie

noreply@blogger.com (Becca) — Tue, 28 Aug 2007 22:00:00 +0000

So I am still unemployed, although hopefully not for long, and I though I would spend a little time blogging about some of the fun things we’ve discovered about San Antonio.

The grocery shopping is about a million times better here. There is no tax on groceries, which is a luxury we didn’t enjoy in Georgia. Also - a lot of the produce comes from nearby farms or from nearby Mexico so it is cheap and very fresh…also a luxury we didn’t enjoy at our local grocery store in Georgia.

The Mexican food is plentiful and delicious. You can’t walk a block without bumping into at least one, if not two or three, authentic Mexican dining establishments. Some are a little more upscale, and some are complete hole-in-the-wall types of places…but so far we’ve discovered that most of it is good. Last week we went to Mi Tierra, the oldest Mexican restaurant in the city, and it is open 24 hours! Needless to say, this place is very famous and is thus overrun by tourists most of the time…so I don’t know how often we’ll go there, but it was a fun experience. One of the best in the city is rumored to be Paloma Blanca’s , and we plan to visit soon.

When we’re not in the mood for Tex-Mex, there seem to be plenty of other yummy choices as well. Today for lunch we had Chris Madrid’s …and it was heavenly. A better atmosphere and better burger than Fuddruckers any day of the week. And I love Fuddruckers!

Some new friends let us borrow a very cool book of theirs, called Walking Tour of San Antonio. This book literally leads you on numerous walking tours through the historical neighborhoods, the missions, the riverwalk/downtown, the parks, etc. I learned tons of history after just browsing through the pages…and it was especially fun to read little historical tidbits about some of the homes in our surrounding neighborhood!

We quickly figured out where all the necessities are located, although a funny thing happened when Jarrod tried to go to the nearby pharmacy to buy some Advil. He walked in and realized that the Olmos Pharmacy did not in fact sell medicine any more, but rather it is an old pharmacy that still serves malts! Ha!

Soon we plan to visit the following places:

San Pedro Park: The second oldest municipal park (second only to Boston Commons) in the United States. It is supposed to be really gorgeous with a spring-fed swimming pool.

Central Market: The best HEB grocery store in town with TONS of fresh food, organic produce, and delicious meals.

And of course, we’ll plan a trip to float the Guadalupe or Comal Rivers soon!

Texans at last...

noreply@blogger.com (Becca) — Wed, 22 Aug 2007 15:02:00 +0000

Hi everyone!

Long time no blogging, huh? Well, we're here in San Antonio, and so far...life is good...very good.

There are a couple reasons I haven't posted yet, and here they are:

1. We have no camera yet and therefore have not been able to take pics of our completely fabulous apartment to post.

2. I haven't taken a job...yet. Don't want to post on this until it is all settled, which will likely be very soon.

So there you have it...I promise a post is coming soon, and hopefully pictures too.

In the meantime I can tell you that Jarrod is all settled in his office and starts teaching tomorrow. He has been working long hours every day trying to get ready for classes and the debate season. Muggsy and I have been holding down the fort at the apartment, but I have quickly discovered that I would make a terrible "homemaker". I am going nuts. It has been over 3 weeks since I worked and while the break has been nice...I am now completely stir crazy. Now you may think to yourself, "why wouldn't Becca just keep busy by decorating the new apartment, working on projects, etc.?"...but the problem my dear friends, is that we found out last week that Jarrod doesn't get paid until September 25th!!! Yes, that is more than a month away. SO...all decorating projects, new furniture purchases, etc. are on hold for about a month...and hence, my state of boredom and stir-craziness.

The one thing I have done is interview, interview, interview. I have one more (hopefully final) interview today and then I have a big decision to make. So, stay tuned! Also - we are getting a digital camera in the mail any day now, so I promise to take lots of pictures ASAP and post them very soon!

No blogging until....sometime hopefully sooner rather than later!

noreply@blogger.com (Becca) — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 21:52:00 +0000

So today is Wednesday, August 1st. On Tuesday, August 7th, one VW Jetta, one Ford Explorer and one 26 foot Penske truck will pull into San Antonio carrying 2 Eatons, 3 Atchisons (yes - Muggsy counts) and a lot of stuff. Thankfully as of today, we finally have a place to actually pull in to. Yes folks - Jarrod is obtaining a money order as we speak to send in our deposit on an apartment - we have an address - finally. We were beginning to think we would have to live out of the truck!

No, we haven't seen it yet (a little scary), we are blindly trusting our agent to have picked us a nice place (also a little scary) and it doesn't have a washer or dryer connection (very scary). But...it is in a good neighborhood very near Trinity and it is twice the size of the loft we've been living in, with a new kitchen and bathroom...so...we'll take it. If you're ever in San Antonio and want to see us, you might just try popping into a couple laundromats because chances are I'll be there.

Alright, enough sarcasm. Seriously...this is good. We have a place to live and it is only a 6 month lease so we aren't tied to it for a whole year and will be able to buy a house as soon as we sell the loft. We'll post pics after we get there!

Which brings me to my actual point of this post...we're moving, so I won't be on the internet until...well...until we have internet in San Antonio. But next time I'm back I'll undoubtedly have some stories, some pictures and some desire to share details of all the adventures that we are about to embark on.

Alright...back to packing...we're almost done! (Mom - you said you didn't believe we would be done by Friday, but you are SO wrong!)

A Sad Day

noreply@blogger.com (Becca) — Thu, 26 Jul 2007 20:07:00 +0000

Something has just happened that puts all of life in perspective. Skip Prosser, beloved basketball coach and member of the Wake Forest family, has died suddenly after collapsing while he was jogging. It has only been less than twenty minutes since I found out but I feel like I've been hit by a mac truck.

He was a truly amazing person. After he first came to Wake and we all realized how incredible Wake basketball was going to become, I happened to bump into him on the quad on the way to the post office. Like a giddy little girl I said "Hi Coach!" and he waved at me and gave me the biggest most sincere ear to ear grin. Ever since then I just knew that he was a rare find in college athletics...someone who is genuine and cares about other people above all, but who manages to win and win big! He was someone we all trusted, admired, and respected and he was as loyal to his fans as we were to him. He will truly be missed.

So as I sit here and cry silently in my office at UGA, a place where nobody around me seems to understand how devastating this is (and wouldn't unless we were talking about Mark Richt) a lot is sinking in.

Life comes at you so fast and there just isn't time to sweat the small stuff. So we don't have a place to live in San Antonio yet, so we haven't sold our loft yet, so I don't have a job yet...who cares. I have my health, my family, and I'm grateful for everything that I have in this moment.

We love you Skip - may God be with your family...

Fun Pics!

noreply@blogger.com (Becca) — Thu, 26 Jul 2007 14:09:00 +0000

So, no update on the real estate front yet, but in the meantime...here are a few pics from my recent trip to Connecticut to visit my fabulous cousin/best friend/sister I never had...Starley! :)

All serious and happy...
We were going to go to a real wine tasting...but then we figured the wine tasting offered by the sales rep in the liquor store would suffice. We bought a couple bottles. One good glass of red wine will certainly loosen you up!

Killing time on the pier...looking out over Long Island Sound...

Driving to the beach, and jamming out to something (knowing us it was prob. Justin Timberlake or Def Leopard). Ahhh, let the good times roll...

A photo pose gone terribly wrong...

That's better...

The end...

Packing ain't easy...

noreply@blogger.com (Becca) — Thu, 19 Jul 2007 18:59:00 +0000

No, I'm not posting the crazy story yet, because things are up in the air and I don't want to jinx anything. However, one thing that is not up in the air is our moving date. We leave Athens at 7:00 a.m. on Monday, August 6th. Now, because the loft is still on the market and prospective buyers can come through at any time, I can't really start packing yet because I can't have boxes laying around everywhere yet. Sooooo, for one week before we leave, Jarrod and I will be packing like crazy.

The problem is, packing is hard and sad and just generally un-fun. I've started packing up my office and I feel like it will never get done. And that is just my office!

And then there is the other problem....Muggsy. He hates packing. He knows what packing means. He won't understand why we are packing everything we own, but rest assured he will be very upset.

This is what happens when I even try to pack a suitcase:

Notice that he has positioned himself *inside* the open suitcase. What you can't tell from the photograph is that every time I put something in, he takes it out as soon as I turn around. No, I'm not kidding.

Packing is going to be very difficult in the Atchison household!

No more cockroach...

noreply@blogger.com (Becca) — Wed, 18 Jul 2007 18:28:00 +0000

Alright, so I still can't tell the story yet, but I can follow up on yesterday's teaser...

Muggsy and I went on a roach hunt last night. Muggsy found it, I squished it, it is dead...RIP cockroach.

Coming soon...

noreply@blogger.com (Becca) — Tue, 17 Jul 2007 19:59:00 +0000

I haven't posted for a few days, but it is only because I'm waiting until the right moment. There are things in the works. Whether they work out well or not remains to be seen...but whenever we have our answer I will write you a very entertaining story. Just be patient for a little bit longer!

One teaser:

If I find the cockroach responsible for the most inconvenient home invasion of all time...I will squish that sorry little sucker until it dies a horrible death!!!

The Atchison Family's Top Tens

noreply@blogger.com (Becca) — Tue, 10 Jul 2007 17:48:00 +0000

It has been a gloomy couple of weeks around here as we've realized that our loft probably won't sell anytime soon and the financial woes keep adding up as I don't have a job lined up yet. Ugh. Nevertheless...we're determined to keep our chins up and focus on the positives. So folks, I present to you some top ten lists! I didn't ask Muggsy to submit a top ten, but I'll give you what I think would be his "top fives":

Top Ten Things We Will Miss Most About Athens:

Jarrod's List:

10. Tailgating outside Phi Kappa Hall on UGA game days
9. Enjoying the outside patio at Allgood
8. Having a lazy lunch downtown at the Gyrowrap
7. Happy hours with the department
6. The annual halloween party
5. Going on walks along the river in the botanical gardens
4. Late night stops at Achim's K-Bob
3. Traveling with UGA debate
2. Living in a loft at Whitehall Mill
1. The people - specifically, good friends!

Becca's List:

10. Working only 2 buildings from Jarrod and being able to go to lunch together
9. Being able to make weekend trips to Wake
8. Stopping at the shoe store downtown during lunch to buy myself a fantastic pair of shoes
7. My little cozy office and the squirrel that lives in the tree outside my window
6. The food (Bischero, Last Resort, K-Bob, DePalma's, Fresh Air BBQ, etc.)
5. The fall season - leaves turning colors/football game days/breezy cool weather (but not cold!)
4. Grilling out with friends at our loft
3. Holiday parties at Whitehall Mill
2. My job
1. Our friends

Muggsy's List:

5. Watching people come and go from my perch in the window
4. Visiting my Uncle Drew/Aunt Kristen's house (and running up and down the stairs!)
3. Running circles around the kitchen island
2. Going for walks along the river
1. Finding new and difficult places to pee around Whitehall Mill

Top Ten Things We are Most Looking Forward to about San Antonio:

Jarrod's List:

10. Hanging out at La Tuna
9. Having a reason to be a Spurs fan besides the Tim Duncan/Wake Forest connection
8. Floating the Guadalupe River
7. Live music at Floore's Country Store and Gruene Hall
6. Breakfast tacos at the Taco Taco Cafe
5. Excellent BBQ
4. Getting to hang out with new department colleagues
3. Finally being an assistant professor
2. Starting a new debate program from scratch
1. Hosting family and friends in our new city

Becca's List:

10. Free gym memberships
9. Fantastic shopping
8. Closer proximity to an airport
7. Being able to have/attend crawfish boils
6. A good pro-basketball team to get excited about
5. Hosting current and future friends
4. BBQ brisket
3. A chance to see lots of good live music
2. Testing each and every Mexican restaurant (there are hundreds!) (#10 will come in handy!)
1.5. Breakfast tacos at the Taco Taco Cafe
1. Being so close to family

Muggsy's List:

5. Freedom to run around in backyard without a leash
4. Sniffing out the new neighborhood
3. Less frequent boarding
2. Finding new and difficult places to pee
1. Being close to my grandparents and uncles

Fortune Cookies are Stupid

noreply@blogger.com (Becca) — Mon, 02 Jul 2007 14:47:00 +0000

Needless to say, you have probably guessed from the title of this post that there has been no "pleasant surprise" as my fortune cookie promised a few weeks ago. In fact, there have been several unpleasant surprises.

First, the potential buyer grad student person backed out. Then, the other potential buyer who was just SOOOO interested in our place decided to rent instead. And then, I found out that I lost a job that I wanted to another candidate who is already in San Antonio. Now, none of this is unreasonable...but it definitely isn't good news either.

I'm shunning fortune cookies. They're not good for the mind, body or soul!

Busy Busy Busy

noreply@blogger.com (Becca) — Mon, 25 Jun 2007 17:40:00 +0000

The past couple weeks have been very busy and exciting and I’ve just been too busy to blog! So, I figured it was time to fill you in on the latest scoop. I’ll try to make this an organized post since I have a lot to say…so here goes:

Vacay

I just returned from a four day trip to New England to visit my fave cousin, Starley in Connecticut. We enjoyed Misquamicut Beach in Rhode Island, Lake Compounce Amusement Park in Connecticut, manicures/pedicures, margaritas, and much much more! The weather was gorgeous up there! And it was very nice to get away and spend some q-time with Starley. I’d post pics, but my digital camera is broken and she hasn’t sent me any of the pictures we took yet!

Aside from my trip home that included a 2 ½ hour airport shuttle ride from New Haven, CT to La Guardia airport (think Tobias Funke on the $12 airport shuttle in Arrested Development…I’m not even kidding), the visit was very fun. And even the shuttle wouldn’t have been bad except that the driver was so short he could barely see over the steering wheel, barely spoke English so nobody could understand him, and he didn’t have a rear view mirror so we had several near-incidents. Top that off with an angry man speaking a foreign language into his cell phone for the entire ride and a large woman who insisted on sitting practically on top of me. Yes, it was an interesting ride to the airport.

House Issues

While I was gone, several good things happened. We had an open house that lured a couple “potentials” as our realtors tell us. But more importantly, we had a very last minute (as in less than 20 minutes notice!) visit from a woman who really likes our place and needs to buy a place in Athens and move quickly to start her new job in mid-July. She loved it but wants her mother to come up from Savannah to see it, so they’re coming next weekend. Meanwhile, we have another young woman who looked at our loft about a week ago who is in a similar position…waiting for her mother to come in from out of town to see it. This sounds good to us. Very good. So, now we just have to wait and see and hopefully something will happen within the next week!

Meanwhile, in other good news, the house we want in San Antonio is still on the market and the price was just reduced. Hooray! Now…hopefully it can wait just a little bit longer for us and we might be able to pull this all off perfectly.

Job Hunt

I have had several interviews, have one more coming up and I am currently waiting to hear back from the organizations. Interviews have gone extremely well and that is all I can control, so now I’m just in waiting mode. I don’t want to say too much about this right now, but I’ll keep you posted as soon as I hear something (which should be within the next two weeks). Wish me luck!

What's Up Next...

The month of July should be pretty crazy if everything goes well. *If* we sell our house to the person that needs to be here in a couple weeks, then I'll be in full-fledged packing, storing and/or moving mode very soon. Of course, that will be very interesting because Jarrod will be in North Carolina for the whole month of July working at Wake Forest. I guess Muggsy and I will just have to tough it out and get all the work done on our own!

In mid-July I'll go visit Jarrod at Wake for a weekend, and in early August the whole fam is coming over here for his commencement, at which point he will officially be known forever more as "Dr.".

All in all, it will be a big month and hopefully it will involve selling a loft, buying a house, and getting a new job!

A pleasant surprise

noreply@blogger.com (Becca) — Thu, 14 Jun 2007 18:27:00 +0000

Because we've been so good about eating lunch and dinner at home and avoiding unnecessary spending, Jarrod and I decided to treat ourselves to lunch today at Doc Chey's Noodle House. (I know ...rewarding saving by spending may not be ideal, but I really wanted a Spicy Thai Basil Noodle Bowl w/ Chicken!)

To my pleasant surprise, my fortune cookie yielded a pleasant surprise as it said: "A pleasant surprise is in store for you soon".

Hmm, I wonder what this means. It could mean that I will get a job soon, or that we'll sell our house soon, or that we'll win the lottery...

Ok, that last item is a bit silly since I'm pretty sure you have to actually play the lottery to win the lottery, but the other two items are possible.

I have three interviews coming up, and two of them are second-round interviews and we have an open house next weekend. Stay tuned for details.

Crystal Rain and Truck Balls

noreply@blogger.com (Becca) — Mon, 11 Jun 2007 17:38:00 +0000

I had to break down and buy more Windex. But, because Mountain Berry Windex is clearly unlucky...I bought Crystal Rain Windex. So far, we've had one loft showing since the purchase and use of the new product. I'm not feeling confident...

THE STORY:

When we know our loft will be shown, we got through the motions, as I've described before, to make the place "warm and inviting". This type of atmosphere is bolstered by the smooth, jazzy and calming sounds of Michael Buble coming from our stereo.

We received a call to say that a Coldwell Banker agent would be showing our loft between 2:30 and 4:00 p.m. on Saturday. Therefore, starting at 1:15 p.m., we set about creating the "warm and inviting" atmosphere.

So, imagine our horror when a HUGE truck with a HUGE lift came nearly crashing into our front door at 1:45 p.m. and a 6'4" man who was pushing 350 lbs. got out and asked us if our loft was the real estate office. Jarrod politely explained that the Coldwell Banker sign in our window indicates that our loft is for sale and not that it is the C.B. office. Then the beastly man asked if he and his wife (also a bit beastly looking!) needed an appointment to view the properties for sale. Jarrod told him that we'd be more than happy to show our loft to him, but that we were getting it ready for a 2:30 appointment. Then the man said "Oh yeah...that's us. We're meeting our realtor and he said he'd show us all the lofts". And then the man got back in his truck and drove off...we presumed to meet their realtor somewhere.

We observed several things from this alarming encounter:

1.) This dude would not be able to live in our loft - he could barely fit in our tiny little place
2.) He was bald...as in scary large skinhead bald...not "I'm losing my hair because I'm old" bald
3.) His truck had balls hanging from the trailer hitch. Yes...I mean balls*...as in plastic replicas of the male anatomy...hanging...from...his....truck's...trailer hitch...

Based on the brief conversation and above observations, we were able to deduce the following:

1.) Their realtor was probably going to show them our loft as a comparison property to then tempt them to buy a bigger, better one
2.) Anyone who drives a truck bigger than our loft, probably wants a loft bigger than their truck
3.) He must be a disgusting pervert who...wishes he had bigger balls?!?!?!?
4.) His wife must either have (a.) no class (b.) no taste...or (c.) a love of balls

Still, some potential:

1.) Maybe the man and his wife have a son or daughter that will need a place to live while in college, and they're looking to buy for him or her
2.) Maybe...well...maybe #1

So, we finished up our prep work, cued the music, grabbed the dog and left the loft to find a spot down by the river where we could see up the hill to our front door. At 2:31 p.m., the realtor and ball people entered our loft. At 2:34 p.m., they exited.

And that was that.

And no, they didn't want it.

And no, Crystal Rain Windex clearly didn't make a big of difference. Lovely.

* Apparently truck balls are also referred to as "truck nuts". Hmmm...nice... Click here to read another blogger's opinion and actually see a picture!

GO SPURS GO!

noreply@blogger.com (Becca) — Fri, 08 Jun 2007 02:01:00 +0000

The Joys of Summer

noreply@blogger.com (Becca) — Wed, 06 Jun 2007 13:49:00 +0000

Here's the thing about getting ready to move. Basically, it is such an expensive process that you just have to accept the fact that you are going to be absolutely broke...for quite a while. This isn't the end of the world. I mean, we've been pretty broke for the last several years because the grad student stipend ain't exactly what you could call "generous", so this isn't unfamiliar territory. But moving is different, because not only are you broke to begin with...but you have to save every little last bit of your brokeness to put it towards the move. Yes, brokeness is now a word...deal with it.

One thing in particular, that you cannot do when you are broke and getting ready to move at the end of summer is...take a nice summer vacation...like to the beach. Another thing you cannot do, is buy lots of cute summer outfits, shoes, accessories, etc.

The real problem is, that my spam mail is taunting me daily. For example,

From: Bluefly
Subject: Meet you at the beach...

From: J. Crew
Subject: Enter for a chance to win a summer vacation wardrobe...

From: Gap, Inc.
Subject: The way to dress this summer is...

From: Crate & Barrel
Subject: Affordable outdoor dining, just in time for summer...

So I, delete, delete, delete, delete...but then...

From: South Beach Diet Daily Dish
Subject: Summer Fruit: Canteloupe

Yes, fortunately I can afford a canteloupe, and it won't make me fat...ter.

Hooray for summer....fruit.

Taco Job-o

noreply@blogger.com (Becca) — Tue, 05 Jun 2007 20:25:00 +0000

It has been pointed out to me today, by my very astute friend Kara, that I should consider employment at the Taco Taco Cafe. Since I am so obviously qualified to work as a bathroom valet, this seems like a very reasonable suggestion.

Hmm...free tacos....yuuummm...

A Word about Job Hunting

noreply@blogger.com (Becca) — Fri, 01 Jun 2007 14:05:00 +0000

As you know, I am on the job market right now, trying desperately to find the perfect fit for myself in San Antonio. Rather than taking the "throw out tons of resumes and see what sticks" approach, I am carefully targeting my job search and only applying to positions that I am really interested in. I refuse to take a step down, backwards, or away from my career goals and from where I already am in the event planning biz.

All that said, searching for jobs ain't easy, and therefore I have solicited a little bit of help from some of those cheezy, genereic online search engines that will email you frequent "job alerts" when something is posted that seems to fit your profile. I realize I'm more likely to find something through real person-to-person networking, but what's wrong with a little help from the good folks at WorkSanAntonio.com?

Ahem...

According to the job alert email I received today, I should be very excited about that fact my "WorkSanAntonio.com Search Agent" has discovered several new job postings that are a perfect fit for me:

Company Name	Job title	Salary	Apply Link
Girls and Boys Town	Youth Care Worker	10.65/hr	[View Posting]
Harris Connect Inc.	Sales Representative	$10/hr+premium pay+ unlimited income potential	[View P osting]
Guest Services International	Bathroom Valet	negotiable, up to $75 per shift	[View Posting]

WOW. They just hit the nail right on the head. Because, I mean, what better way to advance my event planning career than to earn $75 per shift (how long is "a shift" anyway!?!) as a bathroom valet?

WorkSanAntonio.com Search Agent, you are fired.

Mountain Berry Windex

noreply@blogger.com (Becca) — Thu, 31 May 2007 00:47:00 +0000

About a month ago, I declared to Jarrod one day that I did not want to have to buy any new cleaning products before we moved to San Antonio. Selling before the required purchase of cleaning agents will definitely signal success. Fortunately, our cleaning product supply is pretty well-stocked, so it isn't really an issue except in the case of Windex. Specifically, Mountain Berry Windex. (Why buy the boring, generic blue kind when there is a much more exciting berry colored/scented kind?!?)

Now, you know from a previous post that the use of Windex has increased significantly around here since putting the loft on the market. When we get a call to say a potential buyer is coming to look at the house, our cleaning routine involves Windex-ing the six (yes - six!) mirrors and the glass table top. Therefore, I'm getting concerned about the lack of Windex left in the Mountain Berry bottle. My best guess is that there is only an amount equivalent to about two tablespoons left.

This may be a very good sign - seeing as how we just got a call saying someone is coming to look at the place tomorrow and they needed to make sure they could get into a place within two weeks.

-OR-

I will be forced to buy more Windex very soon, which will just serve to reinforce the fact that it has been more than two months and our loft STILL hasn't sold.

Celebrate!

noreply@blogger.com (Becca) — Tue, 29 May 2007 02:24:00 +0000

Today Jarrod and I celebrated our two-year wedding anniversary. What did we do today to celebrate this special occasion? Well...we drove through rural Kansas to Kansas City...ate in a McDonald's...waited forever in the Kansas City airport...flew to Atlanta...drove home to Athens...and that's about it. Yes, I know...a fascinating day...but it was all on the heels of a fantastic wedding weekend in Manhattan, Kansas (Congrats Sarah and Justin!!!)

Weddings will never cease to be enjoyable for me...ever. Aside from the fact that I love to be at events because I love to plan events and am constantly looking for new event ideas, I also appreciate weddings because they remind me of how grateful I am to have had my own wedding and how special it is that I got to marry the love of my life. It is so great to be able to watch our close friends take the same step and be a part of their joy.

So...I managed to forget about San Antonio, the real estate blues, the job hunt anxiety and the uncertain future for the day and focus on more important things for once. :)

Happy 30th Anniversary Mom and Dad!

Happy 2nd Anniversary Jarrod!

And Happy Memorial Day to the rest of you!

Cooperation

noreply@blogger.com (Becca) — Fri, 25 May 2007 17:50:00 +0000

I realize I've been posting very infrequently, but I promise that I have been *trying* to post quite a bit recently. I start to write and then quit and delete the draft because I see myself just expressing characteristics of bitterness and neuroticism. No, I'm not going crazy...I'm just anxious. It is so frustrating to know everything you want and yet not be able to wrap your hands around any of it! (For example, finding a house you love and not being able to buy it because you're at the whim of the real estate market and waiting for a random person to buy your loft!)

Anyway, today I decided to post because some things are looking up. No, we haven't sold the loft, nor do we have any new reason to think it will sell soon...but I do have some promising news on other fronts. I have begun applying for jobs, and it seems to be going well so far. I sent in two applications on Wednesday, and I already have two phone interviews next week! Stay tuned for updates. :)

Also, a funny story:

Yesterday afternoon I received a call from Jarrod while I was at work, but when I picked up the phone he was speaking to someone else. I figured he was talking to someone on the other phone line or that someone was at the house. I heard him say "I'm going to need your full cooperation".

So when he eventually realized I was on the phone he told me that the realtors had called (it was 2:25p.m.) to say they would be there at 3:00 p.m. to show a client our loft. Therefore, it was "go" time (review this post for a recap on what that entails!).

So who was he talking to? Yes folks, he was talking to the dog. The thing is, it wasn't in a cute "doggy voice", but rather in a "serious adult/I mean business and need your full cooperation" voice. I think Jarrod was playing Jack Bauer from 24 and pretending Muggsy was some other government agent from the FBI or something. Ha! Can't you see it now? "This is agent Muggsy Boo Boos, FBI. I'm here to promise our agency's full cooperation in this matter of household cleanliness while we wait for the enemy combatants to arrive on the scene".

God only knows what those two talk about and/or pretend to be when I'm not around!

A cute little house on Summit Avenue

noreply@blogger.com (Becca) — Fri, 11 May 2007 14:05:00 +0000

Hello dear blog friends & fam,

I am writing from a (not-so-fab) HoJo hotel room in (fab!) San Antonio. We have just spent the last two days looking at homes with our realtor and we have had success! Well, success in finding a home that we love...but yet we can't buy it because we haven't sold our loft yet! GRRRRR

I think that I will not post pictures because that might jinx us. We're thinking this home may very well be off the market by the time we sell our loft, so we may be starting at square one at that time. Meanwhile, I can report that we enjoyed some great food (La Fonda and County Line BBQ), a movie at the Alamo Quarry Market cinema and some shopping.

Also, I should mention that our realtor is fantastic. I say that because he seems to be...a lot like us! Same interests, same sense of humor, same taste in music, hangout spots and food. I think that we will be friends with him even after he sells us our home and new friends are always a good thing!

Anyway, today we drive north to Waco, TX for the lil' bro's college graduation at Baylor. Before we head that way though, you know we'll be stopping off at my new fave breakfast place that I have mentioned before...the Taco Taco Cafe!

Til next time muchachas/muchachos...Hasta la vista bebe!

Oooohhh Nooooo

noreply@blogger.com (Becca) — Fri, 27 Apr 2007 18:27:00 +0000

This just in:

San Antonio is the second fattest city in the United States.

Only Las Vegas is fatter.

Awesome.

http://www.bizjournals.com/sanantonio/stories/2007/02/05/daily34.html

A Story of Anxiety...(and one pug's silent protest)

noreply@blogger.com (Becca) — Wed, 25 Apr 2007 18:32:00 +0000

A few weeks ago, our pug started to exhibit strange behavioral changes. He wouldn't eat his breakfast, he wouldn't eat his treats, he would barely nibble at his dinner...and then he would throw it up. I scanned the pet food recall list over and over and over again because I was certain we were inadvertently poisoning him with his IAMS.

Then we realized that the days he does this are only and always the days that we are scrambling to get the loft all cleaned up because the realtors want to show it to a client.

He has also started to strategically pee...inside...on white linen things...right before the realtors show up. For example, the white floor-length curtain that covers my closet in the bedroom - or - the white bedding. It's like clockwork. The realtor calls....he lifts his leg...we walk in the room to find him mid-pee, staring at us like we're crazy for thinking we can sell *his* house.

Over the last month we have perfected the routine of dusting, windexing, sweeping, washing, turning lights on, lighting candles, cueing music, etc. to get it all done right before they show up. And, part of that routine includes moving Muggsy's crate out to one of our cars so that it isn't an eyesore. This sends him over the edge. You'd think he was going to have a heart attack - he shakes and whines and just generally freaks out. Poor little guy. When we first got him and started to crate train him I didn't believe the books that said "your dog's crate will be his safe space, and soon he will love to spend time in there". Well, I'm pretty sure that he has never "loved to spend time in there". In fact, he HATES to go in there most of the time. If the door isn't shut, he won't stay in it. So, why all the anxiety when we take the crate outside? You'd think he'd be happy to see it go away.

I recently tried to explain this whole moving process to him, using my best "dog language". I don't think he gets it. Or if he does understand, then he clearly doesn't want to go anywhere. The conversation went something like this:

Me: Cheer up Muggsy Boo Boos, once our home is sold and we move to Texas you'll have a new house and a backyard to play in (and pee in til your heart's content!). You won't need to stay in your crate anymore and it will be much more fun.

Muggsy: