Parenthood is Here!

Testing out MoBlog

2008-04-22T11:14:00.001-04:00

Just a test post from my Q . . .

Posted from moBlog – mobile blogging tool for Windows Mobile

Gonna get this blog up and running again . . .

2008-04-20T11:21:00.003-04:00

Been so busy with work and parenthood lately that I've been starting to lose touch with friends and family. Time to get this blog back on track . . . I'm going to be trying a combination of proper posts on this blog, presence updates on Twitter, and lifestreaming on Jaiku.

If you want to get an idea of what we've been up to since I last blogged regularly, check out our photostream at Flickr

We had Jocelyn's 2nd birthday at the house yesterday. Glad everyone could make it. Jocelyn had a great time with y'all.

Afterwards, since my parents were in town, Maria and I got a long overdue date night - drinks and dessert at Cafe Intermezzo, miniature golf, bubble tea at Suno, then Rock Bank at Sy and Thao's place. I stuck to singing and was doing pretty well, but my vocal endurance is pretty low right now - 4 or 5 songs (granted, rock songs where you kind of have to yell), and my scores start going down. Next time, I'll try one of the other instruments. Got home about 2:30 (been awhile since we've done that) . . .

Today, some more "date" time with Maria, while my parents spend some time with Jocelyn.

Looking forward to getting online again . . .

We'll miss you, Beamer

2007-12-04T10:48:00.001-05:00

Last night about 9:30, Beamer, passed on. He had been sick since the holidays last year (pockets of liquid in his lungs resulting form a bout of pneumonia and kennel cough). So, he started seeing an internal specialist, and for most of this year, he seemed to be recovering, gaining back the weight he lost and returning to the hyper dog we've come to know and love. It was sad, though, because as a result of his condition, any strenuous physical activity was prohibited. We couldn't take him jogging or play fetch with him because one of the liquid pockets could burst, causing his lungs to collapse. Still, we were just glad he was perking up and happier. But, after Thanksgiving this year, he took a turn for the worse - he stopped eating well, had trouble breathing, and he seemed so sad and lethargic. Last night, it was just too much . . . Maria and I are just numb right now. It was hard seeing him so still, then cleaning him up and wrapping him in his blanket to take to the 24-hour emergency vet. And then coming home and not hearing him around anymore.

We're gonna miss you, Beamer. We just hope you're enjoying that big yard in the sky - no more medicine, no more pain, no more sadness, and lots and lots of little kids to play fetch (it was his favorite) with you to your heart's content.

You know, we noticed over this past weekend that Jocelyn spent a lot of time sitting in front of Beamer and just babbling to him. We think she knew that Beamer didn't have much time left and that she was trying to comfort him. She noticed that he was gone in the morning, too. As we were heading out the door, she kept saying "dog". I know she's so young and may not remember any of this, but I feel sad because she and Beamer never really got to play together like a kid and a dog should do.

Rest in peace, Beamer. You'll always be in our hearts, our thoughts, and our loving memories.

Jocelyn out and about the house

2007-04-02T17:00:00.000-04:00

Daddy, can I watch a DVD?

Jocelyn, there's some spaghetti on your face!

Jocelyn eating puffs

Mommy and Jocelyn by the fireplace

Yay, a picture!

Daddy and Jocelyn in khakis

What'cha pointing at, baby?

Pink baseball cap

Only two weeks until her first birthday!

Here's a smile from our baby.

2007-03-30T21:59:00.000-04:00

Jocelyn's 11(!) months old!

2007-03-16T18:18:00.000-04:00

Sorry I've been lazy about posting pics. Here are some highlights from the last few months

This hat with ears is funny!

I'm gonna jump outta here!

Can you pull yourself up, baby?

Our family Christmas picture

Rawr!

Jocelyn and Mommy in their matching fleeces

Cousins in Orlando

This doggy chair is so comfortable!

Mr. Monkey wants to know what ya got there, baby

Cousins on Christmas Day

Jocelyn and Daddy at the airport

New Year's family pic in Tyler

Family pic at home in Tyler

The beginnings of musical greatness

What'cha lookin' at, baby?

Is it OK if I play with this?

How do you like your hair up, baby?

Jocelyn in her cute overalls

My Old Navy hat and fleece are so warm!

Mommy and Jocelyn at Rusan's

Tea party time! Y'all sit there, and I'll get the water.

Jocelyn being mischevious in her ducky tub

The matchmakers tried, but alas, there was no chemistry.

I love my activity table!

Funny feather hat

Jocelyn and Daddy at Maggiano's

Do you mind?!? I'm trying to sleep here!

We love our baby so much!

Jocelyn is so amazing!

2006-11-17T14:14:00.000-05:00

I can't believe how fast Jocelyn is growing! She's at the point where she's almost crawling (well, she can sort of crawl backwards), and she's really getting the hang of solid food (so far we've found out that she likes carrots, green beans, squash, and bananas, but not peas). She's also starting to learn to use a sippy cup, and she's becoming more and more vocal everyday. I can't wait to see what she does next! Here are some pics from the last month and a half:

Feet are fun!

Maria and Jocelyn at the pumpkin patch

Daddy's shoulder is comfortable!

Yay, a full belly!

Jocelyn in her Old Navy fleece

Jocelyn looking cute; Rob looking dorky

Yuck! I don't like peas!

Mother and daughter

Fun in her baby carrier

Look, I can hold my own bottle!

Jocelyn likes her sippy cup

Hey, I wasn't ready yet!

Jocelyn and the sea nettles

Daddy did it!

Look at all the fishes, Jocelyn!

Happy Halloween, baby!

Silly spider

Packed and ready to go!

Sassy baby!

Duckie hat

Jocelyn and her cousin, Ariana

Happy baby!

Where you crawling to, baby?

Look at those big eyes!

Jocelyn's Celebrity #1

Jocelyn and Maria at P.F. Chang's

Happy 1st Anniversary, Honey!

2006-11-12T21:22:00.000-05:00

One year ago today, I married the most wonderful woman in the world! I love you so much, Honey! Here's to us and our many anniversaries to come!

We actually got the celebration started a little early. Since we were visiting Maria's family in Orlando last weekend, while her parents watched Jocelyn, I took the chance to take Maria out for dinner at Roy's and dessert at The Melting Pot in the Doctor Phillips area of Orlando. Today, we had a lower-key celebration (this time with Jocelyn) with lunch at P.F. Chang's.

WTF is up with these parents?!?

2006-10-15T07:30:00.000-04:00

Crazy stories about crazy parents I read about this week:

Woman Says She Didn't Mean to Hurl Baby
Mom swings baby like a club to hit boyfriend! I know they say she might have had postpartum, but still . . .

Police: Mom Smothered Babies For Crying
Mom kills her nine-week old twins because they were crying, and then goes back to sleep!

Dad Imprisoned Child For 3 Years, Police Say
Dad locks up son in bedroom for three years!

These stories would've made me pretty angry before, but now that I'm a parent, they're absolutely infuriating. How a parent could ever do any of these things is completely unintelligible to me. Sure, there are times when it will be frustrating being a parent, but nothing can possibly justify hurting a child. I find myself thinking about what punishment is sufficient enough for these pitiful excuses for human beings, but nothing's really enough.

Jocelyn's such a big girl now!

2006-10-04T17:29:00.000-04:00

Here are some pictures of Jocelyn from the last couple of months:

Can you pick me up please?

You can lift your head up, baby!

Look, I can sit up!

Daddy, your arm is so comfortable!

Pillowhead at the gym

Do you like your headband, Jocelyn?

Jocelyn's toy keeps her entertained in the carseat

All dressed up for Irene's wedding

Jocelyn (trying to look cool in her hat) and her Tita Michelle

Pooped after a busy weekend in Orlando

Don't be afraid, Jocelyn, it's only rice cereal

Yummy!

Jocelyn's a Baby Einstein!

So many toys in my new exersaucer!

Rolling around the gym

Rattles are yummy!

You dropped something over there!

I'm starting to get used to this rice cereal thing

Laundry is fun!

Jocelyn's first denim dress

Peek-a-boo, Jocelyn!
I can't believe she's almost six months old!

Must be nice . . .

2006-09-19T13:43:00.000-04:00

Today my boss and his wife left for Ireland to go watch some golf tournament. They are very big golf people. The boss's wife spends alot of her days on the golf course. Must be nice. And get this, my boss forgot that his passport expired on the 5th so yesterday he left the office at 10am and caught a flight to Miami to get his passport renewed. Then he flew back and got back to the office around 6:30pm.

Happy Labor Day Weekend

2006-09-03T07:59:00.000-04:00

Go UCF!! Okay, there. That is all the school pride I have. I should be proud of the school I graduated from, but I know nothing about UCF football. I am not a big sports fan anyway.

I got glasses yesterday. Yay, can you tell that I am excited. Rob is for some reason. He's got some weird fetish with me wearing my glasses. Thank god I only need it for driving. I was always proud of the fact that I didn't have or need glasses or contacts and now I am part of the majority of the world who have that less than perfect vision.

Last night we just relaxed at home had some salmon for dinner and after, we had some wine, caviar and crackers. We couldn't watch TV because the TV in the family room decided to die last week. We are in the process of finding a replacement. Today, we are taking it easy. We are ditching church this morning so Rob can do his oil change. Then later on this evening we are having dinner out. No plans yet for tomorrow.

Last week end, we went to Irene's wedding in Orlando. Here is a picture of the beautiful bride and groom.

We had a great time. It was fun remembering the old days of FSA.

And still going........

2006-08-12T23:46:00.000-04:00

Rob and I are still on our fitness kick. He loves riding his bike. He got all into it with gear and all. He bought clothes, a jell seat cushion, head light, bike rack.......you get the point. He is looking fit, but it does tire him out by the end of the night. As for me, I am now 106. Some progress I guess, but not as much as I would like. I did the Special K thing for two weeks, and now I am just having cereal for breakfast and Healthy Choice frozen meals for lunch, then a regular dinner at home. This is in addition to doing Tae bo during the week and jogging on Saturdays.

We are looking forward to going down to Orlando in a couple weeks for the wedding. But no matter what I do to try to be fit (or at least more fit), somehow my brother and sisters will still poke at me like the Pilsbury dough boy and laugh at my baby fat. Very discouraging.

The workouts are working

2006-07-30T21:21:00.000-04:00

So Maria and I have been dieting and working out the last couple of weeks. So far, so good. I can feel my clothes looser on me already (glad to see that the ol' spare tire is going away). Like Maria said in her last entry, I bought a mountain bike (I wanted to bike instead of jog) when Target had a sale a couple of weeks ago (didn't buy anything too fancy, just in case I didn't like it). Even though it's been a good ten years since I've ridden a bike regularly, it's been going well. Riding the trails around the neighborhood, I get that feeling I get when I go snowboarding - calming and relaxing, but exhilarating at the same time. If you can believe it, I edged and mowed the lawn this afternoon, and was dead tired afterwards, but I still went out for my ride. This is definitely turning into a new hobby for me!

In other news, Maria and I had a fun date night at home last night. After we gave Jocelyn her bath and got her into bed at 8:30, we had a nice dinner (steak and shrimp, yum), some shiraz, and we broke out the karaoke machine for a couple of hours. We'll have to do that again soon, Honey.

Time to get back into shape!

2006-07-18T21:45:00.000-04:00

Okay, it's been three months since I gave birth to Jocelyn. I think it's time to loose that extra weight. I was 100 lbs when I met Robert. I was about 130 in my last month of pregnancy. I am now 109. I have a few pounds that I still need to shed. My motivation is my birthday. I have til August 10th to get a little lighter. My back up motivation is Irene's wedding. I haven't seen a lot of people who may be at her wedding, so now is the time to look like I never changed. I also would like to look nice in a dress. I felt like a cow at my own wedding.

I have been jogging on Saturdays (to start with). I recently started doing the 8 min Tae bo workouts. Trying to fit them in between Jocelyn's naps. Also, I wanted to see if the Special K diet would do anything. Starting this past Monday, I have been eating cereal for breakfast and lunch. For dinners, I am trying my hardest to lay off the rice and other carbs. This is very hard considering I love me some hot fresh rice. The last part of my program is doing some crunches every night before bed. That should do it .....right?

Oh, and Rob is trying to firm up as well. He just bought a bike. He acts like a little kid with a new toy. So cute. Anyway, he is also watching what he eats and he is doing some weights and crunches. It's nice to have some support in these hard times.

I will keep you up to date with our progress. Well, only if there is any progress.

Jocelyn's 3 Months Old!

2006-07-16T15:22:00.000-04:00

Not much going on here, so here are some of the latest baby pix:

Cute dress.

She's getting so big now.

Family portrait.

Happy Birthday to Me!

2006-07-09T07:52:00.000-04:00

So now I'm 29 . . . the last year of my 20's . . . better make it a good one. Because my birthday (the 4th) fell in the middle of the week, I've sort of been celebrating over the course of the last week. First off, my parents were in town last weekend for a visit. While they spent some time with Jocelyn, Maria and I got a little break to do a few things we hadn't done in awhile - brunch at Crescent Moon, the movies (we saw X-Men 3 . . . entertaining, but ultimately disappointing), and played putt-putt (Maria used her expert skills and beat me by one stroke). Also had a birthday dinner with my parents at Penang on Monday night. On the actual day of my birthday, my parents got me a cake before they headed back to Tyler, and Maria and Jocelyn took me out to lunch at Bahama Breeze (we were actually supposed to go to Outback, but it was closed - I thought all of the major restaurants were open on the Fourth). We topped off the night by watching the fireworks in our neighborhood from the window in Jocelyn's nursery (much better than battling the noise, crowding, and mosquitos at the actual event). Finally, we celebrated last night with a few friends at Ippolito's. In the picture above, Maria surprised me with a piece of raspberry cheesecake before everybody sang me Happy Birthday (I can't believe everybody sang). Thanks to everyone who made it our last night (Tom, Trey, Abby, Thao, Sy, Viv, Ivan, Mike, Chris, Secret, Peyton, TK, Lynh, Steve, and of course, Maria and Jocelyn). It was a lot of fun. Afterwards, we all went back over to Lynh and Steve's house for an impromptu housewarming and for some poker. I ended up in third place - had the nut straight against Sy's pair all in, but he caught the right cards on the turn and the river and ended up with a full house (WTF?!?). Good times, nonetheless. Thanks again to everybody for coming out to celebrate my birthday with me, and thanks for the gifts too.

Happy Birthday

2006-07-04T19:13:00.000-04:00

Happy Birthday to all the July babies. And most of all happy birthday to my wonderful husband (my baby daddy), ROBERT.

Life with Jocelyn Nicole

2006-06-30T17:11:00.000-04:00

Here are a few pictures of what life with Jocelyn has been like for us these last couple of months:

Daddy Diaper Duties

All warm and cozy

yawn!

what'cha lookin' at, baby?

spikey punk hairdo

stretch!

The couples at TWO. Urban Licks when everyone was in town for Jocelyn's baptism - clockwise from left, James, Winnie, Maria, ma, Kevin, Deanne, Evelyn, and Christian

sleepy at the baptism

Jocelyn with her parents and godparents - Marianne (the godmother) is on the left, and Kevin (the godfather) is on the right

My side of the family

Maria's side

what do I do with all of these toys?!?

so fresh and so clean

cheeky baby!

all pooped out

wow!

I really like this mobile thingy!

Jocelyn in her cute little summer dress

check out the eyelashes!

I like my new dress!

thumbsucker

All in all, we've learned a lot about being parents in the last couple of months. It's really hard adjusting to our new lives sometimes, but I wouldn't give up Jocelyn for anything. For all the happiness she's brought into our lives, I'm thankful beyond words. We love you, baby!

Silly Dog

2006-05-31T08:19:00.000-04:00

I guess if Jocelyn can't use the playground yet, Beamer can.

My other beamer is in the shop right now....so I am really stuck at home. The repairs/maintenance are going to cost an arm and a leg. I wish I knew a BMW mechanic who could hook me up.

Updates on the home front: Rob's doing well. He's doing his best to be dad and husband. Jocelyn is doing better. She is still on antibiotics, but seems to be much better. And I am nearing the end of my maternity leave and I can't wait for a vacation. I'll have to settle for the weekend trip to Orlando next month.

Happy Mother's Day!

2006-05-14T07:49:00.000-04:00

Happy Mother's Day to all the moms out there. You are all much appreciated and loved for all that you do.

On another note........Rob did his first oil change today. I am so proud of him.

Father and Daughter

2006-04-26T11:04:00.000-04:00

Here is one of my favorite pictures. The two most important people in my life.

The Miracle of Childbirth

2006-04-20T23:28:00.000-04:00

As most of you know, we gave birth on Easter Sunday. Jocelyn is doing very well. She is so cute. It is amazing how this little baby came into this world.

I learned that the miracle of child birth is .......how a whole little person can come out of another person. It hurt so much. I was already scared to began with and no one told me how much the contractions themselves would hurt. Or maybe I just have a really low pain tolerance. I told Rob during one of my contractions (as I was crying in pain) that I couldn't do it anymore. I imagined labor to be far worse than the contractions.

At some point during labor, I just couldn't help myself. I just had to push. I tried to do the breathing thing, like we learned in class, but when I was actually there.....forget it. I just wanted to get it over. When it was okay to push it didn't get any better because as I pushed, the person helping me with labor was stretching my ****** with her fingers to help stretch out the hole a little more. I was told to keep pushing even with the burning sensation. OMG....you try pushing when someone is stretching you out. IT HURTS!

Anyway, we are doing well. It's all starting to be a blur and I love my cute little baby. We'll see if I decide to do this again. Give me a couple years to forget.

Intoducing Our Baby Girl!

2006-04-18T20:23:00.000-04:00

Here she is, our little bundle of joy: Jocelyn Nicole Cruz Campos

She was born at 12:49 am on Sunday, April 16, 2006 (she's an Easter baby!), 6 lbs 5 oz, 19 in.

More pics and updates to follow!

I scoured the Earth to find them . . .

2006-04-09T21:56:00.000-04:00

The remote controls for the TV and DVD player we had (well, more like I had) misplaced while packing to move into the new house a few weeks ago . . . we searched and re-searched all of the boxes and bags we had packed. Then, as I was looking in my luggage again last night, I had a thought . . . did I check the rolling luggage we're using as a hospital bag (it's been packed in my car the last few weeks in anticipation of drving to the hospital when Maria goes into labor)? So I went to the car to check, and there they were. The world is back to normal now . . .

On another note, we're a week away from the due date. I guess the baby could come anytime now. I've been telling her that she should come on Friday night. We'll see if that happens . . .

Pregnancy Update

2006-04-06T22:27:00.000-04:00

If you haven't heard from us, it is because we are still pregnant and busy setting up the new house. The baby is due April 16th (Easter Sunday), but it seems like she is taking her time. The nursery is sort of done. We just need to find a dresser and changing table for her.

Other than that, everything is going okay. Pregnancy isn't all that it is cracked up to be. It's just a long period of being uncomfortable. I can't wait til I can sleep the way I want. Also.....I am proud to say that I still do not have any signs of stretch marks on my belly, thank goodness. Otherwise, you will never catch me in a bikini on the beach anymore.

On another note, my husband (so sweet) sent me flowers yesterday at my office. He said it was just because........ can't wait till they bloom . . .

We have internet !

2006-03-25T12:46:00.000-05:00

Proper updates can now resume . . .

All is going well with the new house. We just got a new bed (long overdue), and we're gonna try to do some furniture shopping today. I'll try to post some pictures of the new place later on this weekend.

New home, new commute

2006-03-20T08:23:00.000-05:00

We are officially living in our new home now! Thanks to Lynh, Steve, Thao, Sy, and Tom for helping us move in yesterday. We're looking forward to having everybody over again when we get the place set up. We managed to get a few things set up last night, and hopefully, we'll get the rest done over the week. It almost feels like home . . . (we just need furniture).

Along with the new home, I have a slightly longer commute to work in the morning . . . I pulled out of our garage at 6:45 am, and I parked in the garage at work at 8:01 am. Leaving earlier is not really an option. I'd like to get to work at about 8:30, so I've gotta play with the commute to find the best time to leave.

And now . . .

2006-03-13T22:47:00.000-05:00

Last baby shower done. We've gotten quite a bit of stuff for our 'bundle of joy'. Thank you all for all the great things you gave us. I really did not feel ready for a baby, but now I feel a little better.

Today we closed on our new home....YAY!!!!!!

And now......we have to try to pack and move, all before the baby comes. Not so, yay.

I might survive this work week yet . . .

2006-03-09T18:31:00.000-05:00

Got a reply brief for an appeal I've been working on out the door this morning, and I'm circulating a consent order to resolve a hearing I have on Tuesday morning - if I didn't have to deal with the hearing (and not have to spend the weekend prepping for the hearing), that would go a long way in making my workload manageable. Of course, I've still got a ton of stuff to do, but at least I'd be able to breathe and enjoy myself this weekend when we have our Atlanta baby shower and people coming in from out of town.

On another note, we got our draft settlement statement from our closing attorney today, so we know how much we need to bring to closing. I also set up all but two of the utilities for the new place (gotta go in person to set up sanitation, and gotta call to set up cable and internet). In just a few days, we'll officially be homeowners!

On an annoying note, some fucker hit the back of my car a couple of days ago. I noticed when I was unpacking my trunk that someone had swiped my back bumper. The damage is minor (though visible), but it still pisses me off. Guess it's too much to expect for someone to leave a note saying that they hit your car and that they would gladly pay for the damage.

Baby Shower #2

2006-03-07T18:06:00.000-05:00

We made a quick trip to Orlando over the weekend to visit Maria's family and for a baby shower thrown by her family. Thanks for the gifts, everybody! Odd start to the baby shower for us . . . we had started our drive down to Orlando around 5 in the morning on Saturday, and we decided to take a nap after lunch at Maria's house. We got up around 5:30 that afternoon, but several guests had arrived an hour or so earlier! It was a little weird walking into the baby shower when everyone knew that we were napping the whole time. Anyways, it was a good time (and I got some decent footage with the videocamera . . . just gotta find time to edit the film). Afterwards, we spent a couple of hours singing karaoke with Maria's sisters and brother.

Since we've been back, work has been crazy busy. I'm beat . . . of course, the 3-4 hours of sleep per night probably isn't such a good idea. Then again, I could consider it early training for after the baby's born. Sigh . . .

On another note, we're still on schedule to close on our new home on Monday. I've been told that the repairs we requested the seller to make have been completed. Our final walkthrough is coming up this weekend. We (read: I) may have some issues with moving, since a good number of our friends are out of town on the weekend we were planning to move the big stuff. We might have to push the date up a week and then move the little stuff late on. We'll see. Regardless, we're excited about the new place.

Our Baby Shower in Tyler

2006-03-02T23:57:00.000-05:00

Just a few pics from our baby shower in Tyler last weekend:

Here's the diaper cake my Auntie Lyn got for us - three sizes of diapers, plus lots of other useful stuff for the baby.

Gettin' the family together: (top) Kevin, Auntie Mercy, Michelle, and Ace; (bottom) Christian, Sean (and my parents' new dog, Sasha), Ate Eillen, Donny Ray,
and JR.

Maria and me opening presents.

Thanks again to everyone for the wonderful presents. On another note, Maria had her regular appointment with the doctor today, and all is well with the baby. 7.5 weeks to go!

A remake of A Better Tomorrow?!?

2006-03-01T13:18:00.000-05:00

I hear that there's going to be a Korean language remake starring Jang Dong-gun, Rain, and Louis Koo. The film has undeniably influenced countless others and is a classic in any sense of the word. It's the film that cemented Chow Yun-fat's status as a superstar. Remaking such a landmark film is a risky proposition. Still, the casting is interesting, and I really enjoy Korean cinema. I like Jang, and I think he could play Ti Lung's role very well. I haven't seen Rain very much, so I don't know how he'd do in Leslie Cheung's role. However, while I've enjoyed the Louis Koo movies I've seen, he isn't fit to carry Chow Yun-fat's jockstrap (no offense to Louis Koo). I'll still probably see it, but it's gonna have to be pretty damn good for me to like it.

Via Kung Fu Cult Cinema.

Texas Recap

2006-03-01T10:59:00.000-05:00

Maria and I made a trip to Texas last weekend (our first trip there since the holidays in 2004) to visit my family. Kevin flew in from LA, JR came in from San Marcos, and Evelyn and and the Houston arm of the Campos clan came to town as well. Since the wedding flew by so fast back in November, we really didn't get a whole lot of time to spend with them in Orlando, so it was nice to be able to spend a weekend with everybody.

The big event of the weekend was the baby shower my mom threw for Maria and me. I'll post some pics later on. Lots of good home-cooked food, lots of gifts (thanks, everyone - our baby will be very well taken care of), and of course, a mainstay at most of the Campos family events, tossing back a few drinks with Kevin and the cousins. The games of choice: beer pong, cups, and then drunk bowling later on. I survived the weekend, luckily (didn't want to fly back to Atlanta with a hangover). Hopefully we'll be seeing everybody again real soon for either the birth in April or the baptism in May.

On another note, we got a camcorder over the weekend. Time to start prepping my inner videographer so that our baby can have some nice videos.

Too tired to post (an entry of substance)

2006-02-28T23:58:00.000-05:00

Spent the weekend with my family in Texas . . . will post a recap later . . . too tired . . . must sleep . . . but there's still so much to do!

Fun with Anagrams

2006-02-24T09:32:00.000-05:00

Anagrammed MARTA map. Nerdy cool!

From Letters to the World via Boing Boing.

We have a contract!

2006-02-23T17:48:00.000-05:00

The flurry of counteroffers is now over, and we've entered into a binding contract with the seller of the house we wanted. We had a formal inspection done today, and other then a few small issues (which we're going to get the seller to address), the house is in great shape. Barring any hiccups along the way, we'll close on March 13th. We're hoping to spend the following weekend doing some redecorating (painting the nursery for one, and removing the wallpaper and painting the second bathroom) and then hope to handle the move of most of our stuff (not really that much considering we're disposing of alot of our old furniture) the last weekend in March. With a little luck, we'll be set up in the new place (and the nursery will be done) before the baby arrives on April 16th.

It wasn't me, honest . . .

2006-02-23T10:07:00.000-05:00

Some guy in Malibu trashed his million dollar Ferrari after hitting a utility pole at 120 mph. The guy, who swears he was the passenger and that the driver, "Dietrich", ran off on foot, had a BAL of .09. Not surprisingly, the evidence seems to suggest that he was the driver (he had a bloody lip, and the only airbag with blood on it was the driver's side airbag).

See the full story here.

From latimes.com via Boing Boing

More stupid parenting tips from the blogosphere

2006-02-22T09:32:00.000-05:00

Bad Samaritan family won't return found expensive camera
Saw this on Boing Boing the other day. A lady lost her very expensive camera in Hawaii. A family found it, and called the lady. Now they won't return it because their kid likes it so much. They even looked up the camera, so they know how expensive it is. WTF?!?

Find out how much your time is really worth

2006-02-20T21:29:00.000-05:00

The Money Meter
Just input your salary. OK, gotta get back to 24!

Let the games begin

2006-02-20T10:48:00.000-05:00

Our agent gave me a call this morning to tell me that the seller has made a counteroffer. We've just made a counteroffer of our own. Now the fun begins . . .

Fingers crossed

2006-02-19T23:41:00.000-05:00

We made an offer on a house today . . . now, the waiting begins . . . here's to hopin' we get the deal done . . .

Out of rice

2006-02-18T00:43:00.000-05:00

No big plans tonight, so Maria and I ventured over to the Buford Highway Farmer's Market to pick up some rice (it's amazing how your dinner options are limited when you're out of rice) and other stuff (edamame, swiss cake roll, rice crackers, etc.). It's so much easier to shop there in the evening (it's a madhouse if you try to go during the day on a weekend), but it's kinda creepy being there at night. Anyways, we grabbed some pho for dinner beforehand, then relaxed the rest of the night afterwards with some Green Tea Mojo from Teavana. We ended up watching the Detroit animal police show on Animal Planet. It's a damn shame how some people just neglect and mistreat their pets, and it's sad that alot of these animals have to be put down because their mistreatment and lack of proper socialization has made them unsuitable for human companionship. They should take these fucking derelict owners and hang them by the short ones, or at least give them a taste of what they dish out to their animals.

Time to hit the sack. Early day tomorrow - oil change for Maria's car and a haircut for me, then we're off to meet our realtor to take a closer look at a few of the houses we saw last weekend. We need to decide if we want to make an offer on one of these houses. Wish us luck.

Brilliant job!

2006-02-17T10:54:00.000-05:00

So Lindsey Jacobellis had the gold medal for women's snowboardcross locked up - she was well ahead of Tanja Freiden - but she decided to hot dog it at the end and ended up taking a spill. By the time she recovered, Freiden had passed her for the gold. Fucking brilliant! Yeah, you gotta feel bad for her, but c'mon . . .

Samurai Sudoku

2006-02-17T10:16:00.000-05:00

Haven't done any sudoku puzzles in a while. This samurai sudoku looks like a good place to get the old brain muscles back into shape. Check out more sudoku puzzles here.

Another great CD

2006-02-15T23:38:00.000-05:00

You've probably heard the song You're Beautiful on the radio or on many a WB-drama. The rest of the CD is great as well. Kind of reminds me of Damien Rice.

Happy Valentine's Day

2006-02-14T23:58:00.000-05:00

Hope everyone had a great one. We sure did. Though we already had our Valentine's Day dinner out on Saturday night, Maria surprised me with dinner tonight - steak with sauteed onions and mushrooms, potatoes au gratin, and lobster tails! Yum! I got her a few little things as well - the Wild About You Bunch:

I surprised her with Heartly Bear on her desk when she was cooking. Then I left Valentino Lion on the kitchen counter when she wasn't looking. Finally, I left Boom-Boom Gorilla waiting by her bedside while she was drying her hair. I hope you enjoy them, Honey and that you'll always remember our first Valentine's Day as husband and wife.

Let the househunting begin!

2006-02-13T18:36:00.000-05:00

We spent our first full day looking for houses yesterday. In about 9 hours, we researched listings with our realtor in her office and visited about 15 houses (sorry for the long day, Honey). Of those houses, 3 are potentials. We’re going to look at them again on Saturday and check out a few other places as well. In any event, it looks like we’ll most likely be moving to Kennesaw. Sure, it’ll mean a longer commute for me, but it would put Maria within minutes of work, the daycare, and the baby’s pediatrician. Maybe the commute won’t be as bad as I think. Anyway, among the big questions to decide now is whether we make our move quickly, before the baby is born. It seems like the move would be so much easier before the baby comes. Also, it would be nice to get settled in the new place and have the nursery set up for our baby. However, our lease runs through the first week in June, so if we try to move in before the baby is born in mid-April, we’ll be paying extra living costs. A small price to pay in the long run, I suppose. Plus, I don’t think Maria and the baby will be in any condition to handle a move after our baby’s born.

On a side note, we had lunch at Zaxby’s yesterday. We’d always heard that the chicken fingers there were great. Not even close. I’ll take the fingers at Atkins Park any day!

Valentine's Dinner at The Melting Pot

2006-02-11T23:18:00.000-05:00

We had our first Valentine's dinner as a married couple tonight at The Melting Pot. Tomato Cranberry Cheddar for the cheese fondue course, Caesar salads for the salad course, Maine lobster tails, center cut filet, salmon, and portabello mushrooms for the entree, and white chocolate raspberry fondue for dessert. Yum! I hope you had a good time, Honey. Afterwards, we were surprised to walk outside and see that it was snowing (I took a picture, but the snow didn't really come out).

As for the rest of the day, we decided to spend a day at home relaxing (we slept in this morning and took a nap this afternoon). Just did a few chores and played with Beamer. It was too cold and gloomy to go out and do anything anyway. Tomorrow, we're meeting with our realtor and hopefully, we'll be looking at a few houses as well. After next weekend, we're out of town for two weekends, then we've got people coming into town the weekend after that, so I doubt we'll be doing much househunting then. Wish us luck.

Valentine's Dinner Recap

2006-02-11T23:09:00.000-05:00

Today, we just decided to stay home, before our Valentine's day dinner out. I did nothing, of course, except take a nap. Rob did a lot of cleaning around the apartment. He roomba'd one room, vacuumed the living room and dining room, did couple loads of laundry, and bunch of other stuff. I just feel so fat and lazy. I am not going to enjoy having to pack when we move.

Valentine's Day dinner was at the Melting Pot. We sprung for the Valentine's Day special, which included lobster, filet mignon, salmon, vegetables, a salad, cheese fondue, and dessert fondue. See pictures on Rob's xanga. I love the fondue thing....expensive....but good and filling. To top it off, it was snowing on our way from the restaurant to the car. If anyone is ever up to fondue, we are definitely in.

Marianne....if you are reading, you better get your ass up here (and bring my baby too) ...you can bring your man too.

Starting to get around to that music thing

2006-02-10T22:59:00.000-05:00

I've got so much music downloaded that I haven't had a chance to listen to yet (if we end moving to Cobb County like I think we are, then I'll have some time while I'm stuck in traffic). Anyway, I finally got around to listening to Plans by Death Cab for Cutie.

I was first introduced to Ben Gibbard's work as part of The Postal Service (Give Up is a great record). I'd always wanted to check out some of his work with Death Cab, but I just hadn't found the time to (I've been waiting to listen to their last album, Transatlanticism, even longer than I've been waiting to listen to Plans). I've listened to Plans a few times in the car now. Having not yet listened to their previous work, I can't say whether this album, their major label debut, is a travesty to their indie roots, but I really like it - very mellow and relaxing.

It's about time!

2006-02-09T23:52:00.000-05:00

So everyone keeps asking if Maria's had any strange food cravings since she's been pregnant (like you always see in TV and movies). She really hasn't had any food cravings (strange or otherwise) . . . until tonight. So what was it that she craved?

Popsicles - specifically, the Bomb Pops you can get from the ice cream man. So I braved the night and the somewhat ghetto Kroger near our apartment, and, to our surprise, I was able to buy a box (on sale to boot).

In other news, we're going to be in Tyler the last weekend in February! It's been over a year since we've been there. Good thing we're going . . . it'll probably be our last chance to go for awhile.

Finally, I'd like to ask some advice from you homeowners (or soon-to-be homeowners) out there. We're in the process of looking for a house, and we're mulling over our financing options. We've decided to go with an 80/20 and to pay some points. In addition to choosing which lender we want to go with, we're also trying to decide if the second on the 80/20 should be in the form of a home equity loan or a HELOC. Anyone have any advice on that front? I like the future borrowing aspect of the HELOC (Kevin's been helping me out since he used to do this kind of stuff when he worked at WaMu, and he thought this was the way to go too), but the Wells Fargo guy suggested the home equity loan because of the fixed rate. Also, if anyone has any lender recommendations, that would be great. I've gotten estimates from E-Loan and Wells Fargo so far (the Wells Fargo looks to be a better deal). I may look at Countrywide and Lending Tree as well. I didn't see that Wachovia had any 80/20 options, and Kevin said that WaMu's loan products were crappy (thanks for the help, bro), so I think I'll pass on them.

Why it pays to know CPR

2006-02-08T10:02:00.000-05:00

You may be able to save the life of your brother's precious prized chicken! Apparently, a retired nurse and her brother came upon Boo Boo floating face down in the family pond. After a little mouth-to-beak action, Boo Boo was up and about again. Was it right to save Boo Boo's life? Isn't it cruel to get her hopes up when she's gonna end up in somebody's pot pie by week's end?

More parenting tips from Brit

2006-02-07T23:55:00.000-05:00

Apparently, carseats are optional!

Sure, she says that the paparazzi were watching her, but seriously, does anyone believe her bullshit story?

February Birthday Wishes

2006-02-07T13:53:00.000-05:00

Happy Birthday!!!!! February people.....Irene, Winnie, Sonny, Joel, Thao, Unho, Ivan, Song, Viv, Tom...................(And anyone else I may have forgotten).

Nothing new here, and Rob's been posting. I am at 30 wks and counting.

Attention, smokers

2006-02-06T23:55:00.000-05:00

Got another freebie from Marlboro I won't be using:

It's a portable litter device. Who wants it? I'll be keeping the Marlboro deck of cards, though.

Non-Super Bowl Weekend

2006-02-05T22:32:00.000-05:00

Didn't really watch the game tonight (wasn't really excited about either team, though I am glad that Pittsbugh won). We were watching the Monk marathon on USA instead.

We've been relaxing all weekend - email maintenance at the office late Friday afternoon, so a few of us headed over to Rockbotton for happy hour. Then Maria and I grabbed some dinner at On the Border and finished watching Wedding Crashers at home (not bad, but I thought it would be alot funnier).

On Saturday, after an afternoon trip to Ikea, I found out on Xanga that Shawn and Joyce just got engaged (congrats, you two . . . when's the big day?). Later on, we had dinner at Canton Cooks with Sandra, Jimmy, Sy, Thao, Christie, and Joe. We hadn't seen Jimmy and Sandra since the wedding, and it's been even longer since we last saw Christie and Joe (Jimmy and Sandra's going away party in July?). Glad to see that everyone is doing well.

Today, we actually got some errands done and attended our Baptism preparation class for our baby girl. Maria just hit the 30-week mark today! 70 days to go, according to the ticker at the top of the page. I need to do some serious "how-to" reading before she gets here!

Pac-Man Tattoo

2006-02-03T09:17:00.000-05:00

Saw this on Boing Boing this morning.

Pac-Man Tattoo
WTF?!? Well, I guess it could be worse . . . it could be goatse [shudder].

Now this is just stupid

2006-02-02T12:02:00.000-05:00

I know they say love is blind, but you have to wonder how many times common sense has to beat you over the head before you get a clue.

Accused Killer, 49, Marries Woman, 87

BRIDGEPORT, Conn. — For better or worse, an 87-year-old woman has married a 49-year-old man who police say bludgeoned his grandmother and great-aunt to death 30 years ago and buried them in their beloved rose garden.

Frank Czumalowski was married Tuesday in Bridgeport to Radmila Dobrijevickan of Easton.

Their honeymoon will have to wait. After the wedding, they went to court, where Superior Court Judge Richard Comerford sentenced Czumalowski to 2 1/2 years in prison for violating his probation over a conviction for sexually assaulting his 12-year-old stepdaughter from another marriage.

As he was taken away in handcuffs, Czumalowski's new bride pledged she would wait for him.

'Who are we to judge?' said Czumalowski's lawyer, Rob Serafinowicz. 'Throughout history there have been odd couples and things worked out well. In this case, all we can do is wish them the best and hopefully, with good behavior, Frank will be out in a year.'

In a rambling diatribe that lasted nearly an hour, the new Mrs. Czumalowski defended her husband to the judge.

'He didn't want to kill a bug on the porch, I had to use my velvet slipper to kill the bug,' she said. 'He is a very unlucky person, I hope I will have a good life with him."

In 1977, Czumalowski, then 19, was found not guilty by reason of insanity of the murders of his grandmother and great-aunt.

According to police, Czumalowski's 82-year-old grandmother, Louise Tomassetti, and 60-year-old great-aunt, Elvira Barbieri, were huddled over the stove in their Milford home, preparing an Easter dinner, when he beat his grandmother to death and stabbed and beat his great-aunt to death. He buried them beside their rose bushes, police said.

Czumalowski was released from a state psychiatric hospital after about six years.

The Baby Owner's Manual

2006-02-01T16:03:00.000-05:00

I don't exactly have a pleathora of experience with babies. If I seem calm and relaxed when talking about the pending birth of our baby girl, I'm secretly hiding the nervousness that comes from said lack of experience. Luckily, Maria has lots of experience having helped to raise her niece (not to mention her natural motherly instincts). Anyways, this book looks like a good buy for me. I'm doing my best to get as educated as I can before our baby girl arrives. Maybe I better go rent Three Men and a Baby for some more pointers!

How many drinks does it take?

2006-02-01T15:12:00.000-05:00

Saw this on the AJC's website this morning:

Driver crashes into home, then goes to bed
WTF?!? Guess you have to be pretty blasted to crash your car into a house you assume is yours (or not care whether it's yours), walk through the door (or the hole in the house?!?) then plop down in somebody else's bed!

Model parents they are not

2006-01-31T11:15:00.000-05:00

Saw this on The Bert Show's Entertainment Buzz this morning. Note to self: do not follow the "brilliant" (read: idiotic) lead of Brit and K-Fed when seeking parenting advice:

Britney Sends Her Bodyguards After Kevin!
The story supposedly goes that Kevin wanted to get the ears of their four-month-old son, Sean Preston, pierced while Britney was against the idea. Instead of trying to reason with Britney, Kevin basically stole Sean Preston and headed off to a boutique to get the work done. When Britney found out Kevin had taken Sean Preston, she jumped into her car with one of her security guards, then sent three more of them in another vehicle to take a different path to the beauty parlor. They were able to head him off, and a source says, 'Britney reminded Kevin that Sean hasn't even had his tetanus jab yet, so it was too early for his ears to be done. And she complained that apart from looking like white trailer trash, Sean would be taken for a girl if he wore earrings.'

Getting ready for the baby

2006-01-30T10:27:00.000-05:00

We're starting to purchase a few of the essentials we'll need after the baby is born and we take her home from the hospital. First and foremost, we bought a stroller/car seat travel system. We actually went to several different Target stores in the Atlanta area (N. Druid Hills, Buckhead, Northlake, Perimeter, and Steve Reynolds - yeah, I know we could've called around, but that would've been too easy) looking for a particular model. We weren't able to find it, so we ended up getting the model that replaced it. It's very nice and even has a few features which I don't think were on the model we had originally hoped to purchase. We're very pleased with it and can't wait to put it to use.

Our Roomba needs companionship

2006-01-27T17:26:00.000-05:00

Anybody wanna go to Japan and secure one of these bad boys for me? Asahi is giving away 5,000 of these personal bartending robots each of which can store a six pack in its refrigerated compartment and pour a cold one on command! To win one, you have to collect 36 tokens found on specially marked beers. Unfortunately, the contest is only open to those in Japan.

From New Scientist via Boing Boing.

Countdown to Fatherhood

2006-01-27T16:30:00.000-05:00

See above . . . Nothing like a countdown ticker to reinforce how close we really are to the big day. It still blows my mind every time I think about the fact that I'll very soon be a Dad! Honey, I love you, and I'm excited to be married to you and to be starting a family with you!

Who's hungry for lunch?

2006-01-27T12:32:00.000-05:00

Me? I'm very hungry . . . but not this hungry:

In-N-Out 100x100
From What Up Willy! via Boing Boing.

In other news, did anyone think last night's Smallville was a rip-off? Not exactly the "shocking" event the countless previews made it out to be. I think they should've left Lana dead as a result of Lex's actions . . . could've been the final straw to send Lex down the road of supervilliandom and the thing that makes him and Supes archenemies. But I suppose the fanboys would've been too depressed.

Photo Dump (because I've been too lazy to post)

2006-01-25T00:17:00.000-05:00

Sorry I haven't been writing (Maria has though). To make up for it, here are a few pics from the last few months . . .

First, some pics from our wedding in November:

Bowling and beers the night before the wedding - Dave, Steve, me, Unho, and Tom

My family and I at the bowling alley - (top) Richard, Donny Ray, Christian, Kevin, me, and JR; (bottom) Sean, Emily, Tiffany, and Ace

Wedding Pre-Ceremony - Ivan, Shawn, Steve, Unho, Dave, me, Tom, Song, Jimmy, Mike, and Daniel

Me and the girls outside the church - Cat, Sandra, me, Mimi, Lynh, Joyce, and Viv

Family picture - (back) Kevin, John, and JR; (middle) Richard, Kuya Ariel, Ace, Donny Ray, Sean, Christian, and Ate Lea; (front) Meggy, Ate Eillen, Michelle, Michael Aeron, me, Emily, Kattryn, Michelle, Evelyn, and Deanne

The Wedding Party - Marianne, Winnie, Michelle, TK, Marie, Maria, Ariana, me, Michael Aeron, Kevin, Freddie, Tom, Unho, and Christian

Maria and I on our way to the reception

The Wedding Party introduces the new Bride and Groom

Sweeping my wife off of her feet

With our parents

Our First Dance

Cutting the cake

Striptease/Garter Toss

After the Money Dance

Our Last Dance

Our Grand Departure

And now, a few pictures from our life as a married couple!

Our first Christmas (and first Christmas tree) together (I was in L.A. last year, while she was in Orlando)

The perfect Christmas ornament for us this year - 2005 Parents-to-Be

Enjoying a dance at Marie and Mike's wedding in Cocoa Beach (Maria was one of the bridesmaids)

Snowboarding at Sugar Mountain, NC (my first time snowboarding since December 2003 - I ended up going again the following weekend)

Maria and I waiting in line at the Georgia Aquarium to get our pictures taken for our annual passes (thanks, Viv and Ivan)

Honey, me and Baby love your Buddha Belly too!

We found Nemo!

That's a ginormous grouper!

Checking out the view in the ocean tunnel

Whale shark

The African penguins

We're happy to report that married life is great. Pretty soon, we'll be getting our first taste of family life. We're in the third trimester now! We couldn't be more excited. In the last few weeks we've taken our childbirth classes, toured the maternity center at the hospital we're delivering at, drafted our birth plan, signed up for baptism preparation class, started to look for and purchase a few of the essentials we'll need before our baby girl arrives. Next up, finding a pediatrician and daycare for our baby girl after Maria's maternity leave is up. There's so much going on (we're looking for a house too), but we can't wait until the big day gets here so all of you can meet our baby girl! It's amazing how much we've bonded with her already!

My Husband Left Me..............

2006-01-14T19:08:00.000-05:00

So what did I awake to this Saturday morning? It was an empty bed. I spent all morning and afternoon all by myself (with Beamer too). My husband decided to leave me, .....................and go to North Carolina for snow boarding (his second mistress, second to the computer/internet). It was a last minute decision because he had just found out that the conditions were good for snow boarding. Of course I was worried, but mostly about him going alone. What if something were to happen? But anyway, he is now on his way home.

I used the time alone to get some much needed cleaning done. I was very productive with my day. It always seems like I can get more things done, when I am all by myself. I was determined to find that air filter for my car and Rob's car. I was able to buy my air filter, but no one seems to carry a Mazada6 air filter. But I'll keep looking. I'm trying to get Rob to do more car maintenance on his own. When we get our house, I plan on teaching him how to do an oil change. I am just not physically capable to do it right now.

Sorry I didn't really have anything interesting to say........that was just my day. Oh and, still pregnant. It's getting closer.

Hook 'Em Horns!

2006-01-05T00:36:00.000-05:00

Texas 41, USC 38

What a game! I was worried when UT fell behind 12 late in the fourth quarter, but you knew Vince Young would just take over like he did in last year's Rose Bowl. Unbelievable performance!

One Year Recap

2006-01-04T21:14:00.000-05:00

Exactly one year ago today, I drove up here (ATL) with the rest of my stuff, to move in with Rob. When I left Orlando, there were quite a bit of people who only gave me a few months before I moved back home. Well to them, I say .......haaaaaa. It's been great living here. I do get home sick and I miss having my family and friends around. I miss those girls nights out and my mom's cooking.

But it has been very eventful living up here. I've gotten to go camping for the first time, I went to Savannah for the first time, I went to several weddings with Rob, and I got to do those cheesy romantic things that I only thought people did on TV (like picnics at the park, dinner at a French restaurant, nice dress up dinners, etc). I like cheesy romance....and lucky for me Rob is a cheesy romantic.

I was going to post some pictures of some the events that have happened while I've been here, but I don't have time to crop pix.

Merry Christmas Eve

2005-12-24T20:06:00.000-05:00

Merry Christmas eve, to all. I hope everyone has a safe and warm holiday weekend. Rob and I will be going to midnight mass later.......then late night gift opening when we get back.

Quick update:

I returned to work after three weeks of recovering from my surgery. And well, works.....work. I also started to notice my belly getting bigger (I'm showing more than I used to).

Last weekend we attended Marie's (my maid of honor) wedding on the beach. It was very nice. The ceremony was on the beach at Cocoa Beach, FL. I was one of the very cold bride's maids. We had a great time. After that, we spent a relaxing weekend with my family.

This past Friday, we decided to get Beamer fixed. Poor dog lost something for Christmas (instead of getting something nice from Santa).

Now, it's official!

2005-12-08T14:12:00.000-05:00

I officially changed my name today. I am now a Campos. I need some time to get used to it though. I keep messing up, when I try to write my name.

It's a . . .

2005-11-28T23:12:00.000-05:00

Too many things to update about - the wedding (yes, Maria and I are now blissful newlyweds), Maria's surgery (she had an appendectomy the weekend before Thanksgiving - luckily she's OK and recovering), our first Christmas tree (can't wait to decorate), but this one is a big one. We had our appointment with the ultrasound specialist today, and we were able to find out the gender of the baby. Come April, Maria and I will be having a baby . . . GIRL!!! More updates (and hopefully scans of the ultrasound pics coming up)!

Big news!

2005-11-28T22:54:00.000-05:00

So, today we found out some very good news. Of course I called everyone after we found out. I just want to say that 'girls' are made of sugar and spice, and everything nice. Girls, at any age, can make a man's heart melt. (hint...hint...wink...wink).

Recovery update: During my recovery time off, I have been able to catch up on my movie watching. I have watched: Crash, Fever Pitch, Sahara, Beauty Shop, Madagascar, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Men Suddenly in Black (an Asian movie), The Ladykillers, Bewitched, and Kicking and Screaming; and I caught up on this season's Smallville and Alias episodes. (Thanks for finding them for me Sweetie).

Oh....and yesterday, we got our first Christmas tree. It's not real, but that's what we are both used to anyway. I am so excited because I love to decorate. Now, I am all about decorating for Christmas. Can't wait.

Our First Week of Marriage

2005-11-24T15:01:00.000-05:00

So.....you would think we could live happily ever after. It's our first week of being married. We went and saw the Rockette's at the Fox Theatre last Thursday. And then, we were making plans to do the 'thank you' cards this weekend and plan out our first Thanksgiving. Happy Thanksgiving to all.......BTW.

Well, none of that happened last weekend. Instead, I ended up in the emergency room at 1 am early Sunday morning. Sunday afternoon, I underwent surgery (appendectomy). The surgery went fine. We are fine ;) and my parents came up right away to keep me company at the hospital. Rob was great. He was strong and didn't let show how he was feeling, except tired, from lack of sleep. While he was at work during the day, my parents kept me company. Then Rob would sleep over at the hospital.

I was released on Tuesday, but the pain is still here. I want to thank all of you who came to visit me while I was in the hospital and out...and for those who said prayers for me. I was really concerned about my condition, especially when it came to the surgery. BTW, I don't recommend it....surgery.

My doc says I shouldn't return to work for three weeks. I thought that was cool, but I still feel like sh**. And I really can't do anything any ways.

BUT.....now, I do have a lot more to be thankful for. And believe me I am.

Just Married

2005-11-18T06:43:00.000-05:00

Thank you to all of you who have posted entries and pictures of our wedding. Also, thank you to all of you who had to travel a long way to celebrate with us. We do greatly appreciate your love and support.

Aside from some technical difficulties (being late for my own wedding and a DJ that would not cooperate with us) I had a nice evening. My husband did a great job planning the wedding. I love you, Sweetie.

Now on to other life changing events...........I will be calling/emailing some of you on Nov 28 to let you in on something.

Muah for now........

In case you were wondering . . .

2005-10-26T11:57:00.000-04:00

Being too busy has been scientifically proven to cause one’s blog to be woefully neglected . . . A few highlights since 9/23/05:

Wedding planning – This is, by far, the one thing that has dominated our time over the last month.  Over the last month, we’ve gone to Orlando twice for wedding stuff – to see the reception site all set up for a wedding reception, to lock down the rehearsal dinner site, to complete our planning with the priest and music director for the ceremony, to visit with our DJ and learn the dance for our first dance, to meet our photographer for pre-wedding pictures, and for Maria’s Bridal Shower.  Can you believe we’re getting married in two and a half weeks?!?  I’m stressed but also very excited at the same time.  I can’t wait till you’re my wife, Honey!!!  Most of the big items are now taken care of, and we only have a few smaller items to deal with now.  Hopefully things will run smoothly the rest of the way.

The North Georgia State Fair – Maria and I had been talking about going to a fair for awhile, and we finally got the chance earlier this month.   It was just like the fairs I went to as a kid.  We rode both ferris wheels and went through the funhouse, got some cotton candy, and walked around.  There were far fewer rides than I expected we would ride (and the lines were crazy), but I still had a good time taking my Honey to the fair!

Big news – We also got to share some long overdue news with a few folks.  Don’t worry, we’ll share when we see you in person.

Abby & Trey’s wedding – A couple of weeks ago we had the honor of attending Abby & Trey’s wedding here in Atlanta.  It was a lovely ceremony, and we had a great time at the reception.  It was a Catholic ceremony, too, so we got to see how a few parts of our ceremony will go, which was helpful.

Work – With everything else that’s going on, of course, work has to be busy as well.  Lots of late nights at the office.  Well, at least I got an unexpected bonus yesterday . . .

Happy October

2005-10-01T11:52:00.000-04:00

Happy October first everyone. I know I haven't been updating, but we've been real busy with the wedding and traveling.

We've been having cooler nights lately....it's nice. I wish I had the time to take nightly walks. Only, I wouldn't do it by myself.......

On another note, I am looking forward to all the end of the year holidays. It always goes by quickly and sometimes I just don't have time to savor the moment. This year will definitely be different for me (for us). I won't be a 'Cruz' anymore. And with the weddings we are attending and with our own wedding and other upcoming expenses, we may have to be a little more creative with Christmas gifts this year.......Hope you all understand.

Well, that's it for now. I hope everyone is doing well and having fun. I hope to see everyone soon.............

Another "inspired" (read: incompetent) performance by the government

2005-09-23T13:45:00.000-04:00

I hate to complain, but even after the debacle that was Katrina and the heat that's come down on federal, state, and local government agencies and personnel, their performance in response to Rita is maddeningly frustrating:

Evacuees stranded again

Our Wedding Webpage

2005-09-20T17:21:00.000-04:00

Finally got our wedding webpage up and in respectable working order at The Knot.

Our Wedding Webpage

DisneyWorld

2005-09-17T18:19:00.000-04:00

Don't have time to write a full-blown recap right now, but here are a few pics from our vacation in DisneyWorld last weekend for my Dad's 60th birthday celebration:

Here's a pic of my Mom and Dad at Pleasure Island. This was actually before Maria and I got there. My brother, Kevin, and his girlfriend, Deanne, took them out for an early birthday dinner at Portofino Yacht Club.

From our first fuill day, a pic of us waiting at our resort (Port Orleans French Quarter) for the bus to the Magic Kingdom. That's my Dad, Maria, me, Deanne, and Kevin.

My Mom and Dad enjoying the bus ride. Very convenient to have Disney transportation during our stay!

Here we are walking down Main Street U.S.A. on our way to Cinderella's Castle. That's Maria, me, Deanne, and Kevin.

Yes, Honey, you're Goofy!

But I have an alien on my head!

Hangin' out in Tomorrowland - Kevin, me, Maria (with her new Minnie ears and veil - thanks, Deanne), and Deanne.

If I stick my tongue out, maybe I'll be able to release the Sword in the Stone!

My Honey and me watching the new Cinderellabration show from Tokyo Disneyland.

Here's the group at MGM Studios on day 2 - it's me, Kevin, Deanne, my cousin, Christian, and his girlfriend, Evelyn. My Honey was absent :-( It's OK, she was doing the family thing that day.

Here's my Dad and Mom at his 60th birthday dinner at the Flying Fish Cafe at the Disney Boardwalk. They gave us two complimentary creme brulees for dessert!

Hook 'em Horns! The UT alums after Texas came rallied to beat Ohio State (at Ohio State) on Saturday night. That's Evelyn, Kevin, and Deanne.

Me and my Honey decked out in our Minnie and Mickey wedding veil and top hat on day 3.

My Honey and me at the Epcot ball.

Me and my Honey with Minnie Mouse. We actually walked up just as a busload full of characters was coming by for pictures. Serendipity!

Chip trying to run away with my top hat and my fiancee!

The three couples together - Evelyn and Christian, my Honey and me, and Deanne and Kevin
We had a really great time. Can't wait to see everyone (and more) again in November. Stay tuned for the full recap!

The power of a simple chart

2005-09-15T18:40:00.000-04:00

It's a little unreadable because of the resizing, but what the chart shows is the 9 month average retail price for regular gasoline in Atlanta. It's gone from roughly $1.59 per gallon in late December 2004 to $2.69 per gallon today - an increase of over 69%! Depressing, isn't it? I'm glad Beamer can make it through a full work day now without me having to go home to let him out at lunchtime. Now my (very expensive) gas will last (almost) twice as long.

Labor Day Cabin Trip, Part 2 - The Pics

2005-09-14T23:56:00.000-04:00

Here are a few pics from our cabin trip over Labor Day Weekend:

Here's a pic of Maria and me on our first night at the cabin

Here's one of Mike, Ryan, and Sunny while we wait for lunch at the infamous Buffalo Burger (yuck) place the next day

It's Maria, me, Thao, and Sy - excited now . . . disappointed after lunch

Here we are exploring what Gatlinburg has to offer - that's Sy, Ryan, Sunny, Maria, me, and Mike

Here we are taking the obligatory couple's picture at a scenic fountain in town

Mike, Song, and Sunny taking a break from preparing the grand feast

The big dinner feast (that's what I call a meal) - that's Ryan, Song, Sy, Maria, me, Kim, Dave, Mike, and Sunny

Here we are posing at the lookout at Smoky Mountain National Park
Coming up: All about the big trip to DisneyWorld this past weekend. Stay tuned . . .

Labor Day Cabin Trip

2005-09-06T16:12:00.000-04:00

It’s been a very busy week this past week, hence my lack of updates.  Late last week, I got slammed at work trying to get several fee applications taken care of in addition to a document review and very detailed initial disclosures the partner wants done ASAP (this project is currently dominating my time and will be the reason I get no sleep this week).  I was at the office until about 9:30 on Friday night (been awhile since I’ve done that).  It was great to come home to Maria after a long day at work.  She really is too good to me.

As for the weekend, Maria and I went on a big cabin trip in the Smoky Mountains in Tennessee (I’ll post some pics later).  From Atlanta, we had the two of us (and Beamer), Sy & Thao (and Nemo), and Mike (with Banjo).  From NJ/NY, we had Song, Ryan & Sunny, and Dave & Kim.  The cabin was great – nice view, well-stocked, literally brand new, air hockey and pool, jacuzzi, and even TV’s and DVD players in each room.  Too bad the wireless internet didn’t work.  The dogs had a lot of fun playing with each other the whole weekend (I think Beamer misses Banjo and Nemo).

For our first night, we had dinner and played some Turbo Cranium (ended in a tie, despite my failure to remember how to hum London Bridge . . . wtf?!?).  Maria and I also tried out the jacuzzi (nice).  The next day, after a lavish breakfast and a little relaxing at the cabin, a few of us went to see the sights and have lunch in Gatlinburg (had a very unimpressive buffalo burger).  When we got back, we had a huge dinner and played some poker while watching the remake of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (ho hum).  I’m happy to say that I partook in the winnings in our little poker game (Thao and I were duking it out, but we decided to call it a tie around 2:30 . . . we all know who would’ve won though, right Thao?).  For the final day of the trip, the Atlanta group stopped in the Cherokee Tribe area to check out one those places where you mine for gold and/or gems.  Maria and I opted for the gem mining and came home with a little bag of sapphires and rubies (and a smoky quartz that snuck its way in) . . . maybe we’ll actually do something with these “quality” gems someday.  Sy, Thao, and Mike tried their luck prospecting for gold . . . they didn’t exactly come home millionaires, but the y had a good time.  We ended the night with a barbeque at Mike’s house (what Labor Day would be complete without one?).  It was a great trip, everybody.  We should definitely do it again.

Now, we’re back in town for just a few days (we’re heading for Orlando late on Thursday night for a family trip to DisneyWorld for my Dad’s 60th birthday).  Of course, we’ve got a million things to do for work, for the trip, and for the wedding.  At least we’ve finally booked a place for the wedding reception (just happened today).  Wish us luck with the rest.

Have you taken a look at the prices at your local gas stations today?

2005-08-31T20:04:00.000-04:00

On the way home, I saw the BP in Buckhead almost completely shut down because it was almost out of gas (selling at $2.99 per gallon for regular unleaded). At the Chevron and Citgo at the corner of Dresden and Clairmont, there were LONG lines and gas was selling at $3.80 per gallon for regular unleaded. At the QT down the street, gas was at $3.19 per gallon for regular (if memory serves). At the Texaco, it was about the same. I hear that gas is as high as $6.00 per gallon in some places. Well, you get the picture. Saying we're in trouble is an understatement. This does not bode well for the future, much less the road trip to Tennessee (!) we're supposed to go on this weekend. If gas much higher . . . well, I don't know what I'd do about the trip!?!

On another note, I don't have enough time to do everything. I've got so much work right now (may have to take some along over the weekend), and I've gotta find a way to get it done and still make time for my vacation next week. As if I wasn't already losing sleep . . . there goes the rest . . .

The Rock

2005-08-30T21:55:00.001-04:00

Look!!!! I know I'm a little late in showing it off......but look...........

The rest of the weekend (and the start of the work week . . . sigh)

2005-08-29T23:31:00.000-04:00

Though we had originally intended not to stay out too late, we ended up spending a few hours at Cafe Intermezzo catching up with Dave. Here's a pic of us at the end of the night. Maria and I are on the top row. On the bottom, we have Dave, Sy, and Thao.

On Sunday, Maria spent most of the day with her friend Juliet looking for a wedding dress. I am happy to say (as is she) that she was successful. She even had time to get shoes and jewelry. While she was out, I had a number of mundane chores to attend to (laundry, cleaning the porch, buying dog food, washing my car . . . excitement does not begin to describe it). On the wedding front, we got our electronic Save the Date card sent out, and I got a little work done on our wedding webpage at The Knot.

Today was supposed to be a hectic day. We were set to get a bunch of fee applications filed today in one of the big cases I've been working on. The partner in charge of the case has had me working on them since late last week. He even had me email them to him on Friday afternoon (he wasn't in the office that day) for him to review so that everything would be ready to go today. Then the trustee decides to hold off until later this week. Without the deadline hangin over my head, the day calmed down quite a bit. Why can't every Monday be like this? Of course, I can't relax too much. I've still got work to do tonight. I'd much rather be sleeping with my Honey!

Wedding Dress . . . check!

2005-08-28T20:02:00.000-04:00

Yay! I bought my wedding dress today. I only had to try on 10 dresses, but I think I found 'the one'.

More wedding prep ahead of us.........

Quite the productive day

2005-08-27T22:32:00.000-04:00

Among our accomplishments today:

completed our Pre-Cana workshop requirement

ordered our wedding bands

set up another wedding registry, and

booked our flights to D.C. for Cat's wedding in October

Now, we're off to meet Dave (who's in town visiting for the weekend), Sy, and Thao at Cafe Intermezzo. Time to relax!

Pre-Cana Workshop

2005-08-26T23:48:00.000-04:00

Maria and I have an early morning tomorrow. We're due at the Catholic Center in Midtown at 8:45 AM for our Pre-Cana workshop. It's a sort of Catholic class about marriage that all engaged couples have to participate in before they can be married in the Catholic Church. Among the topics we'll be discussing: Goal Setting, Communication Skills, Sacrament, Reconciliation and Forgiveness, Love, Life, and Sexuality, and Finances. The workshop is supposed to last until 4:05, so it's gonna be a long day. At least we'll be able to check another item off of our wedding to do list. Only about a million items to go . . .

Fantasy Football Draft Night

2005-08-25T20:18:00.000-04:00

Tonight's the night . . . of course, I've been so busy with work, planning for my Dad's birthday celebration in Disneyworld, and planning our wedding that I haven't had any time to research. Just gonna have to wing it, I guess (my team is gonna suck). Check back later for the results.

Taking gender equality to a new level

2005-08-24T09:43:00.000-04:00

To all those ladies out these dying to pee like a man (I don't blame you with some of the stories I've heard about how dirty women's restrooms can be . . . the "hover" move doesn't sound too comfortable), now you can with this new product, the P-Mate! Check out the demonstration photos here. You know, I just don't think this is gonna be a hit . . .

From Strange New Products.

Is it really worth it to be a Good Samaritan these days?

2005-08-23T08:58:00.000-04:00

Check out this story:

Woman Fired After Trying to Help Dogs

Apparently, the assistant manager of the precious jewelry department at the Neiman Marcus in Buckhead (that's uptown Atlanta for anyone not local) was fired for trying to give some water to dogs that the owner had locked in a car on a hot day (90+ degrees + humidity). Two of her co-workers and a police officer had noticed the dogs from inside of the store when the assistant manager (let's call her "GS") decided to call animal control. She went out to get the license plate of the car and when she realized the sunroof was open, she decided to give the dogs some water. The car was too tall, so she had to take off her shoes and step on the hood of the car. At that point, the owner of the car came running out of the store, cursing and screaming. The owner said that GS damaged her $80,000 car, complained to the managers of the Neiman Marcus Store, and filed a police report. Any idiot knows that on a hot day, even with the windows open, the temperature inside a locked car can reach 105 degrees in less than five minutes. In response, the owner made sure to point out that she spends thousands of dollars a year at the store and that she was only trying on clothes inside the store for 15-40 minutes(!). GS ended up being fired for improper behavior. Of course, Neiman Marcus won't comment (it's a personnel issue).

No good deed goes unpunished, right?

From Sloppy Pockets via The Bert Show.

micro compact home

2005-08-22T09:04:00.000-04:00

Luxurious estates, extravagant mansions, fancy-shmancy highrise apartments . . . who needs them when you can have this: your very own micro compact home (m-ch). With your home, you get a double bed on the upper level, a working space and dining table for 4-5 people on the lower level, and kitchen bar designed to serve both levels. In addition, the entrance lobby serves as your bathroom and as a drying space for clothing. Ample storage is provided in the four areas of the house. Technology-wise, you get two flat screen TV monitors with broadband, and the kitchen has a double radiant hob and microwave oven and double compartment fridge/freezer combination. It can all be yours for the price of 50,000 euros.

From: we make money not art via Boing Boing.

Perfect Wedding Guide Bridal Show

2005-08-21T22:52:00.000-04:00

Maria and I spent most of our afternoon at the Perfect Wedding Guide Bridal Show at the Hyatt Regency downtown. Since our wedding is going to be in Orlando, we both went knowing that most of the stuff there wouldn't really be something that we could have at the wedding. We were there more for ideas and to enter Maria into the various prize drawings. The biggest attraction was the drawing for ten Casa Di Moda wedding dresses valued at $4,000 each. We were surprised to find that the dresses weren't all that nice. Still, it would have been nice to win one. We thought we might have won the all-inclusive honeymoon for a second. When the announcer called out the name, he went very slowly, and the girl's first name was Maria! Unfortunately, it wasn't my Maria. Even though we didn't win anything, we still had a good time wandering from booth to booth and watching the fashion show and dance competition.

After the show, we flagged a few invitation/stationary designs we liked, and we both had talks with our parents to go over various details they are trying to help us with. We may now have the DJ and the flowers out of the way. Stay tuned. It feels good to start checking these items off the list. We need to check off quite a few more before we can get comfortable, since we're working on a slightly shorter schedule. Did I tell you that I LOVE stress?!?

Speaking of stress, now that it's almost 11:00, I need to do some work. I think I'll be having several long nights like this over the next 83 days. If I didn't love Maria so much, there's no way I would put myself through this kind of craziness. Wish me luck!

This weekend is for wedding stuff

2005-08-20T21:13:00.000-04:00

After a few errands in the morning, Maria and I spent the rest of the day on wedding-related tasks. First, we visited a couple of places in an effort to find a bridesmaid's dress for Maria for our friend Marie's wedding in December (no success, unfortunately, but it looks like she's found a dress online). Next, we took care of (well, mostly took care of) setting up our first wedding registry. We spent a good few hours talking with the bridal consultant and walking around the store with the scanning gun (Maria had fun time with that . . . me too, actually). Tonight, we're going to try to pick out invitation and save the date card designs, work a little more on the guest list, and do some more work on the registry. Tomorrow, we've got another store to register at, and I'm taking Maria to the Perfect Wedding Guide bridal show downtown. Among the prizes are an all-inclusive honeymoon, 2-$1,000 shopping sprees at the show, and 10 wedding dresses valued at $4,000 each. I'm pulling for my Honey to win one of those! Thanks to everyone for their warm wishes. We can't wait to share our special day with everyone. Stay tuned for more news!

The big news is out!

2005-08-20T20:26:00.000-04:00

So, I guess it's out now. Most everyone knows that Rob and I are getting married in November. Excited and stressed at the same time. That's it for now.

Planning for the Big Day

2005-08-18T23:26:00.000-04:00

This planning is no easy stuff . . . definitely overwhelming. I think we'll feel much better, though, after the first few details are locked down. Very tired now (and it's not even that late). Must sleep . . . more planning to do tomorrow.

News travels at the speed of blogs

2005-08-17T23:27:00.000-04:00

You have a talk with your parents, and before you know it, the news is in your cousins’ blogs, and then everybody knows. Don’t worry, it wasn’t a secret to be kept, and there were no confidences broken. For those who have not heard just yet, a formal announcement is on the way. In any event, you may want to save the dates of the weekend of Saturday, November 12, 2005. 87 days and counting . . .

OBT Ninja!

2005-08-17T13:23:00.000-04:00

A man dressed in ninja attire (well, he was wearing a ninja mask and dressed in black clothes) snuck into and robbed, at knifepoint (he must've left his katana at home), a Steak 'n Shake on the 7700 block of South Orange Blossom Trail in Orlando early this morning! He then made his escape from the authorities by "disappearing" into a nearby industrial park (courtesy of mystical ninja arts, no doubt).

From local6.com via Best Week Ever Blog.