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November 30, 2004
back to work
Well, it's back to work for me. Yesterday I stayed home sick, drugged up on all sorts of decongestents and cold meds. It was nice to sleep, and finally get some much needed rest...unfortunatly, I needed to get my butt up and get to work today.
Although, there's not that much to do at work because I am at the beginning of three new projects, none of which have "kicked off" yet. Sooo, I'm just sitting here, trying to find something to do. Let's see...tonight I have salsa class with Shelly. Oh and I might go over to Jennifer's after work and do a load of laundry...
I talked to Jennifer last night, and stopped over her apartment for a splash of milk so I could drink my tea. She and Li-Wei went to New Orleans right after Thanksgiving with some friends. It sounded like they had a good time :-) Man, but what a LONGGGGGGGGGG drive!!! It was good to see her...
I also had a call from Thuck last night. He needed to chat and analyze the relationship he has with this girl that he's been dating for a month now. He's so funny :-) But, he was nice and offered to bring me some Chicken Noodle Soup.
Other than that...Nothing exciting is going on in my life. I'm just going to salsa and turkish, biding my time, until it's time to go home and finally see my mom. We've decided to re-do Thanksgiving, and have a big T-day dinner the weekend I come home, because my mom missed us so much. So I'll have an opporutnity to make my regular T-day dishes. (Chrissy and Seymen were bummed that we didn't have my green bean cassorle and apple pie this year).
I can't wait to go home. My apartment it so lonely and empty without Seymen there. At least I have Jennifer to come home to :-))
Posted by beth at 11:29 AM | Comments (0)
November 28, 2004
Florida Pictures
Here's some pictures from our Florida vacation...
Posted by beth at 08:35 PM | Comments (0)
Vacation has ended...
Hi everyone! I hope you had a great and happy Thanksgiving!! Mine was good, other than the travelling Nightmare on Wednesday night...For some dumb reason, we thought it would be a great idea to travel from 3 different cities on the busiest travel day of the year...And like always, the weather did not cooperate with us! Basically, to make a long story short, Chrissy ended up in Tampa 3.5 hours early, Maki 3.5 hours late, and Seymen and I ended up in Orlando two hours late. We (Seymen and I) had to run around to the car rental counters at 12AM begging for them to rent us a car to get us to Tampa. Finally, we were able find one (THANK YOU ALAMO/NATIONAL <-- They are the best ever, with the NICEST customer support) and Seymen and I drove the 1.5 hour drive to Tampa to stay in a hotel that Chrissy and Maki chose when Maki arrived :-) Chrissy and I, being the well seasoned travellers that we are, spent all night wednesday crying in airports along the mid-west and east coast. But in the end it worked out, and we made it to Palm Island by 3pm on Thursday, in time for THanksgiving dinner. The weather COMPLETELY cooperated, so we spent the weekend in the sun, swimming in the gulf, and walking on the beach collecting shark teeth. Last night, Seymen reserved us awesome hotel rooms in Tampa (2 suites that connected to CHrissy and Maki's room) and treated us to a YUMMY steak dinner. And now I'm home in Austin...In my lonely apartment. :-( Missing Seymen, Chrissy and Maki, my fellow travel partners. And so now, I'm going to go to bed, and finish reading the book that I'm almost done with, and hopefully sleeping until it's time to go to work tomorrow...so I can be rested and ready for my weekly routine. Oh yeah, and I'm SOOOOOOOOOOOO glad that I'm going home in Two weeks, otherwise I seriously would have broke down and cried when I walked into my apartment--because I missed Seymen so much :-(((
Posted by beth at 02:59 PM | Comments (0)
November 24, 2004
I'm a Delinquent :-(
Yesterday, I received a notice on my door, that I am three months past due on my gas bill :-(((( And that I have 24 hours to pay my bill or else I'd be SHUT DOWN!!!! I had to call and explain to the lady that I never received a gas bill since I've moved here, and stupid me...I didn't realize that the gas and the electric are seperate bills from seperate companies...(Thanks Rochester Gas and Electric...I wish I had an all in one bill here!) Anyway...don't worry, I paid my bill. I just feel like a bum that I was delinquent! :-( Bad Beth!!!
Anyway...on a GOOD NOTE!!! Seymen and I are flying to Florida today!! I just had a call from my dad, and he PROMISED there is a monopoly game in Florida, so the 6th year traditional monopoly tournament will commence Tomorrow...It just won't be exactly the same, without Jake there...Yelling at Seymen to not give me hints when Chrissy is trying to take advantage of me, and buy boardwalk from me for like $50. hehhee...
I can't wait...and Maki's going to be there so all my best friends will be with me. I'm just gonna miss my mom. It's the first t-day in 6 years, that we haven't been at my mom's and started the Holiday Wiz-Bang Circuit. On a good note, it'll be Seymen and Maki's first T-day with my dad and G. And...they are taking up to Tarpon Springs on Saturday and putting us up in a hotel for the night so we can fly home Sunday.
Posted by beth at 09:21 AM | Comments (0)
November 23, 2004
1st time in 6 years
For the first time in 6 years, I finally saw Seymen in a pair of blue jeans!!!! Yesterday we went to old navy to buy him a new shirt, that didn't have holes in it ;-)...When we finally picked out a suitable shirt, we realized that it wasn't going to go with either pair of his pants...And for some reason (with out my inital encouragement!!!) Seymen said he wanted to try on a pair of blue jeans! So we picked out a pair, and he looked SOOOOOOO CUTE!!!!! So I made him buy them :-)! Chrissy and Maki are going to DIE tomorrow when they see us! Awwww...he's so cute :-)
Posted by beth at 09:46 AM | Comments (0)
November 22, 2004
He's HERE!!!
Well after a slight 23 hour delay...Seymen made it to Austin!!! :-))) I'm so happy!!! When I picked him up from the airport, he wanted to go DIRECTLY to Best Buy...(With the intent of buying Game Cube for "me" so he can plan all week when I'm at work) Instead, we bought an external DVD burner for my laptop (Totally more fun ;-) Now he doesn't have to burn them for me!
Afterwards, we grabbed a quick dinner and headed to Dallas Night club for Salsa Dancing with Jennifer and Li-Wei. It was really FUNNN, but we got there early (before 8pm cover is $1, and after 8 it's $8) so we were able to hear some Country music :-) The salsa band started playing around 9:30pm, so I danced a little (Seymen refused because he didn't know the steps) and then we headed home...
Anyway, it's just so nice to have him here :-)!!!! We made homemade bread and ate like half the loaf at 11pm!! It's so fun having a person around late at night!! :-)) I wasn't lonely at all yesterday!
Today, he's going to sleep in until 10:30 and then Tracy, Izel, Ozan, Seymen and I are all meeting for lunch by my work. Tracy and the baby are going to pick him up (HOPEFULLY he'll try to be awake :-) Little does he know I set the alarm clock for him >;-) *evil laugh*...
Posted by beth at 08:29 AM | Comments (0)
November 19, 2004
The Plan!
Yiiippppee! Seymen's coming to Texas TOMORROW!!! I'm so excited! I made a deal with him last night, that I wouldn't talk to him very long last night (because he was at work at 12am) and tonight (so he can rest for his trip), and if I do that for him, then he'll do WHATEVER I want when he's in Texas with me!!! :-) (Good deal right?)
So...I'm leaving Saturday night empty because he gets in at 9:30pm which is too late to do much...Then Sunday afternoon for lunch, we're going to Tracy and Ozan's for lunch. I'm going to bring Dolmas and Tracy is going to make some new recipies she just found. THen Sunday night we're having a quick dinner with Jennifer and Li-Wei--and then going to Dallas Night Club to Salsa Dance. Monday evening, dinner with the girls from work...Tuesday evening salsa beginner salsa class with the girls from work and Seymen, and wednesay evening FLYING TO FLORIDA for T-day!!!! :-) Soooo busy!!!! hehehehe :-) I can't wait!
Posted by beth at 11:55 PM | Comments (0)
November 18, 2004
Crazy Texan
We watched this from the window in our office building. We have a perfect view of Mopac (loop 1) and then during lunch Stephanie and I saw the police cars, and a helicopter!
---------------------------------------------------------------
Police chase shuts down MoPac
By Dave Harmon
AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF
Thursday, November 18, 2004
A 35-year-old man was in custody Thursday after leading about a dozen officers on a chase down MoPac Boulevard (Loop 1) that led to one officer firing shots at him.
Bradley Jarrell was being held for violation of a felony stalking warrant while police considered other charges against him for the chase. He had fled from officers who were trying to question him about a violation of the warrant in a grocery store parking lot in North Austin about 10:30 a.m.
"Tire deflation devices were deployed," said police spokesman Kevin Buchman. "It was a slow speed chase. He was traveling on several flat tires."
Buchman said Jarrell led officers down MoPac from the store near Parmer Lane in North Austin in his four-door compact car, then crossed into the northbound lanes while traveling south in South Austin. At that point, police closed the freeway.
Finally, at the northbound exit for Capital of Texas Highway (Loop 360), police said Jarrell almost ran down a motorcycle officer, who was later taken to Brackenridge Hospital for treatment of minor injuries.
"Another officer saw it," Buchman said, "and fired several shots at the vehicle."
Buchman said Jarrell was not hit but stopped at that point and was relieved of his pistol and taken to Brackenridge Hospital for evaluation after complaining of complications of diabetes.
Posted by beth at 03:33 PM | Comments (0)
Jennifer
Sooo...Jennifer and I had our first Wednesday night ritual. We have decided that every wednesday before Salsa class, I will come over and do my laundry for free at her apartment, and we'll cook dinner together, eat and go to Salsa class while Li-Wei (I was spelling it wrong before) is at work. I went to work early today so that I could leave at 4:30 to make it home before traffic hit :-) When I told my boss I was leaving a little early, I don't know what I was thinking, but told her that I came in early because I had to get home to do my laundry at my friends house before Salsa class :-) hehehe...I'm such a dumbo :-) But she was cool with it, and told me to have fun doing laundry and at Salsa :-).
Tonight we cooked Lasagna (YUMMMMYYY) and I ate way too much so I couldn't breath in Salsa class ;-)...I had to wear my sneakers today because my poor feet are about to FALL OFF! Since Monday I've been salsa-ing every night, and I have to wear high heels at work (well I don't HAVEEE too, but I have very little option because I only have like 1 pair of low heeled shoes)...Last night I was in so much pain I couldn't walk in my apartment, even with no shoes on! I had to walk on my heels. Anyway...Tonight's class was SOOOOO fun!! Thuck and I graduated to the Intermediate side, and we learned a great new routine. (Well actually, it's the routine that we did monday night, but I didn't know it then, and they wern't going slow enough for me to learn) So tonight, I really had a chance to learn it!
And JENNIFER! Was AWESOME! She demonstrated twice! Once with Greg and once with Tony, and everyone in class was like: "WOW! SHe's Good!" "Look at her hand movements!" "SHe has more style than TONY!!!" After class, Greg told her she needs to get even further advanced because she's so good! (And then Greg told me I need to not bounce so much when I dance ;-)...but Thuck said that he thinks my "bouncing" has gotten much better than when I started :-) Thanks Thuck!
Ohhh yeahhh...and I found someone who actually understood what I meant when I say: "DAMN GINAAA!" IT's been a long time since anyone understood it...Since Ryan taught my that little saying over a year ago! Anyway, it slipped out tonight during a conversation with Thuck and Jennifer. Thuck was like: "YOU SAY IT TOO!!! Finally!! SOmeone says that! I always say it, and none of my friends know what I'm talking about. They always ask: "Who's Gina??" ". Anyway, I explained that my old roommate got me HOOOOOOOKED on the saying and I can't stop...and he couldn't remember where he got it from, so I happily informed him that it was from Martin :-) So we left Salsa class screaming in the parking lot: "Damnnn GINNAAA!"
That was a silly story...but I'm so PUMPED!!! Jennifer and I went back to her apartment after class so I could get my laundry, and we were so GOOFY :-) Poor Li-Wei. He must think we're nuts. We came in laughing and dancing, and showing him all our moves. But it was fun, and he seemed to be laughing WITH us...not AT us ;-) We finally convinced Li-Wei to agree to come to Dallas Night Club with us on Sunday night though, to go Salsa dancing...As long as SEYMEN agrees to come with us, then Li-Wei will go. I asked Seymen tonight when I was talking to him on the phone, and he said: "Yeah, sure... (I cheered here and was all excited)...We'll talk about it" (I hate that...he always adds that little: We'll talk about it, in there to give himself a loop hole so he doesn't have to agree yet to something :-))))) But don't worry...he'll come :-) It'll be so FUNNNN!!!
Anyway, I have to get my butt to bed. It's 12:00AM and my alarm is set for 6:15. I'm so glad it's almost Thanksgiving and we'll have a break! I could really use some SLEEP! After last weekend with my mom, and going Salsa crazy this week! I haven't had much sleep. Tomorrow I'm going out for girls night up north, with some friends from work, and then Friday Tracy and I will study turkish :-)
Ohh yeah...I sent the e-mail to Seymen's dad today. Seymen made me wait until today to send it...I don't know why, but maybe he was helping to not be so eager...and desperate ;-) hehehe. (And Seymen read my turkish lines and I only made one mistake that I didn't catch!) Gooo Beth! - Cok Iyi Beth! <-- That means: VERY GOOD BETH!
Posted by beth at 12:43 AM | Comments (0)
November 16, 2004
2 HOURS
Seymen's parents sent me an e-mail today about our trip to turkey, and it took me seriously two hours to compose a response :-) I'm soooo nervouse!!!!! EKKKEKEKE and soooooooooooooooooo excited!!!! I HOPE they like me!!! I even called Ozan to get some advice in my response :-) He is so nice...He must think I'm NUTs ;-)
Anyway, I'm off to shower and then bed. Iyi Geceler! (That means good night in Turkish!)
Posted by beth at 10:58 PM | Comments (0)
It's alot harder than it LOOKS!
Well I went to the advanced Salsa class last night...It was SOOOO HARD!!!! It was crazy! But really fun, and I'm determined to practice and get the routine, so the teacher Tony doesn't kick me out and send me back to the beginner's class only ;-)
Anyway, tonight is another Salsa class, with our teacher Greg. We haven't found out the address of the place yet, so hopefully Greg will e-mail me, or Jennifer and I will be able to find it!
Oh yes...and I talked to Seymen last night, and I think that I've (reluctantly) convinced him to agree to come to Salsa class with Jennifer, Lee Way, and I next Tuesday when he's in town. (I don't think I will even try to convince him to come to monday's class with me ;-)
So anyway, I have to get back to work...I just wanted to share with all ya'lls that salsa is DAMNNN HARD...and that I'm so excited that I can hardly contain myself enough to make it through the week, that Seymen is coming Saturday night. I think if everything works out this week, I'll have salsa mon-wed. then girls night on Thursday with some friends, then hopefully I can convince Tracy to postpone studying Turkish until Friday...which will lead me to SATURDAY!! When SEYMEN ARRIVES!! and then 4 DAYS UNTIL I SEE MAKI and CHRISSYYY in FLORIDA!!!
Posted by beth at 10:51 AM | Comments (0)
November 15, 2004
Back to Normal
Well, everything is back to normal now. I took mom to the airport at 5:30am today. I was so tired I just dropped her off at the door and took off to work ;-) I think it's better for me when my guests leave early monday morning, instead of Sunday afternoon :-) I'm so tired that I don't have an energy to feel sad or depressed!
Anyway, we had a great time. She met a ton of my friends (a total 7 that she met ;-) And by chance, when we were shopping in Linen's and Things, we ran into my salsa dance teacher Greg! :-) So that was exciting. It was the first time since I've moved to Texas, that I saw someone that I knew in a store. Things are looking up! I'm becoming popular ;-) heheh...just joking.
I think we hit about every tourist spot in Austin this weekend. We went to the Harry Ransom Center at UT, and the bell tower. Then we headed to the Capital for a tour of the House of Representatives and Senate Chambers. Later, we went out to the Oasis...and of course we hit up Rudy's so my mom could have a quick taste of TEXAS BBQ. She thought it was so funny that they do not give you any plates...just pieces of plastic coated paper...and that you could watch them cutting the briskette on TV :-)
Anyway...tonight I'm going to start taking the Monday Salsa classes. Jennifer threatened me last night, that if I don't come to class, she's going to come over and drag me to clas :-) And when I saw my salsa teacher at the store with my mom, he informed me of his other classes on Tuesday nights (This month is FREE!) ...so Jennifer and I will be attending that class as well. Wednesday is the original salsa class (crossing my fingers that my partner Thuck doesn't ditch out this week!!!), Thursday is study turkish night (We have like 4 pages of homework this week! He means business man! We had our final exam on Saturday. I guess he really wants me to be good when I meet Seymen's parents in January!)...and then....SATURDAY NIGHT!!! SEYMEN ARRIVESSS!!!!! Yiiipppeeeeeeeeeeeee!! I can't wait!
This week better fly or else I'll be pissed! ;-)
Posted by beth at 11:52 AM | Comments (0)
November 13, 2004
Dude Ranch!
HI!! Well I'm in the midsts of a weekend with my mom visiting in Austin. We've been so busy! We're both exhausted. Anyway...just a bit of news...I'll write more mOnday night Mom leaves....But we met up with my friend Erin for dinner and she informed me about our Team off Site meeting in December...I left early friday to pick up my mom so I missed the e-mail...
But anyway, they are taking us to a DUDE RANCH!! for the event! We are staying over for one night! I'm so excited!! How Texas is that!?!?!? AWESOME!!! :-) We're going to be able to ride horses and everything! I NEEEEEEEEEEEED cowboy boots now FOR SURE!!!
Posted by beth at 11:04 PM | Comments (0)
November 11, 2004
BACK IN BUSINESS!!!
HI!!!! I'm back in BUSINESS!!!! Sorry for the MAJOR DELAY with the postings! Since RIT is turning of my RIT e-mail, that also meant my free webspace there would be gone as well...
It took me forever (FOREVERRRRR) to get it back up and running again...Somewhere along the way, I screwed everything up completely, so Seymen had to go in and fix it for me. But thanks to Ryan's good advice, I was able to figure out how to import my old entries.
Anyway...so much has gone on since my last post to ya'll!
- Maki Came to visit
- We have a the same crappy President!
- I made a BUNCH of new friends at SALSA CLASS!
- It has been confirmed officially that I'm going to Turkey in Jan!
- It has been confirmed officially that I'm going to home for the Fuji christmas party!
- My mom is coming TOMORROW!
- Seymen is coming a week and 1 day from TOMORROW! until T-day!
- Seymen, Maki, Chrissy, and I are going to meet in Tampa, FL and spend T-day with my family at my dads house!
- My cousin had a baby boy --Patrick
Ohh gosh...It just feels so good to be able to post! For the past two weeks, I've had so many expierences where I was like: Ohh...I have to write a blog entry about that...and then I remember that I can't because you guys can't read it...because I screwed up my configs and it won't let me post!
Things have been so perfect here, and are going soooooooo well!!!! I finished my first manual at work. It is on IRAs. It's good ;-) And I've been so busy with Jennifer and Tracy. Jennifer and I have been visiting some clubs downtown, and close to home, to practice Salsa dancing! We spent all night last night after class at the Speakeasy for some Salsa!!! (and avoiding the "guys" that are "hunting" <-- as Jennifer calls it. HUNTING = Guys looking to pick up girls. She wants to get a sign that say: "Hello! My name is Jennifer. I'm married!" Thank goodness for our salsa classmates!! We are safe with them. They have all met Lee Way (Jennifer's husbend), and heard about Seymen (because of my Turkish study sessions interferring with Salsa night at the Kopa Bar)
OK Anyway...I gotta run. I'm heading to Tracy's soon to study Turkish. We are taking our Unit Two Final Exam tonight. EKEKKEK :-)
Posted by beth at 07:49 PM | Comments (0)
November 04, 2004
Forward from my friend Aaron in NYC
When I started reading this, I was surprised that he wrote about excactly how I felt. I didn't understand, I still don't understand why I'm so depressed/dissapointed over the outcome of the election this year. I honestly hardly ever follow politics. I hate conversations about it over lunch/dinner. I hate keeping myself informed about it...but for some reason I was totally hooked on the election coverage, and spent all yesterday morning pressing the refresh button on CNN.com Electoral College Map to see if Ohio would tell us the outcome of this drawn out election process. Anyway...This article just captured my interest...It made me feel a little better to know that I'm not the only person feeling down about this.
And I have to add right now...that I'm not so happy to be living in Texas. I heard on the radio this morning, the end of Pres. Bush's speech, where he directly addressed his fellow "people of Texas"...his "homeland"...I wish I were in NY...good ole democratic NY.
----------Forwarded Message------------------------
I think I agree with most of what Mr. Friedman (NYTimes columnist) has
to say below. Also of disturbing note, apparently the new GOP Senator
from Oklahoma has called for the death penalty for doctors who perform
abortions...
Hoping for brighter days ahead.
Best,
Aaron
Two Nations Under God
By THOMAS L. FRIEDMAN
Published: November 4, 2004
Well, as Grandma used to say, at least I still have my health. ...
I often begin writing columns by interviewing myself. I did that
yesterday, asking myself this: Why didn't I feel totally depressed
after George H. W. Bush defeated Michael Dukakis, or even when George
W. Bush defeated Al Gore? Why did I wake up feeling deeply troubled
yesterday?
Answer: whatever differences I felt with the elder Bush were over what
was the right policy. There was much he ultimately did that I ended up
admiring. And when George W. Bush was elected four years ago on a
platform of compassionate conservatism, after running from the middle,
I assumed the same would be true with him. (Wrong.) But what troubled
me yesterday was my feeling that this election was tipped because of an outpouring of support for George Bush by people who don't just favor different policies than I do - they favor a whole different kind of America. We don't just disagree on what America should be doing; we disagree on what America is.
Is it a country that does not intrude into people's sexual preferences
and the marriage unions they want to make? Is it a country that allows
a woman to have control over her body? Is it a country where the line
between church and state bequeathed to us by our Founding Fathers
should be inviolate? Is it a country where religion doesn't trump
science? And, most important, is it a country whose president mobilizes its deep moral energies to unite us - instead of dividing us from one another and from the world?
At one level this election was about nothing. None of the real problems facing the nation were really discussed. But at another level, without warning, it actually became about everything. Partly that happened because so many Supreme Court seats are at stake, and partly because Mr. Bush's base is pushing so hard to legislate social issues and extend the boundaries of religion that it felt as if we were rewriting the Constitution, not electing a president. I felt as if I registered to vote, but when I showed up the Constitutional Convention broke out.
The election results reaffirmed that. Despite an utterly incompetent
war performance in Iraq and a stagnant economy, Mr. Bush held onto the
same basic core of states that he won four years ago - as if nothing
had happened. It seemed as if people were not voting on his
performance. It seemed as if they were voting for what team they were
on.
This was not an election. This was station identification. I'd bet
anything that if the election ballots hadn't had the names Bush and
Kerry on them but simply asked instead, "Do you watch Fox TV or read
The New York Times?" the Electoral College would have broken the exact
same way.
My problem with the Christian fundamentalists supporting Mr. Bush is
not their spiritual energy or the fact that I am of a different faith.
It is the way in which he and they have used that religious energy to
promote divisions and intolerance at home and abroad. I respect that
moral energy, but wish that Democrats could find a way to tap it for
different ends.
"The Democrats have ceded to Republicans a monopoly on the moral and
spiritual sources of American politics," noted the Harvard University
political theorist Michael J. Sandel. "They will not recover as a party until they again have candidates who can speak to those moral and spiritual yearnings - but turn them to progressive purposes in domestic policy and foreign affairs."
I've always had a simple motto when it comes to politics: Never put
yourself in a position where your party wins only if your country
fails. This column will absolutely not be rooting for George Bush to
fail so Democrats can make a comeback. If the Democrats make a
comeback, it must not be by default, because the country has lapsed
into a total mess, but because they have nominated a candidate who can
win with a positive message that connects with America's heartland.
Meanwhile, there is a lot of talk that Mr. Bush has a mandate for his
far right policies. Yes, he does have a mandate, but he also has a date - a date with history. If Mr. Bush can salvage the war in Iraq, forge a solution for dealing with our entitlements crisis - which can be done only with a bipartisan approach and a more sane fiscal policy - upgrade America's competitiveness, prevent Iran from going nuclear and produce a solution for our energy crunch, history will say that he used his mandate to lead to great effect. If he pushes for still more tax cuts and fails to solve our real problems, his date with history will be a very unpleasant one - no matter what mandate he has.
Posted by beth at 11:59 AM | Comments (0)