MichaelAndSharon.com

We Have Moved

2008-06-05T16:00:00.002-05:00

Visit our new blog at MichaelandSharon.com.

(If you like us enough, update your links!)

Our Photo gallery is still at MichaelandSharon.com/gallery/

Dear Google

2008-06-03T23:12:00.002-05:00

Dear Google,

I hope you can forgive me. We have such a history together. I have been a loyal supporter of yours for as long as you’ve been around. I use all of your products and apps, and I talk you up at parties, business meetings, and any other proper occasion that arises. I’m a proud shareholder. I’m personally responsible for inviting dozens of people to gmail and teaching them how to use it. I have set up Google Calendars for dozens of clients and friends. I only use your maps, your search engine, your RSS feeds, you get the idea. You are my home page, the first digital face I see each day. I’ve always said I love everything about you.

But there is just one thing about you that I can’t continue to love. And that is Blogger. I know Blogger is not your creation, but you do own it now, so you bear some responsibility. I met Blogger in 2005, and while our relationship used to be fun and new, I just couldn’t ignore that we’ve been growing apart over time.

And so, Blogger (c/o Google), I’m leaving you for WordPress. It’s not you, it’s me. We just have more in common. WordPress really understands me and how I work. I hope things won’t be weird between us now, and I hope you’ll still keep our old memories alive. It’s been … real.

Just your “friend”,

Sharon

Check out our new blog at MichaelandSharon.com

Friday Afternoon Smackdown

2008-05-30T17:50:00.018-05:00

I totally got in a fight this afternoon. And I totally did not start it.

Ok, so here's the premise. Ever since Michael took those stunning macro photos of His Frogness Prince Gilbert, I've been fascinated with taking close-up shots of living beings, especially insects. They're just beautiful.

I can't really explain this strange new obsession, but lately I've been prowling around outside looking for interesting insects to photograph, of which we have many. I won't post my pics all at once, because you might bug out. But I will have some to share with you.

Anyway, for the most part, the objects of my obsession are oblivious toward my amateur photography sessions, which is good. But they are often on the move, so it's sometimes very hard to get a good shot.

One such fella I'd been trying to photograph for a few days proved to be just such a challenge. I have no idea what the proper names of these insects are, but of course I give them their own names. So this guy is Scrappy Mac "Goldenbutt" Jones, and he's been hanging around my patio for quite some time.

Yesterday, I caught him napping in the sun, but when I got out the camera and got up close and personal, he took off. Totally chose "flight" over fight.

But today I saw him again. And today, he was ready for a fight.

Here is a close-up of Mr. Goldenbutt.

You can see how beautiful his butt is. Well of course it is, it's made of gold.

So, very annoyed with my camera being in such close proximity, he whipped around and totally confronted me.

And he was all, "What are you looking at, lady?" (He totally had a Jersey accent.)

And then he was all, "Put 'em up, put 'em up," and began doing some bizarre pre-fight dance, getting all up on his hind legs, then prancing back and forth, presumably to psyche himself out, since we're clearly in different weight divisions.

And I was all, "Oh excuse me, Mr. Goldenbutt, I just wanted a close up shot of the cool horns on your back." (Trying to intimidate him with my sarcasm).

And then he's all, "BACK OFF WOMAN, OR ELSE."

And I'm all, "Or else what, tough guy?" He's not the only one who's scrappy. And then,

... suddenly, he was not in my viewfinder anymore. And I'm all, "Ha, I showed you, tiny insolent creature."

And then he was all "BAM" and totally jumped me.

That's when I finally screamed and dropped the camera.

Then he's all, "Yeah, that's what I thought."

And he proudly strutted away.

Anyway, that was my Friday Afternoon Smackdown. Thought you might enjoy the play-by-play.

"Things I learned living in Texas"

2008-05-27T08:38:00.006-05:00

Well, we haven't lived here long enough to learn it all, but some of these are sure familiar. This is one of those beloved email forwards. So I was feeling particularly mischievous this morning and thought I would commit what could be considered the ultimate online sin ... POSTING an EMAIL FORWARD on my blog. Is this even allowed? Certainly this isn't worse than forwarding to everyone in your address book? (Which, by the way, I have never done, but I have sent a few things to a few people when appropriate).

No, I guess this is not worse. YOU came HERE.

Anyway, give me a few years and I'll make a list of my own. And then I'll forward it to you.

"Things I learned living in Texas"

A possum is a flat animal that sleeps in the middle of the road.
There are 5,000 types of snakes and 4,998 of them live in Texas.
There are 10,000 types of spiders. All 10,000 of them live in Texas , plus a couple no one's seen before.
If it grows, it'll stick ya. If it crawls, it'll bite cha.
"Onced" and "Twiced" are words.
It is not a shopping cart, it is a buggy!
"Jaw-P?" means "Did ya'll go to the bathroom?"
People actually grow and eat okra.
"fixinto" is one word.
There is no such thing as "lunch". There is only dinner and then there is supper.
Iced tea is appropriate for all meals and you start drinking it when you're two & we do like a little tea with our sugar.
Backwards and forwards means "I know everything about you."
The word "jeet" is actually a phrase meaning "Did you eat?".
You don't have to wear a watch, because it doesn't matter what time it is, you work until you're done or it's too dark to see.
You don't PUSH buttons, you MASH ʽEM.
"No. Jew?" is a common response to the question "Did you bring any beer?"
You measure distance in minutes.
You switch from heat to A/C in the same day.
All the festivals across the state are named after a fruit, vegetable, grain, insect or animal.
You know what a "DAWG" is.
You carry jumper cables in your car --- for your OWN car.
You only own five spices: salt, pepper, Texas Pete, Tabasco and Ketchup.
The local papers cover national and international news on one page, but require 6 pages for local gossip and high school football.
You think that the first day of deer season is a national holiday.
You find 100 degrees Fahrenheit "a bit warm".
You know all four seasons: Almost summer, summer, still summer, and Christmas.
Going to Wal-Mart is a favorite past time know as "goin' Wal-Martin" or "off to Wally World".
You describe the first cool snap (below 70 degrees) as good chicken stew weather.
Fried catfish is the other white meat.
We don't need no dang driver's ed. If our mama says we can drive, we can drive, dag-nabbit.
You understand these jokes and forward them to your Texas friends and those who just wish they were from Texas.

There really is something in the water

2008-05-24T09:22:00.015-05:00

This morning, Michael went outside to water our miniature herb garden. When he tipped the can, nothing came out. "Hmmm, this is strange," he thought, knowing there was water inside.

He tipped the can a little further, and what do you know, we found a new little backyard buddy!

Bear found out his name is Sir Gilbert Eugene Rohan III, the Frog Prince of Elgin. He kindly posed for some photos, but he was kind of snooty about the whole thing.

He was just a little too portly to fit through the hole, so even though Bear begged us to keep him, we gently released His Majesty Prince Gilbert, and bid him adieu with a bow and a curtsey. Good morrow and farewell, Your Royal Frogness.

Separated at Birth

2008-05-22T14:25:00.020-05:00

... I'm just saying ... if Archie let his brows go wild ...

Maybe he should have performed this song to win, a true classic!

And since I'm now watching retro Sesame Street videos online instead of working, I thought you might appreciate the following gem as well. Ah, who could forget John-John? (If you were born in the late 70's...)

00:15 "Why you lost your paper cwips?" ...

00:47 "You angwy?"

Not after watching this clip :)

Community Watering Hole

2008-05-21T14:22:00.004-05:00

Looks like Bear's pool is the talk of the town 'round here ... Until we get our fencing in, I guess we can expect regular visitors! Can you charge a dog admission?

Living in a Gecko's Paradise

2008-05-19T16:54:00.008-05:00

While eating outside during our lunch break this afternoon we suddenly heard a small voice speaking in a working-class British accent. You can imagine our surprise when we noticed the Geico Gecko watching us eat. He told us 15 minutes could save us 15% or more on our car insurance. Who knew?

Turns out he's taken up residence in a new palm tree we had sitting out on the deck. Check out photos from the paparazzi photo shoot that followed our introduction. It's not often you have a celebrity reptile in your own backyard!

Ok, ok, maybe he's just a green lizard, I'm not actually sure. But anyway, Bear named him Leroy and we already like him much better than Bear's last new friend.

Familial Update

2008-05-18T13:05:00.004-05:00

Anna is getting better and will hopefully be released from the hospital tomorrow. She is suffering from a host of very serious infections, and has been ill for quite some time (as in years) but we are hopeful for some answers soon and maybe permanent recovery (is that even a real phrase? I'm not familiar ...).

As sadly ironic as it is, my other sister is suffering greatly right now as well, and has been, though you might not know as we chronically challenged individuals are very good at disguising things. She is undergoing serious testing and is so far baffling her doctors. Please pray/think of her well-being as well.

My entire family is like one ongoing episode of House, only with no commercial interruption. If you would like to sponsor our show, we currently have a few slots available during prime time.

Prayers Please

2008-05-17T11:20:00.002-05:00

My little sis' is in the hospital, she is very sick. For anyone who may have stopped by today, I ask for your prayers for her. And if prayer is not your thing, please send her your warm thoughts and healing wishes. Thank you.

To Kill a Mocking Bird

2008-05-15T08:57:00.020-05:00

Internet, we have a problem. You see, there is this bird. And he is mocking us. Taunting us. Daily. Constantly. Without ceasing. Am I making myself clear?

Actually, there have been two birds. For whom the phrase "bird brain" was certainly invented. When we first moved into this house, a red cardinal made himself our most unwelcome one-bird welcoming committee. He became obsessed with his reflection in our front window, and began hurling himself at it over and over. We read about this phenomenon online, and decided to try a few ideas to solve the problem.

First, we cut out a picture of an owl and placed it in the window. They are supposed to be intimidated by owls as they are considered a predator. Our own Mocking Birds, however, appear to love the life of danger.

You have to understand this problem is worse than it might seem, which would explain why we quickly developed some violent tendencies. See, our next tactic in trying to dissuade the dang bird was developing what we like to call the "torture strip of death". Michael cut out a strip of cardboard in the shape of the window ledge, and poked about 100 4" long nails through it --- thus turning the simple ledge into the now patented Torture Strip of Death. It worked! Not having a place to stand, the red cardinal never returned (he didn't die, though, as far as we know, which is good - we really aren't morbid, we just wanted to consider him dead to us, you know, like we could pretend we never knew him, even if we later met and accidentally made eye contact in public).

Our triumph was short-lived, though, as soon, a long-legged blue bird took his place. He couldn't care less about the pokey perch, as he was tall enough to just stand between the nails while resting in between short kamikaze flights.

We simply can't get him to go away. Even though Bear considers him a friend, he is very likely to send us right over the cuckoo's nest. Just listen to that little video over and over, and over and over, and at full volume (keeping in mind this is a day when he probably had taken some Prozac), and try to get some work done while you're at it. Do this daily, then repeat. I guarantee you after just five minutes, one eye will start twitching uncontrollably, you may notice some smoke coming out of your ears, and you will certainly be swearing a little under your breath, even if your vocabulary is usually as clean as a re-run on Nickelodeon. If he could at least keep a steady beat, I could make up a little tune to go along with it, or better yet - I could start practicing my secretly desired skill of beatboxing.

So what to do? We need help, Internet. We don't necessarily want to kill the little wackos, even though I do admit to stalking them with a BB gun for a week, until we decided that probably wasn't the best way to introduce ourselves to the neighbors, you know, becoming known as those "crazy young kids who hide behind the columns on their front patio exercising their right to bear arms in the middle of the day, occasionally aiming for their own front windows while smoke is streaming from their ears and profanities streaming from their mouths."

Hide your chil'ren, y'all.

Moreover, I realized that even if I were to succeed and send that Little Bugger over the rainbow, another winged creature would soon take his place, trying to prove it is a Wild Thing! And, in general, I LOVE the Wild Things! This is what makes me crazy! I love all the rest of the little birdies who live in our yard. Their chirping and singing makes us feel like we are in the tropics, or living in an animated Disney film. I will whistle a cheerful tune as I build them their own luxury pool and spa (and outdoor bath!) and stock it with well-fed wiggly worms. I will gladly sponsor their children's fundraisers, or host a summer camp for feathered friends in my backyard. Hey, I already got my mom across the street a very nice bird feeder for Mother's Day (with enough "gourmet" bird seed included to feed multiple winged creatures). So, since I am technically supporting many other birds in the neighborhood, this should make up for my ill-will toward the Mocking Birds at my window, right?

There must be a way for us to all get along. So, Internet, we are open to suggestion, and willing to engage in (mild) torture if that's what it takes, as we ourselves have now been tortured daily for weeks. Simply flipping the bird the bird just doesn't seem to be working.

Ok, got to (peck peck) stop (peck) writing (peck peck peck peck) now (pa peck pa peck peck) as he is (peckpeckpeckpeck) ... wait, what the (PECK) was I just saying (peckity peck PECK)?

Hello, Cuckoo's Nest?

Yes, RESERVATION FOR ONE, PLEASE.

Michael's Parents Visit the Texans

2008-05-12T13:07:00.015-05:00

Yee-haw! Michael's parents came out to visit us last week. They are our first official house guests (besides my sis) and were the first to test out the new pool. From what I hear, "Chez Matthew" hotel, spa and resort gets two thumbs up!

So it's true, the Matthews survived their week-long stay in, gulp, Texas, and you know what? They didn't hate it! Sure, it's not California (we are very aware of that, thank you very much), but I think where we live now is nicer than they expected (and certainly has less tumbleweeds, cactus, hay farms and cowboys, y'all).

They arrived last Tuesday and we hung 'round the new pad here for a few days. We had lots of sun, but also lots of wind. Perfect weather for lounging, but not so much actual swimming. Although we all took a dip here and there. And watched Bear swim in his brand new pool.

Thursday night, my grandmother (mom's mom) arrived to spend some time with my parents. We had a Texas BBQ here in her honor. They took a trip to the Ladybird Wildflower Center in Austin; you can see their pics at my parents' gallery.

Friday, we took the 'rents down to the big city of Austin. We walked around some downtown parks, exposed them to Central Market, then had dinner at our favorite beachy restaurant - the Hula Hut. Turns out Friday night is quite the party scene out there, so of course, we fit right in!

On Saturday, we drove northwest to Uncle Jaime and Aunt Debbie (Mike's sister)'s house in Gatesville. We got to see cousins Sarah and Charity, Alexis (now 4 months old!) and Charity's boyfriend Robert.

More Texas BBQ, and of course good times with Tio y Tia. Baby Alexis is doing great, and just as cute as ever.

On Sunday, we got to video chat with Shawna and Baby Ayden back home in Cali. This was the first time Jaime & Debbie got to see the little sweetie - and I think Grammy & Grandpa (Colleen & Mike) were ecstatic to see him as well, as withdrawal symptoms had long overtaken them since their arrival!

Well, the week drew to a close on Monday as we drove through more hill country, and along Lake Travis back to Austin. We stopped for a bite to eat at The Oasis, which sits 400 feet above the lake. We didn't take any pictures though, shame on us.

Anyway, there is a quick update on our California visitors. We were so honored to have Michael's parents come and stay with us. Our home is all broken in now and we're getting the entertaining business down, so we are ready for YOU to come and visit whenever you like! See all y'all real soon!

Photos are at the gallery.

Doggie Paddle

2008-04-17T11:56:00.003-05:00

Somebody cannot wait to get his paws wet ...

Follow the Pool Progress at the Gallery.

Home Sweet Home

2008-04-09T12:22:00.004-05:00

Ok, by request, here are some photos of the house. You have to remember that we will be tiling over the white vinyl floors, so just picture some lovely slate in its place.

We are so very comfortable here. We still can't believe this is all ours. Especially as we've watched the pool progress. For years we've dreamed of building a backyard paradise, with a pool and palm trees. Now it is coming to fruition and it's just too cool. We feel very fortunate, and in small ways we are seeing some rewards for our sacrifices.

The leaves on the trees have finally come in, so right now everything is vibrant and lush outside. It's a great time of year to be here!

Flying the Friendly Skies 2

2008-03-26T12:05:00.023-05:00

Read Flying the Friendly Skies 1

Michael and I sat across the aisle from one another on our flight into Sacramento. I was resting my eyes as we prepared to land when I heard the flight attendant say to Michael, “You look way too young to be married!” She had noticed his wedding ring.

“Oh, well how old do you have to be?” Michael replies.

“I don’t know, at least 25 or 26. How old are you?”

“Thirty.”

“Oh my gosh, you don’t look thirty at all!” Michael smiles, revealing the very dimples that often instigate comments like these.

“Guess how long we’ve been married?” I pipe in from across the aisle, thinking this will impress her even more.

She just laughs. Ha ha ha ha. I ask again, thinking maybe she didn’t hear me over the noise of the landing gear descending. More awkward laughter. I’m confused until I realize she thinks I am joking. Like, “Yeah right, sister, you wish.” Soon realizing her error, she stammers, “Oh, you two really are married!”

How embarrassing. So is it that I look way too old for Michael, or he looks way too young for me? I think I’ll try to look at it that way, like I snagged a hot younger guy, way to go me.

But then I realize it likely has nothing to do with age, but maybe appearance? Are we a mismatch? Or it could be the fact that we weren’t sitting right next to each other. Yes, that must be it. Except now, the friendly male flight attendant has joined in the conversation, and, much to my dismay, I soon realize where this is going.

“You know who you look like?” he gushes to Michael.

“Ummm …”

“Leonardo DiCaprio!” he declares with vigor.

The she-attendant asks Michael to remove his sunglasses and hat so she can inspect this assertion. Of course, she concurs with he-attendant’s discovery and then it is 10 minutes of nervous giggles and admiration, as if it were Leo himself sitting there.

I will admit, this is not the first time we’ve been through a similar situation. This happens quite often, although it was far more frequent in the faux-twins’ (Michael/Leo’s) younger days. When we were about 18 and Romeo and Juliet had just come out, Michael was a near dead-ringer for Romeo, and was regularly approached by giggling teens, and even asked for autographs. Oh, and then Titanic came out, and Michael may as well have been the King of the World.

But this was the first time all the attention made me feel a bit self-conscious. As if these stewards of the sky were secretly trying to hint to Michael (from behind the bulkhead wall that was only partially protecting them from my view), “Pssst, hey, you could be a MOVIE STAR, what are you doing with her?!!” Accompanied by raised eyebrows and a not-very-sly head tilt in my direction.

By this point, Michael was more embarrassed than I think I’ve ever seen him. And I had shrunk down in my seat a little as well. We barely escaped the plane with our dignity, practically running from the other passengers who had now joined in the revelry. We made it safely to the baggage claim area and sat down to wait for our luggage. About two minutes later, he- and she-attendants come walking our way, joined now by the pilots and another attendant. “Hey Leo!” They all shout across the crowded lobby, stars in their eyes. “Can I have your autograph?” Fits of laughter. “Oh my gosh, it’s Leonardo DiCaprio!”

Oh my gosh, mortification. Ah, well, such is life with a movie star by your side. Now, where is that limo to pick us up?

View from above ...

2008-03-20T14:56:00.003-05:00

Here's a shot of the pool from the music room upstairs. You can get a good feel for the layout, including the spa on the left rear side which will flow over into the pool, and a large "beach entry" on the right ... for adults on lounge chairs, or kids (ahem, like little nephews, hint hint).

We're scheduled to be swimming by the end of April, so if you'd like to join us, please feel free!

Pool Cam

2008-03-10T22:03:00.009-05:00

Check out the "Pool Cam".

If it is dark, well then it be night.

6 days and counting

2008-03-10T18:14:00.003-05:00

Just can't get enough of our new nephew. He is the most adorable thing ever. Eating, pooping and peeing like a champ! (Just like his dad.)

Ayden Raymond Smith

2008-03-07T12:19:00.013-06:00

So there is a very wonderful reason we are not at our new house right now. Michael's sister Shawna delivered the first baby in our immediate family - Ayden Raymond Smith.

He is (of course!) just gorgeous and perfect. He was born March 4 at 4:58 am. He is 8 pounds 10 oz, and 22 inches long. (Ouch!)

We've set Shane and Shawna up with their own gallery (by set up I mean forced on them). You can view all their pictures here.

Welcome to the world Ayden. We love you!!

Get a Move On

2008-03-05T14:20:00.010-06:00

I am that girl. She who makes promises then doesn’t deliver. I dislike that girl. What’s even worse than me not blogging the way I should is the fact that MichaelandSharon.com was actually down for 5 whole days. So, an apology to my three readers (up 50 percent!) if you were checking for updates on the move. But needless to say, we were busy moving, and not busy blogging. Plus, our website is actually hosted from our house, so when the server was in transit and disconnected, so was the site.

But anyway, we are all moved in to the new house! By moved in, I mean our stuff is physically moved out of the Del Valle (ghetto) house and into the new (beautiful) Elgin house. Just don’t ask me to find anything in the 3100 square foot expanse of space that makes our voices echo. We almost need Garmin Electra to get us around. So far, the only things I’m sure of are where our computers are, the coffee grinder and maker, my ice packs and meds, and Bear’s toys. Finding everything else is of little significance at the moment (in fact as I write this, we are 1600 miles away from all that unpacking ... more on that in a bit!).

This week of moving and all the little details that go with it will certainly go down in the old memory book hall of fame. Our lovely friend Bob came out for a week to join in all the fun that moving entails. Fully appreciating our best friend’s strength and military-worthy work ethic, we may have over-estimated our joint abilities just a bit too much. Looking back now, I realize with regret and muscles so sore I can barely squat to pee, we should have hired help. “Two Guys and a Truck” is a catchy slogan for a local moving company, but it is really not reasonable and I don’t recommend trying it.

Michael and Bob (with major assistance from my mama and minor assistance from my dad and me and our retarded backs) moved all of our belongings, and some of my parents’. Earlier in the week they moved well over 4,000 pounds of slate tile, hung blinds in all 28 windows, and picked up my gargantuan new washer and dryer, among other chores.

Part of our belongings Michael and Bob moved by themselves included my upright piano (approx weight: 479 pounds) and our 36” TV while inside the entertainment center (total weight approx 502 back-breaking pounds). Are you impressed with them yet or what? This includes going up and down the steep 10 foot ramp into the truck.

I was fully prepared to offer my piano a beautifully moving eulogy as I imagined laying her to rest after she shattered all over the driveway. But she emerged in all her lacquered glory, unscathed and ready to play (after a good tune-up, anyway).

You may have seen those “forearm forklifts” in the pictures (the bright orange straps they are wearing around their wrists). Those proved to be worth every cent of the $24.95 plus shipping and handling we spent on them. So I would recommend those for you the next time you move, but of course you will need more than one set as you will not have just Two Guys and a Truck.

-- Gallery Photos of the Move Here --

Goddaughter

2008-02-11T09:41:00.000-06:00

Baby Alexis - our beautiful goddaughter. We got to babysit on Sunday, what a treat!

I just love being her "fairy godmother"!

Another End in Sight

2008-02-08T09:30:00.000-06:00

We finally see the finish line on our house. They've given us a walk-through date of Feb 18, with a "guestimated" move-in date of the 28th. I am very thankful we get an extra day before the end of the month as our lease is up the last day.

Bobby - true to his loyal form - has decided to come help us move! He'll be staying with us the entire week. I'm so thankful for friends like him (for more reasons than just his muscles).

So nearing the ending on construction is kind of bittersweet in that I'm very excited to move in, get out of this neighborhood, spread out, have a pool put in, etc. But I'm dreading the work that lays ahead for us as well. More than just the moving, since we decided to do a lot of the finish work ourselves we have a mountain of tasks awaiting. Tile, paint, fixtures, landscaping, blinds etc ... all in good time.

We have been very happy with the whole construction process though. Most people gave us dire prophecies of how terrible our experience was bound to be, that any and all contractors are untrustworthy, that we would likely near divorce for all the decisions and compromises that had to be made. But none of these predictions came true. In fact, it's been pretty painless. The only issue we are dealing with now is my inexplicable regret over half the decisions we made. I wish we had done this, or that, or not done this or that, etc. Poor Michael has to endure all of my inner monologues that somehow come spewing out of my mouth into aggravating outer monologues. A very big flaw of mine.

But anyway, we'll keep you up to date on the final stretch of this journey. And I'll try not to complain so much about this beautiful house we are being blessed with.

An End to the Strike

2008-02-05T20:56:00.000-06:00

So my body has been on writer's strike pretty much since we got back from Maui. I apologize for the lack of posts, but seriously, I was being threatened on my way to cross the picket line, and was barely able to get those last few posts and pictures up there - what with all the boos and hissing.

Ok, I guess I'm just saying I haven't felt up to posting, and I hope you will forgive me.

Especially since it was my big birthday! I had planned to just let it pass by unnoticed, partly because I'm in denial about hitting 3 decades, but also 'cause I'm just not that into my birthday. Nevertheless, friends and family appeared from all over, and I had a wonderful week and felt very blessed.

I'll explain how the week went. I got something in the mail just about every day. A card from the grandparents (thanks for the $$!). My candy bouquet from the girls. A card signed by many friends back home. A lollipop bouquet from Jess & Paul. A real bouquet from Michael & Bear. Then it was actually my birthday. We worked all day then Michael took me out for Sushi (the best in Austin!). By this point I had heard rumors of a video, but didn't know what to expect.

Then on Friday, I learned that it was U2 who had filmed me a wonderful video, in 3-D no less! What a kind gesture from my favorite band. We joined a few hundred others at the IMAX to enjoy it (I highly recommend you go see this show!).

On Saturday, we went out with my family here to celebrate at dinner. Mom and Dad gave me some $ (thank you!) and a few cool items you can check out when you come to visit. Anna got me a one-hour massage (I'm always talking about wanting massages, I just love it!).

So after dinner, we came back to our humble abode for some birthday cake. That's when I finally got to watch The Video. Nothing could have prepared me for seeing all those sweet faces on my tv screen. I just can't even tell you how much I appreciated all the work that went into that. Especially from Jess for coordinating everyone, and Michael who edited it all together in the midst of a very busy week full of deadlines!

Thank you again!

The last event of the evening was Michael lugging in his gift for me. It was .... (drum roll) .... a MASSAGE TABLE. Like the kind you lay on when you get a massage. With the toilet-bowl-shaped headrest and everything. Only Michael would think of an idea like this! I'm always begging him to rub my back because I constantly have knots and muscle spasms from my unique brand of retardedness, and he's always willing to help a girl out, but it's uncomfortable for him to kneel by the bed or couch, and he doesn't really know what he's doing.

So he decided if we had a real place to do it, he would learn some techniques, and this would be his gift. Can you believe that? I just LOVE MY MAN.

So last week we ordered a video on Netflix called "Massage Your Mate". Don't worry, nothing even remotely questionable about this video except for the high-tops, leg warmers, jazz music, and 80s hair. But he's learned a lot already, and I've already had a half dozen massages.

My birthday week didn't end after that. I still got another gift (massage-related!) from Jess & Paul in the mail, and a unique set of gifts that only crazy cousin Sarah could give (thanks for everything!).

Ok, so this post should catch you up on all the news about my birthday week. Now we once again return you to your regularly scheduled blogs.

Wow, what can I say?

2008-01-28T09:32:00.000-06:00

Seriously, what can I say? There are many people out there who deserve such a wonderful keepsake as this (see the video Michael posted below), but I wouldn't consider myself to be one of them in a million years! What a huge surprise and honor. I managed to see over 40 of the people I love for my birthday, without having to travel from my living room. THANK YOU to everyone who took part! You are all so special to me and I will treasure this for a lifetime. I love you all.

... in order of appearance (in case you're curious, and and in case you watched all 20 minutes :)

Grandma & Grandpa Rau - Michael's (and my) beloved Grandparents
Jim Black - Our good friend for many years
Paul Bernstein - My brother-in-law
Patty Spears - My good friend from high school
Scott Mehren - Our friend from One Life (and our tax guy :)
Shawna Smith - Michael's (very pregnant) sister
Paul - Again, sheesh, can't get away from this guy
Maddy & Gabby Mehren (Scott & Jill's beautiful girls); Jordan Bowman (adorable son of Eric & Lisa Bowman) in the background
Mom & Dad Matthew (My adopted parents)
Stephanie and Bryce - Nick Ikeda's son
Summer Ward - My good friend from high school
Wally Beck - From One Life
Aunt Stacey & doggie Jodi - Michael's mom's sister
Jenee Watts - My good friend from grade school!!
Anna Barber - My beautiful sis
Duncan Elledge - Musically gifted one-of-a-kind friend from One Life
Jamie Owens - Michael's cousin (and Logan's mommy)
Jess Bernstein - My other beautiful 'sis who had a major role in orchestrating all of this!
Jerimy (and stuffed friend) - Our great friend from high school that we visit in LA often
One Life Worship Team - Paul, Jess, Duncan, Nick, Scott, Eric, Gabby & Maddy, Jill, and Roy (I think?)
Mom & Dad Barber - How much more adorable could they be? Only loving parents can brag on their kids like this. I love you two so much!
Whitney Bingham - My good friend from high school
Logan Chase (my nephew); Grandma & Grandpa; and a beautiful singing voice belonging to my mom-in-love
Anna - cheerleader :)
Paul - again ...
Becky & Vicky - One Life
Stephanie & Bryce - One Life
Chrissy Udoffia & Cade - My good friend from high school and her third-born (soon to be not-the-youngest anymore!)
Mona Bass - From One Life
Nick Ikeda - From One Life band
Walt Dobrowski - One Life (and Hissites.com)
Jenee with Kylee and Talyor - Her beautiful girls!
Troy Dean, Eric Bowman & Michael Bass - Pastor and Friends at One Life
Make-out session (!) - Close your eyes, parents
Bob Sherwood - Best friend of Michael (and me) since 1991
Eric Maddox - My great friend for many years
Shawn Sutton - Another great friend for many years
Michael - Love of my life - thank you for putting this all together for me
Bear - My favorite doggie and second love of my life

I've watched it three times already, but I hope I didn't miss anyone!

Thanks again, my friends.

Happy 30th Birthday Sharon!!!!

2008-01-27T09:43:00.000-06:00

I see a theme ...

2008-01-23T16:45:00.001-06:00

My sweet tooth precedes me ...

This time a FedEx man brightens my day.

Thank you Jess! :)

A Bouquet of Joy

2008-01-21T08:36:00.000-06:00

Ah, such a cold and dreary day it was on Friday. The doorbell rang and there were two large packages from UPS. I just left them there and told Michael to go get them, since all we ever get from UPS is office supplies and hardware.

But he said one was for me, and I opened it up to find this large and lovely yellow bouquet ... of flowers? No. CANDY! Much better! All my favorites. I love it so much I can't bear to break into it yet. I have it setting out so I can look at it and smile. I'll at least save it 'til after my birthday. Then I'm sure it will be love at first bite!

Thanks to my girls in California (Jenee, Summer, Stacey, Chrissy, Patty and Whitney & Jess) for sending me such a wonderful gift! It brightened my day and my week.

Workin' 9 to 5

2008-01-17T12:26:00.001-06:00

Finally earning his keep around here.

No napping!

"Under the Sea!"

2008-01-05T00:42:00.000-06:00

Michael swimming in Maui and filming a big daddy sea turtle. :) Oh, that's the turtle singing the soundtrack btw. And just out of frame is a red crab playing the steel drum, I'm DEAD serious!

Make sure you watch Michael's filming technique when the turtle goes up for a breath.

The weather and ocean are just beautiful. Whales are on their way in, and you can hear them from underwater. It's magical!

We'll try to upload pics all week. We got a new underwater casing for the camera so we can take great pics and video while we snorkel. And then put them to music for your viewing pleasure and our own amusement.

Maui gallery...

A Happy Texas New Year!

2008-01-01T10:56:00.000-06:00

Fireworks are a BIG deal here in Texas. People go all out - in ways that are hugely illegal in CA. Fireworks are sold in huge warehouses or stands all along the highways. People do fireworks for birthdays, Christmas, 4th of July, and pretty much any other reason they can think of. It's hilarious.

This was our neighborhood last night at midnight. These are people's houses, not a fair or city event. People light these in their front yards. Which is probably why you hear the fire trucks almost immediately.

A very entertaining show.

Happy New Year from us to you!

Bear's Beautiful

2008-01-01T09:12:00.000-06:00

Bear liked his dad's new haircut so much he asked if we would give him a nice grooming for the New Year. This was on Sunday - yes we are wearing shorts and swimsuits - it was over 80 degrees outside and beautiful.

But not as beautiful as Bear.

We have two sets of clippers so we can do the job in half the time. I am usually in charge of styling his bangs and business end, while Michael grooms his body and feet. Thought you might find it amusing.

A whole day old!

2007-12-29T18:16:00.000-06:00

We got to visit Sarah and baby Alexis in the hospital again today. If it's possible, I think she's even cuter than yesterday. Like always, I made Michael hold her as much as possible. Partly for practice, but mostly because it just makes my heart smile.

Sarah is doing amazing, just a wonderful mom already! We are so proud of you, Sarah. And her hubby Michael is sure to be a wonderful dad as well.

I have to say, this is by far the best time I've had at the hospital for as long as I can remember. No one asked me to wear a gown or expose my backside! No one gathered my pee in the toilet to make sure I was going as expected! No one ever asked me my name, or why I was there, or when my birthday is, or who my insurance carrier is - not once!

No one offered me intravenous drugs though, which was kind of disappointing ;)

** PS: For our guest readers who might be confused, I've had five back surgeries in four years, so I have a bit of history with the whole hospital thing! **

It's a Girl! - Cousin Sarah Delivers!

2007-12-28T18:55:00.000-06:00

Baby Alexis Micaela Tretter - Born at 5:40 pm. 7 lbs 0 oz. 20" - Very healthy and beautiful!! Mom is doing great.

Induced at 6 am. Broke water 10 am. Epidural at 12 pm. Pushing began at 3 pm - baby arrived at 5:40 pm. Introduced to the world wide web by me at 6:55 pm ;)

Welcome to the family little one. We love you already! Photos are here!

Merry Christmas from Michael and Sharon.com

2007-12-25T09:42:00.000-06:00

We are home! (Well, our Texas home) We survived the holiday travel! We're nearly recovered now.

We wish you all a very Merry Christmas! I wish we were there with you, but we are in spirit. We love you!

Celebrity Sightings

2007-12-19T12:07:00.000-06:00

One fun aspect of being in LA is the chance that you may see a celebrity in person. That's just cool, no matter who you are.

At the hockey game last week, they showed Snoop Dogg on the Jumbotron. He was in a box with the first African American to play for the NHL, which is pretty cool. You can see him to the left on the screen.

Last night we got to go the Clippers (NBA) game at the legendary Staples Center. The guys at Michael's work often get tickets from their suppliers, so we got to go for free ($100 a seat otherwise!). They were the best seats I've ever had at a game, but we again didn't get good pics to show you. We were on the first level above the floor, in the front row with just glass in front of us, so the view couldn't have been better.

What was a little disheartening was that the players all looked so young! Then I realized we're so much older than most of them now. That's so sad.

But what was cool was seeing Frankie Muniz in the front row (aka Malcolm in the Middle). Ok, ok, so he never turned all the way around, but it was definitely him. I looked it up, he's a big Clippers fan.

So there you have it, our two mediocre celebrity sightings ;)

Clippers game pics at the gallery.

And the Brick Goes On ...

2007-12-19T08:21:00.000-06:00

While we're away, work continues at break-neck speed on the house! They've just begun putting the brick on. I can't wait to see it in person! We've doubted our selection on it over and over (and by we, I mean me). If money were no object, it wouldn't have been our first choice. But it was what we liked best that fit our budget, like most of our decisions on the house.

They should be putting up the limestone accents this week. Hopefully that will be done when we get home, along with the cabinets and countertops. They finished painting this week too, and have just a bit more staining to do. Next comes carpet, then vinyl (which we're going to tile over ourselves).

More brick pics to join the hundreds of other boring house photos at the gallery.

Our Weekend in LA

2007-12-18T11:33:00.000-06:00

We started Saturday with breakfast at the Original Pancake House in Redondo Beach where I gorged on a childhood favorite, Dutch Babies. There is just no other breakfast concoction quite like it.

We walked around our old favorite beach, then had dinner at our other favorite, Hennessy's Irish Pub (what else?). After that, it was more Rock Band at Jer & Roseanne's place. Rock Band makes Guitar Hero feel like its roadie. GH wants to be as cool, but it just can't be. You can play drums, sing and play guitar all together - like a real band! It's so much fun.

On Sunday, we were taken to the Beverly Center mall, an experience all it's own. Everyone is there to be seen, just as much as to shop, it seems. People wear their wealth on their bodies, since they can't afford to own homes around here. It's a beautiful place though, even if I did lose count of all the Uggs by noon. The smog had cleared just enough for us to see the Hollywood sign, and almost all the way to down town, as we road the escalator down the mall's four flights of decadence.

The real highlight of the day was our first Brazilian BBQ experience in Beverly Hills. Jer had been trying to explain the sheer delight of this one-of-a-kind dining event, but even he couldn't do it justice. I'll borrow from the website of Fogo de Chao to describe it, as they do quite well:

"The dinner menu features unlimited servings of 15 different delectable cuts of fire-roasted meats, a sumptuous buffet of gourmet salads and fresh-cut vegetables, and a variety of Brazilian side dishes.

Each guest uses a two-sided disk to control the pace of their meal. The green side signals the Gaucho chefs to bring out skewers of sizzling fire-roasted meats to carve at the table. The red side indicates a stopping point. Turning back to green lets the Gaucho chefs know to start offering the meats again.

The traditional side dishes of warm cheese bread, fried bananas, crispy hot polenta and seasoned mashed potatoes are automatically brought to each table and replenished throughout the meal."

So basically, yeah, their chefs walk around with sizzling meats they slice fresh for you, whenever you want, and it's all-you-can-eat. Everything from filet mignon, to parmesan-crusted pork loin, to lamb chops. The "salad bar" rivaled any I've ever seen, and the flavors of everything were unique and delicious!

We were so deliriously enjoying everything we forgot to take many pictures. But anyway, look them up, it's something you should try at least once (and probably only once, since it is quite expensive!).

This was our birthday celebration for both Michael and Jer. (Jer turned 31 yesterday). What more could two boys ask for than unlimited fire-roasted meats! I mean seriously. It was crazy good.

Check out all the pics from this weekend. And yes, I'm sure you're wondering, we did each gain 10 pounds after feasting the way we did. But it was worth it.

Ode to LA

2007-12-14T08:14:00.000-06:00

We arrived in Los Angeles at about 11:30 pm Sunday night. I think I'm just now caught up on my sleep. Michael's been working at his office here, and I've joined him the last two days. I've even got my own desk!

Garmin Electra has been faithfully guiding us around the city in all her British charm. She's so wonderful. I think I will write an Ode to Electra when the mood strikes. But for now, I'm too busy looking up all the cool information she has to share. And finding all of the nearby Starbucks at a moment's notice, just because I can. And because the number of Starbucks in a 10 mile radius is roughly 37 times that in Austin.

Unlike the past few times we've come down here during the winter, it is freezing this time! And to add to our already chilly disposition, we went to our first hockey game on Wednesday night. Hockey is such a peculiar sport! It is an usual combination of grace (gliding around the ice) and manliness (macho men repeatedly slamming one another against the glass, etc). Twice we saw players actually throw down their gloves before brawling - a timeless indication of an ensuing fight. Needless to say, it was totally entertaining.

We went to the Duck's game for Michael's work Christmas party. We got to hang out with the office staff and their spouses, and treat ourselves to endless snack bar concessions - after driving through an hour and a half of traffic on the 405 to get there, of course.

O, Los Angeles, how I've missed you. Your endless palm trees. Your sunny skies. Your rolling hills and dramatic elevations. Your shining beaches. Your glistening purple haze and smog. Your honking drivers. Your girls in Uggs of every color. Your guys in skinny rocker jeans and girlish haircuts.

Believe it or not, I love it all!

OnStar Officially Retires

2007-12-13T18:44:00.000-06:00

My other gift for Michael's birthday was a GPS navigation system for the car. Indeed, I had a bit of a selfish motive, yet again. But really, OnStar was ready for retirement. My replacement - the Garmin, has proven to be quite a reputable source for calm and pleasant navigational coaching.

We've named her Garmin Electra, but sometimes we call her CarMan (which isn't very gender-sensitive, I know). She's British. Patient. Kind. Non-judgmental. When you make a wrong turn, she simply pauses, says "Recalculating ... " then adjusts her instructions to adapt to your own creative maneuvering. She doesn't ask questions for the next 10 minutes, such as "How could you miss that turn, we've been here like A MILLION TIMES!!"

This One Goes Out to the One I Love

2007-12-12T22:32:00.000-06:00

Way back in July, I started thinking about what Michael might like for his 30th birthday. Anyone who knows us well would know that we typically don't buy gifts for each other. Somewhere around the 5th or 6th year of our relationship we decided it just brought unjustifiable stress, and was somewhat a waste of money to buy gifts "just because". So we sometimes treat ourselves to things we want (like a cruise, or guitar hero) as a way to commemorate a holiday or milestone.

But I felt like this was a monumental occasion, and I wanted to recognize it somehow. (Also, since I threw my (small) big sister a big shindig two years ago, I felt I had some minor expectations to live up to :)

I decided what Michael might like most is to see his Paul, since he gets lonely way out here without any guy friends around. So I got Michael Paul for his birthday. This gift meant Jess got to come along too, so I may have had some selfish motives. But this gift also meant that Jess and Paul got to come and see us in Austin, and celebrate both Michael's birthday and an early Christmas. So it was a win, win, win.

Last Thursday night (3 days before the actual big day) I told him my parents had a coupon for one of our favorite places and wanted to meet for dinner. When we arrived at the table, he saw the balloons and gifts, and was surprised. (Especially at the princess theme). Then a shaggy haired person came up and offered him a beer. That was when PB&J made their big appearance.

Watch the video (very grainy, so sorry!):

The rest of the night was filled with laughter and joy. It was really a memorable evening. View all the pictures here.

A big happy 30th birthday to the love of my life, Michael. You are my pride and joy, and seeing your happiness made me feel like it was my birthday.

I love you!

Safe and Sound Hounds

2007-11-30T22:11:00.000-06:00

Shame on me for not updating you on our cruise sooner! All this build up to the big event, then nothing, for weeks! And here you were, worried this had happened to our ship.

It didn't, of course, cuz here we are, back in the blogosphere where we belong!

Our die-hard fans (hello you two!) have already seen the pictures on the gallery. For everyone else, a quick recap! We had a very wonderful and relaxing time. Unlike most of our trips this year, this was NOT a working vacation! While out at sea we never checked our email, and only received one business-related phone call. (But if you knew the caller, you'd know it was a miracle only one situation came up!)

We started the trip by driving to Galveston. The hotel we stayed at was very nice, and we had a room overlooking the beach. Without being too unfriendly, let me just say how much I miss California beaches. It also feels completely disconcerting that the sun does not set on the water. Makes for a totally different "sunset at the beach" experience.

Nevertheless, we boarded our boat the next day without incident. It was a huge ship and took us nearly the whole week just to figure out how to get around!

The first two days were out at sea while we traveled to the Caribbean. We soaked up a lot of sun, saw a few shows, ate a lot of food, and took a lot of naps. Seriously, that was one of the best parts.

Wednesday we arrived in Jamaica. The weather was perfect! We got on a catamaran that took us to a nice snorkeling spot. On the way, the crew gave us foot massages with fresh aloe vera. That was one of my other favorite parts of the trip. They dropped us off at the beach after that, and we did some more snorkeling. We got brave and walked a ways through the city to go to Margaritaville. It was scary, to say the least. People are very overbearing and it is crowded!

A storm came in the second half of the day, but we were already back on the ship, taking a nap, of course!

Thursday we arrived at Grand Cayman. The water was a startling shade of turquoise. We went snorkeling again and this time was probably the best. We saw the biggest fish we've ever seen, at least 4-5 feet long. They were tarpon, coming to feed, and scare little children. Feed on chum, not little children. We again went to the beach, had some fried calamari, then went back for more snorkeling. (See a theme yet?)

Friday we arrived in Cozumel. This was supposed to be the most amazing snorkeling tour, but it was unfortunately canceled as a big storm was rolling in. We trading that trip for a jeep tour around the island, including a different snorkeling stop! The jeep was fun, but it was kind of cold that day.

Saturday was the last day at sea. By this point we were ready to come home. We exhausted ourselves with all of the excursions, and trying to gorge on as much food as the days and our bellies would allow.

All in all, a very wonderful time. We arrived home to chilly and rainy weather. But lots of progress had been made on the home, so that warmed our spirits.

They've just finished texturing, and are getting ready to install baseboards, trim and doors. The outside is ready for brick but is waiting on something - subcontractors, I'm guessing.

It's been full speed ahead since we got back. Thanksgiving came and went so quickly I thought I might have been dreaming! We had a nice day at our makeshift home - eating lots of food, watching movies, playing games and guitar hero. I can't wait to have people over to our new house when it is finally done! We're aiming for March to be in. But I'm secretly hoping for February. We're more than half way there, and construction only began at the end of September.

You may have guessed our trip to Virginia to see Bob got canceled. His dad was in a car accident, broke his leg and needed surgery. So Bob flew home to take care of him. Please send big Bob your thoughts and prayers. He's recovering well.

So our last trip of 2007 is coming up next weekend when we leave for two weeks in LA. Work and play again.

By the way, we've finally gotten our business website live. It's funny how much a completed website changes people's view of what you do for a living. Suddenly you're the real thing, even though the IRS has known about you for years. Check it out! Oh, and do you need your own website? Because I happen to know a great team to help you ;)

Stay tuned for the newest feature coming soon, "Nothing but a Hound Blog!"

Web Hounds, out.

"Sharon Matthew, only 3 days until your cruise!"

2007-11-08T10:46:00.001-06:00

Oh, the anticipation!!

On the Road Again ...

2007-11-06T16:57:00.001-06:00

Just returned from our second trip to Houston for Michael's work. We left Sunday afternoon, had a quick visit to the "urban lake" of the Woodlands and dinner at the outdoor mall (pictures). We also tested our new snorkeling gear at the hotel pool and it gets an A+!

Michael worked all day Monday and I, well, I shopped. Which was hard work in its own way since I had to hoof it around town with all of my treasures. That night we went downtown for dinner and some more walking. Burning the calories in preparation for a certain aquatic vacation soon to be upon us.

Houston pics at the gallery too. Also, a concert we went to last week. And cousin Sarah's baby shower. And, of course, the latest on the house.

Today, we met with our builder at the house to review our electrical plans. Thinking we'd be making final decisions before they began, we were surprised to see half the boxes and wires already placed and about a dozen workers making quick work of it all. I believe we've got all our wants and needs covered now though. Michael's ("shockingly") doing a lot of the installs after the house is built - mostly for budget-related purposes :) .

So, that's the latest on the house. They should be finishing up the roofing this week, and while we're on the road again (or, rather, the sea) next week they will start on drywall on the interior and brick and stone on the exterior. The progress is amazingly fast, much better than we hoped for.

Something's in the Water!

2007-10-26T16:50:00.000-05:00

And I'm not talking about this (blechh!).

It appears we've reached that season in life where it seems like everyone we know is having babies! So I have a few announcements to make of my own ... regarding other people, of course ... just to keep y'all up to date, and because everybody loves baby pictures!!

You've already met Logan Chase (above), Michael's cousin Jamie's baby boy who was born last Spring. There are new pictures of him at the gallery. He is the very lucky first grandbaby on the Matthew side.

My cousin Luke (or Lucas by his wife, Kelly) had the first grandbaby on the Jolly/Barber side this summer. Ethan Michael was born August 4. (On the left with Mom Kelly).

Now, more news. Michael's cousin Sarah, who lives here in Austin, and her husband Michael, are expecting their first baby January 5th. They've chosen the name Alexis Micaela, and the baby shower is next Saturday. (If you are so inclined, might I point out she is registered at Target ;)

My friend, Stacey, is also expecting in early January. They are having a boy, whose name is tbd. ("To be determined", they are not actually naming him TBD, I think they are leaning toward Rocco.) She is registered at Babies 'r' Us. ;O) She lives in Colombia, but will be home to visit after the baby is born.

Finally, last but not least, Michael's sister Shawna and her husband Shane are expecting a baby boy! This came as such a surprise - and a bag of mixed emotions - for us. We are sooooo happy for them, but sooooo sad that we live so far away now. When we got the news, it took some time for us to come to terms with this part of our move here, that we would miss out on so much with our family. We hope to experience as much as possible, and be terrific long-distance-uncle-and-auntie. Shawna is due March 10, and we plan to get out there asap when she goes into labor, and stay for as long as possible after that. I really can't wait!!! More pictures of their "It's a Boy" celebration at the gallery along with Logan.

So, you ask (well everyone else always asks), when are we having babies of our own? Easy answer: well, it's obviously terribly trendy these days, so we'll just wait 'til we can bring it back into style, you know, like skinny jeans. I'm totally just kidding. We will have babies simply as soon as we can. No word on when that will be. And for now we are drinking store-bought water.

Back to Business as (un)Usual

2007-10-24T12:18:00.001-05:00

Michael returned safe and sound from LA, at 1 am (so I guess that would be Monday morning). After a productive week of work, he was able to have some fun and some sun over the weekend.

Check out his photos here.

While he was gone, I went to the Zilker Park Botanical Gardens with my mom and dad. There we saw the most adorable butterfly! Gallery photos here.

As usual, I'm ecstatic that Michael is home and we're back to the old routine. We are busy planning a few more events, though, in addition to keeping an eye on the house.

Somehow our original plan to take one or two trips this year has turned into 10 or 12. It's been really fun, but traveling is exhausting too! We're going back to Houston again soon for a couple days, then we'll be leaving for our cruise mid-November, and we can hardly wait! We'll be back in time to celebrate Thanksgiving here. Then it's off to Virginia for a visit with Bob. After that we leave for two more weeks in LA. Michael has a lot of work to do out there for his company, and his boss is kind enough to fly me out too - mostly for Michael's morale (Ron says Michael will get more work done if he's not distracted by missing me too much; I very much like that reasoning).

After Christmas, we are going to Maui for a week with Michael's family. Then we will rest. I think.

More House Photos

2007-10-21T23:03:00.000-05:00

Things are moving along so quickly out there now we can barely keep up with photos! It is very exciting. Mom, Dad, Anna & I took a trip out there today. (Michael's flying back in tonight). Here's a few pics from today's trip.

Living Room View - You can see the covered patio behind me. The pool will be just a few dozen feet beyond.

Sunroom - I'm in the corner surveying the extreme vastness of this house and wondering how I'll ever keep it clean. Anna's in the living room. Dad has gone through the slider out to the patio.

Music Room View (second story)

In case you haven't seen it, we've been keeping the gallery full of progress photos too. Can't wait til y'all come visit us!

The Parish Room - Elliott Yamin and The Last Goodnight

2007-10-21T09:32:00.000-05:00

Anna and I went downtown Saturday night to see Elliott Yamin from American Idol play. Don't you dare laugh at us for buying tickets, you would too and you know it. He was our favorite from that season. Just a genuine guy with genuine talent you couldn't help but adore.

It turned out to be the most fun we've had in a long time! The opening acts were incredible, including The Last Goodnight, an up-and-coming band from Connecticut who are known for their song "Pictures of You." They were so talented! Especially their keyboard player, who we agreed was the best we've probably ever seen. And of course, it takes a lot to impress us. After the show, the band was kind of hanging around so we got to meet them and take photos like giddy little fans. Hope they make it big one day!

This is Anna with the piano player. He was very sweet.

We didn't get up close and personal to Elliott. Unfortunately, I guess he's too big of a star now to mingle after the show. Although it was a small venue, which was cool.

I took a picture with "Sway" who was from the same season on AI as Elliott, and was singing backup in his band. What a cutie-patooty. Elliott's set was amazing, his vocals were impeccable, and the band rocked! It was so much fun. Check out more pics at the gallery.

Last but not least, here's a short video clip from Elliott. I'll post some more to YouTube shortly.

Sleep Disturbance

2007-10-18T08:03:00.000-05:00

I had dreams all night about poor little Iggy. Is it because I was bombarded all day long with over-dramatic details from the media? Or could it be because my little Bear was sleeping next to me, head on Michael's pillow, whimpering in his own peacefully undisturbed doggy slumber?

(Michael's out of town, btw. Someone has to keep me warm at night! Don't judge!)

Escape from Suburbia

2007-10-17T21:47:00.000-05:00

"Suburbia is where the developer bulldozes out the trees, then names the streets after them."

-- Bill Vaughan

The "quote of the day" on my Google home page :)

Recognition

2007-10-12T12:56:00.001-05:00

My recovery was going along just fine and dandy - when all of a sudden, one of my incisions decided to open up and expose itself to the world, like a grimy old man in a trench coat. This has not happened to me before (with the incision, nor being flashed by an old man), but apparently when you slice into a previously healed scar, the skin is less likely to close back up properly. I developed a minor surface infection which began causing all kinds of slime and gore in and around the wound. So bad, that I couldn't even bear to take a picture of it like I normally would to gross you out with.

I tell you all this only so I can brag about Michael, and give him the recognition he deserves for having to clean it out with peroxide three times a day for the past four days.

Michael --- who can't even go into the vet's office with me when Bear has blood drawn (after a near pass-out experience), and turns various shades of green when I have IVs inserted at the hospital --- stoically overcame his aversion to medically questionable situations and didn't even dry-heave as he watched the ooze bubble from the antiseptic.

Michael --- who set up this very sanitary cleansing station (and brought me the flowers!).

Michael --- my hero!

Recovery

2007-10-03T13:29:00.000-05:00

Well, the latest round in my slice 'n' dice tour was Monday morning. I went under the knife once more to have my spinal cord stimulator ex-planted. The surgery went well; it was one of the easiest so far, and I was able to go home that evening. Now it's just some rest and lots of tv (hurray for the new fall season!) before life gets back to normal. I didn't tell a lot of people about this surgery (because let's be honest, it's getting a little old already!) but for people who knew, I thought you may appreciate the update.

Of course, I have my live-in nurse to take care of me and take over my chores for awhile (all while taking unflattering pictures of me).

And my other roommate and personal dishwasher (Anna), and my own personal chef and life coach (aka Mom & Dad ;) to get me through.

Life's not so bad.

Another Austin Visitor!

2007-09-30T22:24:00.000-05:00

Our good friend Eric didn't feel like he got enough quality time with us while we were in California, so he came all the way out to see us here when we got back. He also went to his cousin's wedding since he was in town already.

We didn't have a lot of time, but we did manage to show him some sights around town which he filmed (his profession at which he is very talented: see EricMaddox.com!)

Check out more photos at the gallery.

California Trip

2007-09-17T18:43:00.000-05:00

New photos will be added to the gallery all week!

Claimjumper Happy Hour - Thursday Night

2007-09-11T21:34:00.000-05:00

Anyone and everyone who is available, let's meet at Claimjumper Thursday night for old time's sake. Michael and I will be there by 6:30. Call for details. 512-965-3481.

Hope to see you there ;)

Many Happy Returns

2007-09-10T07:58:00.000-05:00

Here we go, we're returning to California for our second visit! We hadn't been planning on repeating a trip home so soon, but a couple of important events convinced us otherwise!

Our good friend Rory's wedding is this Saturday at his parents' amazing home in Foresthill. Michael is a groomsman. We met Rory's bride, Astrid, a year ago at Anna's going away party. She is a beautiful gal we'd love to get to know better. All I can say is Rory is a different person since having met her; I don't think I've ever seen him so happy, and obviously giddy in love. Congrats you two!

Sunday is our Grandma's 80th birthday party! Can't think of a better reason to come home and celebrate such a joyous occasion. We love you, Grandma.

So, we'll be in CA Thursday (Sept 13) through Sept 25. This time we're bringing along a surprise guest - ANNA! I hope we get a chance to see ya'll.

Rescue and Rehabilitation

2007-09-09T22:00:00.000-05:00

Sammie gets a new lease on life! I know for sure we made the right decision, even though we miss her at times. It seems joining a new "pack" was just what she needed to shape up.

It also sounds like she's receiving wonderful care, and is well on her way to finding a new family. What a wonderful organization. We are very grateful to them.

Road Warriors

2007-09-06T22:54:00.001-05:00

Tuesday afternoon Michael and I packed up the Matrix and took off toward Houston. This was our first official "road trip" since moving here, and I have to say it was a little strange to take a trip like this that didn't involve I-5, the California coast, Reno or Tahoe.

But where we ended up was pretty unbelievable, and completely unexpected. The Woodlands is about 30 miles north of Houston, and to call it a Master-Planned community is simply an understatement. It was beautiful and classy, sort of Carmel meets Tahoe City. We loved it all, and we barely scratched the surface. And as usual, our pictures don't do it justice. Another new camera is coming soon, I can only hope.

[EDIT - Picture removed]

The only downside to the destination was that we were only there for about 24 hours. We went for Michael's work. His company just opened a satellite warehouse near the area, and he had to go set up the technical stuff. (That is the proper jargon, is it not?) I went along for the ride and the free hotel room, but mostly because OnStar was on duty yet again.

After a three hour road trip through the winding pine-tree lined roads of East Texas (via hwy 290) we arrived at our hotel. A quick trip down the street led us to the Town Center where we ate at The Cheesecake Factory.

The next morning, Michael went to work while I explored the shopping district which is made up two separate malls - indoor and out. And all so, so, so beautiful. I took a free trolley ride around the entire downtown area and got my own personalized tour from a very enthusiastic driver (I was the only person on the bus). After work, Michael joined me and we went to a real Irish pub that they say they actually brought over from Ireland - meaning the carpentry as well as some of the original carpenters, along with all of the authentic items inside. Of course, we had to have a Guinness.

The entire Town Center is surrounded by a man-made waterway which has water taxis running (well, slowly cruising) back and forth. We hopped on and got another tour. The area is still under construction, but already very impressive. I could easily spend a month there, or the rest of my life, if only I could afford it.

We drove by downtown Houston on our way home, so we saw the nighttime lights of the city, but didn't make any stops. The long and lonely I-10 was beckoning us into the darkness which would lead us to our home, far away. And driving down the road I got this feeling that I only left just yesterday ... yesterday... Country roads. Take me home.

We pulled in last night around 11 pm ... a mere 30 hours after we left, and 350 miles round trip.

More pictures for the people.

Relationships

2007-09-05T22:03:00.000-05:00

Ok, on a lighter note from that last post, let me tell you about Bob and Jer's trip. First, I can't even tell you how great it was to have them here. Since Michael and I work at home and it's hard to meet new people, we really don't have any friends yet here in Austin outside of family. All of our other relationships have indeed become "long-distance."

Michael and Bob became friends while playing on the same little league team together in '91. Maybe it was their pitcher/catcher relationship that predestined them to remain friends for life. Michael met Jer during his freshman year of high school when they ran track together. By then, I had entered the picture, so in a sense I grew up with all three of them.

Bob and Jer are like the brothers I never had. There is something unique and irreplaceable about the friends you make during that phase of life - as teeanagers. No other relationship will ever compare. If I were to try to recollect all of the memories and life experiences we shared together it would literally take years. But it would be a blast ...

Anyway, back to the trip. We picked up Bob Friday morning (Aug 24). That night we took him to one of our favorite places, The Oasis on Lake Travis. Saturday we went on a short hike down the Barton Springs greenbelt then spent the day on the water watching Bear swim. (I have some pics from my waterproof camera, but I need to scan them). That night we made our surprise pick-up at the airport and Jer joined the gang. We shocked their senses by taking them down to Sixth Street.

Sunday morning we went to the legendary Gospel Brunch at Stubb's BBQ. The entertainment left a bit to be desired, but the food was great! That afternoon we introduced the boys to the Alamo Drafthouse (one of our favorites) and Texas' own Central Market where we enjoyed a wine tasting.

Monday night we celebrated Bob's 30th birthday with some more delicious BBQ from Bone Daddy's House of Smoke. Another memorable event, especially for me as I felt a little out of place as the only female patron.

The rest of the week we sort of laid low around the house, working, watching movies, playing guitar hero, playing real instruments, and having our own brand of bbq's.

Thursday we spent the day at my parents' palatial pool, channeling our inner-children again, and eating, um ... more bbq. I guess we're not very creative.

That night we took the boys out to the property, and I think things began to make a little more sense, in terms of why we would decide to move here. It's difficult to get a feel for the city in such a short time, and the fact that our current rental home is in what we like to call the "barrio" doesn't give the best representation of what things will eventually be like. All in good time.

We concluded the week with dinner at the Hula Hut on Lake Austin on Friday night. This time it was a "Mexonesian" theme instead of bbq. Just so they wouldn't miss out on the full extent of our legendary Texas weather, a good thunderstorm rolled in while we were finishing up, dumping what seemed like 3 feet of rain in about an hour, and treating us to a memorable lightning display on our drive home.

It was a really fun week, and one we won't soon forget. As always, pictures are at the gallery.

Reunions

2007-09-03T23:09:00.000-05:00

Last week we had a reunion of epic proportions at our house. Bob, one of Michael's two best friends from high school, scheduled a trip out to see us for his 30th birthday. As a surprise for Bob, we convinced Jerimy - the other piece of this triple threat - to come out and see us as well. Through various white lies and admirable acting on our part, we managed to keep it a secret until the moment we pulled up to the airport terminal to pick Jer up. It was - as they say - priceless.

The last time these three had a reunion such as this was when Bob lived in New Orleans, almost exactly 6 years ago. The day Michael was supposed to return home, I got a phone call early in the morning.

"I won't be flying in today," he said. "It may be a few days. Just turn on the tv."

"Why?" I asked, very confused, having just woken up. At first I thought he was joking, just wanting to extend his visit. "What are you talking about?"

"They've closed down all the airports."

"All the airports? I don't get it, in Louisiana? Wait, the whole country? Why? What is going on?" I kept asking questions he seemed unable to answer.

"Just turn on the tv and I'll call you back in a little while."

I turned on the television just in time to see an airplane crash into Tower Two of the World Trade Center. I spent the rest of the day in bed. Michael spent an extra week in Louisiana. And all around us, the country began spinning out of control.

And the festivities continue all through the weekend

2007-08-20T21:50:00.000-05:00

So we had a wonderful anniversary weekend, beginning last Thursday. We started off the day the way any couple would, really, with a visit to a surgeon to discuss removing my implants. 'What?!', you say? 'But they're hardly even noticeable!'

I know, I know, but they've been driving me crazy since the day I had them put in. And they really haven't given me the quality of life improvement I was hoping for. They may be small, but the battery pack and leads under the skin just rub me the wrong way. I'm talking of course about the spinal cord stimulator system that I had put in last year. I guess you would just call it one implant though I have two incisions for the two surgical sites. To put it mildly, it hasn't helped at all, so I've decided to have it taken out.

Anyway, back to the anniversary. You may remember we've booked a cruise in November as the actual celebration - a sort of commemorative trip, since that's what we did for our honeymoon. And the hurricanes should explain why we waited til November to travel to the Caribbean.

But it seemed a shame to let the occasion go without some type of celebration, so this weekend we thought we'd go out of town on a little mini-vacation. Only we really didn't feel like traveling since we have so many other trips going on this year. Instead, we stayed in downtown Austin, which turned out to be just perfect. A little "gettin' to know ya" for this new city we now call home.

We stayed at the Embassy Suites on South Congress, Friday through Sunday. After letting them know it was our anniversary, we found ourselves in one of their best rooms - a corner suite with spectacular views of the city, Capitol building and river. The first night we enjoyed the hotel happy hour and reminisced about how we stayed at an Embassy Suites resort for our first anniversary - where I'm pretty sure I broke my butt by doing a canon ball into the shallow end of the pool. Ah, the memories. I kept the festivities under control at this happy hour though, and we didn't go swimming.

On Saturday we walked all around town, beginning with lunch at a new Irish pub we found in the warehouse district. Very enjoyable, but too dim to get any good pics. After that, we hiked the rest of the 14 blocks to the Capitol and enjoyed a self-guided tour like regular old tourists. That afternoon we did go swimming, sans canon balls.

Saturday night we hit the town. We started at the historic Driskill Hotel on Sixth Street. We enjoyed a piano concert in their lounge. Next, we went to the Speakeasy, back down in the warehouse district. This is our favorite find so far. There is a rooftop terrace, with a great view of the city and tons of big loungy couch-type seating with big pillows. Finally, we had a bite to eat at a place called Saba next to the Cedar Street Courtyard, where perhaps the best 80s cover band ever to play the earth was rockin' out, mullets blowing in the breeze of the fans on stage. By then it was midnight, a good two hours past our bedtime, so we called it a night.

Sunday we walked all around the retro shopping district on South Congress ("SoCo") and enjoyed another great band at an original coffee shop named Jo's. Can't recall the name of the band, but they were probably the best music we heard all weekend. We finished the day by visiting the legendary Whole Foods downtown, and having lunch at the Waterloo Ice House.

Ok, I'd say that's more documentation of a weekend than anyone would ever want or need. We had a lot of fun, but believe it or not, we're about to have an even better weekend coming up, because our best friend in the world - Bob Sherwood - is coming to visit. CAN'T WAIT!!

PICS FROM THIS WEEKEND AT THE GALLERY.

Happy Anniversary to Us!

2007-08-16T23:48:00.000-05:00

Today is our 10th anniversary; our story has been 15 years in the making ... more than half our lives.

I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to share a little bit of our history, and I've been thinking about this posting for weeks. But what I've discovered is there is just way too much to share in one sitting (or in my case, standing). So for the next few weeks, I'd like to reminisce on our lives together. Not just me and Michael, but all of our friends and family as well who have helped shape the past 15 years.

Michael and I met in 1992, the summer before our Freshman year of high school. For some reason, I remember exactly what I was thinking the first time I saw him. It's permanently embedded in my memory, in a pretty blue color and very straight lines. Oh wait, I know why.

August 24, 1992. (Click the image to read, I'm very embarrassed but you are worth it, my faithful blog readers). I, in all of my 14-year old dramatic female angst, used to write journal entries on fancy binder paper from time to time, and yep - I still have a few. You just can't, like, make this stuff up. It's too rad. On an unrelated note, "Melissa" came to our wedding ... with her newborn baby. Oh, also for anyone who doesn't know - Michael went by Ryan (his middle name) when we met.

Michael (Ryan) and I grew up and dated in a time long before cel phones, email, or instant messaging (omg!). We lived far enough apart in those days to be "long distance", so we could rarely talk by phone because we couldn't afford the phone bill (you know, after we were old enough to have a job and such). So we wrote letters, all the time, and mailed them to each other. We spent hours drawing cute little pictures and telling each other how we were so mature, and how we would one day get married and live happily ever after. So because I love you all so much, and because I got his permission, here's a little tidbit from my future husband-to-be, dated August, 31 1993.

The memories we've created on paper are priceless to us. And I think I will share a few more with you over the next few weeks, along with some photos we've spent the past week scanning and cropping. Unfortunately, the first ten years of our relationship happened Before we had a Digital Camera (or what I call "B.D.C."). But much of the last five years has been documented on our gallery.

I don't know if this makes us narcissistic, to share so much that perhaps people don't really care about, but it seems we've just always been an open book, and it gives us great honor and pleasure to share our lives, and our home, with the people we love. So I hope you don't mind if I continue to document our past as well as our present and future. In any case, it's great for us to reminisce for the benefit of posterity. And it's easier than writing on binder paper.

*** You may want to take a break, go to the bathroom, get something to drink, this is a lot of stuff ***

To begin, we've posted 3 videos on YouTube that we made for our wedding. Keep in mind we shot these in 1997 - which meant filming actual photographs with a camera the size of a small coffee table, and manually recording them to the beat of our favorite songs of the time. In other words, it took days, and occasionally the pictures would fall down while we were filming but we were too tired and stressed out to care.

Part One is all of our baby and childhood photos, up until our first date at Freshman Homecoming, 1992. Parts Two and Three chronicle our dating years and high school life, up until our wedding photos. Caution: these videos are long and may be perceived as totally boring to anyone besides ourselves. Somehow we got away with showing all 15 minutes worth at our rehearsal dinner and at the wedding. I guess our obsession with sharing photos and personal information came long before michaelandsharon.com.

I've also posted pictures from our wedding and the preceding events on our gallery. If you promise to come back soon, I've got hundreds more photos of our friends and families to share, along with many more memories. It will just take some time, it's my anniversary, you know? We're headed out of town tomorrow for the weekend.

Anyway, it's been an awesome walk down memory lane at the Matthew house this week. We've realized how blessed we are to have all of you in our lives, many of you for the past 15 years or longer.

So Happy Anniversary, to all of us!

PS: It would mean the world to me if you would leave a comment to let us know you stopped by. You can even just say "present" or "was here" :) .

New Cel Phone Numbers

2007-08-07T21:33:00.000-05:00

We've become full-fledged Texans -- now with all-natural Texas digits and more real bbq flavor! Please update your phones, because even though they can conduct a $41 billion merger, Cingular/AT&T is apparently incapable of providing a forwarding message when you change your number.

Michael: 512-965-3481
Sharon: 512-965-3482

Home/Office: 512-553-0316

Local Family Has Too Much Fun In One Day

2007-08-06T10:47:00.002-05:00

Permanent Smiles Give Way to Delirious Exhaustion

Yesterday we finally made it over to McKinney Falls State Park, which is just 6.5 miles from our current abode. We were more than pleasantly surprised at the scenery, to say the least! The water was tantalizing, the current swift and refreshing. We picnicked under the tall oaks along one of the hiking trails, just yards from the creek which feeds the falls. The majority of our afternoon was spent floating and swimming around the base of the falls, with - yes - permanent smiles in place.

Of course, the day wouldn't have been complete without famous Elgin Sausages on the charcoal bbq. Or, a leisurely float down the stream. Really couldn't ask for a better day.

View the pics at the gallery!

This just in ....

2007-08-03T08:02:00.000-05:00

Phew! I thought there was a chance they would find Michael guilty.
[Click to watch]

(no, it's not really real ... just one of my fav faux news sources :)

Waiting in vain ...

2007-08-02T11:45:00.000-05:00

... but at least not in the rain.

Last night we met my parents, Anna & Rick down by the South Congress Bridge to view one of Austin's most famous attractions - BATS! You may remember last year Michael and I came here during our first visit, and the bats performed beautifully.

Unfortunately, they suffered a bit of stage fright this time around, and failed to appear before we all decided to leave, long after sunset. So we'll try again some time soon. But still, I think the story of the bats migrating here is so interesting. Read more about it here.

This time of year is supposed to be perfect for viewing this eco-extravaganza as the mother bats have given birth to their young, who are now ready to join the nightly excursions.

That the bats have chosen Austin as the perfect location to start their families reminds me of this other remarkable species I know of. The Barberious Matthewsian et soon Bernsteinicus, orginally native to California, recently migrated to Austin for the same reason - it just seems to be a beautiful place to raise their young.

When you work at home taking lunch is such hard work

2007-08-01T14:28:00.001-05:00

Now that we've had a bit of a reprieve from the previous 40 days and 40 nights of rain, we've been enjoying our makeshift backyard paradise.

Amazing how two lounge chairs, some tiki-torches, misters and a mini palm tree can transport you just about anywhere. Figuratively speaking anyway. I give all the props to Michael for insisting we make the most of it, and for further insisting I get out there to work on my tan as much as possible.

Priorities, people.

To counteract those hairy legs below

2007-07-31T10:53:00.001-05:00

Pay no attention to the waggling tail at the other end of the blanket.

I felt I needed to leave you with a much more pleasant image in your mind after that last post :) Really, I couldn't Bear it.

Bringing out the big guns

2007-07-31T10:34:00.000-05:00

When we were kids my sisters would get me to kill all the spiders we found. But when I discovered this guy outside yesterday, even I had to bring out the big guns (that's you, Michael). I guess this is part of the "everything's bigger in Texas".

Click on the pics to see the gruesome details only if you are brave and not prone to nightmares ... and definitely not if you're like Paul who squeals like a little girl at the mere sight of anything with more than four legs.

His and Hers

2007-07-30T09:11:00.001-05:00

Michael's office

Sharon's office
(Thanks, dad :)

Would His Royal Highness care for a spot of tea?

2007-07-27T10:54:00.000-05:00

Bum's the word

2007-07-26T21:45:00.000-05:00

For anyone who may consider me lucky to be a permanent passenger while Michael is driving (due to my inability to drive thanks to my rotten bum) - let me set the record straight. My role is neither passive nor privileged. In fact, while we're in the car, Michael doesn't even refer to me by name, much less by an affectionate nickname. Instead, he calls me OnStar.

This is because I am our full-time navigator, whether I want to be or not. Michael (and I love you, honey) is quite possibly the world's most easily distracted and uninvolved driver. If I don't take on the active roll of OnStar, we are likely to end up in Mexico or at the very least in some guy's driveway who's selling pigeon helmets or something on the wrong side of town.

Case in point: Last night we attempted to drive to the bank. Even though this is part of a very regular routine, I had to correct him and steer him in the right direction several times. "Don't forget, we're going to the bank," I gently remind him. "You should take this exit to get to the bank," I suggest in my calmest OnStar voice. "At the next intersection, turn right to go to the bank." Etcetera.

As we approached the familiar 10-story structure, I decided to get the deposit ready. Taking my eyes off the road for mere seconds, I endorsed the backs of the checks and put them in their envelopes, each and every subtle detail of my body language clearly signaling: "We're just about to pull up to the bank, I'll get everything ready to go." But when I looked up again, there we were, smoothly sailing right past the bank without so much as a gentle tap on the brakes.

"What happened?" I asked incredulously.

"Oops," he said, without remorse. "I was playing this new game I made up in my head called 'Bum or Pedestrian?' and I got distracted," was his explanation.

Turns out he had decided to look closely at each person walking down the road and determine if they were headed to the corner to ask for money, or just an unkempt person on a short journey. I couldn't help but admit, it was a surprisingly addictive game, so I forgave him for passing up the bank that we had spent the previous 20 minutes discussing, and spent the rest of the evening helping him decide: B.OR.P.? (shorthand for Bum OR Pedestrian?) as we completed our errands.

Around the outskirts of Austin, there is quite an epidemic of panhandling, so we were never lacking for potential contestants. However, the rules now state that if someone is actually holding a cardboard sign, or is engaged in a turf war with another bum over a lucrative corner, he or she is immediately disqualified.

You should try this game if you're driving through the city. Michael thinks it's worthy of a spot on David Letterman, kind of like "Will It Float?" or "Is This Anything?" So he spent the rest of the evening composing the theme song to the new hit comedy sketch and road-trip sensation, "Bum or Pedestrian?" Coming soon to a vehicle near you.

Mist or Bojangles

2007-07-25T18:23:00.001-05:00

I continue to be blown away by these spectacular thunder storms here in Texas (fortunately not literally). Never in my life have I encountered such a phenomena of nature that ignites an emotion so powerful it brings a mist to your eyes, while simultaneously scaring the bojangles out of you. [Click for video]

The future's so bright ...

2007-07-25T12:38:00.000-05:00

On your marks, get set ...

2007-07-24T09:00:00.000-05:00

BUILD THAT HOUSE!

The first step in building your new home is, of course, advertising to all the neighbors that you will be building your new home.

First things first!

Two guys, a golden dog, and a black guitar

2007-07-23T12:17:00.001-05:00

... three chords and the truth

Because you're never too old to stop, rock and roll

2007-07-22T21:18:00.000-05:00

In honor of Parent's Day 2007, we inducted my mom and dad into the Matthew House Guitar Hero Hall of Fame.

This was the culmination of a wonderfully Lazy Sunday spent meandering through the Texas Hill Country, and dinner at the world-famous (ok, maybe only Austin-famous) Salt Lick BBQ Restaurant. As usual for this town, a 3-piece band began to play some old-time jazz and blues under the big shady oaks as the sun began its own lazy descent into the western sky. Families gathered around the outdoor picnic tables with their kids, their friends, and their ice chests full of beer. This was our first time dining in a "dry county". In other words, all patrons: Bring Your Own Booze. Can't argue with that!

The Wonderfully Wide World of Web

2007-07-21T09:06:00.002-05:00

Perhaps the best thing I've seen online in a long time.

Downward Facing Dog

2007-07-20T10:25:00.000-05:00

In an effort to get better sleep and just generally improve our well-being, Michael and I have started doing Yoga at night. Let me tell you, I have seen nothing funnier in my entire life. What is it about watching a man like Michael try to bend his body into different poses that inspires uncontrollable fits of laughter that leave my stomach begging for mercy?

Bear thinks it's pretty funny too. Which is why he tried to show us how he thinks it should be done. Now we call him Yoga Bear.

Hey Boo Boo, he's smarter than the average Bear!

Flying the Friendly Skies

2007-07-19T23:06:00.000-05:00

It is nice to be home and back to our regular routine. I wish I had more to write about this week but it's been fairly uneventful, other than a few last minute details on the house. We should be closing next week if all goes well, and construction will start very shortly after that.

Meanwhile, I was just reminiscing on some of the best lines I heard during our travels. Thought I would share:

"Man, you gonna have to check yo' bag."
-- A very angry baggage screener to a perplexed young man trying to pass the following items through the xray: A half-full liter of Gatorade, a tube of toothpaste (Costco-sized), a bottle of shampoo, and ... a pocket knife.

"Dude, got your i-pizzle?"
-- A very white guy making sure his very white friend had his ipod ready for the long flight. (What's the izzle?)

"Want to sing or dance?"
-- One flight attendant asking another if she'd rather announce safety protocols on the microphone or demonstrate in the aisle.

"We were going to wait 'til you fell asleep and steal those from you."
-- The friendly older couple sitting next to me regarding my big purple ear plugs.

I guess I should explain that last one. See I had the dubious honor on this last flight of encountering the worst-behaved child I have ever had the dubious horror of meeting. I know I'm not a parent, and maybe some of you parents feel sorry for this poor two-year-old (read: monster) who had to endure a traumatic event such as flying. But honestly, he was THE DEVIL CHILD. Outdone only by his equally horrific mother who split her time between yelling at him at just the right decibel level to pierce right through your eardrums, and chatting with her friend - astonishingly at the same decibel level. In Spanish. Which somehow doubled the torture, but I'm not sure how.

I was sitting across the aisle from them in bulkhead. Michael was sitting directly behind them, trying to work on his laptop, which turned out to be the perfect target for said child to aim for when launching himself over the seats with demonic strength.

The noise this family created actually drowned out the jet engine noise, which was why I had to put in my earplugs for everyone else to envy and apparently contemplate stealing.

But see, if I had had an extra pair, I may not have loaned them to this nice couple anyway. Halfway through the flight this child (who must have had a chili corn dog smothered in rotten cabbage for lunch) let one go in his diaper. Mom obviously thought no one could smell it, so she didn't change the diaper for about, oh, 20 minutes. Just long enough for the stench to burn itself into your nose hairs.

So anyway, what I'm saying is if I had two more earplugs, they would have gone up my nose before my delicate strands withered away somewhere over Tuscon.

Whirlwind of a Weekend

2007-07-10T11:27:00.000-05:00

We had a bbq with Paul's friends Peter and Katie and their adorable 1-year old daughter Sidney on Saturday night. What a great family! Paul made us his famous bbq bacon pepperjack guacamole burgers on the Weber grill - fabulous!!

Sunday we got to play at church! It's been 6 months since we were part of the band, but it felt as if no time had gone by at all. It was really wonderful to be back. After napping Sunday afternoon we had dinner with some church frie nds that night in Lincoln. Ben and Yulia have a new baby too - Sophia. Scott and Jill came too with their adorable girls Maddie and Gabby.

In case you haven't noticed, it's been baby after baby after baby after adorable kids and more adorable kids all week long. Is the universe trying to tell us something?

Yesterday we had lunch at Mikuni (hooray, haven't found any good sushi in Austin yet!) with Shaun Sutton and his girlfriend Jessica, and saw the Transformers movie. It was AWESOME!!! Can't wait to see it again. Ran a few last minute errands, then treated ourselves to Round Table for dinner. If there are two things we miss the most they are Round Table and In-N-Out.

Today we are back at Jess and Paul's and headed out to the river. We fly out tomorrow morning.

For all the latest pics, check out the gallery.

California Dreamin'

2007-07-07T17:26:00.000-05:00

We've been having a great time so far in California - aside from sweating bullets the size of small puppies. Lots of family last week, now it's time for some more friends, food and fun. And maybe some free time?

We spent the night with Michael's grandparents on Tuesday night, and got to meet the first great grandbaby the next morning. After a meeting with one of our best clients, it was back up to Jess & Paul's awesome place in Grass Valley on Weds. Got to see my oldest and bestest girlfriends Thursday night (They're not old, they're young and beautiful. We just go waaaaay back!)

Friday night met with some more friends at Crush 29. Tonight it's a bbq and another campfire.

Because of all the storms and power outages in Texas right now, our site will be down periodically - so sorry for the inconvenience! But bear with us, I'm keeping my commitments.

Be sure to keep your eye on the gallery for new pics.

Rivercats Game

2007-07-03T19:20:00.001-05:00

As American as apple pie, oversized SUV's and chubby chidren.

Sunday Night BBQ at the Matthews' Senior

2007-07-01T22:07:00.000-05:00

We are here! Can you feel it?

2007-06-30T19:24:00.000-05:00

Yes, we made it to CA safe and sound. The flight was smooth and uneventful, I even got to stand up most of the way. We're spending some good quality time with Michael's family this weekend, enjoying the beautiful scenery in Foresthill. We celebrated Grandpa's 77th birthday on Thursday at a new seafood place in Folsom (very good!) called Scott's Seafood. Yesterday I hiked 4 miles around Sugar Pine Lake with Mike and Colleen and we all relaxed and had bbq'd dogs under the setting California sun.

We're still on the clock and working while we're here, so our schedule is tighter than we'd like, but I hope we get a chance to see everyone who is available. Our cel phones are out of commission this weekend, but we'll be back in business on Monday.

Going to California with an achin' in my heart

2007-06-25T09:14:00.000-05:00

The only thing worse than actually leaving our friends and family in California the first time will be saying goodbye a second time. However, we have two whole weeks to live it up before we have to do that!

Yep, the time has come! We're coming for a visit!

We'll arrive on Wednesday afternoon (June 27th) and leave (sniff, sniff) on Wednesday July 11. Ladies and gentlemen, please send us your schedules so we can figure out if we can meet up! We'll be online all week so email is great, or call our cels: 916-316-3011 or 916-316-3012.

Hope we get a chance to see ya'll!

Quick trip to the property

2007-06-22T20:57:00.000-05:00

Met with our septic and excavation guy today, and his pool building partner. The rain let up just long enough for us to walk through the site and take a few pictures. Can't wait to actually get started. On the pool. Well, the house will be cool too, I guess.

Under dress, Over deliver

2007-06-22T14:18:00.000-05:00

Michael and I were running a little late to our architectural meeting the other day. That morning there was a torrential downpour, causing a few roads to flood, a few traffic signals to choke, and more than a few accidents along our route. I hate being late to things like this, and even though it was just by a few minutes and entirely the fault of Mother Nature, I was feeling stressed.

As we walked up the long winding path to the front of a very impressive building I grew a little more stressed. The great thing about this area is you can typically wear just about anything just about anywhere and not feel out of place. But as we entered that grandiose lobby, shiny slate floors beneath our flip flops and floor to ceiling windows reflecting our lack of fashion sense, I did indeed feel a little out of place. I took a deep breath as we waited for the elevator and looked over at Michael. Titanium laptop case slung over his shoulder, he was carrying our homeowner portfolio full of our very well prepared and organized notes.

"I'm afraid we're a bit under-dressed," I whispered. "But at least we came prepared."

"That's kind of our thing," he answered.

"Yes," I agreed. "Under dress, over deliver."

We had a good laugh over that one, then decided that should be our motto. And so it is.

Been there, seen that (and also I know everything about geography)

2007-06-21T12:38:00.001-05:00

A conversation I overheard:

"So, where did you live before Texas?"

"California."

"Ohhh, yuck, I've been to California, it wasn't nice at all."

"Really?! What part did you visit?"

"Stockton."

"Oh gosh, not all of California looks like Stockton."

"Well, I went to Bakersfield once too. It was so hot and miserable."

"But have you ever been to the foothills? Or the beach? It's so different!"

"No, but I've been to California. So no thanks, I've seen enough."

Ok, maybe I only overheard that conversation in my own head, but really people, this is how (lame) you sound when you say you've "been to" Texas, and thus somehow know what the ENTIRE state is like. You do realize it's twice the size of California, right, with 13 million less people?

PS: Stockton and Bakersfield are simply for illustration purposes, sorry guys.

Home is where the heartburn is

2007-06-21T11:54:00.000-05:00

I suppose it's about time to update you on our home building process. We are "in" the process, and it has given me some heartburn, but overall it's really fun and very exciting. There is so much to tell you about, but I'll start with the basics.

When we arrived in Austin, we took about 2 months to just settle in and recover from the (emotional and physical) stress of moving. During that time, we did our research and decided to use a national builder with an excellent reputation to build our home (David Weekley). They offer a wonderful compromise between "custom" and "standard" homes. By that I mean we selected a floorplan from their existing plans, and then began to customize it to our own preferences, in lieu of starting from absolute scratch. It is a perfect fit for us.

We decided on the "Sabrina" floor plan. It looks quite different now that we've added our own personal (tacky?) touch. The best part is we've added a 450 square foot bonus room to the second floor, which will become our new music room. We also added a full bath between the garage and backyard (aka the Pool Bath). More windows, some french doors, covered patios, etc... If you'd like to see our current plans, I'd be happy to email you. I'd post them here but we signed over the rights to our firstborn child to ensure absolute copyright protection. (I told them they could have Sammie, but that wasn't good enough).

We signed all the contracts a couple of weeks ago, and are now in the architectural stage. We had our first redraw appointment with the architect yesterday, and with one more revision, should be done on that end. We start our design selections and upgrades on Saturday (cabinets, flooring, countertops, all the fun stuff).

We've staked out where the front door will go on the lot (yay!). All of our bids for site prep, flatwork, etc are in. We meet with the septic guy on Friday, who we're also getting the first of two pool bids from.

So for now, it's lots of stomach-churning, alka-seltzer inducing budget crunching. Smack dab in the middle of the dichotomy between what we want and what we want to pay for.

We temporarily interrupt your regularly scheduled blogs.

2007-06-19T14:00:00.000-05:00

Due to my (lack of) programming skills we have been forced to make some changes to our blog. Stay tuned for major improvements.

The biggest news of all ...

2007-06-19T09:44:00.000-05:00

I guess I've been putting it off because I don't even know how to blog about it! It makes everything seem so real, and it's almost like I didn't even think it would ever happen, or maybe ever could really happen. It's something that we've been trying for for over a year! We found out it was true a little over a month ago, but haven't documented as of yet. It's something that will change everything. Something huge and important. Something shocking, unbelievable. Downright miraculous. Exciting. Crazy. Maybe something we've been preparing for all our lives.

Ok, now I'm exaggerating a little. I just wanted to build the suspense.

And no, I'm not pregnant. That's everybody else except me.

So, are you ready? Here it goes ... MOM AND DAD SOLD THEIR HOUSE AND MOVED TO TEXAS!!!! Can you believe it? THE House. The House we grew up in and built memories in for 17 years. The House with the most spectacular backyard ever! The House that took over a year to sell, but finally attracted the right buyers at the right time.

This House was my parents' Labor of Love for nearly 2 decades. But as time rolled on and we started talking about The Great Migration, it became clear that the Labor of Love was something they could indeed bear to part with. The Love never changed; no, it was the Labor that became the issue. Dad retired in 2004, and his pain and severe back problems prevent him from doing this Labor that he loves. It's heartbreaking when the things that you once adored can become too laborious to manage or enjoy when dealing with a life of chronic pain (maybe speaking from a personal perspective here).

The House closed escrow on June 15th, my parents arrived the night before. A miracle they arrived in one piece, as Dad can't sit almost at all these days, and mom has blood clotting issues. Thank goodness for handicapped arrangements and nice flight attendants on Southwest! We were able to find them a wonderful apartment complex called the San Paloma, where they will live (and we will relax) until the new homes are built. Check out the pics and a video Michael posted on YouTube. (He loves his Mac a little too much.) This apartment complex is unbelievable, not a bad place to suffer in Texas. It is across the street from Dell, so lots of nice young professional people live there. It has three pools, a cabana and swim up bar, a great business center and clubhouse, a small coffee and sandwich shop, in addition to the huge indoor spa and weight room. You never have to leave! All for a whopping $675 a month. (Father's Day pictures of apartment life coming soon...)

Dad has started his own blog - and it's worth reading (more than mine, as he's much more eloquent and intelligent than I). He's more likely to keep with it too, he won't let you down the way we have.

So, welcome to Austin, Mom and Dad! For those who might be shocked by this news, and maybe didn't get to say farewell, well it all did happen quickly. And with their health problems, they weren't up for much before moving. So I guess that means you'll just have to come and visit us all here. ;0)

Mom & Dad's new van, a Toyota Sienna. (Not as cool as our old green handicapped van, but I suppose it will do.)

Fully equipped with child car seat and safety features for when/if I ever do get to make that announcement.

Bear's in heaven

2007-06-18T22:01:00.000-05:00

Here are some pics of the creek and the park by our rental house. This isn't the one I mentioned before (Sculpture Falls). Not sure when we'll get back out there - it involves hiking a few miles and a little more prep, but this park is nice and close. We sometimes go over there on our lunch break to let Bear swim.

After a good storm, it's more like a river! A little low today. We went out around 7pm, just before sunset. Enjoy.

Jess comes for a visit!

2007-06-13T22:41:00.000-05:00

One of my two favorite sisters came to visit last week! (The other favorite lives pretty close already). We had a really wonderful time. It was a nice break for everyone, and we had a good time relaxing around the city and at home. It's been since February since we've seen Jess.

We went to a beach party at Lake Travis on Saturday and saw one of our favorite artists, Mat Kearney. We just love him.

In case you're wondering, it's not photoshop --- Jess is very thin! She's lost over 50 pounds and looks AMAZING. Didn't think she could be any prettier. We're inspired by all her hard work and dedication, it's really unbelieveable!

We also went "Toobing" down the river in San Marcos, about 20 miles south from here. The water is gorgeous, the scenery luscious. A very relaxing way to float through a lazy Sunday afternoon after church.

Speaking of church, we've been attending a primarily African American non-denomiational church here, which I'll write more about later. It's so awesome, like nothing we've ever experienced.

It's been great weather here, just our style - warm (and a bit humid). We've spent so much time outdoors. There is an awesome trail to another river nearby our house, which we've taken Bear to a number of times. Next time we go down we'll take more photos. It will surprise you, and maybe you won't think of tumbleweeds as often when you picture us!

Goodbye to Sammie

2007-06-13T22:05:00.001-05:00

Sad news first :( I guess this is as good a place to start as any.

We recently made the decision to turn Sammie over to a Golden Retriever rescue organization here in Austin. I've never felt such heartbreak, or such relief.

For anyone who might not know, Sammie was our first baby. We got her shortly after we moved into our first house (Rocklin), and she just turned 8! Anyone who had the (slightly unfortunate) opportunity to know her would know she's always been a handful, to say the very least. But we've done our best over the years to take care of her and manage her multiple health issues as well as her major attitude problem.

I really don't want to go into the lengthy details of how we came to this decision, but long story short - she tore her ACL while playing in the park, and the necessary surgery and recovery was going to be in the thousands. Adding this to her already staggering other health issues, I guess this was just the last straw. We already have one very sick doggie who requires twice-daily medication and very regular lab work at the vet. The major difference is we love Bear much more. Yes, we do have favorite children.

The rescue organization has a really wonderful foster care and adoption program, and was willing and able to cover the cost of all her treatments through donations, etc. So ultimately it was really the best thing for Sammie. But it was surprisingly very painful for us to let her go. I can't even post a picture of her because she's just too cute, it's disarming. It shows nothing of her true colors ;)

In any case, just thought I'd let you know in case you noticed we have become a one dog family.

What's Up Down in Texas?

2007-06-13T21:34:00.000-05:00

Well, it turns out I'm the world's worst blogger. Before we moved I had all these romantic ideals that I would chronicle our every step, documenting each phase of the journey with stunning photos, brilliant commentary and witty observations. Don't get me wrong, I've made all kinds of witty observations, I just never got around to blogging about them.

Unfortunately, our previously enviable photojournalism skills have taken a turn for the worse, and I'm afraid our gallery has suffered. I sincerely apologize if you've been visiting, hoping for some excitement. We did get lots more beautiful pictures of LA in April - but they are still on the brand new camera we bought - and subsequently had stolen in LA. Haven't documented a whole lot since then.

I do have lots (LOTS!!!) of news to share, but I think I'll post some separate blogs. No one wants to read 4 pages of text online, right?

But where to start? Hmm. This is what I get for not keeping up. I hereby promise to (try to) make it worth your efforts to keep checking in on us.

April in LA

2007-04-25T12:19:00.000-05:00

If only to get the dog video off the top :)

Lunch with Uncle Jaime, Aunt Debbie, and Cousin Charity

2007-04-09T16:45:00.000-05:00

Jaime and Deb came down to Austin for some car repairs and we got to meet up with them for lunch at Pappasitos. Charity got to come too - we finally got to see her! (She lives just miles away, how pathetic are we!).

Like a good neighbor ...

2007-04-06T14:52:00.000-05:00

Steve is there!

Our neighbor across the street (Steve) is the best! He's a retired guy, who spends a lot of time out front, keeping an eye on the neighborhood and washing his truck. Every day. He's really the greatest. And now, he's our own personal landscaper! Michael and I don't have a lawn mower, plus we hate anything to do with lawns due to allergies and just because it stinks, so we hired some guys to come do it. When Steve found out, he offered to do it for us instead. (But yes, we do pay him!)

So, long story short, we now have an acceptable looking yard, so I took some pics. I promised I'd show you the green.

ACL Tickets - Enter to Win

2007-04-02T17:56:00.000-05:00

Hey - click here to enter for a chance at $50 tickets if you're coming. They are doing things differently this year. Thought I'd let y'all know.

New Digs

2007-04-02T17:20:00.000-05:00

I finally got around to cleaning the house this weekend, enough so I could take some pics and you can see where we live.

This is the only time it's been this clean since we got here. We're still working on getting things organized, in the garage mostly.

I'll take some pics outside later. It is gorgeous here right now, green, green and more green. We're always surprised when we go driving around at how clear everything seems. Then we remember "smog" is not in the Texas dictionary.

We didn't end up camping last weekend because the weather was unpredictable. We're hoping to check out Canyon Lake this coming weekend. Well see.