I am giving away a $40 Gift Certificate to CSN Stores on the Photo Hunt Challenges blog.  Head over there, enter the Giveaway and take a look at all the amazing Participant Galleries from August 2010 Photo Hunt Challenge!

Thanks for stopping by my blog!
Comments are encouraged and counted for incentive, so comment away! I'd love it.
Want an avatar to go with your comments? Get your own here!
  • Share/Bookmark

Do any of you play Fantasy Football at all?  Does your significant other?

I have never actually played (especially since I have admitted I enjoy football more for the social aspect) but this year I watched two groups of guys get together to do their Fantasy Football Draft and got to learn which players to watch for this season.  The competition throughout the year makes football much more exciting to watch, and I don’t just mean the Vikings! I guess it could also mean that the entire Sunday/Monday is spent watching the NFL…… which is sometimes more than I can take.

What are your thoughts about Fantasy Football?  Does it add to the excitement? Does it ruin it for you if you drafted a crappy team?? Do big payoffs at the end motivate you to play or just the competition of it??

Thanks for stopping by my blog!
Comments are encouraged and counted for incentive, so comment away! I'd love it.
Want an avatar to go with your comments? Get your own here!
  • Share/Bookmark

August 2010 Photo Hunt complete!  If you would like to check out the other Participant Entries, head to Photo Hunt Challenges blog to check them out!  Favorites will be posted throughout the last 2-3 weeks of September.

1. A flag that represents you – coming ASAP!
2. Something comfortable – Cowboy boots

These Boots were Made for Walking

3. Something in season – cherry tomatoes

Cherry Tomatoes
4. Feet – (Tiger)

DSC_6188

5. Repetition- Penguins lined up to take a swim at the zoo

Penguins

6. Culture or ethnicity- Japanese Garden

Japanese Garden
7. Contrast- Mama Giraffe & Baby

Mama Giraffe & 2 week old baby

8. An indulgence- Margarita!

Homemade Margarita
9. A macro or closeup -purple water lily

Purple Water Lily  Macro

10. Something masculine – Harley Davidson

Harley Davidson

11. Something feminine- a beautiful bride

DSC_5771-london

12. Light- Texas Sunset

Austin Sunset

13. Eco-friendly- Pencils made of recycled newspaper

Eco-Frinedy Recycled Pencils
14. Business- The Oasis on Lake Travis (popular restaurant business)

Lower Decks @ The Oasis ~ Austin, TX
15. An arrow- Darts

Bullseye

16. Something wet – Watermill

DSC_6213

17. Something dry- The climate where this lizard lives (taken in July 2010)

Lizard
18. Butterflies*-  Not sure which species this is, found in Austin, TX

Butterfly
19. Heart-Shaped Clouds*
-  Seen from my own driveway

Heart Shaped Cloud

20. Strength- Using a Crossbow requires it!

Strength

Thanks for stopping by my blog!
Comments are encouraged and counted for incentive, so comment away! I'd love it.
Want an avatar to go with your comments? Get your own here!
  • Share/Bookmark

Look at the baby giraffe!!  This cutie was born 11 days before I got to see him with his mama

Mama Giraffe & 2 week old baby

2 week old giraffe at Como  Zoo

It was cat-nap time on a very HOT August day.  Poor kitties (they were all much more alert when I visited the zoo back in February)

I used my 55-200mm lens….. seems like the only time I use that lens is at the zoo!

Sleeping Tiger

The Lion Sleeps tonight....

curious monkey

Primate

zebra grazing Duck eating

Flamingo

Pacu

Penguins

Thanks for stopping by my blog!
Comments are encouraged and counted for incentive, so comment away! I'd love it.
Want an avatar to go with your comments? Get your own here!
  • Share/Bookmark

I had made future dinner plans with some of my college girlfriends at our last dinner together and unfortunately needed to change the date twice to accommodate my travel schedule this past summer.  We were finally able to get together the week after I came home from Texas and had a fabulous dinner at Chino Latino (click to read my review).  Many of the college girls weren’t able to make our dinner, but it was great the my bffs could join us.  Kim, Mary and Sonja spent so much time at my apartment during college that they are honorary alum.  Here we are:
DSC_6014


DSC_6016


DSC_5996


DSC_6017

Planning another dinner for early October sometime, should be fun!

Thanks for stopping by my blog!
Comments are encouraged and counted for incentive, so comment away! I'd love it.
Want an avatar to go with your comments? Get your own here!
  • Share/Bookmark

I just realized I haven’t posted these sunset photos yet.  I took them on the last official night I was in Austin.  I saw  the sky start to change color as I was driving west after having a wonderful pesto dinner at my friend Samantha’s house.  I pulled over in a local Supermarket parking lot, found a cool palm tree for the shot and went to town with my camera.

Austin Sunset

Austin Sunset

Austin Sunset

Austin Sunset

Austin Sunset

Austin Sunset

And then I rode out of Texas with the sunset…….

Thanks for stopping by my blog!
Comments are encouraged and counted for incentive, so comment away! I'd love it.
Want an avatar to go with your comments? Get your own here!
  • Share/Bookmark

I may have mentioned awhile back that I flew home from Austin and on just a few hours sleep, I was up bright and early the following morning to tag along with my SIL Michelle as she did the photography for the wedding of my friend and colleague, Melissa.  Melissa and I taught at the same school for the past three years (and neither of us will be at that school next year).  Last spring when she asked if I would be willing to photograph her wedding or knew someone who would, I was happy to refer her to Michelle (who does weddings only on a very minimal basis).  I am nowhere near qualified to shoot a wedding.  That is hard work! I did however, enjoy being there on Melissa’s wedding day and being part of catching her memories.  I have found I am ill-equipped with not only skills but also the actual photography equipment (lenses, flash, etc), but it was a great learning experience.  I even managed to get some decent photos!  Be sure to check out the Michelle’s Sneak Peek of Melissa & Ben’s Wedding.  Gorgeous!

This handsome little guy is Melissa and Ben’s son.

DSC_5633 DSC_5729 DSC_5743 DSC_5627-bw DSC_5621-bw DSC_5776 DSC_5771-london DSC_5745-sunflare DSC_5733 DSC_5762 DSC_5766-bw

DSC_5854

DSC_5819 DSC_5814 DSC_5890 DSC_5894 DSC_5897 DSC_5955-bw

DSC_5910-bw

And a few of my friends from work…..

DSC_5966-bw DSC_5958-bw

DSC_5908

Thanks for stopping by my blog!
Comments are encouraged and counted for incentive, so comment away! I'd love it.
Want an avatar to go with your comments? Get your own here!
  • Share/Bookmark

Did you know that there is a law here in the US that states every man has to register for Selective Service when he turns 18?  The Gov sends one notice to guys when they turn 18 and then no mention of it seems to be made ever again.  Guys have until their 26th birthday to register and then the door is permanently closed.  Closed to ever receiving any types of Federal Grants or Student loans.

If you did not know this, you are not alone.  In fact, I did not know this until yesterday, and I am a highly educated woman.  I cannot recall ever hearing about this or  hearing anyone ever talk about it.  Not in High school, not in college, not when I have gone to vote, not when I went to renew my license.  Never.  Is this because I am a woman that I never paid attention to it? I don’t think so.  I have been asking many people I know if they knew about this and only two people knew about it and both are men who served in the military.  No one else had a clue.

Did you know about this law before reading this post?

If so, please tell me where you learned of it and where you have ever heard of it again?

I recommend that you encourage any male you know between 18-25 to register before the chance for them to ever get any federal grants or loans is slammed in their hopeful faces.  Men can check to see if they are registered here.

Thanks for stopping by my blog!
Comments are encouraged and counted for incentive, so comment away! I'd love it.
Want an avatar to go with your comments? Get your own here!
  • Share/Bookmark

you had to use a CRAZY MIRROR to achieve a look like this…..
DSC_5428

Hey that’s me, Giraffe Lady!!! (if only I could find a mirror that elongates me in places other than my neck! lol)

**Crazy mirror found outside the Ripley’s Believe it or Not Museum in San Antonio

Thanks for stopping by my blog!
Comments are encouraged and counted for incentive, so comment away! I'd love it.
Want an avatar to go with your comments? Get your own here!
  • Share/Bookmark

During the last week I was in Texas, I headed out to the Hula Hut for a late dinner with my pal Carolyn.  Hula Hut is on Lake Austin, which is a section of the Colorado River that is dammed up to create the lake.  I was out there last summer and had fish tacos for the first time ever.  I have had countless fish tacos since then but Hula Hut will always be a special place to me ;) Of course I had the fish tacos again this year and will be writing a review soon.

Neon Sign @ Hula Hut ~ Austin, TX

Neon Sign @ Hula Hut ~ Austin, TX

Pier @ Hula Hut ~ Austin, TX

Pier @ Hula Hut ~ Austin, TX

Dam at Lake Austin ~ View from Hula Hut

Dam at Lake Austin ~ View from Hula Hut

Hula Hut Deck ~ Austin, TX

Hula Hut Deck ~ Austin, TX

Mango & Lime Frozen Margarita @ Hula Hut ~ Austin, TX

Mango & Lime Frozen Margarita @ Hula Hut ~ Austin, TX

Sunset over Lake Austin

Sunset over Lake Austin

DSC_5544

Thanks for stopping by my blog!
Comments are encouraged and counted for incentive, so comment away! I'd love it.
Want an avatar to go with your comments? Get your own here!
  • Share/Bookmark

There were 27 Entries for the $50 shopware.com Giveaway.  To be fair about choosing a winner, I used a random number generator

……. Ms Samara Link!

I will e-mail you with the details.

Thanks to everyone who entered.  I knew it was going to be a fun giveaway since just about everyone who commented is someone I know in person or through long-time blogging.  It is always more fun to give cool stuff away to people you know!

Stay tuned for two more upcoming giveaways on my other blogs, Photo Hunt Challenges and Twin Cities Restaurant Blog.

Thanks for stopping by my blog!
Comments are encouraged and counted for incentive, so comment away! I'd love it.
Want an avatar to go with your comments? Get your own here!
  • Share/Bookmark

So now that I am back home after spending the summer in Texas, it is time for me to get back into the kitchen and start cooking some meals again!  I absolutely adore these pans by Le Creuset and think you would like them too.  Plum colored cookware? Yes, please!

If you are in the market for some new cookware, today is your lucky day!  I have  a $50 Gift Certificate to Giveaway at Cookware.com.  I will randomly select one winner on Friday, August 20 at noon Central time.  This Giveway is open to anyone in the U.S. and Canada.  Winner will have $50 to spend on or toward any item at Cookware.com (however winner must pay shipping costs).

Leave a comment here on this post and don’t forget to Tweet or Facebook details of the Giveaway for an extra chance to win! (Leave an additional comment if you DO Tweet or Facebook this!)

***Giveaway sponsored by CSNStores

Thanks for stopping by my blog!
Comments are encouraged and counted for incentive, so comment away! I'd love it.
Want an avatar to go with your comments? Get your own here!
  • Share/Bookmark

A few weeks ago I spent the hottest, most sweaty 40 minutes of my life at Zilker Botanical Garden.  Unfortunately most of the flowers felt the same way I did….wilted and lifeless from the heat.  I didn’t realize that all of the gardens would be outdoors.  The light from the sun at noon time is also extremely harsh.  Just not ideal for taking photos.  I dragged my friend Chaitra out there with me and it was just too dang hot.

Oh well, I snapped a few and then we decided to pack it up and go to a movie  where it was much cooler!  We saw Inception.  Cool movie although kind of confusing.

Anyway, while at the garden I got a couple of cool photos.  Wanted to show you how cropping can make a big impact.

Pretty purple water lily……..

Purple Water Lily

Cropped a little closer……  Isn’t it gorgeous?

Purple Water Lily Closeup

And cropped even closer!!  Looks like it could be a VIKINGS flower, doesn’t it? Yay for purple and yellow!

Purple Water Lily  Macro

Purple Water Lily Macro

I definitely like the two cropped photos the best.  What do you think?

Thanks for stopping by my blog!
Comments are encouraged and counted for incentive, so comment away! I'd love it.
Want an avatar to go with your comments? Get your own here!
  • Share/Bookmark

A few weeks ago while still in Texas, I took a drive down to San Antonio with Chaitra and Linda one weekend.  I had been to San Antonio once before (11 years ago) but really wanted to see the Riverwalk and Alamo once again. I am kind of bummed that I didn’t take any video footage at all while spending the whole summer in Texas, but I finally remembered to take some while in San Antonio.  With the help of Animoto, I created this little video with some of my video footage and photos from that day.  Hope you like!

PS The song is San Antonio Rose by Willie Nelson.  A little too twangy for my taste but goes perfectly with the video!

PPS  Click the smaller play button on the left side, as the big play button in the center will play the video in full screen and totally distort it

Thanks for stopping by my blog!
Comments are encouraged and counted for incentive, so comment away! I'd love it.
Want an avatar to go with your comments? Get your own here!
  • Share/Bookmark

Howdy!

So, I finally made it back home to Minnesota for the long haul.  It has been a whirlwind since I got back.  I arrived home just before 2am on Saturday, got up a few hours later to help MSP shoot the wedding of  Melissa, one of my friends from work (I was just practicing, this was Michelle‘s gig).  I had Sunday off then went back to work bright and early Monday morn.  A workshop for work, actually, and it is pretty fun.

Anyway, I still have a lot of photos to go through, etc before I start another run of blog posts but I had to sneak this one in real quick.  After spending the summer in Texas, I started making a mental note of all the different things I noticed between my home state of MN and my home-away-from home, TX.  Here is that list:

  • The sun rises earlier and stays out much later in St Paul (45′ Latitude) than it does in Austin (30’32″ latitude).  I always knew this but it was so much more obvious this summer while in TX.  The reason being that MN is so much further north and tilted closer to the sun.  I love the longer days and missed it.
  • Students in Texas (probably all over the South) address their teacher as “Miss” or “Mister”……. without attaching their last name to it.  It is not meant to be disrespectful, that is just how it is.  That never happens in MN! It is almost always Ms ____ or Mr _____.
  • Teachers in Texas make FAR LESS than MN teachers.  The salary only increases by $500 a year down there and there is no real raise for having a Masters degree.  In MN you can make anywhere from $4-6k more per year by having a Masters, even more by having up to a PhD.  I would have to work in Texas for 35 years to make what I am making in MN now. (Guess I am glad I teach in MN!)
  • There are a million panhandlers in Austin.  One on every corner, seemed like.  Not as common in the Twin Cities (although they do exist)
  • Everyone listens to country music in TX.  Didn’t hear any heavy metal on the airwaves at all.  Missed it! The jury is still out as to whether country music has grown on me.  Its probably the only genre of music that is not in my repertoire.
  • Minnesotans and Texans each have distinct accents.  Mine was very noticable to many people when I first got down there.  I mean DOOOntcha knOOOOw I am from MinnEsOtAaaaa? but then I started to find myself saying ya’ll in the most Texan of ways. (But what do I know? I am practically hearing impaired. Damn heavy metal) Haven’t heard my accent? Watch an old video blog like this one.  Haven’t done one of these in about a year now.  That was when I broke my old camera.  I still miss that G9
  • Just outside of Austin is the Factory of the most delicious ice cream, Blue Bell.  I adore it with all my heart.  Banana Pudding ice cream? With real bananas and vanilla wafers? Omg,  The homemade Vanilla is pretty amazing too.  You can find pints of it in yummy flavors everywhere you go.  Trouble for ice cream addicts! I swear I only had a few pints total all summer ;)
  • The crickets in Texas are huge and black and they would probably destroy their smaller cousins in Minnesota.  Those buggers are extremely loud and it is not pleasant at all when one finds its way into your hotel air conditioning unit and proceeds to chirp all night long.  Why does that always seem peaceful in the movies? I used to feed crickets to my leopard geckos years ago when I bred them and they didn’t bother me as much.
  • There is road construction absolutely everywhere in MN this summer whereas I experienced only one patch of road construction that I found in Austin.  Bad roads are usually a result of winter weather conditions.

I know there were so many more things I have thought of but since I didn’t write them down, some have escaped my thoughts.  I will add more if I think of them……

Thanks for stopping by my blog!
Comments are encouraged and counted for incentive, so comment away! I'd love it.
Want an avatar to go with your comments? Get your own here!
  • Share/Bookmark

One of the coolest things to do in Austin is to head out to The Oasis on Lake Travis to see the sunset.  Last year I made the trek all by myself but this year I had Carolyn and Chaitra to keep me company.  We went together after dinner with the big group of work friends. It was such a beautiful night! The first in many that it was clear and not raining (it has been a very rainy summer down here in TX) although it was HOT…..

Sunset at The Oasis ~ Austin, TX

Sunset at The Oasis ~ Austin, TX

Sunset at The Oasis ~ Austin, TX

Sunset at The Oasis ~ Austin, TX

Enjoying the sunset (and the Frozen Margarita- which had a floater of Chambord)

Enjoying Cocktails at Sunset ~ Oasis
Enjoying the Sunset

The Oasis is Ginormous, with seating to fit over 1000.  They are building a new addition right now as well, so I am sure it is going to be even more magnificent when it is done.  Hopefully I will see it for myself next summer ;)

Thanks for stopping by my blog!
Comments are encouraged and counted for incentive, so comment away! I'd love it.
Want an avatar to go with your comments? Get your own here!
  • Share/Bookmark

Last week several of the people who have been working on the projects down here in Texas went out for a Mexican dinner at Casa Chapala.  Great food and great company!  Many of these people either finished the project that they were working on last Friday or had plans to go out of town this week.  So this was it, our last big group time.  Chaitra also came along even though she didn’t work with us this summer (she is a teacher however!).  I introduced her to Linda, Kiyana, and Ted weeks ago and she has been hanging with all of us ever since.

Teachers rock!! Especially those who teach math and career/technical education!
DSC_5256

DSC_5242

DSC_5243

DSC_5239

DSC_5238

DSC_5240
Yes, that is me with the sombrero! Of course I had to steal it off the wall for this photo but you only live once and I had to do it ;)
DSC_5257

I will miss this group but hope to see them all again next summer!

Thanks for stopping by my blog!
Comments are encouraged and counted for incentive, so comment away! I'd love it.
Want an avatar to go with your comments? Get your own here!
  • Share/Bookmark

Got a group together one Sunday a few weeks ago for brunch at Trudy’s North Star.  Trudy’s is a very popular Tex-Mex restaurant in Austin and the brunch was delicious! Read my review here.

Ted, Kiyana, Erik, Doris, me, Carolyn, Linda and Samantha
DSC_5159

This is my buddy Erik and his girlfriend Doris who was visiting for the weekend from their home in Miami.  We all loved her! Thank goodness for Facebook so we can stay in touch ;)
DSC_5160

Later that night me, Carolyn, Erik and Doris went to Home Slice for NY Style Pizza.  MMMMmmm! Very good (but not as good as Cossetta’s back home!)
<DSC_5175

Thanks for stopping by my blog!
Comments are encouraged and counted for incentive, so comment away! I'd love it.
Want an avatar to go with your comments? Get your own here!
  • Share/Bookmark

One night last week I went with Kiyana, Linda, Ted and Chaitra to the Clay Pit, a fabulous Indian restaurant located in downtown Austin.  This was my first experience eating Indian food and I really enjoyed it! Read my review here.
DSC_5222
DSC_5223
DSC_5224
DSC_5228

Thanks for stopping by my blog!
Comments are encouraged and counted for incentive, so comment away! I'd love it.
Want an avatar to go with your comments? Get your own here!
  • Share/Bookmark

I now have it set up so that you not only can have the comments counted that you leave on my blog, but your picture beside it! Your Avatar  will likely show up on many other blogs as well :)

Here is the link, all you need to do is put in your e-mail and upload a photo :)

http://en.gravatar.com/

PS Thanks for helping me with this, Hope!

Thanks for stopping by my blog!
Comments are encouraged and counted for incentive, so comment away! I'd love it.
Want an avatar to go with your comments? Get your own here!
Related Posts with Thumbnails
  • Share/Bookmark
© 2010 Mi Vida Ocupada Suffusion WordPress theme by Sayontan Sinha
Theme Tweaker by Unreal