Wednesday, August 31, 2005
And yet, life goes on...
A bit of happy news to share with everyone: Former ASU Multimedia Guru (one of "my guys") Derek and his wife Deanna are celebrating the birth of their baby boy, Seth Andrew. Also, congrats to Derek on "the job offer of a lifetime" and the new job you'll start soon in Houston! Many happy days are ahead for you guys. :)
Speechless
Well, what can you say? It's tragic. It's horrible. You just cannot believe what is happening, and so close to home. News reports are more and more grim each time you check. Looting. Bodies. Refugees. I really just cannot stand it.
God bless the people in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and any other affected area. The world is watching, praying, and hoping for you.
http://www.redcross.org
God bless the people in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and any other affected area. The world is watching, praying, and hoping for you.
http://www.redcross.org
Monday, August 29, 2005
Two More Serenity Converts!
Two more Serenity/Firefly converts in the bag! U2 gal-pals Fatima and Ryann came over last night and we had a Firefly night. After watching the first three episods, and the gals were hooked. So, the first three dvd discs are loaned out to those two, while Fatima is finishing up disc 4. This brings my convert count up to 5:
- Darren
- Darren's wife
- Corina
- Fatima
- Ryann
Hurricane Katrina
Well, I have to say I'm somewhat upset that the hurricane that has my name has become such a big disaster. It was bad enough Friday when we heard that seven or eight people died in Florida and there was damage when it passed over last week. Now, New Orleans, Biloxi, and surrounding areas are being pummelled. (Even Jim Cantori, the thrill-seeking weather guy on the Weather Channel, decided not to get stuck in New Orleans.) They're saying damage is extensive. Hopefully, the people in the area have stayed safe.
I have, however, received a few emails and phone calls from friends and family. "Calm down!" from my Uncle Al. "You are so powerful, Kat!" from Sunny. "Couldn't you have devastated Mobile or some other city no one would miss?" from Frank.
It is kind of weird, though, hearing and seeing my name so much on tv and radio.
Yeesh!
I have, however, received a few emails and phone calls from friends and family. "Calm down!" from my Uncle Al. "You are so powerful, Kat!" from Sunny. "Couldn't you have devastated Mobile or some other city no one would miss?" from Frank.
It is kind of weird, though, hearing and seeing my name so much on tv and radio.
Yeesh!
Thursday, August 25, 2005
Billy Joe is short!!
The bruises have mostly healed. The beer has been washed out of my hair. My sneakers still have a bit of nacho cheese on them I need to scrub off. Other than that, though, the Green Day concert was truly amazing ... and in a totally different way than any other concert I've been to.
Lizzie, Amanda, and I got to American Airlines Center at around 5:00pm so that we could get in early for the 7:30 show. Well, we get there and find that a General Admissions line is just beginning to form on (of course) the side of the arena that is facing the sun. Keep in mind, it was about 100 degrees outside that day. Thankfully, Mom had insisted that we bring water with us and a $1 umbrella they'd picked up at the dollar store. Thank goodness we had that with us -- we were baking.
They finally let us into the arena at around 6:30, and after a few minutes wait, they eventually let us down onto the floor. Wouldn't you know it -- the three of us walked right up to the railing along the front stage! The girls were excited at this point, yet still kind of dazed. Lizzie kept explaining that she was trying not to freak out.
Jimmy Eat World opened the show. The music was good. Loud, but good. Lizzie and Amanda were singing along having a great time. Their set ended, the lights came back up, and that is when everyone on the floor decided to push forward. We were totally squished up against the railing and it got kind of ugly there for a while, and Green Day hadn't even come out yet. I knew that once the music started, people would begin jumping and trying to bully their way up to the front, so I told the girls to not let go of the railing for anything. (Through the whole concert, I had a death grip on Lizzie's arm.)
Finally, Green Day came out, the crowd went wild, the girls were screaming, and I was crushed. I couldn't tell if the two were being squished b/c they were too busy screaming and laughing and trying to get (lead singer) Billy Joe's attention. They really had a great time -- every time I looked back at them, they were grinning and singing at the top of their lungs. I was having a good time, too -- after a while, you kind of get used to having your lungs squished. It was actually a really cool experience to see Green Day. They've been around since I was in high school, and I liked their music back then. (Lizzie and Amanda refuse to accept that Billy Joe is older than I am.)
Memorable Moments:
Read the Dallas Morning News review here.
Lizzie, Amanda, and I got to American Airlines Center at around 5:00pm so that we could get in early for the 7:30 show. Well, we get there and find that a General Admissions line is just beginning to form on (of course) the side of the arena that is facing the sun. Keep in mind, it was about 100 degrees outside that day. Thankfully, Mom had insisted that we bring water with us and a $1 umbrella they'd picked up at the dollar store. Thank goodness we had that with us -- we were baking.
They finally let us into the arena at around 6:30, and after a few minutes wait, they eventually let us down onto the floor. Wouldn't you know it -- the three of us walked right up to the railing along the front stage! The girls were excited at this point, yet still kind of dazed. Lizzie kept explaining that she was trying not to freak out.
Jimmy Eat World opened the show. The music was good. Loud, but good. Lizzie and Amanda were singing along having a great time. Their set ended, the lights came back up, and that is when everyone on the floor decided to push forward. We were totally squished up against the railing and it got kind of ugly there for a while, and Green Day hadn't even come out yet. I knew that once the music started, people would begin jumping and trying to bully their way up to the front, so I told the girls to not let go of the railing for anything. (Through the whole concert, I had a death grip on Lizzie's arm.)
Finally, Green Day came out, the crowd went wild, the girls were screaming, and I was crushed. I couldn't tell if the two were being squished b/c they were too busy screaming and laughing and trying to get (lead singer) Billy Joe's attention. They really had a great time -- every time I looked back at them, they were grinning and singing at the top of their lungs. I was having a good time, too -- after a while, you kind of get used to having your lungs squished. It was actually a really cool experience to see Green Day. They've been around since I was in high school, and I liked their music back then. (Lizzie and Amanda refuse to accept that Billy Joe is older than I am.)
Memorable Moments:
- Billy Joe reaching down from the stage and touching Lizzie and Amanda's hands
- The band calling up fans to replace each of the band members, then giving one of the fans the guitar
- The cannons shooting off Green Day confetti into the air and it snowing down on us during "We Are The Champions"
- "Holiday" - I love this song
- Billy Joe with a crown and cape, kind of like a "pint-size James Brown"
- The drunk bunny
- Realizing just how small Billy Joe is!
- Waiting behind the arena until 1am for the band to come out (which they never did) and Lizzie falling asleep laying against my leg
Read the Dallas Morning News review here.
Monday, August 22, 2005
Brandon Flowers is a cutie!
Yes, ladies and gents, the Killers Concert last Wednesday was fabulous!!!! And I must say ... Brandon Flowers is such a cutie!
Vicki and I headed out to Nokia Theater after work last Wednesday, and after about 2hrs of fighting with traffic, we reached the venue with an hour to spare. We drive up to the theater parking and I immediately begin to notice that the average age of people walking through the lot was about a decade younger than my age. We enter the building and are immediately awarded each with a special GA Wristband, giving us access to the exclusive Pit. We walk further and further down the stairs past one set of security after another, and finally we emerge right in front of the stage. We immediately see fellow u2-fanatic pal Mary (aka crankypup on the mailing lists), and we position ourselves stage-left behind a couple of (thankfully) short young ladies. Fatima and Ryann (also fellow U2Texas mailing list fans) joined us soon after, and we were ready for some excitement.
The show opened with Louis XIV, a band I'd never heard of before but who were actually pretty good, even if the the bass player did just stand there in front of us and stare off into space. The music was good, and Vicki and I were impressed.
Finally, after a slightly extended intermission, with music by Julio Iglesias playing, the Killers finally took the stage. Very surreal. The show opened with an excellent Jenny Was A Friend Of Mine, and I was pleasantly surprised at how well this techno-ish music translated to stage. I absolutely loved every minute of it. Change Your Mind. Somebody Told Me. Mr. Brightside. I sang at the top of my lungs, danced in my crowded little bit of space, and just had a blast. Vicki's boppin' along beside me. Fatima is swooning over Brandon. Couldn't have been better. The concert wrapped up with my absolute favorite song off the album, All These Things That I've Done. Wow! Loved it!!!!
Read the Dallas Morning News review here.
Vicki and I headed out to Nokia Theater after work last Wednesday, and after about 2hrs of fighting with traffic, we reached the venue with an hour to spare. We drive up to the theater parking and I immediately begin to notice that the average age of people walking through the lot was about a decade younger than my age. We enter the building and are immediately awarded each with a special GA Wristband, giving us access to the exclusive Pit. We walk further and further down the stairs past one set of security after another, and finally we emerge right in front of the stage. We immediately see fellow u2-fanatic pal Mary (aka crankypup on the mailing lists), and we position ourselves stage-left behind a couple of (thankfully) short young ladies. Fatima and Ryann (also fellow U2Texas mailing list fans) joined us soon after, and we were ready for some excitement.
The show opened with Louis XIV, a band I'd never heard of before but who were actually pretty good, even if the the bass player did just stand there in front of us and stare off into space. The music was good, and Vicki and I were impressed.
Finally, after a slightly extended intermission, with music by Julio Iglesias playing, the Killers finally took the stage. Very surreal. The show opened with an excellent Jenny Was A Friend Of Mine, and I was pleasantly surprised at how well this techno-ish music translated to stage. I absolutely loved every minute of it. Change Your Mind. Somebody Told Me. Mr. Brightside. I sang at the top of my lungs, danced in my crowded little bit of space, and just had a blast. Vicki's boppin' along beside me. Fatima is swooning over Brandon. Couldn't have been better. The concert wrapped up with my absolute favorite song off the album, All These Things That I've Done. Wow! Loved it!!!!
Read the Dallas Morning News review here.
Tuesday, August 16, 2005
Tomorrow Night! #1 of 5
Tomorrow night is the Killers concert. Yep. Number one of five concerts is almost here, and I'm just a bit excited. The venue: Nokia Theater. (Note to self: Print map to Nokia Theater.) The Plan: Vicki is going to pick me up at work, and we are going to head over to the venue and meet up with Fatima, Ryann, and Mary. Next, we plan on getting as close to the stage as possible b/c (lead singer) Brendan Flowers is a cutie. (But not as cute as my sugarplum, of course.)
Vicki's going to the Killers concert, you ask? Yes, my way-cool friend informed me after I'd already sold my extra tickets that she was interested in going, and -well- I pulled some strings and found her another ticket. I'm so proud of her!
Vicki's going to the Killers concert, you ask? Yes, my way-cool friend informed me after I'd already sold my extra tickets that she was interested in going, and -well- I pulled some strings and found her another ticket. I'm so proud of her!
Impromptu U2Texas Meetup
So, the Killers concert is tomorrow night, and up until Sunday, I had three extra tickets that I had promised to a couple of friends off the U2Texas mailing list I belong to. So, I get a call from Fatima and we figure out we're going to meet at a coffee shop here in Carrollton on Sunday at noon so she can pay me for and receive her two Killers tickets. I then receive an email from Mary (aka "crankypup") who needs her one ticket. Then, I get a call from Chris, who needs his U2 ticket for the October Houston show.
So we all converge on this quiet coffee shop -- Fatima, Ryann (Fatima's best friend), Chris, Dana (Chris's friend), Mary, and me -- and I receive some looks as everyone at the table proceeds to hand me piles of money as I give them their tickets. We end up staying there for almost (if not) three hours. Laughing, talking, reminiscing. Just had a really good time. Plus, Mary informed me that she had a copy of the new Harry Potter book I could borrow.
So, I arrived home later with a pocket full of cash and the new HP book in hand. I am definitely a happy camper.
So we all converge on this quiet coffee shop -- Fatima, Ryann (Fatima's best friend), Chris, Dana (Chris's friend), Mary, and me -- and I receive some looks as everyone at the table proceeds to hand me piles of money as I give them their tickets. We end up staying there for almost (if not) three hours. Laughing, talking, reminiscing. Just had a really good time. Plus, Mary informed me that she had a copy of the new Harry Potter book I could borrow.
So, I arrived home later with a pocket full of cash and the new HP book in hand. I am definitely a happy camper.
Pomp and Circumstance
Ok, I must blog today during lunch b/c so much is happening in the next few days. Too much to blog about; too little time.
So Frank graduated with his Masters degree in TESOL this past Saturday. (Click here to read Frank's graduation blog.) We all had a really nice evening, which began with dinner at one of my favorite restaurants -- Pho Pasteur. I was able to get my favorite dish, bun thit nuoung cha gao (grilled pork on vermicelli w/ egg roll). Mmm. We were able to meet Frank's friends whom I've heard so much about -- Stephen, Judy, Benita, and Ikuko -- and I was able to see Sunny again for the first time in several months.
We progressed to Texas Hall at UT Arlington, where Frank joined the other soon-to-be-graduates, and we joined the other family and friends in the seats. It was a very nice graduation -- the speaker was actually very interesting, which is always a pleasant surprise. I was the official cinematographer for the College of Liberal Arts graduation -- well, at least all the parts that involved Frank. Hopefully, the video came out -- Frank will be sending it to his family in Louisiana.
Congrats Frank -- you did it!
So Frank graduated with his Masters degree in TESOL this past Saturday. (Click here to read Frank's graduation blog.) We all had a really nice evening, which began with dinner at one of my favorite restaurants -- Pho Pasteur. I was able to get my favorite dish, bun thit nuoung cha gao (grilled pork on vermicelli w/ egg roll). Mmm. We were able to meet Frank's friends whom I've heard so much about -- Stephen, Judy, Benita, and Ikuko -- and I was able to see Sunny again for the first time in several months.
We progressed to Texas Hall at UT Arlington, where Frank joined the other soon-to-be-graduates, and we joined the other family and friends in the seats. It was a very nice graduation -- the speaker was actually very interesting, which is always a pleasant surprise. I was the official cinematographer for the College of Liberal Arts graduation -- well, at least all the parts that involved Frank. Hopefully, the video came out -- Frank will be sending it to his family in Louisiana.
Congrats Frank -- you did it!
Tuesday, August 09, 2005
Yet another Serenity update...
Yes folks, I have yet another Firefly convert. Mmmhmm. Corina is the latest addition to the list of DFW area Firefly fans.
And to add to this momentous occasion, the second trailer for Serenity has been released. Go ... watch ... enjoy!
And to add to this momentous occasion, the second trailer for Serenity has been released. Go ... watch ... enjoy!
Wonderful News!
My cousin Cristina is pregnant! She called last night as I was trying (in vain) to replicate my favorite dish my Mom makes. Yep, preliminary results indicate the baby to be due on March 25th, which lands smack-dab on daddy-to-be Adrian's birthday. I'm sure there will be fun daddy-baby birthday parties to come.
Congratulations Cristina and Adrian!
UPDATE: Mommy-to-be Cristina's bday is March 1. Hmm ... I forsee mommy-daddy-baby birthdays in the future. :)
Congratulations Cristina and Adrian!
UPDATE: Mommy-to-be Cristina's bday is March 1. Hmm ... I forsee mommy-daddy-baby birthdays in the future. :)
Monday, August 08, 2005
G'day, y'all!
So, Teresa and Mat made it to Texas just fine last Thursday evening. "G'day, y'all!"
Friday afternoon I took off from work so that I could spend time with the family, who had made the trek up from San Angelo to see Teresa and Mat. I left work at about noon and proceeded to spend over an hour on the roads trying to find 183. I was under the impression that 183 crosses 35E, but I was wrong. I ended up way down in Arlington, but anyway...
I met up with the family at the very nice Amerisuites, and since Teresa and Mat wanted to get cell phone service, we ended up at the Irving Mall. Mat had his first Taco Bell experience, which he seemed to enjoy. We found out little bits of interesting Aussie info, such as they don't have Fritos, corn bread, or Chick-fil-a over there. They *do* have this interesting burger option at their McDonald's called the McOz, which is basically a quarter pounder with a slab of beetroot on it. (Poor Mat had to spell out "beetroot" for me to understand what he was saying.) Interesting. I'll have to try it someday.
Lizzie had a good time at that mall. She tried on some cool baggy jeans at her favorite store - Hot Topic. I think she called them "trip pants". Then there was the T-Mobile sales-guy who was flirting with her. I had to keep an eye on that. :) She later found some windcatchers that were on sale for $1.09. For some reason, my Mom was having difficulty trying to decide color windcatcher to get.
Mom: Oh, I don't know - should we get the blue or green one?
Me: Mom, they're $1.09. You can get both if you want!
So, basically, we had a good time. Welcome to Texas, Mat. Welcome home, Teresa.
Friday afternoon I took off from work so that I could spend time with the family, who had made the trek up from San Angelo to see Teresa and Mat. I left work at about noon and proceeded to spend over an hour on the roads trying to find 183. I was under the impression that 183 crosses 35E, but I was wrong. I ended up way down in Arlington, but anyway...
I met up with the family at the very nice Amerisuites, and since Teresa and Mat wanted to get cell phone service, we ended up at the Irving Mall. Mat had his first Taco Bell experience, which he seemed to enjoy. We found out little bits of interesting Aussie info, such as they don't have Fritos, corn bread, or Chick-fil-a over there. They *do* have this interesting burger option at their McDonald's called the McOz, which is basically a quarter pounder with a slab of beetroot on it. (Poor Mat had to spell out "beetroot" for me to understand what he was saying.) Interesting. I'll have to try it someday.
Lizzie had a good time at that mall. She tried on some cool baggy jeans at her favorite store - Hot Topic. I think she called them "trip pants". Then there was the T-Mobile sales-guy who was flirting with her. I had to keep an eye on that. :) She later found some windcatchers that were on sale for $1.09. For some reason, my Mom was having difficulty trying to decide color windcatcher to get.
Mom: Oh, I don't know - should we get the blue or green one?
Me: Mom, they're $1.09. You can get both if you want!
So, basically, we had a good time. Welcome to Texas, Mat. Welcome home, Teresa.
Thursday, August 04, 2005
Teresa's comin' home
Ok, I think I' m allowed to tell people now. Teresa's flying in *today* from Newcastle, Australia. She'll be flying in on Flight 2454 and arrive at DFW at 9:10pm tonight. She had quite a long flight. Below is/was her itinerary:
All times are in Central Standard Time (CST):
Air New Zealand
Sydney
Arriving Aukland @ 11:30PM August 3rd
AirNew Zealand
Departing Aukland @ 2:45AM August 4th
ArrivingLos Angeles
All times are in Central Standard Time (CST):
Air New Zealand
Arriving Aukland @ 11:30PM August 3rd
Air
Departing Aukland @ 2:45AM August 4th
Arriving
American Airlines:
Departing
Arriving
Tuesday, August 02, 2005
I have a convert!
I have converted a co-worker into a Firefly fan.
And not just my co-worker ... his wife is also hooked. Yep, I am pretty darn proud of myself.
If you haven't done so already, watch the Firefly series. Just a little background on the show, Firefly is a *terrific* sci-fi series that was (partially) shown on Fox for almost one season. For whatever reason, the network decided that they were going to show the episodes out of order, *and* they were only going to show around 10 out of the ~14 episodes. The series was eventually cancelled, but by that time, even with the episodes shown out of order, enough people realized that this was "quality TV" that a major letter-writing campaign was started. Eventually, Fox decided that maybe they could do a movie, and hence, Serenity was born.
Useful Links:
Great Firelfy Quotes:
Wash: Who's flying this thing?! Oh, right. That would be me.
Mal: Can't get paid if you're dead.
Jayne: Can't get paid if you crawl away like a bitty little bug neither. I got a share of this job. Ten percent of nothin' is, let me do the math here...nothin' and a nothin', carry the nothin'...
Zoë: Sir, I think you have a problem with your brain being missing.
Jayne: [into radio] Testing. Captain, can you hear me?
Mal: I'm standing right here.
Jayne: [into radio] You're coming in good and loud, too.
Mal: 'Cause I'm standing right here.
And not just my co-worker ... his wife is also hooked. Yep, I am pretty darn proud of myself.
If you haven't done so already, watch the Firefly series. Just a little background on the show, Firefly is a *terrific* sci-fi series that was (partially) shown on Fox for almost one season. For whatever reason, the network decided that they were going to show the episodes out of order, *and* they were only going to show around 10 out of the ~14 episodes. The series was eventually cancelled, but by that time, even with the episodes shown out of order, enough people realized that this was "quality TV" that a major letter-writing campaign was started. Eventually, Fox decided that maybe they could do a movie, and hence, Serenity was born.
Useful Links:
Great Firelfy Quotes:
Wash: Who's flying this thing?! Oh, right. That would be me.
Mal: Can't get paid if you're dead.
Jayne: Can't get paid if you crawl away like a bitty little bug neither. I got a share of this job. Ten percent of nothin' is, let me do the math here...nothin' and a nothin', carry the nothin'...
Zoë: Sir, I think you have a problem with your brain being missing.
Jayne: [into radio] Testing. Captain, can you hear me?
Mal: I'm standing right here.
Jayne: [into radio] You're coming in good and loud, too.
Mal: 'Cause I'm standing right here.
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