Home of Wednesday-Bensday and Smalls Sunday

Raging Rapids

You can always tell when Tim’s birthday is approaching because he starts shopping for himself a lot. And he usually comes home with exactly the gift I was planning to get him. He’s a challenge to shop for anyway, so you can imagine how much I love the increased difficulty level that comes with this pesky little habit of his.

This year, though, I was prepared. I had an idea for his birthday present that I was sure he was going to love. All I had to do was wait to buy it until I was sure he wasn’t going to go get it for himself, and I was set. The Big Idea? Seinfeld Scene It.

I just blew you all away with my mad gift idea skillz, didn’t I?

But then Tim went and gave me the best birthday present ever, and as soon as my initial excitement wore off, the first thing I thought was, “Oh, man, I am going to have to step it up for his birthday next month.” That little DVD board game was just not going to cut it anymore.

(And thank goodness for that, because it turns out the game was a pretty lame idea.)

Lucky for me, I didn’t have to stress long over coming up with a new idea. Two weeks and one serendipitous conversation with a coworker later, I had another good idea. And this idea was actually good: I decided to take Tim white water rafting.

I set up a trip with Royal Gorge Rafting, told Tim about it on his birthday, and we went this past Sunday. It was completely awesome. We both had a great time, neither of us fell out of the boat, and we got to wear some pretty sexy wetsuits. Win-win-win.

I am pretty much the best wife ever.

(Don’t worry — I also got the game as a back-up present in case Tim hated the rafting idea. So if you ever want to play Seinfeld Scene It, you know who to call.)

June 16, 2009 | Filed Under Holidays, Photos & Videos, Tim | 6 Comments 

What I Did on My Summer Business Trip

Armed with the recommendations of friends and readers, unclear Google Maps printouts, an Austin city map, and only a hint of trepidation at the prospect of finding my way around a new city on my own, I dragged myself out of bed and onto an Austin-bound plane early Sunday morning.

After spending way too long driving in circles trying to figure out the highway/access road system in Austin before finally finding my hotel, I was tired, frustrated, hungry, and tempted to throw in the towel and walk across the street to have lunch at IHOP.

However, I’m not one to travel to new places just to eat boring franchise food, so I pulled on my Big Girl Pants, got into my blue Sebring (Michael Scott-style), and successfully navigated my way to Chuy’s and my first meal in Austin.

Oh, it was good. (The queso enchiladas were good, too.)

My hunger satisfied and navigational confidence restored, I explored downtown a bit and ended up spending a very relaxing afternoon at Town Lake.

All in all, not a bad first day in Austin.

Of course, I was in Austin for more than just margaritas, queso, and lakeside walks. First thing Monday morning it was back to work. In between a couple of very productive and informative days at the office I got to hang out with some pretty cool coworkers, enjoy a lot of delicious local food and drink, and see thousands of bats fly out from under a bridge in a wholly underwhelming display of tiny flapping wings.

While the bats lacked the thrill and entertainment factor my coworkers and I had hoped for, that particular evening’s entertainment was far from over. Later that night at a wine bar, we had the pleasure of sipping delicious wine flights across the bar from an octogenarian and his…well, his date, I guess you could say. Though something about her mid-twenties appearance and skintight leopard-print dress tells me she was there more for the Benjamins than the romance, if you know what I mean…and I think you do. It was quite the experience.

Awkward experiences aside, three days of good food, good drink, good company, and yes, even good work came together to make for a pretty great summer business trip.

June 12, 2009 | Filed Under Have Red Pen, Will Edit, Photos & Videos | 3 Comments 

Just the Right Mix of Joy and Exhaustion

Good news — hiking season has officially started here in the Sangria household.

Nothing kicks off hiking season quite like a grueling climb up the Incline. I made it up in 76 minutes this morning, which isn’t a stellar time, but it’s not bad, either, all things considered. I set goals for myself about how often I would stop to rest and who among the other hikers on the trail I would beat to the top (my competitive nature is sometimes the only thing that keeps me trekking up the mountain), and I’m proud to say I met and/or exceeded all of those goals.

Given it was the first hike of the season, I’m pleased with how well I did. I’m going to have to kick it up a notch and get my hiking muscles back into shape, though, because Tim and I have decided to summit another fourteener this summer. I haven’t forgotten how much pain is involved in such a task, but I’m still really excited. That feeling of accomplishment upon setting foot at the summit just can’t be beat.

One hike in, and I’m already feeling like it’s going to be a damn good hiking season. I can’t wait.

May 25, 2009 | Filed Under General Happiness, Photos & Videos, hiking | 8 Comments 

I Hear You’re Supposed to Keep It Weird or Something

Friends, I need your help. I’m traveling to Austin in a couple of weeks for a business trip, and it just so happens that I’m going to have to fill some time while I’m there with non-work related activities. Trouble is, I’m traveling alone and am the teeniest bit nervous about venturing out in my rental car and finding stuff to do without getting lost and/or being That Girl Sitting Alone at the Bar. But I also definitely do not want to spend my entire stay in a new-to-me and rumored-to-be-cool city splitting my time between the office and my hotel room.

This is where you come in. Have you been to Austin? Do you live there? What’s a solo traveler to do during one afternoon and three evenings? Is there any shop/bar/restaurant/event/whatever that I absolutely should not pass up? I think the office I’ll be in is near downtown, and I don’t yet know where my hotel is (though I imagine/hope it’ll be close to the office), so recommendations in that general area would be preferred to lower my chances of getting lost. Also, please keep in mind that I enjoy cocktails, music, pedicures, being outdoors, Mexican food, and all things awesome.

Ready . . . set . . . recommend!

May 19, 2009 | Filed Under Have Red Pen, Will Edit | 4 Comments 

Wednesday Smalls ‘n’ Bensday! Not a Fan

As it turns out, not everyone in the house is excited about my new tap floor.

Whether she’s mad that it takes up space under the couch when not in use or she’s just not impressed at all with my dancing, one thing’s for sure: Smalls is not a fan.

May 13, 2009 | Filed Under Dance, Photos & Videos, Puppies, Wednesday Smalls 'n Bensday | 6 Comments 

Eating My Words

Remember that time after my first dance competition when I was describing the ballet workshopt and wrote, “It felt good, actually. Not so good that I’m about to sign myself up for a weekly ballet class, but good nonetheless.”

Um, yeah… Guess who recently signed herself up to take a weekly ballet class this summer?

Just to be clear, it’s not as if I was brimming with enthusiasm when I registered for summer classes and told the studio to add ballet to my schedule. Nor was I exactly jumping for joy when I walked into the local dance store and asked to be fitted in a pair of ballet slippers. Excited is not a word I’d use to describe how I feel about returning to the ballet barre after a 10-year hiatus.

However, I do know that this is something I need to do right now. When the summer schedule was posted and the other adults insisted the schedule be rearranged so we could take both jazz and ballet, the thought entered my mind that I might be expected to add ballet to my schedule now that I’m taking my dancing a bit more seriously. This idea was confirmed when the jazz competition director “invited” (read: told) me to take ballet with the rest of the girls. What it boils down to is that if I’m going to be a part of the jazz competition team, I am going to have to take ballet.

Even though this is more of an “I have to” than an “I want to,” I am optimistic about the endeavour. Ballet will be good for me in that it will improve my technique and form in jazz and tap. I may not experience the same level of enjoyment in ballet as I do in my other classes, but at least I will have the satisfaction of knowing that I’m doing something beneficial for myself. As the woman at the dance store said when I expressed my lack of enthusiasm for this new class, taking ballet is a lot like taking your vitamins. It may not be the most enjoyable part of your day, but it is good for you in the long run.

Also, for the benefit of my husband, who is likely reading this and remembering the time I assured him he’d never have to sit through a ballet performance and pretend to enjoy it just because I was in it, let me clarify one more thing: I will not be performing ballet in any capacity. The class I’m taking is strictly a technique class, not a performance class. I have zero desire to set foot on any stage wearing ballet slippers. And I can guarantee I won’t be eating those words any time soon.

May 3, 2009 | Filed Under Dance | 7 Comments 

On Tact

I’m one of the bigger girls in my dance classes. I know this, and I’m pretty okay with it. Sure, part of me would love to be able to throw on any teeny leotard and look amazing in it, but a bigger part of me really enjoys cheese and guacamole. I do what I can to eat well and work out regularly, but I’ll probably never be as skinny as some of the girls I dance with. And, again, that’s okay with me.

Of course, knowing you’re not super skinny and being told you’re not super skinny are two very different things. Now, don’t get me wrong. The women I dance with are wonderful. We are a pretty close group — we have a great time together in and out of class, we share a love for wine and margaritas, and we don’t waste time being petty and judgmental about one another’s imperfections. Which is what made it that much more irritating the other night when one woman put on one of my skirts — a skirt she was thinking of buying in her own, small size — to show our teacher a costume idea she had, and then made a point of mentioning not once, not twice, but at least five times how my skirt was just way too big on her, and obviously she’d be getting it in a much smaller size.

Talk about a killer ego boost.

Look, I know I’m not as skinny as the other girls in class. We all know that. But was it really necessary for her to make such a big deal about how humongous my skirt was on her pencil-thin body? I know she wasn’t trying to be hurtful. In truth, she was probably completely oblivious to the effect of her words on me. But still — is it too much to ask that we all try to use a tiny bit of tact?

May 2, 2009 | Filed Under Dance, Tap | 9 Comments 

The Night Timmy Caught the Whale

Did I forget to tell you guys that we went to Georgia? Huh. That’s weird.

So, hey guys, guess what! We went to visit Tim’s parents in Georgia a few weeks ago over Tim’s spring break! It was pretty cool — they have a great condo right on a lake which made for a very comfortable and relaxing week. We spent lots of quality time with the folks and filled the week with touristy and non-touristy things alike. We visited a house where part of Fried Green Tomatoes was filmed and made the trek to the Whistle Stop Cafe for some authentic fried green tomatoes…only to find when we arrived at 4:45 that the Cafe closed at 4:00. (Seriously, what kind of cafe closes at 4:00? Who does that?) We toured the Georgia Aquarium and the uber-cheesy (and sticky) World of Coke, and we experienced the wonder that is IKEA for the first time (holy particle board, Batman!). We ate some amazing BBQ and enjoyed some delicious home-cooked meals courtesy of Tim’s mom. But the highlight of the week was, in Tim’s mom’s words, “The night Timmy caught the whale.”

Tim spent most of the week lakeside, trying — mostly in vain — to lure fish to hook. Days went by with no results, despite experimenting with a variety of tantalizing baits. Then one night, midway through the week, Tim gathered up some dinner scraps and went out to the lake for some night fishing. The rest of us looked at what he intended to use for bait and thought he was crazy. What kind of fish would go for that?

Two casts of the reel later, we found out exactly what kind of fish would go for that: Catfish.

Sure, it’s not quite a whale, but it is the biggest (and ugliest) fish Tim has ever caught, and that makes it a big deal.

So, are you dying to know just what kind of dinner scraps are best for catching Georgia catfish? You can’t just have any old thing for dinner, toss the leftovers on your fishing hook, and hope to be as successful as Tim. Oh, no. You really shouldn’t use your leftovers at all. The dinner scraps you really want are going to be found a bit closer to the floor, wherever you keep your dog dishes.

I kid you not — Tim caught a catfish using dog food for bait.

I couldn’t make this stuff up if I tried.

April 23, 2009 | Filed Under Family, Holidays, Photos & Videos, Tim | 4 Comments 

Happy Birthday to Me!

I just got THE BEST birthday present from Tim.

He made me a tap floor! So I can tap at home whenever I want! It’s so amazing and perfect and I love it love it LOVE IT!!

Speaking of tap, I have another competition this afternoon (hopefully there will be other adults to comete against this time), so wish me luck. I’m pretty sure the fact that it’s my birthday means we have to win first place, right? Right.

April 18, 2009 | Filed Under General Happiness, Holidays, Photos & Videos, Tap, Tim | 12 Comments 

In which we avoid mentioning the fact that tomorrow I officially enter my Late Twenties

Mr. Tim’s class worked extra hard last quarter to prepare for and take the state’s high-stakes standardized test. As a reward for their diligence, he let the students vote on what type of class pet they’d get this quarter. The top three choices were: (1) a frog, (2) a snake, and (3) a starfish.

Since frogs and snakes both pose a flight risk (and I wasn’t crazy about the idea of having either of these creatures in my house over the weekend before they were taken to their classroom home), Tim hunted all around town for a starfish. He eventually found one and got it settled in one of the extra tanks we have in our garage from a time when Tim coped with my being in Spain for two months by filling the apartment with aquariums.

But Mr. Tim didn’t stop there. He decided the kids had worked hard enough to earn an entire tankful of pets, so the starfish spends his days with a Flame Hawkfish and a scuttle of hermit crabs.

I’m pretty sure this qualifies Mr. Tim for an Awesomest Teacher Ever nomination.

April 17, 2009 | Filed Under Mr. Tim's Adventures in Teaching, Photos & Videos, Tim | 5 Comments 

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