Two-tone weekend

Yesterday was beautiful. Today is rainy. Amazing how the weather affects me. Yesterday I woke up early, got so much done before 10 I was proud. Today I slept until I had to get up and motivate myself to work on things. Currently listening to Regina Spektor. Now U2. Hmm, I don't think I ever blogged about that awesome concert.

On October 6th at 7:00 I went to see U2 and Muse at the Georgia Dome. As much as I like U2, I might not have gone to the trouble of paying for tickets, driving in bad traffic, searching desperately for a place to park, and attending the long concert if not for the fact that Muse was also there. Let's talk about Muse for a moment. I've been listening to them for about 5 years now and they've never performed in a place that was accessible to me until now. It was pretty exciting. Granted, they are quite over-dramatic at times and other times they sound a lot like Queen (which is not bad to me but I've heard people complain about that aspect of the band as though it makes them less creative). But they're one of my favorites all the same. However, one problem besides their being in England or on tour in faraway place most of the time has created a disconnect between them and potential U.S. groupies: their blatant anti-Americanism. Now, I'm not a conservative... I'm probably more on the liberal side although I consider myself a moderate so I'm not of the Team America World Police mentality when it comes to people of other countries making comments about the United States. However, members of Muse have in the past made claims such as that September 11th was planned by the U.S. as an excuse for war. That seems a little crazy to me. I don't know. I read that in Wikipedia a few weeks ago and now I can't seem to find the statement. Funny how that website changes around Anyways, my point is that Muse is not making it easy for Americans to like them. I tried to buy a t-shirt in support of the band a few months ago and discovered that the ones I wanted had to be shipped from England, which would cost 9 pounds alone. The shirt was 20 pounds and buy the end of it I decided a graphic tee was not worth $48.00.
Well I'm ranting so let's get back to the story. We had not realized how bad the traffic and parking was going to be so we ended up getting to the concert 30 minutes late. Our fault. The concert itself was amazing. It was really exciting to finally hear all the music that I'd been listening to on my iPod for years in person, live. Despite my qualms about Muse, their performance was immensely enjoyable. I suppose I only have these qualms because they make Muse less accessible to me and what is important here is enjoying being a fan and loving the music. U2 was great. Of course they got a little political at the end but that doesn't bother me at all. I appreciate the attempt to bring social justice issues to a group of people who are willing to spend $8.00 on a can of Miller (seriously, that's ridiculous!). One touch I particularly liked at the end though, was at the final encore (there were at least 2 encores) Bono came out wearing the same jacket he'd been wearing all night and we all learned that the jacket was actually covered in laser diodes. It was so funny and quite sneaky of him. The lasers were shining all around, pointed at the crowd. I suppose he could have put an eye out but to my knowledge, no harm done. Anyways, it was a great deal of fun for all. I had some of my best friends along for the experience and it was a good excuse for them to drive into town so that we could get together. I would definitely do it again sometime if I get the chance.

Wonderful weekend, busy week

This weekend was full of nice quality time with the hubby. It was the first real relaxation we've had in a while and I'm trying not to get used to it because the busyness is not over. We went shopping for some fall clothes at the outlet mall in Dawsonville. Then we went over to Piedmont Park to enjoy the rest of the gorgeous Sunday. The weather was perfect and we came at just the right time for people watching. There were the normal dog-walkers and skaters but I think the free spirits were out in full force. I love watching hippies. They're way fun. First we noticed a large ring of bongo drummers in a circle setting their beats. Nearby a random collection of people, engaged in various tasks of rhythmic gymnastics, were hula hooping, tight-rope-walking, baton twirling, etc. We started to walk toward the bridge that overlooks the small lake in the park when we saw an enormous beach ball, I'd say around 6 feet in diameter, rolling toward us. Two people followed, pushing the ball towards the open area of the park. Intrigued, we casually followed behind to discover a large ring of people laying on their backs, feet in the air. They used their feet to bounce the ball high above them while stronger young men surrounded the perimeter of the circle in order to redirect a stray hurl back to the feet. It was overall great fun to watch.

This week has not been so relaxing. I go to work to do personal tasks and 8 people have something to ask me about that needs to be resolved right then and there. It's ok. I just feel like lately I haven't been getting very much done even though I've been incredibly busy. I'm looking forward to tomorrow, Friday, and the promise it brings of another potentially wonderful weekend. But this will only happen for me if I am able to accomplish enough during the workday to relieve my mind of the burden of my rather long to-do list.

Pool Day!

Work has been sooooo busy this week! Yesterday was Saturday and I had a number of things I needed to accomplish before I could think to relax. Once I got home, hubby and I spent some time at the pool. Then we went to Atlantic Station where I bought a couple dresses from Old Navy. They actually told me that the dresses were about to go on sale so I could go to the store the next day for a price adjustment. That is super exciting because as you may learn, I am quite thrifty. I plan to stop by over the course of the day.

Today's plans are mainly a pool day. I am about to make a nice breakfast, we will go to mass at the Cathedral at 11, go grocery shopping, get my price adjustment, and then spend the rest of the day chilling at the pool. I am very excited.

soft rains

Unfortunately we've been sick around here. My husband had a very sore throat at the beginning of the week and although he's getting over it, it seems that it has been transferred to me.

Thursday was his birthday. Considering it was the first birthday in our marriage, I really did my best to make it enjoyable for him. His family does not emphasize celebrating birthdays and I do not want that habit to carry over in our family. I don't know why it is, I simply enjoy having an excuse to dote upon someone for an entire day (plus there's a more selfish motive in that I fully expect others to do the same for me when my day comes). I gave him some presents in the morning and cooked a big breakfast, his boss took him out to lunch later that day, and then we spent an evening with his friends at Little Five Points. We had dinner there at the Vortex, where the service was terrible but the food was great. For future reference I will remember that the service at the Vortex on Peachtree Street is way better. It was a great time to be with friends though. All-in-all, he told me it was one of the best birthdays he has ever had. :)

This weekend has been generally relaxing. Friday we watched The Office on the Internet because we missed it on Thursday night. It was the season 5 finale and although I liked the way it ended for one couple on the show, I didn't like the un-resolution for another couple on the show. Ordinarily I don't think I would blog about this, but it is my favorite TV show ever and so in a way, I suppose, important to mention.

I made the best dinner ever on Friday night! I got a recipe for baked Salmon off of allrecipes.com. As a side I made a fresh caprese salad and some couscous. We ate this with white wine. I keep meaning to add pictures and at this point I wish I had taken some because it was a beautiful meal. That's ok though because I have added the recipe to my collection and will definitely make it again in the future.

Today I had to work some more in the afternoon and as soon as I came home I went to bed. I am really not feeling very well. I took a nap for three hours and woke up at 7 in the evening. Already I'm starting to feel that I could go back to bed now. My hubby cooked dinner, chicken parmesan, very yummy. And currently we are cleaning up the apartment. One of my friends from high school will be driving through the ATL tomorrow and has promised to drop by.

Lazy weekend

This past weekend was wonderfully relaxing. Although I had to work Saturday morning, my husband and I spent the rest of the time doing fun things. We went to a Georgia Tech baseball game and discovered that we were able to get in free, he because he's a student and I because I have a family-member buzzcard. If only we had known such free entertainment was available, we would have attended many more games. The entire game, which was against the Seminoles, was neck-and-neck all the way until the last inning. Then, the Seminoles were able to get two runs scored which GT was unable to match. We were disappointed... and a little sunburned too. However, we got a free hotdog out of the deal from the Varsity (with purchase of drink and fries of course). What to say about the Varsity? My thoughts are quite mixed. First off, it is a city icon. Tourists and locals flock to the Varsity for fast food that has an old-timey feel to it. But, I'm not convinced that it is as good as everyone says it is. For a restaurant that prides itself on being old-fashioned, it also, oddly enough, prides itself on its rude service. The cashiers scream at you "What'll you have?" And if you unsure how to answer, there is no patience for you. The food is OK, but you could probably do just as well at any chain fast-food restaurant like Sonic or Jacks. I think the Varsity can thank pure city pride for it success. 

Sunday, we laid out by the pool. Even though we were still a little sunburned, this was the first nice weather that we could spend together in this way outdoors. We toured a few more houses afterward with our agent, then went to mass. Later that evening, we each called our mothers to wish them a happy Mother's Day. We had a very nice dinner and watched a movie to top off the evening. 

House hunting

Exactly two weeks ago, my hubby and I were doing a little house shopping. Thanks to Obama's first time home buyer credit, we have been motivated to not renew our contract with the landlord (even though we both love our apartment) in search of what we hope will be a good investment. However, being a younger couple who just graduated from college last year, this is obviously a completely new experience for us. So, two weeks ago, we walked into a house that we decided we wanted. We put an offer down on the short-sale and held our breath, waiting to hear something from the bank. Unfortunately, the bank is not as anxious as we are to get us moved in. In fact, even though our offer was extremely high, we have been informed that three other offers have been put down and are being considered. It is difficult to say what will happen. They told us that they would take 7-14 days to make a decision. Next Monday will be the 14th day. Our agent says we shouldn't count on getting an answer from the bank quickly, even within the timeframe which we were given. And so, we wait, and continue to look around a little bit. But I never realized how quickly we could become attached to the ideal of having "the" house. Eh, I need to remind myself that the offer has not yet been accepted, the house has not passed inspection, and there are still a number of financial hoops to jump through before we may even dream of all the things we would do if we got it. 

Today

Today is my first blog entry in a long, long time. So much has happened since then. In that somewhat short time, I have become a college alumna, an employee, a resident of Atlanta, and a wife. In short, I have much to say about what is going on with myself and the world around me, regardless of if anyone ever reads this. I think it is quite beneficial to keep a journal and in a way will help me hold on to my memories. Also, I find it vastly interesting to view different parameters of each person's individual "world around me." I am looking forward to learning through the eyes of other's experiences once again and exploring other worlds. In short, I will write for myself, but I plan on receiving the most benefit from others.