Rick Astley + Muppets = musical brilliance.
Friday, April 11, 2008
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Directions for Housewarming
OK - life got a little crazy there for a while, but I finally had time to sit down and make directions to the Housewarming/32nd Annual Stacy Day celebration.
By the way, the Stacy is sick because the Mark works with a bunch of germy un-hygienic heathens, so I accept absolutely no responsibility for the accuracy of these directions on the grounds that I'm heavily medicated at the moment.
We’re in a new construction neighborhood, so there really aren’t any maps, but here’s a Google map of the closest intersection at Kelly Lane & Weiss Lane.
The easiest way to get to our house is using the new toll roads (if you don’t want to use the toll roads, scroll to the bottom of this post for directions):
MAP - TOLL ROAD METHOD
If you don’t want to take the toll roads – it will be a longer commute because the geniuses at TxDoT haven’t finished the feeder roads on East SH45, so you have to take the long-ass back roads. Sorry about that – they’re suppose to have the feeder roads finished soon:
NON-TOLL ROAD METHOD - From Round Rock (or north of Round Rock):
MAP
NON-TOLL ROAD METHOD - From south of Round Rock:
MAP
By the way, the Stacy is sick because the Mark works with a bunch of germy un-hygienic heathens, so I accept absolutely no responsibility for the accuracy of these directions on the grounds that I'm heavily medicated at the moment.
Directions to Manning Country Home
We’re in a new construction neighborhood, so there really aren’t any maps, but here’s a Google map of the closest intersection at Kelly Lane & Weiss Lane.
The easiest way to get to our house is using the new toll roads (if you don’t want to use the toll roads, scroll to the bottom of this post for directions):
MAP - TOLL ROAD METHOD
- Take SH 45 EAST (you can get there from Mopac or I35 – just follow the signs)
- Go approximately 1 mile if you’re coming from I35 or approximately 2 miles if you’re coming from Mopac – take the KELLY LANE exit
- Immediately after you go through the Kelly Lane exit toll booth, you’ll need to be in the far right lane to actually take the exit
- Go through the light (this will take you under SH 130)
- Keep going straight on Kelly Lane for about 2.5 miles - all the way to our neighborhood – we’re at the very end of Kelly Lane, where it dead ends at Weiss lane. Our neighborhood is called THE RESERVE AT WESTCREEK
- Once in the neighborhood, turn left (onto Bridgefarmer Blvd.) and pass the model homes
- The street will curve around – at the stop sign, TURN RIGHT onto Mangan Way.
- Take the FIRST LEFT, which is only about 5-6 houses down, onto Bridgefarmer Blvd.
- Take the FIRST RIGHT onto Leigh Lane – we’re the adorable little red brick house about 4 or 5 houses down on the left – there’s a street lamp right in front of us.
- We’re at 19109 Leigh Lane!
If you don’t want to take the toll roads – it will be a longer commute because the geniuses at TxDoT haven’t finished the feeder roads on East SH45, so you have to take the long-ass back roads. Sorry about that – they’re suppose to have the feeder roads finished soon:
NON-TOLL ROAD METHOD - From Round Rock (or north of Round Rock):
MAP
- - You can take Gattis School east all the way to SH 130 (to get to Gattis School – go south on I35, take the Hester’s Crossing exit, turn left. Go across I35 and turn left onto Mays/Business 35. Go about 2 blocks and turn right onto Gattis School)
- - Take Gattis School EAST all the way to SH 130 (about 6 miles). Turn right onto the SH 130 SOUTH-BOUND feeder – that one’s finished
- - Take the feeder all the way to the intersection of SH45/Kelly Lane (about 2 miles) – TURN LEFT
- - Follow the directions from #5 above
NON-TOLL ROAD METHOD - From south of Round Rock:
MAP
- - Take I35 North
- - Take the exit for 1825
- - Stay on 1825 – be careful – it’s tricky – it takes a sharp left just east of I35 and almost runs parallel to the interstate for a little while, then it takes a sharp right and heads east again.
- - Go about 4 miles on 1825 (through lots of lights and downtown P-ville) until you come to the intersection of FM 1825 (a.k.a. Pecan St.) & FM 685 (a.k.a. Dessau Rd.)
- - TURN LEFT onto 685
- - Go north on 685 approx. 2 miles until it intersects SH 130
- - Go under the toll road, turn left onto the NORTH-BOUND feeder (told you this would be complicated)
- - At the next intersection – Kelly Lane – TURN RIGHT
- - Follow the directions from #5 above
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Mama's got a new job
In keeping with the theme of having all of life's most stressful moments all at once - I got a new job! I'm still with UT, but I'm moving to the School of Architecture. My first day there will be March 3rd.
I'll basically be doing work similar to what I'm doing now, still in the fundraising office, but I get a longer title, therefore I will be cooler. My new boss has already scheduled me for some travel - to Little Rock, Boston and Seattle, all within my first 90 days in my new job. Cool!
I can't wait to start, but in the meantime, things are crazy at my current job. They're kind of in a panic that I'm leaving, so there's a lot of transitional training stuff going on. Unfortunately, I don't think I'll get to kick back and enjoy my Short Timer's Disease. I think I'll actually be working my tooshie off... which will be a welcome change from working my pa-tootie off painting, moving from a 3rd floor apartment into a new house and unpacking said house. Stacy tired... waaaa.... pity party - table for ONE!
I'll let you guys know how it goes, but forgive us if we forget birthdays, anniversaries, bar mitzvah's, seder, etc. over the next few months - we're a little distracted - you know... by the whole our-entire-lives-are-changing thing.
Good thing we don't have kids yet! Yeesh!
I'll basically be doing work similar to what I'm doing now, still in the fundraising office, but I get a longer title, therefore I will be cooler. My new boss has already scheduled me for some travel - to Little Rock, Boston and Seattle, all within my first 90 days in my new job. Cool!
I can't wait to start, but in the meantime, things are crazy at my current job. They're kind of in a panic that I'm leaving, so there's a lot of transitional training stuff going on. Unfortunately, I don't think I'll get to kick back and enjoy my Short Timer's Disease. I think I'll actually be working my tooshie off... which will be a welcome change from working my pa-tootie off painting, moving from a 3rd floor apartment into a new house and unpacking said house. Stacy tired... waaaa.... pity party - table for ONE!
I'll let you guys know how it goes, but forgive us if we forget birthdays, anniversaries, bar mitzvah's, seder, etc. over the next few months - we're a little distracted - you know... by the whole our-entire-lives-are-changing thing.
Good thing we don't have kids yet! Yeesh!
Friday, February 1, 2008
Casa Manning - ooooh ahhhhhh!
Yes, the Mannings finally did it - we bought a house. Wow! Mark graduates from college AND we buy a house all within 8 months - honey put on a coat cuz it's gonna be cold in Hell when you get there. :)
We call it the Manning Country Home because you have to pass about 1/4 mile of farm land to get to it - and for we city slickers that's practically the same thing as living in a remote sheep-herder village in Nepal. It's in a new construction area - just off of Kelly Lane near the 130 Toll Road in Pflugerville (pronounced Pa-flugerville). There are several new construction neighborhoods around there - Falcon Pointe, Blackhawk golf course community, Avalon, and our neighborhood - The Reserve at Westcreek.
Our builder is Capital Pacific, a company that we were unable to find any serious consumer complaints about - and no class action lawsuits - always a good sign. We had a great first time home-buyer's experience - everyone was great. We got a great deal - lots of incentives to buy (probably cuz of the whole collapse-of-the-home-market thing), great interest rate and we even managed to talk the builder into including all the appliances, garage door opener and blinds! Go us!
It's a cute little house ~ 1900 sq. ft., 3 bed, 2 bath, living, dining, breakfast, garage, small yard, etc. The yard is a little smaller than I'd like, but we're really OK with that for our first home. It has a lot of stylistic touches and cool upgrades that we didn't have to pay extra for - rounded corners, upgraded cabinets, tile, sprinkler system, pretty arches and art niches.
We're really excited - we're painting almost every wall in the house and let me just enthusiastically say that painting really really sucks. BUT - once we get it all done - it's gonna be beautiful. And better to paint now when there's no furniture or cats around. Moving day is Feb. 9 - we have some teenage slave labor and a couple of sucke... friends who are bringing their trucks. So keep your fingers crossed that it all goes smoothly.
Here are some pics of the new place:
We call it the Manning Country Home because you have to pass about 1/4 mile of farm land to get to it - and for we city slickers that's practically the same thing as living in a remote sheep-herder village in Nepal. It's in a new construction area - just off of Kelly Lane near the 130 Toll Road in Pflugerville (pronounced Pa-flugerville). There are several new construction neighborhoods around there - Falcon Pointe, Blackhawk golf course community, Avalon, and our neighborhood - The Reserve at Westcreek.
Our builder is Capital Pacific, a company that we were unable to find any serious consumer complaints about - and no class action lawsuits - always a good sign. We had a great first time home-buyer's experience - everyone was great. We got a great deal - lots of incentives to buy (probably cuz of the whole collapse-of-the-home-market thing), great interest rate and we even managed to talk the builder into including all the appliances, garage door opener and blinds! Go us!
It's a cute little house ~ 1900 sq. ft., 3 bed, 2 bath, living, dining, breakfast, garage, small yard, etc. The yard is a little smaller than I'd like, but we're really OK with that for our first home. It has a lot of stylistic touches and cool upgrades that we didn't have to pay extra for - rounded corners, upgraded cabinets, tile, sprinkler system, pretty arches and art niches.
We're really excited - we're painting almost every wall in the house and let me just enthusiastically say that painting really really sucks. BUT - once we get it all done - it's gonna be beautiful. And better to paint now when there's no furniture or cats around. Moving day is Feb. 9 - we have some teenage slave labor and a couple of sucke... friends who are bringing their trucks. So keep your fingers crossed that it all goes smoothly.
Here are some pics of the new place:
Friday, September 14, 2007
Mr. Manning - the Opera Star
Yes - his dream of partying like a rock star continues. Mark has been cast in all three of Austin Lyric Opera's productions for their 2007-2008 season, which includes a gala concert (which will probably be lame), Carmen and Die Fledermaus.
He's very excited to be in the opera this year because Mr. Dell and other rich dudes in Austin pulled their spare change outta the Versace sofa and decided to open a new performing arts center early next spring. Carmen will be the first ALO production in the new fancy shmancy digs.
For those of you who have been DYING to watch the live webcam view of the construction progress: www.thelongcenter.org
Get your tickets early! They'll probably go fast with the new Long Center. Tickets typically don't go on sale until a couple of months before the production, but when they become available - you can buy them online:
Gala Concert tickets - ON SALE NOW!!
Carmen tickets
Die Fledermaus tickets
Let us know if you decide to come - we'd like to try to coordinate groups or meet for dinner.
Mr. Manning - the Teacher
Mark has officially begun his first year as a new teacher at Caldwell Heights Elementary School in Round Rock. It's a great school, good test scores, yadda, yadda, yadda - but the best part is - IT'S RIGHT AROUND THE CORNER FROM THE IKEA!!! Woo hoo!
He's one of TWO male teachers in the entire school and he's become quite the celebrity with the kiddos. He's having a great time, but he's totally exhausted at the end of the day. He says his least favorite part of the job is dealing with parents - because they're stupid.
Here are some pics from his classroom (so cute!!):
His storage room FULL of instruments - my favorites are the Boom Whackers - what a cool name.
Let's hope there are no outbreaks of poopie mouth diseases like at the last elementary school (where he student-taught). Little kids are icky.
He's one of TWO male teachers in the entire school and he's become quite the celebrity with the kiddos. He's having a great time, but he's totally exhausted at the end of the day. He says his least favorite part of the job is dealing with parents - because they're stupid.
Here are some pics from his classroom (so cute!!):
His storage room FULL of instruments - my favorites are the Boom Whackers - what a cool name.
Let's hope there are no outbreaks of poopie mouth diseases like at the last elementary school (where he student-taught). Little kids are icky.
Port Aransas - here we come!
We took a UT-funded trip to Port Aransas back in mid-August (after you-know-who's-birthday) to give ourselves a much-needed vacation weekend before the fall kicked off. It was tons of fun - we walked the beach, went to the pier, ate yummy fresh seafood, went to the Texas State Aquarium and the UT Marine Science Institute (the reason for my "business trip") and took the best nap of our lives (that puppy was epic).
I'll let the pictures do the rest of the talking:
CMAS (Ceremonial Manning Arm Shot)
Islands in the Son - that is what we are - no one in between - how can we be wrong - sail away with me to another world - we rely on each other, ah-hah - from one lover to another, ah-hah (awkward....)
Jesus on the half shell.
What is he looking at??
Who dat bee-otch wit my man??
Duh nuh. Duh nuh. Duh nuh-duh nuh-duh nuh-duh nuh-duh nuh-duh nuh-duh nuh... Duh nuh nuh NUUUUHHHH!!! Nothing like a cheesy beach bum gift shop with a giant shark out front and t-shirts that say "Jam out with your clam out" My kinda town.
The last time I was here - the Salty Dogs were flowin' and the 90's karaoke was jammin' - good times, good times. God I miss college.
Intelligent, beautiful wild animals trained to do stupid tricks to keep humans entertained. Stupid humans - so easily entertained. We have 97 more pictures of the red ball trick - that was a good one.
Stupid humans...
Am I really that happy to be there or is the skin melting off my skull?
I hate having my picture taken. So there.
Ooooo. Pretty brown water. So pretty... and opaque...
I'll let the pictures do the rest of the talking:
CMAS (Ceremonial Manning Arm Shot)
Islands in the Son - that is what we are - no one in between - how can we be wrong - sail away with me to another world - we rely on each other, ah-hah - from one lover to another, ah-hah (awkward....)
Jesus on the half shell.
What is he looking at??
Who dat bee-otch wit my man??
Duh nuh. Duh nuh. Duh nuh-duh nuh-duh nuh-duh nuh-duh nuh-duh nuh-duh nuh... Duh nuh nuh NUUUUHHHH!!! Nothing like a cheesy beach bum gift shop with a giant shark out front and t-shirts that say "Jam out with your clam out" My kinda town.
The last time I was here - the Salty Dogs were flowin' and the 90's karaoke was jammin' - good times, good times. God I miss college.
Intelligent, beautiful wild animals trained to do stupid tricks to keep humans entertained. Stupid humans - so easily entertained. We have 97 more pictures of the red ball trick - that was a good one.
Stupid humans...
Am I really that happy to be there or is the skin melting off my skull?
I hate having my picture taken. So there.
Ooooo. Pretty brown water. So pretty... and opaque...
Friday, July 27, 2007
Where have all the Mannings Gone??
Hi everyone!!
So sorry for the LONG hiatus from our blog. Mark and I have been busy, busy this summer, but I thought it was time for an update.
May 2007 - well as most of you know - the Mark finally walked his butt across that stage and got that damn piece of paper.
Thank God, praise Jesus - MAZEL TOV!!
Here are some more pics of the occassion:
"Oh Happy Day! O Happy Daa-ay!"
See if you can figure out what this means...
It's a Manning thing - I stopped trying to understand long ago...
A picture taken shortly before Manning Brother Ultimate Fighting match.
We had a wonderful bbq picnic party - everyone seemed to have a great time. The party was tons of fun and we were so happy to have everyone there.
Most of the rest of May was spent at home - I took an extended vacation from work to decompress from my Xanax-worthy spring semester. We didn't go anywhere or do anything - but it was one of the best vacations EVER.
June 2007 - major drama around Mark's job situation in June. He was offered a job in Houston, which was very tempting (good starting salary with stipends, moving expenses, etc.), but we just couldn't tear ourselves away from Austin. And I hate Houston.
So - Mark scoured the districts around Austin for an opening. He interviewed a few places and got another offer from a school in Bastrop (a rural suburb about 30 miles southeast of Austin). But that would be a HELL of a commute (1.5 hrs EACH WAY). And we're a little too.. um... urban for Bastrop. So June came and went with no decent job offer.
July 2007 - just as I was preparing for the "you need to go fill out an application at Home Depot" talk with my husband - he got a phone call for an interview at an elementary school in Round Rock. Not his ideal job - but a good job in a great district just a few miles from our house (how does that jerk keep getting out of commuting?? grrrr....). He was offered the job almost immediately and we were both relieved that it looked like he could avoid the orange apron... for now.
We were really thankful to have all that job stuff to distract us from the most important event of the summer: H-A-R-R-Y P-O-T-T-E-R!!!!!!!!!! We carefully planned our schedules around the release of the 5th movie: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
and (more importantly) around the release of the 7th and final book: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.
I took vacation time from work so I could stay home and read the book. Mark and I went to a couple of midnight release parties (we couldn't limit ourselves to just one wizarding hootenanny, now could we?), got the book and went home immediately to read all night. This was a HUGE event for the Manning household. We scheduled vacation time, bought special food, changed our message on our home phone and refused to talk to anyone or to turn on the TV or a computer for almost 48 hours. I finished the book in just under 24 hours (23 and change) - Mark finished in about 19 (show off). It was really difficult waiting this long, but we took it one day at a time - we supported one another through this difficult challenge and we persevered. So now I'd just like to say:
Thank you God for granting me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change about Harry Potter's fate,
the courage to change the things I can about my life that prevent me from reading Harry Potter,
and the wisdom to know the difference between true Harry Potter fans and those poor, sad souls who don't know what they're missing.
So that about brings you up to speed with life in the Manning household. There's more drama on the Mark's job front, but we'll report on that later after we see what pans out. My job is um, yeah, whatever, but it keeps the lights on and keeps me on a first name basis with the other men in my life: Steve Madden and Jimmy Choo.
Mark and I have also spent a lot of time with our friends this summer: the Pat, the Dre, the Glenda-Bob, the Kara, the Patsy and several of those weird Griffith people. We've had fun eating Mexican food, drinking too many margaritas, going to movies, going shopping, game night at the Krugslips, playing bingo (woo hoo!!), going to Six Flags and watching cheesy summer TV. Oh - and HARRY POTTER!!!!!
There are going to be a lot of changes for the Austin Mannings soon - 2 incomes means a second car (praise be to Allah), vacations, and maybe even a house. So stay tuned for more entertaining stories from Mark's Smokin' Hot Wife.
Peace out.
So sorry for the LONG hiatus from our blog. Mark and I have been busy, busy this summer, but I thought it was time for an update.
May 2007 - well as most of you know - the Mark finally walked his butt across that stage and got that damn piece of paper.
Thank God, praise Jesus - MAZEL TOV!!
Here are some more pics of the occassion:
"Oh Happy Day! O Happy Daa-ay!"
See if you can figure out what this means...
It's a Manning thing - I stopped trying to understand long ago...
A picture taken shortly before Manning Brother Ultimate Fighting match.
We had a wonderful bbq picnic party - everyone seemed to have a great time. The party was tons of fun and we were so happy to have everyone there.
Most of the rest of May was spent at home - I took an extended vacation from work to decompress from my Xanax-worthy spring semester. We didn't go anywhere or do anything - but it was one of the best vacations EVER.
June 2007 - major drama around Mark's job situation in June. He was offered a job in Houston, which was very tempting (good starting salary with stipends, moving expenses, etc.), but we just couldn't tear ourselves away from Austin. And I hate Houston.
So - Mark scoured the districts around Austin for an opening. He interviewed a few places and got another offer from a school in Bastrop (a rural suburb about 30 miles southeast of Austin). But that would be a HELL of a commute (1.5 hrs EACH WAY). And we're a little too.. um... urban for Bastrop. So June came and went with no decent job offer.
July 2007 - just as I was preparing for the "you need to go fill out an application at Home Depot" talk with my husband - he got a phone call for an interview at an elementary school in Round Rock. Not his ideal job - but a good job in a great district just a few miles from our house (how does that jerk keep getting out of commuting?? grrrr....). He was offered the job almost immediately and we were both relieved that it looked like he could avoid the orange apron... for now.
We were really thankful to have all that job stuff to distract us from the most important event of the summer: H-A-R-R-Y P-O-T-T-E-R!!!!!!!!!! We carefully planned our schedules around the release of the 5th movie: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
and (more importantly) around the release of the 7th and final book: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.
I took vacation time from work so I could stay home and read the book. Mark and I went to a couple of midnight release parties (we couldn't limit ourselves to just one wizarding hootenanny, now could we?), got the book and went home immediately to read all night. This was a HUGE event for the Manning household. We scheduled vacation time, bought special food, changed our message on our home phone and refused to talk to anyone or to turn on the TV or a computer for almost 48 hours. I finished the book in just under 24 hours (23 and change) - Mark finished in about 19 (show off). It was really difficult waiting this long, but we took it one day at a time - we supported one another through this difficult challenge and we persevered. So now I'd just like to say:
Thank you God for granting me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change about Harry Potter's fate,
the courage to change the things I can about my life that prevent me from reading Harry Potter,
and the wisdom to know the difference between true Harry Potter fans and those poor, sad souls who don't know what they're missing.
So that about brings you up to speed with life in the Manning household. There's more drama on the Mark's job front, but we'll report on that later after we see what pans out. My job is um, yeah, whatever, but it keeps the lights on and keeps me on a first name basis with the other men in my life: Steve Madden and Jimmy Choo.
Mark and I have also spent a lot of time with our friends this summer: the Pat, the Dre, the Glenda-Bob, the Kara, the Patsy and several of those weird Griffith people. We've had fun eating Mexican food, drinking too many margaritas, going to movies, going shopping, game night at the Krugslips, playing bingo (woo hoo!!), going to Six Flags and watching cheesy summer TV. Oh - and HARRY POTTER!!!!!
There are going to be a lot of changes for the Austin Mannings soon - 2 incomes means a second car (praise be to Allah), vacations, and maybe even a house. So stay tuned for more entertaining stories from Mark's Smokin' Hot Wife.
Peace out.
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
Mark's Graduation Partaaay!!! Info
ALERT! ALERT! NEW DRIVING DIRECTIONS POSTED BELOW - IF YOU LOOKED AT THE OLD DRIVING DIRECTIONS - BURN THEM!! THEY ARE WRONG BECAUSE STACY NEEDS TO GO TO THE DEREK ZOOLANDER CENTER FOR CHILDREN WHO CAN'T READ GOOD AND WANNA DO OTHER STUFF GOOD TOO.
Here's a map of the partaaay location:
And Driving Directions:
Here's a map of the partaaay location:
And Driving Directions:
Wednesday, March 21, 2007
YouTube Videos
So - I figured out how to post YouTube videos to our blog. I decided to share some of my favorite moments from some of my favorite comedy routines. But I wanted to post a disclaimer that some of the material is extremely profane (Louis CK) and some of it may be... um... well - one of the comics is a transvestite - but he's hilarious!
So I just wanted to warn everyone that the videos may not be G Rated - but they are ALL insanely funny.
TTFN!
So I just wanted to warn everyone that the videos may not be G Rated - but they are ALL insanely funny.
TTFN!
Louis CK - Fat Cookies
The only comedian who can link eating a doughnut with killing hookers. Fabulous.
Louis CK - Kids
The only comedy routine that I've ever seen that caused me intense physical pain from laughing so hard. Tears running down my face...
Such words of wisdom about parenting.
Tuesday, March 20, 2007
Eddie Izzard - Easter and Christmas
My favorite take on Easter and Christmas from my favorite transvestite. Clearly I've discovered how to post YouTube videos to our blog. Expect a lot more of these...
Thursday, March 15, 2007
Just Keep Swimming, Just Keep Swimming...
Hello everyone!
Just wanted to take a quick minute to let everyone know that there's nothing interesting happening in our lives right now. We're super busy with work, school, etc. - working ~ 60 hours a week these days.
Mark's uber-swamped with school, student teaching, working at the church and singing with the opera. I'm uber-uber swamped with work - this is my busy time of year, so I start work at around 7 a.m. every day and finish (if I'm lucky and skip lunch) around 7 or 8 in the evening. And thanks to the new laptop provided by the State of Texas, I'm now taking work home on the weekends - fun!
We are trying to take some time off to relax - Mark's on spring break this week and we try to get away for a hike on the weekends when we can - last weekend was Wild Basin (very scenic) - this weekend may be Enchanted Rock - if I don't collapse from exhaustion between now and then. We've also been working on catching up with our movie-watching (we STRONGLY recommend 300 - it was awesome).
I'm trying to take at least one night off a week and forbid myself from working - but it's hard. Now that they've given me a fancy title and an "upgrade" to management - I guess I have to be all professional n' stuff... bummer. But the good news is that I've hired some help! She's fabulous - very smart, very experienced and works hard. We did have to cram her into a 3'x3' work space (this is the State after all), but she's handling it well and she's going to be a huge help for my events at the end of this month.
Mark just finished the first half of his student teaching semester. He was at Georgetown High School under the direction of Mr. Andre Clark - who was apparently VERY difficult to work with. I'm kidding - Andre is one of our dearest friends and a fraternity brother of Mark's. He is actually the one who introduced us, which is why I remind him every time I see him that it's his fault I married this... jer... absolutely wonderful man. Seriously though, they had quite a bit of fun together and Mark learned a lot. Next week Mark goes to student teach at an elementary school in Round Rock. Mark with little kids... yikes. Images of Kindergarten Cop come to mind... "pet the fewwet, nice fewwet," "it's not a tuuma."
Anyway - we're busy and trying to maintain our sanity. So if you don't hear much from us over the next few weeks - just know that we're thinking of all of you (briefly, in passing, right before we lose consciousness at the end of the day). And we hope to see everyone in May when Mark graduates. We're hoping to put together some kind of a bbq-type party thingy, so stay tuned for more to come on that one!
Take care everyone!
Just wanted to take a quick minute to let everyone know that there's nothing interesting happening in our lives right now. We're super busy with work, school, etc. - working ~ 60 hours a week these days.
Mark's uber-swamped with school, student teaching, working at the church and singing with the opera. I'm uber-uber swamped with work - this is my busy time of year, so I start work at around 7 a.m. every day and finish (if I'm lucky and skip lunch) around 7 or 8 in the evening. And thanks to the new laptop provided by the State of Texas, I'm now taking work home on the weekends - fun!
We are trying to take some time off to relax - Mark's on spring break this week and we try to get away for a hike on the weekends when we can - last weekend was Wild Basin (very scenic) - this weekend may be Enchanted Rock - if I don't collapse from exhaustion between now and then. We've also been working on catching up with our movie-watching (we STRONGLY recommend 300 - it was awesome).
I'm trying to take at least one night off a week and forbid myself from working - but it's hard. Now that they've given me a fancy title and an "upgrade" to management - I guess I have to be all professional n' stuff... bummer. But the good news is that I've hired some help! She's fabulous - very smart, very experienced and works hard. We did have to cram her into a 3'x3' work space (this is the State after all), but she's handling it well and she's going to be a huge help for my events at the end of this month.
Mark just finished the first half of his student teaching semester. He was at Georgetown High School under the direction of Mr. Andre Clark - who was apparently VERY difficult to work with. I'm kidding - Andre is one of our dearest friends and a fraternity brother of Mark's. He is actually the one who introduced us, which is why I remind him every time I see him that it's his fault I married this... jer... absolutely wonderful man. Seriously though, they had quite a bit of fun together and Mark learned a lot. Next week Mark goes to student teach at an elementary school in Round Rock. Mark with little kids... yikes. Images of Kindergarten Cop come to mind... "pet the fewwet, nice fewwet," "it's not a tuuma."
Anyway - we're busy and trying to maintain our sanity. So if you don't hear much from us over the next few weeks - just know that we're thinking of all of you (briefly, in passing, right before we lose consciousness at the end of the day). And we hope to see everyone in May when Mark graduates. We're hoping to put together some kind of a bbq-type party thingy, so stay tuned for more to come on that one!
Take care everyone!
Sunday, January 28, 2007
Figaro!
Hi fans, Mark here.
Well, it's official: I just received word that I will, indeed, be part of the chorus for the Austin Lyric Opera production of "The Barber of Seville" later this season. Rehearsals begin February 20, and the production with be staged April 14-22.
Now, if I can just make it through "Waiting for the Barbarians". I've come down with a nasty head cold that made singing on Saturday an excruciating experience. I've been trying to rest my voice all day, but God only knows how I'm going to make it through the day student teaching tomorrow and still have a voice for the last show Monday night. Nonetheless, the production has gone very smoothly, the reviews have been stellar, and ticket sales have been brisk. All in all, I don't think it could have gone much better. Not a bad way to start an opera career, huh?
Tuesday, January 16, 2007
The Ice Storm Cometh
The city of Austin has been brought to it's knees by an insidious foe: ICE! We are currently trapped in the warm, cozy confines of our home by an ice/snow storm that has converted our apartment complex into one giant skating rink.
Deadly icicles...OF DEATH! Mwa-ha-ha-ha!
Frozen tree.
Frozen tree.
My opera rehearsals have been cancelled (three days before the first performance - YIKES!) and all schools, including UT (where Stacy works) and Georgetown ISD (where I'm student teaching) have been shut down. Today's a good day to curl up under a blanket with a cup of cocoa and watch a movie or two (I recommend "Office Space" or perhaps "The Sound Of Music").
Stacy and I were silly/foolish/impetuous enough to venture outside for some pictures/video:
Look closely and you can see a little kiddo experiencing his first snowstorm...in his pajamas!
Deadly icicles...OF DEATH! Mwa-ha-ha-ha! Frozen tree.Frozen tree.
Frozen wife.
"That's one small step for a man...One giant leap for a Manning."
Nanook of the North...I mean, South.
Awww, how romantic!
And here are a couple of video clips:
http://www.txstate.edu/~mm21762/im000979.wmv
http://www.txstate.edu/~mm21762/im000996.wmv
Thursday, January 11, 2007
Barbarians at the Gate
I'm really starting to get excited that all the hard work I've been putting into the opera is finally starting to come to fruition. We have been rehearsing staging for the last two weeks, and last Friday I was fitted for my costumes. Having never been officially involved with a professional opera company, this has been an incredible learning experience for me.
Oh, and for those who are interested, the link below contains images from the Erfurt Opera production of this same opera in Germany. The Austin production will be using the same sets, scrims, and principle singers.
http://www.theater-erfurt.de/repertoire/2005_06/barbaren/content_probenfotos_6.9..html
And lastly, the Austin classical station KMFA, 89.5 FM will present a live simulcast of the performance on Sunday, January 21, 2007. A live internet stream can be found at:
http://www.kmfa.org/listen_index.htm
Hope to see you there!
Oh, and for those who are interested, the link below contains images from the Erfurt Opera production of this same opera in Germany. The Austin production will be using the same sets, scrims, and principle singers.
http://www.theater-erfurt.de/repertoire/2005_06/barbaren/content_probenfotos_6.9..html
And lastly, the Austin classical station KMFA, 89.5 FM will present a live simulcast of the performance on Sunday, January 21, 2007. A live internet stream can be found at:
http://www.kmfa.org/listen_index.htm
Hope to see you there!
Sunday, December 31, 2006
You Like Me... You Really Like Me... sniff.
Hey everybody - just wanted to say thank you for all of your thoughts/prayers/well wishes/cards/flowers during my recovery from surgery. As Mark said in the last post - things went much better this time compared to my 1998 surgery. It also seemed like I healed much faster. I had some pretty severe bruising for a few days and the pain meds made me a little crazy, but other than that - it really wasn't so bad.
And I'm really glad I took advantage of my winter break from work to recover (workin' for the state - woo hoo!). Hopefully this surgery will leave me (relatively) pain free for a few more years.
MERRY NEW YEAR!!!!!
Friday, December 22, 2006
Post Surgery Wrap-Up
Hey sports fans, Mark here. Just wanted to give everyone the heads-up on Stacy's status post-surgery.
"What?!? Stacy had surgery?!?" I hear you exclaim. Yes, many of you knew, but some did not, that Stacy was scheduled for surgery on Dec. 22. If we didn't let you know in advance, please accept my apologies. This happened during a very busy time of year, and we honestly lost track of whom we had told and who we had not.
Anyway, Stacy has had endometriosis her entire adult life, and had to undergo laparoscopic surgery to remove excess tissue and an endometrioma (an endometrial cyst) from her left ovary. Sadly, this is not the first time she’s had this type of surgery. She’d had a previous laparoscopy in 1998, and that one was pretty unpleasant. So she was a bit nervous going into the surgery.
Well, I’m pleased to announce that (with the exception of playing “Find The Vein” while trying to setup her IV) this surgery could not have gone smoother. She’s had no sign of post-op infection, needed no catheter, and experienced no nausea (all of which were problems after her previous surgery). Besides being extremely tired and in a manageable amount of pain, she’s doing fine.
The doctor did mention that this was about as severe a case of endometriosis as you’ll ever see. There are four stages of endometriosis, ranging from stage 1 (“she’s got a wee bit of a problem”) to stage 4 (“Holy cow, call the interns! They need to see this!”). Stacy was a stage 4 case. In fact, on a severity scale of 1 to 10, the doc gave it a 9. So thank God we had this surgery. Stacy was in for a lot of pain and discomfort in the future without it.
For those who’ve called and/or sent cards, thank you so much! We both appreciate your concern, and it means a great deal to us. If you’re just finding out about this now, again, please accept my apologies and keep us in your prayers.
Wednesday, December 20, 2006
Calling All Ghosthunters!!
Mark and I are kind of haunted house buffs and we'd like to go visit a couple of haunted places in the near future.
The first place we'd like to visit is the Waverly Hills Sanitorium in Kentucky. Here's the website: www.waverlyhillstbsanatorium.com
It's about a 15 hour drive from Austin. We'd love to roadtrip with some folks if anyone's interested. We'd probably make it a long weekend - drive up one day, spend a couple of days exploring the haunted sanitorium and one long day to drive back. Let us know if you're interested and when you might be able to go.
The other place we want to visit is the Myrtles Plantation in Louisiana: www.myrtlesplantation.com
That one's a little closer - only about a 7 hour drive from Austin. Again, we could make a long weekend out of it - drive up one day, stay a day or two and drive back.
I know some of our friends are closet ghost geeks, so maybe we could make this an annual affair.
For those of you with kids n' stuff - a road trip to Kentucky may be a tad far fetched (although I personally think exposure to the undead after a 15-hour road trip is perfectly healthy for a child) - we're totally up for a little weekend ghost hunting around the Austin/San Antonio area too - so send us your ideas and we'll check into tours.
The first place we'd like to visit is the Waverly Hills Sanitorium in Kentucky. Here's the website: www.waverlyhillstbsanatorium.com
It's about a 15 hour drive from Austin. We'd love to roadtrip with some folks if anyone's interested. We'd probably make it a long weekend - drive up one day, spend a couple of days exploring the haunted sanitorium and one long day to drive back. Let us know if you're interested and when you might be able to go.
The other place we want to visit is the Myrtles Plantation in Louisiana: www.myrtlesplantation.com
That one's a little closer - only about a 7 hour drive from Austin. Again, we could make a long weekend out of it - drive up one day, stay a day or two and drive back.
I know some of our friends are closet ghost geeks, so maybe we could make this an annual affair.
For those of you with kids n' stuff - a road trip to Kentucky may be a tad far fetched (although I personally think exposure to the undead after a 15-hour road trip is perfectly healthy for a child) - we're totally up for a little weekend ghost hunting around the Austin/San Antonio area too - so send us your ideas and we'll check into tours.
Saturday, December 9, 2006
Tsst! It's Dee Dog Weeespererrr!!
OH - MY - GOD - I got to meet Cesar Millan The Dog Whisperer today!!!!!!
Cesar holds seminars around the country, which are hosted by dog rescue groups (so that all proceeds of the event will go to fund the rescue organization - cool!). Tickets for this seminar were going for $85-135 and it sold out completely.
Well... thanks to my peeps at the vet hospital - I not only got free tickets - I got FRONT ROW free tickets. (happy dance, happy dance, happy dance) So the seminar was A-W-E-S-O-M-E - I'm one of Cesar's biggest fans and watch his show on National Geographic religiously.
No I don't have a dog! Big deal! I still love the show. Mark and I plan to have several large dogs once we get into a house. I am a major animal lover and cannot imagine living in a home without pets. They're just a part of the family, and in my family - everyone has lots of kids and lots of animals - that's just what we do.
So when I have my pack of large dogs, of course, I want to make sure they're well behaved. Cats are one thing, but large dogs need... "Exercise, Discipline, Affection." In that order, according to dog trainer guru Cesar Millan.
As if seeing Cesar wasn't enough excitement for my day - I won a random lottery to meet him in person!! So I dashed out the door, bought his new book and ran to the line. I waited like an HOUR to meet him, but it was worth it:
AAAAAHHHH! His face touched my face! I was so nervous I completely clammed up.
Here's Cesar's website: www.dogpsychologycenter.com
And here's the website of the rescue group that hosted his seminar: www.luckymutts.com Be careful! There are LOTS of cute puppy dogs that need good homes. Here are some other great Austin rescue groups (and probably where Mark and I will go for adoption once we're in a house):
Goldens, Goldens, and more Goldens: www.goldribbonrescue.com
Mutts (the best breed): www.bluedogrescue.com
More Mutts: www.animaltrustees.org
Oh - and for those of you who watch Southpark (and recognized the title of this blog) - apparently so does Cesar - clips from that episode were in the video montage he presented at the beginning of the seminar. tee hee...
Cesar holds seminars around the country, which are hosted by dog rescue groups (so that all proceeds of the event will go to fund the rescue organization - cool!). Tickets for this seminar were going for $85-135 and it sold out completely.
Well... thanks to my peeps at the vet hospital - I not only got free tickets - I got FRONT ROW free tickets. (happy dance, happy dance, happy dance) So the seminar was A-W-E-S-O-M-E - I'm one of Cesar's biggest fans and watch his show on National Geographic religiously.
No I don't have a dog! Big deal! I still love the show. Mark and I plan to have several large dogs once we get into a house. I am a major animal lover and cannot imagine living in a home without pets. They're just a part of the family, and in my family - everyone has lots of kids and lots of animals - that's just what we do.
So when I have my pack of large dogs, of course, I want to make sure they're well behaved. Cats are one thing, but large dogs need... "Exercise, Discipline, Affection." In that order, according to dog trainer guru Cesar Millan.
As if seeing Cesar wasn't enough excitement for my day - I won a random lottery to meet him in person!! So I dashed out the door, bought his new book and ran to the line. I waited like an HOUR to meet him, but it was worth it:
AAAAAHHHH! His face touched my face! I was so nervous I completely clammed up.
Here's Cesar's website: www.dogpsychologycenter.com
And here's the website of the rescue group that hosted his seminar: www.luckymutts.com Be careful! There are LOTS of cute puppy dogs that need good homes. Here are some other great Austin rescue groups (and probably where Mark and I will go for adoption once we're in a house):
Goldens, Goldens, and more Goldens: www.goldribbonrescue.com
Mutts (the best breed): www.bluedogrescue.com
More Mutts: www.animaltrustees.org
Oh - and for those of you who watch Southpark (and recognized the title of this blog) - apparently so does Cesar - clips from that episode were in the video montage he presented at the beginning of the seminar. tee hee...
Thursday, December 7, 2006
Xmas by the Mannings
Score for the Manning Entertainment Corp.! Mark and I put together our creative prowess to design games for a Christmas party last Saturday. Not only were the games a hit - one party guest actually asked us for our card so they could hire us for their parties. How funny is that?
The party was given by my former employer, Griffith Small Animal Hospital. This was their annual employee Christmas party and was attended by approximately 40 people. Using the same formula from our Halloween affair (see the blog below), we played the following games:
"The Price 'Tis Right" - this was a game that involved identifying the year a Christmas/holiday movie was released (using "Price is Right" rules).
"Nice, Naughty or Draw" - a variation on the 80's TV gameshow "Win, Lose or Draw" using Holiday & winter-themed clues.
"Jingle All the Way" which involved completing the next line (or 7 lyrics) in a Christmas song from the sound clip given. Mark wanted to force everyone to sing, which made a lot of people refuse to play, so he relented and just offered them an extra point if they sang (smart thinking).
"Christmas Catch Phrase" which was a Christmas-themed variation of the popular party game "Catch Phrase."
Anyway - it was tons of fun and our games have been requested 3 more times over the coming 7 days at various parties. I think we're going to have to start charging for this stuff...
Pictures will be posted soon - I'm waiting on copies - so check back often.
MERRY NEW YEAR!!!!
The party was given by my former employer, Griffith Small Animal Hospital. This was their annual employee Christmas party and was attended by approximately 40 people. Using the same formula from our Halloween affair (see the blog below), we played the following games:
"The Price 'Tis Right" - this was a game that involved identifying the year a Christmas/holiday movie was released (using "Price is Right" rules).
"Nice, Naughty or Draw" - a variation on the 80's TV gameshow "Win, Lose or Draw" using Holiday & winter-themed clues.
"Jingle All the Way" which involved completing the next line (or 7 lyrics) in a Christmas song from the sound clip given. Mark wanted to force everyone to sing, which made a lot of people refuse to play, so he relented and just offered them an extra point if they sang (smart thinking).
"Christmas Catch Phrase" which was a Christmas-themed variation of the popular party game "Catch Phrase."
Anyway - it was tons of fun and our games have been requested 3 more times over the coming 7 days at various parties. I think we're going to have to start charging for this stuff...
Pictures will be posted soon - I'm waiting on copies - so check back often.
MERRY NEW YEAR!!!!
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