Friday, April 29, 2011

Project Life Cycle

From A:

For anyone who has ever managed a project or been part of a project team:

Thursday, April 28, 2011

New Glasses!

From A:

Thanks to the other eyeglass-wearing employees in my office building, I've recently learned about a new resource for ordering glasses.  It's called Coastal Contacts (not surprisingly, they also sell contacts), and it's fabulous!

Every once in a while, this website offers a freebie day, where a promotional code is shared through its Facebook page and 10,000 free pairs of glasses are given away that day.  I participated in a freebie day last week.  If you just get basic lenses and frames, you can get a pair of glasses for $15 which covers shipping and handling.  I opted to also add a lens coating bundle (anti-glare, anti-scratch, and UV protection) for an additional $15.  And here's how my glasses turned out:


The frame color is "taupe."  Depending on the lighting, the frame usually either looks brownish or copper-ish, which I think is a good color for my complexion.

My favorite thing about Coastal Contacts is that you can get a one-time exchange on freebie glasses at no cost (a postage-paid shipping label is emailed to you).  After one exchange if you decide not to keep your glasses, another postage-paid label is emailed to you and your entire purchase price (including shipping and handling) is refunded.  So trying a new pair of glasses (or two pairs if you exchange the first) costs absolutely nothing.

Sunday, April 24, 2011

Happy Easter!

From A:

Two dozen eggs: $3.98
Easter egg coloring kit: $1.99
Convincing your husband to take a break from writing his thesis so he can decorate eggs: PRICELESS





Happy Easter from J + A!

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Washer Disaster

From A:

Our old washing machine decided that its agitator was no longer going to work, so the owners of our condo bought a new machine that was delivered the weekend before last.  This past weekend, the new washer decided that instead of holding water as the tub filled, it would instead dump all the water out the back of the unit and onto the floor.

Needless to say, we had a fun time taking everything out of the laundry room and using towels to sop up all the standing water.  Luckily, we realized the washer was leaking before the water was able to drain out of the laundry room and onto the dining area carpet.

After telling a few of my co-workers about the washer yesterday morning, I returned after lunch to find this on my desk chair:

Stack of Lowe's circulars about a foot high.
Pretty good.

Sunday, April 10, 2011

Steinhatchee Vacation: Part 3

From A:

J and my dad were able to do a lot of fishing - either from the boat slips behind our cottage or at the fishing spot they found closer to the Gulf.  Here they are with their gear:


And here they are out on the boat slips (photo taken from the front sleeping loft):


Of course, we had to take a few obligatory family photos as well:




And to close out the Steinhatchee Vacation posts (although it's somewhat unrelated), I'll leave you with the story of Pelikini.  Pelikini is one of the "Pelicans in Paradise" displayed around Pensacola, Florida.  She is located in the Pensacola Welcome Center - here is a photo I took back in November during our Thanksgiving break:


That's right, she's a pelican wearing a polka-dot bikini.  What you may not be able to see is what she brings with her to the beach: a boom box, a bottle of fish oil, and the latest issue of the Cosmopelican.

Well, now I have my very own miniature Pelikini!

Sunday, April 3, 2011

Steinhatchee Vacation: Part 2

From A:

Our cottage was across the croquet lawn (yes, the croquet lawn - how snooty) from the petting zoo, which has chickens, goats, and rabbits.  Since we had extra bananas, we decided to feed them to the animals.  Here is J asking the goat if she wants some banana (she did):


My dad also made a couple of new friends:


On the other side of the petting zoo is the cottage that Jimmy Carter and his family rented for a vacation back in the 1990s.  It seems to still be the resort's claim to fame some 15+ years later.  We talked with the family staying there who said it was a 3 bedroom cottage:


Remember the chickens at the petting zoo that I mentioned earlier?  We invited them to dinner:


Not really.  We did eat chicken, but it was the supermarket variety.

Still to come in Part 3: fishing and family photos.

Saturday, April 2, 2011

Steinhatchee Vacation: Part 1

From A:

J and I spent last week on vacation with my parents in Steinhatchee, Florida.  Contrary to what you would think, the pronunciation is stEEn-hatchee.  This has something to do with the name being adapted from a Native American word, and then mapmakers accidentally adding an "i" into the name.


Anyway, we stayed at Steinhatchee Landing Resort, which is a riverside community with seventy cottages.  The cottages are all really cute.  Here are the ones that are across the street from where we stayed:


And here is our cottage:


It has two bedrooms, two bathrooms, and two sleeping lofts:


It also has a beautiful view of the river:



Still to come in Part 2: chickens, goats, and Jimmy Carter.