Showing posts with label Stanford. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Stanford. Show all posts

Thursday, January 2, 2014

100th Rose Bowl 2014

I did one of those things that I'm getting too old to do... 


I seriously considered skipping it this year, but I've gone to every bowl game since 2010, the Sun Bowl, the Orange Bowl, the Fiesta Bowl and the Rose Bowl last year.  It's the one time every year that I know I'll see my good Stanford friends, and we always have a great time!




I did it a little crazier this time, by flying to LAX the morning of the game, and flying back to Philly that night.  Miraculously, everything went smoothly and we made it to the stadium with a little time to tailgate and catch up.  My parents were kind enough to get my back and forth from the airport, which was great. Sadly we lost, but it was a fun day :-).  And I wore shorts and sandals to the game, it was so warm!

Saturday, September 14, 2013

Stanford - Army Game at West Point

Great day trip!












- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Tuesday, October 16, 2012

Lately

It has been a little crazy lately.  If you're still checking the blogs and wondering where I've been, here's the scoop:

First, let me note that most of this has nothing to do with me, that my health is fine and my little family in LA ("Lower Alabama") is fine. Plus, there's the (admittedly trivial) fact that all of this is happening during the fall and football season, which already involves travel, and thus I'm busier than normal.

So what is bringing me to California for 3 of out of the last 5 weekends (this weekend included)?  Well, mostly sad events.  I was in CA Sept. 20-23 to see my Aunt, who, at 44 years young, is dying of cancer.  In so many ways, this trip was a blessing - we got so much quality time together talking and laughing, and although the outlook is devastating and cruel, and although we spent most of our time together in the hospital, it was a good visit and well-worth the trip and time.  I will say that, it's hard to look at cancer the same way after going through it with her. It takes too many people and destroys too many families and the road to a cure seems far away.

It also turned out to be the last time I would see my Grandpa, who suddenly passed away about 2 weeks ago after a car accident. It's still hard to talk about because I really miss him - he was one of my favorite people in my life.  But knowing that he is with my grandma, and that he will be with my Aunt in spirit as she makes her transition, has given me and my family great comfort.  I am SO SO lucky that he and I were able to have a great time together just 2 weeks before.  We had such a fun dinner together where he ate more sashimi than I thought was possible, and he was in good form and we just talked and talked and enjoyed each other's company.  I'm thankful for the relationship we had and for how good he was to me.   I will be in California for his service this weekend.

On a happier note, in between all of this I flew out to San Francisco to go to my 5-year Stanford Homecoming Reunion.  I had such a nice time visiting with close friends and with people I hadn't seen in a long time.  I flew out just a few days after Grandpa's death and it was a nice distraction and something I had been looking forward to.

During these last 5 weeks I've also traveled to Tuscaloosa for a football game and to New Orleans to see a friend.  I hope to recap all of this at a later time, but if you've noticed that I've been a little ... absent shall we say? at least from the substantive, "this is what is going on with my life" stuff (since I still am active on Facebook with little things), the above is why - it's just a lot of travel and a lot of emotional stuff all at once.   When I'm home, I'm focused on spending time with Curtis and Kenny since my absence has had an effect. And I'm trying to stay ahead on my sleep and on my stress.  When I'm at work, I'm try to stay busy. But I wanted to take some time out today to update the blog and say hello.

Have a good week :-)


Monday, April 23, 2012

Bay Area Trip for Julia and Andy's Wedding


I will likely post more on this later when the professional pictures are available, but here's the recap:


We arrived on Thursday afternoon to amazingly warm and sunny weather, picked Tracy & Sarah up from the airport (both were Tridelts and bridesmaids), ran a few errands (including to Trader Joe's!), and then checked in at the hotel.  The Bachelorette Party was that night, at Gordon Biersch and Old Pro.  I think the Bride had a fantastic time, and we were out until 1 am.

Yes, we did a Sports-themed bachelorette party - are you surprised?



Friday morning began with a trip to Stacks,

Yay! Except that it's always sad when you want to eat more than you physically can. 



 followed by nails in downtown Palo Alto, a Bridesmaids Luncheon at Left Bank in Menlo Park (the appetizers? AMAZING, the endless Pellegrino, even better),

The bride, bridesmaids, and flower girl

a quick trip for me to the Stanford Bookstore and the mall (where I salivated over a Kate Spade bag that I can't afford and is in a seasonal color anyway), and then the Rehearsal and the Rehearsal Dinner.
Aww. 






The Wedding Day (Saturday) began with a trip to the gym for me, and hair and makeup in the morning.


After several changes, this is what we went with.

It's hard to see in this picture (see below), but I think it's obvious that I had more makeup on than ever in my life, including my own wedding.



 We met up with the Bride, Maid of Honor and Mother of the Bride at the reception location for a light lunch and pictures before we limoed over to the ceremony.

Me and Tracy
Probably my favorite picture from the day - her bouquet had just arrived. 

After the ceremony, which was beautiful, we had the cocktail hour followed by dinner and dancing at the Peninsula County Club in San Mateo.

Tracy, me and Melissa

All the Tridelts, except Juls, and plus Juls' niece, future Tridelt. 

First Dance.
And to cap off the night, some of my friends and the bridal party went out (fully clothed in what we wore at the wedding) to a bar in Palo Alto and danced some more until 1 a.m.   We even did a late night trip to Jack in the Box to cap off a typical Stanford evening out.

The bride and groom looked so happy on their big day, and we had such a great time.

We made it back to Alabama in one piece on Sunday evening, albeit very tired.  Curtis picked Kenny up this morning and he was happy to be home, and no worse for wear. 

Sunday, January 15, 2012

Fiesta Bowl

Well, we didn't win but we had an amazing time. We got into this free private Stanford party before the game that had performances by Bret Michaels, LMFAO, and Ke$ha. Plus lots of good free food and beverages. Let's just say, our voices were gone as we walked into the stadium for the game. If you're a fan of either Bret or LMFAO, I created a YouTube playlist of the videos I made - it was pretty awesome.
http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLD930CD4607593DEA

Tuesday, November 15, 2011

11/15 I am thankful for...

So I'm pretty far behind (4 to do today) - but that makes for less posts which can get a little incessant when writing about the same topic everyday, so here we go:

I am thankful for my parents bringing me some of my favorite things from California this weekend, including Coffee Bean Tea, cashews in individual packages, and chocolate-covered pretzels (which I am afraid to open so close to Thanksgiving). I am also thankful that they were willing to pick me up at midnight on Friday night so that I didn't have to pay for a cab, and for covering the hotel rooms while we were in the Bay Area. 

I am thankful for College Gameday, and how fun and festive it was, even if we lost the game later that night. 

I am thankful for the weather this weekend in Palo Alto, it was cold but at least it didn't rain!

Finally I am thankful for the nice people that were on all of my flights this weekend. It was a tough trip there and back so quickly, but the pleasantness of the people around me made it much easier.

Friday, November 11, 2011

11/11 I am thankful for...

Having a flexible work schedule! I am essentially able to work anywhere and everywhere, anytime I want. Which made flying out to Stanford for the game tomorrow so feasible. I got to work early,  I'm leaving work early today, and will bring some stuff to do on the plane. It makes travel so much easier (also, I am thankful for my iPad, because bringing that for work is much better than bringing the laptop).

Big day tomorrow, Stanford vs. Oregon - if you tune in to College Gameday in the morning you might see my tired smiling face in full Stanford gear.  The game is at 5 Pacific, 8 Eastern, and will basically determine whether we have a shot at the national championship.  I will be siting with my friends Juls and Andy, and my parents will also be there.  It's arguably the biggest game in Stanford Football history, so I'm thrilled to be going. I will be back on Sunday.  Curtis and Kenny will cheer from Spanish Fort and enjoy some rest, computer games, and take-out this weekend. 

Thursday, November 10, 2011

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

My new jacket for Saturday

So excited.

11/8 I am thankful for...

I am thankful for Stanford Football - and the way that it brings my Stanford friends together, like it will this Saturday when we go to the taping of College Gameday on campus at 6 am.

I am also thankful that we have a wonderful doggy daycare that Kenny enjoys, where the employees seem to love him. 

Saturday, September 10, 2011

Go Stanford!




- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Sunday, February 20, 2011

Orange Bowl January 2011

I had an amazing 2 days in Florida for the Orange Bowl. My cousin Courtney, and my friends Juls and Tracy met me in Florida for a fantastic tailgate and game. Then Courtney and I spent a day at the Beach in Fort Lauderdale where we slept, ate at the beach, and found the local Yard House Restaurant.


Wearing our matching bowl game track suits - purchased back in 2005 for this very moment!




Stanford Tattoo!


Celebrating Victory!

View from our hotel room in Fort Lauderale

Lunch by the pool & the beach

An hour on the beach before we flew back to the cold

Sunday, December 5, 2010

Exciting News!

Stanford is going to the:
On January 3, 2011 at 8:30 p.m. Eastern time, #4 Stanford will play the Atlantic Coast Conference champion, Virginia Tech, in the Orange Bowl in Miami Gardens, Florida! And I will be there!

After surviving a brutal 5:01 a.m. arrival into Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, I, along with my two Stanford besties, Juls & Tracy, will be cheering on the Stanford Cardinal along with (hopefully) thousands of other Cardinal fans.

For those of you with little or no knowledge of college football, Stanford is going to one of the 5 "BCS" bowl games. While there are dozens of bowl games during the holiday season, these 5 games are the most prestigious as they pair the top teams in college football (they also generate the biggest payouts to the colleges involved). Stanford, ranked #4 in the country with an 11-1 record, automatically qualified for a BCS bowl game, and was chosen by the Orange Bowl because of the potential for high scoring football and quality television ratings. Four years ago, Stanford only won 1 game, and no one believed that such a academic institution could produce such a football team, and so as a longtime fan and alumna, this bowl game is an experience that I cannot not miss.

In other news, my first final is tomorrow morning, so I should probably get back to studying for that ... :-)

Thursday, November 18, 2010

The Day Cal Football Died

The Day Cal Football Died
(Shamelessly Stolen from a member on thebootleg.com)


A long, long time ago...
They can still remember
How Cal Football made them smile.
The Bears won games and not by chance.
Oh, how they made Cal fans dance.
And won away games once in a while.

But Big Game Week made them shiver.
With every recruit test score delivered.
Bad news ‘bout the Weenies;
Who knew Bear ‘nads were that teeny.

I can't remember if they cried.
When they saw their team was not bonefide.
But it deeply hurt their pride.
The day Cal football died.

Chorus

Oh, My, my, Poor Old Oski has died.
Drove my chevy to Big Game,
But the Bears were so lame.
The poor old Weenies left embarrassed and shamed.

Singin', "Let’s give a new stadium a try,”
" cut some sports, then have a good cry.”

Why did they think they were a cut above?
And have faith in Tedford, even love?
Even if Barbour told them so,
How could they think Cal would make a bowl?
Will a new field save Cal’s football soul?
While the Cardinal score goal after goal.

Well we know that they’re tired of Jeff.
‘cause they can’t blame each loss on the refs.
And with each loss they can’t excuse.
Man, we’ll hear those bitches and boos.

Poor Bear fans have gotten stuck.
With a s**tty stadium and a team that sucks.
And they knew they were out of luck
The day Cal Football died.

Chorus

They were told a new stadium would be long fought,
Then in 10 months saw what Stanford got.
But that’s not how it used to be.
When Sandy hatched up her grand plan,
To build a field she said, yes Cal can.
Paid for with money from you and me.

And while the plan was in the air.
Sitters made some trees their homey lair.
The project was in danger.
Could you make a story stranger?
Cal had to raise some student fees.
And coax the sitters down with their fleas.
And they sang sad songs in the dark.
The day Cal Football died.

Chorus

Helter-skelter, Mansion ran for shelter.
His passes flew off with the strangest vector.
Ten yards short and falling fast.
They bounced high off of the grass.
They got no yards with the forward pass.
And their run game hit a big impass.

Now the half-time air was sweet perfume.
The Stanford Tree in perfect bloom!
Cal fans got up to dance.
But they never got the chance!
`cause the Bears tried to run down field;
But the Stanford D refused to yield
We stood and yelled, “Hey, that’s our deal!!”
The day Cal Football died.

Chorus


And on play after play we watched them fail.
As Skov’s big hits made Tedford wail.
Who came up with that weak *ss spread?
So come on: Jeff be nimble, Jeff be quick!
Hope that new pistol does the trick.
‘Cause without change Cal Football’s dead.

And as they watched the Bears lose the axe,
They wished their team had bigger sacs.
With each pass Luck completed,
The Bears felt even more defeated.
As All Right Now played into the night,
The Bears lost their will to fight.
We saw Harbaugh laughing with delight.
The day Cal Football died.

Chorus


This year the Card might just see Roses.
Which Cal hasn’t seen since the days of Moses.
But the Bears will always have The Play.
Though we know they cheated on that day.
His knee was down, there was no flag.
The Pac-10 refs were in the bag.

But this year they lay “cramping” on the grass,
After Stanford soundly kicked their *ss.
For now their joy would be past glory,
To retell this tale would be too gory.
Still Cal fans could proudly exhort,
“Our best team is a club sport!”
The day Cal Football died.

Chorus

I met a girl who wore gold and blue.
And I asked her for some happy news,
She said Stanford turned her app away.
But for Bear fans there’s no worse fate,
Attending the second best public school in state.
But there’s always grad school if you wait.

On Berkeley streets: the frat boys screamed,
Code Pink cried, and the hippies dreamed.
But not a word was spoken;
The Campanile bells were broken.
The game they lost they wanted most.
And Cal’s last fans caught BART to the coast.
The day Cal Football died.

Oh, My, my, Poor Old Oski has died.
Drove my chevy to Big Game,
But the Bears were so lame.
The poor old Weenies left embarrassed and shamed.

Singin', "Let’s give a new stadium a try,”
" cut some sports, then have a good cry.”

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

Update!

It's been awhile! I thought I'd post the pictures I've taken lately to describe how I've been doing. These pictures are somewhat out of order, and I'm not in very many, but they are descriptive.

In March, Curtis and I went to the Pac-10 tournament semifinal, because (shockingly!) both of our teams are playing. Of course, they lost, but we had a fun Friday date night. We even got to see a friend that we went to high school with who played baseball at Stanford!

As per tradition, my dad and I dyed eggs on the night before Easter. Believe or not, but those are actually brown eggs that we dyed, and they turned out pretty cool! Unfortunately, we forgot to hide them the next day for my little cousins to hunt, but at least we kept up the tradition. When asked by my mom how much longer this tradition would go on, I basically said that my dad will never be off the hook, he will be dying eggs with my children someday :-). Otherwise, Easter was a nice time, got to see a lot of family that I hadn't seen in awhile and it was pretty fun.


Yes, we tried out the iPad on opening day! We were eating breakfast at the Grove and decided to check it out before we ate. The place was packed but the gadget is pretty cool. I'm seriously considering a purchase later this summer of the 3G version... but I also want a new iPhone so we'll see...
My mom and I went to see Syracuse play (and LOSE!) in the Sweet 16 in Salt Lake City! It was an awful game, but we had a really nice time in the city, and I got to see 2 of my sisters-in-law and my nephew! So, it was a really nice time away from home in a nice hotel and great company.

My dad and Curtis made Caramel Crème brûlée - it was delish. I think the favorite part for them was the blow torch.
Curtis' parents redid Curtis' old room at their house and it looks soo nice. Curtis stayed there while I was in SLC. We had to take pictures for the rest of the fam.

Curtis and Louis are taking the GMAT next week! They are actually in class tonight. I will be very happy when they finish, since it has taken over our lives. But, I'm so thrilled for them that they have taken this step. I can't wait to hear how they did (GMAT gives you your score as soon as you finish)
Lastly, this is the view from my office on a rainy day. My externship comes to an end in 2 weeks, and then I will have a month off before I start my summer job. I'm still trying to decide whether I should try and do something with that much time, but the jury is still out. Perhaps a trip is in store? I'll admit that I am now ready to be done, and am looking forward to my last year of school, ever.

If you're keeping score, our wedding anniversary is almost a month away! We're actually going to be in the bay area that weekend for a wedding, and so we will celebrate our anniversary by going to Stacks in Menlo Park and then hanging out in the Stanford area. It's going to be a nice time together before we are apart for 10 weeks while I am working in Menlo Park.

Anyway, have a good weekend! I'm off to the Bay Area on Saturday to see the Stanford Spring Game at Kezar Stadium. Hopefully I'll have pictures to share when I get back.

Monday, January 18, 2010

Recap of Christmas Break

Happy New Year!

Here's the rundown of my Christmas Break:

1. Lady Gaga at the Nokia Theater:

We LOVED this concert. Lady Gaga is one of the few musical acts that both Curtis and I enjoy. We went with Tracy & Nancy, and had such a fun time. Ever since the concert, we're constantly listening to Gaga on our iphones and recently watched her on Oprah, which was great.

2. Christmas in Oceanside/Mission Viejo

Charlie got a Snuggie for Christmas from Santa!

We had a very busy but fun Christmas. Unfortunately the Eve started with my poor allergies so I was sleeping all day until we drove down to Oceanside for the church service. Afterward we have Pizza with the entire family and bunked at Grandpa's house. In the morning we made breakfast and exchanged gifts.

We returned to Mission Viejo and Curtis & I ran around the lake, and ended up meeting up with both Adelyn & Ed and Nick and his mom, which was really fun. We returned home and had Christmas dinner on our wedding china and opened gifts.

The days following Christmas had me doing some last minute shopping for my gifts and meeting up with friends. We came back to LA on the 29th so I could leave for El Paso, TX on the 30th for the Sun Bowl.

3. Sun Bowl, Stanford v. Oklahoma, Dec. 31.
This was so fun! Tracy and I flew together from LAX to El Paso and met up with Juls at the airport. It was neat to see so many Stanford fans at the airport. The next morning we took the city bus to the game :-).

Thanks Tracy for the picture!

The tailgate was typical Stanford - excellent, and we had a good time at the game, even though we lost. We were so happy to see Angel, who drove across the country from North Carolina to go to the game. After the game, I immediately dashed out the stadium to get on a bus to go to the airport. I got home around 10 pm that night. That night Curtis and I finished packing for our Honeymoon and toasted the New Year with Cider.

4. Hawaiian Honeymoon
On January 1st, we flew to Hawaii! We arrived around 2pm and were excited to be in paradise for the next week. We purposely didn't do much while we were there, other than go to the pool, gym, spa, and watch football. It was just a fantastic trip.


Picture from the Luau

I hope to have more to say in the coming week, with more pictures.

Happy Monday!