what exactly we do at disney..

i forgot to post this awhile ago, but our department made a video about what it's like to be an industrial engineer at disney and what kind of projects we work on :)

http://www.iienet2.org/media/disney/flowplayer.htm

it's a pennsylvania football weekend

well, sort of ;) lastnight we watched 'invincible' the true story of vince papale and how he earned a spot with the philadelphia eagles.
today, we're off to find ben roethlisberger (omg i spelled it right..you know how i know? it's written on the t-shirt i'm wearing at the moment) and hines ward at espn weekend at disney mgm studios :) we got to see ben yesterday filming nfl live which was pretty cool. today we're armed with all kinds of steeler's paraphenalia and a camera in hopes of getting an autograph :)
after that, helping out at the iie regional conference job fair, then we're hopping on a chartered bus for a dive bar crawl in celebration of several of our friends birthdays. should be a good time :)
tomorrow is a bowl-a-thon for charity and hopefully a bike ride if it doesn't rain! then we get to head back to work monday to get some rest ;)

just another manic monday...

just kidding, it's not manic :) we had a nice weekend -- cleo got fleas! so we spent saturday chasing down various products and banishing them from both dog and house. we're proud to say she's now flea free.
in other news, i think we're definitely building a screened in porch! nate's calling to give the go ahead today but it will still be 4-6 weeks for all the plans and paperwork and then building. we're really excited :) i think we'll enjoy the florida weather even more with a nice breezy bug free room to sit in.
that's all for now, have a great monday!

drive by blogging

on our way out the door to work, but just wanted to quickly say we had a great time on vacation, relaxed, etc. and then i came down with something but have now recovered :) happy friday!

and we're off! (well, almost)

we leave friday evening (tomorrow!) for our hilton head vacation :) i'm really really excited about it. we'll be staying on the island and i have an entire list of restaurants to try! nate and i plan to ride bikes, read books, stay in, go out and have a wonderful time :)
we're leaving right after work tomorrow and i can't wait!
hope everyone is having a good february (brrr!) hear it's much colder than here in most of the country. nate misses shoveling snow and curling up in a nice warm house, but i'm the one whining when it drops into the 40s around here ;)
check out the picture page for pics updated through last saturday and get ready for a whole boat load of pictures from hilton head ;)

just six days until my one year anniversary :)

just call me inspector gadget!

so for nate’s birthday, my mom got nate a pair of heart rate monitors, one for him and one for me (mine’s pink!) she had given my stepdad one for christmas (she had one already) and they kept track while we went hiking and other various activities. i admit, i didn’t understand what the fuss was about or how it could be a motivator, but it really is!
to try them out, nate and i headed out on the bike trail yesterday- what a gorgeous day it was for biking too! we strapped up, and headed out. my bike is now accessorized with the following: headlight and tail light, pink streamers, bell, mileage computer, and now the heart rate monitor on my wrist. seriously. so anyway, the monitor knows when i’m working too hard, not hard enough, or just right! and beeps accordingly. i lovingly refer to it as the little beeotch on my wrist. we rode 14 miles and i burned 820 calories! stats like that appeal to the industrial engineer in me, i’m hooked ;)

things i can't get enough of lately :)

1. my husband of course!
2. orbitz mojito gum... mmm...
3. looking at pics of beautifully decorated rooms
4. thinking about our trip to hilton head next week
5. family visits! bring 'em on :)

The Americans Who Voted For George W. Bush Wish to Return Their Television.

by Wayne Gladstone

AMERICA: Yeah, hi. I bought this TV here about two years ago and I'd like to return it.
BEST BUY CLERK: Oh, yeah. I remember you. You loved this TV. What happened? Is it broken?
AMERICA: Broken? Well, I'm not sure. It's just that ... hmm. How do I explain?
BEST BUY CLERK: Well, what's the problem?
AMERICA: Well, I've heard there are other TVs? Like a smart TV that knows when your shows are on and can record them for you? One that can be programmed with parental controls and specifications.
BEST BUY CLERK: Yeah, sure, but you said you didn't want a smart TV. I remember. I tried to sell you that. But you said it was "haughty." That it gave you too much information—like it couldn't make up its mind. You wanted a "simple" TV that you could relate to.
AMERICA: Yeah, I know ... but this TV. I mean, sometimes I'll put it on a channel and it just stays there. No matter what. No matter how bad the channel is or how much I want something different. I even changed the batteries in the remote control and banged on the side of the set, but nothing works. It's like it's ignoring me.
BEST BUY CLERK: And that's a problem?
AMERICA: Well, yeah.
BEST BUY CLERK: But I thought you liked that. I remember. You were all like, "I like a TV that knows what it wants."
AMERICA: Well, yeah, that's true. And don't get me wrong. Sometimes I like what's on. I'm a very spiritual person, so sometimes I like the religious programming, but that can't be all there is.
BEST BUY CLERK: But that's why you bought the set. We watched The 700 Club together right in this showroom. I pointed out that all these other TVs had that channel, too—they just don't show it all the time. And you said you weren't sure you could trust a TV that didn't show it all the time.
AMERICA: Yeah, I remember ... Well, it gets confused.
BEST BUY CLERK: Confused?
AMERICA: Yeah, like sometimes—and this is going to sound crazy—but sometimes I'll tune in to one show and it will show me another.
BEST BUY CLERK: What do you mean?
AMERICA: Well, like the whole fall schedule. Supposedly, there are options out there. I've been reading about all these new shows in my local paper, but I can't watch them. I'll ask for Heroes and suddenly I'm watching 24 again. Just like that. It switches one thing for another like I'm not going to notice the difference.
BEST BUY CLERK: How long has it been doing that?
AMERICA: Well, in truth, probably from the beginning, but I didn't notice at first. I'm a pretty big 24 fan. And, also, I only just started reading the newspapers. They're mostly opinion, you know.
BEST BUY CLERK: Yeah, but, you see, nothing's really changed. Your TV's not broken. This is exactly what you wanted. You just changed your mind. I'm sorry, you can't just—
AMERICA: Oh, I know! It uses way too much energy. My utility bills are through the roof! Wasn't there some warranty that this TV would keep those costs down?
BEST BUY CLERK: No. Not in the warranty. It was in the advertising. They're not the same thing. TVs use energy. That's just the deal.
AMERICA: So there's nothing we can do?
BEST BUY CLERK: Sorry. Nothing now. There was talk of building more-efficient TVs. Ones that are better for the environment. That would free us from our reliance on our enemies' resources. Technology that might even provide a new source of revenue for America and create jobs for its people. And then we ...
AMERICA: Whoa, whoa. Easy. You're giving me a headache with all that.
BEST BUY CLERK: Yeah, that's what you said in 2000.
AMERICA: Oh.
BEST BUY CLERK: Yeah. You take care, now. But mark your calendar. Big sale coming in '08.

our dining room.. before & after :)

so i put some pics on the picture page of nate installing a light (actually, three lights!) one of those was a new dining lamp, complete with dimmer! the pics below are of the house with the seller's stuff (on the left), and how it looks now -- we still need to paint, but don't know what color just yet.

happy groundhog day!

phil did not see his shadow, which means spring is just around the corner! news that doesn't have quite the same impact down here in FL... ;) we'd maybe rather have 6 more weeks of winter, but i'm not complaining! :) nate and i made the traditional groundhog cookies lastnight and brought dozens in to work to share- here's some pics of us making all the little groundhogs!

it may be a small world, but i wouldn't want to paint it!

well we've been having a wonderful time with nate's family, the arrived this past weekend after spending a weekend running around disney with us, they've headed to venice beach to hopefully catch some sun :) the house seems too quiet without them around!
the weather in florida has been beautiful, sunny, and warm until this week- it actually frosted lastnight and we had to turn the heat on this week! they've been calling it "the big chill" - that's right, bundle up your children, the high is only in the 50s this week! :) but i have to admit, i'm spoiled, i really didn't appreciate that 40 degree weather as i ran from the car to work this morning!
cleo is spoiled as ever, snuggling with all the family members that will offer a lap and ruling the household. she's warming up a bit to florida grass but is still pretty wary of how high and thick it is.
nighty night everyone ;) and glad to see everyone is blogging again, missed the updates!

what's a wii?

wii is a video game system :) but it's way cooler than the usual one because the controller is motion sensitive -- meaning you can wave it like a tennis racket when you're playing the tennis game. it's awesome ;)

wii got a wii!

so for nate's birthday and each of our valentine's, we are now the proud owners of a wii! definitely lives up to all the hype. we've been playing it since we got it sunday morning and it even inspired us to finally setup our wireless router. which is why i'm now blogging from the living room watching nate play wario smooth moves. it's pretty entertaining ;) we've been playing golf, bowling, tennis, etc. all from our living room and really enjoying it :)
our party was a great time- at least, the two of us had a great time! we were up late and drank and ate until our heart's content.
friday nate's family arrives, beginning with alan, mickey, dan and hopefully matt! then satuday, john and nina arrive :) it will be a fun and activity filled week for sure :) we're looking forward to showing them all the things we've discovered around property since the last time they were here.
speaking of things we've discovered, we had some great italian food lastnight at a new place called Guso's- i only mention it because we've found great italian food is harder to come by then you'd think around here!
that's all for now! hope you're having a great week so far :)

happy birthday dad!

saturday... and the living' is easy...

good morning! so after having a great time in blacksburg, i came back to florida, and guess what? (this part's exciting) i missed florida while i was gone, it was good to be home! i always gauge how well i'm adjusting to a new place by how i feel when i come back from a trip. for example, last spring, after spending weekends in atlanta and nashville, i was all but depressed returning here. but this time, i missed the balmy winter weather and the latin music spilling from nearby car windows, it was good to be home :)
in other good news, nate and i accomplished some things around the house! we can now fit no less than 1 car in our garage! AND we also replaced some outdated light fixtures in the house for what we think is a world of difference in the entry, dining room, and hallway :)
in celebration of all our housework (that is to say... work around the house) we're having a bunch over tonight for a party :) all the more motivation to make it loook like we've lived here for four months now! :)

in the 'burg :)

so i'm in blacksburg! well, technically i'm in radford at the moment (in a morning sun brightly lit coffee mill). here to see cassie and everyone else (call me!) :) lastnight, we went almost directly to the cellar (did not past go, did not collect $200) but we did stop by boudreaux's first for a little 1/2 price wine. mmmm... wine tastes so much better when it's 1/2 price.
it's odd being back here- both in that when we were wandering around downtown lastnight i feel like i'd never left and also because i've been gone long enough for changes to spring up all over the place. new buildings, new faces. there's someone at the counter at the moment that i recognize and he recognizes me too because he said hi but i can't rememer.. ah! he just came over, he's the owner of my favorite restaurant, sal's :)
psst.. sal's has a new high class restaurant downtown roanoke called nico's so if you still live in the area, check it out ;)
coming back to somewhere you've left always spawns some level of ...well pondering i guess. reflection... thinking about why you left and where you've gone since then. and i have to say, i'm quite happy :) which in no way negates the incredibly soft spot in my heart for this part of southwest virginia. but it's been a big year of moves and new starts and a new name ;)
more later!

An Open Letter to My Blogger Friends Who Have Seemingly But Not Definitely Abandoned Their Posts (pun intended).

Dear Blogger Friends Who Have Seemingly But Not Definitely Abandoned Their Posts (pun intended):

I know we've all been busy lately, but c'mon! Are you really leaving me to read nothing while on the internet but cnn.com? Checking my bank balance? Reading theknot.com when I got married almost a year ago? This is disgraceful Blogger Friends Who Have Seemingly But Not Definitely Abandoned Their Posts (pun intended)! Some of you haven't updated your blogs since last summer! Your URLs are wasting away in cyberspace, longing for an update... where have you gone? Have you opened up a myspace.com page and left me in the dark? Dedicated your time to macrameing pairs of denim shorts for next summer? I've not been that great about my own blog but I need entertainment from you people! We're down here in Florida with no link to your lives! I'll be forced to write personal e-mails in order to get updates! What is the world coming to??

Okay Blogger Friends Who Have Seemingly But Not Definitely Abandoned Their Posts (pun intended), quit reading my blog and go update your blog! I need reading material! I don't even care if it's good reading material so long as it's an update! Maybe post a new website to keep me busy with all this freed up time?

Sincerely,
Bri ;)

happy new year from bri and nate!