IndieRockQueen’s blog

I can't believe it's August already! Where did the year go? I haven't posted in a while. Thanks to my friend Ava, I'll have to come around more often.

The baby is now 9 1/2 months old and crawling and gettng into things faster than you can count to 5. He's trying to walk. He pulls himself up using whatever he can hold on to. He loves his finger food, puffs we call them. We gave him a baby biscuit this morning and he loved it! By the time I took him out of the car, he had it smeared all over his face and pant leg. Oy!

Our friend DJ D came to visit us this past weekend. It was a short overnight stay. She was on her way to see Jim Bianco perform. He's currently touring and playing to huge crowds. He's going to be on Craig Fergenson next month.

Earlier in the month, we went to Park Ave. Fest in Rochester. It's huge! There were lots of vendors and people. Definitely worth anyone's time. Last month, we saw the Ring of Fire for 4th of July (3rd of July, actually). It was as awesome as I remembered it. Super thanks to the lady of the cottage and the O's for inviting us.

The 2008 Summer Olympics are happening right now in Beijing. Michael Phelps has won 8 gold medals. Controversy in the women's gymnastics scoring. This may be the last time we see softball and baseball in the Olympics.

Be sure to check out the Soundtrack of the 2008 Summer Olympics. There's a eclectic group of musicians there: Sheryl Crow, Goo Goo Dolls, Chris Brown, Taylor Swift, and more.

Wow! Apparently, I skipped over April. April was great! We celebrated Elu's birthday. We ate at an all-you-can-eat Brazillian BBQ restaurant with a few close friends on the actual day of his birthday. Later that weekend, I threw him a surprised birthday party. In celebration of it being an Olympic year, the birthday party had a few Olympic-themed games... but not what you may think!  There were word finding games. Winners got gold, silver, and bronze "Elu" metals. I took a photograph of Andy raising a wine glass and created each "medal." We also competed in guitar hero and watched Run Fatboy Run.

We did so much in May. I went to Atlanta (May 4-8) to work an exhibit show. It was my first time away from Elu and the baby. Elu called me each morning and night to let me know how they were doing. I missed them terribly. But, the week finally was over, and I was glad to be home. While in Atlanta, as part of the social events with the conference, I visited the Georgia Aquarium and Coca-Cola Museum. I enjoyed them both. I think I was more giddy after seeing Coca-Cola Museum. Wonder if it had anything to do with the tasting....

We went to Rochester (May 15-18) to catch the end of the 110th Lilac Festival at Highland Park, a Rochester Red Wings game, the animals at the Seneca Park Zoo, and friends. It was a fun pack weekend, as always. The baby even got his picture taken with catcher Ryan Jorgensen.

We're going camping for Memorial Day weekend. It'll be the baby and my first time camping. It will be lots of fun. I hope the weather stays beautiful.

Cheers!

Yes, I celebrated my birthday last Friday. It was a wonderful birthday. Not only did I have a relaxing day with my husband, but we got to do something we haven't for a very long time... go to the movie theatre! After dropping Xan off at daycare, we went straight to the movies for the 10:45 a.m. showing of Doomsday. After that, we saw 21. Should I read into the titles we chose on my birthday? Naw... I'm not turning 21 and it wasn't doomsday for me to turn another year older.

We also celebrated Xan's 5-month birthday on Easter. My friend Beth came over and took some beautiful pictures of us.

Earlier in the month, we went to New Orleans for my company's annual conference. The French Quarters never sleeps. It seems to be full of life 24/7.  Elu and Xan had a great time while I was working.  They explore much of downtown. They even made it to the aquarium. On our last night there, there was a St. Patrick's Day Parade that started on Frenchmen Street. Xan scored him some brand new toys. It was a wonderful way to end our night there. The next day, we took the St. Charles' Street trolley and did a roundtrip on it. We saw a lot of the beautiful homes there. Many were under reconstruction caused by Katrina, but you can still see how magnificent they were and will be.

Xan did great on the flight. Coming home, he was a little fussy for about 10 minutes during the last 20 minutes of the flight. The woman sitting in front of us offered some kind suggestions -- one of which was to give him something to bite on. I am so glad I thought ahead to pack his ducky. He's teething a bit. He quieted a bit after I gave him the duck. I guess his ears must have been plugged.

Happy March!

Again, so much has happened since I last wrote... typed. Elu, the baby, and my parents visited Rochester, Niagara Falls, and Toronto. Baby made his first international trip!

Xan and His Hat

Speaking of the baby, he turned 4-months-old on the 23rd. He recently went for his scheduled check-up. He's 26 inches long and weighs 14 lbs and 7 oz. Aside from a slight cold, he's healthy and happy! He recently started to babble a lot. So much that when he wakes up in the mornings (around 7 a.m.), he doesn't even cry anymore. He just talks to his inanimated friends. He woke up an hour earlier than usual this morning. He fell asleep as we were getting ready to leave for work. I guess getting up early wore him out sooner.

Elu and I had a date night on the 19th. Our friend D told us to check out Jim Bianco. I'm glad we did. We had a great time just to ourselves. Thanks L&B for babysitting!

If anyone is in the market to buy and is relocating to the DC area or know of someone who is, send them to http://502placeonecondo.googlepages.com.

Happy New Year!

So much has happened since I last wrote. The baby has arrived! He's no longer a newborn. He turned 3 months on the 23rd. We spent our first Thanksgiving as a family at our place. Elu's Dad was able to take some time off from work and spent the week with us. Xan got his first taste of gravy from Elu. Xan cautiously licked Elu's finger, and then, he sucked on Elu's finger really hard. I guess he likes gravy. Elu made an excellent Thansgiving dinner. The turkey was moist and yummy.

On our way to spend Christmas with Elu's family in New York, we stopped in to see friends in Rochester. Xan got a lot of cool presents. From toys to clothes, he was oblivious to why everyone was making a fuss around him. He was just loving the attention.

Xan has reached many milestones. He is strong enough to hold up his head now. He is waving and kicking more forcefully, too. He's opening and closing his fingers. He's discovered his hands. He sucks on them really loudly sometimes. He's already experienced his first cold. I used the suction bulb to clear his nasal passage. Let's see... he's had his first hiccups, too.

If you're interested in detail information on the baby's development, visit my baby blog.

So much has happened... our lives is interweaved with the baby's now.

Wow! It's been a really long time since I've posted. But, if you've been keeping up with my pregnancy journal, you know what's been going on with me and Elu in the last couple of months. The baby is due this Friday and if he doesn't arrive by then, I am scheduled to be induced on Tuesday, 10/23.

Elu and I were able to squeeze in one last road trip to Charleston, SC, and Savannah, GA. What a trip, it was!

Now, if I don't write anything for a while, you'll know why. Be sure to check Elu's blog. I'll be sure he writes my "voice" into his blog.

Yikes! I can't believe I haven't posted since June on Vox! Time is really passing by quickly. Should I continue from where I left off or give you highlights from the last few months?

Continue it is!

We decided to start Saturday evening with dinner at famous Dinosaur's. It's a "must stop" when you're in Rochester. Most people started to arrive while Elu and I were there. One by one, friends started to show up... even our friend Chris, who drive from Toronto, was texting us to let us know he was in town. I finally saw my dear friend Sam and her husband Kevin. We hadn't seen each other since their wedding. There was a wait, but no one seemed to mind. Alcohol was flowing and new friendships were being made.

After dinner, Elu lead the "bar hopping" portion of the evening's festivities. I don't remember the names of the clubs, but we went in a few and even stayed at one for dessert. There was a performer there. He was good. Too bad the club was just not the right environment for him. It was too loud, and he went back and forth between electric and acoustic.

The last stop of the night was The Old Toad. It's got quite an interesting story. The Old Toad is a British Pub. It is managed and staffed by British exchanged students. It's definitely got that "British" feel to it. I have yet made my way to England, but I think I've got an idea of what it would feel like.

After a long day that started with golfing, we finally called it a night. Our friends were nicely fed, got a taste of the night life, and ready for a good night's sleep.

The next day was the wine tour, afterall.

to be continued...

It's been a while since I've posted. Life is full. I'm extremely happy and just bursting with joy. There are so much to post about that I'm sure I will forget something in the telling of it.

May 19-20, 2007

Elu and I had a fun bachelor-bachelorette weekend! Many friends came from out-of-town to help us celebrate.

Golfing Fun

Elu and I started Saturday with having a leisurely breakfast at well-known Jines with fraternity brothers Medhi and Jason. It's a delightful cafe located in the cultural and historic Park Avenue area. We, then, met up with Best Man Rich for a round of golfing at St. John Fisher golf course in Pittsford, New York. (The Buffalo Bills training camp is also nearby.)  It was my very first time golfing. After a few tips from Rich, I started to get into the "swing" of things. After a while, just making contact with the golf ball was a personal accomplishment. When I did connect, I was able to drive it (golf lingo for hitting it down the grass) forward and not out of bounds. Rich said that I was a natural. Yay, me!

After a few hours on the course (time flies by when you're golfing), we met up with Stephanie and Moody for lunch at Sinbad's for delicious Mediterranean cuisine. The day was warm and the sun was softly beaming down on us. We treated ourselves to ice cream at famous Abbott's next door.

By now, we were all in a nice food coma and just wanted to linger around. We decided to visit the Eastman International Museum of Photography—where there currently is an Ansel Adams exhibit.

While we enjoyed our day, I was getting updates from friends Joanna, Klea, and Lucy driving from Northern Virginia on their progress to Rochester. They were having their own roadtrip adventure just getting to Rochester. I was sent various photographs via cell phone of funny signs and of Lucy sitting in a car that was inside a diner. Fun photos!

After our Eastman visit, some folks wanted to rest and freshen up before dinner. Elu, however, volunteered a tour of the neighborhoods for anyone interested. Moody was up for the adventure. We drove through various neighborhoods—where we ooo'd and ah'd at the beautiful architecture of the homes—and made stops, including one at High Falls.

to be continued...

it's nothing like a trail of blood to find your way back home... - Life is Beautiful

I do not recall ever hearing about a book having a soundtrack, but it doesn't surprise me that Nikki Sixx is providing music to his upcoming book, The Heroin Diaries: A Year in the Life of a Shattered Rock Star. The single, Life is Beautiful, is a very beautiful ballad. After the first listen, the melody and the lyrics get stuck in your memory. The music takes you on a roller coaster ride. The guitar riffs rock hard, but then, bring you down to a sway. With lead vocalist and guitarist James Michael, guitarist DJ Ashba, and Sixx writing and producing the entire album, let's hope that the single is just a taste of what other great songs are to come.

The Heroin Diaries has its own MySpace page, where you can see the cover of the book and download the single.

In other news, I just heard about this. This is from Rick White, founder of Big Radio. Apparently, in summary, a decision has recently been bade by the Copyright Royal Board to almost triple the licensing fees for Internet radio sites. The new royalty rates are more than 4 times what satellite radio pays and broadcast radio doesn't pay at all. If left unchanged, these new royalties will kill every Internet radio site.

In response to these new and unfair fees, a new group formed: SaveNetRadio Coalition. It includes listeners, artists, labels and webcasters.

Check out the petition urgining your Congressional rep to act to save Internet radio:
http://www3.capwiz.com/saveinternetradio/issues/alert/?alertid=9631541&type=CO&azip=75247.

Pass it forward.

Momz and Aliz visited us this past weekend. Momz made a request for Chinese chow mein noodles. Eluwak and I obliged by attempting to make some for dinner. We invited his aunts and uncles who live in the area to dinner. If we're going to cook, we're going to make a shindig out of it! Elu and I picked up some ingredients from one of the local Asian markets and got home and begin chopping away.

Elu did all of the prep work. Most of the items have to be shredded. You have to be very careful with your fingers. You don't want the butcher knife to slip!

Here's a lit of the vegetables:

• shitake mushrooms
• Chinese broccoli
• bamboo shoots
• green peppers
• red peppers
• carrots
• onions
• celery
• ginger
• garlic

After what seemed like forever in the kitchen, everything was prepared. We even got to use some of our new wedding presents. It makes prep work so much easier—and cleaner!

We waited until the family arrived. Chinese chow mein is a meal that has to be served immediately, so we couldn't cook it and wait for our guests. Once the family arrived, I steamed some dumplings for appetizers. Then, I fried the chow mein noodles in a pan—one plate at a time—while Elu cooked the topping and the sauce. I had to move fast. With frying chow mein, you want to get them crispy, but not burnt. I had to make sure I used enough oil so that the noodles wouldn't stick to the bottom, and at the same, time, make sure they weren't burning. Elu did great with the topping! The sauce was perfectly seasoned. I even attempted to make a side dish of Chinese broccoli with oyster sauce. It turned out better than I had hoped! Everyone enjoyed the dinner.

We hope to be able to replicate this successful meal with our friends in the near future.