Hey people!!! It has been done. The move from Manhattan to Los Gatos was a success. We've settled comfortably into a routine and life might maybe be almost possibly slowing down to normal.
Starbucks Downtown Campbell is working out pretty well. It's a small store but fun to work in and sees a whole lot of regulars, which can be fun.
Lucy is adjusting well. She loves being able to go outdoors on a whim, but nothing is better than running next door to the Treat Lady's house for lord knows what kinds of food and treaties.
Time to snack, we will return soon...
-- J & N
Monday, September 15, 2008
Saturday, July 12, 2008
On The Move
So it's official: we're heading to Los Gatos, CA in August. We can't say for sure how long we'll be there. With any luck, we'll be off to Chicago, Boston, maybe New York again, La Paz... somewhere exotic in a few months. We'll see!
We're going to miss New York a ton. We never thought that, after two years in this madness, we'd be sorely bummed to be leaving. There's far too much to do in a lifetime, let alone two years. If we don't end up moving back here, it will always be a city we visit frequently.
Cheers!
Jesse and Nicole
P.S. Anybody out there have a French Bulldog? Are they really that gassy?!
We're going to miss New York a ton. We never thought that, after two years in this madness, we'd be sorely bummed to be leaving. There's far too much to do in a lifetime, let alone two years. If we don't end up moving back here, it will always be a city we visit frequently.
Cheers!
Jesse and Nicole
P.S. Anybody out there have a French Bulldog? Are they really that gassy?!
Friday, June 27, 2008
Seattle Madness!
Jesse just got back from his Starbucks trip to Seattle and had a blast! Even though he only had roughly three hours to spare the entire trip, it went well and he had a chance to hang out with most everyone -- everyone except Katie, who tried her darndest to make it up from Oregon. Traffic, children, and CEO's conspired against us and she did not have a chance to make it. We missed you, Katie!!!
Pictures will be posted pretty soon, so we can all admire how cool Jesse is in Seattle. Check out Jesse's Picasa album in the near future. Also, stay tuned for J&N's Moving Adventure updates!!!
We went and saw the Sex And The City movie today. Surprisingly, even having never seen a single episode, Jesse enjoyed it! Who would have thought?! Obviously Nicole really liked it, since she's loved the series since the first season.
Carried away in NYC,
Jesse and Nicole
P.S. It is official: Arch is the finest OS around. Go KDEmod!
Pictures will be posted pretty soon, so we can all admire how cool Jesse is in Seattle. Check out Jesse's Picasa album in the near future. Also, stay tuned for J&N's Moving Adventure updates!!!
We went and saw the Sex And The City movie today. Surprisingly, even having never seen a single episode, Jesse enjoyed it! Who would have thought?! Obviously Nicole really liked it, since she's loved the series since the first season.
Carried away in NYC,
Jesse and Nicole
P.S. It is official: Arch is the finest OS around. Go KDEmod!
Monday, June 9, 2008
Wait...Beaches is pretty awesome
Soooooooooooooo... yay kids! We looked at the differences between Sandals and Beaches:
- cost differences (winner: Beaches)
- activities for all (clear winner: Beaches)
- bottomless premium food/beverages (winner: tie)
- calming, relaxing atmosphere (winner: Sandals)
- XBox Game Garage, 18,000 sq. ft. waterpark, and swim-up soda/snack bar!!! (winner: Beaches)
When it's all said and done, Beaches came out on top and we're probably gonna end up having our wedding there. (for the detail-oriented: we're looking at staying for 4 nights/3 days with everyone at Beaches Boscobel, then heading off to Sandals Negril for some newlywed-only time)
More updates en route!
Loving the waterpark,
Jesse and Nicole (and Lucy)
P.S. I REALLY want to use Konqueror exclusively, but it has some issues Firefox (Iceweasel) doesn't. Love you, KDE (almost as much as fluxbox).
- cost differences (winner: Beaches)
- activities for all (clear winner: Beaches)
- bottomless premium food/beverages (winner: tie)
- calming, relaxing atmosphere (winner: Sandals)
- XBox Game Garage, 18,000 sq. ft. waterpark, and swim-up soda/snack bar!!! (winner: Beaches)
When it's all said and done, Beaches came out on top and we're probably gonna end up having our wedding there. (for the detail-oriented: we're looking at staying for 4 nights/3 days with everyone at Beaches Boscobel, then heading off to Sandals Negril for some newlywed-only time)
More updates en route!
Loving the waterpark,
Jesse and Nicole (and Lucy)
P.S. I REALLY want to use Konqueror exclusively, but it has some issues Firefox (Iceweasel) doesn't. Love you, KDE (almost as much as fluxbox).
Sunday, June 8, 2008
Sandals, not Beaches. Sorry kids!
Hello everyone! We hope everything is going well for everyone out there across states (and the globe, really).
Not a whole lot actually happening here in the Big Apple. That's not to say we're not very busy planning and setting things up, but nothing is really changing for the time being. Still looking for places to live without know where we'll be living. Still calling ourselves "New Yorkers" without having seen half of what this city has to offers (maybe 1/64th). Still loving the Braodway farmers' market, taking the subway, walking the dog through the concrete jungle into Central Park, getting honked at by taxis, and still dreading the summer -- today it's 96, feels like 101.
So, big tip for you loyal blog readers: First, Starbucks is flying Jesse to Seattle later this month for a few days, and he'll probably have a spare evening or two while he's in town. Second -- and much, MUCH more significant -- Jesse and Nicole are starting to plan a wedding in September 2009. We're shooting for a Caribbean destination deal, so we're still working out pretty much all the details. It's a long way off/to go, but we want the word to be spread early because group discount rates exist. Plan ahead! Hopefully it will be for about three days, depending on who can make it.
There are now lots more pictures up on Jesse's web album, although many without comments yet. Work in progress...
After a year of hit-and-miss nonsense, we finally found an inexpensive and quality groomer in Manhattan. Thank you, Camp Canine of 73rd and Central Park West. Thank you.
Mentally in Ocho Rios,
Jesse and Nicole
P.S. Yet another distro chosen: Slackware is excessive, yet accessible and functional. Ohm...
Not a whole lot actually happening here in the Big Apple. That's not to say we're not very busy planning and setting things up, but nothing is really changing for the time being. Still looking for places to live without know where we'll be living. Still calling ourselves "New Yorkers" without having seen half of what this city has to offers (maybe 1/64th). Still loving the Braodway farmers' market, taking the subway, walking the dog through the concrete jungle into Central Park, getting honked at by taxis, and still dreading the summer -- today it's 96, feels like 101.
So, big tip for you loyal blog readers: First, Starbucks is flying Jesse to Seattle later this month for a few days, and he'll probably have a spare evening or two while he's in town. Second -- and much, MUCH more significant -- Jesse and Nicole are starting to plan a wedding in September 2009. We're shooting for a Caribbean destination deal, so we're still working out pretty much all the details. It's a long way off/to go, but we want the word to be spread early because group discount rates exist. Plan ahead! Hopefully it will be for about three days, depending on who can make it.
There are now lots more pictures up on Jesse's web album, although many without comments yet. Work in progress...
After a year of hit-and-miss nonsense, we finally found an inexpensive and quality groomer in Manhattan. Thank you, Camp Canine of 73rd and Central Park West. Thank you.
Mentally in Ocho Rios,
Jesse and Nicole
P.S. Yet another distro chosen: Slackware is excessive, yet accessible and functional. Ohm...
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Graduation!
Hooray!!! Graduation day came and went yesterday in a whirlwind of academic madness. Two days of commencement ceremonies, family from across the US, a Master's degree, and one beautiful sunny day buried in a week of rainy days.
A full update will soon follow, including massive amounts of pictures, as soon as us bloggers get some rest and recovery (no joke -- we're both sick).
Taking five,
Jesse and Nicole
P.S. openSUSE looks pretty great, and Jesse is currently seeding the ISO, thanks.
A full update will soon follow, including massive amounts of pictures, as soon as us bloggers get some rest and recovery (no joke -- we're both sick).
Taking five,
Jesse and Nicole
P.S. openSUSE looks pretty great, and Jesse is currently seeding the ISO, thanks.
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
The Big Crunch
Hey all!
Life is crazy! Graduation, finals, job interviews, management training, hectic schedules at awful hours, Jesse forgetting his wallet and cell phone in China Town, and last but not least... terrible, horrible, awful Windows, which minutes ago caused a massive anxiety attack in this here apartment 813.
Windows Vista -- and most Microsoft products -- is a smelly, unmitigated dog of a piece of software. For a fun evening, try saving a spreadsheet in Excel 2007 and importing it into PowerPoint 2007. Yay! What, you wanted the ENTIRE spreadsheet, not just a random (and I mean random) amount of unformatted cells? But both pieces of software were developed concurrently, within the same company, and as critical components of the world's most used office application suite. Surely they must work well together?! Stay back a minimum distance of 3 BSDs.
Also, Nicole broke her cell phone a little while ago, so we have to share our SIM card between one phone. Renewals / extensions / upgrades / retail price / etc. / yikes. Who makes up the prices on these things?
Otherwise things are doing fine. Grades look good, the dog is healthy (if not dumb as a brick), the weather keeps improving, and as I sit here, eight stories high and deep within the concrete jungle of Manhattan, I can smell barbeque. Ahhhhh........
Speaking of which, let it be publicly announced: Jesse is the future king of outdoor grilling. End of story. He will become the greatest of all time... if THEY don't stop him first.
Jesse has started taking a tumbler from home in an effort to reduce our waste. We're very conscious of our daily output, and have fully embraced green living as much as our limited budget can afford. We're taking small steps now but our intent is massive. Go Jack Johnson!
Also, Jesse got punched in the face at work by a local homeless man after an altercation in Jesse's own damn Starbucks. Fun, huh?
Firm believers in the superiority of Unix-based systems,
Jesse and Nicole
P.S. Our dog sits like a doofus.
Life is crazy! Graduation, finals, job interviews, management training, hectic schedules at awful hours, Jesse forgetting his wallet and cell phone in China Town, and last but not least... terrible, horrible, awful Windows, which minutes ago caused a massive anxiety attack in this here apartment 813.
Windows Vista -- and most Microsoft products -- is a smelly, unmitigated dog of a piece of software. For a fun evening, try saving a spreadsheet in Excel 2007 and importing it into PowerPoint 2007. Yay! What, you wanted the ENTIRE spreadsheet, not just a random (and I mean random) amount of unformatted cells? But both pieces of software were developed concurrently, within the same company, and as critical components of the world's most used office application suite. Surely they must work well together?! Stay back a minimum distance of 3 BSDs.
Also, Nicole broke her cell phone a little while ago, so we have to share our SIM card between one phone. Renewals / extensions / upgrades / retail price / etc. / yikes. Who makes up the prices on these things?
Otherwise things are doing fine. Grades look good, the dog is healthy (if not dumb as a brick), the weather keeps improving, and as I sit here, eight stories high and deep within the concrete jungle of Manhattan, I can smell barbeque. Ahhhhh........
Speaking of which, let it be publicly announced: Jesse is the future king of outdoor grilling. End of story. He will become the greatest of all time... if THEY don't stop him first.
Jesse has started taking a tumbler from home in an effort to reduce our waste. We're very conscious of our daily output, and have fully embraced green living as much as our limited budget can afford. We're taking small steps now but our intent is massive. Go Jack Johnson!
Also, Jesse got punched in the face at work by a local homeless man after an altercation in Jesse's own damn Starbucks. Fun, huh?
Firm believers in the superiority of Unix-based systems,
Jesse and Nicole
P.S. Our dog sits like a doofus.
Friday, April 25, 2008
Extension!!!
#Hey everybody, buy reusable shopping bags!
#On to the blog:
Oh Happy Day!!! We were lucky enough to get an extension on the mandatory move-out date for out current housing! Now we are able to stay in the same apartment we've been living in for another few months -- until August 16. This enables a-great, many a-things......
Looking like New Yorkers,
Jesse and Nicole ( and the Lucy)
P.S. pm-hibernate works perfect, but pm-suspend gives my laptop's monitor fits. What gives?
#On to the blog:
Oh Happy Day!!! We were lucky enough to get an extension on the mandatory move-out date for out current housing! Now we are able to stay in the same apartment we've been living in for another few months -- until August 16. This enables a-great, many a-things......
- reduces insane amount of graduation-time chaos to reasonable amount
- allows Nicole to look for jobs in the city much easier
- Lucy has never been to Central Park!
- Jesse can continue his Assistant Store Manager training uninterrupted
- a majority of our stuff will be en route to storage as of mid-May, so moving again in August will be a snap
Looking like New Yorkers,
Jesse and Nicole ( and the Lucy)
P.S. pm-hibernate works perfect, but pm-suspend gives my laptop's monitor fits. What gives?
Monday, April 14, 2008
Visits to the Vet
Hello all! How's the path?
We took Lucy to the vet today, which is always a big ordeal. We have to go from the Upper West Side of Manhattan to about mid-Brooklyn. Easy for us humans, but all the smells and sounds and sights and everything is pretty taxing on a 5 pounds dog (more like 6.7 pounds, as the vet informed us!) Also we got bait-and-switch screwed by our vet. He offered us a cheaper price on some medicine, then gave us a generic version for the same price we would have paid for the name brand! Whatever...we probably won't ever go back to him, even if we stay here in New York. He used to be much better with Lucy, but lately he scares her every time we go in. Maybe it's the way he takes her temperature...
First, we grab the ("Duke Ellington's") A train at 125th Brooklyn-bound, then jump on the F at West 4th Street, ride that all the way into Brooklyn -- get off at Fort Hamilton for Dr. Nasr!
Something else exciting and significant: Lucy got a brand-new talking Cookie Monster toy in the mail to replace her beloved talking Elmo. They're part of the Sesame Street Chatters line, and they're made for humans but Lucy loves them more than ANY OTHER toy she's come across! In fact, we're pretty sure we spotted a Chatters Elmo in a picture with little Spencer Keim. Everyone loves 'em!
The weather here has gotten drastically better lately. It seemed winter would never let up, but recently the daily highs have started climbing back up into the low 50's. Alright!
Just venting: the subways in New York are overpriced, I don't care what the MTA says. And the latest percent-bonus rates are bogus. What am I supposed to do with $1.50?!!
Not much else to report. Graduation looms, with a hasty move to follow. Check back here frequently to stay in the loop!
Riding the D express,
Jesse and Nicole
P.S. Jesse utterly and completely revises his opinion on Ubuntu. He now employs a Free and lovely Arch Linux/Fluxbox... uh, box. KISS!!!
We took Lucy to the vet today, which is always a big ordeal. We have to go from the Upper West Side of Manhattan to about mid-Brooklyn. Easy for us humans, but all the smells and sounds and sights and everything is pretty taxing on a 5 pounds dog (more like 6.7 pounds, as the vet informed us!) Also we got bait-and-switch screwed by our vet. He offered us a cheaper price on some medicine, then gave us a generic version for the same price we would have paid for the name brand! Whatever...we probably won't ever go back to him, even if we stay here in New York. He used to be much better with Lucy, but lately he scares her every time we go in. Maybe it's the way he takes her temperature...
First, we grab the ("Duke Ellington's") A train at 125th Brooklyn-bound, then jump on the F at West 4th Street, ride that all the way into Brooklyn -- get off at Fort Hamilton for Dr. Nasr!
Something else exciting and significant: Lucy got a brand-new talking Cookie Monster toy in the mail to replace her beloved talking Elmo. They're part of the Sesame Street Chatters line, and they're made for humans but Lucy loves them more than ANY OTHER toy she's come across! In fact, we're pretty sure we spotted a Chatters Elmo in a picture with little Spencer Keim. Everyone loves 'em!
The weather here has gotten drastically better lately. It seemed winter would never let up, but recently the daily highs have started climbing back up into the low 50's. Alright!
Just venting: the subways in New York are overpriced, I don't care what the MTA says. And the latest percent-bonus rates are bogus. What am I supposed to do with $1.50?!!
Not much else to report. Graduation looms, with a hasty move to follow. Check back here frequently to stay in the loop!
Riding the D express,
Jesse and Nicole
P.S. Jesse utterly and completely revises his opinion on Ubuntu. He now employs a Free and lovely Arch Linux/Fluxbox... uh, box. KISS!!!
Saturday, March 29, 2008
The Bigger One
Happy Birthday Tyler!!!
Hope the day is wonderful and all your crazy, wild, Star-Wars-Indy-lovin' dreams come true!
Good luck with all those candles, big guy,
Jesse and Nicole
Hope the day is wonderful and all your crazy, wild, Star-Wars-Indy-lovin' dreams come true!
Good luck with all those candles, big guy,
Jesse and Nicole
Friday, March 28, 2008
Rent on Broadway!!!
So, long story short, we won tickets three days ago to go and see Rent last night! It was frickin' awesome and a total surprise (we didn't even know we had been entered to win the tickets!). We took a few pictures, but none from inside the theater as photography was aggresively prohibited.
Rent will end its 12 year+ run this summer, so if you can make it out to New York (ha!) check it out soon!
525,600 till-next-times,
Jesse and Nicole
Rent will end its 12 year+ run this summer, so if you can make it out to New York (ha!) check it out soon!
525,600 till-next-times,
Jesse and Nicole
Thursday, March 27, 2008
The Big One
Happy Birthday Spencer!!!
The big number 1!!!
Good luck with that candle, big guy,
Jesse and Nicole
The big number 1!!!
Good luck with that candle, big guy,
Jesse and Nicole
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Clark W. Griswold drinks a tall chai
So just a quick post to let everyone know that the one and only Chevy Chase came through Jesse's Starbucks today, ordering a tall Caramel Frappuccino and a tall Chai Latte. Exciting news, right?!
He was very polite, said "thank you," and was way taller in real life! Woo-hoo.
Nicole has been on the hunt for graduation dresses. So far everything is going well, assuming we win the lottery between tonight and this time tomorrow. Wish us luck. Graduation is a multi-ceremony affair, involving both indoor and outdoor settings. Complicated but imminent. Onward! Check out the website for the Riverside Church where the main ceremony will be held. It's super famous and has been used in lots of movies.
Weather's getting much better; Lucy remains cute; Haagen-Dazs is delicious and all-natural!
Enjoy your drink, Dusty Bottoms --
Jesse and Nicole
He was very polite, said "thank you," and was way taller in real life! Woo-hoo.
Nicole has been on the hunt for graduation dresses. So far everything is going well, assuming we win the lottery between tonight and this time tomorrow. Wish us luck. Graduation is a multi-ceremony affair, involving both indoor and outdoor settings. Complicated but imminent. Onward! Check out the website for the Riverside Church where the main ceremony will be held. It's super famous and has been used in lots of movies.
Weather's getting much better; Lucy remains cute; Haagen-Dazs is delicious and all-natural!
Enjoy your drink, Dusty Bottoms --
Jesse and Nicole
Sunday, March 23, 2008
Two months and counting (down)...
Hey people! Happy Easter! Hope all is well with everybody.
Things continue to stay busy around here. The weather's changing, which means Lucy gets walked at a much higher frequency. Nicole's school is winding down -- as Jesse's winds up -- and graduation is imminent! That promises to be an exciting, whirlwind time since she graduates May 21st and we move out of our current apartment on May 23rd. At the same time, Jesse is just beginning his ASM training at his Starbucks and hopes his training can potentially be suspended and resumed somewhere else.
We hope Easter/spring break/3-day weekend/whatever was good for everyone!
Be back soon,
Jesse and Nicole
Things continue to stay busy around here. The weather's changing, which means Lucy gets walked at a much higher frequency. Nicole's school is winding down -- as Jesse's winds up -- and graduation is imminent! That promises to be an exciting, whirlwind time since she graduates May 21st and we move out of our current apartment on May 23rd. At the same time, Jesse is just beginning his ASM training at his Starbucks and hopes his training can potentially be suspended and resumed somewhere else.
We hope Easter/spring break/3-day weekend/whatever was good for everyone!
Be back soon,
Jesse and Nicole
Saturday, March 1, 2008
New pictures, old news
Hello everyone! All is well here in New York City, other than the below-freezing midday high temperatures. Lucy went to the groomers -- or "to the spa," as we say -- which is quite an ordeal when it's below freezing outside. She only weighs about 5 pounds! Not much meat to keep herself warm. Thank god she has her "I Love New York" sweatshirt.
We recently put up more pictures at Jesse's Picasa web album. We saw some truly amazing works of art when we visited the Museum of Modern Art. We saw pieces by Picasso and Monet, and even the infamous "Starry Night" by Van Gogh. There was also quite a bit of stuff that made absolutely no sense, like frames hanging on the wall with blank, untouched pieces of canvas in them. Modern. Check it out!
Lucy just dropped her Giggle With Elmo toy on my keyboard, so it looks like it's time to play with the little poophead. Until next time!
Loving the MoMA madness,
Jesse and Nicole
We recently put up more pictures at Jesse's Picasa web album. We saw some truly amazing works of art when we visited the Museum of Modern Art. We saw pieces by Picasso and Monet, and even the infamous "Starry Night" by Van Gogh. There was also quite a bit of stuff that made absolutely no sense, like frames hanging on the wall with blank, untouched pieces of canvas in them. Modern. Check it out!
Lucy just dropped her Giggle With Elmo toy on my keyboard, so it looks like it's time to play with the little poophead. Until next time!
Loving the MoMA madness,
Jesse and Nicole
Monday, February 25, 2008
Second Post of All Time!
Wow, post number two!
Well, we have a mouse. Truth be told, it's mouse number three(!) since we have lived in our current apartment in Manhattan. But it's the first mouse brave enough to venture in to our bedroom at night. Prior to this guy they have only showed up in the kitchen.
Traps to be deployed tonight, updates as they develop...
School is going well. I'm currently up to my ears in C++ and some other "CISC" classes (some networking, a little Dreamweaver), and loving it. Who knew computers did more than play games and e-mail?
We plan on posting some more pictures to our Picasa web album very soon. Check over there in the next couple of days for some new photos!
return EXIT_SUCCESS ;
Jesse and Nicole
Well, we have a mouse. Truth be told, it's mouse number three(!) since we have lived in our current apartment in Manhattan. But it's the first mouse brave enough to venture in to our bedroom at night. Prior to this guy they have only showed up in the kitchen.
Traps to be deployed tonight, updates as they develop...
School is going well. I'm currently up to my ears in C++ and some other "CISC" classes (some networking, a little Dreamweaver), and loving it. Who knew computers did more than play games and e-mail?
We plan on posting some more pictures to our Picasa web album very soon. Check over there in the next couple of days for some new photos!
return EXIT_SUCCESS ;
Jesse and Nicole
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Hello from NYC!
Hello everyone! This is, obviously, the first entry in our new blog page. We'll try to post on this website frequently since it is a very easy format to use -- it even allows us to e-mail postings remotely.
All is well here in NYC. Things continue to move along at an incredible rate. Nicole works downtown for Citi and graduates from Teacher's College soon, Jesse works at the local Starbucks and is plugging along at a degree, and Lucy causes trouble without any attempt to assist in apartment pest control.
Stay tuned for many more updates, news briefs, and epic life-changing event announcements.
All is well here in NYC. Things continue to move along at an incredible rate. Nicole works downtown for Citi and graduates from Teacher's College soon, Jesse works at the local Starbucks and is plugging along at a degree, and Lucy causes trouble without any attempt to assist in apartment pest control.
Stay tuned for many more updates, news briefs, and epic life-changing event announcements.
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