The Frenchman Has Arrived

Yesterday, Cristina and I jumped in the car and made a quick run to the Houston to watch the MLS (Major League Soccer) game between the Houston Dynamo and New York Red Bulls.  Since we were just making a quick overnight trip, I got a room at the Hilton located on the University of Houston Campus since it was within walking distance of Robertson Stadium where the Dynamo currently play home games.

I decided to make this run not only because of my enjoyment of the game, but also because I had heard rumor prior to the commencement of the World Cup starting that French National Thierry Henry would be signing with the New York Red Bulls after retiring from international competition and the World Cup.  As you may have now heard if you follow the league, my risk paid off, and this game was the debut of Henry in MLS and as a Red Bull.

After the game kicked off, Henry made his presence quickly known in the league and to his opponents with an assist in the 10th minute of the match.  The game was close, ending as a 2 - 2 tie with Henry closing out with an assist on each of the Red Bulls goals as well as 2 nice scoring opportunities he did not finish.

Needless to say, I was not disappointed with the experience of the game or the opportunity to see one of the great players of the era.  With a little luck, MLS will continue to pick up more of these premiere international players to enhance the league and continue to make it grow and more marketable in the states.

--For additional photos from the game, head over to the Flickr page for viewing

The Final Day Away

Thursday was a day with no plan, but as I am sure you can imagine, we started the day with a complimentary breakfast laced with green chile's in various forms.  After that, we headed to Canyon Road for a gallery tour followed by an afternoon of shoe shopping.

Later that evening, we were joined by Mike Sconzo and Paige, who drove up from Albuquerque for dinner.  After dinner, we headed back to the plaza and hit up the Marble Brewery 


that had just opened up for business earlier that day.  Also if you are lucky as we were , you can pick up a table on the patio and get a free concert from the plaza.  We were surprised to quickly find out that the server was just transplanted from Austin and had us try out the Cirta Ale which was tasty, as he had guaranteed.  After closing out the night with a tasty oatmeal stout, the visitors headed home and we called it a night.  We had 700+ miles to cover the next day, but we had a great week in Santa Fe, as well as a quick stop in to see the parents.  


As you can expect, we had a busy next week coming up with going back to work and Cristina's Big "30" as she describes it.  I am sure as soon as this weekend hits and since I now have you all caught up I will have more to come....  

On the Road Again

On Wednesday, after breakfast, we hopped in the car to head north to Taos, NM.  After the just over an hour drive to Taos from Santa Fe, we headed just north of town to the Taos Pueblo.  The Taos Pueblo is home of the Tiwa Indians who many of still live in the same way their ancestors lived hundreds of years ago.

After we arrived, we headed out and found Cristina's mom a handmade nativity scene that was made in a pottery style that used the native soil to create the pieces.  To recharge ourselves, we made a stop and picked up some Indian Fried Bread from one of the locals on the pueblo.  For anyone who is not familiar with Indian Fried Bread (not that I was either until we found it this morning), it is similar to a funnel cake but it looks like a large four tortilla before it is fried to perfection.  I might add, that if this is something you have never had, and you are presented the opportunity I would not pass it up.

After spending most of the morning at the pueblo, we headed back in to town to make a round in old downtown Taos.  After some browsing and lunch, it was time to had back to Santa Fe for a dinner we had planned for the evening.

On the way back, we made a few stops at the scenic look outs that are along the road to take a look at the people rafting in the Rio Grande River.  Then we made one final stop at the Black Mesa Winery where Cristina did a wine tasting.  She is now a big fan of Black Beauty, the signature wine of the estate that is flavored with chocolate for a sweet taste.

Following dinner, we headed back to our new found home away from the motel to the downtown plaza for another free concert.  The music was a little different tonight, but the scene was fun as usual.

The Second Day Away

After a good nights sleep, we started the day with a complimentary breakfast composed of green chile topped eggs and green chile and cheese quesadillas on the patio.
                                

Upon completion of breakfast, we immediately headed towards old downtown to the plaza so Cristina could get a good look at all the handmade jewelry from the Indians who come to town daily from the surrounding pueblos.  After stopping by and browsing, we continued on foot around the surrounding area to various attractions including the Loretto Chapel to view the mysterious staircase, various buildings at the state capitol complex and the US Courthouse.

After a long day of exploration, we headed back to where we started today at the plaza downtown for a jazz concert that marked the beginning of the New Mexico Jazz Festival.

Day 1 - Vacation 2010

Monday morning, moving at a leisurely pace, Cristina and I got up and packed the car to depart Shamrock for our vacation destination of Santa Fe, NM.  After getting sent off from the parents house, we made a quick move through the McDonald's drive through to get a drink.  Not to be let down by the service, they made one of the drinks wrong but quickly replaced it with the correct order and we departed.

Upon arriving at our home for the coming week (The Inn of the Governor) in Santa Fe,
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we got checked in and unpacked and began to look for a few staples we would need in the coming week.  We departed on foot (which was one of the highlights of the week in my opinion) to find the Whole Foods Market that was a 10 - 15 minute walk from where we were staying.  After making a stroll around the store and picking up a couple of things we needed, we made a move to our next destination REI which was on the way back to the hotel.  Aside from almost being run over while crossing the street (I was on the crosswalk and using the direction of the light to cross) by a driver on a cell phone the day was pretty uneventful.


For dinner, we headed out to Tomasita's for our first round of red and green chile seasoned New Mexican cuisine.  After receiving our plates, we were not disappointed by the local fare and needed a Kleenex for our runny nose by the end of the meal.  We did come across another great perk at the end of the meal which was warm, fluffy sopapillas topped with honey and butter that were included as part of the meal.  After dinner, we took a stroll to the plaza to work off the dinner then shut it down to get ready for day 2.  

---All vacation photos are now up on Flickr so just hit the link on the page to view them.

The Days Before

The morning of July 10 (the first day of vacation 2010), Cristina and I made an early departure from San Antonio on the way to Shamrock to stop in and see the parents.  As can be expected, we arrived in Shamrock early afternoon to find that my mom had picked up root beer and nacho's from the local hamburger joint to snack on.  To close the day, we had dinner out and just took time to relax after the drive.  I did give my dad his birthday gift from Derek and I (a new Scotty Cameron putter) before shutting it down for the night.

On July 11, the real reason for the stop in Shamrock on the way to vacation, was my dad's birthday.  To celebrate, my mom made the family favorite strawberry cake and my dad fired up the grill with a variety of options -- chicken kabobs, hamburgers and pork chops.  It is a shame to have to cook for yourself on your birthday, but we all enjoyed the good food.

Catching Up

It has been a while since I made the last post.  Since Vegas, I guess life has been a little uneventful just the norms of work and rest.  Fortunately vacation is nearing, and I truly excited about a week in Santa Fe.

The trip will be great not only for the break, but also for the cultural experience and change of atmosphere.  I must say that it is a really well planned trip and will allow me to be at my parents house on my Dad's birthday as well as arriving back home just in time to celebrate Cristina's birthday.

Aside from the norm, we did have a small overnight gathering at the McIntosh casa about a month ago with facilities and a home cooked meal provided by the hosts who I graciously thank again.

Check back in over the next few weeks, and I should have new photos along with posts from vacation, so until then...

Overnight in Salt Lake City

This past week, I had to make a spontaneous trip for work to meet a client we were bidding a project to in Salt Lake City, UT.  Just to clarify, the project is not in Salt Lake City, just the home office for the client.

That being said, myself and another colleague jumped on a plane Wednesday afternoon in San Antonio for a meeting first thing Thursday morning.

Up to this point in time, I had never been to Salt Lake City nor considered it as a location on my places to visit list.  This has probably been highly influenced by the perception that many people have of the city based on its relationship with the Mormon Church and its following (that statement is in no way meant to be misinterpreted, but I think that people understand what I am trying to say).

So surprisingly as we started final descent into the city, the scenery was beautiful.  The city is surrounded by mountains on three sides and the Great Salt Lake on the other.  The mountains still had a nice snow cap in the upper elevations as you can see in the photo I snapped with the point and shoot from my hotel room Thursday morning.

From what I could tell during my brief stay in town, the city has great access to outdoor and mountain sports; a pedestrian friendly up and coming downtown and some nice photo ops for people who like that sort of thing.

At the least, the trip was a great opportunity to change my mind about something I probably would not think much about unless the topic came up...

More scenery from my balcony below and more to come soon.

A week after Vegas

Last weekend we decided to take an extra day off and make a quick jaunt to sin city to see a couple of Cirque de Soleil shows in Las Vegas.  Fortunately we had great weather (Friday and Saturday were the warmest days of the year thus far), and found a new place to stay in City Center for the crowd that is not all about the gambling scene.  We took an early flight out Friday and landed in Vegas mid morning.  Upon arrival, we dropped our bags at Vdarra and took an immediate trip to the In-N-Out Burger.  Nothing like a double double monster style to start the weekend off right.  Friday night we attended the newest show Viva Elvis at Aria in the the new City Center Compound.  The show was great, and I would highly recommend it to anyone even if you are not a huge fan of Elvis.

Saturday, we spent a good bit of the day relaxing and just walking around the strip enjoying the amazing weather we had.  To wrap up the trip we attended Love at Mirage on Saturday night and once again was not to be disappointed by the show.

As you can tell, Cristina and I truly enjoy Cirque de Soleil and will take every opportunity we have to make any shows we can get too.

Well, as you can probably tell it ended up being a pretty quick trip, but the travel and time away was nice.  The only thing I should have done was take the big camera, but I was trying to pack light since we were flying and not checking any bags.

Oh by the way, for any frequent fliers, I really suggest getting an iPad.  The video is great with it and it makes the time at the airport and in the air fly by.

Clear Weekend

I was pretty excited this weekend because the new 15mm Fisheye lens I had ordered arrived on Friday.  Since the rain broke and the skies cleared as predicted, I ventured out to the southern part of downtown near the Historic King William area on Saturday afternoon.  My first stop was at the recently converted lofts of the Judson Candy Factory.

As you can see, it appears they have done a good job of rehabilitating the structure and best of all captured the use of the existing structure in lieu of either tearing it down or leaving it sitting empty.

Also, I stopped in at the former Pearl Brewery on the way back home which is currently going under a huge revival project of its own.  It appears to still be in the early stages, but has a few businesses and galleries in the completed portions.

As the project continues to progress, I plan on providing continuing photographic progress to document the revitalization of the area.

See you soon with more progress...

Back To Work

As it was for many, last Monday was my first day back to work after the Christmas/New Year holiday.  Fortunately, with everything that was going on around the end of the year, I had saved a large portion of my vacation and taken the last 2.5 weeks of the year off.  This was definitely one of my longer stints of time off work in one dose since leaving the world of academia, but I did enjoy the extended time to recharge myself.  Although the time was nice, I do not see myself doing the same thing again since I think a week is definitely enough if you take periodic breaks over the course of the year.

I was a little disappointed over the weekend because due to the unseasonably cold weather we are having (although still mild to people who do not live in South Texas) in San Antonio, that I was not able to get out and get some shots to post of some of the recent urban revitalization I have seen in town.  This week and weekend should be warming up, so hopefully I will have more to show in the near future.

Happy New Year

First of all, I want to wish everyone a happy new year and hope that we all prosper in happiness over the next 365 days as we encounter any ups and downs that life deals us.

To celebrate the new year today, Cristina and I made a quick run to Ikea in Round Rock this morning.  Of course, I forget to take my camera so I can not provide any pictures of the experience as it took place only the results of the trip you see.

As you might expect, we got off to a relatively early start this morning and you could definitely tell it was the morning after based on the sparse traffic from San Antonio all the way through Austin.

Hopefully this will be the first of many more postings over the web throughout the rest of the year to keep everyone up to speed with what is going on in San Antonio and where ever else the road leads me too.