Catching Up On Stuffs

So...more details on the safari are...perhaps forthcoming? Perhaps.

Time just flies by so fast I forget about this blog thingie. If anyone is even still reading this, I appreciate your patience...and continued interest.

We got back from safari in Zambia and Charlie went straight the next day on travel for work to DC (right babe?) for a few days. I went to an amazing dinner at VOICE Houston in Hotel Icon and a symphony with my dear friend Sarmad.

Charlie's 32nd birthday was shortly thereafter, where we went to an amazing restaurant, t'afia, which is focused on sustainable/local fare. The food was SO delicious!! I highly recommend being a patron there with its delectable food, great atmosphere and attentive customer service. Charlie's birthday present is a trip back to MN in a coming weekend, to spend some quality guy time with his friends :) We also went to Armand Bayou Nature Center nearby and went on an evening Owl Prowl, which was super fun. We walked through the park with the full moon shining on us and went on the lookout for the 4 different types of owls in the area. As much as we called them (via our fancy owl-calling recording), we didn't see any. We did hear some Barred owls calling, but alas never saw them. There was a HUGE spinning spider of some kind (no, not a garden spider, this puppy was light grey and FAT. With the body the size of a fat peanut), and even a small alligator in the water, but no owls. The evening was muggy but super fun. Yay nature!!

The next week I got the opportunity to go to D.C. for a work benchmarking trip-the kind of trip where my job is to talk with people/businesses who perform similar functions and see if I can learn anything that will be helpful to the way we do business in my group. It was not only super fun: I got to visit the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) on the gorgeous Johns Hopkins campus - they are the people who schedule users and observations on the Hubble Space Telescope -but I also got the chance to go into the heart of the Federal Aviation Administration's Air Traffic Control System Command Center. The FAA Command Center reminds me a lot of the Mission Control Center and it was AWESOME to hear about how complex management of the National Air Space is. SO COOL! As a super bonus, I got to see my best friend Jenny T and see the Tobin family's brand new house and I got to interfere (as I always do) in Jenny's process of making her new house a home. I had missed her so. PLUS, Andi is so big! Oh my gosh, what a pumpkin pie and a ham all rolled into one. 18 months is a challenging, but pretty neat time, so it was good to see her smiling, tooth-making face too :)

The next weekend we went on our very first camping trip as a family (me, Charlie and Kirby - sorry Samdog!) and with the new car. We went to Shaffer Bend just outside of Austin (about 4.5 hours from home). Few things: 1. The Subaru was packed to the brim for our first camping trip and worked really well. Whew! Good car choice Marshiks! 2. Jaime likey camping! 3. Kirby is the best camp dog, for sure! Despite the fact that she didn't stop panting or standing for the whole drive up there (poor anxious thing), AND she jumped out the window at our campsite landing squarely on her neck-head (scratching the car door in the process, oops!), she was amazing. Kirby stood by our sides unleashed at the campsite, as we walked around and was an excellent campfire companion throughout the weekend. PLUS (drum roll please...) she actually swam in the river! It was her first time swimming and was the most fun thing to experience! The PUFF! PUFF! PUFF! from her snout and paddle paddle paddle of her web feet was so fun to watch. Charlie and I simply adored it. Yay for camping, yay for new adventures with the family!

On Friday we had the first ever Roktoberfest at Marshikhaus, our first attempt at a possible yearly Oktoberfest party. Charlie and I dressed up in makeshift lederhosen and beermaid garb, while our friends Todd and Kathie dressed as a giant beer can and beermaid as well. A bunch of friends came and we had a good time. Next year? We'll see!! Saturday we had the 1st birthday party for our friends Tomas and Heather's baby (also Tomas), which was also a lot of fun. I would just like to point out that baby Tomas snacked on the tissue paper from OUR present first, so I guess that means we WIN! Team Marshik prevails! Sunday I went to the Bayou City Art Festival in downtown Houston with Sarmad and bought a kick-ass watch from Mistura (Ferro Red & Bianco, to be precise). I love it! A big splurge on myself, but every so often I gotta do it. At least that's what I say :) It was a lovely day in Houston to be admiring art outdoors. A little brunch with mimosas at the Sundance Grill II afterward capped off a great weekend. But WAIT, there's more! Thanks to Columbus Day, Charlie and I had the day off, so we rode bikes around the area - oh I don't know, 10 miles including some off-roading? - which was so great! I sweat in the great outdoorsies and even though my nether-regions are a tad bit tender, it was fun.

On Friday I return to DC for a different facet of work (commercial space endeavors at Orbital Sciences this time) and again I get to see Jenny T! TWICE in 3 weeks time, yippee!!! It will be a fun-filled and busy week(end), and I come home just as Charlie is heading back to MN for some R&R. ...and I'm spent.

Well, that post was longer (and possibly less interesting) than I expected. Sheesh!
Until next time!