Archive for May, 2009
Sister Cities
Posted by hilstreet in austin, texas on May 28, 2009
I have heard many people say, “This city is like … Austin’s sister city.”
Move over, Ann Arbor and Madison. State universities does not a sister city make.
Seattle is Austin’s sister city. Allow me to make my case.
Music: Music history has come from both places. Nirvana? Austin City Limits? Wud up.
Techie Tech Industries: Michael Dell and Bill Gates. Hardware and Software. Ying and Yang. This just got weird … I mean, computer moguls Dell and Microsoft lie in suburbs of Austin and Seattle.
Token “Homeless” Men: Both cities have their token homeless guys. Although we don’t actually know if Austin’s “Leslie” or Seattle’s “Tuba Man” are technically homeless, they are still people known for photo opps and outlandish behaviour. (R.I.P. Tuba Man)
Liberal: Austin and Seattle are liberal cities in their conservative states. Both cities are blue, hippy dots in a sea of evangelical red. They feel different from the rest of their respective states in most elections.
Border States: You need a passport to get out of these cities’ states if you go in one direction long enough.
Whole Foods: Loved passionately and intimately in both cities.
Achilles’ heel: Rainy nine months out of the year in Seattle, hot-as-ass nine months out of the year in Austin. Weather is the flaw for both locations. Both sisters are jealous of Northern Cali weather.
Who do you think Austin’s sister city is?
Thanks to Weslie and Ryan for their research assistance for this post.
My haiku for yesterday …
Emotions from court
California makes us sad
Sonia gives us hope
Things I learned camping …
Cacti are annoying! So are gnats.
Sofia sparkling wine (in a can) is the best camping alcoholic beverage. Thanks for the tip, Saltimbocca! Sofia (in a can) comes with an expandable straw, so it’s easy to drink at your campsite. And it’s sparkling, so you feel like your prissy-city-self again, even though you are covered in sweat and just peed in the woods.
When you hike with your border collie for six hours straight, he becomes the sweet, patient, obedient dog you want him to be. He carried his water into the campsite without complaining. Hollis is a good dog.
The VIP award goes to the Charles-Schwab-lunchbox cooler. Small enough to put in your backpack, this cooler kept our beverages cool throughout the night with just two small bags of ice.
Hollis watched out for us while we slept, growling at anything that came close to the two-man tent. That was a tight squeeze.
Watching Hollis be super happy was the highlight of the trip.
After camping and eating primarily dehydrated meats and fruits, nothing tastes better than that cup of coffee at the Fredericksburg, Texas German diner on your way home.
Hollis and Ryan at Enchanted Rock
Hollis loving the tent
Hollis and me enjoying the sunset
Hollis and me … and some rocks. I think it’s rude Hollis didn’t offer to take any pics of Ryan and me.
Do you want to be fit? Do you want to be confident in the great outdoors? Do you want to hike with ease? Do you want a pretty, happy dog? Get a Nalgene!
I was in a meeting …
Posted by hilstreet in corporate America, friends, ponder on May 21, 2009
A hot topic at work right now is the ‘competencies we gain in our careers.’ Composure is something we gain, remaining confident and calm even when interactions become anxious or surprising. Composure is remaining confident and calm in a meeting even though you have just heard bad news, and remaining confident and calm in a meeting when you have just heard good news.
Life happens while we are in meetings. I was on a plane returning from a meeting when the first African-American United States President was elected into office, and in a meeting during his inauguration. I was in a meeting when I learned that Becky was pregnant with Hayden. I once received a phone call with terrible news while holding a clipboard and walkie-talkie, ready to run a press conference. We spend our days in meetings. Corporate America is the backdrop for many significant events.
Sure, I will fly to Mexico City tomorrow.
Yesterday, I was in a meeting when I heard my phone ding the “text-message ding” indicating that Will and Ellie had a baby boy. My eyes swelled with tears. A boy! Colin! A boy I can’t wait to meet and tickle. My friend, with whom I have always had something in common, had experienced the miraculous gift of life, meeting someone she loves more than anything. I couldn’t help but turn to putty when I thought about that young life.
But I can’t tap these emotions. I am in a meeting. I take a deep breath and continue thinking about PR.
Corporate America alone did not teach me composure, the crossroads between life and Corporate America did.
Status Update from Ellie.
And here is what Ellie had to say:
Status Update.
You get Will’s facebook status now. You will get an emotional post from me later.
Dallas Couple Sees Jesus Inside Cheese Snack
Hey Dallas friends – thought you would like this story! The Dallas Morning News started this story with “What Would Chessus Do?”
Thanks for sending, Stephanie.
From CBS 11, Dallas: Dan and Sara Bell of Dallas found a Jesus-shaped Cheeto while on a road trip last week. They have since nicknamed the figure “Cheesus.”
Many people have seen and heard about the likeness of Jesus turning up in unlikely places. Now, one North Texas family says they found Jesus in a cheese snack.
Dan Bell found his vision of Jesus last week at the gas station. “We were leaving town. I stopped by to fill up with gas and bought some snacks.”
Inside a 99-cent bag of Cheetos brand cheese snacks, Dan and his wife Sara found something unique.
Sara recalls the discovery. “I was putting them in my hand and I had eaten most of the ones in my hand, and one was left lying there. And I said, ‘Oh my gosh, look at this. It really looks like a person in a robe praying.’”
Dan looked over. “I said, ‘Wow, it does look like a praying Jesus.’”
The couple nicknamed it “Cheesus.”
“Cheesus” is about two inches tall. Despite missing a right arm, the Bells see a body, hair, robe and even a tiny face.
They say it is a reminder of their blessings from God; but primarily they think it’s a funny Cheeto.
Various incarnations of “Cheesus” have shown up before; in Houston, Missouri and on the internet site YouTube.
The Bells’ Cheeto ended up on the front page of the Preston Hollow newspaper. The big question, what to do with it now?
Dan says his first reaction was, “Let’s put this on eBay. How much do you think we should ask for it? It could be 25 cents, could be 25 dollars. If it’s only 25 cents, we’re just going to eat it.”
For now, they are keeping “Cheesus” in a plastic box.
A Scene “For the Ladies”
A few months ago, Husbanks and I went to see The Curious Case of Benjamin Button with Sean and Mary. We left the Alamo Draft House full and happy; Benjamin Button was a pretty good movie.
As we were walking to our cars, Ryan commented on this scene:
“Aw, man. Can you believe that scene? I mean, Brad Pitt on a motorcycle? It was pointless. That was just for the ladies.”
Excuse me?
How many unnecessary Laura-Croft-Tomb-Raider-shower scenes have we ladies sat through? How many slow-motion-running-on-the-beach scenes have we sat through?
And you comment on one scene provided as female eye candy because it didn’t advance the plot? You, gentlemen, have no room to talk. We have paid our “gratuitous cleavage” dues many times over, thank you.
Angelina had no reason to shower in the middle of Tomb Raider. No reason.
Yes, I enjoyed the Brad Pitt motorcycle scene. A lot. Please leave my Brad Pitt scenes alone.
Long live scenes “for the ladies!”
Jesus is now following you on Twitter
Posted by hilstreet in corporate America, faith, ponder on May 15, 2009
What is Twitter? Twitter is a page of status messages. From Wikipedia:
Twitter is a free social networking and micro-blogging service that enables its users to send and read other users’ updates known as tweets. Tweets are text-based posts of up to 140 characters in length which are displayed on the user’s profile page and delivered to other users who have subscribed to them (known as followers).
For example, many of my colleagues tweet things that happen at work; people interested in my company can be “followers” of my colleagues. Weslie shares funny observations. Some people you follow will tell you mundane things, like when they are brushing their teeth and stuff.
You choose what friends you want to follow. When someone chooses to follow you, here is the standard email you receive:
Hi,
Weslie (@hiweslie) is now following your updates on Twitter. A little information about hiweslie: 190 followers, 733 updates, following 75 people.
You may follow hiweslie as well by clicking on the “follow” button on their profile. You may also block hiweslie if you don’t want them to follow you.
- The Twitter Team
As of yesterday, Jesus is following me on Twitter. Now read the Twitter email from Jesus. Same email – different feel.
Hi,
Jesus (@Jesus_) is now following your updates on Twitter. A little information about Jesus: 2022 followers, 924 updates, following 1058 people.
You may follow Jesus as well by clicking on the “follow” button on their profile. You may also block Jesus if you don’t want them to follow you.
- The Twitter Team
Jesus sought me out first, then I chose to follow him. I could block Jesus if I didn’t want him getting updates about my personal life, or if I got annoyed by the message he was putting out there. I could also see who else follows Jesus the same way I do by looking for interactions between them and Jesus.
hmmmm … this would be an interesting sermon.
Ride your Bike to Work Week!
May is National Bike Month, and this week is National Bike to Work Week! If you’ve got a two-wheeled pedal-power machine, a helmet, and a safe route to work, you should try it! Fellow employees: bike commuters get free breakfast on Friday.
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@HilM- HilM: Our baby sleeping on a prayer shawl from Bethany UMC, Austin at #swtxac in Corpus. http://twitpic.com/5acwsn June 12, 2011
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