Trying to stay positive through the busy week of work in Vienna. Here are a few things that I love so far:
*The weather has been pretty wonderful - chilly in the morning but gorgeous the rest of the day.
*The view from my room is amazing (which is good, because this is my base for work at the moment). I have an awesome view of the skyline on both sides of my corner room!
*My windows open up just a bit to let in the cool air and I get to listen to the sounds of the city - church bells ringing, the clacking of hooves on the pavement from the carriages, and the people in the park across the street.
*The staff at the Hilton Vienna have been so kind. It's been difficult anywhere else to find English-speaking people (cabs, shops, restaurants) but they have been able to understand me perfectly at the hotel - which is sooo important!
That's pretty much it so far. Sometime this week I plan to take the 10 - 15 minute walk down to St. Stephen's Cathedral which is the main thing to see downtown. I can see the top of it from my window and it is beautiful!
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Sunday, September 27, 2009
What a trip so far!
Well, everything started off great...
Fouad and I had a farewell lunch at The Flying Biscuit in Midtown. I had packed the weekend before and re-checked everything Friday night. I even told Fouad that I felt really good about not leaving anything behind. BIG MISTAKE. I had to go and open my big mouth...
As soon as I got to my gate, I went to put my passport up and noticed it was missing. My ATM card. I had transferred everything in my smaller wallet to a larger on that can hold my passport. I have EVERYTHING else. Need to rent a movie from Blockbuster? I'm on it. Want to get some Marriott points? No problem. What about that Georgia State ID that you don't even need in Atlanta? You betcha. How about some cash in Europe - nope, I'm outta luck. So, after worrying about it on the entire flight to Paris, I figured there wasn't much I could do, and that I would take care of it when I got to Vienna.
Then I got to Paris with an hour to spare before my connecting flight took off. Perfect, right? Wrong....
We arrived in Gate E and my connecting flight was in Gate D. Now, if I were planning an airport, Gate D would be pretty close to Gate E. This isn't the case at this particular airport. So, I went through customs and still had 30 minutes left to make it to my flight before it took off. I started walking, and walking, and walking...you get the idea. It wasn't as close as I had hoped. This was also made worse by my genious idea to cary on the welcome packet materials for the conference so that they wouldn't get messed up by being checked - or worse - not even arrive in Vienna. Did I put them in a rolling suitcase? Nope. A duffle bag. These things are HEAVY. So now I'm sweating. I finally get to Gate D, and there is a HUGE line to check my luggage - again. Now I have ten minutes until my plane leaves, and this line looks like it might take all day. I found an Air France agent who was able to sneak me through so I could get my luggage checked and RUN to my gate. I got on my flight and everything was fine. A little sweaty...but fine.
Got to Vienna, met up with my client (who saw just how sweaty I was when I boarded the plane, I'm sure...), got my checked luggage (woohoo!) and got to my room. The poor lady at the front desk asked for my passport like five times...I thought she was saying password. Wow. After a shower and a small breakdown over my missing piece to my adapter (it ended up I was already using it...darn jetlag) I am ready for the conference. Oh - and that pesky detail with the no cash situation? My awesome transportation contact for the group gave me a cash advance - thank goodness! I'm set until Foo arrives :-)
So, hopefully the rest of this week will be uneventful. The view from my room is amazing, but I won't be able to upload any pictures until Fouad gets here with the camera cord. Yeah, I forgot to pack that too...oh well...
Fouad and I had a farewell lunch at The Flying Biscuit in Midtown. I had packed the weekend before and re-checked everything Friday night. I even told Fouad that I felt really good about not leaving anything behind. BIG MISTAKE. I had to go and open my big mouth...
As soon as I got to my gate, I went to put my passport up and noticed it was missing. My ATM card. I had transferred everything in my smaller wallet to a larger on that can hold my passport. I have EVERYTHING else. Need to rent a movie from Blockbuster? I'm on it. Want to get some Marriott points? No problem. What about that Georgia State ID that you don't even need in Atlanta? You betcha. How about some cash in Europe - nope, I'm outta luck. So, after worrying about it on the entire flight to Paris, I figured there wasn't much I could do, and that I would take care of it when I got to Vienna.
Then I got to Paris with an hour to spare before my connecting flight took off. Perfect, right? Wrong....
We arrived in Gate E and my connecting flight was in Gate D. Now, if I were planning an airport, Gate D would be pretty close to Gate E. This isn't the case at this particular airport. So, I went through customs and still had 30 minutes left to make it to my flight before it took off. I started walking, and walking, and walking...you get the idea. It wasn't as close as I had hoped. This was also made worse by my genious idea to cary on the welcome packet materials for the conference so that they wouldn't get messed up by being checked - or worse - not even arrive in Vienna. Did I put them in a rolling suitcase? Nope. A duffle bag. These things are HEAVY. So now I'm sweating. I finally get to Gate D, and there is a HUGE line to check my luggage - again. Now I have ten minutes until my plane leaves, and this line looks like it might take all day. I found an Air France agent who was able to sneak me through so I could get my luggage checked and RUN to my gate. I got on my flight and everything was fine. A little sweaty...but fine.
Got to Vienna, met up with my client (who saw just how sweaty I was when I boarded the plane, I'm sure...), got my checked luggage (woohoo!) and got to my room. The poor lady at the front desk asked for my passport like five times...I thought she was saying password. Wow. After a shower and a small breakdown over my missing piece to my adapter (it ended up I was already using it...darn jetlag) I am ready for the conference. Oh - and that pesky detail with the no cash situation? My awesome transportation contact for the group gave me a cash advance - thank goodness! I'm set until Foo arrives :-)
So, hopefully the rest of this week will be uneventful. The view from my room is amazing, but I won't be able to upload any pictures until Fouad gets here with the camera cord. Yeah, I forgot to pack that too...oh well...
Monday, September 21, 2009
Painting Project
Well folks, the painting project has begun. Stay tuned for pictures of our newly painted house...
In the meantime, here's a few teaser pictures:
Living Room
Kitchen
Dining Room
In the meantime, here's a few teaser pictures:
Living Room
Kitchen
Dining Room
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
I'm back, baby!
No, you're not dreaming, it's Fouad (you can tell because it's blue!) After a long hiatus, I have returned! I have a lot to tell you people, so sit back and relax. You might want to go to the restroom first. Back yet? Good, let's get this started...
First, let me explain the reasons for my not posting in awhile. The reasons are twofold: One, I'm lazy. All the typing and adding pictures, it's just too much work. Two, and better sounding, I feel like I have to have something to say when I post a blog. This is mainly because I think that Amanda would get on here and censor my mindless ramblings. I have no concrete evidence that she would do this, but it definitely seems realistic. Regardless of this fear, I've decided to blog anyway! I shall not live in fear! I will blog with nothing to say! She's looking at me right now, and I can picture her hitting the backspace button over all of these wor
Just kidding! Still here! So to summarize, I'm going to try to post more often, but probably with less pictures. Now I'd like to tell you about the loves of my life. One is Amanda. She's good looking and cool. Another is fantasy football. I'm obsessed. I love any sort of gambling anyway (moundball, throw a penny at a wall, etc.), so of course this would appeal to me. If you're not into fantasy football, you wouldn't understand, but it's just terrific. I talk like I OWN these players and I play and bench them as I please. It physically pains me when someone on my bench has a huge week, and I may cry if one of them goes down with an injury. I've put a lot of time into this and the season hasn't even started. Don't worry, I'll keep you updated regardless of your interest level. The Foo-Tang Clan shall win it all!
Well, time to wrap it up. Have no fear, though, I'm here to stay.
And Mohamad's birthday was yesterday. Happy birthday brother. You rock like a scissors-beater.
First, let me explain the reasons for my not posting in awhile. The reasons are twofold: One, I'm lazy. All the typing and adding pictures, it's just too much work. Two, and better sounding, I feel like I have to have something to say when I post a blog. This is mainly because I think that Amanda would get on here and censor my mindless ramblings. I have no concrete evidence that she would do this, but it definitely seems realistic. Regardless of this fear, I've decided to blog anyway! I shall not live in fear! I will blog with nothing to say! She's looking at me right now, and I can picture her hitting the backspace button over all of these wor
Just kidding! Still here! So to summarize, I'm going to try to post more often, but probably with less pictures. Now I'd like to tell you about the loves of my life. One is Amanda. She's good looking and cool. Another is fantasy football. I'm obsessed. I love any sort of gambling anyway (moundball, throw a penny at a wall, etc.), so of course this would appeal to me. If you're not into fantasy football, you wouldn't understand, but it's just terrific. I talk like I OWN these players and I play and bench them as I please. It physically pains me when someone on my bench has a huge week, and I may cry if one of them goes down with an injury. I've put a lot of time into this and the season hasn't even started. Don't worry, I'll keep you updated regardless of your interest level. The Foo-Tang Clan shall win it all!
Well, time to wrap it up. Have no fear, though, I'm here to stay.
And Mohamad's birthday was yesterday. Happy birthday brother. You rock like a scissors-beater.
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Labor Day Weekend
What a fun-filled Labor Day weekend! It was all started off on Thursday with the Taylor Swift concert with Alison and her family. Taylor put on an adorably awesome show, and sang all of my favorites! Thank you Alison for getting us great tickets :-)
On Saturday, Fouad and I headed to White Water with Mary and Matt to play in the park. (No pictures...sorry!) Fouad and I haven't been back to the park in quite some time, and it was a blast seeing old friends and the little changes in the place where we used to work (and where we first met). Andy was working and made sure we were well looked after. He got us a cabana by the wave pool which was really great, even though the sun didn't come out for most of the day.
So...I knew that the food was pricey, and that parking wasn't cheap, but what I couldn't believe was the price for LOCKERS. It was $13 for a SMALL locker - no refund for a key at the end of the day. We probably would have needed a large locker, which would have set us back $19. Crazy! Good thing the cabana came with a storage unit to put all of our stuff in.
It was a great day. There were short lines for everything, and Foo and I finally got to ride the Tornado! We were both working when it originally opened, and during the employee ride night we both were caught up with closing duties and missed out on our chance to ride. Thanks to Mary for suggesting we go!
On Sunday, we went to Thrasher Park to attend sweet baby Avery's 1st birthday party. The theme for the party was Avery in Wonderland, complete with Avery's big brother Jackson as the Mad Hatter. What a perfect day for a party in the park! While all of the kids went to play on the playground, all of the adults played the Best Game Ever. This game involves a Nerf football, two teams, intentionally pelting the other team with the ball, and no flinching if the ball is headed toward your face. We are definitely stealing this game for our next get-together.
We also made a BIG project purchase this weekend. Paint was on sale at Home Depot, and we couldn't think of a better time to go ahead and bite the bullet. We bought enough paint for the entire interior painting project - no more (off)white walls! Several people at Home Depot thought we were crazy - they just couldn't believe we were buying so much paint...hopefully this isn't a sign of what we've gotten ourselves into...eek!
On Saturday, Fouad and I headed to White Water with Mary and Matt to play in the park. (No pictures...sorry!) Fouad and I haven't been back to the park in quite some time, and it was a blast seeing old friends and the little changes in the place where we used to work (and where we first met). Andy was working and made sure we were well looked after. He got us a cabana by the wave pool which was really great, even though the sun didn't come out for most of the day.
So...I knew that the food was pricey, and that parking wasn't cheap, but what I couldn't believe was the price for LOCKERS. It was $13 for a SMALL locker - no refund for a key at the end of the day. We probably would have needed a large locker, which would have set us back $19. Crazy! Good thing the cabana came with a storage unit to put all of our stuff in.
It was a great day. There were short lines for everything, and Foo and I finally got to ride the Tornado! We were both working when it originally opened, and during the employee ride night we both were caught up with closing duties and missed out on our chance to ride. Thanks to Mary for suggesting we go!
On Sunday, we went to Thrasher Park to attend sweet baby Avery's 1st birthday party. The theme for the party was Avery in Wonderland, complete with Avery's big brother Jackson as the Mad Hatter. What a perfect day for a party in the park! While all of the kids went to play on the playground, all of the adults played the Best Game Ever. This game involves a Nerf football, two teams, intentionally pelting the other team with the ball, and no flinching if the ball is headed toward your face. We are definitely stealing this game for our next get-together.
We also made a BIG project purchase this weekend. Paint was on sale at Home Depot, and we couldn't think of a better time to go ahead and bite the bullet. We bought enough paint for the entire interior painting project - no more (off)white walls! Several people at Home Depot thought we were crazy - they just couldn't believe we were buying so much paint...hopefully this isn't a sign of what we've gotten ourselves into...eek!
Fouad's Birthday - Part Two
Better late than never, right?
Well, Fouad's actual birthday was spent seeing District 9 and eating at Stoney River...mmmm. We had a great date night - great movie and delicious food. Both of us were beyond stuffed after dinner, but it was worth it!
Then, we got the family together later in the week to go to Flip Burger Boutique - which is the restaurant of Chef Richard Blais from one of Fouad's favorite shows - Top Chef. Blais is from Atlanta and was the runner up on the Chicago season. The restaurant has gourmet burgers ranging from a the plain Flip burger to some crazier concoctions such as a steak tartare burger or lamburger. Perhaps the best part of the meal was the delicious milkshakes. We tried the Krispy Kreme and Nutella with Burnt Marshmallow. Nutella won...hands down.
That concludes Fouad's birthday celebration for 2009. Personally, I think we overdid it just a bit...how about you?
Well, Fouad's actual birthday was spent seeing District 9 and eating at Stoney River...mmmm. We had a great date night - great movie and delicious food. Both of us were beyond stuffed after dinner, but it was worth it!
Then, we got the family together later in the week to go to Flip Burger Boutique - which is the restaurant of Chef Richard Blais from one of Fouad's favorite shows - Top Chef. Blais is from Atlanta and was the runner up on the Chicago season. The restaurant has gourmet burgers ranging from a the plain Flip burger to some crazier concoctions such as a steak tartare burger or lamburger. Perhaps the best part of the meal was the delicious milkshakes. We tried the Krispy Kreme and Nutella with Burnt Marshmallow. Nutella won...hands down.
That concludes Fouad's birthday celebration for 2009. Personally, I think we overdid it just a bit...how about you?
Saturday, August 22, 2009
Fouad's Birthday - Part One
Fouad's birthday is on Monday, but we decided to celebrate a little early this weekend. I planned a couple of surprises for him, and we've had a blast so far!
On Friday, Fouad, Michael, Dawn, and I went to Atlantic Station to see Bodies and Dialogue in the Dark. Both were really great experiences! We went through the Bodies expo first, and it was amazing to see and learn so much about how the human body looks and works. After going through the exhibit, you really want to take better care of yourself :-)
Next, we went to Dialogue in the Dark. This was everyone's favorite part. Dialogue takes you through everyday scenarios in a visually impaired person's life. You start in a room where they slowly dim the lights, and the rest of the experience is completely in the dark. You have a cane and a guide who is blind that leads you through each room. After feeling your way around, you realize where you are (grocery store, park, etc.) and begin to recognize things in those environments. Dawn was definitely our star student - guessing almost everything right away!
After going through each of the rooms, you also have a chance to ask your guide questions about their own journey. Our guide, Willard, has only been blind for about a year and a half. He told us all about his experience and how he has adjusted. It was very enlightening.
On Saturday, Dawn and Michael joined us again. This time it was to go tubing down the Chattahoochee! We started at Abbott's Bridge and floated all the way down to Medlock Bridge, which is about a four hour trip. It was an adventure...and we had so much fun. I think we'll definitely be doing this again!
Tomorrow is Fouad's actual birthday, and I'm taking him out to dinner and a movie. On Tuesday, we're getting together with the fam for dinner at a surprise location - somewhere Fouad's been dying to try for awhile!
Happy Birthday Foo! I hope you enjoy being spoiled this weekend!
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