I did resolve to post to my blog, which I'm hoping will make me start writing again. I do a lot of writing at work but it's not the same thing. I need to get the creative juice and the voice going for the blog and for my book, which still needing its second round of edits by me. As an aside, the professional editing got done a while back by my good pal Jenny Meadows (http://www.mycopyeditor.com/). Please check her out if you're in need of copy editing services.
Like I did in 2008, I wanted to make my fist post in 2009 one that shows the great images from the year. I'll focus on the post-March timeframe.
My 40th birthday in Vegas was attended by me and 12 of my best friends from around the world - Sheri got the prize for coming from Australia (no not only for my birthday). It was a complete blast and have totally embraced being 40. I wore a gold dress which garnered a lot of attention. Sharon organized yet another fantastic party at Craftsteak in Mandalay Bay.
In August we surprised my dad with a party to celebrate his last stint as Operations Director at the Republican Convention. He has retired twice already and the joke was that this was the third one but it won't stick. We'll have to find out in 2012. It was a beautiful weekend in St. Paul, MN and a welcome break from Texas which was hot as hell this past summer.
The party happened right before the launch of the Latitude E-family, which I worked. It was great to be back with the old Dell gang.
I'm on the board of KIPP Austin Public Schools. If you're not familiar with KIPP, please take a minute to check out the links at:On October 1, the high school opened with ceremony at the school. It was a great day and really amazing to see the first freshman class and how proud they are of their school. To see the great coverage we got thanks to Trew Marketing and the dedicated staff at KIPP, go to:http://www.myfoxaustin.com/myfox/pages/InsideFox/Detail?contentId=7561401&version=1&locale=EN-US&layoutCode=VSTY&pageId=5.2.1
Not long after the launch, Donna called to say she and John were getting married! The wedding was held at the Red Mountain Spa in St. George, Utah (http://www.redmountainspa.com/) and it was a complete blast. The bachelorette party included hip hop dancing and a drum session. I can say for sure on my blog with all credibility that none of us have any future as a dancer with Britney Spears. We are fairly sure the instructor quit not long after that. Luckily we were a little better at drumming.
John and I did water pilates the day of the rehearsal, and there was a great hike in Snow Canyon National Park the morning of the wedding. The wedding was in fact held in the park where we all went barefoot on the red sand. John and Donna were one of the happiest couples I've seen at a wedding. Congrats guys, and thanks to the Regenbaums and Kerrs for a great party.
The wedding was a great start to a fun holiday season. Dad and Pam were in Austin for Thanksgiving, along with Laurel. A huge meal was cooked and we all had dinner at Mom's. I think I am still stuffed!
After a busy December, it was time to rest and relax. We rented a house in Sonoma for a week with me, mom and Laurel. Check this place out - a great option if you're planning to go to CA wine country (http://www.homeaway.com/vacation-rental/p171072). We liked Sonoma because it is laid back and free of tour buses, but has many wineries and other fun things to do close by. Laurel got stuck in the snowstorm from Portland, but she made it! Highlights included Healdsburg, Bodega Bay, lunch at the CIA in Napa and the Sonoma Mission Inn and Spa. Susan and Pablo were out visiting Joe and Soledad, Pablo's sister and her husband. We all head Christmas dinner together and drank lots of red wine...Lory even made a cameo appearance for a day at the spa and some great food and wine. A great wind up to a great year.
More to come in 2009...really. Happy new year everyone!
More to come in 2009...really. Happy new year everyone!
