That's it -- it's called Bubble Tea!

Bubble tea is what I was trying to describe last month when I mentioned the fun milk tea with tapioca balls I had at the Shabu place in NY. In case you missed my vague description, see that blog here. Well, to my delight, there is a bubble tea location in Philadelphia. I went there tonight with some friends, it's called The Bubble House. Looks weird but fun to drink! It kinda gets addictive--trying to suck the tapiocas through the fat straw. You just keep wanting to do it over and over....like an addict to the drug. We were running late and Lisa hadn't finished getting all her tapiocas and she just couldn't put the drink down. Kept wanting to catch her tapiocas. I know the feeling. The Bubble House is right near the Penn campus along with a bunch of other cool little restaurants and shops. Now I see that Kyle has been keeping all of these fun Penn hot spots hidden from me! More places to explore :)

So we went to the restaurant before we headed to a free string quartet concert on campus that Lisa told us about. Kara, Lisa, Laurie and me enjoyed a nice little mini concert of classical music. I've decided our child should play the violin. I really like that instrument. Who knows, maybe I'll decide to take up the violin! Since I have so much free time.....

So yesterday I mentioned that going to NYC twice in one week is my limit well the warning light has gone off, the siren has sounded, I've exceeded the limit because I'm going in tomorrow for the THIRD time this week. I'm trying to keep the cranky grump at arm's length but I feel her creeping up. At least it's Friday. (insert big long sigh here) I had to cancel Kung Fu for the second Friday in a row. One of these days I will Kung Fu and report on it. And one of these days I will make plans during the week and not have to cancel at the last minute due to my weird work schedule.

Birthday Wishes and a Quick Update. Goodnight.

First off, Happy Birthday to my dear Dad! I called early this morning to wish him a happy birthday and he claimed he had forgotten it was his birthday! ;)

I had a busy day in NYC. Next week I'm going for 3 days to help with the deadline that is fast approaching! I've been cleared to get a hotel (phew!). I turn into an emotional no good crank when I commute more than 2 days a week so the hotel will be good for my sanity.

Kyle officially accepted his summer internship offer today. We are on the prowl for a housing arrangement now.

I'm pooped. I've hit my commuting limit this week. I'm going to bed.

Hasta manana amigos.....

This Is It!!

Today I jumped in with both feet and an inflatable raft. I have scheduled my first exam of the ARE (Architecture Registration Exam) YIKES!

I am telling everyone because now I have to be accountable...so, please, feel free to ask me how it's going. This test is part 1 of 9. It's a slow process but I'm excited for the challenge and the opportunity to say "I am a registered architect!" My first test covering Construction Documents (thrilling!) will be on May 3rd. Don't worry, I'll remind you when it gets closer to the date. I'll need the prayers of everyone I know going into it. I chose one of the easier (I hope) tests to take first to give me some positive momentum going into this thing.

I'm watching an amazing documentary on the Discovery Channel about high season for Alaskan King Crab fisherman. The deadliest job in the world. It's so intriguing. The dangers! The thrills!

Speaking of dangers and thrills. Kyle and I ventured out tonight for a Rita's Water Ice!! I'm not sure if I've mentioned it but they're open for the season!!! I had tropical punch flavored ice. Sooooo yummy! Kyle had a Fudge Brownie Misto---the usual. I forgot how much we like this place!

Kyle received his official offer letter today. He should be making an acceptance soon.

Well, after this documentary is over it's bedtime. I'm headed to New York tomorrow.

Things That Are Unneccessary

So what do YOU think when you see this picture:

Alarming isn't it. Well, imagine my shock when I tapped out CNN.com on my keyboard for my daily news dose and I was confronted with this intimidating picture. At first glance, I decided Armeggedon was here and the US had just been attacked by a nuclear warhead, fumes quickly spreading throughout the country and we're doomed. I mean, was this picture really necessary? I fired off an email to CNN's "feedback team" to tell them I thought this picture was highly inappropriate. Yes, I did.

On to other news of the day:

I'm a little concerned about my project at work. We have a major deadline on April 17 (which is also right after Easter weekend) and it turns out that 2 of the main people organizing the project plus the project manager will be out on vacation. That's great news. Everyone's been asking for the deadline to be pushed back since there's been so many major changes to the project but it's not happening. It should be an interesting few weeks. I'll be breathing a sigh of relief whenever the deadline passes.

SO....what's a girl to do at lunchtime but head to my 5th Ave playground. My two options in immediate proximity are Saks (across the street) or Banana (next door). Saks is great. Nice eye candy but the selection of items within my budget is weeeee-tiny. So when I do actually need items, like today, I hit BR with a fervor. They have a really huge selection and a great sale rack. I needed some lightweight pants for the spring. I love pants. I wear them all the time because they cover my whitey un-toned legs. I've noticed lately that some of my pants are a little snug. I blame this on the dry cleaners. Surely I'm not plumping......no, it must be the dry cleaners. They always mess things up. I have been forced to buy new pants!

It'a All Coming Together!

Friends and Family,
Thank you for all your prayers. We have great news to report! Kyle had an interview today with a big investment company in NY. They offered him an amazing summer position that he is really excited about. He described it as a hybrid between investment banking and private equity. I'm not sure what that means? But probably it means a lot of time. Best of all, in addition to his salary, they offered a living stipend to cover expenses for an apartment in NY!! This is so great because now we can be together and both work in New York for the summer. I am pumped!

Now this part makes a great blog story: Last night we had resigned ourselved to the fact that Kyle would most likely work in Houston and I would stay in Philly and were kinda getting used to the idea when Kyle looked over to me and said, "should I just cancel the interview for tomorrow?" and I told him he should just go ahead and see what happened. I even offered that he should spend the extra $40 and take the Amtrak back to Philly instead of the slower regional train that he took last time. And just look what happened!! Plus, the company offered to pay for his train ticket anyways! HA!

So I was in another boring technology meeting this morning. Thank goodness I didn't fall asleep on my donut. I was able to stay awake by dreaming of ice cream and puppy dogs. I finally got a hold of Kyle in the afternoon and he was describing his great day to me over the cell phone when he saw someone famous walk out of the Mandarin Oriental hotel and into a Rolls Royce. Turns out it was rapper Jay-Z, otherwise known as Beyonce's bootylicious boyfriend.

I was just lamenting to my train seat partner last night that I have never seen anyone famous in NY besides Katie Couric, Al Roker, & the elusive Matt Lauer. But they don't count anymore because now I have seen them too often since they are constantly in Rock Plaza.

More good news: Kyle got his grades back for this semester and he made 3 HP (high pass) and 1 DS (distinguished student). DS is the highest grade. And his teacher in this class sent him a really encouraging email:

Kyle:
I just wanted to send you a quick note to say congratulations on doing so well in BPUB/LGST 621 this year. The truth is, having first-rate students is what makes teaching so much fun, and as you can likely tell from your grade in the class, I thought that you were exceptional. Not only was it my pleasure to share a classroom, but equally, I thought that you really contributed a lot, and this is something that not only I really appreciate, but something your classmates are likely equally grateful for. You pushed me to do a better job in the classroom, and I think that you really pushed your classmates to think harder in our class discussions.

Congratulations on a terrific quarter!

Welcome Spring!

Today is the first day of spring (which I am most looking forward to) and we awoke to flutters of snow?! What?! Yes, snow. Not a blizzard or anything but definite flutters of precipitation that wasn't mist or fog but little minute particles of snow. Weird. Kyle said he spotted daffodils blooming in Rittenhouse and the trees were starting to get green again. And a trip to Longwood is in our near future. This MUST mean that Spring is just around the corner!

This weekend was pretty boring. Friday was the highlight because we had our neighbors, the French people, over for dinner. We had been trying to connect with them for several weeks and finally we settled on a date one month in advance and, as usual, I panicked about what to cook for the entire month. I settled on spaghetti and meatballs which I made on Friday and then again on Saturday since I was scheduled to deliver a meal to our church friends that just had twins. So, if anybody needs meatballs I have a refrigerator full. Anyways, back to the dinner party.....by the end of the night, after 2 bottles of wine and the brandishing of Sandra's shiny new blue Kung Fu sword, I found myself volunteering to attend a Kung Fu lesson this Friday with Sandra. She says Kung Fu helps her release and manage her frustrations with work in a physical and controlled way. Sounds like something I could use! Plus, physical activity is always good.

Kyle's been tackling a daunting week with lots of tasks to accomplish: studying, papers due, more internship interviews, etc.We are still up in the air about what is going on this summer although it appears that a Houston job seems to be in the lead! It would be tough to be apart from Kyle all summer but since I am a list person and a preparation nut, I have begun to prepare myself by making lists of things I could do while Kyle is away and all the exciting things to look forward to in the summer (mini-milestones to mark the passing of time).
We'll keep ya posted!

Newport, Rhode Island: A Summer Retreat

JJBeezer--this one's for you!

The above picture is of a little light house Kyle and I visited around sunset on Friday evening, our first evening in Newport. It was a little difficult to get to but we finally found a foot path leading to the light house. Our short trek from the car to the lighthouse had all the makings of a scary movie. Walking through brush......near dusk......on a muddy path. I felt that at any moment that creature the townspeople of the movie "The Village" were all scared of was going to come busting out of the woods and kill us. Thankfully, there was no beast and we enjoyed a nice sunset.

Newport is where a lot of the early-century big shots built their summer "cottages" here on the edge of the east coast. Our favorite "cottage" (160,000 square feet) we toured was The Breakers built by the Vanderbilt family as their summer retreat. The scale of the home was so huge it was unimaginable to me that people lived there. It looked like a museum! Here is a picture of the gate in front of the house .....

And the back of the house---the view that faces the amazing ocean and back yard

Can I just say this backyard is a 7 yr old Lori dream....I mean, consecutive cartwheels for a 1/4 mile?! Need I say more?

Kyle & I met up with our friends, Dee & Chris, on Saturday to tour the mansions and the 4 of us spent the afternoon walking along a pedestrian trail called Cliff Walk that runs along the top of the cliffs on the shoreline behind all these magnificent mansions . It was really fun to visit with them and enjoy the beautiful day. We even got a nice 60 degrees that day to enjoy nature! Kyle and Chris were very adventurous and decided to climb the rocks down to the water to explore. Dee & I, being women of discernment, stayed a safe distance behind so as not to be washed upon the rocks. Kyle's adventure to the Atlantic Ocean was most exciting since he proclaimed he had been to both the Pacific & Atlantic coasts in one week. An amazing feat, indeed.

Happy St. Patrick's Day from Newport, Rhode Island!

Click here to see the Newport Mansions!

Coming Soon...Newport Recap

Hi friends! We've been super busy lately but I just wanted to let everyone know we're still here. We had a great time in Newport, Rhode Island this weekend. It was our Spring Break getaway before Kyle starts his last quarter of the first year! It was nice to have another vacation to look forward to. I really liked being near the ocean, touring the Newport Mansions, and seeing some quaint little New England towns. I'll post pictures soon.

Kyle is in New York today interviewing with 2 companies for summer internships. Hope we hear some good news soon. I'll write more later!

The Best Surprise Ever!

Back in January I planned a trip to Houston this past weekend to surprise my mom for her birthday. My dad and I were co-conspirators in crime. He knew I was coming and did a good job keeping the secret mum.

I woke up at 3:45 AM on Friday (yowsers!), boarded a 6 AM flight and arrived at 9 AM in Houston. My dad picked me up from the airport and I waited for my mom to come home from work around noon. When she arrived, I opened the door and yelled "SURPRISE!!!" and I thought she was going to have a small heart attack. She really had NO clue and was so excited to see me. We all got to hang out and mom and I did girly things on Saturday and then I returned to Philly Sunday night. She proclaimed it was the best birthday ever so I have to say my plan was a success.

Unfortunately, since I had planned this trip way in advance and my clone wasn't available this weekend, I missed out on the trip to California to visit the new Carmel house. Boo! Kyle is on Spring Break this week and found a great rate to CA so he flew out there where his parents put his young, muscular body to work by helping them move heavy furniture items into the new house. But hold your sympathy right there. Last time I checked he was playing golf at Pebble Beach so I think he's holding up quite alright. Kyle also declared to me that he sees no reason to ever go on another vacation again since Carmel is the most perfect place ever.

So last night was spent alone in the Philly apartment, watching the Oscars by myself and deciding I find the excess of celebrity self-appreciation a little annoying. It's a lonely apartment without my dear husband's presence around. I really miss coming home from work and being greeted with a big hug and smiley face. Come home soon, Kyle!!!!

Today is a yuck day at work. My computer connection is fried and I am not able to work which is really frustrating and makes for a horribly boring day. I've done some stuff by hand but it's time to get my machine up and running and no one seems to be making that a priority. Looks like I'll be headed to NY tomorrow (big sigh)

I'm a creature of habit.....

....in case you hadn't noticed. There's something in familiarity of routines and things that comforts me. That's just me and despite all the change that's happened over the past six months I have broadened my horizons in BIG ways and managed to find new familiar things to keep me happy. One obvious example is what used to be the almost daily $2.75 hoagie from the food truck at 20th & Market. Since moving offices, that food truck is too far. This little lunch luxury is no more and as I write this I am getting sad so let's move on to my new familiar habit. These days, going into NYC I look forward to the BAGEL food truck MEN. I discovered a breakfast food truck on my way to work and two of the friendliest, most happy men you've ever seen at 8 AM always greet me with a smile and present me with the fattest most beautiful cinnamon raisin bagel with about a 1/4" slab of cream cheese for $1. Yes, ONE dollar! Yummy!

Today I practiced my patented subway balancing act. Don't you wish you could've seen it?! It started with the usual subway puuuush into the car and I was left in the middle of the crowd with no way to hold on to any bars or poles or anything. I was floating like a fishie in the sea. Thankfully we were packed in so tight there was no chance of me moving more than an inch in any direction....

By far the worst thing I've seen in a while was on my taxi ride home. We came to a clog in the intersection and as we detoured I turned back and saw a woman lying in the street surrounded by people. It looked like she had been hit by a car maybe or had a heart attack in the street? The ambulance hadn't arrived yet. Oh, it was horrible. I said a prayer for her because it really looked bad.

On the lighter side, I feel like I've really accomplished a lot at work this week. That's a great feeling for me. Kyle has been having lots of finals. The last one's tomorrow. He won't hear back on his results for a while but I know he was succesful. He is now very intently watching the aTm v. t.u. basketball game and I'm signing off to join him. It's a close one!