Rock Band!

This weekend Madelyn and I finally got to play Rock Band..... and we had SO MUCH FUN! If you haven't played this game you have to find someone who owns it and invite yourself over. It was so much fun that after we left Madelyn said "We need buy an Xbox and get that game". Wow.... It wasn't the years of begging from me.... it was one night of Rock Band that finally convinced her. If we get an Xbox everyone's invited to play some Rock Band.

Here are some pictures:

Madelyn is amazing on the guitar.... while I struggle with the drums

Trying to sing Beastie Boys Sabotage with your nose stuffed up is difficult.

When we weren't playing we were dancing. I'm trying to do some sort of robot... .while Madelyn sticks with the running man.

More dancing.... more robot and running man. We need some new dance moves.

Madelyn's rocking the guitar like a pro.

Raising my sticks higher in the air seems to make the end of the song more dramatic.

2007 Music

Here are the albums that were in heavy rotation in our house in 2007..... I would highly recommend all of the following if you are looking for some new music.

This isn't really in any order....

Spoon- Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga

This is by far the album that got the most play in our house in 2007..... it's fun, super catchy, and an all around amazing album (and they are Austin natives). Song's to get off iTunes: Eddie's Ragga, You Got your Cherry Bomb, Don't you Evah, The Underdog.

Feist- The Reminder

This is a great album that was a popular hit in our house. I still like it.... even after all the Apple commercials. Song's to get off iTunes: I feel it All, 1234.

Okkervil River- The Stage Names

I saw these guys perform on Conan O'Brien and I immediately bought the entire CD. This is a really fun album (they are also Austin natives). Songs to get off iTunes: Our Life is Not a Movie or Maybe, Plus Ones, Unless it Kicks.

Wilco- Sky Blue Sky

Wow. The more and more I listen to this album the more I like it. It's just SO good....... like, in your CD player for 1 month good. Songs to get off iTunes: the whole album! But if you don't have the funds get these: You are My Face, Walken, Impossible Germany (best song of the year), Either Way.

Glen Hansard- The Soundtrack to Once

This movie is great.... but when you add the soundtrack it becomes an exceptional movie. It''s definitely worth seeing since it adds to the soundtrack a little, but you won't be disappointed with just the soundtrack. Song's to get off iTunes: Falling Slowly (2nd best song of the year), When your Minds Made Up.

Robert Plant and Alison Krauss- Raising Sand

When I heard Robert Plant and Alison Krauss were going to make an album I was skeptical. Led Zeppelin meets Union Station? Seemed like a strange combination..... but that's exactly what makes this album amazing. If you are a fan of either Led Zeppelin or Alison Krauss you'll like this album.... hence why it's been in rotation at our house. Songs to buy off iTunes: Stick with me Baby, Killing the Blues (3rd best song of the year).

Other Good Albums and Songs:

Amy Winehouse- Back to Black

If you can ignore all the drama involving Amy Winehouse you'll love this album. Songs to buy off iTunes: You know I'm No Good, rehab

The Shins- Wincing the Night Away

It's a good album.... but maybe I'm just getting a little sick of the Shins. It definitely got it's fare share of play time, but I never went crazy for it. Songs to get off iTunes: Australia, Phantom Limb.

Laura Veirs- Salt Breakers

I didn't like this one as much as her last CD.... but it's still really good. Song's to get off iTunes: Cast A Hook, Salt Breakers

Iron and Wine- The Shepard's Dog

This is a good CD, but I don't like it as much as his older stuff.... although I respect him for trying something new. If you are a Iron and Wine fan you'll like this one. Song's to get off iTunes:Boy with a Coin (if you like this one you'll like the album)

Band of Horses- Cease to Begin

I just bought this album... but I'm really liking it. This could be a big hit in 2008. Song's to get off iTunes: Is there a Ghost

Regina Spektor-Begin to Hope

This is a really interesting and different album.... it's refreshing. If you are looking for a good female singer/song writer this may be for you. Song's to get off iTunes: Fidelity

Flight of the Conchords - (Anything you can find)

This was a great discovery in 2008. They are a comedy band (like Tenacious D... but less offensive) with a show on HBO. Get some song's off iTunes and rent the DVD's from season 1. Really funny.

Quiz Time

As some of you may know I am not the biggest "risk taker." I am usually reluctant to "try new things" or "meet new people." Luckily, I married a fun and adventurous man who helps me come out of my shell and realize that there are other fun things to do on Wednesday nights besides watching Project Runway in my pajamas. Last night Cody talked me into going to a local Irish Pub downtown to compete in their weekly quiz contest. He heard about it on one of his favorite websites: www.yelp.com, which is a great place to find out about local events, read restaurant reviews, even write your own reviews! There had been a lot of chatter about this event and Cody knew there would be lots of people there to make a team. He was right! We grapped our friend Heidi and met up with some other people and made an awesome team which won third place and a gift card to the Pub. We had such a good time and we were pleasantly surprised to find that the pub served food that looked and smelled delicious. The only thing we regret is forgetting our camera. I think we will definitely be back next week early so we can get a good spot and have some dinner! We'll make sure to take our camera too.

San Francisco.... The final installment!

Sorry to drag our trip out into three blog entries...but we just had so much fun! Sorry if this one is a little long, but a part 4 seemed like too much! The next day of our San Francisco trip started the same as the previous days.... with an omelet (that makes four in four days) at the hotel breakfast buffet. It was good, and gave us the energy we needed to walk/hike/traverse to Coit Tower. Coit Tower sits up on a large hill (we would know....we walked it!). The view was amazing and made all of the effort worth it.

From San Francisco

From San Francisco

After Coit Tower we were off to Union Square for some shopping. We took a much needed Cable Car ride... which was both a relief on our legs and extremely fun. We also learned that it's important to call these things "Cable Cars" and not "Trolley Cars"...making this mistake is like putting a big "TOURIST" sticker on your head. There are both calbe cars and trolley cars in San Francisco, and mixing them up is like calling a taxi a bus and thinking that they are the same thing. Just in case any locals couldn't tell we were tourists by our cable car foux pas, I made sure to walk around with a large camera around my neck constantly taking pictures....

From San Francisco

From San Francisco

From San Francisco

While the women shopped (at the largest, most horrifying, and crowded Forever 21 you'll ever see) Madelyn’s Dad, Robert, and I went to China Town for some sightseeing. I was able to get a picture in front of a sign for Jackson (my little brothers name) Street written in Chinese. Robert was on a quest to find a shop that had dead animals hanging in the window which we found easily! We also were able to ask one of the shop owners which Chinese restaurant was the best.... she pointed us to a place we visited for lunch the next day. It was literally a "hole in the wall".... and besides the one portable heater that was supposed to heat the entire restaurant which forced us to eat in our coats.... we all agreed is was the best Lo Mein we had ever tasted.

From San Francisco

From San Francisco

The next few days were full of more shopping, more eating, watching football, eating In and Out, playing Boggle, going back to Ghirardelli square for more hot chocolate and Ice Cream, watching Man Vs. Wild, playing with baby Elly, eating famous clam chowder out of famous bread bowls, etc. On the last night we stayed in San Jose and drove over to Santa Cruz to see the beach. It was a nice ending to our trip.

From San Francisco

From San Francisco

From San Francisco

We had a really great time in San Francisco.... which wouldn't have been possible without the Fowleses generosity. A huge THANK YOU goes out to them. It was great seeing everyone and was really the perfect end to 2007.

San Francisco Part II

Our trip was too exciting just to fit on one blog! The obvious first step on a first day in San Francisco is to see the Golden Gate Bridge. So after an omelet breakfast at our hotel (that makes three in three days... starting to get sick of them) we were off to the iconic West coast landmark. I took about a million pictures, but here are a select few below (please click on the pictures to see our entire album).

From San Francisco

From San Francisco

After gazing at the city and the bridge for a while we were trying to decide what to do next. Since we were already on the other side of the bridge we took a small drive to Muir Woods to see some California Redwoods. This was a highlight of the trip, and Madelyn and I can now say we have seen the "The Redwood Forest and the Gulf Stream Waters"..... this song was in our heads for the rest of the day. Unfortunately this was a popular destination for the local tourists and I think we had to park our car somewhere near the California and Oregon border. The trees were much bigger and even more amazing in person..... the pictures just don't do them justice.

From San Francisco

From San Francisco

From San Francisco

From San Francisco

After Muir Woods we headed back to the hotel to meet up with the Andersons. But on our way back we stopped at the beach in San Francisco and drove through Golden Gate park. After a quick stop by In and Out Burger (the first of 2) we headed back to the hotel to meet Madelyn's sister Lacy, brother-in-law Brandon, and one-year old niece Elly, who had driven up from Visalia for the weekend.

From San Francisco

That night we had amazing pizza at a local neighborhood restaurant. The pizza was awesome! It's too bad, but this is the only picture I have of Elly (who LOVES pizza, by the way)..... but you can see plenty of pictures here.

From San Francisco

I don't want to make these posts too long.... so I guess there will be a part III! Stay tuned.....

San Francisco Part I

Since both Madelyn and I were off work the entire of week of Christmas we thought it would be the perfect time to take a vacation. The problem was we didn't know where to go. Once Madelyn told her parents we were thinking of taking a vacation they thought it seemed like a lot of fun, so we invited them to join us on our post-Christmas trip. Someone suggested visiting San Francisco (which I have never been to) and we were off! This was excellent news for Madelyn's sister, Lacy, who lives in California.... and soon enough our trip had three more (her husband Brandon, and their 1 year old Elly). The day after Christmas we were on our way to California....

From San Francisco

What would a vacation be without stopping at a tourist trap? So after an omelet breakfast (as you can tell from our last post.... this would be two omelets in two days) we were off to the Winchester Mystery House. The story goes that Mrs. Winchester (the wife of the owner of the rifle company) thought the ghosts of all the people killed with Winchester Rifles were haunting her house. So, on the advice of a psychic, she decided to build on to her house continuously for 32 years, 24 hours a day. The result is a crazy Victorian mansion with staircases to nowhere, rooms with no exits, and a continued stream of tourists.

From San Francisco

This is a door to the outside of the house.... on the 2nd floor.

From San Francisco

This is somewhere near the top of the house. I can't tell you how we got there or how we got back down.... but the view was nice.

After a quick drive through memory lane at Stanford University Hospital (where Madelyn was born and Robert completed his internship and residency) we were off to San Francisco. We stayed near Fisherman's Wharf, so the logical next step was to eat some good seafood on the Wharf with a view of the Golden Gate bridge.

From San Francisco

From San Francisco

That's the Golden Gate bridge in the background.... it was a fantastic view while we ate some amazing seafood.

After dinner we headed over to Ghirardelli Square for the best hot chocolate I have ever had. It was amazing and perfect for a very cold and windy night in San Francisco. It was so good we made sure to visit again.

From San Francisco

From San Francisco

After an EXTREMELY long day (we woke up at 4:30 am Texas time - that would be 2:30 am in California!) we went to an action movie so we wouldn't fall asleep.

Stay tuned for San Francisco Part II!

Christmas!!

Another Christmas has passed, the Christmas decorations have been put away, and it's back to work tomorrow. Madelyn and I had a great Christmas. Two weeks ago we went up to Dallas to spend some time with my Grandma and Grandpa and also got to spend a little time with Madelyn's dad who was in town for work. Although it was REALLY cold, it was really fun to get to spend time with everyone before the craziness of Christmas.

From Christmas

(This is Madelyn on Christmas Adam wrapping presents)

After some last minute shopping on Christmas Adam (this is what Madelyn has decided to call the day before Christmas Eve) we were ready for Christmas Eve at my Grandma and Grandpa's house in San Antonio. We opened mountains of presents, ate a nice Christmas Eve dinner, and played some games. We then headed over to my Great-Grandpa's house for some "hob-nobbing" with the extended family. When we were about to leave for my Great-Grandpa's, I told my mom that we were ready for some "hob-nobbing" with the family. She replied, in a joking manner, "It's not really "hob-nobbing" it's more like "slumming"". This is quickly becoming a wonderful Christmas quote that will be used for years to come.

From Christmas

Above is Madelyn singing Christmas carols (in German of course) at my Great-Grandpas house with my uncle Michael, and my sister Cady. By the way, yes... those are deer heads with Christmas ornament earrings. My great grandpa is quite the tasteful decorator.

From Christmas

Above is a picture of Madelyn's apple with her number (as entered into the family) on my Great Grandpas tree. This tree of course sits next to the TV, which is of course placed on top of another T.V. Again, my Great-Grandpa is quite the decorator.

From Christmas

To further emphasize my Great Grandpas house, here is the wall of deer heads and horns. Of course, this picture includes one of my relatives in a cowboy hat...... for those of you in the north, this isn't a costume, he is actually wearing this hat for fashion purposes.

From Christmas

Before we ripped through our presents I took a picture of all of the presents under the tree. Madelyn and I had our first Christmas alone since we've been married. We woke up early to stockings filled with candy, presents under the tree, and a nice omelet breakfast (which we immediately regretted, as you'll see from our next post, we didn't know we would be eating omelette's for the next 4 days). After all of our presents were opened we headed out for a Christmas Day movie. We went and saw Juno, which we highly recommend, it was a great "feel good" Christmas Day movie. Since we were leaving for San Francisco the next day, we had to come home after the movie and pack and get ready for our trip.

We had a great Christmas, and loved spending time with the family. We are looking forward to 2008!

The day after Christmas Madelyn and I woke up bright and early and headed to San Francisco..... stay tuned for more info about our trip.