New job, same desk

Due to the major reorganization going on in my little HP world right now, I now have a new job--moved from client management to sales ops--and I love it. This new job has so much potential.

Of course I'm still with HP, so I still work from the same 'ol home office. No surprises there. Everything at HP is pretty virtual.

Yey for new jobs.

Brrr...

It's 1 degree outside right now!

The weather report says 20-25 below with wind chill. This is officially the coldest weather we've experienced in Chicago thus far. So what did we do? We went outside! We had to see what all the fuss was about.

We felt too bad to ask a stranger to stop long enough to take a picture, so we did it ourselves. Can you see how my eyes are watering?

Here we are getting bundled up to go outside...I think we were wondering if these were the last pictures we'd ever take...

We love Chicago!

I love this book

I just finished Persuasion this weekend. Read it. It is such a little gem!

I couldn't help thinking after I finished this book how wonderful classic literature is. When you compared it to all the modern stuff that is churned out today, it is a breath of fresh air. For example, books like The Pillars of the Earth are lauded in reviews (and even by Oprah herself--I can't figure that one out), but ugh what a horrible book. Shannon hated (and couldn't finish) Love in the Time of Cholera. Then you take a New York Times Bestseller book like The Memory Keeper's Daughter which is decent read, but not inspiring, or uplifting, or enlightening. It just makes me think life is too short to read mediocre books. There is so much classic literature out there that is so much better. So if you're looking for a good book to read this year, I would recommend these to anyone before reading the next Oprah book club book.

My Favorite Classics:

Les Miserables

Tale of Two Cities

The Count of Monte Cristo

Rebecca

The Hiding Place

Persuasion

Pride and Prejudice

Anne of Green Gables

Jane Eyre

If you have any good recommendations, please send them along! Heather told me to read Crime and Punishment, Mansfield Park, and Dracula this year, so I am going to add them to my 2008 "To Read" list.

I think I'm going to pick up Mansfield Park today.

Now organized for the new year

My first goal of the new year was to get our place organized and labeled. We have so little space that everything counts. I saved Christmas money so I could go over to The Container Store (I love that place) and Target to load up on org containers, baskets, and closet shelves.

FYI, a hanging shoe rack does wonders in storing scarves, gloves and hats during winter.

I can now check this one off the "To do in 2008" list.

Ted, you and I have witnessed many things, but nothing as bodacious as what just happened...

Greetings everyone! This is Michael Joseph Featherstone here, signing on and posting my first entry on our blog. Erin and I have discussed numerous times what might be an appropriate first entry for me, but alas, until this point, I don't think I could really come up with anything of worth...

Until, that is, the night of January 3, 2008, when Erin, her siblings, and I all sat down and watched a DVD that Erin's sister Heather gave Nathan for Christmas...BILL AND TED'S EXCELLENT ADVENTURE!


A modern American classic, I must say. I lament that Alex Winter's career as an actor didn't expand much beyond this and Lost Boys. I hear, though, that he's been a fairly successful producer and director; I am relieved that we are not robbed of his creative genius today, when we need it most. The dearth of decent talent in the movie business these days makes me pine for the days when brilliant dialogue such as this filled the multiplex:

Bill: Ted, while I agree that, in time, our band will be most triumphant. The truth is, Wyld Stallyns will never be a super band until we have Eddie Van Halen on guitar.
Ted: Yes, Bill. But, I do not believe we will get Eddie Van Halen until we have a triumphant video.
Bill: Ted, it's pointless to have a triumphant video before we even have decent instruments.
Ted: Well, how can we have decent instruments when we don't really even know how to play?
Bill: That is why we NEED Eddie Van Halen!
Ted: And THAT is why we need a triumphant video.
Bill, Ted: EXCELLENT!

In all seriousness, though, this movie is classic--in that campy, "man it was fun when I was 10 years old and got a kick out of these movies" kind of way. Thinking back on this movie makes me miss other such classics from those formative pre-adolescent movie-watching days...

Who could forget these?

Surf Ninjas! My favorite part was when Rob Schneider pretended to be in a wheelchair and threatened to beat someone with his leg.

Or this classic:
I mean, you've got 80's icon Mia Sara, a 13-year-old-looking Tom Cruise jumping around, fairies, unicorns, Jon Anderson on the soundtrack, and Tim Curry as Darkness with huge horns! What's not to love?

I could go on for hours, but I'll close with this classic:

To be completely honest, I don't think I've seen this movie since I was 7 or 8 years old, so I don't remember much of it. I do remember thinking that it some deep message about good and evil. I need to put it back on the Netflix queue...right after The Battle for Endor and, of course, Labyrinth.

Palm Springs Holiday

Another family tradition...we spent the week between Christmas and New Year's in Palm Springs.

I think we probably hiked every peak in the valley. Such is the lot of being born (or marrying) into the Robinsons. Mike loves it because it brings his hidden outdoorsy streak out. We awarded him "trek leader" for over half of the hikes. Oh so funny.

PS. We also found out Austin and Rachel just got engaged! Congrats!

The bonus prize we received out of the Palm Springs trip is that we completely forgot that we had to return to a Chicago winter.

The tradition lives on...

Surfing on Christmas day

This was the main reason Mike didn't complain to much about being in CA for Christmas (instead of back home where they were getting slammed with perfect skiing snow).

It was a great day...the waves were "perfect" (aka big enough to ride, but not too big to scare me out of the water). I really am not that good. Mike has learned fast though, and pretty soon he's going to be passing me up. I keep telling my dad that we've created a monster...

Annie's Bachelorette Party

We had Annie's bachelorette party while I was in California. FUN.

Happy soon-to-be wedding Annie!

I had to put this picture to show how adorable Annie's fiance is. Here we are decorating cupcakes before the party. What a cutie.