Softball Game Today

HIM: So, our next softball game starts at 3:15 today! I want all my players at the field at 2:30 (2:45 at the latest) so we can stretch, bat, throw, and get our shirts before we have to go out. It will be the same field as last week, too. Any other questions, give me a call!

By the way, I just want to comment on what a great job everyone did! On D., we've had some amazing catches in the outfield. On O., we've obviously had great hitters and runners, but I'd like to call attention to David's sprint at the pitcher going from 2nd to 3rd.

Knowing that he was about to be tagged out, he evaded the tag and took a route far off the baseline. Out of course, but it was fun just the same. And that's what we're here for (and a tournament win, but we're not quite there yet... ; )

I'm especially looking forward to our new jerseys (thanks Roxie!!!) and not having to play a double-header. Roxie will collect money for the shirts and I will collect your $10 for the league if you haven't paid me already.

See you shortly...

Let's play ball!

"The PURPOSE of LIFE is to BE HAPPY!"

HER: Recently, I have heard from some people I haven't talked to or seen for quite a while.
It is usually really hard for me to keep in touch with all my friends and relatives since we all seem to be caught in our worlds and have different lifestyles, but I think of them often and wonder what are they up to and hope for everybody's well being.
Creating this blog site has been really fantastic, it helps me keep in touch with so many people by letting them know what are we doing, where are we and also let others get to knowing me better :).

Everyday is a new day! (Smile as BIG as you can when you wake up, even if you are running late!)
Everyday has a new start. (So don't let the things that brought you down yesterday bring you down today.)

I have a precious life and I am thankful for it. I am lucky I have met you or have you in my life, because if I wouldn't of, I simply would not be the same person I am now or know what I know or be where I am, I am constantly learning, seeking for knowledge, trying to figure what life is all about, I see things now with much brighter eyes and a bigger smile :D.

Life takes you places, you meet wonderful people and create precious memories.

To Frank, Sebastian, all my friends and family. Thank you so much for being part of who I am. Have a WONDERFUL week!.

Quote: "Happiness is not something ready made. It comes from your own actions." -Dalai Lama

V at Bistro Aix...

HER: After arriving in Jacksonville. I began my job searching adventure!

It was fun, interesting, tempting and disappointing, for the first time I was turning down offers (4). This time I decided to restrict myself from night shifts, so that I could take care of my family and fit in a regular schedule. Seeking for a daily routine for the well being of Sebastian I was hoping to find a morning job.

When I arrived at Bistro Aix and met Mike Gorman (sous-chef) and Al (assistant), they didn't have a morning position available at a time. They arranged something up but I had already signed up with Maggiano's. We talked so that I could officially begin my training with them since I had previously visited their kitchen. I signed up last Wednesday (9/19) and they happily agreed to have me on Monday mornings only. I might come a night during the week sometimes, but that will be later.

Updated: My first day as a Bistro Aix employee was this past Monday. Everyone was so nice and welcoming. I had a great time. I will be rotating stations as part of my training. Definitely looking forward to it! :).

Wine tasting at Maggiano's

HER: Today, monday the 24th of September.
There is a Wine Tasting event at Maggiano's at 5:30pm.
7 varieties of wine and Hors d’œuvre.
I have a table reserved and if you are interested on comming along and sharing this experience, let Frank know or txt me and I will add you to the list.
Nivole - Moscato d'Asti - Italy
Kenwood Jack London- Cabernet - London
Foley Syrah - California
Hougue Late Harvest - Riesling - Washington
Lincourt - Charodonnay - Ausralia
Chateau Montrose - Champagne Brut - France
I don't know the 7th one yet. But sure looking forward to it. The event cost is 25 dollars so if you are interested, reply to this blog.
And if you are interested but didn't have enough time to plan let me know too.

DO YOU LIKE WINE?

HER: I have always enjoy wine tasting sessions.
I also enjoy wine with my meals or by itself.
Pairing wine up with a dish or dessert. Tasting the different styles from different regions.
Talking about it. The topic is very abroad.

This year we tasted a few newer wines that were out in the market. One of my top choices was the Moscato D'Asti. We tried several Moscatos from this region of Italy and other varieties of Muscats from different countries. Muscat is primarily dry, but some vineyards could produce it sweeter and some as a sparkling style, some are fortified. I recommend a semi-dry version.
Muscat Blanc, Muscat Canelli, Moscato Bianco, Muscat d'Alsace, Muskateller, Moscatel Rosé and Yellow Muscat are some of them. It is very curious how you can taste the grape in all of these versions being so different.
People call them a dessert wine, but the dryer versions go very well with Japanese food, pastas and artisan bread combinations. So if you get the chance give it a shot. I highly recommend it.

9 MONTHS!

HER: It has been 9 months, since Frank and I started dating :). I can't believe it! I still tell THE 4 WAY STOP CRUSH STORY with deep excitement (I am very expressive, if you didn't notice). People really seem to enjoy it and smile and say nah ah... or ask "For real?". Yes, it is true, it is like a fairy tale as some people describe it, and I am very happy to be part of it.
HAPPY 9 MONTHS LOVE!
Thank you for existing and being part of my life.
Thank you for all the happy moments you have given me and all the memories we create together.
TWO WORDS.... "AMAZINGLY AWESOME"

Softball Sunday @ 1:15

HIM: So, the F-Bombs play their first softball game on Sunday afternoon. Be at the field at 1:15 so that we can get your numbers TAPED to your backs, get briefed on your fielding assignment, and draw for batting list. We've had 2 great practices now and are waiting for a chance to prove ourselves on the field!

In reviewing the compiled rules (cobbled together from Kristin's emails), it appears we can field 10 people. That means we'll have 4 outfielders, 3 basepeeps, 1 short stop, 1 pitcher, and 1 catcher.

This link gives you driving directions and a map from FCSL to the field: MAP

Jason volunteered a cooler and Scott will be bringing some water. Vanessa and I will be bringing water as well.

$$$ - I know I said that we were waiting until the jerseys came in to collect the $10 league fee, but since things have come together a little later, I will be collecting the money on Sunday at the game.

For a more in-depth look at the sport, check out this softball summary.

Have a great weekend and I'll see you on Sunday!

Feeling Like Willy Wonka...

HER: The challenge was offered and I took it. Working for corporate has definitely been a change for me but I am actually enjoying it. Week 3 has now passed, I have not memorize all the names yet and I probably won't but a friendly smile for the moment works. It is a large kitchen with a large staff and that is the reason why.

At Maggiano's, there are a lot of Hispanic people that do prep. So translating has become an opportunity and it is nice to see some colorful people, they tend to be really funny with their accents and their jokes. They are like 8 of them, women mostly. A little guy that sings just like Madonna, Beyonce and Shakira, quite entertaining. Everyone else speaks english.

Producing in large quantities is definitely different but you can get used to and now things that seemed to be crazy sounding are becoming smooth moves.

The day's work load is large. I must confess that baking 8 cheesecakes is now part of every day's load, as well as baking and icing 100 lemon cookies and making 100 or more Zuccotto bites (chocolate truffles). Plus there's prepping and baking Apple Crostadas, 100 profiteroles, 15 chocolate cakes, 4 full sheet trays of Tiramisu, gallons of chocolate mousse and chocolate frosting, doughs, icing, dessert of the week, you name. There are different things each to make on each day.

I even have an Oompa Loompa (S. to keep his name reserved). Retiree from the navy that wants to learn the pastry business. Claims Emeril as his mentor and food network as part of his training. Talks with laughter about TV shows. Good Humor is required.

PS1: I just wished my parents had made me taller.
PS2: Thank you to all of those that help me reach out for stuff to meet the day's work :)

Softball Games on Sunday!

HER: On Sunday, the 23rd of September, the first softball game will take place.
I can't wait to see them play and take pictures of this upcoming event. I have heard what an awesome team this is, how impresively well they did and how much fun they had on their first practice.

Also, since I have been asked to come and watch the game I thought I would bring water and beer to calm the thirst and entertain the souls of the players. So if anyone reading this post, happens to have a cooler or know the existence of one or want to help with water and beer. Please reply this post to make this happen! Thanks!

HIM: Isn't she wonderful...? =)

Softball Practice Today => Losco Park 1:00

HIM: I received several good suggestions for the location of our Thursday practices. As of right now, we will be meeting at Losco Park, just off of Philips Highway. Here are the exact directions. This is a quick map just to let you see that it's close to the school:

If for some reason the Fates conspire against us this day and rain prevents our practice, I will post a notice of it and send out a mass email. Otherwise, practice is on for 1:00 this afternoon! Bring your bats, balls, gloves, and anything else you think we can use.

If you've got any questions, give me a call or wing a message payloaded paper airplane at me during Property! =)

Softball Roster, Schedule and Map!

HIM: So, we finally got information from the SBA about our softball season. I've decided to post all our need-to-know team information on this website. It will make it much easier to add, edit, and remove things without flooding our inboxes with emails.

This will be our 2007 FCSL softball team:

No. Name and Moniker
#00 Tierney Michel - Tierannosaur
#1 Seth Makarowitz - Big Mak
#2 Jenna Thomas - Jenna
#3 Frank Newkirk - Newk
#4 Jonathan Huynh - Taco
#7 Adrianna Pampanas - Sunshine
#9 James Austin - Jimmy
#10 Martha Mosquera - Pam
#11 David Jones - Jonesie
#12 Jason Stone - Stone
#13 Nichole Blaquiere - Nichole
#17 Brandon Howes - Howes
#23 Roxie Lovett - Rox
#27 Sally Kent - Super Sal
#30 Jill Gunnels - Gunnels
#31 Brien West - Wild West
#42 Scott Kasliner - Kaz
#47 Tad Keller - Nightrain
#55 Jerry Berkhalter - Berkhalter

Team Name
So, I've heard several ideas on names now. "Sting Rays", "F Troop", "Yo' Momma", "Effers", "Your Mother Effers", etc. There were some legitimate concerns raised about using the latter suggestions. In light of the scrutiny our professional lives may attract later on, I believe we should all take this under consideration. Appropriately, please send me some more suggestions and I will post a poll on the website. We should have about 5 or 6 non-mother-effer names to choose from. ;)

As well, the information from the SBA gave us some very specific rules/guidelines:

Players

Each member must pay $10 in order to participate in the intramural program. This will go toward paying umpires and buying regulation balls. Each player MUST have their number on their shirt, "even if taped".
Games

Games will have a 1 hour time limit. There must be at least 3 of our awesome females on the field at all times (or in our case, we should probably require at least 3 guys to be on the field at all times... ;) Batters start off with a 1-1 count (1 ball and 1 strike). A female (11") ball and a male (12") ball are required for each game.If we know that we don't have enough players for the game I have to let Kristin know 4 hours in advance or we can lose our chance to participate in the playoffs and we will forfeit our next game automatically.

Schedule
These are the dates for our games. Our first afternoon is actually a double header. Think of it as an "extended practice"...
September 23
2:00 – Field 2 Light Blue v. Blue
3:15 – Field 2 White v. Light Blue
September 30
3:15 – Field 2 Light Blue v. Grey
October 14
2:00 – Field 2 Light Blue v. Yellow
October 21
4:30 – Field 2 Black v. Light Blue
October 28
2:00 – Field 2 Green v. Light Blue
November 4
PLAYOFFS

Directions
Click here to get directions to the game field.

If you have any problems with any of this, please feel free to give me a call or drop me an email. FENewkirk@fcsl.edu and 812.530.1145

SUNDAY WINGS....

Her: Wings took over tonight's plans. Wanting to try this place called Dick's, located in Southside blvd, recommended to Frank on his second week of school.
It was great. My second time trying this popular dish among all American people. Our flavour choices were the Smoky Mountain gold and the Parmesan- peppercorn. They were delicious!

Highlight of the night: Leaving the restaurant, right at the door, a little boy jumped to growl at us, Sebastian took over the scene and growled back at him twice as loud, surprised by this reaction the little boy step back and went away. It was absolutely hilarious!

Advice of the night: Never growled at anyone, unless they growled at you first!
Hope everyone had a great weekend!

Weekend....

Her: This past weekend was surely busy but fun.
Friday night we decided to try a new babysitter. A miracle lady, who lives on our apartment complex, looking for a little boy to take care of in absent of her grandchildren. Thank you so much Brenda!
While Sebastian was having a fun time with Brenda and a Dalmatian named "MOMMA", we were heading to John's house (one of Frank's classmates).
I got to meet and talk to some new faces, interesting conversations came out and even the chance of getting together for a cookout and other culinary activities of interest as well.
I even shared "The Four Way Stop Crush Story", the story of how I met Frank, (for the ones who haven't heard about it yet).
It was wonderful meeting people of different backgrounds. I even had the opportunity to talk in Spanish with Pamela, a girl from Ecuador who attends law school.

Saturday started at 6:30 am with a never ending list of baking goodies that was finally accomplished by 4 pm. It was such a productive morning and surely glad it went all well.

We had our first guests, Tierney and Seth, who came over to meet us for dinner.
Sebastian, gladly took them for a tour around the apartment.
Dinner at Bistro Aix was nice and relaxing, we all seemed to share similar taste at the table, since we all decided to try the angel hair pasta with a few variations of difference. Some plans for Disney in October, softball practice, the idea of starting a "'A Capella club", the what all to do in Jacksonville, Jewish traditions, were part of the night's conversations. After that, with the idea of enjoying a walk around the San Marco area, we drove to our second stop for desert at the "European Street cafe", after purchasing our choices to go, we were walking down a half a block distance to a site with a beautiful view to the river and downtown night lights. Tempted by the view we left to the Marina to take a "boat taxi" to show us the city. All I can say is that our options seem endless and that I hope to enjoy and share moments like we had and did. Thank you.

By the way, Seth congratulations for winning the election!.

MINI GOLF!

Vanessa and Sebastian on the way to the next hole
HER: Living in Jacksonville is like being on vacation, there is so much to do and see just a few miles away. One of the first activities we accomplished on our first week was Mini golf.

Hole 1: Sebastian impressed us scoring with a first swing.

I used to think Frank was the my male version with a few more years of experience, and apparently I am catching up!! I WON! It was the first time I had score better than he had! Victory has been announced! MAN DOWN!

It might never happen again but it surely does taste pretty sweet!

THE SUPERHEROES OF MY LIFE!

HER: Being a super hero is definitely every little boy and girl childhood fantasy. Superman and Spiderman are Sebastian's top choices.

A hero who is able to fight criminals, rescues helpless, has a strong sense of justice and morals, willing to risk their own safety in the service of good without expectation of reward, motivated by others to inspire responsibility, leadership and service.

Everybody is inspire by a hero in their life. I happen to live with two! Super Frank and Super Sebastian. Both very special to me indeed. They inspire me on becoming the best of me. I am no superhero but I am lucky I am a part of their lives.

TO FRANK AND SEBASTIAN, I LOVE YOU BOTH VERY MUCH!

It's Magical

HIM: So, Vanessa and I have now finished the entire Harry Potter series!

I had held out reading any of them until two months ago, when Vanessa noted that she had the first one and I could borrow it. Having been rather unimpressed by the movies, I wasn't sure I'd get into the books. Though, as soon as I picked up the first one, I knew the books were WAAAAAY more compelling!

I blew right through the first 5 books and was half-way through the 6th when the final one was released. Law school and all the preparation for it meant that it's taken me almost four weeks to read book 7. And now, knowing how it ends, I'd like to go back and re-read them all again. Unfortunately, that probably won't happen for all the work required from my classes. Just the same, there's a fun picture from a dinner get-together back in Salem...

Who Am I?

HER: I highly recommend the Harry Potter series of books, even if you are not a fan of fantasy literature. It is definitely for all ages and all I can say it is up to your own imagination. I thought they were FANTASTIC!

Written to detail, it captures so much without being tedious to read. If you get the chance to check them out, do it. If you had already then who was your favorite character? and why?

Hungry Eyes

HIM: When we lived in Salem, every Tuesday night was Sandwich Night. We would make a delicious meal from the tastiest ingredients. Since we moved to Jacksonville, I haven't been a part of the food creation process. However, Vanessa (being the brilliant chef she is...) usually has dinner waiting for me when I get home from law school.

Here are a few of the awesome meals we made together back when we were in Indiana:

Note the wine in some of the pictures. We had traveled around to many of the wineries in Southern Indiana and found some that were pretty good. Though, our choice favorite is the Moscato D'Asti. We've seen several ABC Liquors on Baymeadows Road here, but haven't made it in to see if they've got our fave or something equally delicious. We welcome any suggestions and look forward to exploring the wine and cuisine the area has to offer!

HER: Tuesday nights were definitely fun. We welcomed anyone who wanted to join us for some food and wine activity. Since I was usually off on Tuesdays, I had time to play while Sebastian was at school and Frank at work. Not pictured above, we created specialty sandwiches with homemade breads like focaccia, rosemary - potato, basil and feta, you name it. We accompanied the occasion with some tasty wines that we thought were definitely worth trying.

When we moved to Jacksonville, I was most excited having grocery stores all around, as well as the diversity of products available here. Enjoying having some time off and being at home, the options at dinner time were endless. Seafood, meats, cheeses, pastas, breads, and fresh veggies have kept the table of our family dinners very exciting. While at work, being called from a customer table for compliments. At home, the ums... and yums.... were definitely PRECIOUS and PRICELESS!

I love my career, it is definitely my passion and my hobby. Any chance I can get to share it with friends and family makes it all worth it!

HIM: It should also be noted that our table for these family dinners now consists of a computer printer box, which we've grown very fond of. ;) We expect to get a REAL table one of these days, but for the moment, we're contenting ourselves with the simple pleasures of good food and company... =)

Section Effers Have Fun

HIM: I am so glad I chose to attend Florida Coastal School of Law. The first week's orientation set the tone for hard work and dedication to schooling, but chose also to downplay the stressfulness of competition between students. There was a clear policy direction in the message of that first week to engage in meaningful relationships while working through the course load. As a result, our section has come together on several occasions, already, to have a good time and relax. Our latest meeting fell together at the last minute this evening. With bad weather imminent, we decided on Dave & Buster's for dinner and a little evening fun.


Scott, Megan, Tierney, Seth, Vanessa, Frank, Sebastian, Wes, and David

David and Tierney, Bikers

Good Time Cop, Bad Time Cop

Jacksonville NRA (Not Ready for Automatics...)

"Every time you practice, you get a little better..."

Born to be wild!

The family that bikes together... um... ...has fun together!

We talked and dined and played as if we didn't have a 5,000 lb law bear on our backs. ...Well, except for Scott, who we had to rescue in order to retire for the evening... It was a good night. :) Hopefully, we'll find time for many more outings like this one.

Thanks to everyone who made the trip such a good one. And extra thanks for everyone who contributed their winning tickets to Sebastian so that he could upgrade his prize from a tiny toy to a little one! It meant a lot. =)

HER: Last night I definitely had a great time. I got to meet a few of Frank's new friends from school. I'd heard names and of how nice and friendly they were. I'd probably even met a couple on my way to library by chance.

As the night went on our table got bigger. We met for dinner and had some interesting conversations like where we came from, our different backgrounds, things we've done and would like to do. There was even the idea for a trip to Disney. It was great. I even met a girl from Regina, Saskatchewan (Canada).

A few years ago (more like 10) I went to an exchange program in a small town outside Regina. By the way Tierney, if you get to read this blog, I remembered the name: Victoria Apple. Do you happened to know her?.

Anyway, as the night went on our table got bigger. It was a great time and a great pleasure meeting with you all. I know Sebastian had a great time. Thanks again for making the night Sebastian-friendly. Towards the end of the night he mentioned being sad because he lost his friend (Seth, even though he got confused with the names). Sebastian thought we had just left him there all alone.

Looking forward to more activities and meeting more of you!

City Time, Quality Time

HER: So I am going to make a confession to all of you who read this blog by chance or mistake and follow this blog periodically.

HIM: I'm not sure where she was going with this... We ran out of time today and didn't have time for her to finish what she was writing. A "confession" sounds interesting, though, doesn't it? Can't wait to hear what she'd been cooking up in that brain 'o hers. =)

Internet at Home!

HER: Internet at home!! How exciting is that? For me, very much so and I mean it! REALLY, I seriously do! Surviving without the internet has defenetely been hard. I was still able to check my email once in a while and keep this blog somewhat updated. The pictures are coming, and that is a promise!

I was trying to think of all things we have done since we arrived in the city of Jacksonville and how exciting this journey has been. It is 3 weeks, today, since we left Salem, Indiana. I sure miss Salem, our friends and super cat Aidan, who hopefully will be join us soon at our new home. I am sure he will enjoy it here as much as we do, with all the squirrels and lizards right outside of our apartment. Sebastian wants to catch them everytime he sees them. We are so much looking forward to the rest of the year and the years ahead.

Right now, I'm still adapting to my new job. I took the pastry Chef position at Maggiano's. I have never worked for a corporate business and it has denefetely been quite a change. Everything we offer, we confection there. We make everything fresh and in large quantities just for the day's needs. The restaurant is so busy... I am talking about making 8 cheesecakes, 12 pound cakes, 200 cookies, 8 zucotto cakes, 600 cookies, Biscotti, 60 creme brulees, 60 crostadas + stuff to decorate plates and prep for side orders. For the most part, everyone has been very friendly and welcoming. I'm still trying to adapt to the equipment, since it is large production and there is so much to cover as well. I have an assistant that covers some things as well. But there is so much to do!

So, there has not been much time to slow down and chat. At the end of the day it defenetely feels like the end of the day. It has been my 4th day and seems like the job gets easier as it goes. I am defenetely up for the challenge and a good paycheck!

Missing Family

HIM: So, we've been here almost 3 weeks now. Unfortunately, we had to leave one family member behind until we could get settled in. The member is Aidan the Terrible, my cat. We left him with a good friend of Vanessa's. Since then, we have received word that Aidan, Mindy and her children were having a great time together. Sebastian was asking about him the other night. We all miss having the little fuzzball around.

I've decided to post some pictures in his honor. Before I do, though, it's important to note the actors in the ballad of doom you're about to see.

Cammy - My parent's dog. Hyper to the extreme. I'm not sure anyone's ever actually seen her sleep. If she lays down or stops moving, we think she'll probably explode. Whenever she and Aidan occupy the same locale, she literally runs circles around him and climbs all over until he takes action.


Aidan - My cat. He was abandoned by his owners in a parking lot. My sister took him to college with her for a few weeks. He was an aggressive, feral kitten, so she gave him over to my parents. They let him roam around outside, honing his wild behaviors. At only 6 months old, I recovered him from their house and took him in as my own. On the second day, I went to the bathroom and put him in his box. He looked up at me, watching how I did it, then went himself. In the same week, I remember getting a sandwich and opening it on the table. With me sitting there, I turned just in time to see Aidan launch himself into the air. As he flew toward my food, I caught him midflight. Used to fighting other cats for his meal, it took him several weeks to learn that he was going to get fed and didn't need to fight for it. Eventually, I trained him to trust me and play nice with others. I can clip his claws with fingernail clippers and brush him. Now well behaved, patient, sociable, and playful, he is the envy of every cat owner to cross his path. However, he only has so much patience when Cammy is circling and barking at my parents' house. What follows is a visual account of their play.

Cammy v. Aidan

The Face Off

Aidan engages eye lasers.

The chase is on...

Internet Ready

HIM: We are online!


It has been a while since we posted some pictures. So...

This is Sebastian's first time at the beach. He went on a shell safari and would have brought home a truckload of shells if he could have carried as much.

Here was a little sand message. It's not as permanent as etching in tree bark, but it worked. :)

Our evening ritual usually includes Vanessa bathing Sebastian while I do some law reading. At first, he didn't know what to think about a bath tub. He only had a shower at the old house. Now, though, you practically have to drain the tub before he'll climb out. As you can see, he enjoys it.

We're going to go into town in a few minutes. We will either go see a movie or head to the beach for a bit.