"Name Change" Date

Since we've been married, I've been going through the process of becoming a Fluty. That means having to stand in the long lines at the DMV, Social Security office, and the HR department at work (okay, maybe that one didn't have a line). It also means having to call every business I can think of - cell phone company, banks, credit card companies, etc. But, more or less, I've pretty much completed the process of being a Hankins to being a Fluty.

So, with all of this hard work, we (or mainly me) figured a date was in order. David agreed to take me out on a "name change" date to 1) celebrate becoming a Fluty and 2) so that I would stop complaining that he didn't have to change his identity like I did. ;)

On Saturday night, we ventured out into the Austin night. Our first stop was Uchi, a trendy sushi restaurant on South Lamar. David took me there on our second date, so we thought it would be a good place to go (and celebrate being married and not being nervous like we were on that date!). When we arrived, the valet guy said that it was a 2 hour wait and, by the time we got inside the restaurant, it had become a 2 hr. 40 minute wait. Since we didn't feel like eating at 10 p.m., we headed downtown to our next favorite (we did get a $10 coupon to come back to Uchi - pretty cool!).

Our second choice was Truluck's, which is probably where we should have started. We didn't have to wait very long, and the meal we got was fantastic (as it always is!). Seafood and steak don't get much better than Truluck's. After dinner, we decided to go have a couple of beers at The Gingerman Pub, and some friends ended up meeting us for drinks. It was the perfect end to our "name change" date. Here's a picture of us at the bar (note my new 'do - got it done that day):

And, for all the "complaining" I do about how much there was to do to change my name, I'm really just kidding around. It really wasn't that bad and I wouldn't change my new last name for anything. I love it and my husband very much!!

The Office Makeover

After our day at IKEA, it was time to put together the bookcases for the office. One of my goals for January was to get the office completely unpacked and organized. Here's why:

I'm so ashamed to post that picture! But, yes, it was a complete disaster. So, on Sunday, David got to work to put the bookcases together while I cleaned and made room for the bookcases. Here are some pictures of the process (the animals helped a little bit):



Fast forward a couple of hours and we were ready to put the bookcases in the office. We got them moved in and then I had to sleep on it before I started the organization process. Luckily, I had today off, so I spent the day in the office (I think I worked harder in our office than I would have AT the office). ;)

Here's the finished product:



It's nice to sit back and enjoy the office now that it's done! Now, onto curtains and hanging pictures (David is so pumped for next weekend!).

P.S. - I forgot to mention that while the office is 90% done, there are still some things that need to go on the walls. :)

IKEA

Ah, IKEA. Courtney's best dream...David's worst nightmare. The conversation went something like this:

C: Can we go to IKEA on Saturday?
D: Do we have to?
C: Um yes...we need bookcases for the office!
D: Fine, but can we just go in there, get the bookcases, and then get out?
C: Maybe.

So, we ventured up to Round Rock on Saturday and braved the IKEA crowds. David was a good sport and let me wander around. We decided together which bookcases we wanted and even found a new coffee table for the lodge (upstairs game room we've dubbed "the lodge" - more on that later).

I'm happy to say that we made it out in less than two hours with two bookcases, a coffee table, and a couple of small things. :)

It made for a great Saturday - especially since we stopped and had sushi on our way home.

All I Want For Christmas...

David and I sent 2009 out with a bang!

We got to spend Christmas in Little Rock this year, and it was great time! The highlight was spending time with our 18-month-old niece, Juliana. She affectionately calls us Aunt TeTe and Uncle DeDe, and was so excited to see us and play with us. It was nice to have an extended vacation in Little Rock, too (unfortunately David had to go back to work).

Then...there was New Year's Eve. We had the 2nd annual Fluty bash, and I think David and I had the best time out of anyone. ;) It was great to spend time with all our friends and say hello to 2010!

Now, it's back to reality and the dreaded WORK. But, it's nice to be back in Austin and get back in our routine and our normal life (wow...I know I'm old when I like to be in a "routine"). Sigh. ;)

The Animals

Ahhh...the 2009 Christmas animal photo shoot.

The above picture is the final product, but it took a good while to get to that pose. People ask me how I got all three animals to pose, and the trick was to catch Murphy while he was napping (I was pretty proud of myself for thinking of that!). His favorite place is on Charlotte's bed (he loves to torment her!), so I stuck him on her bed after a couple of attempts to get him to cooperate, and the other two animals actually listened pretty well.

I had to share the outtakes from the photo shoot, because, if you have met our animals, you will understand. Our pets are...ummm...how should I say this...unique. :) Charlotte (aka Char Char Binks) is (very!) needy and follows me around constantly. Rico (aka Ric Rock) sleeps in David's chair (that was expensive and originally meant only for David -ha!) without a care in the world. And Murphy...well, we are convinced Murphy is a miniature bobcat. No, really. The dude is huge. But, we love them all and couldn't imagine life without them! In fact, as I write this, they are all sitting around me. :) Enjoy the outtakes and look forward to more quirky pictures of them appearing on the blog!