First Trip to Dublin

Hola familia y amigos! Here is a brief update on my week in Dublin. As you all know it was a work trip so don't have many pictures and crazy stories to share, I will have plenty when I finally make the move in a few weeks.

I absolutely loved every moment, jet-lag and all. Everyone was so nice and welcoming, I felt right at home. Stayed at the Westbury Hotel which is located in city center. Every time I left the hotel it felt like I was setting foot on a Hollywood set. The set is Grafton Street, a pedestrianized street lined with buildings new and old. The street was named after the 1st Duke of Grafton, an illegitimate son of Charles II of England (scandalous!). This is a popular area for shopping lined with boutiques, a bit different from what I'm used to. Shops close early so it'll be difficult for me to get my crazy shopping sprees on...guess this will be the best way to kick my bad shopping habit. While I drop one bad habit I might pick up another. Pubs are everywhere and open pretty late...night caps seem to be normal. I need to get my whimpie ass in some sort of drinking boot camp to increase my tolerance level. However this may be a stereotype just like leprechauns and your pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. My new Irish friends insist that there are no leprechauns in Ireland. I have news for them, they exist and I have proof! Caught this one at Temple Bar with his pot of gold!

The architecture is pretty amazing, you Engineering nerds (Matt and Erinn) will love it when you get a chance to visit. Had an opportunity to visit Trinity College, St. Stephen's Green, and other areas. I'll leave these for topics to blog about later once I get some quality pictures to share. ;)

New Tracks & Paws

So I guess I dropped the ball on my post!! Good thing Matt's post reminded me..

There have been a lot of new things in my life. After enjoying what will seem to be a last AOTCK dinner, we decided to start posting more and more about our lives to not only share with the world but with each other.

As many people who live in Reno know yesterday was the unofficial day of winter because it snowed!!

Which means it will almost be time to break out the dusty old snowboards or in our case the sleds! Heather and I bought 2 blue sleds at the end of last winter for dirt cheap... but we were never able to use them... but we will for sure make good use of them this winter!!

But as for me I looked to my future and thought about the snow and how it is soooo much easier to get anywhere with a 4X4... so I bought a car!! Grand Cherokee, it’s pretty cool, it gets me from point A to point B. Here is a picture of it:

But I need a little help... what should my plates say?? Btw BIGTUNA is taken so no luck with that one... dang....

Everyone meet JB, the newest addition to my family.

He is a Miniature Schnauzer, he is full of energy and is also a dead stump when he wants to be. Most dogs like him and everyone in the world loves him because he loves you all!!! Hopefully one day everyone who is reading will be able to meet this little guy!! His favorite thing to do is run in and out of the doggy door and jumping all over the vegetable garden. Yup that’s right we have a garden and we picked our first veggies from it today. Our list for the day consists of:

Green Onions

Green Peppers

Tomatoes

Squash

But as the winter comes by our pumpkins and honeydew will probably all die before it can grow, and hopefully the broccoli will be able to fight the cold!!

But that’s all for now, look for me on Hanging and Words with friends!!

KK EVERYONE HAVE FUN AT THE DENTIST!!

-Jon-

Good Cooking!

Last night I decided to cook and here is what I made:

Stuffed Chicken Breasts

Ingredients: (As much as you need or want....as I do not measure, weigh or count)

• Plump Real Chicken Breasts
• Spinach
• Baby Tomatoes
• Mushrooms
• Lemons
• Garlic
• Basil
• White Onion
• Eggs
• Panco Bread Crumbs

Cut, chop or slice baby tomatoes, spinach, mushrooms, garlic, basil and white onion till satisfied. Place all ingredients into large bowl. Use the lemons for juice and fresh lemon zest. Mix in some fresh pepper, minced garlic, salt, oregano and whatever other kind of spices you like. Marinade mixture for 15 to 20 minutes.

Clean chicken and make a slit along the side of the breast, not to slice all the ways thru. Place mixture into the slit and fold the top of the chicken over. Place breast in a large glass dish with the remaining juice, sprinkle some creole seasoning on to breasts and then marinade in the refrigerator for an hour or so.

Crack eggs and save the whites only. Place chicken breast in egg whites and smother in panco bread crumbs. Place in preheated oven at 350 degrees F for approx. 30 minutes or until cooked.

You can spice up this dish with some cheese on top or place into a homemade red marinara sauce with penne noodles.

Great dish and can be made to accompany any ones special tastes buds. Have fun and don't forget to wash your hands and say your prayers before supper.

The Cool Kids Back at it Again

The Cool Kids got together the other night at our local “home” hotspot for some traditional wings/fries (Jon & Matt) and cheeseburger (Heather) reminiscing about the past year. It’s been awhile since we’ve been able to sit down together as the Cool Kids and sadly realized that those days are far and few between now that we are growing. We’ve made a pack to stay more connected to each other and to our family/friends thru our website. Welcome Back!

Here’s a quick update:

Heather is working hard and learning the business environment with Microsoft as she moves her way up the ladder. She is showing hard work and dedication to eventually expand her home base abroad, eventually. We are proud of her and enjoy watching her career grow. We look forward to her next adventure in the career circle.

Jonathan aka Jon, Jono has made a transition into responsibility and moved away from home. It’s an excitement to see his growth with this transition as he expands his opportunities. With opening opportunities he has learned more about himself thru art and website design, in which, he has applied and looking for an opportunity at a top website design school to better his career. We are proud of what he has learned and look forward to the excitement that he has in store for us.

Matt is still working hard and traveling the country; however, not as freely and as willing as before. He has just moved forward and made a leap into marriage with his beautiful wife Erinn. They celebrated their marriage with a honeymoon to Peru where they experienced the Lost City of Machu Picchu and numerous bugs of the Amazon. He has packed his bags and settled down in the desert of Southern California with his wife. We look forward watching the family grow.