Odds and Ends

We haven't written all week because there really hasn't been much to write about. In short, we're boring. But, here are a few random thoughts anyway.

My mom came yesterday for a short visit and we took a trip over to the Mervyn's that's going out of business, where I found a plate that is more suitable for my pumpkin centerpiece than the previously-mentioned glass bowl (thanks, Mom!) Now I just need a few more pumpkins to add to it ... or perhaps gourds or squash.

The leaves on the plate were picked off the tree outside our living room, which turned a beautiful shade of orange very recently.

As you can probably tell, the snow we had last Friday didn't really last. It's back into the low 70s during the day, and upper 30s overnight.

We had a great visit with Bill and Louise (Chris' aunt and uncle) last weekend, and it gave me an excuse to finally use my linen napkins and much-coveted pasta dishes that were gifted to us for the hitching.

Chris could care less about the table setting, but he really enjoyed the brownies.

I've been spending today alternating between watching foreign movies (okay, just one) and researching local races to decide who I'll be voting for in a couple weeks. Chris is in our guest room/his office alternating between working and watching football. It's nice that he left me the living room today, especially since I can't go anywhere - my Honda is in the shop. Again. Let's hope this is the last time for a long time.

Oh, and for those of you pondering Chris' blog post about whatever happened to Eminem, I ran across a story the other day - apparently he's writing a memoir and has a new album coming out.

So, that's pretty much it for the Gabels this week. Hopefully we'll have something more exciting for you soon!

Our Weekend

Wolf Pack football. Cold. Italian Fest. Dinner with friends. Games with friends. NFL. Pretty in Pink. Dodgers win game 3. Have Bill & Louise over for dinner. Pasta. Garlic bread. Brownies. Homemade mint ice cream. Entourage. Brothers and Sisters. The End.

It was fun while it lasted

Goodbye Fall.

Hello Winter.

I guess we made the right decisions

It's interesting that Tammy and I have this blog, in that its intent is to keep our friends and family who live far away up on what we're doing. But, for the most part, we're the ones who moved away from them -- me from the Phoenix area and Tammy from California (northern and southern).

It was job prospects that pulled us away.

For me personally, none of those decisions were easy. The first to move to Yuma, leaving my friends and family for a town none of us really thought much of, then for Flagstaff, leaving Tammy behind, and then for Reno, moving out of Arizona and no longer just a relatively short drive from all those close to me.

All the time I was gone I kept an eye out for getting back to the Phoenix area, specifically trying to get back to the East Valley Tribune. I had spent time there as clerk and intern and liked the people very much.

There was a pipeline of sports staffers who had come from Yuma, as the two are owned by the same parent company, and it just seemed like a more natural jump than to the Republic.

There has been just one opening in the sports department there since I graduated. I was offered a part-time position (w/o benefits) while that full-time spot was frozen for something like 4-5 months, but with no guarantee I could move into the full-time spot when it opened up. This was in maybe late 2004 or early 2005.

Obviously, I decline, choosing to stay with the steady paycheck.

I was again approached about a copy desk position at the Trib just prior to accepting the Reno position, but after discussing it with Tammy (as she was working out of the paper's Gilbert bureau) decided Reno was where we were headed.

It is very obvious now that we made the right decision.

The Tribune announced Monday it is laying off 142 employees, roughly 40 percent of its staff, in January as part of a complete reorganization and cost-cutting move. Nine in the sports department are being let go, including all of the pro and ASU beat writers.

Judging by what positions were kept on, I believe Tammy would still have a job if we had not come to Reno.

This is sad not only for those involved, people I knew and liked as well as many others Tammy knew and liked, but for the industry as well.

The Trib's cuts, which come after much smaller others a few months prior, come on the heels of cuts at the L.A. Times, Cleveland Plain Dealer, The Star-Ledger (N.J.), Baltimore Sun, three Bay-area papers. As I searched for these, the list went on and on.

It its something gripping the industry, which is being hit hard by the economy and has yet to nail down a model on how to make money off the newspaper Web sites. Even here in Reno, there have been buyouts and a few axes since we've been here.

Don't worry, I firmly believe both Tammy and I are safe. But it has us wondering about being in the same profession at the same employer, as a couple Tammy was friends with at the Trib dealt with.

Scary stuff, but all the while proving we have, to this point, made the right decisions in our career paths.

Blogging, Part Deux

I've been meaning to add another post for a while now -- despite how much all the readers out there like pumpkins and honey and baskets -- but you'll never guess what has brought this on.

vs.

With nothing else to do on a Tuesday night while waiting for Tammy to get home from work, I stumbled across these two movies: 8 Mile and Legally Blonde. Of course, I watched both -- despite having the DVR I just flipped back and forth, mostly watching the Eminem flick.

But it got me thinking: What happened to Eminem?

I haven't heard anything from him in years. He came out with, I think, one CD after the movie. I guess I could do some online research on this, but also guess I don't care that much. Just pondering his career.

Speaking of rappers, I watched a documentary on 2Pac last weekend. There wasn't much new info, but all the music took me back to a different time: high school and college. I had to go download a couple songs that I couldn't believe I didn't already have.

iTunes doesn't have "Changes," though. What's up with that?

I also sort of marveled at 2Pac in all the interviews. For being known for and associated with violence in his life, he spoke in such a calm manner that sounded highly self-aware and intelligent, and without a hint of animosity or cursing.

Well, that's all I got for now. Until next time ...

A Honey of a Day

The most obvious thing to do with overripe bananas is to make banana bread. But I like to try new recipes, so last time our bananas turned brown I made some banana chocolate chip cookies, and they were delicious. I was getting set to revert back to banana bread this weekend, when I stumbled upon this blog with a recipe for honey banana cupcakes - and we all know how I feel about cupcakes. (Not to mention, I've been a little honey obsessed ever since reading The Secret Life of Bees.') I made a vanilla frosting to go with them (I had to substitute soy milk for milk, but it still turned out great). I thought about adding cinammon to the frosting, but wasn't sure if I'd like it, so sprinkled it over half of them instead. They're slightly chewy, but really yummy, and a great compliment to the honey mustard chicken we had for dinner. (Chris even drank a honey brown beer!)


Also, on Saturday I got these little pumpkins to use as a centerpiece on our dining room table, but I feel like something is not quite right about it ... is it the bowl? I'm not sure. I mentioned this to Andrea yesterday, and she suggested I blog about it and take a poll, so ... what do you think?

Saying Goodbye to the Townhouse

When we all lived in Yuma, Benny and Michelle moved into a townhouse after another Navy guy moved out. It became the place we all hung out. We had lots of dinners, and lots of parties. Especially going away parties. I did my laundry there, and raided their fridge for Trader Joe's Truffles. When Benny and Michelle left for Port Hueneme, Jeremy and Andrea moved in. More dinners. More parties. More laundry. I still even have my key. But it seems the landlord is having some trouble of the foreclosure kind, and it looks like Jeremy and Andrea will be moving out on Monday. It's too bad we can't all go back for one last weekend of laughs.

Here's to the good times in the townhouse ...

Benny carving the turkey, Thanksgiving 2005

Dre, Me and Michelle, the same Thanksgiving

Chris and Me feeling right at home

Getting ready for Benny and Michelle's going away Pub Crawl

Chris' going away party

My going away party

Me, Michelle and Dre - Yuma Reunion, March 2007

Jeremy and Andrea

... And to all the good times we'll have somewhere new!