Austin Zoo

I love the National Zoo in Washington, DC but we discovered our local zoo here in Austin and it's pretty neat, it's a very intimate setting and you are extremely close to the animals...almost scary close! I don't think I've ever seen a lion or tiger that up close before. It did make me a little nervous but it was so amazing to be able to see their true beauty up close and personal. Another neat feature at the Austin Zoo & Animal Sanctuary is that they have a fairly large petting zoo where you can feed the animals. It was fun way to end the 3 day weekend!

Gold Class Cinemas

We just discovered one of the finer things in life, Gold Class Cinemas! This place is amazing! It's a high-end movie theater that has individual leather recliners with soft cushy pillows and cozy blankets to keep you comfortable while you're being waited on hand and foot throughout the movie. They had a great menu and a fun themed drink menu to match our movie, Hangover 2 ;) What better place to catch this flick than a cinema drafthouse.

Deutchenfest

We've been looking forward to this event ever since we moved to Pflugerville. Our town has very strong German roots and was named in honor of Henry Pluger who arrived in the 1840s leaving his German homeland to escape the Prussian War. As you may know, my father's side of the family is from Germany as well so we love any excuse to celebrate our heritage and Pflugerville is just the place with their well known Deutchenfest! We were hoping my parents would be here to celebrate with us but unfortunately a medical emergency got in the way :( However, I'm glad to report that Mama Geiger is doing well and we drank a few German beers in her honor ;) The town goes all out for this event! They have a 5k Pfun Run, parade, live music, carnival, shopping, festival t-shirts, beer tents, vendors and all the Pfun that Pfluger Park can handle! We had a blast and Alli enjoyed every minute or every activity!

Lady of Leisure No More

I've thoroughly enjoyed the last six months of unemployment and living off my sugar daddy ;) Honestly I wasn't planning on being out of work so long but that's what you get when you move around the holidays/New Year, no one is hiring?!?! Oh well, I took full advantage of all my down time! This gave me the perfect opportunity to really explore our new city and spend time with two of my favorites, Sara and Alli ;)

But all good things must come to an end and hopefully I have a fun new adventure ahead of me! I'll tell ya, when it rains it pours. I've been on the job market for almost six months now and I get a slew of opportunities and offers all around the same time. I was literally moments away from accepting an offer when I got an email out of the blue about a dream job. A previous co-worker had recommended me to a headhunter that recruiters for the #1 Employer to work for in Austin and it wasn't just a job it was a career opportunity to start a new division for a growing start-up. The last two weeks have been a whirlwind! I was contacted on Friday, interviewed Tuesday, had 24 hours to create a 90 Day Plan and pitch my ideas to the Executive Committee on Thursday. I've never been through such a rigorous and intimidating interview process but it all worked out because on Friday I got the job!!! And get this they wanted me to start the following week, this company doesn't waste any time! I attended the All-Hands quarterly meeting last week and what an intro to the company. They rented out the Austin City Music Hall and kicked off the meeting with their own company rock band, this company ROCKS literally! So today is my first official day and my entire first week is dedicated to a scavenger hunt to get to know the company and people better. I really think I'm gonna like it here ;) Did I mention the kitchen is fully stocked and looks like a 7-11, anything and everything you could want including an endless supply of Diet Coke.

Cowby Koozie - Match Made in Heaven!New Hire Tradition - Gong In

Lake Travis

If anyone hasn't discovered Groupon yet, you're definitely missing out. The website and app have daily discounts for all sorts of activities in your area. Today's post is compliments of our first and best Groupon purchase, a 4 hr boat ride on Lake Travis!

We weren't sure what to expect since we got such a steal on this outing but boy we weren't disappointed. We had an amazing speed boat, a fun captain, and a cooler full of cold ones, life doesn't get much better on a Sunday afternoon! First, we took a tour around Lake Travis and got to admire all the amazing homes while testing out the speed capabilities of the boat, got to say I was a little nervous ;) Then, we settled into Devil's Cove, dropped our anchor, and went overboard. Devil's Cove is like spring break everyday. There are rows and rows of boats tied together and some of the boats have grills, margarita makers, slides, you name it they got it! Needless to say we were a little bummed when our four hours were up. This is definitely a must do in Austin!!!

Floods & Family

Nothing is gonna stop us from seeing our family! Although we really didn't realize what we were up against when we set out on our adventure to Louisville ;)

I have to laugh at ourselves because we must have been under a rock, while the rest of the world was aware that Arkansas was under water we were obliviously and ready to drive right through it...or so we thought! We were making an impromptu road trip to Louisville and had braced ourselves for 16 hours in the car but little did we know we had a lot more in store for us. Apparently the south was flooding and even major highways were closed. We kept hitting detour after detour in the middle of nowhere. No cell reception, no gas stations, no food. We really should have packed snacks and books on tape for the ride, note to self for the future. Although, after a 20 + hour drive to Kentucky I think we'll be flying from here on out!

But it was all worth it in the end, we made it to Kentucky in time for the Derby and had some great quality time with the Johnson's/Vize's!!! Wouldn't have changed a thing!