Here's to Looking at Life

EA booth, 2011 E3

2011-07-17T03:23:00.001-05:00

EA booth, 2011 E3

Summer office bites

2011-07-12T09:03:00.001-05:00

Summer office bites

Coconut alert in Palmas del Mar!

2011-06-21T17:35:00.001-05:00

Coconut alert in Palmas del Mar!

Atlanta tracks

2011-06-20T22:33:00.001-05:00

Atlanta tracks

Punta de Santiago, view from our beach h

2011-06-20T12:48:00.001-05:00

Punta de Santiago, view from our beach house in Humacao, Pto. Rico

San Juan viejo

2011-06-16T14:41:00.001-05:00

San Juan viejo

Le Dîner Français

2010-01-27T10:12:00.007-06:00

The girls from Apron Adventures and Cooking Inside the Lines and I had a French girls night starring Chef Alex. She and Emily treated us to a Dijon Croque Monsieur and an oh-so-gentle side of fresh green beans, red bell peppers and roasted almonds. For the recipe and more details (since this is after all, a blog of few words and lots of photos), be sure to visit: Cooking Inside the Lines.

Images of this delicatessen below. Bon Appetit!

Cioppino!

2010-01-20T20:34:00.005-06:00

So... One of the best things that I tried in San Francisco last year was this fabulous fishy stew, Cioppino. OH, MY. The last day we were there was the only day that it rained, which was lucky for us since we actually went during the rainy season, so this stew was PERFECT for that rainy day! Anyway, this meal was eaten at none other than Cioppino's on the Wharf. Thank you to my friend Javier Valdez for this recommendation!!!

Con todo y biberón, I am ready for you, cioppis!

Crab, clams, shrimp, scallops, mussels, and fish, oh my!

Yeah - I told you I liked it ;)

Comida Fronteriza

2010-01-03T22:53:00.005-06:00

Mexican food from Carintas Queretaro in El Paso, Tx. Buen provecho!

Taquitos riquísimos de carne asada

Enchiladas de pollo

Queso-- the real thing con todo y rajas

The pic of all pics...

2009-12-15T13:09:00.007-06:00

I don't think I've had a chance to post the pic of the year... well, friends, here it is. The most amazing live performance ever-- DMB at the ACL taping, FRONT ROW. For a passionate Dave fan, it just doesn't get better than this. EVER. I got two guitar pics and am all over the actual nationally released PBS video. Hugs.

The lovely ladies from left to right Ashley, Ivette and Jenni (the girl with the poster who changed it all).

The holidays are coming!

2009-11-20T11:35:00.003-06:00

I'm rather excited for them to be here. :)

Gift box drawn by friend Dania

Tree and gifts

2009-11-19T09:16:00.005-06:00

Catching up on food...

2009-11-09T22:14:00.004-06:00

Same entry as below, but with a focus on food. I love food. You love food. It fuels us and some look really good at doing so. Check these out!

About to feast at the Melting Pot

Lali's home creation for her beau

Deliciously stuffed pepper made by moi

Soup at La Traviatta

One of the most ridiculously good tasting burgers from MooYah

Catching up...

2009-11-08T17:08:00.009-06:00

So I haven's posted in a WHILE. I'll try to recap as best I can the most photographable moments of the last several months.

Hugs.

LOL Translation: "Baby come came Saul"

Having a little fun on a work trip. World of Coke Museum!

See the Harry Potter bottle above?

New coke bottles -- launching at clubs in the UK

El Paso wedding

Hook e'm Horns! My first time to have to use

stirrups(?) to get onto Oreo!

Buckhead Diner

2009-08-04T21:06:00.006-05:00

I was in Atlanta last month, or whenever it was, on business and went to dinner at the Buckhead Diner. They actually serve this blue cheese chip appetizer that is just amazing!

The inside decor gives this little diner a more upscale feel to it than your normal diner.

The best part? Coke from a glass bottle - it is the headquarter city after all!

Quickie in an Airplane

2009-08-02T22:41:00.001-05:00

Austin to El Paso in June of this year.

Indonesia in my House

2009-07-24T15:08:00.004-05:00

I live with four great people, three dogs and one fish.. As you can imagine, we have a lot of "stuff." I have been wanting to purchase something that will give me extra storage in my kitchen. I have a lot of kitchen stuff, and my growing Le Creuset collection deserves a better place to dazzle than above my fridge. So, on a whim, my better half and I went to Austin's Furniture Depot just a few blocks from the house.

It was love at first sight. I couldn't decide which glass kitchen cabinet I wanted to go with, so I consulted two of my favorite people on this planet, Lindsay and Emily, and we agreed the apothecary version was the most like "me."

It's an Indonesian piece. Idonesia is the 4th most populated country in the world, did you know? Check out my new addition to my home! It's simply fabulous!

Le Creuset

2009-06-23T15:49:00.007-05:00

Several weeks ago, maybe about a month or two or three, I was in serious need of some retail therapy. I had been working from the San Antonio office, so on my way back to Austin, I stopped at the Tanger Outlets - Le Creuset and got myself this bad boy. It could be a bad girl, it probably is a girl. Anyway! The roasted tilapia was the first meal I cooked in it, and it was one of the most perfectly cooked cuts of fish I have ever eaten.

The green beans are from my roommate's parents' garden in midwest Texas. These items were not part of the same meal. Fun fact: the flame color shown below was the first in the French collection!

My friends went to London and all I got was...

2009-06-02T13:23:00.005-05:00

They were strolling on some fabulous London street and ran into my dominator, my supply, my challenger, aka-- my employer's London office.

They could not resist the temptation and snapped some pics for me. I told them I would be there in spirit- not sure if this is what I had in mind!

Thanks, @ccortes10!

Billboard Latin Awards- Part 1

2009-04-26T17:37:00.012-05:00

I was offered the pleasure of attending the Billboard Latin Music Awards a la VIP with my company and one of our clients last week. While the actual experience was pretty fantastic, the awards were well... "interesting" is putting it nicely. Here are some of "better" things at the awards...

The stage was pretty cool as were our seats

Here is Carlos Santana in white, being recognized for his gee-tar skills.

La Chica Dorada debuted her new single

Mana and Carlos performed together

Apparate to Santorini

2009-04-15T15:44:00.004-05:00

Dear God make me a bird, so I can fly far far away from here... Sometimes I close my pretty little eyes and find myself back in this place...

View from hotel room

Ferry from Athens to Santorini

Sigh...

2009-04-12T21:46:00.005-05:00

I really, really, miss you, college football. Please hurry back.

A Dog's Tale

2009-03-31T11:07:00.004-05:00

This blog is for Nikki, my wonderful pup. For nearly two years we've been battling the worst case ever of mange, ringworm and skin infections. I'm serious. He reeked and his skin was cracked, open sores, wounds, some bleeding. The poor little guy's spirits were so low, and he was so - how should I put this gently - unapproachable, that he was not getting any tender affection from anyone. Finally, we were reffered to Dr. Jenise Daigle over at the Central Texas Veterinary Specialty Hospital and after another seven months of treatment, we got the heavenly call today that HE IS CURED! No mange, bacteria - nothing! All the hard work and dollars have paid off - glad to have you back, Nicksters!

MEXICO DF in SFO

2009-03-26T21:54:00.005-05:00

For all of you who like Mexican food (and since most of my readers are in Texas, I know I am writing to all of you) check out MEXICO DF in San Francisco. It is perfect for a special occasion, business dinner, or just a vacation dinner with friends. First off, they have a tamarindo margarita. That's right. Super rare and super tasty. We ordered their guacamole with chipotle salsa and (drumroll please...) mango - and it was superb! The guacamole softened the spicy kick from the chipotle pepper. My wonderful friend Orlando ordered the "pescado veracruzano" and it was nothing short of perfection. I ordered their vegetarian tamales (I know, but I had been eating all day and had to order something on the lighter side) and HOT DAMN they were delicious! Seriously, amiguitos, I highly recommend this place. Thank you, fabulous Lorenzo, for taking me there!

their place settings were absolutely colorful

guacamole con salsa chipotle y mango

pescado veracruzano

tamales riquisimos de queso

Dazzling Zebra

2009-03-26T14:44:00.005-05:00

This blog entry is dedicated to Meghan at Ham I am. You see, Meghan and I were super college besties, and she was then completely infatuated with the zebra print. We're talking photo frames, bed sheets and bed spread, shoes, belts, shirts, earrings, the list goes on and on. I'm pretty sure we had zebra print plates as well. But don't fret, my pets - Meghan has exceptional taste and none of this was ever tacky. Anyway, on my last trip to Fredericksburg, I went into one of many ranch-style home decor stores and was greeted by this sassy, shiny, zebra. Come on, who wouldn't want to buy this?

Athens - Go!

2009-03-16T11:25:00.004-05:00

I strongly advise everyone to visit Athens at least once in their lifetime. It's amazing, and not just from History's perspective - the people, food, even liquor... Well, not really becase I am not a fan of their Ouzo, but it definitely had its kick. It's liquorish infused, and I am not a fan -- just as I am not a fan of absinthe. Below are some pictures from my Athens trip.

At the Acropolis

View of Athens from Acropolis

Tres tragitos de Ouzo

Star Bagel - San Francisco

2009-03-15T12:24:00.004-05:00

One of my all-time favorite "meals" is the sandwich, mainly due to its versatility. A sandwich can be hot, cold, beef, veggie, bbq, Italian, the list goes, on and on and on. And we haven't even gotten into the cheeses or breads. We arrived in San Francisco on an empty stomach and abut 40 minutes before the start of our three hour awesome city tour. So, we wandered around Nob Hill, where out hotel was, to find some grub. We ran into Star Bagel - a local favorite spot. It was early in West Coast time, and while we were craving lunch, most were still ordering bagels and cream cheese. Their cream cheese spread was pretty extensive:

We still ordered lunch, even after being tempted by the cream cheese factory. The result? A very well orchestrated turkey bagel sandwich on a jalapeño bagel. The best part was the great service - it really was a most gentle kick off to our trip!

Fisherman's Wharf Part Deux

2009-03-14T16:54:00.008-05:00

In my last post I referenced the amazing crab chowder in a sourdough bread bowl from Boudin Bakery. So good. I was in San Francisco during their Dungeness Crab week. I'm not sure if the sea food stands (think puestesitos or taco stands) are up on the wharf year round, regardless my traveling partner and I went for it. We took full advantage of the fresh sea food by digging into some on-the-street eateries and munched on some fresh calamari and crab.

Crab Chowder in Bread Bowl

2009-03-09T23:16:00.005-05:00

Let's talk about this, please. At the Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco lies the Boudin Bakery. Their specialty? Sourdough bread. They serve this delicious, fresh dungeness crab chowder in something more than just a bowl, a sourdough bread bowl. Yum. Good enough to scrape whatever bread is left in the bread bowl with your spoon.

Michael Jordan

2009-03-03T22:14:00.005-06:00

Is there anyone out there who really doesn't know who Michael Jordan is? Well, except maybe Lehf, because she was still in diapers when he was hot stuff. And all the babies that followed... Ok, well, this man is so admirable the way he handled that court time after time was inspiring. I only wished I could have seen him play live. At least I got to see Brazil play the Netherlands in the 1994 FIFA World Cup USA. Remember the logo?

Anyway, I digress. MJ. Yes. Statue in Chicago... done and done. Check out my pics!

World Cup USA logo source.

Pagoda in Japanese Tea Garden

2009-03-02T21:10:00.012-06:00

I just returned from a fabulous vacation in San Francisco and will share many, many photos with you. The weather was absolutely perfect - no rain, not a cloud in the sky. Ok, well, maybe some... but minimal. The first photo I am posting is from a Japanese Pagoda in the Japanese Tea Garden. This place is so beautiful, serene and just picture perfect. Scenes from Memoirs of a Geisha were filmed here, that should tell you something. And as the name suggests, you can enjoy tea in this garden. We did not have time to, but locals recommend Jasmine.

I haven't been able to confirm this, but rumor has it, the pagodas in the garden were brought over from Japan! Read the link above to learn more interesting details about the garden and the SFO influence, like it being the place where the fortune cookie originated!

La Sagrada Familia

2009-02-26T11:10:00.004-06:00

This past weekend I got a chance to tell the story of the hunt to find this exquisite cathedral in Barcelona, La Sagrada Familia. This and other architectual wonders by Antoni Gaudí were some of my biggest motivators to visit the old Capital. This picture, or any other picture, does not do it justice. Trust me, friends. I literally felt like a dinosaur was hovering over me when I stepped out of the metro, map in hand, looking for this beauty. All I had to do was turn around and - BAM! There it was!

What made my experience a little more awesome was watching the lucky team of architects and engineers working on the final phase of the cathedral to complete Gaudís vision of La Sagrada. I won't forget a white-bearded man, cigarrette pressed between his lips, working over some blueprints on a table and shaping some sort of stone-piece.

Real Stuffed Pizza

2009-02-23T22:17:00.009-06:00

I should admit that I secretly want to be a food photographer, so if my postings seem to lean towards the food porn arena, this is my disclaimer. Let's talk pizza. And I don't mean sissy-thin crust vegetarian pizza (which I happen to love) but come on people, that has NOTHING on the awesomeness that is Chicago Stuffed Pizza. Ye-owzers! Check our this sinful pie from Giordano's, right off the Magnificent Mile and feel free to read my brief review on yelp.

Dear Cyclists, Please Share the Road

2009-02-17T22:48:00.009-06:00

Ok... let's take a look and examine what is going on here. I am in my car, trying to get to work ON TIME and lo and behold, this person is neither on or off the AUTOMOBILE lane. I cannot pass him! I must bite the bullet and wait. And since I am RIGHT BEHIND him I get to watch all the other cars pass me, and pass him, and get in front of him so they can go on their merry way. You know what I'm talking about. I'm all about cyclists and bicycles and sharing the road, but... I don't think that this is one of those instances; it should not apply on 6th St. during rush hour traffic. Not like this anyway. Please, pedal on the sidewalk or on your own bike lane (which are usually on the RIGHT hand side anyway). Bad form, cyclist John Doe! Bad form!

Pompeii

2009-02-10T00:12:00.007-06:00

My trip to Europe was mucho, mucho fun and educational, of course, and I keep thinking back on Pompeii for some reason. Well, I know the reason, it's because it was pretty amazing to be able to walk through the gorgeous ruins left of a city buried centuries ago. This picture below was taken right outside of the amphitheater.

Don't Forget Me!

2009-02-05T10:58:00.013-06:00

Ok, so I am walking down a path with shops all around me, and this store name catches my attention. Is it telling me to remember my friends who are not with me on this little trip to F-burg, or is it telling me to remember to go into this store? Either way - I laughed. I laughed at the cute desperation in the name.

For extra kicks, if you are ever in the area, make sure to stop by and grab something sweet at Rather Sweet. I had this chocolate goodness and they even have gluten free desserts!

But don't just take my word for it, check out their national media coverage spread - and this is only one wall!

España

2009-02-03T18:09:00.005-06:00

I always wanted to do something with this photo. It's one of my favorites from my trip to Barcelona in 2007. I love the length and narrowness of the street and the closeness of the buildings. The green dress the woman is wearing makes me think more of the Indian culture than Spanish, which I think is a nice touch. And, the bike is classic.

This one I just find appropriate because it was the first thing I saw when I stepped foot in Spain. I just love the way the sun is peeking out of the clouds!

Vino Décor

2009-02-02T17:58:00.011-06:00

I saw this at a Texas wine (not my fave) shop in Fredericksburg and I really want to make one. Well, maybe I want someone to make me one :) I think it would make for great outdoor decor!

Introduccíon y Bienvenida

2009-02-02T12:31:00.007-06:00

Hello and welcome to my blog, my photo blog. I am not a professional photographer, nor do I want to be, but I take "good enough for me" pictures that I hope you will also enjoy. I love pictures, but I love most what they do - they provide a glimpse into someone and their life and enlighten you to a place you've never seen before. They invoke memories and peak curiosity. They can sometimes capture perfect moments.

I wanted to do something more with my pictures than just create online albums that can be too personal to post for the entire world, or too specific to matter to all. I thought this blog would be the perfect way to share what I want, when I want, without any rhyme or reason. Well, maybe some.

I thought it fitting that the first picture be of me!

I am God knows how old (I really don't have a clue, 2 years old? I mean, it doesn't even seem like I can stand on my own) with my uncle, "Tato". Estamos en México, probablemente en el rancho de mis abuelos. Don't you just love the shoe accessories?