Like Dave Matthews Band?

Die hard fans that we are - we bought tickets for Friday (09/08/06) and Saturday (09/09/06) at the Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View.

I now have a company gig I cannot bow out of, so we need to sell our Friday night tickets. I will post them on Craigslist, but figured it wouldn't hurt to blog about it too.

Tickets are for:

Friday, 09/08/06 Section 202, Row Q, Seats together in the 30's

Asking for face ($59.50) plus the silly ticketing fees we were dinged when we originally bought them ($5.50) for a total of $130. Can meet anywhere in San Francisco for an in-person swap (cash for tickets) or you can Paypal the money to me and I will Fed Ex them to you (for an additional fee of $23).

If you love Dave Matthews Band and have never seen him live. You must buy these tickets and go. It is an experience not to be missed.

UPDATE: THE TICKETS HAVE BEEN SOLD. THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO EMAILED ME ABOUT THEM.

Photo credit: Shoreline

Technorati tags: davematthews davematthewsband dmb livemusic concert sellingtickets
shoreline shorelineamphitheatre

HuckaBuck on the block - auction block that is.

My favorite fellas from New Orleans have put their baby on the block to focus on other projects they have up their sleeve.

And just to make it interesting, they put HuckaBuck up on eBay. So go and bid. Bid big - and give HuckaBuck a new home.

Technorati tags: huckabuck auction ebay metasearchengine searchengine searchinterface

Welcome to hoochie land

I can only hope neon is coming back in style or I am going look like a total hoochie mama when I answer my phone in public.

Yes folks. I own a hot pink phone. A hot pink Razr to be exact. Didn't know they made them in hot pink? Yeah, I didn't either until I opened the box and got the shock of a lifetime.


Let me backtrack a bit...

So I have had some problems with my Treo recently. Add to the mix Chris accidently dropping it at a party a couple weeks ago, and now my Treo has decided it has had enough abuse and stopped turning on, taking all my contacts with it. Now, it is not THAT bad as I backed the bugger up a couple months of ago, but there are some recent entries that are gone forever unless I pay Palm and/or Cingular to retrieve the data for me (still trying to decide if it is worth it or not as I hate giving those f***ers any more money - more on that below).

Anyway, my Treo is dead. I call Cingular and they go through their standard script - offering me a new one for $200 if I sign another two year deal. With all the problems we have had with Cingular - the last thing I wish to do is start another two year contract with them. SO how much is it retail I ask? $400? No thanks. I didn't like it that much anyway. So I decide to look at alternatives. How much is the Razr I ask? $99 with a two year contract or $350 if I pay retail. Crap. I guess I can always take the new contract, pay $99 for the phone and if I want to cancel before the end of the term I will just owe them $175 early termination fee. That option still saves me ove $75 from their retail price, but it just doesn't seem right I should have to be locked into an agreement when we are already 1-1/2 years into the existing agreement. And either way, I will then have to pay them $36 to activate the thing. So I decide to find another distribution center.

Enter eBay. Glorious eBay. I can be the proud owner of a new unlocked Razr for about $150. Cool. That is what I will do. Don't have to deal with Cingular. No new agreements need to be signed. No additional fees required of me. Buy. Ship. Swap SIMs. Answer phone. Whalaa.


So I search eBay for a pink Razr to match my new Bluetooth headset and settle on an auction that I win easily. Of course, I should note the picture in the auction did show the phone being hot pink, but I erroneously thought it was just a bad picture as the only pink tone I had ever seen was the light pink from Cingular. The nice light pink color. Isn't it pretty? The light pink color.

So anyway, I win the auction, pay my money and a couple days later I get the phone. The hot pink phone. To top it off, the phone is set in Italian so I have to spend 1/2 hour trying to remember my lessons from five years ago to change it back to English. But I do. And it works, so I guess I can't complain.

Well, yes I can. The phone is hot pink. I look like such a hoochie mama.


Photo credit: Cingular

Technorati tags: treo650 deadtreo cingular razr pinkrazr hotpinkrazr italianrazr ebay auction cellphone

Unpacking my bags and putting my PJs back on

Day five of this friggin cold - well, more like day seven from the time the first symptoms came on - and this bug is still kicking our ass pretty good. So much so that we had to make the hard decision to bow out of our Burning Man trip.

Totally sucks as we would have been heading out to the playa today, but I know in the long run it was the right thing to do. I mean, our lungs are so full of crap that we can't even climb a flight of stairs without gasping for air along the way - so the 'responsible' side of us realized we were not healthy enough to tackle all the elements of the playa.


And seeing the photos of the dust storm they just had confirms we made the right decision. Something tells me our little ventilation masks would not have protected our lungs very well - so yes, it sucks that we are not there. But I kind of like breathing, so I guess I am happy we stayed home.

Shout out to our buddies at Smite Camp (3:30 and Chance). I guess we will always have next year...

Photo credit: Abraxas3d

Technorati tags: burningman burningman2006 sick sickgirl duststorm

The magic of Safire

My buddy Safire just made a video of a pretty groovy trick and submitted it on YouTube in the hopes she garners enough views/votes to earn her a place in the DVD for the The Illusionist.



So check it out, rate it, share it.

Technorati tags: magicsafire youtube butterflytrick magictrick theillusionist contest

Being sick sucks.

I hate being sick.

Can't breathe.

Itchy throat.

Head pounding.


Not a lick of energy can be mustered at a time when I need to be operating at 150%.

And...if this doesn't go away quick, our trip to the playa will be in jeapordy. Bugger me.

I need another can of chicken soup. And an Advil. ASAP.


Photo Credit: ImmenseImprints

Is there an Expert (or two) in the house?

Presents:

ASK AN EXPERT II

So the first gathering went off without any casualties (well, none that I am claiming), so Chris and I thought - what the heck?! Let's do another. And another (January 2007). And another (March 2007).

The idea is simple.

Option #1:
You have some knowledge. You would like to share that knowledge, so you come to CNET on Tuesday, September 19th and pay it forward. You leave knowing you have done something really nice and you will win the lotto next month. (Ok, so I can't really control that, but I believe in karma so let's think positive shall we?)

Option #2:
There is something you have been yearning to learn how to do. You put your name on our website and we see if we can find someone to help you out. You go home. You play with your new mad skills. You come back to the next Rent an Expert event and teach someone else. (Show. Do. Teach.)

We have also been graced by lovely sponsors / patrons and owe much props to Joel Sacks at CNET for allowing us to cop a squat there for the evening. And another huge shout out to Mindjet, who has donated a PC version of their MindManager program that some lucky receipient will be taking home with them that night. Now, bonus would be finding some loving soul to donate a little dinero so we can bring snacks and drinks to share. Hmmm?? Anyone got a few extra pennies in their pocket? Let me know.

Technorati tags: socialmediaclub brainjams smc:expert2 askanexpert smc:askanexpert unconference cnet mindjet

Happy birthday baby.

'Men are like wine. Some turn to vinegar, but the best improve with age'. C.E.M. Joad

Happy birthday to the man I love, truly one of the best.

Here's to all your dreams and wishes coming true in this lifetime. Oh wait...they already did...you have me. :()

I love you muffin.

Technorati tags: happybirthday birthdaywishes

What gets me out of the house at 10:30pm on a Sunday night?

Ozomatli man. Ozomatli.


What a great concert. Super small venue (Boom Boom Room). Bodies swaying to the music. The band less than five feet away from us. And the best part of all? My knees held up and allowed me to dance all night*. Wow. Good times baby. Good times.


*Of course I am paying for it today. I think it is time for another ice pack.

Technorati tags: ozomatli livemusic concert boomboomroom sanfranciscomusic latin funk

This will not turn into a wedding blog. Oh wait, it already has.

We did it. My consort and I finally launched our wedding website, http://www.chrisandkristie.com.

Yeah, I know. It kind of looks ugly. Chris and I were going for a quick turnaround rather than glam appeal so we could start directing our guests towards information easily. This 'just let it fly' attitude is totally out of character for me, but I am dealing with it for now as I figure at least there is something there for people to see. Everyone has to travel, so the sooner they got the information, the better.

I have also decided that is where all our wedding posts shall go from now on so if you want to keep updated on the craziness that can be 'Chris and Kristie', you will need to add another link into your feed burner.

Good, bad, happy, sad. Let them see it all. Maybe it will shock some and help whittle down the guest list. :()

Just kidding.

Well, kind of.


Photo credit: Thomas Hawk

Technorati tags: wedding gettingmarried chrisandkristiegetmarried weddingplanning weddingblog

Social Media Club opens its doors...and is looking for your feedback

Why the Social Media Club ('SMC') you ask?

We felt there was a need for a neutral third party platform in which people can share best practices, support ethics and standards, and develop programs to promote media literacy. Basically - we wanted to do good, and we want to make the world a more positive place. The SMC seemed like a perfect vehicle to do so.

Knowing there was a lot at stake, we chose to follow Bill Murray's baby steps philosophy and launched the organization with a small project to start, the New Media Release - also known as the hRelease. (HA! I know, I know. If this is our idea of a small project can you imagine what we think is big?) There has been a lot of activity in the Google Group so far, and I am excited to take these points into various online and offline discussions to generate something I can really sink my teeth into.

The first offline discussion starts tonight and will be held at the Interplast offices in Mountain View. Anyone and everyone interested in joining us - please do so - the more is merrier here. The focus tonight will be a short discussion on the development of the SMC organization and then we will dig into all the gooeyness of the New Media Release. If you are not able to join us in person, we have set up an IRC and will also have 10 conference lines available which are on a first come - first served basis.

Afterwards, we will be heading to an informal "Blogger Dinner" in downtown Mountain View at Tied House http://www.tiedhouse.com/locations/mtn_view.html
where we continue the more is merrier attitude. There will not be an IRC or a conference call available for that gathering. ;)

Look forward to growing this with you all.

Technorati tags: socialmediaclub newmediarelease hrelease interplast

New Media Release Podcast #4

Chris Heuer and Brian Solis are live at SES and discuss search-engine optimization of press releases and the role of XML schemas in press releases.

The podcast can be found at the 'For Immediate Release' site.

It's a thriller folks.

Technorati tags: newmediarelease pressrelease hrelease socialmedia podcast nmrcast

Do they sell 180 SPF on the playa?

We did it. We finally bought our Burning Man tickets.

We have been see-sawing back and forth over the last three months and finally realized this might be one of the few times in the next couple of years that we will be able to go - so we threw caution to the wind and added another $510 to our credit card debt.

I can't wait.

Photo credit: Waldemar Horwat

Technorati tags: burningman burningman2006 lifeontheplaya newbie firsttimer

My EDD check barely covers my COBRA payment

When I was laid off, I had the following options (a) going without health insurance (stupid at my age = old), (b) trying to get a new policy on my own (stupid as I have bad body parts with pre-existing injuries = knees), or (c) extending my existing policy through COBRA and paying out the ass 'just in case' something happens (stupid as Murphy's Law will prove - nothing will happen during this time off).

Of course I chose option (c). Holy crap.

I find it amazing I have to spend $450+/month to ensure I don't end up spending 1,000's (or more) if I cut a finger off - which if you know me is likely as I am not the most graceful girl in the world.

To add insult to injury, my COBRA bill and my EDD check arrived on the same day. They basically cancel each other out so it looks like it is Top Ramen for me tonight.

Maybe I should work on that resume of mine...I need to find a sucker - oops I mean employer - to pick up the tab for my health insurance.

Technorati tags: healthinsurance cobra oldbody

Vamanos a Mexico!

Hola. Como estas? Me llamo Kristie. Mas cervesa por favor. No problema esta aqui para mi. Donde esta el bano? Cuanto es?


Just thought I would start practicing for our trip next July when mi corazon, our family, friends and I descend upon the El Dorado Royale in the Riviera Maya (Mexican Caribbean) for a weeks worth of festivities to celebrate the new jewelry Chris and I will be wearing.

Yes folks. It has happened. It only took us three months, but Chris and I have finally secured a destination for our destination wedding. YAHOO!

Nestled on a lovely strip of white beach inbetween Cancun and Playa del Carmen is the ‘little’ resort El Dorado Royale. I say ‘little’ as it is actually a lot bigger than I was originally looking for, but after closer review we noticed it had all the elements we wanted in our destination:

(1) Resort - all inclusive. Plethera of food, drinks, and activities without you ever needing to take your wallet out of the safe. There is also a spa for those moments we truly wish to pamper ourselves.

(2) Accomodations - Main resort has lovely 'reasonably priced' rooms and the building are no more than three stories high which keeps it more intimate feeling. There are also individual bungalows (casitas) available for those who wish to live like P. Diddy for a day (or seven).

Chris and I are going to go hog wild and book the swim up casita. You know what they say, 'when in Rome'...

(3) Location - most everyone can get there on a direct flight with others not having more than one layover. It is also just 30 minutes to Cancun and 15 minutes to Cozumel / Playa del Carmen so we can take road trips if everyone felt the need to leave the resort for a day.

Of course, we are still trying to figure out how to get grandpa there without him having to fly, but I am hopeful we can work it out.

-------

So there you have it. All the blood, sweat and tears that have been shed over the last three months have finally landed us in Mexico. And I couldn't be happier.

Vivo, amor, danza, cante.

Technorati tags: chrisandkristiearegettingmarried wedding weddingplanningdestinationwedding gettingmarried mexico eldoradoroyale

Social Media Club Meeting #1

Wednesday, August 16th
6:00 PM - 8:00 PM

Location:
Interplast
857 Maude Avenue
Mountain View, CA 94043

Entry fee: $0.00

Thanks to Seth Mazow and the folks over at Interplast who have graciously opened their doors to host the first open meeting for the Social Media Club.

The night will be spent talking about the goals of the SMC, how we should structure it and our first prject, the New Media Release. The specifics can be found online at the Social Media Club website and we will follow up with additional details on the event over the next couple of weeks.

I hope to see you there.

Technorati tags: socialmedia socialmediaclub web2.0 hrelease mediarelease pr2.0

New Media Release Podcast #3

Tom Foremski and Brian Solis join Chris Heuer and Shel Holtz for a discussion on what to call this thing, how to get the profession to work together on a single product, and the role the wire services will play.

You may listen to the podcast here and sign up for the RSS feed here.


Technorati tags: newmediarelease podcast mediarelease socialmediarelease hrelease socialmediaclub