Wussow with a "W"

Backing Up: Maggie's First Month

2011-10-05T08:00:00.000-05:00

The fact that my baby is 3 1/2 months and I am just now posting photos from her birth is indicative of just how crazy the last few months have been around here. I frequently prioritized napping over eating, showering, chores, and everything else. I ate the diet of a linebacker plus about four peanut butter and jelly sandwiches each day. I was told for the first time ever that I was "losing my grip on reality" (by my loving husband, trying to convince me that I really needed to take a nap). While everything that people say about being a new mom is definitely true - it is difficult and tiring and stretching in a way I have never been stretched before - what Travis and I kept coming back to is how much fun we were having. How amazing it was to care for our daughter. How much we truly enjoyed being with her and being with each other during those first few weeks. It was such a great time that I really look back fondly.

Here are some photos from the first month. I am taking Maggie's picture in our white chair on the 15th of each month, hopefully until she is two (got the idea from Nicole at Making it Lovely). The official photo from that month is below, plus some other fun shots.

The "official" one month photo. Travis refers to this pose as her mad scientist hands.

Resting with her grandmother.

Tummy time. It's funny, I got this play mat out when she was about two weeks old and starting to be a little more alert. I don't really know how I thought she was going to react, but she certainly didn't care about it. She is three months old and barely cares about it now. Amateur hour.

Sock monkey. Don't worry, we didn't let her sleep like this for long.

One of my favorite photos of her. I cannot get over the double chin.

Thoughts on Poverty

2011-10-02T08:00:00.000-05:00

Since having Maggie, I have been catching up on a lot of books I have been meaning to read. One of them is When Helping Hurts, by Steve Corbett and Brian Fikkert.

One thing we are learning since we have moved to St. John is how difficult it is to discern exactly how to show mercy to our neighbors. There are so many people in need but it is rarely clear how to help. Travis and I struggle with whether our actions, intended to demonstrate the love of God and help lift people out of poverty, are actually demonstrating a God complex and embedding people further into poverty.

This book provides a lot of practical and theological in figuring out how to help rather than hurt.

One of the key concepts from the book that I have found particularly helpful is that poverty is not primarily defined by a lack of material things. In western culture, we define poverty by what people do not have. They don't have money. They don't have food. They don't have shelter. But, in the 1990s the World Bank conducted a survey of over 60,000 poor people from all over the world and asked them to answer the question: "what is poverty?" The results of the study are published in a series of books called Voices of the Poor. The World Bank found that the poor across the world define poverty much differently than North Americans.

Poor people typically talk in terms of shame, inferiority, powerlessness, humiliation, fear, hopelessness, depression, social isolation, and voicelessness. North American audiences tend to emphasize a lack of material things such as food, money, clean water, medicine, housing, etc...this mismatch between many outsiders' perceptions of poverty and the perceptions of poor people themselves can have devastating consequences for poverty-alleviation efforts. (When Helping Hurts, Corbett and Fikkert)

The difference between how North Americans define poverty and how the poor define poverty is staggering to me. And it explains why many of our ministries and services to the poor quite frankly aren't working. We are throwing simple, material-based solutions at people that need not just physical but psychological, sociological, emotional, and spiritual restoration.

I have seen this play out in a trivial, but personal and tangible way since moving to St. John. If you have ever been to St. John, you have probably noticed that there is a lot of trash, debris, and junk everywhere. When folks have broken furniture, appliances, bags of trash, large branches, construction materials, and other junk, they just go ahead and put it at the curb. Even if no one is coming to pick it up. Not only are there large piles of debris on most streets, but the litter problem is simply astounding. Keep Austin Beautiful conducts multiple "Clean Sweeps" each year in which they unleash an army of volunteers into the neighborhood to pick up trash. The neighborhood is squeaky clean for about a week. And then, completely inexplicably, it is filthy again.

Not a day goes by (not an exaggeration by any stretch) that I don't have a capri-sun or a chip bag or a plastic sack blow into my yard. When we first moved here, I would pick the trash up whenever I saw it. Who wants trash in their yard, right? But I have noticed that I don't pick it up anymore. If I see a capri-sun, I will walk right by it. I watch plastic bags blow into other people's yards from my own. Why? Because I feel powerless to change the fact that our neighborhood is junky. No matter what I do, no matter how much trash I pick up, there will always be trash in my yard when I wake up in the morning. And the feeling of powerlessness is so defeating.

The problem with St. John is more complex than can be solved by one or four or twenty clean up events. The problem with St. John is that broken people (including me) live here that feel worthless and voiceless. We need the gospel to tell us that we are valued by God and heard by God. Broken people feel that we have no hope to change our circumstances. We need the gospel to tell us that there is hope in Christ. Broken people feel powerless to make an impact. We need the gospel which is the "power of God for salvation to everyone who believes" (Romans 1:16). Addressing the root issues instead of the surface ones is overwhelming and seemingly impossible. Which is a good thing. It means that in five, ten, even twenty years, when the people of St. John take care of the community and make sure that it is a clean and healthy place for families to live, Keep Austin Beautiful will not receive the glory. All glory be to God.

Backing Up: Welcome Home Maggie

2011-09-29T08:00:00.000-05:00

Margaret Ashton Wussow was born on June 15, 2011 at 11:26 am.

She weighed in at 7 lbs, 4 oz and was 19 inches long.

We are blessed.

For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. (Ephesians 4:14-19)

Big Girl Outfit and Finally Got a Smile

2011-09-28T15:30:00.006-05:00

Maggie has been giving us pretty big smiles for a while now, but it is really hard to catch with the camera, especially the big camera. Especially because she is obsessed with putting her hands in her mouth. Today I got her.

She was also wearing what I refer to as her "big girl outfit." It is hilarious to me to see her wearing shoes and a skirt like a school-aged kid. For all of the moms out there, these are the only baby shoes that have ever remotely stayed on her feet. I am not sure where you can buy them because they were hand-me-downs, but I would highly recommend them. They are like soft slippers with a velcro strap.

Big Things

2011-02-26T10:18:00.009-06:00

Haven't blogged in awhile, so I have a lot of big things to update all three of you on.

1. We moved!

We moved into a house on the east side of Austin next door to our good friends Justin and Sally and their two girls. We are getting settled and thrilled to have more space. Some of you may know our story in how we decided to move into an under-resourced, at-risk neighborhood on the east side, but it wonderful to see God's faithfulness in allowing us to obey this call that we heard several years ago. Much more to come on this topic, but for now, check out our new digs!

This is just an iPhone picture of the outside that we actually had to take for our insurance company, but isn't it cute?! When I get things more together on the inside we will be due for a virtual tour.

2. We went on vacation!

In February we were so blessed to be able to go on a vacation to Paris, Florence, and Rome. I had never been to Europe before, and Travis had only been to the UK, so it was 10 days full of firsts for both of us. It was an amazing trip that will merit its own posts, but here are a few teasers.

The Dome of the Cathedral in Florence.

Columns from the Roman Forum.

Us in front of the Eiffel Tower.

3. We are on our way to being a family of three!

Our baby GIRL is due on June 22, which makes me 23 weeks along. We are completely thrilled and totally freaked out, which I hear is a normal emotional response. So far I have had a somewhat sickly first trimester and a great second trimester. A few belly shots...

Baby W in Florence...

Paris...

...and Donn's Depot (Austin).

Almost Famous

2010-02-04T12:42:00.006-06:00

For our second anniversary, I got Travis this cool print from JHill Design.

She does these city prints for many different cities, and you can customize the text at the bottom based on a specific event. I did ours for our wedding day, but it could be from a vacation or study abroad, engagement, anything special to you.

And much to my surprise, we are apparently the poster children for the customized city print! (See banner.) Thank you, thank you.

Celebrity status aside, Travis loved this gift and it is on our wall, right next to this print from Steven Bush. If you purchase now, the proceeds will go directly to organizations on the ground in Haiti. We are always looking for quality, yet affordable, art to fill our home and offices, and Bush is an AMAZING photographer. Check him out.

What I've Been Up To

2010-01-05T18:59:00.002-06:00

I know that I neglect posting here. I know that. But, for the first time ever, I have a decent excuse for my lack of blogging.

Some of you may remember the "Recipe of the Month" feature (can I really call it a feature?) that I used to regularly include on this site. I recently decided to roll this idea into an entirely new blog, called Eating as I Go. I have already posted some of the things I have been cooking lately and have had a blast doing it so far.

Many thanks to Leslie for designing the new banner.

Take a little look and let me know what you think!

Photos I Owe You

2009-10-18T09:50:00.010-05:00

I have promised photos from our Costa Rica trip, and today I will deliver.

The results of muddy four-wheeling.

Us on the rocks.

From left to right, Amanda, Steph, Saona, Michelle, Tiffany, me. Isn't it strange how we are all the same height? No one is wearing heels.

Our amazing house, Casa Azul. Right on the beach. We had it all to ourselves.

Chillaxing.

Canopy tour.

Beach sunsets.

It's 10:45...

2009-10-17T10:46:00.003-05:00

And OU still sucks!

This is a photo of me and Travis at the TX-OU Red River Rivalry game in 2005. It is one of my all-time favorite photos of us. We are headed off to watch the game at Billy's on Burnet.

Ho0k 'em!

Back in action

2009-06-27T23:37:00.006-05:00

We are back from Costa Rica as the more rested and tanned versions of ourselves. Many stories to come, but I just wanted to share a few teaser photos.

Life lessons from business school

2009-06-09T13:06:00.005-05:00

Being a person with a finance degree whose career is only partially related to finance, I have forgotten my fair share of content from my college classes. But, there are several things in business school that are so fundamental, and so repeated, that it makes it hard to forget. Like, for instance, how to be a complete geek with Microsoft Office applications. And how to make yourself seem more impressive and qualified than you actually are on your resume.

But, seriously, I do remember learning the basics of investment volatility and risk vs. return. Basically, you take a low risk investment, like a municipal bond, and you can't really expect a lot of upside. But, it does minimize downside risk -- you know that your money is pretty safe. However, if you take a high-risk investment, like a start-up company, the upside is huge. But, the downside is, too.

My point is, I have learned that for my life, I am all about minimizing the downside. I am not a risk-taker. And, this doesn't just apply to investments.

That's right, ladies and gentlemen, 4 black bathing suits (well, 3.5 really). When it comes to this sun- and exercise-deprived bod, I am all about minimizing downside risk. To be fair, I did try and force myself to buy the polka-dotted bandeau top bathing suit in a different color, but they didn't have my size.

Why the bathing suits? In 10 short days, we are headed to Costa Rica with some of our favorite people. So excited. Can't wait to tell you all about it.

I don't take allergy medicine anymore

2009-06-06T11:25:00.003-05:00

We were recently in San Francisco visiting our good friends Jeremy and Michelle. It was a delayed birthday celebration for Jeremy. A big group of us piled into a 15-passenger van and drove to Chico, where the Sierra Nevada brewery is. I had a sampler of their 16 different brews (small portions). They have, in addition to their standard pale ale, about 7 or 8 other pale ales and India pale ales. It was pretty fantastic.

Sampler of the brews at the Sierra Nevada Brewery

Since about my third year in Austin, I have suffered pretty badly from seasonal allergies. I perpetually only have use of one nostril. This last cedar season (which was really bad, even for Austin standards), I was taking a cocktail of Claritin, Zyrtec, and Allegra just so I could think straight at work. My doctor said it was okay.

Jeremy also has pretty bad allergies, and all of the above-listed medicines have stopped working for him. He recently started using, probably partly just to blend in with California culture, the NeilMed Sinus Rinse, which is similar to the Neti Pot.

I did not want to try it. I do not like putting things up my nose. I do not use Nasonex. Ever. The thought of spraying something into one nostril, through my sinus cavities, and out the other nostril (or worse, my mouth) was pretty disgusting to me.

But once I saw the glorious green flow of mucus coming Jeremy's nose, I decided to try it. It was invigorating. It felt like the inside of my face was clean. I had no boogers for the rest of the day (which, if you are aware of my proclivity for nose-picking, you know is both a pro and a con). Best of all, I could breathe and had no allergy symptoms.

So I bought one, and I've used it every day since then. And I have no more allergy problems. I can wear my contacts again, because my eyes are not red, itchy, and watery anymore. My skin is no longer itchy. And all of this during oak season, my worst allergy.

If you have allergies, you need to try it. It is weird, but you will get over it. You will be amazed at the junk coming from your nose. You will save a fortune in allergy medicine that doesn't quite fully work. Do it. And tell me about it.

Storytelling

2009-03-08T23:39:00.008-05:00

If you know Travis, you know that he has a knack for storytelling. Now, this is partially because he is really dramatic and enthusiastic when he is talking about something. It is also because he "embellishes" the boring parts of stories to make them better. Either way, it is pretty entertaining, so I can't complain.

I took some pictures of storytelling Travis in action at the party this weekend. Sorry about the sepia coloration of the photos - I was playing around and couldn't change mid stream.

Here he is getting the story started. Notice the rapt attention of the audience, right from the get-go.

Here we are getting some hand motions going.

Wait, where did he go?

Oh, there he is. The story just got real good. I bet you wish you knew what he was saying, don't you?

The audience was sure loving it.

Next time you see Travis, ask him about the Alamo story. I'll bet he would love to tell you about it.

Celebrate Texas

2009-03-08T23:27:00.008-05:00

On Saturday we celebrated Texas Independence Day. And the Alamo. And friends. I used the opportunity to play around with my camera.

This is our friend Parker, who, conveniently enough, loves to cook for big crowds. Isn't the Texas flag perfect in the background?

The party was a celebration of all things Texas. Texas music, Texas food, and of course, Texas beverages, like this.

And this.

Get a load of those chickens. Man, they were good.

Happy Birthday, Grams!

2009-01-26T19:32:00.004-06:00

Psalm 23
The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures, He leads be beside still waters.
He restores my soul...
Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

In reality, Grams will probably not see this post, but I wanted to share with you all that she is turning 91 today! Grams is Travis's grandmother (on his dad's side), and as a lot of you probably know, she had a stroke at the end of August. It has been a long and difficult road for her and for our family. But, her progress has been amazing and is truly an answer to prayer.

Grams is living at a wonderful assisted living now that is a 2 minute drive from Travis's parents. Before her stroke, Grams lived alone in her own house, walked a couple of miles each morning, and had a pretty impressive garden, all at age 90. This has definitely not been an easy transition for her. But with the AMAZING care and support of the Wussow family, she gets better and better every day. Travis and I are so blessed to even play a very, very small part in helping and encouraging her in recovery. We look forward to every day that we get to spend with her. We love you Grams!

Obama-mania

2009-01-23T08:31:00.002-06:00

Obama boasts a 62% approval rating in Texas. That's pretty good considering 23% of us are convinced he is a Muslim.

I've been tagged?

2009-01-22T22:36:00.004-06:00

I've been tagged by Leah Gibson. I would like to make it known that I will not make a practice of participating in blog games, but I didn't want to dis Leah who made such a great effort to type out that Keller quote.

This is the tag game.

[1] Grab the nearest book.
[2] Open to page 56.
[3] Find the 5th sentence.
[4] Post the text of the next 2-5 sentences and these rules.
[5] Tag 5 peeps!

And this is the funny part. I technically did this while I was at work (the book-opening part), and the closest book was a manual on water rates. Totally boring. And page 56 was a giant table with numbers, no sentences. Joke's on me.

Do I still get to pass the game on? I feel like I have been disqualified by my own nerdiness.

Now that is what I call Christian music

2009-01-22T22:23:00.005-06:00

I got Travis the Welcome Wagon album, Welcome to the Welcome Wagon, for Christmas, and it is amazing. It is great if you are like me and you would prefer to listen to music about Jesus but you would also prefer that your music isn't totally lame. The group is a married couple, and he is a presbyterian minister in Brooklyn, NY. And, it is produced by Sufjan Stevens. If you like Sufjan, and you like Jesus, you will like this.

I have posted the lyrics to my favorite song on the album, Up on a Mountain.

Up on a mountain
Our Lord is alone
Without a family, friends, or a home
He cries, "Oo, oo, oo, will you stay with me?"
He cries, "Oh, oh, oh, will you wait with me?"

Up on a mountain
Our Lord is afraid
Carrying all the mistakes we have made
And He knew
It's a long way down
Do you know
It's a long way down?

Up in the heavens
Our Lord prays for you
He sends His spirit to carry us through
So it's true
That you're not alone
Do you know
He came all the way down?
So it's true
That you're not alone
Do you know
He came all the way down?

Reflections on no TV: Part 2

2009-01-20T21:25:00.002-06:00

Another unanticipated casualty from this time of not having a TV - the presidential inauguration. Ordinarily, you would have had to pry me away from my couch with a large crow bar on inauguration day. The same nerd factor that creates the Olympic obsession also creates the need (note: not want) to soak up every second coverage of all historic events. And what a historic event, indeed.

Also note: Travis did not demand a boycott of this television event.

P.S. Not that I was able to watch, but did anyone else think that the Inaguration Neigborhood Ball was a little bit too much like an MTV special? I get what they were trying to accomplish, but it was still strange.

We've Been Elfed

2008-12-15T16:47:00.002-06:00

Kind of ironic considering my last post, but here it is.

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Advent

2008-12-11T09:07:00.001-06:00

I wish it wasn't such a fight to make Christmas about Jesus.

Oh, Come, Oh, Come Emmanuel

Oh, come, oh, come, Emmanuel,
And ransom captive Israel,
That mourns in lonely exile here
Until the Son of God appear.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to you, O Israel!

Oh, come, oh, come, our Lord of might,
Who to your tribes on Sinai's height
In ancient times gave holy law,
In cloud and majesty and awe.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to you, O Israel!

Some conferences aren't as tight at the Big 12

2008-12-02T11:33:00.003-06:00

I saw this today - Pete Carroll is giving up 2 timeouts in USC's game against UCLA this weekend so that they can wear red jerseys.

Timeouts for jerseys?

How big of a slap in the face is that? No offense UCLA, but we think so little of you as an opponent that we are willing to give up 1/3 of our total time outs in the game so that we can wear different colored shirts.

Red just looks so much better in the pictures when you are smashing the other team's face in.

Really I am just bitter. I wouldn't care if the Longhorns wore leopard print if they would let us play for the Big 12 title.

These are my thoughts.

Recipe of the Month: October

2008-10-23T17:16:00.006-05:00

Fall is here (sort of), and so is the squash. Last year I attempted to make a butternut squash soup after being inspired by Justin Raiford, the chef at 34th Street Cafe, one of our favorite spots. This soup was one of the most delicious things I have ever put in my mouth. My attempt to imitate it: not so delicious.

So, this season, I found an actual recipe in order to make my butternut squash soup dream a reality. I modified a recipe that I found on the Food Network website from Gourmet magazine (found here).

Big plus for the cooking skeptics (ahem, Leah) - only 9 ingredients! Don't skip the nutmeg. Don't do it.

Butternut Squash Soup

Ingredients
1 medium butternut squash (about 2 1/4 pounds)
1 medium onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 cups chicken broth
1 sprig rosemary
1-2 cups water, as needed
Salt and pepper to taste
Fresh ground nutmeg (garnish)

Directions
Cut squash in half lengthwise, and scoop out the seeds. Arrange the halves cut side down in roasting pan. Bake squash in the oven for 40-45 minutes or until very tender. Set aside to cool. When the squash is completely cool, scoop the flesh from the skin. While the squash is baking, cook the onion and the garlic in the butter in a saucepan, over moderately low heat, for 5 minutes or until the onion is softened, Add the broth and rosemary sprig and simmer the mixture for 10 minutes, covered. Add the squash pulp to the sauce pan. Remove rosemary sprig. Transfer the mixture to a blender or food processor, in batches, and puree until smooth. Add enough water to achieve the desired consistency, and salt and pepper to taste. Return the soup to the sauce pan and cook over moderate heat until it is hot. Garnish with fresh grated nutmeg and serve warm!

Hell hath frozen over

2008-10-22T15:10:00.003-05:00

I missed this a couple of weeks ago, so if this is old news to you, please forgive me. But, a conservative newspaper in COLLEGE STATION, TEXAS endorsed Barack Obama for president. Pretty unbelieveable.

Of major concern to the editors was...Sarah Palin.

Full article can be found here.

Also of great concern is McCain's selection of Sarah Palin as his running mate. Like Obama, she has little experience in governing, but unlike the Illinois senator, she is a candidate of little intellectual curiosity who appears to be hopelessly unready to be president. The fact that people are confused by the difference between Palin and comedian Tina Fey's caustic impersonation is clear evidence that Palin should not be, as they say, a heartbeat away from the presidency.

Happy Birthday, Travis

2008-10-09T16:43:00.005-05:00

Happy 26th birthday, my love! Hope you have as much fun as you were having in this picture!

Love,
Katie

PS this photo was taken at the wedding of some dear friends of ours, Drew and Saona. Travis was dancing. And evaluating whether to remove his vest, apparently.

It is what it is

2008-10-06T13:07:00.000-05:00

The economic crisis did for Barack Obama what a domestic terrorist attack would have done for John McCain.

New Blog Feature: Recipe of the Month

2008-09-30T14:11:00.003-05:00

I highly recommend this recipe from Ellie Krieger, one of my favorite Food Network personalities. Her "schtick" is that she is a nutritionist that creates healthy, flavorful, and very easy meals. Her Three Bean and Beef Chili is one of my favorites.

I tried this recipe for Turkey Meatballs with Quick and Spicy Tomato Sauce and Whole Wheat Spaghetti a couple of weeks ago and it was perfect for a weeknight dinner. If spice is not your thing, cut the chipotles. Enjoy!

Ingredients
Sauce:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1 (28-ounce) can crushed fire-roasted tomatoes, liquid included
1 teaspoon finely minced canned chipotle en adobo and sauce, or more to taste
2 teaspoons chopped oregano leaves
1 sprig fresh rosemary
Salt
1/4 cup torn fresh basil leaves
Meatballs:
Cooking spray
1 pound ground turkey meat
1 slice fresh whole-wheat bread, crusts removed, pulsed into crumbs
1/4 cup grated Parmesan, plus more for serving
1/2 cup finely grated carrot
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
2 large cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves, plus more for garnish
2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme leaves
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/2 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 box (16 ounces) whole-wheat spaghetti
Directions
Fill a large stockpot with water and bring to a boil for pasta.

Make Sauce:
In a 4-quart saucepan heat the oil over medium heat. Saute the onions until translucent, about 3 minutes, then add the garlic and cook for 1 minute more. Add tomato paste, tomatoes, chipotles, oregano, rosemary, and salt. Bring all the ingredients to a low boil, reduce heat and cook for approximately 15 minutes, until liquid has evaporated slightly. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. While sauce is cooking, make meatballs.

Meatballs:
Preheat the broiler. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray. Combine the turkey with all other ingredients in a large work bowl. Form into 2 1/2 -inch balls and place on a baking sheet. Broil for 10 minutes, or until browned and almost entirely cooked through.

Meanwhile, remove rosemary sprig from sauce and add fresh basil. Add the meatballs to the sauce, cover, and cook additional 10 minutes, or until sauce has slightly thickened and meatballs have absorbed some of the sauce. While the meatballs are cooking, cook the whole-wheat spaghetti according to package directions.

Drain the pasta and return it to the pot. Add the sauce and meatballs, toss and heat through over medium heat. Divide evenly among 4 pasta bowls and garnish with parsley and 1 tablespoon grated Parmesan.

Yield: 6 servings (1 serving equals about 1 1/3 cups pasta and sauce, plus 2 meatballs

Emily "Post" (get it?)

2008-09-22T11:23:00.001-05:00

Question: Is there established etiquette for linking someone else's blog to your blog? What must your relationship be with this person for this to be appropriate?

Please advise.

Hardball

2008-09-19T09:55:00.008-05:00

If you know my husband, you know he is a good negotiator. Beyond good, really. So good I am embarassed to go with him when he is returning something at the store. I usually walk around outside in silent shame until the deed is done.

Along these lines, I was reminded of a funny story from our time in D.C. We went to a Washington Nationals game during our visit and planned on either scalping some tickets or buying some at the ticket office. (The game was far from sold out - the Nationals are pretty terrible.) We ran into an older gentleman who asked us if we wanted to buy his tickets along the third base line. He said, "face value is $50 per ticket, and I will give them to you for $50". I am thinking, "Score! Two tickets for the price of one". Travis, on the other hand, is thinking "No way I am buying these tickets for face value, you idiot". He apparently didn't realize he meant BOTH tickets for $50 total. Seeing Travis's hesitation, the nice man said, "ok, $40 then". Travis, shrugged and said, "alright, that sounds good", and proceeded to hand the guy $80 cash. And then there was this moment of inner turmoil as I saw what was about to happen.

To sum it up, Travis was super embarassed that he strong armed a nice man into giving us $100 worth of tickets for $40 instead of $50. And to make matters worse, our newly purchased tickets were right next to the nice man and his wife. Luckily, the guy was cool about it and we bought him a Coors Light as a peace offering.

Next time Trav may think twice before playing hardball.

But probably not.

Vacation Part 2: DC is the Place to Be!

2008-09-18T17:42:00.010-05:00

After we left Philadelphia, we took the train down to Washington D.C., where we were able to stay for 4 days and 3 nights! Turns out, that is not NEARLY enough time to see all that there is to see. But, we have a running list of things that we want to do next time we make it up there.

Highlights from D. C. include...

Preferred mode of transport: The train, hands down. It was great. It is like being on a plane, except you don't have to deal with airports, it is much cheaper, and you can talk on the phone. Unless you are in the "quiet car", that is.

Best middle eastern dining experience: Mama Ayesha's. We had dinner here with Judd Littleton, Travis's friend from law school. The food was really good, and so was the Lebanese wine and beer.

Worst middle eastern dining experience: Marrakesh Palace. Mediocre Moroccan food at outrageous prices.

Worst major league baseball team with the sweetest ballpark: The Washington Nationals.

Best cup of coffee: According to the hotel concierge, Starbucks (strike 1 for the JW Marriott). According to Travis and Katie, it all tasted like Folgers. Seriously. Not a good cup of coffee to be found.

Most moving memorial: Lincoln. It was incredible.

Biggest disappointment: The White House. I mean, it is cool and everything, but there isn't much to see.

Biggest kid-in-a-candy-shop moment: Travis at the Supreme Court.

Most cultural experience: The National Gallery

Here are some photos for your viewing pleasure.

The U.S. Capitol

Travis & Katie in front of the Supreme Court building.

Travis posing with his favorite Supreme Court Justice. Don't ask me who it is.

Travis & Katie at the White House

Lincoln Memorial

Gothic architecture at Georgetown University

Travis, Katie & Judd at a sports bar in Adams Morgan watching Michael Phelps and the American 4X200 relay team beat France. (I got to watch the Olympics after all!) Adams Morgan is cool - it is like 6th street except with gangs.

Our God is Mighty to Save

2008-09-17T08:29:00.000-05:00

The LORD your God is in your midst,
a mighty one who will save;
he will rejoice over you with gladness.

Zephaniah 3:17

More on big brother

2008-09-15T08:29:00.002-05:00

Interesting write up in the New York Times today on Sarah Palin. The full article can be found here, but I wanted to highlight a portion that expounds on my previous post regarding library censorship. Truly fascinating.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The new mayor also tended carefully to her evangelical base. She appointed a pastor to the town planning board. And she began to eye the library. For years, social conservatives had pressed the library director to remove books they considered immoral.
“People would bring books back censored,” recalled former Mayor John Stein, Ms. Palin’s predecessor. “Pages would get marked up or torn out.”

Witnesses and contemporary news accounts say Ms. Palin asked the librarian about removing books from the shelves. The McCain-Palin presidential campaign says Ms. Palin never advocated censorship.

But in 1995, Ms. Palin, then a city councilwoman, told colleagues that she had noticed the book “Daddy’s Roommate” on the shelves and that it did not belong there, according to Ms. Chase and Mr. Stein. Ms. Chase read the book, which helps children understand homosexuality, and said it was inoffensive; she suggested that Ms. Palin read it.

“Sarah said she didn’t need to read that stuff,” Ms. Chase said. “It was disturbing that someone would be willing to remove a book from the library and she didn’t even read it.”

“I’m still proud of Sarah,” she added, “but she scares the bejeebers out of me.”

Thanks, but no thanks?

2008-09-09T09:28:00.002-05:00

Interesting article in today's WSJ.

Big brother manifest

2008-09-03T12:39:00.003-05:00

I was rapidly losing interest in the presidential race until John McCain announced his selection of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin for his vice presidential running-mate. As you might have noticed, the last few days have been rocky for Gov. Palin, not to mention the McCain campaign and those poor souls that are running the RNC.

Of all of the fascinatingly scandalous stories that have come out about her in the past few days, I think this one is the most bizarre and interesting. According to reporter Laura McGann, when Sarah Palin was mayor of Wasilla, AK, she reportedly had discussions with the city librarian about censorship of books in the library. The librarian was asked once to resign, but apparently was able to keep her job for unknown reasons. You can find the story at the link below.

http://www.washingtonindependent.com/4056/palin-to-wasilla-librarian-are-you-ok-with-censorship

Censoring books? Really?

This is gonna get ugly.

Vacation Part 1: Philadelphia

2008-09-01T14:46:00.008-05:00

This is the first in a series of many posts about our vacation to the Northeast. We started our trip in Philadelphia, PA. Many have asked why we chose to visit Philly since we had so many (seemingly) more exciting cities on our agenda. There are a couple of answers to this. First of all, Southwest has a killer nonstop flight to Philly from Austin, so we ended up saving a lot of time and sanity by flying into there. Second of all, Travis's cousin, Joel, just moved to Philly to start medical school, so it afforded us a good opportunity to see him.

We spent less than 24 hours in Philly, which is not a lot, but we were able to learn several things about it before leaving.
1. There aren't a whole lot of "landmark" things to see and do there. Besides the Liberty Bell, Independence Hall, and the Rocky steps, there aren't very many things to see for sightseers. (Not a knock on them at all, because you could definitely say the same thing about Austin.)
2. Philly is not such a safe place. If you wander too far outside of the center of the City, you could get yourself into some rough areas. Luckily, we did not learn this from experience.
3. We had cheese steak sandwiches at this one restaurant that was supposedly pretty legit, and Travis and I both agreed that Texadelphia does a pretty good job making its sandwiches "authentic" compared to the real thing. All in all, however, I don't really get the cheese steak obsession, because they are kind of heavy and gross. To each his own I guess.

Here are some pictures from our short stay in Philly.

The Liberty Bell. It took me at least 5 minutes to get a shot with no other people in it. Apparently it is pretty cool to pose in front of it.

Downtown Philly

Independence Hall

Happy Birthday Marc!

2008-08-12T16:30:00.001-05:00

Happy (1 day late) birthday, buddy.

Where we'll be

2008-08-12T16:18:00.005-05:00

For the next 10 days or so, Travis and I are taking some much needed time away to celebrate being done with law school and the Bar exam. Here is our schedule for the next couple of weeks:

August 13: Philadelphia
August 14-16: Washington, D.C.
August 17-20: New York
August 21-22: Boston
August 23: Dallas
August 24: Back home in ATX!

We are very excited to spend time together relaxing and exploring new cities.

Here are some photos from Travis's graduation - realized that I had not posted any.

Feeling insecure

2008-07-29T14:34:00.001-05:00

So, if Wonderwall comes up on my Pandora, how should I feel about my taste in music/value as a person?

terms of the 2008 olympics boycott

2008-07-26T23:46:00.006-05:00

this is my first post here, and i had grand dreams of coming onto the scene with a big splash. this will have to do.

firstly, regarding katie's post on tv and our lack thereof, our whiteness must unfortunately be acknowledged. it is what it is, i guess. i will echo her sentiments and add that it has been quite liberating. and you can still watch tv on the interwebs if you really "need" to.

secondly, as katie half-heartedly declared, we are boycotting the 2008 olympics. there are lots of reasons why, and i won't take the time to enumerate them here. i will refer you to a page that has a decent summary of some commonly cited reasons why boycotting the olympics this year is a necessary stand to take.

i'll acknowledge that i heard a compelling story on npr a few months ago arguing that just because china has done some bad stuff lately is no reason to punish the athletes that have worked hard to get there and that sports is not a good arena for geopolitics. decent point, but on balance, the olympics are still getting boycotted in the wussow household.

thirdly, the terms of our boycott:
1. the olympics must never be voluntarily watched by tuning a tv to the olympics coverage.
2. if you are in a place where the olympics are on, you must turn your eyes away and select a seat that makes it difficult or impossible to see the tv screen.
3. watching news coverage of the olympics is strictly prohibited, unless it is coverage about boycotting the olympics or how awesome it is to boycott the olympics.
4. reading internet news about the olympics, with the aforementioned exception.
5. discussing the olympics with friends, unless it is to loudly and obnoxiously discuss your boycott and attempt to impose it on others. participating in conversations about the olympics with clandestine intent to aggressively subject-change is also permissible.

join us (me).

Reflections on No TV: Part 1

2008-07-25T15:02:00.004-05:00

Many of you are probably aware of the newest "lifestyle choice" in the Wussow household: no TV. That's right, we are tv-less for going on 2 months now, and overall it has gone really well and we haven't missed it. And I have read about 3 or 4 books and 6 magazines since then, so I guess that tells you something. But, there is one, pretty major issue that I have not considered until recently.

The Olympics.

The Olympics.

Without a tv, I am undoubtedly going to miss most, if not all, of my beloved olympics. No Dream Team. No gymnastics. No soccer. No table tennis. None of the things that I love. Ok, maybe not table tennis, but the other things.

I am, admittedly, an olympics super nerd. I get warm fuzzies thinking about the olympics memories of my childhood. Kerri Strug sticking her landing in spite of her ankle injury and sealing the team gold medal for the U.S.A. (aka the Magnificent 7) Or when Michael Johnson won the 200 m and 400 m sprints in the SAME olympics in Atlanta. Come on, people. This is good stuff!

Travis is not worried about this. He is trying to require me to boycott the games because of the human rights and environmental failures of China. Very principled. Very not happening.

Is it nerdy to watch the olympics in a sports bar?

Kerri Strug, 1996 Olympics

On my heart today

2008-07-21T10:39:00.002-05:00

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

Hebrews 12:1-2

Praise God for filling every moment with joy and purpose, that He has set before us a race that He strengthens us to run, and that the finish line is Jesus Himself.

07.07.08

2008-07-07T08:41:00.005-05:00

(A few) Things I have learned in one year of marriage.

1. How Travis can eat 3x more than me and not gain weight.
2. That if two people alternate at hitting snooze, you can snooze for a looong time.
3. How to make cookies in 30 minutes flat.
4. More about beer than I ever thought I would know.
5. That marriage is just another way that we can know Jesus and understand his gospel.

I love you Travis! Happy first anniversary!

Store up His Word in your heart

2008-06-30T10:24:00.004-05:00

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;
His mercies never come to an end;
They are new every morning;
Great is your faithfulness.
The Lord is my portion says my soul,
Therefore, I will hope in Him.
The Lord is good to those who wait for Him;
To the soul who seeks Him;
It is good that one should wait quietly
for the salvation of the Lord.

Lamentations 3:22-26

People who should move to Austin

2008-06-27T16:26:00.008-05:00

A lot of exciting happenings!

On May 23, I made a last minute drive to Dallas to attend the (surprise) engagement party for one of my dearest friends from Rockwall, Kim. It was a fun time to see my friends and celebrate two lives that God is joining together. Below are some photos of the crew from Rockwall (plus Jennifer!) with the bride-to-be.

The very next weekend we had the incredible opportunity to visit our friends Jeremy and Michelle Utley in California. Jeremy is a student at Stanford and Michelle is studying fashion at the super-hip Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising in San Fransisco. We had a blast exploring Palo Alto and San Fran and catching up with our amazing friends. We even sat in on a Stanford Graduate School of Business class...a bit awkward, but interesting nonetheless. Here are some photos from the trip.
View of the Stanford tower from Jeremy and Michelle's patio.

Golden Gate Bridge in black and white. Spooky. It was really foggy the entire time except for Sunday, the last day we were there.

This is one of us on a hike. Notice Travis's shaved head. He decided to do it while we were there...What do you think?

Utility consulting is sexy...no, really

2008-05-15T10:16:00.002-05:00

This article taken from The Birmingham News.

Just Winging It Doesn't Work

Wednesday, May 14, 2008
THE ISSUE: One reason Jefferson County got into so much mess with its sewer financing is the lack of a policy to manage its debt.

Jefferson County did a lot of things wrong in financing its $3 billion-plus sewer program. Nothing more so than not putting in place a policy to manage its debt.

The county amassed more than $3.24 billion in sewer debt without many of the accountability practices that other municipalities use successfully to stay out of financial trouble. Without those guidelines in place, the county debt got out of control.
The most glaring omissions are policies limiting the use of variable-rate debt whose interest rates can increase, requirements that financial work be competitively bid, and a debt ceiling on how much the county could borrow.

Instead, as News business staff writer Russell Hubbard reported Sunday, Jefferson County officials kind of winged it, with no meaningful policy on what and how much they borrowed or how those financiers were chosen.

For most of the sewer work, the county also didn't employ a professional program manager to oversee the projects. That left the massive, court-ordered sewer overhaul in the hands of county commissioners and department heads who lacked the management background and skills for such an undertaking.

The result: The county took on more work than was required by the court consent decree or that it could afford, paid too much for the work and created a breeding ground for corruption that led to bribery convictions of county officials and contractors.

Likewise, in the absence of an adequate debt management policy, the county borrowed too much, put too much of its debt in risky schemes and paid far too much to lawyers and bond underwriters who didn't have to bid for the work.

Now, those poor decisions plus turmoil in the municipal bond market have brought the county sewer program to the brink of bankruptcy. Interest payments on the debt have more than doubled in the past three months.

This might sound somewhat akin to closing the barn door after the livestock have fled, but adopting a debt management policy ought to be among the reforms county officials need to embrace to help get and keep the county's financial ship in order.

Another needed reform is hiring a professional county manager to run the day-to-day activities of the county, freeing county commissioners to concentrate on policy-making. Shelby County has 15 years of experience with a county manager, and it has worked well there.

Unfortunately, a majority of Jefferson County commissioners are resistant to hiring a county manager. They like the power their dual roles of making policies and carrying out those policies give them.

Bills in the Legislature this year and last year to create the position of county manager went nowhere. It would certainly help the bills' chances next time around if county commissioners admit they need help.

Of course, there's nothing stopping county officials from adopting a debt management policy now. It doesn't require reinventing the wheel. Cities like Portland, Ore., have model policies Jefferson County could copy. Plus, the Government Finance Officers Association has information on its Web site to guide local governments in developing a policy.

We've seen how winging it worked. It's past time to try another approach.

This blog

2008-05-15T10:07:00.003-05:00

I admit it. The name of this blog is embarassingly lame. Naming things in a creative and witty way is just not something that I do well. Exhibit A: The name of this post.

Open to suggestions?

The Parable of the Sower

2008-05-12T21:24:00.001-05:00

I wrote a devotional for my small group and wanted to share it here. Enjoy!

Text
Mark 4: 3-9, 14-20 (parable also recorded in other gospels)

Key Passage
Verses 18-19
And others are the ones on whom seed was sown among the thorns; these are the ones who have heard the word, but the worries of the world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.

Discussion
Mark 4 describes an instance that is not uncommon in the Gospels – Jesus speaking to the multitudes in parables. He teaches them, He in His boat, and they on the land, about the varying responses to the Word of God. It is a familiar parable – a sower sows seed (the Word). Some falls by the road and is eaten by birds. Other seed falls on shallow soil and does not take root. There is yet seed that takes root but is choked by thorns and remains unfruitful. And finally, there is the seed that falls on the good soil, yielding a bountiful crop.

In Christ’s exposition of the parable to the disciples, He explains more fully the meaning behind each these “environments” on which seed is sown. I want to focus in on the third “environment”, where the seed takes root, but is choked by thorns and does not bear fruit.

Christ explains that these “are the ones who have heard the word, but the worries of the world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.”

Now, I believe that the people Christ speaks of here are Christians, those who have truly received the word of God in faith and can be called His. But, there are three things in this passage that cause these Believers to not bear fruit – the worries of the world, the deceitfulness of riches, and desires for other things.

Scripture is clear that we are not to worry as the world does, for our Heavenly Father knows what things we need (Matt 6:31-33). He tells Mary that she is worried about many things when only one thing is needed (Luke 10:38-42). Paul commands us not to be anxious about anything, but to make our requests known to God in prayer (Phil 4:6). But here Jesus is explicit – if you concern yourself with the things of this world, His Word will be rendered powerless in your life, and you will not bear fruit.

Scripture also paints a vivid picture of the deceitfulness of riches and how money tends to cause people to forget about God altogether. It is hard for a rich man to enter the Kingdom (Matt 19:23). And there is something about money that it tends to master those who have it (Luke 16:13).

The last of the three things, “desires for other things”, is I think the most interesting and also the most frightening. These other things are not necessarily immoral, but they are those little things that drag us away from God’s Word into the realm of the mundane and meaningless. It is not just sin that can encumber us as we run the race (Hebrews 12:1). It could be TV, movies, sports, the social scene, exercise – anything that can distract from the power that is wrought by the Word.

It is the will of God that we bear much fruit for His name. May we strive to be people that yield fruit abundantly.

Good Times with Old Friends

2008-03-16T15:01:00.007-05:00

We have been blessed to share some great times with some of my oldest and dearest friends recently. My childhood friend Rena Padachy was married on February 16, and we had so much fun at her wedding with friends from High School. I don't get to see folks from Rockwall much anymore, so it was a great time.
Rena and I at her bachelorette party in Austin (check out our matching shirts!)

Kim, Abby and I at the wedding reception at the Adolphus Hotel in Dallas.

This weekend we had the great pleasure to host Kim and Chris at our humble abode for the weekend. Chris is in a band called Sleeperstar
and they played two shows this Saturday for a music festival called South By Southwest. We got to go to both shows, which was a lot of fun, and spend extended time with our incredible friends. We were so blessed to have them with us this weekend.
The rockstars at Doc's Motorworks.

Amanda and JP joined us at the Dizzy Rooster.

Me and Trav.

Many faces

2008-02-18T15:28:00.007-06:00

For those that might not be acquainted with Travis's version of Blue Steel.

This summer at a Baker & McKenzie function (yes, at work).

This summer at Drew and Saona's wedding

At Austin Stone on Campus

You can't make this stuff up

2007-12-27T21:44:00.000-06:00

Travis and I went to visit family in 3 cities (2 states) over the Christmas holiday. On Christmas Eve, we celebrated with my mom's side of the family, the Stockalpers. Below is a picture of my Uncle Ben rocking the Alp Horn. Yes, an Alp Horn. Yes, this is what they play in the Ricola commercials.

Holidays at the Stockalpers typically deteriorate into a karaoke-dance-party with yodeling and funny hats. Yes, yodeling. More pictures to come as soon as I can get photos off of my mom's camera.

This city

2007-12-12T13:03:00.000-06:00

You're the God of this city,

You're the King of these people,
You're the Lord of this nation
You are
You're the light in this darkness,
You're the hope to the hopeless,
You're the peace to the restless
You are

For there is no-one like our God
There is no-one like You, God

GREATER THINGS HAVE YET TO COME,
GREATER THINGS HAVE STILL TO BE DONE
IN THIS CITY
(Copyright Bluetree 2007)

Last week was the five year anniversary of our church, the Austin Stone Community Church. It was amazing to celebrate those five years with our Body. The longer that someone had been with our church, the greater the joy that they expressed as we worshiped together.

At the end of the service, we sang this song written by a band from Belfast, Northern Ireland. The song was written about Belfast, but it was so appropriate for our five year celebration. God has been powerfully moving in our Body; he has transformed lives, redeemed relationships, cured diseases (literally), and captured hearts. But the words to this song are a challenge to me. Don't stop dreaming big about what God can do. Yes, He has done incredible things so far, but we must not stop dreaming and praying and longing for Him to do more. Greater things have yet to come in our city.

(I hijacked this picture from Sarena Green off of facebook. Isn't it amazing?! Thanks Sarena!)

Christmas time is here

2007-12-08T10:07:00.000-06:00

"And the angel said to them, Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. " Luke 2:10-11

Tis the season, and it is our first Christmas together! We started by putting up our tree.

A Christmas season MUST do is going to the Zilker Park Christmas tree. I went with a group of our incredible friends on Thursday night. (Trav couldn't go because he was working hard studying for finals. Bah humbug.) The Zilker Park tree is a giant Christmas tree made of lights near downtown Austin. The BEST way to experience the tree is to stand underneath, look up, and spin as fast as you can until you fall over. If you have never done this, you are really missing out. This is a true rite of passage to becoming an Austinite, in my humble opinion. This video does not do it justice.

Christmas festivities yet to come: gingerbread house making, Trail of Lights, 37th street lights, and more!

Hello, world!

2007-12-04T14:05:00.000-06:00

Well, here we are. Our lives, out there on the web for all the world to see...or at least our parents.

There are a few reasons that we have decided to do this web-logging thing. (When I say "we decided to do this" I really mean "I decided to do this and Travis went along with it").

1) I must admit, I am not much of a scrapbooker. This will have to suffice as a substitute.

2) The working world is making my writing painfully boring, so I need a creative outlet. (I realize that it is a stretch to refer to a glorified Word document that is posted on the web as a "creative outlet," but bear with me).

3) Our being in Austin has become a bit more permanent (Travis got a job at a law firm here, yay!) , and we want to be able to keep up with friends and family in as many ways as possible.

So, here we are folks. Let's rock and roll.