Last Post Ever ... at this location

This is it - the last post at this location. From now on, you can view the online journal at http://writegirl.typepad.com/kevshel. My apologies if you got here from kevinandshel.com. I've tried to update all the links in the site, but there are a countless number and it's more than possible that I missed some.

I had an extra account at the new location. It now brings all my blogs into one behind-the-scenes tool, making it easier for me to manage. I "redecorated" the blog while I was at it as well. You'll see.

So update your bookmarks. Kevin and Shel's online journal (that's a blog) is now at http://writegirl.typepad.com/kevshel.

Spamalot

For Christmas, I gave Kevin tickets to Spamalot in Chicago for New Year's Eve. If you're unfamiliar with it, Spamalot is in its pre-Broadway run in Chicago through mid-January. It stars famous people, like Tim Curry (from Rocky Horror), David Hyde Pierce (yep, the guy from Frasier), and Hank Azaria (Agador Spartacus in the Bird Cage, or Abu in the Simpsons). It's written by Monty Python's Eric Idle and its "lovingly ripped off" of Monty Python and the Holy Grail, the amazingly popular movie.
It was absolutely hilarious. I wrote all about it here.
Here's a shot from outside the theatre, New Year's Eve 2004.

2004 Holiday Letter

This is the holiday letter that appeared on the front page of kevinandshel.com throughout the month of December.

Hello everyone and happy holidays! I know this is an odd way to do a holiday note, but its also quicker and easier. This year, well, Kevin & I seem to have very little time on our hands.

My business, Write Technology, is doing better than I'd ever expected. While this isn't a bad thing at all, it has also eaten up every bit of time I once had. I had planned on having December to shop for the holidays and spend weeks baking wonderful, albeit fattening, goodies. I haven't had a moment to spare. Write Technology celebrated its one year anniversary in October.

Kevin is also very busy at Fifth-Third, where he is a java programmer. He is now a technical lead on a project. Kevin will be at Fifth-Third two years in June 2005.

We've had an entertaining year. From mundane yet exciting-to-us type things to actual, palpable exciting times,there is so much to tell. You can view our year in photos on our site by clicking here or on the Photo Albums link on each page of Kevinandshel.com.

Last January, we went to Las Vegas for my birthday. Kevin & I love Vegas, just for the fact that its so over the top and larger than life. We really don't gamble all that much. I love to shop in Vegas. They have a Chanel boutique! I can't afford to even walk into the Chanel store, but I gaze longingly in the windows and note fashion trends for the months ahead. We saw the Mac King magic show, the Imperial Palace car collection (including Marilyn Monroe's Caddy) and caught Tony Danza in concert. While Kevin & I were in Vegas, my best friend Pam, in Tampa, had her first child, Dominic.

In April we attended our third annual Maker's Mark Mile. This year, my Dad, Tom, and stepmom, Donna, as well as friends Melody & Jess, came with us. It was quite the party.

In late June/early July, we visited California. It was the first trip out west for either of us and we loved it. Kevin attended the Java One programmers conference in San Francisco. I tagged along and explored the city while he was at the conference. We extended the trip over the long July 4th weekend and visited Wine Country (Napa and Sonoma). We learned a lot about wine - in particular, what we like and what we don't. Wine country is beautiful and is probably my favorite place that we've visited. I can't wait to return.As for San Francisco, well, I've never met such nice people in my life. The city was so expansive and eclectic. I would move there in a heartbeat, given the opportunity.

We celebrated our one year wedding anniversary with a trip to Negril, Jamaica, over Labor Day weekend. It was an unbelievable experience, as we got caught about 20 miles outside of the eye of Hurricane Ivan. We were very lucky, but it was an incredibly scary experience. We were left without power and water for several days afterwards. The resort has offered us three free days for "our troubles," so it looks like we may be returning in the spring when its definitely NOT hurricane season. You can read about the whole hurricane experience here.

Finally, we're upgrading the house. These items fall in the exciting-to-us category, but may seem mundane to everyone else. We have added a new, ceramic-top oven to the kitchen, as well as rolling counters to create "instant islands" and a better use of space while cooking. We are putting down hard-wood floors this month, in time for Christmas. The floors will be laid in the living room/dining room area, and possibly the upstairs hallway. Over the summer I tore down every last remaining piece of wallpaper in the house and painted all the walls. This coming winter, time permitting, I hope to re-do the family room in a vineyard theme.

That's about everything in the world of Kevin and Shel. Keep checking back at our web site, as its updated quite frequently.

We hope everyone has a warm, safe, and incredibly joyful holiday season, no matter what holiday you celebrate.

Love,

Kevin and Michelle

Wish Lists

This past year I've discovered that no one knows what to buy us when holidays or, in particular, birthdays come along. I tend to orchestrate whatever Kevin gets (Buy him this, this, and this) to ensure he'll like it and I bet he does the same with me. I'm making this slightly easier. If you want to buy us something, you can go to our Amazon Wish Lists. There is a heading on the sidebar of this journal called Material Things. If you click on either, it will take you to a "wish list" from Amazon.com that should at least give you some basic ideas. For instance, my wish list would lead you to believe I enjoy Philosophy products, old movies, Marilyn Monroe, Barbie dolls, and art deco. You would be right. Kevin's wish list, well ... I need to get him to update it. It used to have things in it but appears to be blank at the moment. We'll fix that.
Doesn't this seem horribly material of me? I know. So I will remind you again that you can go to Amazon.com and donate directly to the victims of the Tsunami via the Red Cross. Amazon has now collected over $12,316,302.00 in this method and I encourage you to help up that total. Nothing is more important than helping the victims in Thailand, India, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, and the rest.