Ryan Prins' Blog

Last night was the 2nd annual “A Very INFO Christmas”. I was a little concerned about the turnout. Not that people wouldn’t show up, but that I couldn’t fit them all. But, I somehow managed to fit 17 people into my place and feed them all dinner, with the help of Jamie and those who offered up pot luck dishes (thanks!).

Needless to say, it was good times and I’m glad that so many people turned out. But, I have to say that the best part of the night was probably the white elephant gift exchange, just because of the randomness and types of gifts brought by people. But, overall, it was a really fun night and I hope that those who attended had fun as well.

If you were there last night, you know I took some photos. I’ve put them in a set as well and tagged all of them with “INFO Christmas 2005″. Also, I realize some of the colors in the pictures look less than flattering, but I’m working on it.

Last night was the first little poker gathering that we’ve done and it was a lot of fun. We ended up playing for almost three hours and in the end Jamie was our inaugural champion, winning $40. She was followed by Dan and then myself. It was cool to see everybody again, even if not everybody played. But, after the game was over it was off to Red Robin for some dessert or late dinner. All in all, it was a good night of games and fun. For some more pictures, check out my Flickr photoset. Now that the first one is over, expect to hear from me sometime this week about the next game.

Dinner. Flight. Waiting for Cab. Cab Ride. Bally’s. Check-In. Check Out Vegas. Hot. Long Sleeves and Jeans. Bellagio. Fountains. Paris. Night Shots. Sleep. Early Rise. Shower. Breakfast. Meetings. Lunch. Meetings. Break. Shuttle to Jillian’s. Open Bar. Open Food. Good Times. Good People. Shuttle Back. Imperial Palace. Blackjack. No More Blackjack. Back to Bally’s. Get Some Rest. Wake Up. Check Out. Figure Out What To Do. Walk to Wynn. Stop at Venetian. Get Back on the Strip. Eat at “The Buffet”. Walk Around in Wynn. Off to Treasure Island. Tram to Mirage. Walk in the Casino. Walk to Caesars. Watch a Silly Show. Back to Bally’s. Rest Our Feet. Play Blackjack. Have $40 Corona. Lay by the Pool. Meet Trevor and Ly. Get a Cab. Back at Venetian. Gondola Ride. Gelato. Off to Harrah’s. Catch the Monorail. Off at Paris. Get Dinner. Have Some Wine. Relax. Back to Paris for Drinks. Grab Bags. Cab to Stratosphere. Check-In. Sleep. Wake. Cab. Takeoff. Land. Home.

Ya, if those words don’t sum up what we did, there’s always the pictures.

Well, it’s been quite a weekend, to say the least. I decided to have my weekend start a little early by taking Friday off. I thought that I should at least take the day off since my Dad was coming into town on Thursday night. But, that night was only the beginning of a whirlwind weekend of fun stuff to do. Read more…

Last night Stephanie and Sara had people over to their place in Capitol Hill for a little wine tasting and some Hors-d’-oeuvres’. The night opened up with Anthony’s Chardonnay and then proceeded forward with 3 rounds of various red wines. I can’t really tell you what ones I really liked or not, I wasn’t really keeping track, but I really enjoyed the whole night. It was just nice to relax, talk, eat some good food, and be among friends.

I have to give it up for Stephanie and Sara. They had the event timed and prepared with such precision that it was amazing. Like, for example, the schedule:

7:15pm
Open Bar: (Whites Only) [Anthony's Chardonnay]

7:45
Round One: Merlot (served with appetizers)
Washington Merlot vs.French Merlot-based Wine

8:00
Open Bar: Reds (except Shiraz/Syrah) [CA's Chianti]

8:30
Round Two: Cabernet Sauvinaugn (served with appetizers)
Washington Cabernet vs. Chilean Cabernet

8:45
Open Bar: Reds (All)

9:15pm
Round Three: Syrah/Shiraz (served with appetizers)
Washington Syrah vs. Australian Shiraz

9:45pm
Desert: Cake!!!!!

Yeah, hardcore man. Scheduled like a champ.

There had to have been about 30 people there and they did an awesome job. So, to them I say, “Great Work!” This event was also a little going away/birthday party since Stephanie will be going off to school in California come the fall. Sadly, the night was too much fun and I didn’t take any pictures. If you are all lucky, you might be able to get some off of C.A. But, we’ll have to wait and see.

That’s right folks, not only does Fark have personals, but so does the yet-to-never-be-created INFO portal! I’d say collect them all, but I don’t feel like making more than one… or do I?

Since many of us in the Informatics program graduated this past week, we decided that we wanted to take a little trip. After talking about where we can go on a limited budget, we decided on Cannon Beach, Oregon. Anthony and Trevor did the leg work to look at hotels and to find a place for us to stay during our weekend vacation. Once their laborious decision was made, they decided on The Inn at Cannon Beach and we were off. Read more…