Congradulations, Cristin (sis) on your graduation from Virginia Tech!!! 

The future looks bright!

Well, I've always said that I would like to start my own business (a start-up biotech company). Fortunately for me, three of top five cities in which to start a business are my potential final destinations. Cara is from northern Virginia/DC, I'm from NC and occasionally claim Raleigh to be home and we are currently residing in Austin, TX.

Paul's Birthday

Friday, we went to the Crown & Anchor to have a few happy hour drinks to celebrate Paul's 30th birthday. Things were great until we started discussing the impact of college athletic programs on the quality of education at a university. Then things got a little heated. I'm not sure what was the distinction between people who supported one or the other arguments. We're all academicians so it wasn't nerds versus jocks. It was more like nerd versus nerd. I use the term "nerd" in the most positive sense of the word. My argument was that no matter how good or bad the football team might be, it had very little bearing on the quality of faculty who actually accept positions at the university. I mean, the school invests millions of dollars to support the athletic programs, but I really don't see much benefit from this money when it comes to the classroom. If anything, athletic programs attract undergraduate students. I don't think that a university professor says, "Hmmm, I have an offer from Harvard and the University of Texas at Austin. Hey, Austin has a great football team, so I think that I'll go there!" Anyway, if you have any comments on this, please click the link and reply.
Cheers!

If you've ever wondered what I do in the lab everyday, you can check out this web video. The movie shown on this website was created to advertise a product that was developed in our lab. The movie is designed to show that we have the capability of designing group II introns to target specific sites within a DNA sequence and disrupt that sequence by inserting a group II intron (Targetron). In a few years, I hope that we will produce a new movie that demonstrates targeting in eukaryotes based on my research. 

Welcome to the World

Click here to be amazed: The World Video

Do you think that this is reality or fantasy?

The answer, amazingly, is reality.

Maddie made it into the Pug Club Photo Gallery

That's her taking down Motley. Get 'em girl!

Alas, Cara and Maddie have left me here in Austin while visiting the family back home in Virginia. It's no vacation, though. Cara's mission is to find a venue for the wedding reception and begin the wedding planning. By the way, the wedding is set for September 23, 2006. We need the extra time to plan since we're all the way out here in Austin. If you're reading this then you should probably save the date, because you'll surely be receiving an invitation. In the meantime, I can't wait for my girls to come back to Austin. 

BEHOLD!!! AUSTIN CITY LIMITS FESTIVAL 2005

NOW, YOU'VE BEEN INFORMED. ACL FESTIVAL 2005 IS COMING. BUY YOUR TICKET TO AUSTIN, TODAY!!! If you love me, you'll be there!

Music recommendation - Garden State Soundtrack

I haven't suggested any music in a while so I thought that I could recommend a very chill, very relaxing CD for you to put in the player while you're sittin' in your rockin' chair on the back porch drinkin' lemondade and watchin' the sun slip behind the horizon. What?! We all do it. Don't we? Anyway, you've gotta buy this CD. It's my #1 new recomendation, well, second only to the new Wideawake CD.
Click here: Garden State SOUNDTRACK

So, on Saturday morning, we went to our first Austin Pug Meetup! Maddie was, as usual, the biggest ham in the park. She gets so much attention. It's ridiculous! I wish that she could stay a puppy forever. We had a great time and can't wait to officially become members of the Austin Pug Club.

 

Last weekend, we went to Sculpture Falls, somewhat of an Austin secret swimming hole. Usually, you'll find local Austinites of all walks of life cooling off in the cool water as it flows over the shallow falls. The water was amazingly refreshing. Maddie had her first swimming experience and most of us got our first bit of sun before the summer hits. 

We had a lot of fun showing some of Austin's attractions to Yates and Joanne, friends of the DeFranks'. Anyone who comes to Austin in the summer has to see the bats.  

The DeFranks with Cara after the recital. 

It was great to have so many friends and family members at Cara's recital including Beth and Glenn.

Cara's Recital

Cara's recital-I wanted to post a recording of Cara's recital, but I haven't gotten access to it yet. At some point, I'll get my hands on it and you'll see just one of the reasons why I think that I have the best girl in the world. In the meantime, here's a shot of the star of the day.

THE BEST BAND IN AUSTIN, TEXAS! HANDS DOWN...

Went to the Wideawake CD release party April, 22 with Cara's sister, Cristin, Margot, Beth and Glenn. Cara was at home getting ready for her big recital. I was not happy that Cara couldn't make it to the show, but I was really stoked to see that Wideawake sold out Antone's in downtown Austin. This is a fairly big venue and they rocked it!!! I'm wishing the boys in Wideawake all the best. It's time for them to break out! If you're at all curious, buy the CD. I'm on the Wideawake bandwagon, big time!!!

My Dream Job

I've found my dream job!!! I had lunch with Dr. Gerald Rubin, HHMI Vice President and Director of Janelia Farms, on April 14th. Dr. Rubin described the Janelia Farms Research Institute and I knew immediately that I had to work there. The Howard Hughes Medical Institute intends to carry out what I consider to be the ideal scientific philosophy at Janelia Farms. I must find a way to work there.

Blast from the past!

It's always great to run into an old buddy and Matt J's recent visit to Austin was a refreshing blast from the past. You see, Matt was my "little brother" in the fraternity back in the day. I've only seen him once since leaving NCSU and that was the last time he was in Austin. Thanks for dropping in and saying hi. I'm hoping that you'll be moving here soon.
Cheers!
http://www.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewProfile&friendID=4374657&Mytoken=20050508221902

April 4th, 2005-The Tarheels Win the National Championship!

I still can't believe it. I'm so torn. I'm glad that the NCAA champs are from the ACC and it's even better that they're from tobacco road, but why, oh, why did it have to be the tarheels?! As an always optimistic Wolfpack fan, I will now issue our timeless battle cry, "Just wait until next year!" The Sweet 16 is just the beginning!

2005 National Champions

Very cool! Monday night we went to the premiere of Matthew McConaughey's new flick, "Sahara." We were really close when he arrived on the red carpet and I was able to snap this great pic. Cara and Margot grabbed him as he walked by us. Cheers, Matthew! 

Cara's Birthday.

Cara had a birthday recently and she got this cool pug t-shirt. It says, J'aime mon bebe (I love my baby) but, it looks like Jamie mon bebe. Cute, huh?

Maddie's home

Friday night we drove to Burnet to pick up Maddie from the breeders. I have to admit that I wasn't the biggest fan of breeding, but Kristy of Hill Country Pugs has proven to be an outstanding breeder. She has offered every guarantee that you can imagine and she has taken care of all of the complicated details of puppy registration, microchipping, vaccinations, etc. We are the happiest puppy parents!

Maddie and Cara taking a nap. 

Cara and I are getting married!!!

To find out how it all took place, you can read my recent blog entries (previous posts) beginning with "The Big Day" and ending with "The Proposal."

Warning: If you dislike teddy bears, red roses, butterflies or mushy love songs, you may want to avoid this ;).

To hear a midi version of La Vie en Rose you can visit this website:
La Vie En Rose

Tomorrow, we get our puppy! The family grows very quickly, huh?!

Cafe Pierre - This picture was taken from the top of the piano. Cara and I were standing by the piano. 

The Rotunda - This picture was taken from the exact table where we were sitting while I was getting up the courage to ask Cara. 

The Proposal

As we walked to the hotel, I could only think of how I was going to do it. What would I say? I hadn't prepared any elaborate preface. I didn't care whether it was a fairy tale or not, but I wanted it to be memorable for both of us. So, we found our destination...The Rotunda at Cafe Pierre. It was more beautiful than I expected and I was happy to sit with Cara on one of the couches and order a glass of wine. I really and truly have no idea what was said while we sat at the table sipping our wine and eating olives, but I know that it was great. No more stalling...I had to do something. I transferred the ring from my coat to my pants pocket which meant that it was really going to happen. To seal the moment, I walked down to the lounge where Nancy Winston was playing the piano. I requested a song from one of our favourite CDs...La Vie en Rose. I explained that I would be proposing to my girlfriend and she was very accomodating. I returned to the Rotunda to bring Cara down to the piano and Cara instantly recognized the song. "Did you request this?" "Yes." I didn't have much time to get up the courage while Nancy played the song. Nancy says, "This song is dedicated to Cara and Jamie." That was my cue and I kneeled down to ask her to marry me. My knee hadn't even reached the floor before she began to cry. I had to hold myself together to ask her and I'm not sure that she ever heard me ask the question, but she said "Yes!" The rest, as they say, is history. Love you, babe.

The Pierre...Of course, when we arrived, snow was covering the streets and sidewalks. 

The Big Day

As soon as I woke up, I knew that it was going to be a good day. I had a plan and it was going to be the perfect opportunity to propose to Cara. Both of the families awoke early and departed from the city. It was just Cara and me and I couldn't wait to ask her. I had several fool-proof plans that would lead to romantic moments so that I could pop the question if the moment felt just right. While Cara was getting ready, I phoned Chris, a family friend, who lives in the city to get some pointers (romantic restaurants and cozy places). I settled on a few places that I could keep in mind for back-ups. I even asked him if it was possible for me to go to the rooftop of his building (which has a great view of central park and the lincoln center which would be amazing at night) just in case. After talking to Chris, my plan was to go to either the River Cafe under the Brooklyn Bridge or The View (the rotating restaurant atop the Marriot Marquis). I also wanted to go on a helicopter tour of the city or take a carriage ride around central park where I might ask her. In the meantime, I just wanted to have a great day with just the two of us. I made reservations at the River Cafe and prepared to spend the rest of the day relaxing with Cara.
We had lunch with Cara's friend from ECU, Kevin. He was in NYC to audition for the Julliard School. After lunch, we bought tix to take a bus tour around the city. As we loaded the bus, snow began to fall. I knew that this meant that the helicopter ride would be impossible so I began to think of plan B...the carriage ride through the park. How nice...a carriage ride through central park with snow.
We made our way through the city to greenwich village for a cup of coffee at the Grey Dog Coffee House and down to battery park to see the statue of liberty. However, the snow began to fall more heavily. It wasn't long before I knew that there wouldn't be any carriage ride this night. I was so excited about the snow that I didn't mind that my plan was becoming less and less tenable. By the time that we made it back to Rockefeller plaza, we couldn't even see while we were walking because the snow would get in our eyes. It was fine though. I was really excited that it was snowing in NYC! We don't get real snow in Austin. We had to hold one another to stay warm while we waited for the bus, but soon we were back at the hotel. I changed the reservation to The View just in case the cabs wouldn't be running in the heavy snow. It was pretty nice that we could just ride up 7th Ave. a few blocks to get to Times Square where the Marriot was located anyway. At this point, I'm beginning to get a little nervous. I feel like I'm running on autopilot. Cara has no idea that I'm carrying the ring in my coat pocket and I'm in a dream state wondering when I'm gonna do it. Dinner was delicious, but I can barely remember what we talked about. My mind was totally trying to figure out where I was going to ask the question. With all the snow, my plan had been totally changed. I had one last option...find a quiet, dimly lit place with great music. I asked the Maitre'D for a recommendation and soon we were whisked away through the snowy streets to The Pierre Hotel.

After the show

So, after the show, there was a buzz in the air. Cara and I were very happy to have our families there to meet for the first time. We all went to dinner at a Northern Italian restaurant near broadway called Nocello's. It was a great choice. We had over 20 people (Cindi and Steve and Cristin, Mom and Jimmy, Yates and Joanne, Aunt Connie, Lisa and Rick, Tom and Maria, Eric, Taylor, Morgan, Kelly, Michael and Grandmom and Pop)! It was a great time and the food was great! It was at this point that I realized that a very special moment was approaching.
During my trip to Boston and D.C. in December and January, I had asked Steve (Cara's dad) if he would allow me to marry his daughter (of course, that's Cara). Since that day, I had been preparing to do it. Cara didn't know anything and I was hoping that no one would tell her. I couldn't keep myself from telling people and I was just hoping that no one would let it slip. I had been carrying this ring for several weeks, planning to try to create an appropriate moment to ask Cara. Whenever I tried to plan a trip out of Austin for us, Cara would always have some reason why we shouldn't go. As you can imagine, it was a little frustrating that I couldn't just create the moment by taking her to Enchanted Rock just outside of Austin or Galveston on the coast of Texas. She just wouldn't budge...I've got to practice this weekend or I've got to do my laundry or I don't feel like going out of town this weekend. I was going crazy!!! And, I'm sure that Cindi was equally stressed as I soon found out after dinner when I approached her to ask if Steve had informed her of my intentions. It was a classic moment.
Boy meets girl, boy falls in love with girl, boy asks father for her hand in marriage, boy delays asking girl unknowingly driving the mother insane....hahaha.
Well, I promised Cindi that I would do it on Monday (not that I needed any motivation). I knew that Cara and I would be alone on Monday and that would be my opportunity.

Cara following the Carnegie Hall performance. 

The Big Performance

We've all been waiting for this moment!!!
You've heard it before...
Question: How do you get to Carnegie Hall?
Answer: Practice, practice, practice.
Well, Cara's practicing payed off! After the family arrived, we all were entertained by the UT Wind Ensemble in that amazing venue. Although they played three other pieces, I can only remember Corigliano's Circus Maximus. It was stunning...again!!! The sound in Carnegie was even better than what I experienced at Bass Concert Hall. Throughout the piece, I just felt that I was witnessing something spectacular, momentous........historical. Maybe I'm biased, but it is such a moving piece. I even teared up during the movement entitled "The prayer." The trumpets in the balconies surrounding the audience gave me chills and the deafening volume instilled a sense of terror at times. I never wanted the piece to end and even as I write this, I crave the piercing sounds of the clarinets as they wail out those incredible animalistic calls. Man! What a piece of music. Bravo, Corigliano!!!

NBC

Cindi and Cristin at NBC

Sunday Mornin'

On Sunday morning, all of the musicians awoke early. I could tell by the tone of their voices that this day was different. They were all very focused on the performance that would soon take place in Carnegie Hall. I, on the other hand, was still exhausted. I mean, we only slept for 2 hours on thursday night and I hadn't exactly had an opportunity to catch up on my sleep, so I stayed in bed for a little while longer. Eventually, I popped up and joined the DeFranks (Cindi- Cara's mom, Steve - Cara's dad and Cristin - Cara's sister) and Yates and Joanne (friends of the DeFrank's) for breakfast. It was good to spend time with them again.
After breakfast, mom and Jimmie joined us for a stroll down to 5th Avenue to check out all the priority shopping areas. Of course, we saw the Trump Tower and Macy's and all the typical NY stuff. We went into Rockefeller Plaza and the NBC studios and it was a nice touring day. Thanks mom for my New York sweatshirt from NBC.
It was really cold so we really didn't want to be outside much longer. Besides, Cara's performance was only a few hours away and the Patullo family was driving in from NJ. So, we made our way back to the hotel to get ready for the big performance.

Saturday Night

Now that I'm back in Austin, I can tell you more of the story about my most recent adventure in NYC. Instead of going to the Village Vanguard or the Blue Note Jazz club on Saturday night, which would have been more costly and more time-consuming than necessary, we went to a wine bar, Divine Wine Bar, just around the corner from the hotel. It was a pretty chill evening. We had a couple of sangria's and just talked most of the night. It got a little exciting when the DJ began taking requests for 80's songs and the girls began dancing and singing "Love Shack." But soon, everyone realized that they had a concert to play on sunday afternoon and we were all back in the hotel room before we knew it.

Carnegie Hall

University of Texas Wind Ensemble
Right now, I'm sitting in the Park Central Hotel in Midtown Manhattan. We are staying about 5 blocks north of Time Square. We're getting ready to go down to Greenwich village and catch some Jazz. Last night, Cara and I went to see the New York Philharmonic at Lincoln Center. Afterwards, we found a small Irish pub to have a Guiness and soak up the Irish atmosphere. Later, we went over to the Upper West side to "Northwest" (a small slightly swanky bar in Chelsea) to meet Cara's friend Angela. The bar was so cool. It was very dimly lit with candles on all the tables. It was a very intimate place. There were about 10 people in the bar when we arrived so it felt like we had the place to ourselves. Soon, though, I realized that at one of the tables was Matt Dillon (yes, the actor). I was a little starstruck, but I managed to keep it cool and just give a little wave. So, after a few glasses of wine, we called it a night and headed back to the hotel. Today, Cara's parents, mom and Jimmie arrived. After Cara was finished with her rehearsal at Carnegie, we did a little sightseeing. We visited "The Gates" exhibit in Central Park and went down to the World Trade Center site. Tomorrow, Cara performs with the UT Wind Ensemble at Carnegie Hall. We still have two more days of New York so I'll have to update things later and I'll post pictures when we return. Cheers!!!

Lauded composer premieres at Texas

Lauded composer premieres at Texas
To read about the concert, check out the news article. If you look closely, you'll see Cara (looking quite pensive) sitting front and center.

Last night, Cara played in the World Premier of John Corgliano's "Circus Maximus!" It was an amazing performance. Several of our friends attended the show. Thanks guys! I can't tell you how proud I was to be able to watch Cara perform in such a fantastic piece of music. In a little more than 1 week, she will be performing with the UT Wind Ensemble at Carnegie Hall. I can't wait!  

I hope that everyone has a great valentine's day. This heart is dedicated to my beautiful girlfriend Cara. I love you, babe! 

Nobel laureate speaks about genes - The Daily Texan

A couple of years ago, Clint Leysath, Beth Erlichman and I initiated a graduate student sponsored lectureship. Our plan was to invite the most successful scientists in our fields of study. We gathered together a great group of interested graduate students and just dove into this thing. We never imagined that we would be hobnobbing with Nobel Prize winners but, that is exactly what has happened. Last year it was Nobel Prize winner Richard Roberts. On Wednesday and Thursday, we hosted Nobel Prize winner Sydney Brenner. These are the Michael Jordans of science. It's pretty amazing! Even though it has only been two years since we started this, it has already been a bigger success than we could have ever imagined. Check out our write-up in the UT paper (Nobel laureate speaks about genes - The Daily Texan). I even got a little blurb at the end of the article.
In addition to these scientists, we have also been able to meet other Nobel prize winners including: Paul Berg, Ghobind Khorana, John E. Walker, Michael Brown and Eric Wieschaus. What an experience! You can check out the Nobel Prize website to read about them:
Nobel Prize Winners