Awesome, awesome, awesome! We saw the movie tonight at the Alamo Drafthouse. Johnny Depp can sing! The little boy has an amazing voice.
It took a few minutes for the audience to stop giggling each time Sasha Baron Cohen appeared. Too funny.
(ah-mit-EE-zuh)
We're making fun of this new medicine that sounds like a rap song.
Amitiza... Amipliza.. Amihaveyouonyerniza
Kathy Stuns Freak Pit with Amazing Show
Yeah, that was the most recent headline on Guitar Hero (I, II, III or 80s- not sure which- DD has them all now). I am thrilled to be playing the Freak Pit. It's a step up from the high school gym I was playing yesterday. My band doesn't seem to be setting things on fire yet in this part of the series.
Someone online was saying that instead of playing Guitar Hero, people should spend their time learning to play an actual guitar. Having attempted to learn to play an actual guitar, I can tell you that the two things have nothing in common. Real guitars hurt your fingers and require some actual talent. I'm sticking to Guitar Hero.
I just caught a YouTube vid of JC on Britney's old reality show. Funny stuff.
I am enjoying my new GPS navigation system. I was hoping for a hot guy voice with an accent, but this is just some lady. Eh, what can you do. She mispronounces the street I live off of, which provides us endless entertainment, because we are very easily amused! :D
Ever get the feeling that dentists are trying to inflict every dental procedure known to man on you, just to make some money? We have zero cavities and somehow they always offer us 2-3 extra procedures each- things like fluoride treatments and sealants (what am I- ten?), and panoramic xrays we just had six months ago. Yeesh.
Read more...We've been watching and sharing Jeff Dunham's Achmed the Dead Terrorist bit for several days now. It's hilarious. So everything we did at the grandparents' the past few days was marked by the words "I KILL YOU!"
Skip-Bo: "Don't touch the cards! I kill you!"
Drive-through light show in Grand Prairie: "Don't stop in the tunnel of lights! I kill you!"
The mall (o.m.g.): "Do not take my parking spot! I kill you!"
LOL! Very Christmas-y.
Here are some cute vids we've been watching, both from America's Funniest Home Videos:
Pugs tilting heads
Baby belly laugh
DD laughed exactly like that one time at that age, when we got her a helium balloon at Garden Ridge. We could not get her to laugh again on video, once we got home. So that one makes me giggle all the more.
Saw the movie today with Laura. It was the chickiest chick flick ever- yay! Who does an actress have to sleep with to get a role where she makes out with Gerard Butler, Harry Connick, Jr. and Jeffrey Dean Morgan??! Probably some other hot guy.
Yes, one of them is quite naked in the movie. See it now.
Initially I thought post-mortem love letters were romantic, but about mid-way through, I really thought it was a bit selfish. A couple of notes, perhaps 30 notes in 30 days, but notes for a year? Hmm. It would make it so hard to move on. Well, it was good anyway.
I am now the owner of a Feb. 2, 1984 issue of Rolling Stone with Duran Duran on the cover. It was 25 cents at Half-Price Books. Can you believe it? This thing is going into a frame or something.
Inside there is an ad that says CD players are finally coming down in price. The one in the ad is only $699.
There is a pic of Keith Richards in it, where he actually looks pretty good. I showed it to the kiddo and told her it was Johnny Depp's dad in Pirates of the Caribbean III. She was shocked. lol.
Speaking of Johnny Depp, they are airing very old episodes of the late night shows lately, and he was on David Letterman (I think) from about 15 years ago. This was back when he was a total studcake in regular life, before he disavowed the hotness and started dressing like a slouch. Woo!
Saw National Treasure II today. It was good. Slow and silly start, but good later. My favorite quote: "You know what the tax is on five million dollars? Six million dollars."
Previews- George Clooney and John Krasinski in the same movie! Yay.
Someone just turned me on to this the other day:
Stuart McLean, former professor in the Journalism school at Ryerson U in Toronto, comedian and author, has a Canadian radio show that airs on CBC Radio 1 (Sirius 137). His stories are really entertaining. The Vinyl Cafe is the name of his show, and also the name of a fictional record store owned by the characters in his "Dave and Morley" stories.
Take a look at Vinyl Cafe's website for more info.
You can also check out one of his stories here:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=U7DtefkJsw8
Hidee ho.
CJ has been here for a couple of days. We had a great time hanging out. She's gone to her daughter's now for a visit before heading home. Her DD is a sophomore at UT.
Kimberly's oldest son has applied to UT for next year in the music school. They'll be here in February for his audition. I'm glad I didn't have an audition for college, in addition to the application stuff!
Just for posterity, here's my quote of the year:
"Tori Spelling has the self-esteem of a 'pretty girl.'"
Ouch. But, yeah.
Why do I still hear George Bush talking on my TV downstairs? I thought this was supposed to be a Christmas message, and he's been chatting for 40 minutes. Ahh. I hear journalists. Must be a bonus press conference.
Wait. Lynne Spears was writing a book on... parenting?!
Bwahahahaaaaaaaaaaaaaahahahahaaahaaaaaaaahaha!!!
I'm very interested in who some groups endorse for office, like teachers groups or police groups. Newspapers? Not even the slightest bit. A newspaper endorsement to me is like any other person on the street voicing their support for someone. Same for a celebrity endorsement. So what. Do I care that Joe Smith wants So-and-So for president? It doesn't tell me anything about what the candidate stands for. I want the "experts" in relevant groups to tell me if they think his or her ideas might work to improve things for them.
Read more...So, I'm Judy Nails, in the school girl "look". Very me, yes?
I am now getting 4 and 5 stars at the Easy level. *thunderous applause* Not sure if I can make it into Medium, but we'll see when the time comes. If only we would stop trashing hotel rooms and setting cars on fire. That's totally eating up our profit.
Yeah, I got all the purple comet stars on Mario Galaxy except ONE. There's no way on earth I'm getting the "Luigi's Coins" one with the aggravating spinning and disappearing tiles. So I gave up. I don't think I want to play through the whole game again as Luigi anyway. Now I'm back to Guitar Hero.
Alica Keys' song "No One" is so good! Only thing is... she sounds like she's straining her voice through it. Makes my throat hurt.
Read more...A couple of times a year, I call all the stores listed on my websites, who don't have their own websites, just to make sure they are still in business. I call after hours so I don't take up their time asking, "Are you open?"
The Texas stores all have answering machines with detailed messages, including store hours, location, etc. You can even leave a message for them in most cases. I'd say about 50% of the California stores have no answering machine at all. It just rings and rings. Of the ones who have a message, about 30% are a robotic voice that simply says, "Please leave a message at the tone."
Hmm!
1. You have to leave a snack for Santa, but you’re concerned about his health so you don’t want to leave sweets: what healthier snack would you choose instead?
Grapes!
2. Santa decides to be especially generous this year, and says he’ll bring you a car. What make and model would you like to find in your driveway on Christmas morning?
BMW Z4 Roadster, in Montego Blue please
3. Santa is also giving you a vacation to any spot in the world for a week. Where would you like to go?
Sydney, Australia
4. Take the quiz: What will be in your Christmas stocking?
Bonus "Now That's Funny" today. 2-for-1!
1. It seems a certain store has a regular event on Tuesday evenings. The message on their website reads, Tuesday nights have been canceled until after Christmas.
2. Ellen's dancing Christmas character on her show this season is a wrapped gift. She calls him "Big Package."
Ever wondered if this stuff if any good? Well, my aunt sent us Omaha Steaks hamburgers and their cheesecake sampler yesterday, and we can tell you that their cheesecake is REALLY good!
I'll let you know about the burgers when they thaw.
Hmm. The candidates are turning out to be so... I don't know... alike. Each one has something questionable about them. Each one has an interesting idea or two. I've always liked John McCain, but he's so far behind now that it looks like he's out (again). Other than him, I've never really particularly favored any of them.
I have decided that I'll probably vote in the Democratic primary, since I definitely don't like one of theirs. I'd rather vote against her that candidate than play eeny-meeny-miny-mo in the Republican primary. Of course, once I eliminate the one, I'm down to eeny-meeny-miny-mo again with the Dems. Must resort to One Potato - Two Potato...
From an REI radio ad:
"You don't have to get me anything for Christmas. Just make me a card. And put it in a kayak."
Duran Duran was awesome last night!! If you would have told me when I was a teenager that I'd be seeing them perform that up close and personal someday, I would have absolutely freaked out.
The brand new Music Hall (this was the first official concert there) is like a large nightclub, with an open first floor and a second floor around the edges. Some chairs upstairs, but mostly standing space. We ended up in the middle of the crowd on the floor, about a third of the way back from the stage. We were packed in like sardines, but most of the time, I had a straight shot of John. There were those inevitable tall people every now and then blocking my view. Darn you, tall people! The stage could stand to be about 3 feet taller for these GA shows.
The concert was a perfect mix of old and new music. The audience was great. The band sounded amazing. They looked like they were having a fantastic time up there. I don't know about Anna Ross singing backup. She's really good, but still... Ah well- something for the guys in the audience.
One bad thing about the night- the most FUBAR concert exit process I've ever seen. When it was over, we all had to exit via the equivalent of about 4 small doors. The place holds 4400. People were shoving and squeezing just to get out to go home. It was crazy. Unless there is some secret wall that opens up, we would never ever have gotten out of there in a fire.
We exited right into a huge shower of water falling from an air conditioner on the roof. Eww. Everyone thought it was raining.
Next, we sat for 40 minutes waiting just to back out of our spot on the third floor of the garage. That was primarily due to the flow of people on the street blocking the exit from the garage. It would be nice if they would guide people out of the venue across the street. Of course, people would still get backed up crossing at the light.
So here's the Music Hall "exit strategy" I would suggest: exit the Music Hall and walk straight to the Warehouse District bar or restaurant of your choice. Have a drink and wait it out.
Two other tips during the concert: 1) Drink your drink and throw away the cup or can before you take a spot in the crowd. There is nowhere to throw away things out there, and you'll lose your spot if you move. 2) Get a spot upstairs if you can. There are some chairs and if you're short like me, you can see much better.
For Christmas shopping this year, one of the goals I had was to get no "things" for my in-laws. No objects that take up space in their house. No stuff that collects dust. I can now say that I have succeeded. HA! I got them a few non-things, including tickets to an event and a gift certificate for a class.
John Rosevear at The Motley Fool wrote an article called The Best Presents to Give, suggesting this idea for kids as well.
I sent out a snippy email about someone this morning. I know, it's really not like me to do such a thing, but this was a special case. I cannot tell you how many times I checked to make sure I was sending it to the person I sent it to, and not to the person I was writing about. Ahaha!
Read more...I still remember those days the cheer teams were thrilled to get 2nd or 3rd place in their own divisions. Now the day is not complete without taking home that Grand Champ banner for the whole level. It's a little nerve-wracking. lol.
Only Juniors and Seniors competed today, and both were Grand Champions. Yay! Tough competition in the Junior Coed division. Valley All Stars were really good, and we only beat them by a smidge.
It was a pretty day in Corpus. Beautiful spring-like weather. We were at the American Bank Center on Shoreline Dr., across the street from the turquoise ocean. Wish we had had time to hang out at the beach, but we had to get back!
Speaking of beaches, we'll be in Corpus Christi tomorrow.
I watched Beaches yesterday. Dude. I forgot how much of a tear-jerker that thing is! AND... Did y'all know that Mayim Bialik plays little Bette Midler? How did I never make that connection? As a matter of fact, I watched the entire movie, thinking how absolutely perfect that casting was, then saw her name on the credits. I was like, "OHHHHH. Of course!"
I beat the final boss, so naaa naaa. I'm on the Purple Coin Comets. 3 down, 12 to go. Then I get to be Luigi and start over. Not sure how I feel about that, but it is what it is.
Now I know why you have to wear the wrist strap with the Wii controller! It's so you don't throw the controller at the television during the stupid "sinking lava spire" level.
Band concert tonight was great as usual! Grandma came down from Dallas for the event.
Went to the Dollar Store at Lamar and Hwy 71 with Laura last night for stocking stuffers. If you need large gift bags, go there. These aren't trashy gift bags in 70's colors. These are awesome! They're $5 at Target.
I've now discussed completely the classmates.com photos with high school classmate Kimberly. We have decided that most of the photos are surprising in some weird way. A few are awesome, like Patrick N's family pic and Bobby M's photos with his wife. So here's my recommendation for posting photos there or at reunion.com: Post pics with your family. That takes the focus off you and the inevitable "OMG" moment your classmates are going to have when they see you. I don't care how hot you are at 30 or 40, you do not look like your high school or college classmates think you look. Plus, it's fun to see what your old friends' kids look like.
And now, I'm supposed to add to my bio. It's too short, she says. She must not have seen my extensive "favorites" section!
My mom died last December. My friend Kimberly's mom died in May. Now my college buddy Judy has lost her mom. Very strange for us all to have this happen, not only at our age but also so close together!
Read more...DH knows one of the guys affiliated with the Rudy's restaurants. The Rudy's people are opening a new restaurant called Mighty Fine Burgers in Arborwalk at Burnet and Mopac. We got an invitation to the "training night" tonight. It opens officially on Thursday.
The food was really good! They serve hand-scooped Blue Bell milkshakes, although none of us got one. We had the strawberry lemonade, which was yummy! They also have... sweet tea! Whee!
Their french fries are the cutest. They are miniature crinkle-cuts. I mean tiny. And there's sea salt on the tables- way cool. The burgers are regular (1/2 lb) and junior (1/4 lb) and are ground on site.
Men, be sure to check out the bathroom. Evidently, there is a wall of one-way mirrors positioned such that you feel like everyone in the restaurant can see you doing your thing in there. Everyone who came out of the men's bathroom checked to make sure you can't see through. Ahaha!!
My neighbor down the street rented a cherry-picker to put up his Christmas lights. Now THAT looked FUN! My carload of teenagers was ready to pay for rides.
I just spent an hour on classmates.com looking at current photos of my high school friends. Nothing beats that initial shock that they don't look 18 anymore. When you think about it, it's is actually a good thing. When you run into someone, you don't want to look 40 while they look 18.
I also answered this new slew of questions they have at classmates.com called "Favorites." Go answer them. They're kind of fun. It's on your profile.
It's so cold here. Who brought winter? Can they please take it back up north?
Well, they did it again today! All three teams got Grand Champion this time. Here are videos of DD's teams in action!
Inferno (Junior Coed 4th-8th graders)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hUcPv8PYiSM
Firestorm (Senior Coed 7th-12th graders)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=osAJXls9hJ0
Yesterday all 3 teams got 1st place in their divisions. Both of DD's teams got Grand Champion for their levels. Her Level 4 senior team got Grand Champion for combined Levels 4 & 5! (Level 5 is the highest in almost all competitions. In 4 years, we've only seen a level 6 team once. They were awesome. Level 6 teams are "open," meaning the members can be any age 17+.)
We've got another competition today, so I'll post video links for Juniors and Seniors tonight.
Have you ever gotten lost driving through the parking lot at Southpark Meadows?
Yeah... me neither...
I went to a stuffing party at the Foundation today. Whee!!
Actually, that's what we call it when we get together and stuff envelopes. It's mindless work, which can be very fun, because you can chat at the same time! There are refreshments, so we can legitimately call it a party.
I wanted to get more info on a game for wine enthusiasts, called Winerd, so I went to the official website. There, it says, "Welcome to Tamara Onwine." (Tamara Leigh Murphy is the game's inventor.)
CUTE!
I am no eBay expert, but I did just learn that you can buy new merchandise on eBay from stores that sell the same item for more money on their own websites. Hmm! The thing I bought was $35 on the store website, and the "buy now" price on the same item was $20 on eBay from the same exact store.
Read more...K. So, infamous "Bachelor" Brad Womack and his brothers own the Chugging Monkey, the Dizzy Rooster, the Thirsty Nickel and the Marq... none of which I have heard of. How completely out of it have I become? I just know the tapas places on 4th street at this point. LOL. Someone get me a walker.
Funnier still- DD just exclaimed, "I know the Chugging Monkey! Actually, it's the Chuggin' Monkey."
I'm on day 4 of a 7-day television diary I have to keep this week. I got sucked into this regional research survey thing. I've already returned my five-pound booklet of info about my shopping and radio-listening habits. Whew.
When I'm at home, my TV is on a lot, just for noise. I have to document any program I watch for five minutes or more, and I've not written much down so far. Tomorrow is wash day, so I bet I'll log some shows then. Plus, I need to catch up on All My Children at least once a week, to stay in the loop!
DH was watching "Ellen" this morning while getting ready for work. When JC Chasez showed up, he notified me post-haste. JC and Joey were sucking at the Singing Bee game. She gave them hard songs though. I wasn't getting them either.
So is his album coming out or what? In the years we've been waiting for that thing, a whole new Menudo has formed. ;)
Yes, I did go to the mall on Sunday. DD had a birthday gift certificate to spend, so we went. It wasn't too crowded after all. This morning I started the real shopping. Here is a convo I heard between a two-year-old and his mother at Kohl's:
"Mama, vamanos."
"No."
"Si."
"No."
"Siiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!!!"
Ahahaha! Motherhood. The same in every language.
Okay, we went to the grocery store, but that's it!
One more day and I can hit the stores with a reasonable number of people! Tick tick tick...
1. As a general rule, are you more stressed or less stressed during the holiday season?
More stressed.
2. Do you tend to be happier or sad during the holiday season?
Happier.
3. How much shopping did you do on the day after Thanksgiving?
None.
4. Take the quiz: What color is your brain?
Your brain is blue.
Of all the brain types, yours is the most mellow.
You tend to be in a meditative state most of the time. You don't try to think away your troubles.
Your thoughts are realistic, fresh, and honest. You truly see things as how they are.
You tend to spend a lot of time thinking about your friends, your surroundings, and your life.
5. When it comes to Christmas gifts, how organized are you in terms of gift ideas and choosing the right ones for the right recipients?
Very organized. I am sometimes good at picking the absolutely perfect gift for someone, sometimes at a total loss for ideas.
6. What was the most inaccurate part of the answer you received to the brain color quiz?
Of all the brain types, yours is the most mellow.
I wouldn't call my brain type "mellow." Yes, I tend to be introspective and contemplative, but more "actively" so- thinking about what's next and where things are going.
A&M just beat UT 38-30.
BOO-YAH, baby!
Why is Adrian Grenier starring in a movie (Adventures of Power, in post-production) written and directed by a real person named Ari Gold? I must have missed a memo there.
We saw Enchanted yesterday. Awwwwwwwww. So good. It was really funny, too. The audience even applauded at the end. You can't go wrong with James Marsden and McDreamy, can you?
The Thanksgiving food turned out well. It's about the 8th year of the same menu, so I'd better get it right at this point. DD actually did most of the work this year. What. I supervised. I did forget to serve the can-shaped cranberry sauce. We found it when we had leftovers for dinner.
I'm trying to stay out of the mall this weekend. The weather is not cooperating. It's all wintery and gross. Must have willpower.
Oh. My. Gosh.
Hated the ending. What a complete let-down. How could he say he was so into both girls that he could picture himself with either of them for the rest of his life, and then dump them both. He didn't even want to see either of them any more. Please. Whatever. (I'm just mad because he fooled me into thinking my favorite bachelorette had won. LOL.)
They shouldn't make the ending about getting married. None of the couples do anyway, which is totally fine. It's silly to think that two people can even know each other at all during the course of that show, but they can surely get a feeling that they want to date a particular person. They should call it "The Single-Guy-Looking-for-a-Girflfriend" and leave it at that. And at the end, he HAS to pick someone.
I won't watch next season. This season was a waste of DVR space.
We Wii. Oui!
Super Mario Galaxy is easier than the Super Marios of yore. It's good, since I assumed it would be terribly difficult. I'm sure it gets harder as we go along, but so far it's really easy to learn and lots of fun.
DD has already conquered the Medium level of Guitar Hero. She is intimidated by the Hard level, but she's beat one song already. I could never do it! lol. I'm doing alright on Easy, thank you.
YES! I have my Duran Duran tickets in hand. They are the first concert at the brand spanking new Austin Music Hall, on December 11. It's General Admission, which bites, but what can you do.
Bangles are coming to La Zona Rosa. I'll go if someone wants to go...
What is up at The Backyard???!! No shows scheduled? My favorite venue. :(
DD invited 4 boys and 4 girls to her party. Two of the girls are out of town and two had school activities today. So it's DD and the four guys. Why weren't any of my birthdays like that? Haha.
They're all dressed in black for the playoff high school football game today, so they kinda look like a rock band.
Speaking of which, we got DD "Guitar Hero III- Legends of Rock" for Wii, and it's really fun. Super Mario is in the mail. This Thanksgiving will be a video game extravaganza! Wii!
(She's gonna kill me for stealing this off her camera. Hee!)
Happy happy birthday to my DD! 14 years old today.
I finally watched "Crazy Sexy Cancer," after having it on my DVR for months. It was interesting and good, just wasn't what I thought it was. I was expecting a diary of her treatment and progress, and it's more about alternative adjunct therapies like macrobiotics and yoga. See, her cancer (a rare vascular cancer in her liver and lungs) isn't treatable, so... no treatment!
She did show the treatment paths of a couple of her friends with cancer. She had a realization that one good thing about a non-treatable cancer is you don't have to go through the hell of chemo and radiation.
She's doing well, with tumors neither shrinking nor growing. She married her camera guy- awww.
I wish I could describe for you the unusual hysterectomy complication I started having about 2 weeks ago, but quite frankly, it's really TMI.
Just when we were about to start scheduling some tests that have to be done under general anesthesia, with possible diagnoses ranging from bad to devastating, my wonderful doctor who has been out of town figured out what is wrong. I have an infection and just need to take a week of antibiotics.
Hallelujah!!
Ah yes, the recap from Friday night...
Once again, the girls defeated the guys at Game Night. We even played Battle of the Sexes, which is a game where guys answer questions that girls would typically know more about (makeup, celeb gossip, cooking...), and vice versa (tools, sports, politics...). It's a very sexist game, actually. lol.
Our biggest challenge was that two of the guys are the cooks in their households!!
Rosie O'Donnell. I cannot seem to miss her foul rants on TV. This time it's a clip of her saying that Whats-His-Name the Bounty Hunter (I know about the n-word stuff, but I'm not familiar with his show) is obviously a racist because of three things:
1) he's an ex-con
2) he's from a trailer park
3) he has a mullet
Three narrow-minded idiot comments right there.
DD opened and closed the Veteran's Day Assembly at her school on Friday. We are incredibly proud of her! She spoke perfectly, not too fast, just loud enough. She was quite the pro. She's come a very long way from the little girl who wouldn't turn in boxtops for the weekly fund raiser in elementary school, because they might draw her name to win a prize, and she would have to walk up to the front of the cafeteria in front of everyone to collect it.
This weekend was cheer Nationals in Houston. Seniors won their division and got Grand Champion for their level, against some amazing uber-gyms. We are all so thrilled! Throughout the two days, we parents were talking about which of us would be having an aneurysm first, from all the excitement. They were just so good. Video later...
If you ever go to the George R. Brown Convention Center, the Hilton there is beautiful. It is also attached to the building, so less walking, not that we didn't walk a million miles anyway.
DD also made District Band. Wooo! She couldn't try out for Region, due to cheer conflict this weekend.
This week on NBC, the shows are all supposed to have a green theme. I noticed that the only "green" reference on My Name is Earl was Earl saying it would be silly for him to talk about green issues in his Scared Straight skit, because it just didn't have anything to do with that.
Sarcasm anyone? LOL.
Here's my humble opinion, in a nutshell. I believe in Global Warming. I support Green efforts (except for ill-conceived ones which have issues of their own that actually result in a worse effect on the environment). I just don't think the two have anything to do with each other. I'm with the mainstream scientists who say the weather is a normal part of a pattern of warming and cooling, and not only will the planet survive it, but cooler times will follow, as they always have.
In our area, it actually seems as though things are becoming more temperate. Our winters are a little warmer, but our summers are a little cooler. Whatever the weather, we should be trying to keep our environment clean.
We've somehow managed to become subscribed to Rolling Stone as representatives of the Tweeter Center. The Tweeter Center is in New Jersey. I have no clue why we are getting it, but I've started reading it.
This week's issue has interviews with George Clooney and many, many other currently relevant people. Although I agree with some of GC's political views, the man if so far left he's about to topple right off the spectrum. And worse-- the photo isn't great. *giggle*
I have officially started the 2007 Christmas shopping, with the purchase of... something cool... today. I used to always be finished with this process before Thanksgiving. I wish I could manage that enthusiasm of yore. But I've discovered if you hold out until mid-December, there are some pretty good sales, too.
The one thing I usually do is select specific items for everyone before I just go blindly looking for gifts. Then I can organize by store, check prices online, shop sales on those items, etc.
DH and I went to Chipotle last night. (Yikes! I'm a cheap date...) Somehow there is always one single little bite of my "fajita burrito bowl" that is hotter than bloody blazes. I can't ever figure out if it's the guac or the meat. So random. So yummy though.
The Texas Curing Cancer proposition passed yesterday. Woo! Finally, public money being spent on something that matters to everyone. If you don't get cancer yourself, someone you know will. 1/3 of women and 1/2 of men will get it sometime in their lives, they say. Scary!
Now we can just hope the thing is run without all the sluggishness and financial waste for which government is famous.
In other news, there was an erroneous report of a man dressed in black, carrying a rifle near the state capitol this morning. Only one news station even covered it. The police couldn't find him, and since only one person saw him, they decided it was nothing. So don't wear threatening garb and carry an object resembling a shotgun while walking the streets around these parts.
Meanwhile, there was really a guy with a rifle in a south Austin apartment complex. Maybe it was the same guy... Long walk though...
I always have a sentimental favorite or two on Dancing with the Stars, but very quickly I have to turn my attention to the dancers I think are the best. Fickle, I know. I was going for Marie and Cameron when the season started, but after the first episode, it was obvious that Sabrina was amazing. When she got voted off, none of us could believe it, right? (Is she really marrying her partner, or was she joking?)
Now I think that Mel B has stepped right up and become the best dancer. She was awesome in the leather dance last night.... Paso Doble... something.... lol. Go Mel!
Have you ever heard the biodiesel folks go on about how their car makes everyone hungry, because it smells like tacos or french fries? Don't believe it. We were stuck on Mopac in traffic for 30 minutes behind and around a biodiesel car. It smelled like old, nasty frying oil. Absolutely disgusting.
Read more...Go to Google and search in their images section. Then post your favorite image when you enter the following things:
1. The name of the town where you grew up.
(League City) How many bajillions of times I've seen these signs on I-45.
2. The name of the town where you live now.
(Austin) Beautiful, yes?
3. Your name.
(Kathy) Comedienne Kathy Griffin.
4. Your Grandmother’s name.
(Meg) The author of The Princess Diaries series.
5. Your favorite food.
Mmm. Fried chicken.
6. Your favorite drink.
(Margarita) On-the-rocks with salt, please.
7. Your favorite song.
LOL. Currently "Wake Up Call" by Maroon 5.
8. Your favorite smell.
Ahaha. ^^ Even if you don't like coffee, it's a great smell.
DD's high school band (she'll be a freshman next year, omg) will be marching in the Macy's Parade in 2008. Only 10 high school bands from across the country are invited each year.
The director has planned an awesome trip for the students, including a couple of days in Washington DC. We need to decide if we'll fly up and meet them in New York City. It really is a once in a lifetime thing, so I think we'll want to see them in person.
Must find parade-attending tips and tricks...
Only a couple of people from my high school days will get this.
On iTunes, when you look at artists in alphabetical order, it says:
Bow Wow
Bow Wow Wow
ROFLMAO
Y'all know Carter, right? HGTV? "Trading Spaces"? "Carter Can"? Anyway, Carter is one of the hottest guys around, I'm sure you would agree. I just think he's not that photogenic. He looks amazing on video, hammering stuff and... stuff, but the still pics I've seen aren't usually that great.
Until now.
Finished Lance's book in about 30 minutes. Okay, it took a little longer than that. It's short. I'm just saying. My favorite part was the story of Keith Richards drinking JD and flipping them off during the concert while they were flying over the audience. Too funny.
I really need my 2008 desk calendar, which I purchased from the fall Band fundraiser. I must ask Madam Band President about its expected arrival date when she gets home.
Speaking of bands, I watched the Band American Idol, or whatever it's called, on Friday. LOVED Denver and the Mile High Orchestra. I was very grossed out by the band with the shirtless young boys. I am wondering why half the hosts are Australian, for an American show. lol.
A while back, I was a message board admin. It was one of the most fun things ever, the vast majority of the time. Unfortunately, sometimes admins must deal with trolls or even well-meaning people who are driving everyone crazy, and it takes a monumental effort to make sure you and the other admins are handling it fairly. There's always particular uneasiness in the community about deleting or closing posts, because it would seem that you could just let things run their course and all would be well. Sometimes it's just not the case. While the idea is to keep the group from getting irretrievably mired in a nasty argument of epic proportions, all deletions and editing cause understandable drama.
The country's largest scrapbooking board had another problem this weekend, which we also dealt with back in the day. Their private admin area was breached, and some people saw some venting administrator commentary that was never meant for anyone else to see. All of us have vented about someone in an email or on the phone- even someone we normally like just fine, but who is causing an issue at the moment. Venting on a private board or web page? Don't do it. You never know when a technical glitch will cause a private area to become very public.
This particular board belongs to an online store, which makes it a more serious matter, because it's a huge international business with paying customers involved. Their issues are many, but the most disturbing was an admin (remember, a store representative) who called a customer a "douchebag" and a "b*tch" and said she would "like to take a stick to her head." Yikes!
Now the members are discussing what is the worst part of it all- the technical glitch that resulted in unlocking a private area, the hurt feelings of customers who were called names, the mistrust of the entire community who wonders if their names have been mentioned on the private board, the heavy-handedness with which the admins have deleted negative or questionable posts by members (because the TOU states that people can't post certain things), yet obviously not censoring themselves in the same way... The list goes on.
It makes my head hurt, and I'm only an occasional lurker.
First competition of the season today. It was out-of-town, but only lasted 4 hours, so it was a nice segue into November nationals. All three teams (Youth, Junior and Senior... DD is on both Jr. and Sr.) won first place in their divisions!! The little girls won High Point for their level.
All teams in uniform
All teams in Championship Tshirts
This week you’ll have to choose the greater of two “evils” and explain why you chose that particular one. You might not see both options as an evil; or you might find it impossible to pick one as being significantly worse than the other.
But you should pick which you would find the most offensive, even if you agree with one’s right to take the action, label or position listed.
Some spoilery things ahead. Read at your own risk if you haven't seen the movie yet.
We're big fans of the Saw movies. Last night we saw Saw IV. If you see it, just disregard the first scene, and the movie will be great. Well... enjoy that scene for its stomach-turning grossness, and then just leave it on the cutting room floor of your mind. It has no bearing on the film itself, and is there to mislead you. Problem is, you're already being misled without it, so it is unnecessarily confusing.
We came out of there at 11:15 pm and talked about the plot twist at the end until 2:00 am. We just didn't understand it at all when considered along with scene 1. Finally we got on the web and saw that people were explaining that they think the first scene... SPOILER ALERT... the first scene has not yet occurred. I mean not even as of the final scene of the film. It's more related to opening things up for Saw V.
Now, if they had gone back to that scene at the end (or placed it at the end), it would have been a huge letdown from the surprising final scene. So, I think they just should have left the first scene out. It is the viewers' natural assumption that everything is happening in real time, even without the autopsy scene.
Anyway, that aside, it was pretty good. I didn't like the artsy-fartsy scene transitions at all. I found them distracting in a horror film. I loved the flashbacks that gave us insight into John's history. The story was good. The traps weren't the best of the four films, but they were definitely gory enough.
I give it a B without the first scene. The theater was beyond crowded. Huge turnout here.
There is a perfect, lacy, eaten-out shell of a scorpion hanging in a spider web in the garage, right next to my car door. Normally I would dispose of such a thing, but I leave it as a tribute to the spider who caught and ate that sucker, and as a warning to other nasty scorpions who may venture into my garage.
Read more...I found this very cool-looking event called Illuminations at the old Seaholm Power Plant downtown. I'm thinking, OOH! I must go! Then I saw the Audience Release, which you agree to when purchasing tickets. There's a possibility of my death while I watch? Now I'm intrigued and a little freaked out.
Blue Lapis Light, who is performing the show, has a studio here in Austin where you can learn to do aerial dance yourself. You know, wrapping your legs and/or arms with the long cloth thingies and hanging from the ceiling! Now that might be cool.
By way of a very nice recommendation from the Foundation, I am now bidding on designing a new website for another non-profit. This will be the first website I've done for a fee in five years. I had to do a little research on what people are charging these days. We'll see if I get the project!
I've started reading Lance's book. It's not the longest book on earth, but considering it's the memoir of a 20-something, that's probably expected. I'm to the Lou Pearlman lawsuit part.
I am happy to report that the Chuy's sign has gone up at William Cannon and Mopac. Finally some decent Mexican food in southwest Austin.
We did well in Travel and Leisure's America's Favorite Cities for 2007. Pretty cool.
I saw the 10,000 Men story on the news at DD's orthodontist (she got her retainers- whee!). What a fantastic idea for Philadelphia and other cities as well. It has its naysayers in the press, but the presence of people out and about in neighborhoods definitely cuts down on criminal activity. I think it's great- a perfect example of people taking their community into their own hands, and making it what they want it to be. I wish the best for them.
The fires in California- wow. They're not in the hills anymore. They're right there in the towns. Freaky. Let's hope those winds die down soon.
When Marie Osmond fainted last night on Dancing with the Stars, I was right there with Tom Bergeron, who said a few minutes later that it scared the crap out of him. lol. She was acting a little strange, giggling and jumping around, out of breath. I was about to say, "What is she on tonight?!"... then she fell over. Yikers. Poor thing. Glad she's OK.
New Duran Duran music on the radio! Is there anything better than that?! Awesome song.
10 Useful Internet Sites
1. Google - of course
2. Coupon Cabin - coupons for online stores
3. SalesCircular.com - price comparisons and sales for local brick-n-mortar stores
4. PopCap Games - best free fully-functioning online games
5. Cruise Clues - every bit of info a cruiser wants to know
6. AllRecipes - a jillion recipes rated by users
7. Yapta - tracks airline ticket prices before and after you buy
8. IMDB - everything movies and TV
9. ComingSoon.net - upcoming movies and DVDs
Referencing the previous post, I looked up Rick Springfield's tour schedule.
Um.... he played Dallas in June! Why doesn't anyone tell me these things. :p
He's nowhere close to here from now on. Anyone wanna road trip to Biloxi?
I found out that Lance Bass has just written and released a tell-all book about himself and the NSYNC days. Didn't we SO know it would be he to write the first one? I've ordered a copy.
Listened to Big 80's on Sirius Radio today while we ran around town doing stuff. I can't believe I still know all the lyrics to so many of those songs. Is Rick Springfield still doing concerts? I missed his show in Vegas. :(
The Hill Country Galleria has its Grand Opening this week. Upscale, outdoor mall in Bee Cave, integrated with brand new homes and condos... and City Hall! We must check it out.
Tonight, DH and I ate dinner at La Vista at the Hyatt Regency Town Lake... er... LadyBird Lake. We had our wedding reception there 17 years ago, and we go there fairly often. I remember I stayed with everyone at the Hyatt the night before my wedding. The morning of, my dad took me and my bridesmaids to breakfast at La Vista. I couldn't eat a BITE. They were all... eating and eating! I couldn't imagine how they could eat at a time like that. Haha. The decor is a little different now, but that table is still there.
Saw my OB/GYN this morning for a scheduled post-op visit. She grinned and tugged my shirt and said, "You look so cute! You don't even look like you had surgery." Okay, she wins the Best Doctor Ever Award.
I already knew there wasn't anything on my pathology report, but we went through it in its entirety today. Two pages to say I didn't have anything seriously wrong. LOL. Skeery! All little things that can cause random spotting and bleeding. I'm SO glad I'm done with that!
I'm cleared to drive now, so... Ciao, y'all!
Every time I type the word "and" lately, I type amd. DH works at AMD. I must have been typing that a lot recently. Anyone have an idea why when I type any word ending in "-all", I type "-allas"? I hate that.
This weekend Kathy L. and I are getting pedicures. I wonder if I'll be able to maneuver myself up into that chair by that point.
Kathy's company now has their entire bonus structure based on her new product. No pressure there!!
I have an unpopular opinion on this, but here goes...
I think Ellen Degeneres is great, and I watch her show when I can. Part of her appeal is her "girl-next-door" "woman of the people" thing. How could such a person use her celebrity to create this ridiculous spectacle?
She had a total meltdown on her show, for what purpose? I can think of no other, than to prompt her fans to pressure this dog rescue place to give the dog to Ellen's friend. Now look what has happened. The dog rescuer may have to shut down her rescuing (and worry for her own safety) due to DEATH THREATS from Ellen fans. WTF?
Now Ellen may not have expected death threats on her behalf, but she certainly knew and obviously encouraged her fans to contact this place and plead a case for returning the dog to Ellen's friend. She needs to fight her own battles, instead of using her fans, especially the wackos, to strong-arm a business for her.
Ellen's hairdresser is probably a fine person to have the dog. Who knows. She could have gotten it the right way, but she didn't. Ellen admitted this is her fault. How basic a thing is it to understand the process when adopting from a rescue organization? Follow the rules. Very simple.
So much for the girl next door. Celebrity special treatment is the order of the day. And a dog rescue organization goes down the tubes. Sad.
DD now has an infection in both ears. We're taking her to the doctor to get new antibiotics. Turns out there is an antibiotic-resistant ear infection going around here, so that's probably what she has. Luckily, she isn't in too much pain.
Went to HEB yesterday with the hubby. I did pretty well, but needed an ice pack once we got home. The girls who had surgery the same time as me on the HysterSisters message board, where I've lurked for a couple of months, are in varying states of recovery. Most of them had laparascopic surgery, which is a much faster recovery, but several had abdominal incisions, too. Enough of them are where I am now, that I'm comfortable that I'm on track. Whew!
Name seven items in your “junk drawer.”
1. Keys, some of which I don't know the origin of.
2. A few coupons.
3. Combination locks.
4. Random receipts
5. Batteries
6. Phone chargers
7. Pool ID cards
1. If you were to count to three on your fingers, would you hold up your thumb, index and middle finger, or your index, middle and ring finger?
Index, middle and ring.
2. What was the last thing you remember counting in your home?
Five of everything when I put together DD's lunches for this week. (I put everything together in bags, and just add the sandwich each day!)
3. When you are listening to someone who uses repetitious phrases when speaking, such as, “you know,” how many of them do you generally need to hear before you begin subconsciously counting the occurrences?
What's up with this? LOL. I've never been compelled to count such a thing. I may eventually feel as though the person as said something "a gajillion" times. I'm prone to exaggeration and the use of made-up words.
4. Take the quiz: What is your expression number?
Your Expression Number is 9
An idealist and humanitarian, you strive to make the world a better place.
You do your best when you follow your feelings and sense of compassion.
Deep down, you dream of being loved by many.
You are capable of much human understanding and have a lot to give to others.
While you are very ambitious, you never lose sight of perspective.
You have an abundance of creative talents... you just need to tap into them.
Although you are a giving person, you can become selfish if you are ignored.
If you are not able to help people, you tend to shelf your talents.
Without others, you become aloof and start to lack sensitivity.
5. You’re calling a friend on the telephone and he’s not home: assuming he didn’t have voicemail, do you actually count how many rings go by or do you just hang up after a time you feel is sufficient for him to answer?
Ahaha. This is a little like #3. I just hang up after a time.
6. You go out to eat and you order a plate of twelve chicken wings. Do you actually count them before eating?
Not unless I'm splitting with someone.
Finally caught up on all my personal and business email! Whee! Spam is a plague. Even Yahoo can't catch it all the time anymore.
One of the cast members of Friday Night Lights was on Letterman last night. She talked a lot about Austin, which was cool. Am I the only one who didn't know we're calling Leslie "The Mayor" these days? LOL. I love it.
I see that South Congress is quickly becoming the new little social hub down South. There is a new condo development and now they're building these "pedestrian islands" on the street. The condo/retail development thing near Ben White is called SoCo- how chic is that?!
There's a new Babe on All My Children. Last week, the old Babe hugged Crystal, and when they separated, another actress was playing Babe. Very strange.
I still haven't been anywhere other than the doctor. Today, I'll accompany DH to the grocery store. Woohoo!
Watching 48 Hours. It's about the current crime problems in New Orleans. So frustrating to watch. I can't imagine how terrifying it must be for people who live there.
Again, there is so much potential for leaders to come out and turn things around. Hopefully someone will. Where is the Mayor? The DA keeps failing to file charges against people. What's up with that? Why are people just taking it? It's like the Wild West out there. And now witnesses are even more afraid to testify because no one ever goes to jail.
They did show a recent march on City Hall, with hundreds of angry residents asking where the city is in all this. Mayor Nagin tells them the city will do better. When?
Still on the laptop here. I'm watching Andy sing "Take a Chance on Me" to Angela with his acapella buddies on The Office. AHAHAA. And awwwwwwww...
I think I've now seen every episode of every show on HGTV. I did help DD make a tshirt for a school thing tomorrow, so I was up quite a bit today.
My hair is very curly, because the flat iron would take too long and I'm not seeing anyone anyway. All my "get well" flowers are still pretty and blooming. I wrote thank you notes today, too.
So all is well, and I'm hoping I've taken my last narcotics. *crossing fingers*
It's me! I am finally on little enough pain meds to type, and direct myself to a website.
Surgery went perfectly. Came home Saturday. I'm now on alternating Darvocet and Motrin. Other than expected pain, everything else is good.
DD was elected President of her school Band. How cool is that?!
DH got his L3 rocketry certification! I saw the video today.
Wayne Newton just got voted off Dancing? Wha? lol. Now they're playing"Had a Bad Day." That reminds me that I need to watch the new American Idol show with the bands. Should be good.
Well, I ramble enough sober, so I'll spare you my trailing thoughts while I watch Boston Legal on pain meds.
Ta!
As a kid (according to Wikipedia, I was 9-12), I used to dutifully tape "Donny & Marie" each week on audio cassette. My friends and I would then listen to and sing along with the show through the week.
I particularly remember the week Andy Gibb was on. We were all totally in love with him. It was the coolest Donny and Marie week EVER.
Hee hee. I wish I had kept all those tapes!
10 Television Shows You'd Like to Have (or Have Already) on DVD
1. The Office
2. Entourage
3. ER
4. Grey's Anatomy
5. American Idol
6. Will & Grace
7. Donny & Marie (the 70s variety show, not the talk show)
8. Cheers
9. Scrubs
10. Boston Legal
The iPod is way cool. Basically an iPhone without the phone.
Commercial on the radio today: "Wouldn't it be great if you no longer had to shave your rocks?" Actually she said, "...had to shave or wax?" but I didn't hear that at all.
I've been checked out by all my doctors, had lab work out the wazoo, some of it twice. I'm in perfect health. Thank you very much. Surgery on Thursday!
DD is first chair in band again.
I like Rascal Flatts a lot, but I'm not getting into the new album.
DH is back from a long trip to Nevada, where he went to a national rocket launch and became a master rocketeer with his latest certification.
Last weekend at the high school football game, some high school guy surrounded by a big group of his friends was trying to pick a fight with someone, and Kim (another band mom) went right over and told him to stop. When he didn't, she got the policeman and the guy was escorted out of the stadium. Go Kim!! I was just standing there waiting to duck and cover.
Tomorrow I'm going to clean my house from top to bottom, and give myself a pedicure, since I won't be able to do either for a while.
1. When do you buy candy for local trick-or-treaters?
In early October.
2. When you buy Halloween candy (or if you were to buy it), would you be more likely to buy lower-priced candy that you didn’t particularly care for or candy you like that happened to cost a little more?
I don't buy candy I like, because I don't want to be eating it. I get medium-priced candy that I don't like all that much.
3. If you were in a mood for a scary movie to watch on Halloween night, which would you select?
The Exorcist. SKEERY!!
4. Take the quiz: What should you be for Halloween?
| Your Halloween Costume Should Be |
 |
Last weekend at Game Night, we played Trivial Pursuit 80s Edition. We all thought this would be the easiest Trivial Pursuit game ever, since that's our decade. By "our decade" we decided we meant that was when we were in high school and college. Then we pondered why "our decade" would be defined that way. We guessed we were most aware of pop culture at that time. Hmm. Maybe.
Eventually we stopped contemplating the meaning of life and played the game. That sucker is HARD. I haven't played Trivial Pursuit in years, but I distinctly remember winning pie pieces now and then. At one point, we had to go to a "two-try per turn" system, where you could pick your second question. Then we went to a two-try per turn with the questioner choosing two questions he/she felt were the easiest. In the end, we were giving hints, too. It was sad. We were even playing in teams.
But the girls won, so RAH!
Reunion.com finally sent me an email saying they now have info the one last person I am searching for from high school/college. Then I click over and it's just a listing from some people-finding service that charges to locate people.
Read more...No, my pop station didn't turn country. I just hear this in the car when DD's music is playing. Hee.
Taylor Swift has the cutest voice. "Our Song" is a happy song. You can hear it on her MySpace! Her other songs are good, too. "Our Song" is just so... cute.
94.7's "new sound" seems to be Top 40 from the 80's to today. That's my guess.
I've officially ditched all gossip entertainment news shows except TMZ. That show is freakin' hilarious! The entire half hour cracks me up. My favorite part is the producers talking about the stories with Harvey. Their commentary is so very entertaining.
Yeah, I'll probably still watch the occasional Entertainment Tonight.
Are they changing formats? I can't figure out what they mean by "The new sound of 94.7." Last time I heard something like that was in Houston when my favorite pop station turned country. EEK.
Check out their "Rules of Austin." Too funny.
I would add to #11 that the town of Manchaca (MAN-chack) and Manchaca (MAN-chack) Road are host to Menchaca (men-CHA-ka) Elementary School.
And elsewhere on their website... Hanson is playing La Zona Rosa? Wow.
I've DVRed everything this week so far, because we've been so incredibly busy in the evenings. The 94.7 DJs said they were disappointed with "Private Practice." The common complaint I hear about it is that Addison's character has changed, becoming very "cutesy." Hmm. Maybe I'll just delete that one.
I love "House." I'll watch that first, ASAP. New team this year. I liked the old team, but I'm along for the ride.
I guess the new series I'm most looking forward to is "Big Shots." That starts tonight. As do "The Office" (YAY!) and "Grey's Anatomy."
I am also looking forward to "Pushing Daisies." That starts next week.
The Band played at the football game tonight. Always a good time!
Observation: The most popular tackling method of eighth graders is to grab you by the back of your jersey and swing you around like a discus, then toss you directly to the ground.
I just ordered an iPod Touch for the kiddo (her first large purchase with her own money) at the Apple Store online. I changed my mind about the shipping, and immediately called to upgrade to 2-3 days. The guy actually told me that all the iPod Touches are already on a palette to ship the 28th, and the shipping method cannot be changed.
Please. What does that even mean? I'm thinking it means they are all shipping the same way, whether or not you pay the $10 for expedited shipping.
I've been sick. Blah.
I am very up-to-date on entertainment news, however. Funny how three days in bed will catch you up!
Oscar de la Hoya... yeesh, man. Just say you got drunk on tequila and had some fun taking goofy pictures. It's embarrassing, but it would have blown over so quick. Now we have to laugh at his people denying the pics are real and also deal with the stripper and her 15 minutes of fame. What a mess over nothing. I do have to giggle when I see the pics though. Hee hee.
George Clooney. I'll try to be unbiased when I say this. (Ha.) Sarah Larson is 28. George is 46. He looks old with her. The all-hallowed half-plus-seven rule says he should date 30-year-olds, minimum. Let's not mention... a Go-Go dancer from Vegas? Oy. That being said, she's very cute and seems to be able to carry herself like a lady when she's in the spotlight. It's good they weren't hurt too seriously in the motorcycle accident. And like Entertainment Tonight said, it's good that Georgie didn't hurt his face.
Britney. No comment.
Chris Crocker. Psycho. Don't encourage him, people. Really.
Dancing with the Stars. Dude. Sabrina Bryan was AWESOME. I thought I would go for Marie Osmond, but Sabrina has my imaginary vote. And the bonus this season is we get Cameron Mathison on the dance floor AND Peter Facinelli in the audience. Eye candy galore.
In real news... I watched the President's speech at the UN in its entirety. Loved when Cuba walked out. So dramatic. I liked the speech. That's a first!
CJ just forwarded this "invitation to a Pampered Chef party" to me. The email is full of photos of hot naked guys in the kitchen, with a bowl, little apron, and various things covering their boy parts. Each guy had a recipe, too.
I've been to Pampered Chef parties. They're nothing like that.
:D
The AC finally went out! We've been waiting. lol.
It did the same thing the fridge did- completely froze up. The repair guy was here yesterday and had left us instructions to leave the fan running for 24 hours to melt the ice in the unit. Once the ice melted, the thing started cooling the house. Even though the AC was off, the compressor kept running and running (there's a Stephen King novel in there somewhere), and we finally had to turn off the whole system at the unit itself when it got down to 70 degrees inside. BRR!
Now we await the repair man again.
Just a local note: We were led to believe that Pedernales doesn't offer rebates on new ACs, like City of Austin does. Not true! And the repair guy tells us their rebate is actually much easier to get than jumping through the city's hoops.
Rick Springfield's song "Jessie's Girl" was originally written as "Gary's Girl."
Can you imagine?
Today is the 25th anniversary of the smiley face emoticon!
:)
In other news... I'm a little disappointed that Whoopi Goldberg sees the OJ Simpson arrest not only as racist (um, wha?), but akin to the Jena, Louisiana high school incidents. Let's not get all crazy and lump this hot-headed numb-nuts with the reprehensible bigotry going on in that town. How random.
On the OJ note, Kato Kaelin was interviewed on MSNBC. I just have to shake my head on that one.
I should have gone to ACL Fest. The weather was much cooler than when we went.
DD is sick today and I keep forgetting she's sleeping on the couch. I'm always surprised to see her there when I walk by. Weird!
10 Things You Do When You Have Nothing Else to Do
1. Go to a movie
2. Read magazines
3. Watch HGTV
4. Organize something- drawer, closet, desk, etc.
5. Talk on the phone
6. Download recipes
7. Go shopping
8. Analyze my websites' stats
9. Play games- Nintendo, online, DS, whatever
10. Look at photo albums
I've had a game of Bookworm going for a few days. Surprised I didn't accidentally click the window closed, but yay! I finally lost this afternoon with a score of over 1,570,000. Rank: Super Dictionarian.
*bows*
AHHHHHH! I missed the Emmys. W.T.F.? I knew I should have written it on my calendar.
I saw some highlights this morning, and the John Stewart/Steve Carell thing was hilarious. Where was Ricky Gervais anyway? I love Sally Field, but doesn't she realize that we don't give a flying crapola about celebrities' politics? Just show us your dress and tell us about your next project. Katherine Heigl is just awesome. You can't beat a speech about how wonderful your mom is. Awwww...
1. As a general rule, how much of a tip do you leave on a normal night of satisfactory service at a restaurant?
15-20%
2. What happens when the service and/or the food is completely unacceptable: how much of an impact does that have on your tip?
I'll tip all the way down to zero for unacceptable service. No effect on the tip if the food is a problem.
3. What was the last food you picked up from a restaurant and ate at home?
I haven't done that in years.
4. Take the quiz: What’s your pizza personality?
Cheese Pizza
Traditional and comforting.
You focus on living a quality life.
You're not easily impressed with novelty.
Yet, you easily impress others.
5. What was the last dish you tried to cook yourself based on a dish you sampled at a restaurant?
Banana Hoo-Hoo from Canyon Cafe. That's our pet name for it, anyway. I think they call it a Banana Burrito. They sent me the actual recipe when they closed their Austin location. It's Phyllo dough with bananas, chocolate and nuts, wrapped burrito-style and baked crispy. Yumm!
6. How close to the original recipe did yours get?
It was hard to get them to stay wrapped, so I just layered it. It tasted the same.
I worked a Jazzercise/Make-A-Wish charity event this weekend.
First, let me say that I was completely unaware of the subculture that is Jazzercise. These people have a fantastic time working out. The fun of the whole thing was absolutely sucking us all in throughout the day. I think every volunteer wants to join Jazzercise now!
The event itself involved everyone getting there super-early so they could "stake out their space" in the room. There was a "Jazzercise celebrity" there who taught two classes. He was really good. We watched. They also have Jazzercise clothing that we quickly figured out is a requirement for the dedicated Jazzerciser. I was totally taking notes on everything for my upcoming joining of a group near me.
It looks like anyone can join in at any fitness level and get a good, fun workout. Many people there had either been with Jazzercise for 20+ years or their mom was a Jazzerciser back in the day.
Anyway, while we were there, someone introduced me to a girl named Roxanne. I instantly thought, "Where do I know her from?" We talked for a minute and she left to do her thing, and I still couldn't place her. Later I found out she is Roxanne from "The Apprentice." Ah ha! That was it. She's a Make-A-Wish spokesperson after participating in a wish on the show. That's pretty cool.
My rocketry expert husband accidentally set off a 6 gram black powder charge in our house last night. Let's just say it was loud. Luckily he was the only one in the room and it was directed at the wall. No permanent damage done.
Skeery!
O.K.
So I see that the new versions of Hotmail and Yahoo Mail are for the obvious purpose of serving us more and bigger advertisements. I guess they are free services, so I can't complain too much.
I do like that the interfaces of both allow you to interact more like the mail is on your computer, rather than online, allowing things like selecting multiple messages with ctrl-click and shift-click.
So, coolio.
Dear Friends and Family,
I just realized I only kept everyone's birthdays and anniversaries on my computer calendar. That is the one file I forgot to backup when we reformatted my C Drive a couple of days ago. That's pretty good- only forgetting one file. Right?
Yeah, I'm a doofus.
So anyway, in the next year, you shall find out if I remember your dates correctly. Won't that be fun?!
K
Some women are upset that people are criticizing Britney's figure. I don't think she's fat either, but if you have a jiggling bit of tummy, perhaps a bra and panties isn't the best clothing choice for opening an awards show. She would have looked fantastic in something that covered her midriff.
In the end, she just looked stoned out of her mind to me. Opportunity squandered.
Well, I have a new mouse. It's very ergonomic, supposedly. Anything different is so hard to get used to! My new mousepad has penguins on it. Very cute.
This thing with Southwest airlines kicking the girl off for wearing slutty clothing--- In her photos, either she has altered the way she was wearing the outfit or Southwest is nutso. If someone came on board wearing... I dunno... Britney's VMA outfit... that might be a concern, but a mini skirt and tight shirt? That's everyday wear at the mall.
Kathy L's been threatening to have a recurring Thursday night happy hour in her pool, but it's never really been practical, as she usually works late on Thursday and that's the only night her son is with his dad. Last night, we had an impromptu evening of Cosmos. That's about as crazy as things get for me lately. Monday night drinks! Whee!
That girl knows how to make an awesome Cosmo: top-notch vodka from the freezer and Williams-Sonoma Cosmo mix. Yummo.
We've had nothing but problems with the bus being very late every day this year. This morning the driver promised to come at the scheduled time.
It was absolutely pouring rain when I drove DD to the bus stop, and the bus was already there- five minutes early. She's just parked there. I pull up behind the bus, and the driver pulls forward a bit. I pull up. She pulls up. She puts on the flashing lights. I pull up. She pulls up again. I know she thinks I am trying to get by, but if I wanted to get by, I would have already gone. Before she had turned on the red flashing lights, ya think?
It must have been awfully funny from nearby windows, but it was making me crazy. Finally I stopped behind her again and DD hopped out into the torrent. The driver pulls up one last time as DD is running to the door. Yeesh, man. Something is wrong with her, I tell ya.
10 Cities You Could Live In (for a month, for a year...if you couldn't live in your own)
1. Dallas
2. Las Vegas
3. Orlando
4. Phoenix
5. Houston
6. Munich
7. London
8. Sunnyvale, CA
9. Binghamton, NY
10. Toronto
We were watching Man Band on the DVR when we realized we were missing the VMAs last night. We said, "Eh," and kept watching Chris Kirkpatrick give Miss Kate a stern talking-to. I wonder if she feels like a preschool teacher, having grown men call her "Miss Kate."
This morning the online news outlets are full of articles like this and this, where they talk about Britney's pathetic performance. ...Lethargic movements that seemed choreographed by a dance instructor for a nursing home... At least twice last night, she had to be hoisted up and down from a riser like an overweight kid trying to climb out of a swimming pool... The lip syncing is the worst. If you're going to do it, at least do it well.
You know they figured if it was a good performance, the VMAs would have been her big comeback, and if it went like it did, at least people would watch it like a train wreck. Win-win for MTV.
I've never tasted soy milk, and never intend to, but I am imagining it is much like the gloppy gook I drain off the canned white beans I use for Carol's Fiesta Chicken Chowder recipe. Ack. Bean juice as a substitute for milk.
Don't get me started on the Silk commercials where cows are drinking soy milk. That's just wrong on so many levels.
I kept forgetting to note this in my blog. Now it's off newsstands, but did you see the photo in People Magazine of Patrick Dempsey last week, in his racing outfit? Holy smokes. I'm not usually that into McDreamy, but WOW. Hot photo. He's so... covered up... but in a very tight outfit.
It's been quite a while since I was tempted to stick a celeb pic on my office wall. We'll see if I can bear to throw it away this afternoon when the next issue arrives.
Kimberly and her husband went away to spend last weekend at an inn without phones or TV. She couldn't wait. This brought about a discussion at our house about how different everyone's dream vacations are.
I still remember the weekend DH and I spent in Yellowstone at the hotel by the lake years ago, without TV or telephone. The long evenings about killed me. I need entertainment, people! New York City, Las Vegas... razzle dazzle! Yellowstone should have an outdoor amphitheater with concerts. Yeah!
The beach is the most sedate place I like to spend time. Even there, I like to have someplace to go in the evenings. Unless you're with a big group, or are on your honeymoon, you have to have things to do when the sun goes down at the beach.
We're leaning towards a New England/Canada cruise for the next vacation. Unfortunately most of them are during fall semester, to catch the leaves turning. We just want to escape the heat in the summer, without taking DD out of school. We'll see.
It has begun. DD's boyfriend is on the freshman team, and they play the day before Varsity, and of course one must attend the Varsity game, and then the middle school girlfriends all play volleyball and those games are another day, and if you can catch high school band practice, that's always cool...
Fun in 8th grade! Try it!
Looks like this year we may not have to attend every game. More parents are willing to drop off their kids than last year. You never see the kiddos the entire time anyway, since they are hanging out with their friends. Reminds me of the old "When are they old enough that I don't have to stay with them at birthday parties?" days. (First grade. That's what we kind of decided. Now you know!)
In other news, it seems DD can take driver's ed next fall. Wow. One year until all my hair turns gray.
During the reunion, we played CatchPhrase, boys against girls. I was trying to get the girls to say "Bulldog", so my clue was "Not a Cow-Cat, but a...."
Their faces. Oh lawdy, that was funny. Hi ho, Cowcat!!
Am I the only one who thinks the Geico cavemen were only funny for about the first 30-second commercial (if that)? Now cavemen are getting their own sitcom. Too funny. Good luck with that.
The Sonic guys should have their own sitcom. Now THAT would be hilarious!
Family reunion was a blast. We stayed at the La Quinta North Arlington, which is a nice hotel in a fantastic location if you want to do a weekend at Six Flags. The hotel was spotless, relatively inexpensive and it sits right at the entrance to the park.
We were up late Saturday night, but we got to sleep in today, so it worked out. We ended with an authentic diner brunch this morning. Very fun!
1. Twelve percent of Americans say they have never had someone of a different race in their home. Have you had someone of a different race in your home? Have you been in the home of someone of a different race?
Yes I have had someone of a different race in my home, and have been to the home of someone of a different race.
2. When asked if they think gay people are actually born gay (as opposed to “choosing” to be gay), 51% say that homosexuality is something one is born with. Do you agree?
Yes, I think people are born gay.
3. Given our society's obsession with the “perfect body,” the number might be expected to be higher, but 33% of Americans say they’d leave their partner if he or she gained 100 pounds. Would you?
Nope. Are these the same people who would leave if their partner gets wrinkles or needs glasses?
4. This question was originally asked only of women, and 54% said they’d prefer to watch the Super Bowl over the Academy Awards. Which would you pick and why?
Unless a team I am into is in the Super Bowl, I would much rather watch the Academy Awards, because I'm just more interested in what happens there.
5. Fifty percent of Americans say that it would be a good idea to require couples eligible for marriage to undergo marriage counseling before they can walk down the aisle. Is this a good idea or a bad idea?
I don't think anyone should require you go to counseling before marriage, although I think premarital counseling is a wonderful idea. People should be encouraged to go.
6. A popular potato chip’s ad slogan says, “Once you pop, you can’t stop.” But 39% of Americans claim that they can stop at just one chip. Are you one of them?
Not usually. It's the salt.
I'm making sesame chicken tonight. Here's a grocery tip:
Sesame seeds are way cheaper from the bulk dispensers than in the little McCormick bottles.
My daughter went to a movie with some girlfriends last weekend, and there was a preview for a George Clooney movie. She told me she almost went "WOO!" (because she's used to me going "woo!" over George) but it occurred to her that she would never live down "woo"-ing for "an old guy." Ahahahaha!
Read more...Middle school supplies are impossible to get, because you don't get the list until the first day of school. By then, everything is gone. I'm still on the lookout for colored pencils, if anyone knows where I can find them. lol.
Senator Craig wants us all to know he's "never been gay." I wasn't aware one could change one's sexual orientation. Do we care if he considers himself to be gay? I consider him to be creepy. I just keep looking at his wife and wondering what is going through her head while she has to stand beside him.
I just heard about the two-year-old who was abandoned at WalMart. Talk about scarring someone for life. Poor kid.
I saw something called kite boarding today. It looks fun. Of any of the "-boarding" sports, that is probably the one I would try.
We're packing up for the reunion this weekend. I hope it's not too rainy to swim!
Thank you Anderson Cooper and Oprah for at least pointing out the fact that state and local government have been at fault for much of what has happened in New Orleans. Heck, Mayor Nagin could have prevented much of what has come to be by getting his citizens out of town when he still had time.
Governor Blanco turned down the first offers of assistance from the feds back then. What a numbnuts. I have not one ounce of respect for her either.
Between those two losers, you can spot the biggest problems in New Orleans. ABC news said that Mississippi's comparative success in rebuilding is related to the state and local governments disbursing local and federal funds and running programs in a more timely and efficient manner.
Oprah was saying that people around the country are tired of hearing about New Orleans. She said they donated time and money and support for a while, then moved on, and that's how these things go. I think there is a perception that many people there are not helping themselves. How long are you willing to live for free in a crappy trailer before you move on? If there aren't jobs there, move to another town down the road. There isn't good health care. The crime rate is high. You do not have to live there and suffer to the point of suicide. It's plain crazy.
The lady moaning about her four kids' health problems due to the crappy FEMA trailers killed me. What mother would stay in a place where her children are sick?! Stop whining and get your kids out of there. Live in a tent if you have to.
People are complaining that their insurance didn't cover flooding. Nope. Homeowners insurance does not cover flooding. They make that pretty clear. Get flood insurance. If you didn't have it, I wish you the best in finding donations or grants to rebuild your house. I beg you not to rebuild in a flood zone, especially without flood insurance, so we all don't have to bail you out again.
And on that note, what is the point of having any insurance if the federal government is going to bail me out? Think of the money I could save on all those premiums. Some people's sense of entitlement bewilders me. The other night there was a very well-to-do woman on a news show passionately describing her disgust with FEMA (complete with tears) because she hasn't received her Road Home check. This lady had first floor damage only to her house, and has already received $190,000 from her insurance company. Cry me a river.
In the end, it's hard to be enthusiastic about rebuilding a place where half the people have left, and the risk of re-flooding is high. The people who want to stay, but are having trouble surviving there, have to find a leader to represent them in local government. Nothing will ever get done without some kind of leadership. Hopefully, someone there will take control and get things moving. Someone who is open to people of all races and backgrounds coming in to help. Someone who will keep national attention on New Orleans and let people know specifically what we can do to help.
Mayor Pitt, anyone? heh.
10 Things I Like About My Job
Part 2 from last week's question... again considering my paid webmistressing...
1. Being in-the-know for a particular subject, and sharing that information with others.
2. The flexibility of working at home, and being able to drop everything if necessary.
3. Meeting people out-and-about who "know" me from my websites. That is always amusing.
4. Search engine optimization. Oooh, it never ends, and it is SO fun. Really!
5. Hearing from people who have success from their participation on the sites, especially organizers of charitable events.
6. Advertisers who know what they want, and are easy to work with. That would honestly be almost all of them. Many of them have invited me to events for free, which is very sweet.
7. Details. I love the detailed, organized work of creating web pages and content for the particular types of sites I do, which involve active calendars and directories.
8. Learning new web design tips and tricks.
9. Finding the perfect font for a graphic.
10. Choosing the color scheme for a new website or a revamp.
A reminder-
Kris Carr's Crazy Sexy Cancer is on TLC Wednesday night at 9pm EST. There's also a book and a book tour that is coming through Round Rock in September.
Incidentally, Kris' website (above) led me to find the amazing Planet Cancer, which is for cancer patients age 18-25, and happens to be based here in Austin, but is nationwide. I would have killed for a group like this when I had cancer in college. SO awesome. I hope young adults know about this and other groups out there for them!
Back, back, back to school agaaaaaaain...
The kiddo has school and two teams worth of cheer practice two days a week, rendering her absolutely unavailable for other activities on those days. Luckily her band sectionals fall on another day or she wouldn't even have time to eat dinner!
As for me, I'll have to get used to this 6 a.m. wake-up schedule again. Blah. I need a nap already.
I want to like this show. I just feel like they aren't showing us the good footage. I like the outtakes. Maybe I just have the sense of humor of a 15-year-old boy.
Have they sung yet on the show? If so, I missed that episode. I keep getting repeats of the "learning the song" episode on my DVR.
Miss South Carolina's answer at the Miss Teen pageant
She got 4th place, too. Scary, ain't it? Poor Mario. He must have been cracking up inside.
In other craziness, Michael Vick pleads guilty to federal dogfighting charges, and outside stand crowds of fans chanting his name as he emerges from the courthouse. That is just messed up.
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