I'm not familiar with the game of lacrosse. DD and her girlfriends went to her school's lacrosse game yesterday. I now understand from her description that there are goals similar to soccer. One guy gets the ball in his net on the end of a stick. The opposing team's players beat him with their sticks until he drops or passes the ball. Interesting! LOL.
Read more...We met my brother-in-law Steven's new girlfriend. Get this. She's an interior designer! Wooo! I love her already. No, I didn't ask her opinion on my paint chips, no matter how badly I wanted to.
We try not to get too attached to the girlfriends, as frequently they are replaced. I can definitely say I like her best of all so far.
Laura was dismayed that I thought celebs supporting Baldwin were nuts. Those are his friends and if the world had found out that she had said that to her child, she hoped I would support her.
So I shall clarify... It's not the general support of his friends that surprises me. If any of my friends had said that to their child, I would most definitely say something like "My heart goes out to her. She must have been really stressed out. It's not like her to say something like that. She really loves her daughter...." etc. I totally get that.
It's the frequent comment that we all say things like that to our children in the privacy of our own lives that irritates me. That is simply not my experience or belief. Certainly there are some verbal abusers out there who have said those things and worse to their kids. We don't all say those things. We do all say or do the occasional harsh thing we would be embarrassed to have anyone know about- those things we tell our mom friends after a few glasses of wine and hope they say they've done it too- but never that vicious stream of hostility he spewed at her. That was just totally over the top.
More clarifications of my personal take on this thing--
*I am aware that Kim Basinger is most likely a nutball.
*Someone obviously supplied the audio to the TMZ website for the purpose of taking Baldwin down. It ended up being more of a takedown of their daughter.
*I believe that Baldwin meant those nasty words for his ex, not for his child.
Those things are important. They just don't excuse or defend what he did.
At Wallpapers To Go today, they had some welders welding up in the ceiling. Dude, that process is smellerific. I chose my kitchen paper, but the bathroom has to wait until welding man is done. I wonder what they're doing up there. Aren't they about to build a Mega-Walmart in Northcross?
Read more...My Hyundai is going in again for this transmission issue. They are going to reboot my car's computer. Kewlio.
It's basically like taking a hammer to it. lol.
As of this afternoon, I am familiar with the intricacies of the Lemon Law. Quiz me!
How despicable it is that Alec Baldwin would use his verbal abuse of his daughter to promote his new book on The View. No, I'm still not watching The View while a couple of hostesses there are intolerant of others... Views... but I saw a clip on GMA.
Why celebs are backing Baldwin is beyond me. Many of them saying that we all have our days when we get angry and say these things and we're glad we don't have to hear it rehashed on national TV. Well, I've never even thought those things about my child, and I would bet my life that the overwhelming majority of parents in this world have never spewed such hate towards their children.
And if I hear "she leaked the tape" one more time as a retort, I'll puke. Separate issue altogether. Those are the same people who will buy a parenting book by Alec Baldwin. In stores this fall. Don't miss it.
To end on a happy note-- The Office last night was one of my absolute favorites ever. ROFL. The whole thing was hilarious. I had trouble choosing a quote this week! (Get your quotes from the Office Tally website!)
Did I mention I am painting the living room?
Still painting.
It's a perfect color though! One more day and furniture move, and I'll be done. Tomorrow we move electronics. Oy.
Everyone go listen to JC Chasez's new single "You Ruined Me" (release to radio May 8) at his Myspace.
Read more...Top 10 Things You Like to Do Alone
1. Watch tear-jerker movies
2. Shop for clothes
3. Turn up my music uber-loud
4. Organize
5. Write
6. Blog
7. (Recently...) Paint
8. Grocery shop
9. Read
10. Digital scrapbooking
Heard Chasez's song on the commercial for Thursday night TV (Grey's Anatomy, etc.). Very cool.
Read more...1. What's your favorite cold beverage and when did you last have it?
Fresca. About a week ago.
2. What's your favorite hot beverage and when did you last have it?
Caffeine-Free Sugar-Free Suisse Mocha International Coffee. Had it on a cold night about a month ago.
3. How addicted to caffeine do you consider yourself to be?
Not at all. I avoid it, but I guess I do have it a few times a week.
4. Take the quiz: What is your coffee personality?
Frappuccino
If it were up to me, you wouldn't be a coffee at all. You're a bit obsessed with trends and what other people want. It's time to review your priorities. Maybe having the $100 latest-thing-ever-OMG is not the most important thing? Find something you love doing and do it, even if the rest of the crowd thinks it's silly. The silver lining? You're definitely not addicted to caffeine. You didn't stick with it long enough.
(Yummo- Decaf Light Frappuccino!)
5. How do you feel about the candidates who have declared themselves so far for the 2008 election?
I actually wouldn't mind any of the majority of them being President.
6. If you could sit down for a cup of coffee with any single candidate for president, ask any questions you wanted, and really get a clear picture of what that candidate supports, doesn't support, and is most likely to push for, who would you choose and why?
McCain. He's a straight-shooter. I would trust him to tell me exactly what he thinks about anything and his reasons behind it.
We are now trying to figure out somewhere to go on a summer family vacation. We started with the gorgeous Seaside FL, a Donna recommendation. DH doesn't like the beach much (WHAT!), so a week with just a beach wouldn't be good for him.
Next we thought Tampa. It's still on the list. Busch Gardens is there, and probably some other things.
Now I'm thinking Boston or some other Northeastern place. We could hit a beach and do different things there, too.
Laura liked Washington DC...
That reminds me of something my father-in-law read this weekend. State mottos.
Washington DC: A Work-Free Drugplace.
Ahaha! 'Tis true!
Major convo with Target employees about the philosophy of pillows. I buy cheap ones and replace them every six months to a year. One of the girls said she'd love to have a super-expensive pillow. Another lady was telling us that pillows, no matter how expensive, get smelly over time. I also reminded them of dust mites.
So we decided that cheap or expensive, we should replace our pillows a lot. lol.
Next we discussed "firm or soft"...
Regional cheer competition in Dallas yesterday. The three teams from our gym all got 1st place in their divisions. Our junior team also got High Point in Level 3. DD's senior coed team got High Point in Combined Levels 4 & 5, competing as a level 4 team! Woo!
And! We moms and dads won a Parent Participation Award. Wheeeeeeee!!!
What a great end to the season. Tryouts for next season are in a few weeks. Meanwhile the kids who want to hit the beach in July are beginning practices for South Padre summer Nationals.
I'm on my way out of the house to Dallas for cheer, but before I turn off this computer I had to comment.
That phone message was incredibly shocking. I have never in my life heard a father talk to his daughter like that. What an absolute monster. His comment on the situation, that no one knows what he's been through with his divorce (as if we should give him some sort of break), is appalling.
He's a great actor, but I will never watch another show or movie he's in.
Ha.
Take that, you dorks.
The students, faculty and families at Virgina Tech give the university president a long standing ovation at the convocation to show their support, despite the efforts of reporters to trash the university administration. They are now lashing out at the media for using Cho's video to garner viewers. Why would news people show this video at all? By all means, let's give the guy a worldwide platform for his psychotic, narcissistic ramblings. Maybe other whack jobs will see the fame it would bring them to do the same.
Just seeing his picture was bad enough. Give us the name and perhaps basic info about why he did it. No need for photos or videos or reading of letters.
Lake Superior State University in Michigan used to have this group called the Unicorn Hunters. Long story, but their annual "List of Words Banished from the Queen's English for Mis-Use, Over-Use and General Uselessness" has continued years after the group was retired. Along with each word or phrase is the nominator's rationale for banishment.
Here is a link to this amusing list for 2007.
My favorite is:
AWESOME -- Given a one-year moratorium in 1984, when the Unicorn Hunters banished it "during which it is to be rehabilitated until it means 'fear mingled with admiration or reverence; a feeling produced by something majestic." Many write to tell us there's no hope and it's time for "the full banishment."
"The kind of tennis shoes you wear, no matter how cute, don't fit the majestic design of the word." -- Leila Hill, Damascus, Maryland.
Read more...Sanjaya! Yahoo!
I feel bad for him, because surely it's difficult being a national joke. The only reason he's a joke is because of Howard Stern and the yo-hos at the anti-AI site. Had the kid gotten voted off earlier, he would just have been "that guy who got voted off early." And he is very young, which makes it worse.
Even so, thank goodness that's over.
Cannot believe Blake was in the bottom three. Yikes.
10 Idols/Heroes When You Were a Kid
1. John Schneider- Dukes of Hazzard. His was the only official fan club I was in. Posters covered my walls. Yes, I even bought his Now or Never album. "...I'd rather be number 34 in Atlanta than to be number 1 in LA." lol.
2. John Travolta- so cool... and he could sing and dance, too?! I had a cherished copy of a cheesy unauthorized biography of him.
3. Gregory Harrison. Gonzo Gates on "Trapper John, MD." He was so adorable and so.. California. He married Randi Oakes, who played a role on CHiPs with...
...4. Eric Estrada. OK- this was before the wife beating, before the Spanish soaps, etc. His CHiPs character was awesome.
5. Dan Pastorini, QB for the Houston Oilers. I LOVED them. When they lost the 1978 AFC Championship Game at Pittsburgh, my Dad took me to the ginormous pep rally they had at the Astrodome after they got back into town that night. It was an amazing memory I'll never forget.
6. Dirk Benedict- Battlestar Gallactica. Dude. He was so cute.
7. Andy Gibb. Gone too soon.
8. Bette Midler. I had a bunch of her albums. She's a real legend.
9. Peter Frampton- ooh... the hair. The Sgt. Pepper remake got me hooked.
10. Gene Wilder. He was definitely my favorite movie actor. Who didn't idolize Willie Wonka?
How awful. Those poor students and their families. My heart goes out to them.
What bugs me most about news reporting lately is the voracity with which so-called journalists go after people at every turn, criticizing all authorities involved and creating sideline stories to incite the public. It's like reporters fancy themselves "investigators" rather than observers. They jump all over the university staff first, and ask questions about the crime itself later.
You cannot convince me that the police thought there was a psycho gunman running around the campus, and didn't tell anyone or even bother to look for the guy. I am certain they got reliable info from witnesses that appeared to indicate that the gunman was gone, as they said, perhaps out of state. You do not lock down a campus for that. Had the second shooting never happened, people would have been outraged that they were forced to stay in their classrooms and dorms all day for nothing.
Of course you want to look back after something like this and see what can be done better. In hindsight, it would be nice to have a way to let everyone on a large campus know that there is a gunman loose, or a chemical spill, or any other emergency that might require that students stay indoors. UT is already talking about what things they can do to inform students of things happening on campus. That's awesome. It doesn't mean that the Va Tech staff did anything wrong. So stop calling for the resignation of the school president, (holy tap-dancin' Jupiter, are you serious?!) and let us know what's going on with the students and the investigation into the crime.
DD's group (she and three other bandmates in her section) got a 1 on their ensemble piece this weekend. YAY! She's the only girl in the euphonium section, and the judge told her he bet that she was the one who kept the boys in line. lol.
Read more...I now have three patches of green paint on each wall of my living room. All of them varying degrees of suckeriffic. One is too blue, one is a little mustard-y and three independent observers have dubbed it "puke green," and the last one is too dark and reminds me of mud.
My new tactic for the day is to make a final decision on my kitchen wallpaper first. The kitchen is going to be yellow-gold and a dark red. Then I can match the paper with an appropriate green or even just a taupe or other brown.
I do have my bedroom linens. Guess what colors. Guess!
Yep. Teal and chocolate brown. Well, it's more of a slate or smokey blue than actually teal. (Here's a link.) Very pretty. That paint should be much easier. I got some gorgeous brown fringe-y pillows on major sale at Kohl's. At Kathy L's suggestion, I am going to make my own curtain panels- six of them. She said not to even sew them, to use Stitch-Witchery. I'm willing to try it. I'll let you know how that goes.
Name the last seven movies you watched on DVD (or VHS) at home.
1. The Prestige
2. Jackass 2
3. The Departed
4. Accepted
5. A Walk to Remember
6. Little Miss Sunshine
7. Syriana
1. In the event of a disaster or act of disorder, are you currently prepared to remain self-sufficient for a day, a week, or a month until measures could be taken to restore order and services?
I've actually made arrangements for three days, since that was the nature of the list I used to acquire the stuff. I should really be prepared for a week.
2. Feng shui: Totally serious, totally crapola, or just another cool way to get redecorating ideas?
Another cool way to get decorating ideas!
3. Do you feel comfortable being yourself in public or do you feel you have to hide certain aspects of your personality?
I am comfortable displaying all aspects of my personality when I'm out with my friends. If I'm out alone, I present the most widely acceptable "me"- very little sarcasm, no questionable references, limited conversation about controversial topics, etc. I usually just blend in when I'm out alone.
4. Name your favorite flower to appear in the Spring around you?
Miniature roses.
5. From this list, are there any places you would never travel?
Thailand and Saudi Arabia.
6. Who is your favorite [motion picture] director?
George Clooney. Ahahahaaa. Well he IS a director. Let's see... Rob Reiner.
Just happened upon this and simply must pass it along.
That Other Paper
It's totally up-to-date (a must for any good website) and very entertaining, and has everything you could want to know about what's going on around Austin!
An Evanescence CD is currently playing in my car's CD player. I pushed the FM button to switch to radio as soon as I turned on the car, and Evanescence started playing. I pushed the FM button again... and again... and it turns out - Evanescence was playing on the radio.
It's not as funny here, but believe me, it was highly amusing in the car.
So I was helping Laura in her classroom today. Hilarious kids in there. It's third grade. One of the little girls told me, "I know who my teacher thinks is cute, who isn't her husband." Ahahahahaa!! She said he is a news reporter. Oh my! Who could it be?!
There's another Laura story, but today she told me I can't tell it anymore. Aww.
Anyone wanna see REO Speedwagon with me?????!!!! May 6 at the Backyard!
We rented The Prestige and Jackass 2 last weekend. The Jackass guys never cease to amaze me. We watched the movie AND the 100,000 other bits that didn't make the film. The horse semen thing is my pick for most disgusting scene. Eww, man.
The Prestige was a little slow in places, but I liked it overall and the ending was brilliant. Who knew men could be so vengeful? For the first time ever, I "got" what was going on before anyone else in the room. I'm usually the one outside the theater after the movie asking what the heck happened.
That reminds me of when we saw Premonition at the theater a few weeks ago... Everyone came out of the movie so irritated by the ending that we were ALL talking about it amongst ourselves.... as we walked by the line of people who were entering for the next showing! Oops.
Quick AI note: I am officially supporting Blake for American Idol now. I had to really think about it, but he's definitely my choice of the remaining people. (I don't call in or anything, but I support him... in my heart. Where it counts.)
With all these entries, you'd think I was sitting around doing nothing today, but I actually attended a lengthy Foundation website meeting and have done laundry thankyouverymuch.
I heard Larry Birkhead is the father. Thank goodness that poor child won't have to be raised by wacky Howard K. Stern.
10 High School Memories (in no particular order)
1. Seeing Duran Duran last minute at Wembley Arena in London while visiting my dad. We had walked up to the ticket counter an hour before the show and got 11th row seats. It was the last night of their European tour. George Michael and a bunch of other celebs (did anyone else but George matter at the time?) were there in a special section. Best of all, I think Dad had an even better time than I did. And we had a heck of an adventure getting back to Brighton when the trains shut down!
2. Randolph Park nature trail in Friendswood. Can't say any more. Evans would say this is a horrible nightmare memory. I think it's hilarious. I have never run so fast.
3. Mike announcing to us that he was going to be a surgeon someday, so he should handle the cutting with our frog dissection. He sliced through so many organs with his initial cut, that we needed a whole new frog. I think Mike is a horse trainer now. Hee.
4. Riding in Everett's Rabbit with Everett and Shane down Beamer Rd one night at 50mph with no lights. The boys turned them off. On purpose. Can you hear me screaming? Them laughing?
5. John teaching me how to drive in his yellow Fiat.
6. The graduation party "tour." We went to three, beginning just after grad in the early afternoon and ending up spending the night on Galveston Beach.
7. Flying fish surrounding Cathy and me as we were floating along in tubes pretty far out into the Gulf of Mexico. Lots of screaming here, too.
8. Fast Times teen club in Pasadena
9. Rocky Horror Picture Show
10. Senior musical. I played a Bluebird girl (German Can-Can dancer) in Carnival. Even sang a German song. (The director had me audition for the lead after he heard me sing. He tossed me out when he saw me act. LOL!) We had some great cast parties.
You know that lady who ate the tainted dog food to get her dog to eat? And then she got sick, too?
Please tell me she wasn't from Texas.
Brand new transmission, and my Santa Fe is still making the same exact noises it was making before. Not to mention that the dealer added a lot of fake comments that I supposedly made about the car shuddering and stuff. I suppose they added that to help justify the unnecessary $4000 warranty replacement of a transmission.
Just say no to Hyundai. Next time, I'm going back to Toyota or Honda. The worst thing my Toyota ever had was a squeaky wheel well. My Honda never had a thing wrong with it.
Go to Google Maps. (http://maps.google.com)
Click "get directions."
Ask to get from Paris, France to New York, NY.
Read through the steps given.
Ahahaaa! Cute.
I have paint cards. Whee! I have decided on the red for my kitchen- it's one of those Biltmore Estate colors, so it will match Anderson Cooper's breakfast room. LOL. (Really? No, not really.) I still have to choose the faux Venetian plaster wallpaper in gold for above the chair rail.
The green for my living room- not so easy! I have a few remaining from the pile I took from Lowe's. Everything from limey light green to dark sage.
I have looked at bedding, and though I was trying to steer clear of it, I am so in love with the trendy light teal and brown combo! I can't stay away! Heeeeeellllp...
Hope everyone had a lovely Easter!
I think I've been to the grocery store every day for the past week, picking up one thing or another. Occasionally I find myself at Target every day for a week, which is way more fun than the grocery store, let me tell you. Today, I am stocking up! No more daily trips.
I see that the drunk people that "fell" off the Grand Princess while we were out there "fell" because the girl ran and jumped on the guy's back, kind of leapfrogging over him. He grabbed onto her leg and followed her into the ocean. Ahhh. There you go. Don't do that, kids.
I made enough money with my websites last year to file taxes as "the sole proprietor of a website business." *applause*
I actually enjoy Quietdrive's remake of Cyndi Lauper's "Time After Time." Other remakes of songs, not usually so much.
Lumidee's cover of "She's Like the Wind" is awful. Not that Patrick Swayze had a great voice or anything, but "...Just a fool to believe she got anything I need"??? Riiight. Next.
It's tempting to do Brian Adams covers, but please refrain from this at all costs. Haven't heard any good ones.
I love No Doubt, but the remake of Talk Talk's "It's My Life" was blah.
A good thing about remakes- kids definitely prefer them over the originals. At least they can appreciate the songs with a more current sound, and don't dismiss them completely. It's the same with movie remakes. Better to see the updated version than not to see them at all. Plus, all the original creators get to see additional revenue. (I hope!)
I was listening to the 80's radio station in the car this morning, and I realized how many strange electronic sound effects are in a lot of those songs. Some of it sounds really cheesy today. Nina Blackwood (now a Sirius DJ on that station) sounds like she's been smoking 2 packs a day for the last two decades. Maybe she always sounded like that, but I don't remember it.
Joey Fatone said on Ellen several days ago that NSYNC dancing wasn't any sort of preparation for ballroom dancing, that it wasn't like he ever grabbed JC and did the tango or anything. Ahaha. SURE.
Did you see the last clip of that cruise ship sinking into the Mediterranean? It was hardly Titanic. The lifeboats were right next to it and they weren't sucked into a whirlpool. They barely moved. Very interesting.
Why oh why are all the Texans on the national news totally oddballs? The "bird man" who climbed that 60-foot tree to get his cockatoo, and then couldn't get down while holding it? Cripes.
The Office was a little disappointing last night. Too much drama- not enough humor. Plenty of laughs, but as a ratio, not as funny as most. The funniest thing ever though-- Jim's face after seeing Dwight and Angela kissing. ROFL!
Thank you, Laura, for enlisting my help with your son's high school science homework. Now I have refreshed my knowledge of Boyle's Law- Pressure times volume equals a constant.
One never knows when one might need that. Looks like... every twenty-five years or so.
Ah yes. I won "Most Buncos" this month. Kewl outdoor dishes for the patio. Fun!
Gina- I guess her audience isn't really an American Idol audience anyway. She'll do fine on her own. Sanjaya is killing me. Is he for real or is someone telling him to be cocky like that? It's kind of silly. If he does get very much further, I think they'll have to revamp the voting on AI next time. Maybe have the judges get a percentage of the total vote.
Here I am referring to stores like the former Brook Mays, and Strait, etc. It's a small world in these places. Every time we're in there for band stuff, and we drop a name of a private lesson teacher or someone we've interacted with in another store or whatever, everyone knows each other. Too funny. These stores are also the "day job" venue of a lot of local musicians, so it's always interesting to go in and chit chat. (We were there today because DD's euphonium has a sticky valve.)
Read more...Rethinking the teal walls. Too trendy. Might need to paint again within a few years, and I hate painting. I may go with a sage green wall color. That's kinda timeless, yes?
Also a must for the upgraded bedroom- blackout curtains. The neighbors occasionally leave their back porch lights on, which shine into our windows. Sometimes when there's a full moon, it actually gets too bright in there as well.
Looks like AdSense (the Google targeted text ads, which I have on my websites) is cranking for me this year. Clickthrough rates are up, as are bids per click. Yay!
Read more...I can't stand my new mattress. We're taking it back. LOL. Tooooo soft. Give me a hard bed any day. They're almost all pillow-tops these days, and they just feel all squishy! Blah. The one we're getting is really firm, and DH will get a pillow-top doo-dad for his side only.
Also getting a new bedroom set. I'm thinking dark walnut finish against soothing, spa-like teal walls. Gotta get paint, too.
I wrestled with Norton's security software this morning to get Microsoft's newest update to install. If you get an "Access Denied" error on the "Genuine Advantage" download, it's usually because your c:/windows/system32 folder is read-only. Good luck changing it. Many people are having this error, but instead of reporting to Microsuck, they are all posting on computer geek message boards and helping each other. As I am posting here... to help.. you...
We won our competitorless division. YAY! Seriously their best performance yet.
We ended up coming in second to Laredo by one-tenth of a point for High Point. Laredo? We had never heard of them. Watch out, because they are awesome. What do you bet they'll be at South Padre Summer Nationals?! #&*$% #*$*# ^%@ $##
Woooooooooo!!!!
And an exciting day it was. I had my first panic attack. (thunderous applause) Don't ask me why, because I have no idea. I usually get a bit anxious when dizziness kicks in now and then from my old inner ear thing, but today I went into full blown anxiety attack. At the mall. With my mother-in-law.
Oy.
At the ER, they ran a few simple tests and figured out I was having neither a heart attack nor a stroke. Good to know, since I was suspecting the world's first presentation of the simultaneous heart attack/stroke. Then they sent me on my merry way with a pamphlet on stress. Maybe I'll take up Yoga or something.
Tonight the family took me out for sushi. Yummo. For all the phone calls, cards and emails-- thank you!!
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