Time Warner to Pull Stations Tonight

Wednesday, December 31, 2008

Time Warner customers may not receive Viacom networks after midnight tonight. That includes Nickelodeon, MTV, VH1 and Comedy Central. As this article says, "...Americans spend a fifth of their TV time watching Viacom shows but its fees make up less than 2.5 percent of the Time Warner cable bill."

I sided with TW on the local network television issue this year, but I have to side with Viacom on this one. Time Warner needs to get rid of channels no one is watching and keep the good stuff.

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Flash Mob Austin

Monday, December 29, 2008

Found the local group like Improv Everywhere. It's Flash Mob Austin, which is part of the Urban Prankster Network, where you just might find a group in your area!

Go forth and have fun.

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Improv Everywhere... Plus Google Game

Sunday, December 28, 2008

Time waster alert! Hilarious vids of Improv Everywhere's stunts at their website. My favorite mission of all is Best Game Ever. How awesome.

Happy Birthday Dad!!

And a Google Game...
For each question, type your name where told to do so. Use the first result that is logical as its own sentence for each question.

1. Type in "[your name] needs" in Google search:
Kathy needs to give herself some credit.

2. Type in "[your name] looks like" in Google search:
Kathy looks like a rich suburban transvestite, happily living out her golden years wearing tacky clothing and riding around on penis-shaped floats, waving to the crowd like the Queen Mother.

3. Type in "[your name] likes " in Google search:
Kathy likes pink.

4. Type in "[your name] says" in Google search:
Kathy says: Zest those lemons, among other money-saving tips.

5. Type in "[your name] wants " in Google search:
Kathy wants a pay-raise from Bravo.

6. Type in "[your name] does" in Google search:
Kathy does an awesome job with what most of you don't realize exists in this business- the %&*#$@* books.

7. Type in "[your name] hates " in Google search:
Kathy hates it when other people keep her from getting much-needed sleep and when someone is being narrow-minded.

8. Type in "[your name] can" in Google search:
Kathy can keep her Bravo contract & comedy clubs & go around saying all the filthy, vulgar things she says for the people who appreciate that sort of thing.

9. Type in "[your name] goes" in Google search:
Kathy goes in for a blood test- she's already tried a home pregnancy kit.

10. Type in "[your name] is" in Google search:
Kathy is an oceanography officer in the U.S. Naval Reserve, holding the rank of Captain.

11. Type in "[your name] loves " in Google search:

Kathy loves the ocean, the crashing of the waves, and collecting worn shells in the soft white sand.

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Saturday Nine

Saturday, December 27, 2008

1. What was the best thing that happened to you personally in 2008?
Discovering Facebook. Especially reconnecting with old friends and connecting them with others.

2. What was the worst thing that happened to you personally in 2008?
Our cat Spanky died this summer.

3. What was the best thing to happen to all of us in 2008?
The election of a new US President.

4. What was the worst thing to happen to all of us in 2008?
The world economy dropping through the floor.

5. What was the best gift you received during the ’08 holidays?
Electronic photo frame. I've given them but never received one. Now I just need to figure out where to put it.

6. What was the best gift (most appropriate or best received) you gave during the ’08 holidays?
Flip Mivo for the in-laws. They travel constantly to orphanages in India, where the kids are thrilled to see themselves in photos. Can't wait to hear what they think about seeing themselves in video!

7. Do you have any regrets about what you did in 2008?
I regret drinking too much on Bahama Mama night at LQ. I haven't felt that bad since about 10 years ago, when I drank that ginormous margarita at the Hyatt.

8. Do you have any regrets about what you didn’t do in 2008?
I wish I would have remodeled the master bathroom. :)

9. Did you meet anyone that became important to you in 2008?
Hmm... nope!

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Back from Dallas

Friday, December 26, 2008

DFW weather is quite unpredictable this time of year. During Christmas week 2008 it was warm and overcast. Eh. Beats icy and snowy, I suppose. Stayed at the in-laws. Completed the annual puzzle. Played games. Drove around Plano looking at lights. Lauren drove on a six-lane street with lots of traffic, to the bank, where she parked for the first time with other cars. Hung out at Steve's. Lots of fun stuff!

We went to the ICE! show at the Gaylord Texan Resort in Grapevine. It's 14,000 square feet of holiday-themed ice sculptures, including a giant slide. The exhibit is kept at 9 degrees Fahrenheit, so they give you a parka. I had two jackets on underneath at the suggestion of my mother-in-law. It was a tad warm, and I couldn't really move. I recommend gloves instead. There is a continuing debate over whether the show is worth $20 a person. I say not really. It was cool, but I would price it at $12. They do validate your parking, which is otherwise $10, so that is a plus. I enjoyed walking around the atrium with all the decorations. It's just beautiful. So I think the best bet is going to the hotel and having drinks in the atrium. Even better, get a room- there are specials going on over the holidays!

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Guitar Hero Drum Sensitivity Fix

Monday, December 22, 2008

For those who don't know... Red Octane has a fix for the lack of drum controller sensitivity on the Guitar Hero: World Tour controller.

Go here

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Bob Schneider Videos from the Paramount

Thanks to the person who posted some vids from Friday night's concert! Bob singing one of my favorites- "Bullets":



And another fave-- "Bombananza." Everybody mambo!...



Awesome show!!

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Sunday Stealing

Sunday, December 21, 2008

from here

1. What is a nickname a former (or present) lover gave you?
None of them has called me by a nickname. Maybe after we broke up...

2. How do you style your hair?
My hair is either naturally large-ish curls or ironed straight. Depends on if I want to walk around with wet hair in the morning.

3. What's your least favorite Christmas song?
"Oh Come All Ye Faithful." Just sick to death of hearing it.

4. How many colors are you wearing now?
Three- purple, blue and mauve

5. Are you an introvert or extrovert?
I can be either, depending on the situation.

6. What was the last book you read?
Hollywood Girls Club by Maggie Marr

7. What's one piece of fiction that changed your life?
I don't think any fiction work has changed my life.

8. If you are attracted to someone who is already in a relationship (or married), what might do you do?
Redirect those feelings elsewhere.

9. Is there anything that has made you unhappy recently?
Having to have a very minor but uncomfortable medical procedure last week.

10. What's your favorite dessert?
Cheesecake.

11. How long does it take you to get ready in the morning?
30 minutes

12. Name one website that you visit daily. Why do you read it?
MSN.com. I read the fluffy "human interest" articles there.

13. What was your last job before either you were at home or at another job?
Clinical data analyst.

14. Do you like to clean?
I like to clean if something is really dirty or messy and it will make a huge difference if I clean it. Things like dusting, where hardly anyone notices you've done it-- not so much.

15. What was the last song to get stuck in your head?
Bob Schneider- "Tarantula"

16. What's the last movie you saw?
Love Actually on Oxygen last night. Gosh, I love that film.

17. Pirates or Ninjas?
Pirates.

18. What is your least favorite thing to do that you have to do everyday?
Wash dishes. It's the never-ending chore.

19. Best time of your life?
Such a hard question. I have a few times that rank equally as high points. High school. College. Mothers Club years. Right now is pretty good.

20. What are you most looking forward to in the coming year?
Getting back into a weekly competition schedule with Lauren's Winter Guard.

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Bob! Bob!

Saturday, December 20, 2008

Yeah yeah... "Bob! Bob!"... a reference to my meeting Bob Schneider at Dennis Quaid's annual celeb golf tournament Laura and I helped out with several years ago. See, he was busy at our hole, so I had to wait for him to come around to the hole behind us to get his autograph on my baseball cap. As I was skipping quickly walking through the rough between the holes, he started to walk towards his cart. So I called to him to sign my hat. No biggie. It certainly doesn't warrant everyone doing a terrible impersonation of me every time his name comes up, thankyouverymuch.

Kathy L and I went to the taping of his live DVD at the Paramount last night. It was SO FUN. They did three encores. Can't wait for the DVD.

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*sings* School's... Out... for... Christmas

Thursday, December 18, 2008

You may not know it, but you were all just spared a long treatise on my support of gay marriage. You're very welcome. :)

I have reduced it to one point: President-Elect Obama does not support gay marriage. (I know- it was a shock to me when he said it at the debate, too.) Why the press and celebrities in the gay community continue to assume he does is a mystery to me. I think it's a stereotypical assumption because he is a Democrat.

Lauren is having her wisdom teeth out tomorrow. All four. I just heard of someone who had five wisdom teeth. Good gracious. I have gotten the most delicious baby food fruits for her enjoyment over the first 24 hours after surgery. And I have frozen peas at the ready for swelling. We are prepared!

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Christmas Shopping- DONE

Wednesday, December 17, 2008

Yahoo! Finished shopping last night. Not that I won't be at a retail establishment over the next week, because invariably I end up going with a friend, or needing... I don't know... toilet paper or something. Still, I am much less stressed now that all the presents are ready.

AISD high schools are on short schedule this week during Finals. They just take one or two exams each day and then leave. Lauren is loving getting home as early as 11:15 am. (She normally gets home at almost 5pm.)

This survey is floating around Facebook:

A
- Available: nope
- Age: 41
- Annoyance: inconsiderate people
- Animal: about ready for a cat after Spanky died in July
B
- Beer: Shiner
- Body Part on opposite sex: shoulders
- Best feeling in the world: being in love
- Blind or Deaf: blind. Must have music.
- Best weather: partly sunny and 74
- Been on stage?: many times
- Believe in magic: no
- Believe in Santa: of course
C
- Candy: Godiva chocolate
- Color: green
- Chocolate/Vanilla: Chocolate
- Chinese/Mexican: Chinese
- Cake or pie: cake
- Continent to visit: Europe
- Cheese: anything smoked
D
- Day or Night: hmm. day.
- Dance in the rain: yes please
E
- Eyes: green
- Everyone's got a(n): iPod
- Ever failed a class?: technically, but he passed me with a D when I cried in his office
F
- First thoughts waking up: Is it 5am ALREADY?
- Food: watermelon... or cheesecake
G
- Greatest Fear: cancer. Aaaaaaahhh!
- Goals: get Christmas presents delivered before Friday to people going out of town
- Gum: wintergreen
- Get along with your parents?: yep
- Good luck charm: never had one
H
- Hair Color: brown
- Height: 5'4
- Happy: most of the time
- Holiday: Christmas
- How do you want to die: painlessly and quickly of natural causes when I'm really old
I
- Ice Cream: mint chocolate chip
- Instrument: piano
J
-Jewelry: wedding ring, anniversary ring, earrings, silver necklace, bracelet
-Job: Mom and part-time webmaster
K
- Kids: Lauren
- Kickboxing or karate: kickboxing
- Keep a journal?: my blog usually has my daily thoughts and activities in it
L
- Longest Car Ride: Houston to Green Bay, WI when I was 8
- Love: decor magazines, live music, The Container Store, long walks on the beach
- Letter: B
- Laughed so hard you cried: within the last week and I cannot remember why! lol!
M
- Milk flavor: 2 percent. Is that a flavor?
- Movies: Love Actually, Lord of the Rings
- Motion sickness?: very rarely
- McD’s or BK: McD's
N
- Number of Siblings: one half-brother
- Number of Piercings: 2-one in each ear
- Number: 3
O
- One wish: that next year will be a year of change and light for the United States
P
- Perfect Pizza: no tomato sauce, a little cheese, sun-dried tomatoes, black olives, shallots, smoked chicken
- Pepsi/Coke: Coke
Q
- Quote: from The Office- Michael:What do you call a butt load of lawyers driving off a cliff?
Lester: A good start. And I think it's busload.
R
- Reason to cry: don't have one, but if the internet goes out, I would be tempted.
- Reality TV Show: American Idol
- Radio Station: MIX 94.7
- Roll your tongue in a circle?: yes
- Ring size: no idea
S
- Song right now: "Lie" by David Cook
- Salad Dressing: balsamic vinaigrette
- Sushi: spider roll or salmon skin or spicy tuna
- Skipped school: once for part of a day
- Slept outside: in a tent at girl scout camp. I prefer a swanky hotel, thanks.
- Skinny dipped?: unfortunately no
- Sing well?: yes
- In the shower?: no, I'm at the computer
- Swear?: only when necessary
- Strawberries/Blueberries: strawberries
T
- Time for bed: around 10:30. lights out by midnight
- Thunderstorms: love them
U
- Unpredictable: sometimes
V
- Vacation spot: anywhere with a beach
W
- Weakness: office supplies
- Which one of your friends acts the most like you: I can't think of any who are like me. Probably a good thing. ;)
- Who makes you laugh the most: Laura
- Worst feeling: feeling like an idiot
- Wanted to be a model?: never
- Where do we go when we die?: Heaven or Hell.
- Worst Weather?: blizzard
X
-X-Ray[s]: yes, from head to toe
-Ex's: they're all lovely people. No really! lol
Y
-Yellow: raincoat
Z
- Zoo animal: chimpanzee

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C-c-c-c-coldddd

Tuesday, December 16, 2008

I got two tickets to Billy Joel/Elton John in San Antonio!! I've always said I'd catch them the next time they tour, never actually expecting them to tour again. SO cool. Who wants to go with me?!

Everyone's Facebook status is something to do with how cold it is in their house. Why is that? I can only guess that it feels cold because we are all used to keeping the AC at 78 and the heater is set to 68. Either way, it's just DANG COLD. Tonight I am going to get the fireplace going. I don't think it really helps, but it's nice to look at.

Curious as a Cat

1) What one quality of your father’s would you most like to share?
His ability to tell a GREAT story. People are always on the edge of their seats when he talks.

2) Among all the people you know, who would you like to have known when s/he was a child?
My great-grandma. She was probably a little hell-raiser.

3) If you wanted to meditate for a whole day, where would you do it?
On a secluded Hawaiian beach. Barring that, I would find a local spot with a nice view of Lake Austin.

4) What is your favorite thing to do in a city park?
People watch. And swing.

5) Show and Tell. What comes to mind first when you see this picture? Or, tell a story if it reminds you of one.
This reminds me of the street market in Nassau.

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Sliding Doors 'n Stuff

Monday, December 15, 2008

Sliding Doors, the 1998 movie with Gwyneth Paltrow, where she has two concurrent scenarios playing out based on whether or not she makes the train, sat around here for over a month while my queue stagnated at Netflix. Finally watched it, and it was very entertaining. Lots of funny banter in it, which I LOVE. Chick flick for sure, although Jeff did make it through the entire thing. I developed quite the crush on James, the "good guy" boyfriend, until this scene where everything changed. GRR. Then I hated him and cursed him for being even worse than the cheating boyfriend. The twists are interesting and keep you guessing, so definitely check it out if you haven't seen it before.

Our Boston area friends are digging out from ice, as is AMD there. Hope conditions improve quickly.

Got another great newsletter review, from the lovely Melissa who says one of her family's Christmas Eve traditions is "reading aloud egregious holiday newsletters we receive." Reading egregious holiday newsletters! LOL. We'll have to do that this year.

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Christmas Newsletters Out

Saturday, December 13, 2008

The first of the newsletters has been received, and the review was good! What a RELIEF! I wasn't going to do one this year, because I was so uninspired, but at the last minute, I thought of something. So there ya go. 2008- check.

LQ tonight. May be drinking wine. I know it's boring, but Kath has a couple of wines she doesn't like, that I happen to love, and we don't want something like that to go to waste. I baked cookies for the LQ girls today. Shhhh...

Hope everyone is enjoying their weekend!!

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Thursday Already?

Thursday, December 11, 2008

Few things begin a day better than Sam Champion in a sweater. Yummy.
Click and watch a sample.
You're welcome.

Meme from Curious as a Cat


1) What one quality of your mother’s would you most like to share?

Her creativity, which I do happen to share.

2) If you promised never to lie about anything ever again, in what area of your life would be it the hardest for you to keep the promise?
I don't lie about much other than things like... if that dress makes your butt look huge. And I don't even tell those little white lies to my close friends. So I guess it would be the area of "little white lies to acquaintances" with which I would have the hardest time.

3) If you found a fifty dollar bill in a vacant lot, what would you do with it?
Take a couple of friends to lunch.

4) What good deed that you didn’t do when you had the opportunity do you wish you had done?
When I was at MD Anderson during college, one of the engineering professors' wives was there, too. She had non-Hodgkins lymphoma and was doing her radiation treatments at the same time I was every morning. We talked every day. I was really ill from side effects at the time, and she was so sweet. It wasn't her first round with her cancer, so she was just in treatment to keep it at bay for as long as possible. About a year after I left school, I read that she had passed away. I intended to write the professor a letter telling him how very wonderful she was and how much our conversations meant to me. I just never managed to get it done. He's passed away since then as well.

5) Show and Tell. What comes to mind first when you see this picture? Or, tell a story if it reminds you of one.

This looks exactly like my grandmother's old mixer back-in-the-day. Reminds me of baking Christmas cookies!

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Piano Bar and Car Czar

Tuesday, December 9, 2008

I love to hang out at a sing-along piano bar like Pete's. We recently did it on vacation out-of-state this summer, but we haven't been to Pete's in years. Some of us want to go over winter break while the students are out of town, but the trouble is finding a night everyone is available. Bleh. I have one free weekend night between now and Christmas, and I also have other things I want to do, like Trail of Lights.

And... This auto bailout is irritating the crap out of me. Who will be next? Shall we just buy up/loan to/bail out everyone? The government will be running everything soon. They do such a bang-up job at it, too.

Businesses should figure these things out on their own. It's the American Way. Some banks managed to figure it out by merging or selling. Companies are also coping by going to a four-day workweek or reducing salaries or whatever other creative things they can do. Where is that spirit with these other groups who are sinking us all further into national debt?

And lastly, I saw that Gore will not be part of the Obama administration. Oh. Thank. Goodness. I can't stand that Clinton is in there. I can't imagine the both of them.

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Happy BDay Lori!

Monday, December 8, 2008

It's Lori's birthday today. For a few months, she'll be older than me. HA.

FINALLY finished the annual Holiday Newsletter. I got myself into a graphics nightmare at some point during the design process, and then figured it out. It's all good.

A couple of months ago, I was explaining to my aunt in Denver that although the economy is bad around the country, I didn't actually know anyone who had lost their job or their house, etc. In the last several weeks, I now know two people who have lost jobs, and one who will find out Wednesday if she still has hers. Ack.

I'm off to address Christmas cards. Merry merry!

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Wrap Night and Other Saturday Adventures

Sunday, December 7, 2008

Scott and Julie's game night food theme last night was "wraps," including Asian and Spanish lettuce wraps and the pièce de résistance-- apple crepes. Bravo. They went old school with the games. We played Sorry, which was absolutely hilarious with six people trying to get in on the action. Scott won that. Also played Chinese Checkers, which Julie won. Hmm. Sounds like these games were rigged! ;)

I took Lauren to the Burger Stadium parking lot for her first behind-the-wheel driving lesson yesterday. She rocked. This morning we're doing a little neighborhood driving before church. She would love to drive to church, but there's a quarter-mile 65mph highway portion of that drive. Maybe next week (or the next).

Sunday Stealing

1. When you buy a greeting card are the words or the picture more important to you?
Whatever is funny about it is the most important.

2. Do you ever make gifts for people, if so what, or do you buy them?
I've baked stuff, made scrapbooks, done some cross-stitch back-in-the-day. Mostly I buy gifts.

3. Are you going on holiday this year? If so, where?
We don't have any trips planned at the moment. Sad, eh?

4. What was the best party you've ever been to?
AMD's Christmas party at the Erwin Center back in '91 or so, which included a Richard Marx concert and a live satellite feed from the simultaneous California party, where Rod Stewart was the headliner. Jerry Sanders sure knew how to throw a shin-dig.

5. If you are married, describe your wedding. If not, what would your ideal wedding be like?
We had a little over 100 people. Church wedding officiated by a family friend of Jeff's family. 80's peach bridesmaids' dresses. (You're welcome, girls!) Three attendants each. Two ushers. Dad walked me down the aisle. Reception at the Hyatt on Ladybird Lake.

6. What's the most romantic thing that's ever been said to you?
"Honey, I'll wash the dishes tonight." ;)

7. What's your favorite romantic song?
currently "Avalanche" by David Cook.

8. Favorite heartbreak song?
currently "Stay" by Little Big Town

9. Which celebrity would you like a dream date with?
George Clooney. Thanks! When shall I be there?

10. Which female celebrity do you find beautiful??
Angelina Jolie

11. Which male celebrity do you think is attractive?
George.... ok... Hugh Jackman

12. Describe the kind of underwear you normally wear.
Bikini-style silky/satiny. I can't stand cotton panties catching on the fabric of my clothing. The clothes have to slide over them.

13. If you could be in a television sit-com, which would you choose?
How I Met Your Mother

14. Which character would you like to be?
One of Barney's girls. Heh.

15. What are your favorite boy and girl names?
Ethan and Lauren

16. What's your supermarket of choice?
HEB

17. What is your best character trait?
Dependability

18. What is your worst habit?
Kicking my shoes off by the door, eventually leading to a mountain of shoes under the kitchen table.

19. Elaborate on your default icon.
I have a bunch. On Blogger, my "icon" is in reference to the live music of the great city of Austin.

20. What is your current relationship status?
Married.

21. Ever have a near death experience?
I've been near death, but have never had the "near-death experience" of the bright light, etc. Eek. What do you think that means? lol.

22. Name an obvious quality about you?
Optimism

23. What’s the name of a song stuck in your head right now?
"Avalanche" by David Cook. See #7.

24. Name a celebrity you would marry.
George Clooney. And I'm up for the challenge of getting the confirmed bachelor to the ceremony.

25. Do you like pain?
Um. No?

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700th Post

Saturday, December 6, 2008

This is my 700th post in this blog. In celebration, I present... a 700-question meme.

Just kidding. Do you know how long it would take me to read and cross-reference Scotty's answers to something of that scope? Yeesh.

Yesterday Nate Berkus was on Oprah awarding some design awards to regular people. One was to this GUY who redid his kids' rooms. You should have seen the beautiful job he did with the little girl's room. Pink, black and white. SO pretty. Here's a bad pic:



But you get the gist. The best part- a delicate crystal chandelier that Dad hand-beaded as the main light fixture. So awesome.

Bunco is back on again after a year hiatus. We had the best time last night!

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David C

Thursday, December 4, 2008

David Cook is a lefty. Hmm! Why didn't I notice that before? He also has great lips. I did notice that before.

Having listened to the CD for a while, I have revised my faves.
1. Avalanche
2. Lie
3. Heroes

I skip (*gasp!*) Life on the Moon and Daily Anthem.

Don't you hate when people post song lyrics in their blogs? I'm all about great lyrics, but so far have been good about not doing that. Well, here ya' go... from "Lie"...

...You’re hiding regret in your smile
There’s a storm in your eyes
I’ve seen coming for a while
Hang on to the past tense tonight
Don’t say a word, I’m ok with the quiet
The truth is going to change everything

So lie to me and tell me that it’s gonna be alright
So lie to me and tell me that we’ll make it through the night
I don’t mind if you wait before you tear me apart
Look me in the eye and lie, lie, lie...

And also... re:Grammy noms... "Love Song" by Sarah Bareilles is one of the best songs ever. I'm so glad to see her get some nominations! She opened for Duran Duran when we saw them this year. Great talent.

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Saturday Nine on... Wednesday?

Wednesday, December 3, 2008

from here

1. What was the last pill you took?

Baby aspirin

2. What time of day do you usually feel most energized?
About 10am.

3. Who was the last person you hugged?
Lauren

4. If you had a restaurant serve you a perfect breakfast, what would it be?
Eggs Benedict and a cup of strawberries.

5. What did you do on Thursday?
Ate Thanksgiving lunch at Scott and Julie's and watched the A&M/t.u. game here that night.

6. If you could change one thing about your life, what would it be?
Hmm. Perhaps I would work part-time as an analyst at PPD. They don't do flex-time though.

7. What is your favorite TV commercial at the moment?
OMG. This one. It's the Hallmark commercial with the little boy whose mom is teaching him to say "Merry Christmas!" When Grandma opens the card and hears the recording, she says, "He said 'Merry Christmas!'" And Grandpa's face is priceless- He did?

8. Who would you'd be surprised to wake up and find in your bed?
Anyone other than Jeff.

9. Who is your favorite 80’s band?
Duran Duran, whose song "New Religion" inspired the name of this blog. :)

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It's Christmas Time!

Monday, December 1, 2008

Yesterday, I dragged all the stuff out of the Christmas closet, and guess what! No tree. I remembered then that we threw the old one out last year. Ahaha. So we missed the giant sale at Garden Ridge last week, and went Sunday with 8 gazillion other shoppers who bought trees at full price. Too funny. Now everything is up and decorated. Fa la la la la...

Entertainment Weekly featured "The 50 Sexiest Movies Ever" last week. Definitely a few I will add to my Netflix queue. I don't agree with some of the rankings though. I'm a huge Clooney fan, but I think Mr. and Mrs. Smith was waaay sexier than Out of Sight, which they ranked #1. A Walk on the Moon would be my #1 by far. Just sayin'. Heck, Mortensen is a blonde nuts-n-twigs hippie in that one and I still think it's the best. If you haven't seen it- run, don't walk, to your nearest Hollywood Video.

Last night, Laura and I watched 60 Minutes together on the phone, like 14-year-olds. See, Richard told Laura that Anderson Cooper was going to be on in a swimming segment with Michael Phelps. (Thank you Rich!) So we watched and waited- I with great anticipation and she with equal trepidation. She was sure she wouldn't be so attracted to the skinny pale guy in swim trunks. Well... I was very pleased with him. NICE shoulders. Holy wow. Wanna see?

So what the heck is up with TCU being #11 on the BCS rankings? TCU? I had no idea they were burning up the rankings this year. Hmm!

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Husband Quiz

Saturday, November 29, 2008

...a survey from Bzoink...

1. He’s sitting in front of the TV. What is on the screen?

Discovery Channel. Probably "Myth Busters" or "How It's Made."

2. You’re out to eat. What kind of dressing does he get on his salad?
Ummm... Oh- Caesar.

3. What’s one food he doesn’t like?
Mushrooms.

4. You go out to a bar. What does he order?
Margarita, frozen, no salt. Or a Shiner Bock.

5. Where did he go to high school?
Berkner High School in Dallas (yes... Richardson... whatever...)

6. What size shoe does he wear?
I have no idea.

7. If he were to collect anything, what would it be?
Rocket motors?

8. What is his favorite type of sandwich?
Firehouse Subs' Hook & Ladder

9. What would he eat every day if he could?
Chili

10. What is his favorite cereal?
Cracklin' Oat Bran, I think.

11. What would he never wear?
A University of Texas t-shirt.

12. What is his favorite sports team?
Uh... A&M? I don't think he has a favorite pro team. Maybe the Cowboys.

13. What is something you do that he wishes you wouldn’t do?
He probably wishes I wouldn't leave the doorknob unlocked when I leave the house. I only lock the deadbolt. If a burglar has gotten past the deadbolt, surely the wimpy doorknob lock is toast. Am I right? Probably saves me several milliseconds per day.

14. How many states has he lived in?
4- Missouri, Texas, Florida and California

15. You bake him a cake for his birthday. What kind of cake?
Cheesecake

In other news... two people shot and killed at a Toys R Us and a guy trampled to death at a Walmart yesterday? How awful. That's why I don't shop on Black Friday- crazy people.

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Thanksgiving in Review

Friday, November 28, 2008

Well, Scott is worried about receiving a poor review on my blog for his Thanksgiving meal. I'm not a great writer of "reviews" and wasn't planning one, but if he's going to bring it up, let's see how it goes...

The ham was delicious, with a delightful peach and bourbon glaze. Kirsten said it tasted like "something other than ham." lol. The turkey was homey and traditional, a golden picture of perfection, fresh out of the pages of a cookbook. Yes, he made ham AND turkey. Show-off.

While I was pressured to try butternut squash, with the less-than-encouraging introduction of his saying it was his "attempt at making butternut squash edible," it was bright and surprisingly scrumptious. He laced it with cilantro and golden raisins, and for me, anything with cilantro is awesome. The squash tastes a lot like sweet potato. Lovely dish with a colorful presentation.

The cold broccoli bacon salad, a deliberate snub of the green bean casserole, made the meal edgy and updated. Julie's family's traditional unpretentious cranberry jello ring was a tart and lively accompaniment. Cheesy scalloped potatoes and warm, buttery croissants were favorites. My sweet potato casserole and stuffing were along for the ride, lending a southern air to this northeastern affair.

Kirsten and Scott baked a perfectly sinful pumpkin pie, which was an oh-so-yummylicious finish to the meal.

So I give Scott's Thanksgiving feast five stars. :D

If only the Aggies could have made a five-star showing last night. Ah well. Next year!

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Happy Thanksgiving!

Thursday, November 27, 2008

Well, my Thanksgiving outfit was nixed by my resident fashion maven. I paired Ugg-style boots with jeans, and she informed me that my jeans are too loose. Evidently, jeans must be tight when worn with Uggs. Dang! I don't have any tight jeans at the moment. (Maybe after lunch...)

So with a new outfit, I have dropped the kids off at the nursing home where the high schoolers' church group is playing games with the residents this morning. Later we'll be at our friends' place for the feasting, then migrating back here for the game. Huge hugs to everybody!

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Thanksgiving Approaching

Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Tomorrow will be a blast! I'm prepared to cook my two dishes, and I have football snacks and drinks for everyone. Check, check and check.

Australia comes out today. Eeee! No one in my house wants to see it. Fair enough. I think I can easily locate another Hugh Jackman Nicole Kidman fan to go with me.

Also out- Four Christmases. It looks hilarious.

Had lunch with Melissa B yesterday. I haven't seen her in ages. They live about five blocks away. You'd think we could keep in better touch. lol. I actually got to see Sean, too. They were in the process of buying a new car, so he met us at the restaurant for her signature on something.

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Ten Things You Are Thankful For

Tuesday, November 25, 2008

from Ten on Tuesday

This year I am thankful for...

1. Family. The hubby, the kiddo, and all the other usual suspects. Plus my best girlfriends, who are the closest thing to sisters I'll ever have.
2. Friends. No one rocks like my friends do. They are witty and brilliant, thoughtful and superFUN!
3. Facebook. My search for high school and college classmates got me started there in May. What a fantastic place to procrastinate. Love it.
4. Safety of my Houston friends and relatives from Hurricane Ike. Lots of repairs and pain-in-the-butt stuff, and serious continuing issues on Galveston Island, but thank God, no injuries.
5. Post-It Notes.
Who isn't thankful for them? Come on. OH- and Sharpies.
6. Jeff's job. These days, jobs are something to be very thankful for.
7. Music. Listening to it. Playing it. Dancing to it. Singing it. Whatever.
8. Gas under $2 a gallon. Ooh! Where can we drive today?!
9. Liquor Qlub. After Bunco kinda disintegrated this year, I was really missing the monthly girl parties. Now they're back! LQ is a lot like Bunco... without the Bunco part.
10. Finally conquering the orange button on Guitar Hero. YEAH, BABY!!

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Hey Scotty



I took this for ya'! Good times, eh?

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I So Love Lewis Black

Monday, November 24, 2008

Uber-busy catching up on stuff this morning, but had to stop in to show you this:



ROFL

eta: This player sometimes works, sometimes not. Here's the direct link. :D

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p.s.

Sunday, November 23, 2008

We went to the A&M volleyball game last night, where we beat the hell outta Colorado. Whoop! Two yell leaders were there, as well as the "Hullabaloo Band," a basketball and volleyball pep band that started in 2004. Super fun!

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Tattoos- Not Just for Whores and Sailors Anymore

LOL. That is from a t-shirt at the tattoo shop where CJ got her first tatt yesterday. YES. She did it. Holy cow. And I had no idea College Station had tattoo joints at all. There are probably 8 in the BCS metro area.

She got a tiara on her hip:


So we're in CS for a relaxing weekend of... whatever. And it's been that. Yay! Cath is still sleeping. I'm always up before 6, so here I am. Hotel internet sucks.

Some funny stuff so far:

Looking for tiara tattoo design ideas on the net, we were getting these strange images. Instead of "That is NOT a tiara," I kept saying "That is NOT a tattoo." Running gag now.

Cathy couldn't get into facebook with her email misspelled as "homail" instead of "hotmail." HOmail. lol. Without missing a beat, she says that is her "other email" that she uses on porn sites. Ahaha.

At this restaurant Friday night, we had to order at the counter. There was a sign that said this:

Pick up
ORDER HERE

So we assumed you ordered and picked up at the same spot. Eventually, in the line, we figure out it's just "pick up order here." No line where you'e actually supposed to order. Oy. Let those Aggie jokes fly.

Our hotel elevator has a sign that says "When flashing, exit elevator." ha.

And an amusing story... the first tattoo place we went to on Friday night. After talking to the tattoo artist inside, we were on our way out to come back on Saturday with design ideas. We had spoken briefly with a guy and his girlfriend while they were waiting. She was getting her piercing at the time we left and her boyfriend followed us out, saying "yeah, I need to smoke," then under his breath, "and talk to you for a minute..." We were both already a little freaky about being in the place at all, then this person is following us out to "talk to us." We are so funny. He gets outside and gives us a card for another place, saying never to get a tattoo at the place we were at the time. Only piercings. LOL. Very nice guy. Incidentally, she did end up at another place, after we read reviews online. Not that the place was bad, but there is another one with female artists, which was cool.

This afternoon we're heading to the George Bush Library. Did I mention I keep getting lost in town? In College Station! Good grief.

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Cook and Daughtry

Thursday, November 20, 2008

Well, I must say I liked Chris' debut album a lot more than I like David's. Cook's isn't bad, it's just a little blah. Still love the voice. I'll definitely see him when he blows through Texas at some point. [And sometimes I do grow to love albums over time. :)] Not sure why I feel compelled to compare the two, but there you go.

Daughtry is still working on their sophomore album in LA. Chris' latest blog entry says, "...Don't worry...you're not gonna have to wait nearly as long as we've been waiting on 'Chinese Democracy' LOL!..." Ahahahahaahaaaahaha... What?! Exactly how long does that mean?

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Christmas Quiz

From Lori...

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Mostly coordinating papers, but a few bags.
2. Real tree or artificial? Artificial. I love real trees! I just don't want to take the time to deal with one in my living room for a month.
3. When do you put up the tree? Thanksgiving day or the next day.
4. When do you take the tree down? Anytime between the day after Christmas (boxing day!) and New Years' Day
5. Do you like eggnog? Mmmm. Yes.
6. Favorite gift received as a child? A gorgeous green bike.
7. Hardest person to buy for? The in-laws
8. Easiest person to buy for? Lauren
9. Do you have a nativity scene? yes
10. Mail or email Christmas cards? Mail, for goodness' sake.
11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? Can't think of a bad one in the bunch. :D
12. Favorite Christmas movie? The Year without a Santa (w/Heat Miser and Snow Miser)
13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? November, after L's bday.
14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? No.
15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? My mom's birdnest cookies. Totally reminds me of Christmases in College Station as a little girl.
16. Lights on the tree? Yes. Ours is pre-lit. Wait. Who doesn't put lights on their tree??
17. Favorite Christmas song? Oh Holy Night
18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? Alternate years between Austin and Dallas.
19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer? Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, Blitzen... and Rudolph
20. Angel on the tree top or a star? Angel.
21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? Christmas morning.
22. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? Crowded stores.
23. Favorite ornament theme or color? We do a special ornament significant for each year- one for us and one for Lauren. I love blue and silver as a color theme.
24. Favorite drink for Christmas dinner? Sweet tea.
25. What do you want for Christmas this year? World peace and a cast iron skillet.

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Facebook

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Tara and Kimberly want me to start a Facebook App or a website for people to ask Facebook etiquette questions. I think it's a fantastic idea. My newbie friends are always asking me stuff anyway. Might as well write it down for everyone to see. Until I get something set up...

Re: Tagging People in Photos

Never tag someone in a bad photo. They'll de-tag themselves anyway. When they realize that everyone can still see the picture because people can still access the album it's in, you'll find yourself tagged in that person's album, in that drunken photo from Cabo you thought you had destroyed.

So let's modify this to "never post a bad photo of someone on Facebook." UNLESS the photo is from high school and you graduated 20+ years ago. That's just fair game.

When posting photos of your child who is on Facebook, never tag them, period. You may think it's the cutest photo EVER. They are thinking you've lost your dang mind. Let them tag themselves if they wish.

In other news, Hugh Jackman is People's Sexiest Man Alive. Can I get a HELL YEAH?!

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David Cook Album

Tuesday, November 18, 2008

OK, after my first listen, my favorite songs are:

Declaration (his voice... wow)
Bar-ba-sol (awesome beat)
Avalanche (great lyrics)

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Things to Do in College Station

This TripAdvisor page is hilarious. I just stared at it, thinking how much I enjoyed five years, plus numerous childhood trips to the place... and the GB Library... wasn't... even... there. LOL. Whatever shall CJ and I do for three days then?

No worries. I already have a list of Bryan/College Station event/attraction/hangout options for each day and maps to every one. (Are you surprised?)

Wondering... have any of you hit yourself in the chin while doing upper cuts in aerobic kickboxing? No? Hmm.

And finally, funny radio thing yesterday on JB and Sandy: The guys were commenting that the Washington Redskins female fans in the stands on TV this weekend were not attractive. Bri was offended and defending the women. Then Alex said something like, "Yeah, well I Googled 'pretty girls Washington DC' and it came back 'Did you mean Texas?'" Ahahaaaha.

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Thanksgiving and Altered Dominoes

Monday, November 17, 2008

We're having Thanksgiving at Scott and Julie's, which means... Scott is cooking! I am way excited about that. I'm just making the stuffing and sweet potatoes. I do the brown sugar/pecan topped sweet potatoes, not the gross marshmallow kind. :D Did you know Yankees don't have sweet potatoes at Thanksgiving? Yikes.

Something super-creative I came across- altered dominoes. Aren't they beautiful? I must find out how to make them. Think of all the possibilities for personalized gifts.

David Cook's CD drops tomorrow. Don't forget!

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It's Sunday Already?

Sunday, November 16, 2008

Woohoo! Lauren is the big 1-5 today. Here comes the driving permit... oy. Grandma gave her a car- a model of a red convertible. Love it. We took her and a few of her friends to Melting Pot on Friday night. The restaurant really did a nice job with the birthday stuff. Then late last night the door bell rang and her church youth group had decorated the front yard with balloons and crepe paper and signs, with a very nice present at the front door. How sweet!

Congrats to Lauren on making Spring Color Guard at school! Our Saturdays will now be filled with competitions again. I enjoyed this past six months without cheerleading on weekends, but I'm ready to get back into the schedule. Bring it on, baby. She has a practice flag (ahem- "silk" NOT "flag") at home, and I am certain I will get stabbed in the head with the pole at some point while it's living here.

Big Foundation event last night. This is the second one for which I've designed the printed materials (save-the-date, invitations, program, signage). We on the event committee also did a lot of work on decorations, and they turned out perfectly. I have pics, so if you're interested, I'd love to share. During the event, we got loads of compliments on the theme/decor/etc. Yay!

Saturday Six

1. Other than the state you currently live in, which state have you visited most often?
Florida

2. If you had to move from your current state, which three states would you most likely consider for a new place to live?
Florida, Arizona, California

3. Think of your home state: off the top of your head, do you think you could accurately name your state’s slogan, the state bird, and at least half of the counties (or parishes) that make up your state?
Slogan- "Don't Mess with Texas?" LOL. I don't know. (I looked it up. It's "Texas. It's like a whole other country.")
The state bird is the mockingbird.
We have way too many counties to be able to name half. I think I could name half of California's counties off the top of my head though.

4. Take the quiz: Which State Should You Live In?
You Should Live in Massachusetts If you don't want to live in Massachusetts, you might also consider:
Ohio, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida

5. Which state do you have the hardest time seeing yourself visiting someday?
North Dakota

6. What’s the biggest tourist attraction or draw you’d mention to someone considering a visit to your state?
NASA

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Friday Five

Friday, November 14, 2008

It's BDay Party Day!!! Lauren's actual bday is Sunday.

In the never-ending saga that is my hair... I have returned to the curls. My hairdresser at Ulta has instructed me on the styling of natural curls. She says to use lots of product and not to touch it while it's drying. So I slather on Bain de Terre All-Day Straight (in an ironic homage to the Chi I suppose--- Ahaha. Ironic. Chi iron.--- I've been up since 5. Stay with me, folks.), which keeps it shiny and non-frizzy. I let it dry into its curly madness without touching it. Then I use a pick to lift it and comb through a few parts. If I get a couple of weird curls, I re-curl them with a curling iron. Voila!

Friday 5- "Marks" (from the archives)

1. What kind of marks did you get in school?
Straight A's.. until my sophomore year at A&M. After that- A's and B's and one D that was actually an F. At least I didn't have to repeat EE 201. Thanks, Dr. Ayoub.

2. Do you have any birthmarks?
A small, light brown one on my right side.

3. What’s the story behind one of your scars?
Matching set of little scars, one on the top of each foot, from a lymphangiogram, the only medical test worse than a bone marrow biopsy. They make incisions in your feet and stick needles directly into the lymph vessels. Then they inject the lymph vessels with a dye that slowly migrates up your legs to the inguinal lymph nodes, burning like the devil himself every centimeter of the way. Yeah, it could easily be a scene from a horror movie.

4. What do you usually use to mark your place in a book?
I bend the page corner. I know.... I'm quite the rebel.

5. What famous Mark do you most admire?
Mark Spitz

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Awwww

Thursday, November 13, 2008

I got nothin' interesting to say this morning, but I saw this on Good Morning America and it made me smile. Hope it makes you smile, too. This is the Phillies World Series Parade. Little Will's mom is asking him, "How big is Will?" Every time he raises his arms, the crowd cheers.


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Relationship Wednesday

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

Something the girlfriends and I talk about--

If we were ever dating again... for whatever unfortunate reason... well, we usually say "if our husbands were hit by a bus"... we love to think we would be totally cool about the whole situation. Not at all like when we were young and immature.

First and foremost, we would NEVER sit by the phone waiting for a guy to call. We'd be aloof and casual about the issue of "where we stand" and the possibility of "taking the relationship to the next level." We'd totally plan a night out with the girls without a care in the world of whether or not our guy might want to go out that night. We'd make the first move at our own discretion and if the guy turned us down, we'd know it was his loss and happily move on to the next fish in the sea. Yep. We'd be like guys.

At the end of that conversation, we always seem to wrinkle our noses and say "maybe?" Yeah, it's really easy to say all those things when you're married. lol. This week's New Adventures of Old Christine was hilarious, because Christine and Barb were getting back into the dating scene and they were all those terrible girlish things we aspire not to be. SO funny! In one part, they called these guys they had met but hung up because they were too nervous. When the guy called back, Christine thrust the phone into Barb's hand and said she should talk. Then Barb said hello, but Christine said she said it "too sexy." So she said to the guy, "WHAT DO YOU WANT!" And Christine said, "Not MEAN!" Barb went back and forth. Later when she hung up, they were all giggly and hyper. It was freakin' funny.

And now, a relationship survey- very abbreviated version from Bzoink. Yes, that means I took out some of the more interesting questions. Sue me.

Do you still talk to your first kiss?
No, but only because I'm not currently in touch with him. I would love to know what he's up to.

Have you ever written love letters?
Oh yes. It's an art.

Have you ever written a song about a crush?
Yep.

Have you ever had a song written about you?
No. What's up with that?

Do you like a guy/girl to be taller/shorter than you?
Definitely prefer a guy to be taller than me. I'm 5'4. It isn't that difficult.

Do you get jealous easily?
No. I've always had more guy friends than girl friends, so I can't expect anyone to put up with random jealousy from me. I can tell the difference between a female friend and something more.

Have you ever liked somebody and not told them?
Yes.

Do you make the first move or wait for the other person to make it?
When I was dating, I almost always waited for the guy to make the first move.

Do you still talk to your ex(s)?
Yes, infrequently.

Have you ever fallen for a best friend?
Yes. Didn't work out so well. There's not chemistry between best friends. I think you have to have that.

Do long distance relationships really work?
Not exclusive relationships. I had a long distance relationship that was non-exclusive that worked alright. It still wasn't ideal. You want to date someone you can actually spend time with.

Have you kissed anybody with a name starting with D, H, P, S, K, L?
Yes. No, I'm not listing the names. :D

Are looks important?
Only in that you have to be attracted to the person. I'm more aware of what we always call "the package." (Heh.) Meaning, I think it's more about the person having themselves "together" personality and appearance-wise, no matter how "good-looking" they are. Sorry... overuse of "quoting fingers" there.

Have you ever made the opposite sex cry?
Not that I know of.

Do you like Valentines Day?
Yes. I don't get crazy excited about it, but it's fun.

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Australia

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Cannot WAIT for this film to come out. November 26.

Hugh Jackman was on GMA this morning. Always a nice way to start your day. They played a clip of Nicole Kidman saying everyone on the set, including the men, were admiring Hugh's "impressive" body in a scene where he takes his shirt off. Hugh says something about how Nicole is impressive in the scene where she takes her shirt off, too. Then he blushed. Holy cow. The only thing better than Hugh Jackman blushing would be Hugh Jackman blushing without a shirt.

Yesterday he was on TMZ, interacting with the paparazzi. They asked how he looks so good and he said "the typical stuff- steroids and surgery." Very cute. I like those clips much better than the celebs who don't say anything, or worse... cover their faces. Please. I'm beginning to think those people just can't think of anything witty to say.

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Back to Johnson City

Sunday, November 9, 2008

Yesterday was a beautiful day to be outside. We took Jeff's mom out to Johnson City to Benini's sculpture ranch. She liked it a lot. We showed Benini's wife, Lorraine, a photo of the sculpture that we got there this summer. She loved the lighting and the piece of furniture I bought to act as a base for it. YAY! Remember how much trouble I had figuring out all that artsy stuff? We're supposed to send her a copy of the photo.

Sunday Stealing

1. Who did you spend at least two hours with today?
It's early, but yesterday I spent at least two hours with my husband, my daughter and my mother-in-law.

2. What do you look forward to most in the next six weeks?
College Station weekend.

3. Who was the last person you called?
Kathy L.

4. What were you doing at 12am last night?
Sleeping.

5. Are your parents married/divorced?
Divorced when I was 15.

6. When did you last see your mom?
She passed away in December 2006. I had seen her frequently for the 6 years prior to that, when she lived in Austin and Wimberley.

7. What are you wearing right now?
A light blue nightgown. What are you wearing...

8. Where is your favorite place to be?
The beach. This is an all-too-frequent meme question. Just makes me miss the beach all the more.

9. Where is your least favorite place to be?
Anywhere with mosquitoes.

10. Where would you go if you could go anywhere?
Australia. Wait. Do they have a lot of mosquitoes?

11. Where do you think you'll be in 10 years?
Still living in Austin.

12. What was the last thing that really made you laugh?
Lauren laughing and drooling ice cream onto the table at Serrano's last night.

13. What cities/towns/villages have you lived in?
Worms, Germany; Pasadena, TX; Kansas City, KS; Houston, TX; League City, TX; College Station, TX; Austin, TX

14. Are you a social person?
Yes, unless I'm in a place where I don't know anyone. Then I tend to be a quiet observer until I meet someone I hit it off with.

15. Do you sleep alone?
No.

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Here Comes Trouble

Saturday, November 8, 2008

I've been getting people in trouble lately. Completely innocently, I swear!

First, I mentioned to Kimberly a couple of weeks ago that her son's new girlfriend at college is SO adorable. Turns out they didn't know he had a girlfriend, and weren't thrilled about it, with wanting him to keep up with studying, his two-year mission trip coming up, etc. After his dad talked with him, he ended up cooling it off with the girl, although they are still dating. I told Kimberly she and Gib are totally mean parents. I think I knew some parents like that in school.... oh yeah- my in-laws. LOL. See what happens??

Then on Thursday, I stopped by Laura's classroom on my way to work book fair in the school library. The kids told me she wasn't there and they had a sub, who was out of the room at the time. I told Laura the story later and she was like, "WHAT?! Where was the sub?" Oh man. I gotta stop talking.

My mother-in-law is here. She took us out to dinner for Lauren's bday, which is next weekend. We watched Vantage Point last night. Good movie!

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David Cook "Light On" Vid

Friday, November 7, 2008

It's up!

Light On (Official Music Video)

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Mammogram Fun

Thursday, November 6, 2008

This morning I passed my annual mammogram with flying colors, thankyouverymuch!

Strange thing though- I've had 17 mammograms, and not once has the technician asked me to remove my robe... until today. Standing in the middle of a room in just your jeans with a mammography tech is more than a little creepy.

I don't know if she did it to save time. That's the only reason I can think of. Next year, I'll be keeping the robe.

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Thursday Thunk

from here

1. The election is over... what do you think?

Obama is the right guy at the right time. I'm not so sure about the Dems being in control of everything. I prefer some balance. I am concerned about government getting bigger and sucking all our money into wasteful programs.

2. Tell us about a snowman.
I live in Texas. We're lucky to build a snowball. I did build a snowman in kindergarten when I lived in Kansas.

3. What brand of ketchup do you buy?
Heinz

4. Do you use a cookbook?
I use cookbook software on my laptop. My cookbook has recipes from cookbooks, friends, relatives, magazines and online.

5. Do you blow-dry your hair or let it air dry?
Usually I blow it dry. If I want curls, I let it air dry.

6. When was the last time you were sick?
On the New England cruise we took this summer. I caught a cold and was pretty miserable for a day or two, then I was good to go.

7. What is the strangest letter of the alphabet?
X

8. Who was the last person you bought a present for? What was it? Will you buy me one?
Tara's baby, Anna. It was a super-cute outfit, of course! I'll certainly buy you one. Are you NB or 3 mos?

9. Why are we ending at 9 questions?
I dunno. You're in charge?

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Election

Wednesday, November 5, 2008

And so it is- Barack Obama! Sorry, was anyone DVRing the results?

I loved McCain's speech. I've always liked him. He's dedicated, funny, and a moderate in the Senate. I think two things did him in- Bush and Palin. He might have won with a better choice as VP, considering how close he was. Perhaps the economic downturn would have crashed his campaign anyway. Either way, I think he went a long way in bringing his supporters around to being Americans first and supporting President Obama.

I really like that the rest of the world is optimistic about an Obama presidency. It was an important factor in my vote. The President represents us as a nation, and we want the world to have a positive feeling about that person. It's been a while since we had that. Also loved Obama's speech, of course. Another reason I voted for him. He is an incredible speaker, motivational, not arrogant in any way. He skipped the rah-rah in favor of a more serious call to all Americans to pull together in this historic moment.

I think I need a countdown to January 20 somewhere. lol. Woohoo!

On a less thrilling note, I see the ACLU thinks there should not be a law against texting while driving. What a bunch of bloomin' idiots. I don't even know what to say to that.

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Carrie's Dress

Tuesday, November 4, 2008

Here's the beautiful dress from the concert. (The tear-away skirt.) And also one of my favorite songs.

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Election Day!

Everyone is voting, right? Don't leave because the lines are long. It's fun chit-chatting with people in line. Plus, you're missing work with an excuse. If you don't vote, you can't whine for the next four years. Just sayin'. That's my public service announcement du jour.

Yesterday, I got a phone call and the guy said, "Hi Katherine! This is Senator John Cornyn..." and I hung up like I always hang up on those annoying recorded calls. Then I realized he said "hi Katherine" and now I'm thinking it was really him. LOL. Oops.

Went to the drill team tryouts parent meeting last night. One of Lauren's cheer teammates is trying out as well. Camp starts in a couple of weeks. Sounds like fun!

Kimberly's in town. Hopefully I'll see her tomorrow.

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Bowie City Limits

Monday, November 3, 2008

Well I showed up just in time for Bob Schneider Saturday night. Whew! Small crowd, but not empty by any means. Bob started playing early and stayed until the end. This is the second time I've seen him do a "clean" concert. It was surprising how many of the high school students knew the dirty versions of the songs. Hmm. Must be YouTube.

He said he was going to do the G-rated versions of the songs. Someone in the audience requested PG. He said it's either G or R with him, so he would sing the G and we were free to sing along whatever version we liked. lol.

This was the first time I went to a concert by myself. Ever. I actually didn't mind it at all. Once you're in the crowd, you're just part of the crowd anyway. Super fun! I hope they have it next year.

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Sunday Stealing Meme

Sunday, November 2, 2008

But first, because I care...

Dear 40-year-old Women Who Shop at Gadzooks,

The teenagers you think are looking at you funny... are.


Warm regards,

Me

Sunday Stealing

What are your nicknames?
technically Kathy is a nickname, also K-Squared, Kath, CJ calls me Meg now and then, a few people call me by my last name

What TV game show or reality show would you like to be on?
Deal or No Deal

What was the first movie you bought in VHS or DVD?
I think it was Pretty Woman.

What is your favorite scent?
For me--"Pure Grace" by Philosophy. It smells like soap. Mmmm. Jeff also has some awesome-smelling deodorant, Right Guard Xtreme Fresh Blast. It sounds weird, but it smells really great.

If you had one million dollars to spend only on yourself, what would you spend it on?
Let's be honest, folks. Most of it would go into savings/investments. :D But if I have to splurge... I think I would travel all over the world for a while, then get a BMW Z-series convertible to keep the fun going when I got home.

What is one place you've visited, can't forget and want to go back to?
Hawaii.

Do you trust easily?
Yes. Way too much.

Do you generally think before you act, or act before you think?
Think before I act.

Is there anything that has made you unhappy these days?
Not particularly.

Do you have a good body image?
In general.

What is your favorite fruit?
Watermelon.

What websites do you visit daily?
Facebook, Google

What have you been seriously addicted to lately?
FitTV, instant messaging, Mescato wine

What's the last song that got stuck in your head?
"Misery Business" by Paramore. Great. Now it's in my head again.

What is your favorite thing to wear?
Black leather boots. With whatever.

Do you think Rice Krispies are yummy?
Only if they're accompanied by fresh strawberry slices... or covered in chocolate.

What would you do if you saw $100 lying on the ground?
Pick it up and put it in my pocket. I'd wait a few minutes to see if anyone came looking for it. If not, I'd keep it.

What items couldn't you go without during the day?
Computer, some sort of music device

What should you be doing right now?
Updating my websites.

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Carrie Underwood/Little Big Town

Saturday, November 1, 2008

The concert... Little Big Town was really good. Jimi Westbrook is hot as all get-out.



You're welcome.

He was wearing vampire fangs through the entire set. Just... wow. Anyway, the band was great and they showed off the two of their babies, who were in costume for Halloween. So cute.

Carrie Underwood was amazing. I wished I had my phone to call Angel. She and I used to call each other during concerts, and the last one was Kelly Clarkson! That would have been too cool.

Sometimes artists are just not as good live as on their CDs, but Carrie is spot-on. Such a fantastic voice. With so many hit songs, I can't believe she only has two albums.

It's been a very long time since I was at a concert featuring a female singer. There were so many guys in the audience!

Saturday 9: Being a Good Sport

1. Were you raised around a lot of sports?
My parents weren't into playing sports. My dad played soccer when he was in Germany, but it was not popular in the States while I was growing up. We did always watch a lot of professional football.

2. What is your favorite sport?
Football.

3. When did you last play a sport?
These days we play Speedminton. Last time I was on a sports team was junior high basketball and volleyball.

4. When did you last attend a professional sporting event and what was it?
A couple of years ago- an Austin Ice Bats hockey game.

5. What was the last sport you watched on TV?
College football.

6. If you have children, do they play the same sports that you did? If not, someday if you have kids, would you like them to?
Lauren has never been interested in basketball or volleyball. She's been in dance and cheer since she was little. I've never cared if she played the same sports I did.

7. Do you think other people care too much about sports?
Nah. I love when people are really psyched about watching or playing sports.

8. Do you have the freedom to be as involved in either playing or watching as much sports as you’d like to?
Yes.

9. Who is your favorite sports team?
Well... the Texas A&M Aggies, of course. I also like the Washington Redskins and the San Antonio Spurs.

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Carbon Footprint and Powers of Persuasion

Friday, October 31, 2008

L had to calculate our carbon footprint for homework. Ours is 52 tons. That's good compared to the national average for a 3-person household -- 80 tons. Not so good compared to the world average of 17 tons.

Despite Jeff trying to convince his brother that Facebook is a waste of time, and trying to convince me that Steven would never join, I convinced Steven to join. Go me!!

The radio station is doing a thing where they'll donate $10,000 to the charity of the biggest celebrity someone can convince to do an interview with the show. They talked about Jenny McCarthy and some NASCAR guy, but I think I will use my previously described powers of persuasion and go straight for George Clooney. It's all for the charity, of course.

Happy happy Halloweeeeeeeeen! And remember... demons are a ghoul's best friend. :D

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What Were You Thinking

Thursday, October 30, 2008

The Daily Meme asks on its "lost meme" page...
What were you thinking when you first met your current significant other?
I was thinking, DANG I would love to run my fingers through that guy's hair. Matter-of-fact, I told my friend that I wanted to. Then every day he sat in front of us in class, I would act like I was going to just do it, and she and I would giggle. Can't imagine it would have gone over well if I had actually done it. lol.

Speaking of Jeff- he is home from California. It's been so long since he went on a business trip, that he actually enjoyed it!

I'm not doing the Halloween thang this year, for the first time since Lauren was born. I'm taking the kids to the Carrie Underwood concert Friday night. We'll totally miss the Halloween festivities from beginning to end... well as long as we steer clear of 6th Street on our way home.

TMZ has Adrian Grenier on all the time looking like a brainless dope. I watch and laugh and think, yeah... but he is so hot that I couldn't care less. Just keep on showing him, guys.

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Library and stuff

Wednesday, October 29, 2008

I'm going to start volunteering in the elementary school library again. I really enjoyed it when I did it before. Turns out the librarian needs the help. Yay!

Coming up on the next Foundation event. We start making table decorations next week. The soirée is at the UT Alumni Center, which I hear from everyone is an incredible venue. Best part? Volunteers get designated parking! Parking is always a nightmare when we go to campus.

I can't convince Lauren to go to Bowie City Limits this weekend. Oh well... I'll have to see who else is going!

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Gallup Poll Results

Tuesday, October 28, 2008

Some results are up that include the day I was surveyed. They're the ones on the front page Oct 27 and later. I like seeing how my answers fit in. Too cool.

http://www.gallup.com/

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Take a Poll...

...and... never mind... :D

Sunday I got to take a Gallup poll. It took forever, but they covered every little thing about the presidential election. I gave the guy every bit of info about me and who I am voting for, what issues are important to me, even a few things about Congressional elections. Interesting! Now I'm waiting to see when the next poll results come out.

Guitar Hero World Tour is such fun! I love the music on this one- well, most of the music. There are some real loser songs, too. We got a code to unlock all the songs, for pre-ordering the game, but the code doesn't work. Bleh. So I'm unlocking them in traditional fashion.

I love that the battles don't have the zapper thingies, but are just a "can you keep up with so-and-so" kind of thing. Much more fun.

Haven't played drums yet, but Lauren reports that they have to be hit harder than the old Rock Band drums, probably because of the rubbery sound-dampening surface. The tapping is still too loud, IMO.

This morning Diane Sawyer was talking about a house from the 1920's, saying "I am going to channel my inner flapper." Lauren, who doesn't know what a flapper is, just said, "Ewww." Ahaha. It does sound kinda icky.

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The AnyHow Meme

Monday, October 27, 2008

Stolen from Sunday Stealing

1. Do you believe in seeing a rainbow after the rain?
Um, wha? Ahh... metaphors. On Monday morning, no less. Yes, I think when bad things happen, there is almost always a positive side that you may not see until after things have settled down.

2. If you have a dream come true, what would it be?
I'd be the lead in a Broadway musical.

3. Do you believe in eternal love?
Yes.

4. What feeling do you love most?
Enjoying something as a group. Everyone having a good time together.

5. What feeling do you hate the most?
Feeling misunderstood or not heard at all.

6. Do you cherish every single friendship of yours?
Yes.

7. Do you believe in God?
Yes.

8. Who cares for you most?
Jeff.

9. What do you think is the most important thing in your life?
Being a good parent.

10. What emotion do you like to show?
Supportiveness.

11. If you have something troubling you, what do you do?
Talk to a friend.

12. Who do you admire most?
Anderson Cooper. He comes from a family where he could have sat back and lived on a trust fund his whole life, and instead he went out and got his degree and learned several languages and got in the trenches with folks around the world to try to make their lives better. Just one of the most brilliant, witty, worldly people I've seen.

13. Who did you last chat with in a chat room?
A bunch of very fun NSYNC fans, several years ago.

14. What kind of person do you think the one we stole this meme from is?
I would have said a deep and serious thinking-type, but I read her answers, and she's pretty entertaining!

15. What color did you use to dye your hair?
I don't dye my hair. I would love to do it for fun, but the upkeep would be annoying.

16. Why are you doing this meme?
The interesting questions.

17. What do you do when you're moody?
Listen to music or relax outside where I can kind of re-center.

18. At which age do you wish to, or did you, get married?
I was 23.

19. If today is the last day of your life, what will you do?
Have a huge party and invite all my friends and family, and make sure they all know how important they are to me. I try to do the latter every day anyway, with whoever I'm with that day.

20. Who is the person you trust the most?
CJ

21. Last time you smiled?
About 15 minutes ago, talking to J about something on Good Morning America.

22. What are you listening to right now?
O.A.R. - "Shattered"

23. Who was the last person you saw in your dreams?
Julie.

24. Are you talking to someone while doing this?
Nope.

25. Do you walk with your eyes open or closed?
Metaphorically speaking... again? I think I keep my eyes open. I want to appreciate everything I can, and be aware of negative things creeping up as well.

26. Is there a quote you live by?
If at first you don't succeed , then skydiving definitely isn't for you. Heh. No, I don't actually have a particular quote I live by.

27. Do you want someone you cannot have?
No.

28. Who always makes you laugh?
Just about everyone in my life. I'm drawn to people who have a great sense of humor.

29. What was the worst idea you've had this week?
To have a chocolate martini after a couple of Bahama Mamas. Egads. What a disaster.

30. Do you speak another language other than English?
I do not, much to my oma's chagrin.

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LQ

Sunday, October 26, 2008

Last night's Liquor Qlub theme was "Bahama Mamas." Kathy made a trip to Spec's and got the appropriate glassware, paper parasols, maraschino cherries, cocktail picks, top shelf alcohol and some fancy herbed havarti cheese. When she hit the checkout, she was shocked at the total, but shrugged and paid it. I get that same feeling every time I'm checking out at Target.

Kath has a waterfall from her hot tub into her pool. The sound of the flowing water is so relaxing. Very nice.

Hot topic of the evening was exes. Lesson learned: Never piss Cindy off. LOL.

ETA...

Yeah, I had waaaaaay too much time on my hands this week. :)

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LOL for Saturday Morning

Saturday, October 25, 2008

But first--- CONGRATS to Lauren who not only made straight A's on her first high school six weeks report card, but also just made 1st band for concert season!!!!!! WOOOOO!!

So. Earlier this week, Lauren wrote a bio of my mom for Spanish. She wanted to say that Grandma won an award- Homemaker of the Year- from the Young Homemakers Association, a group in which she was quite active when I was little. Like South Austin Mothers Club, but with cooking and cleaning seminars thrown in.

So I was on the laptop at the time and I looked up "homemaker" online for her. It said this:

ama (f) de la casa

which I erroneously read as simply "ama."

She writes "ama del año" and moves on. In a few minutes, she says she doesn't think that is correct. She gets on the computer to look up "ama del año" to check the translation, only she types "ama del ano" because she doesn't know how to do the ñ.

It returns------ "loves the anus."

We giggled about that for days! Incidentally, Mom would have thought this story was freakin' hilarious. :)

So, for those of you who haven't advanced beyond The One Semester of Spanish Spanish Love Song, the correct translation of Homemaker of the Year is "ama de la casa del año."

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TGIFriday

Friday, October 24, 2008

Um... is there a way that Facebook can allow me to adjust the placement of a friend's profile photo thumbnail image if they've left it at the default and people can only see the corner of their face? (Whoops, I just lost Laura with all my "technical jargon.") That is surprisingly distracting to me. :)

The College Station trip is on! Hotel has been secured.

This looks to have been my first and last quiet week for a while. Thank GOODNESS! Idle hands...

And now- your Friday Fill-In!

1. Right now, I'm feeling super! Thanks for asking!
2. The hot tub is where I want to be.
3. How does one get dust out from under the scanner glass?
4. Being organized keeps me on track.
5. Please don't EVER let your Sea Monkeys become a completely self-sufficient ecosystem.
6. Seeing Tara's new baby girl fills me with joy.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to catching up on DVR shows, tomorrow my plans include Girls Night and Sunday, I want to go to the Bullock Museum!

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About This Blog

This is a personal blog with no particular niche, or really any purpose whatsoever. Thanks for reading all the way to the bottom! Stalker...

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