Sssssnakes

I hung out in Kathy's pool all afternoon yesterday and actually got a little color through my SPF 4000 sunscreen. By "color" I mean something surprisingly close to average white-girl skin color. Oh. And there were TWO SNAKES in the pool!

Okay, they were 10-inch-long baby garden snakes.

And... we were taking a margarita break at the table when we saw them in the water.

Still.

We rescued one by coaxing him onto a foam noodle and putting him back into the landscaping. The other freaked out and swam into the filter thing. Kathy managed to convince me to return to the pool while he continued trying to escape. She repeatedly assured me he couldn't get out because of the suction. I kept my eyes on him anyway. Creepy, I tell ya'.

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Woolly Worm!

Saw a woolly worm this morning! That always reminds me of visiting my grandparents in College Station when I was growing up. They were everywhere there.

The true woolly bear caterpillar or "woolly worm" is a larval form of the tiger moth. It has an orange band around its middle. This one was all-black (Ecpantheria scribonia) and is the larval form of the giant leopard moth, with black circles on white wings. A note- it is best not to handle hairy caterpillars, as some can cause skin reactions.

And that's your science lesson of the day!

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Relationship Meme

1. Who eats more?
Him. We eat about the same at meals, but he snacks more.

2. Who said “I love you” first?
He did.

3. Who is the morning person?
Me.

4. Who sings better?
Most definitely me.

5. Who’s older?
Me, by two months.

6. Who’s smarter?
I'd say we're honestly well-matched there.

7. Whose temper is worse?
His.

8. Who does the laundry?
Me.

9. Who does the dishes?
Me.

10. Who sleeps on the right side of the bed?
Him. (If you mean while you're laying in the bed and not while you're looking at the bed from the foot of it.)

11. Whose feet are bigger?
His.

12. Whose hair is longer?
Mine.

13. Who’s better with the computer?
He's the networking, hardware, pc apps guy. I'm the internet diva.

14. Do you have pets?
A cat- Spanky

15. Who pays the bills?
I did all our financial paperwork until I had to take over my mom's affairs several years ago. Since then, he's done it.

16. Who cooks dinner?
Me.

17. Who drives when you are together?
Me. His driving style makes me crazy. My craziness about his driving makes him crazy. So I drive.

18. Who pays when you go out to dinner?
Whoever whips out the card first.

19. Who’s the most stubborn?
Him.

20. Who is the first one to admit when they’re wrong?
Him.

21. Whose family do you see more?
His. They're in Dallas. Mine are much more spread out.

22. Who named your pet?
The people who had him before us.

23. Who kissed who first?
He kissed me.

24. Who asked who out?
He asked me.

25. What did you do on your first date?
Went to the A&M/Baylor basketball game with another couple. I wore a beautiful, bright yellow sweater (Baylor is yellow and green). They gave me crap about it all night. lol.

26. Who’s more sensitive?
Me.

27. Who’s taller?
Him by almost a foot.

28. Who has more friends?
Me.

29. Who has more siblings?
Him.

30. Who wears the pants in the relationship?
Neither. Or probably more accurately- both.

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Game Night

Scott (The Chef) always has a food theme when he and Julie host, and this month's was "Food on a Stick." We even had Blue Bell frozen treats for dessert. (Rachel Ray would have made ice cream on a stick. Just sayin'. ;) )

The games were Bananagrams and CatchPhrase. I happened to win Bananagrams, which is a crossword-style word game. First to win 5 rounds was the champ. I only won because we made Julie take several strange handicaps of our choosing (only animal words, only 4-letter words, etc.) because she won 4 games right off the bat. Eventually, I tied her. The last game she finished first, but was disqualified for having something that wasn't a real word. I happened to win that round. Not exactly an impressive victory, but I'll take it.

Catchphrase is always super-fun (the boys won this one). At one point, the girls weren't getting Susan's word. We had figured out the word "trap" but there was another word in the phrase. She finally said "this holds up your..." and motioned to her chest. We yelled, "booby trap!" And now, you too can refer to a bra as a booby trap.

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Firefox 3 and Blogger

I'm a huge fan of Firefox, and all that it represents in the movement to establish and follow standards on the web. Blogger is not working with Firefox 3, for various reasons discussed by many on message boards across the internet. Nothing irritates me more than having to bring up an IE window to view a website. Okay, someone driving 45 on the freeway irritates me more, but go with me on this.

I see the quick-edit widgets, but can't use them because the pop-up window doesn't function. Can't do new posts either. I have my cookies on and my network.http.sendRefererHeader is set to 2. These are the only semi-relevant suggestions I've found on the issue thus far.

So please, can someone tell me what Firefox settings I need to update my blog without invoking Bill Gates' crummy browser?

ETA: Still haven't found a real solution, BUT if you just switch to Blogger in Draft, using draft.blogger.com to log in, the post editor will function- and with new & improved interface!

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The Famous "Top 10 Cruise Questions"

In honor of my upcoming cruise, I present the Top 10 Stupid Cruise Questions. These are rattled off by the cruise director at some point on every cruise. Still, they are funny.

1. Does the crew sleep on board?
No, the water taxi picks them up and drops them off each day. Hee.
I actually visited the crew's quarters on an NCL ship when I was 16, with a bartender I had befriended on the trip. (Not at all as racy as it sounds, I promise you.) Crew quarters are below the guest cabins. They have their own gym, dining room, club, etc. there.
2. What time is the midnight buffet?
Interestingly enough, more and more the traditional "midnight buffet" is at 11:30pm.
3. Which elevator takes me to the front of the ship?
If you're on ships as large as the one we'll be on, you'll wish there was an elevator to the front of the ship.
4. Do you generate your own electricity?
This is my favorite. The answer is, "No, we have a really long extension cord plugged in at the terminal and trailing behind the ship."
5. Is this island totally surrounded by water?
Ahaha.
6. Is the water in the toilet salt or fresh?
Do you care? (...It is fresh, due to the corrosive effects of salt water.)
7. Can I water ski off the back of the ship?
Most cruise ships do not go fast enough to water ski behind. Plus, it's a bit of a safety issue.
8. What do you do with the ice carvings after they melt?
Refreeze the water in the margarita machines.
9. Do these stairs go up or down?
Yes.
10. The ship’s photographer snapped our picture. How do we know which pictures are ours?
lol. It's funny how quickly you can spot your friends and family in a photo amidst hundreds of others in the gallery.

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Ulta and Get Smart

I am like a kid in a candy store when we go to Ulta. It's like girly heaven, with aisles and aisles of pretty colors and scents. The really weird thing is, I almost never buy anything there, because Target has most of the stuff for about half the price. It's just so nicely arranged and visually appealing at Ulta. The nail polish is my favorite section. All those exotic colors. Eeee!

Saw Get Smart last night. It was pretty good! One of my favorite parts- the President says something to The Chief (Alan Arkin) about "nuke-u-lar weapons"...

The Chief: It's NUKE-LEE-AR!
President: What was that?
The Chief: Nothing.

Best part of all- the end of this clip. Way funnier with the four-letter words than it was in the all-ages trailer. Everyone about fell out of their seats.

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Taylor Swift/Rascal Flatts

Went the the show in San Antonio last night. It was awesome! The Verizon Wireless Amphitheater is probably the nicest venue I've ever been to for a concert. Parking was super easy. It's all outdoors, which sounds horrible on a 100 degree day, but the breeze was cool and the only hot area of the audience was the far left side of the stage as the sun went down. We were on the right. There's a tip when you're buying tix there. There's also a lot of shade in the roomy outer areas, where the concessions and stuff are. Very nice.

Taylor Swift was so good! Loved her edgy, cool band.

Rascal Flatts was fantastic. They really put on a great show. Jay was so funny with his spiel about the ladies coming to their concerts in tiny clothing that they couldn't possibly have bought at a regular store, and leaving their husbands at home. LOL.

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Hotties of the News

Here we go! First of the Hotties Of... series. After each photo, I'll note some comments we made during the rigorous decision process. Looking over this, I noticed that most of our comments have nothing to do with the guys' physical appearance. Must be a girl thing!

8. Bill Hemmer- FOX (the network, not the 70s slang)

Kathy: 44 years old, but looks like a college kid with a great smile.
Laura: The kind of man you would cheat with but never marry.

7. Lester Holt- NBC

L: Charming. A guy-next-door kind of guy.
K: Fantastic voice. A really friendly guy.

6. Brian Williams- NBC

L: A wry smile and looks like he's up to mischief, but he's not.
K: Yep. It's the crooked smile.

5. Jeffrey Toobin- CNN

K: Just so intelligent. Wouldn't make the list strictly on physical attributes, but he's the package deal.
L: Really smart.

4. George Stephanopoulos- ABC

L: Cute. Guy-next-door who made it big.
K: So serious when doing news, so funny and smiley in casual conversation. Nice hair.
L&K: We both wanted to mention how much we love his wife, Alexandra Wentworth. She is hilarious!

3. Chris Cuomo- ABC

K: Always talking about his daughter. Such a sweet guy. And those piercing blue eyes. Oy.
L: A tasty treat!

2. Sanjay Gupta, M.D.- CNN

L: He's just cute! What else can you say? Mmm mmm.
K: Stellar smile. Gorgeous eyes. And a doctor?

1. Anderson Cooper- CNN

K: Brilliant. Speaks several languages. Works so hard, even though he doesn't have to work at all. Great sense of humor. Looks amazing soaking wet in a CNN polo shirt, jeans and baseball cap. (I'm talking about his hurricane coverage, unfortunately not recounting a personal experience.)
L: You'd never know he was born with a silver spoon in his mouth. Funny. Laughs at himself. There's just something about him. He's a force to be reckoned with.

And... avert your eyes. CNN's Tantalizing Two together---

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3s Meme

Three names you go by:
Kathy, Katherine, Mom

Three parts of your heritage:
German, Irish, English

Three things you are wearing right now:
Cappuccino brown capri pants; white tank top; chocolate brown and white, tropical pattern, sleeveless top over the tank top

Three of your all-time favorite songs:
"Music of the Night" from Phantom of the Opera
"Friends in Low Places" Garth Brooks
"It's All Coming Back to Me Now" Celine Dion

Three things you want in a relationship:
Playfulness, empathy, mutual respect

Three physical things about the opposite sex that appeal to you:
Great dark hair, broad shoulders, nice smile

Three things you want to do really badly right now:
Be at the beach, remodel my bathroom, have a mocha frappuccino

Three things that scare you:
Heights, snakes, George Bush

Three of your everyday essentials:
Chi flat iron, CDs/iTunes, internet

Three careers you have considered/are considering that you haven't pursued yet:
Radiologist, event planner, interior designer

Three kids' names you like:
Ethan, Ashley, Ian

Three stereotypically guy traits you have:
I love football, I'm very analytical, I can channel-surf with the best of 'em

Three stereotypically girl traits you have:
I love hair products, I get all fluttery if the right male singer is singing in my direction, I can talk on the phone forever about nothing

Three celeb crushes:
George Clooney, Viggo Mortensen, Gerard Butler

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Introducing: Hotties Of...

Just a teaser for the girls out there-- and Scotty *wink*. Here at the ol' blog, Laura and I will be featuring our popular (well, between us anyway) "Hotties Of..." series! Posts will include our chosen hottest guys from various arenas, including unexpected places like the scintillating "Hotties of CNN." We're positively brimming with excitement over "Hotties of High Tech," featuring those cute AND smart types. And you do not want to miss the most challenging and mind-bending episode of all- "Hotties of the Republican Party."

Stay tuned.

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Upcoming Vacation

Here's the land/cruise itinerary:
New York, NY
New London, CT
Halifax, Nova Scotia
St. John, New Brunswick
Bar Harbor, ME
Portland, ME
Boston, MA

We finally decided on a show for the night we're in New York. Wicked is sold out that night, so we're going to see Legally Blonde. I've heard great things about it. I even found half-price tickets online at BroadwayBox.com!

We'll visit Salem and the Witch Museum when we hit Boston and take a Titanic-related tour in Nova Scotia. We'll also see the Reversing Falls Rapids in St. John. In the other cities, we're planning to walk around and hit the places the Fodor's guide or TripAdvisor recommends. Must also get some great seafood!

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Hazing Tips and Tricks

Not "how to" tips, sillies. How to avoid. Yesterday at the kiddos' high school orientation camp, they discussed various light-hearted forms of freshman torture, and how to avoid them. Top tips:

1) Avoid the stairs on the first floor of A Hall, as evil seniors hang out there to pelt you with goldfish crackers or fish oil.

2) If anyone tells you your class is in building I, they are teasing you, as building I is a shed.

Very helpful! And ewww- fish oil?

At camp, they spend most of their time playing games to get to know each other and to learn their way around campus. They also have fun contests and have learned the school song. Too cool.

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Tim Russert's Funeral is Today

Memorial service airs live from the Kennedy Center at 3pm CST on MSNBC.



“The primary responsibility of the media is accountability of government, whether it's about lying under oath, which upset Democrats, or the mismanagement of responding to a hurricane, which happens to upset Republicans.”
Tim Russert

Watch the Tribute Episode of "Meet the Press"

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Movies

I may be the only person in America who didn't like Kung Fu Panda. It just wasn't funny to me. I'd rather rent Finding Nemo.

On the horizon, the next Clooney/Pitt film- eh, there are other people in it, too- is Burn After Reading. The trailer is online. Hee! Is it September yet?

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AMD Festivities Continue

It appears Governor Goodhair will make an appearance at AMD today for the official Grand Opening of the Lone Star Campus, along with Mayor Wynn and other peeps. Kewl.

I think our fence may be finished up today. Yahoo! We had a holdout neighbor who came on board, so one side got a late start. I didn't think I would give two flips about a new fence, but it really looks nice.

This morning I withdrew from the Middle School newsgroup and deleted the bookmark for their website. Eek. Onward and upward.

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Happy Fathers Day!

Happy Fathers Day to my dad, my husband and all the other dads out there!

Yesterday was AMD's Open House for the new Lone Star Campus. It's a green building project, and very impressive. Ultra modern! Jeff's group has been in there since January, but Saturday was the families' first chance to take a look around inside. It's all top secret and stuff, you know.

The view of downtown Austin is amazing from the engineering building. They have all these nifty cool conference rooms from teeny to enormous. There are the typical break rooms and also these open contemporary rooms they call "The Oasis" (I call it "the nightclub") where there are awesome barstools up to a large bar where you can eat your lunch or chat or whatever.

Also, random long and narrow open spaces with interesting ergonomic chairs and white boards and such for.... some purpose no one has figured out yet. Lauren and I thought it might be fun to roll coworkers around in the neato chairs. Maybe have chair races or play Pictionary.

The gym is awesome. Huge cafeteria. Just all around impressive. Good job, AMD.

Saturday night, Lauren and the church youth group played the Trade Up Game (or Bigger and Better) door-to-door around the neighborhood. Her team started with a can of pork and beans and ended up with an Ibanez acoustic guitar in two hours. WOW.

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Tim Russert

I can't believe Tim Russert died. Such a loss to the world of broadcast journalism. I feel like I just saw him the other day and he was totally fine, and now he's gone. Very sad.

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Saturday 9

Happy Fathers Day Eve

1. How long since you have been with your dad?
A year-and-a-half.

2. How many siblings share your dad?
Two. I have a half-brother in Germany about two years older than me.

3. Will you see your dad tomorrow?
No. He lives in upstate New York.

4. Do you give him gifts on Father’s Day?
Not usually. I always send a card and call him.

5. Have you ever had a tough time in your relationship with your father?
Nope. Even after my parents split, I saw him a lot and we talked about anything and everything- probably more than he was comfortable with at times. I wouldn't have wanted him to miss out on the teenage daughter drama.

6. What was the last thing that you did with your dad?
Attended my mom's funeral.

7. Growing up, was your dad tough on you?
LOL. No. He was the softie of the two. If you knew my mother, that will make you laugh.

8. Are you close to your father?
We don't talk every week or anything, so I guess we're not what I would call "close," but we have a good relationship. I was always close to him growing up and when he lived nearby.

9. How long since you have spoken to him?
Via email, last week. We talked on the phone in early April, on my birthday.

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Dress Your Age

According to MSN, the following should not be worn by women 35+:

Tie Dye
Short Shorts
Ripped Jeans
Off-the-Shoulder Shirts
Light or Bright-Colored Leggings
Chunky Platform Shoes
Ruffles
Bare Midriffs
Sheer Fabrics Over Sexy Undergarments (should anyone be wearing this in public?)
Gladiator Sandals
Sparkly Makeup
Dark Red Lipstick

Dang. I had it until the red lipstick. I haven't liked that color anyway.

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Dave's STD

The Foundation is hosting a big celebrity event at a restaurant in the fall. (Let's call it "Dave's" to protect the innocent.) I've been working on some very perrrrty graphic/html email announcements and stuff for the website.

Today I got an email from the event planner with the subject:

Dave's STD

I was thinking, Who is Dave and how did I make the list to receive this creepy email?

Attached was a logo for Dave's with instructions to "add it to the STD." Hmm.

I opened up the most recent item I've been working on for them, and out from the graphic jumped the words "Save the Date."

Heh. STD.

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Rain falls angry on the tin roof...

I think "I'll Be" by Edwin McCain is one of the best songs ever. Always awesome, no matter how many years I've heard it over and over. It was on the radio just now, and I was compelled to sit in the car to hear it to the end. What the heck happened to Edwin McCain anyway? ...Oh, it looks like he'll be at Antone's on July 10. Hmm!

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Band Camp Blues

Lauren went to Spring Band Camp last month, and learned the show music for next year's marching performance. She loved that.

This week is marching camp, every day from 9-5. On Monday, Lauren and Henry got "Rookie of the Day" for doing so well. That afternoon after camp, Lauren told us she hated marching. This has been something she's looked forward to since elementary school. Originally she was only in middle school band to get to march for the high school band. Middle school band turned out to be a great experience, but really the goal was this.

Once Jeff and I got over our initial shock, we understood where she was coming from. She says it's tedious, not what she thought it would be, not worth the extreme time commitment required, and most importantly, not "her." Everyone else seems to love it. The repetitiveness of the process and complete absence of any social time there (they aren't allowed to talk during practice, etc.) is killing it for her. I really believe in being true to yourself. Oprah would say being your "authentic self." ...Egads. I'm quoting Oprah Winfrey... Looking back, it was during times I wasn't being my authentic self that I was unnecessarily stressed and miserable.

So. She will not be marching. She'll stay in concert band though, at least for this year. She also wants to finish out the week of marching camp, no matter how awful she thinks it is, which is good. Figuring out the process of getting marching band off her fall schedule will be the next order of business.

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Big Oil Tax Breaks

Why on earth would we give federal tax breaks to oil companies, especially in times of record profits? We should hit them with a windfall profits tax AND get rid of the tax breaks. Come on, Republicans. Don't kid yourselves with the "increase domestic production" line. Gas consumption is down. Prices are not inflated because of a lack of supply.

And please don't keep showing those oil company yutzes testifying before Congress. I just want to throw things at the TV.

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Ten on Tuesday

The meme is a repeat over there, so here's a new one:

Ten Words/Phrases You Say a Lot

1. I know, right?
2. awesome
3. wackadoo
4. freakin' ____
5. yay!
6. cool
7. suckeriffic
8. egads
9. ___ rocks
10. like

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Altar Boyz and Zohan

We saw Altar Boyz at Zach this weekend. It's a local production of the off-Broadway comedic musical about a Christian boy band. The singing was FABULOUS! Reeeeally amazing.

Matthew: I'm Matthew!
Mark: I'm Mark!
Luke: I'm Luke!
Juan: I'm Juan!
Abraham: And I'm Abraham!
Matthew, Mark, Luke & Juan: He's Jewish!

LOL. It runs through July 13. You have to hear these guys sing.

We also saw Zohan, and while I'm not typically a fan of Adam Sandler comedies (love his more dramatic movies, like 50 First Dates and Wedding Singer), this one was funny. There were some over-the-top things in it that had the whole audience groaning in disgust or covering their eyes, but for the most part it was good. Wait for the video, I think.

We checked out the Sunset Valley Farmers Market for the first time on Saturday. Way cool! They even have live music. We'll definitely be going again.

And last but not least.... Clinton is finally out! Whee!! As long as Obama doesn't choose her as his running mate, I wouldn't mind either him or McCain as president. For the moment anyway. Things can turn on a dime, as we've seen.

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Saturday 9

Another High School Meme...

1. Can you sing the fight song?
If you remind me of the first few words. lol.

2. Who was your favorite teacher?
Mrs. Lofland- Biology

3. What was your school mascot?
Wildcat

4. Did you go to the Prom?
Evans and I went to the prom, but his parents didn't know. His mom didn't want him "ruining" his own prom (the next year) by going to mine. So the whole thing was a major undercover operation, although there are a million incriminating photos of us there. Prom was a blast.

5. If you could go back, would you?
For most of it, yes.

6. What do you remember most about graduation?
Having such mixed feelings about what was happening. Incredible joy, but a lot of sadness about everyone having to split to go here and there.

7. Where were you on Senior Skip Day?
THE BEACH. Yeah, baby!

8. Did you have a job your senior year?
No.

9. Where did you go most often for lunch?
We had a closed campus. My group of friends ate at the deck in the courtyard.

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2 Lies... Revealed! Plus Handy Tree Tip!

No one, not even my husband or daughter, figured out the "2 Lies" from the meme on June 3! One lie is VERY obvious. The other, evidently not. I'll identify them in the comments to this post.

Met with two tree experts yesterday for advice on handling some arboreal challenges in our yard. Here is your Free Tree Tip 'o the Day: The roots of slow-growing trees like live oaks will NOT invade your home's foundation, no matter how close they are to it. (Thank goodness!!) Fast-growers like willows can and will.

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Clinton- the Black Knight

Craig Ferguson said last night on the Late Late Show that Hillary Clinton is the Black Knight from Monty Python and the Holy Grail. ROFL.

"What are you going to do? Bleed on me?" Bwahahahaha!

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Roasted Onion Guacamole

Best guacamole... EVER. You're welcome! ;)

Ingredients
1 large purple onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 Tbsp olive oil
4 small California avocados, peeled
1 plum tomato, chopped
1 Tbsp lime juice
½ tsp salt

Directions
Toss together first 4 ingredients. Place in an aluminum foil-lined baking pan. Bake at 425° for 25 to 30 minutes or until lightly browned, stirring once. Cool.

Mash avocados in a medium bowl. Stir in onion mixture, tomato, lime juice and salt. Chill 1 hour. Serve with tortilla chips.

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Last Day of School

Today is the last day of middle school. I cannot believe it. One good thing- I won't ever have to sit in that sweltering gym for a program or meeting again. The high school manages to keep their enormous gym cool for evening programs. Also, the high school is ten times closer to us than the middle school. Yay! I hope the kiddo enjoys high school as much as I did.

Lauren won a very pretty plaque for "Best Technique" of the 8th grade dance classes. She and Emma also won 1st place by a class vote for their folk tale & presentation in Language Arts. Woo!

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Ten on Tuesday

From Ten on Tuesday's archives, since today's meme was making my brain hurt.

8 Truths and 2 Lies About You

1. I can make mind-numbingly awesome baklava.
2. My pet peeve is unsafe drivers.
3. I collect tacky souvenirs.
4. Given a choice of HGTV designers, I would pick Candice Olsen to decorate my home.
5. I once co-webmistressed a fansite for a popular boy band.
6. I have an unholy love for office supplies.
7. I am a published writer.
8. I had dual-citizenship in Germany until age 18.
9. My hair is naturally curly and still its natural color.
10. I play piano.

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Indiana Jones and the Crotch Sticker

Last night we saw Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull at the Drafthouse. They always have their hilarious PSAs about not talking and silencing your cell phones. Yesterday's was President Lincoln in his box seat at the theater, where he was being loud and obnoxious during a play. John Wilkes Booth and his date are there and eventually Lincoln becomes so vulgar (they are bleeping out his words-lol) that Booth says he's going to do something he's wanted to do for a long time... beat Lincoln to death with a hammer. He pulls out a hammer and goes up to the box and starts wailing on him. Then some kind of happy music comes on with the text: "Please be quiet and silence your cell phones during the movie, or we'll beat you to death with a hammer." LOL

The movie was great! Very funny and fantastic special effects. Interesting storyline. Not the best of the series, but I give it 4 stars.

As for the crotch sticker-- I walked around Dillards for about 5 minutes yesterday with a women's swimsuit crotch protector sticker thingie on my shirt. It had attached itself when I was trying on something in the fitting room. Did anyone tell me? Noooooo. I finally heard it crinkling behind my shoulder. And you know when you touch those things, you feel the need to wash your hands with iodine.

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Weekend Update

Friday was Lauren's dance show at school (8th grade Dance class). She was one of three girls who talked about the different dances (lyric ballet, jazz and pom) and the things they learned this year. She's a talented dancer and a confident public speaker. We're very proud of her!

Kathy and I intended to go to Ballet in the Park at Zilker last night, but dinner downtown ran a little late, so we spent the evening at Fado. We even managed to snag a quiet enough spot to chat while The Blaggards played.

Kathy's headed to California today. She says American Airlines has a certain number of direct flights from Austin to San Jose, and they are always full of engineers (and people from her company), so they lovingly refer to it as "the Nerd Bird." Ahahaa.

And. FINALLY. I have conquered freakin' "Knights of Cydonia" on Medium on Guitar Hero!!! I had always croaked during the hard part, so once I made it through that part, I thought the song would be over. But it isn't! LOL. There is one more fairly difficult part after it. All those notes. My arm was killing me, but I made it through and got 4 stars. Woohoo!!

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