Happy Halloween!!

Every year, the World Series reminds me of the time I visited Kimberly at UT back in the day, while the Series was on. When I got to her dorm, she said we were going to a party that night at some guy's house, to watch the game.

I said, "What game?"

So all night at the party, I got not only the ribbing for being an Aggie, but also for having no clue the World Series was going on. Yeah well...

A note to the Bob Schneider Bombananza concert attendees- If you were there, you are on the DVD. There are audience shots out the yang. Great DVD, too! It comes with two CDs. Buy "Bob Schneider Live at the Paramount" here.

Jeff C wants to dress up like Obama tonight, and when he opens the door for trick-or-treaters, he'll take candy from the kids with a lot and put it in the bags of the ones who have less. LMAO. I don't care which side of the aisle you're on, that's funny right there.

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Mom and Umberto

Massive brain spasm recently when I said something about my mom being engaged to a guy named Nurettin. She wasn't ever engaged to that boyfriend. He was the "crazy one" who, when she told him she wanted to break up with him while they were driving through the mountains, threatened to drive them both off a cliff. Yeah, don't marry one of those.

She was engaged to the Italian guy- Umberto Pascali. It's all coming back to me now.... okay, I got out her Italy scrapbook. This was her big trip to meet his family in Calimera. So many fun photos of them! Could have been my aunts and uncles and grandparents. Hmm.

He named his scooter "Judy" after her. Romantic, no? Here's a photo of it. So cute.



There's one blurry photo of them together and bunches separately. Guess that was a sign! LOL.





He was the one person she wanted me to look for on the internet when I started using the net to find people. (Awww!) And I looked and looked, but couldn't ever narrow it down to a particular person. It's a fairly common name, plus being in Europe and all. Too bad.

So it's her engagement ring from Umberto that I have.

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Late Start Day

AISD high school late start... again? We so should have had this when I was in school.

In the recent Austin Chronicle article on Bob Schneider, he says "I'm socially inept and I'm pretty much always uncomfortable. But when I'm alone and making music, I feel very comfortable, very safe. I get a lot of joy from that and from performing the music in front of people." Hmm!

And somehow I missed that he was married and divorced and has a son. Interesting. Guess I'm not an great groupie. Can't wait for my 'Bob at the Paramount Theater' DVD so I can look for Kathy and myself in the audience enjoy that terrific show again!!

Song Lyrics of the Day

...You're in my blood like holy wine
You taste so bitter and you taste so sweet
Oh I could drink a case of you darling
And I would still be on my feet...

"A Case of You" by Joni Mitchell (cover by Tori Amos)

Tracy won tix to a preview of This Is It Tuesday night and invited me to go with her. When she went to pick them up, the radio station informed her that several radio stations and other companies had given away tickets and they were waaay overbooking, so we needed to get there by 3 pm for an 8:30 pm showing. We both said, "Uh... no thanks."

We've got Liquor Qlub set up to roll again after losing some peeps. Now to find a free night to have it. Busy season for all of us. We WILL have it. Viva LQ!

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Wednesday Quickie

Song Lyrics vom Morgen

...If you see me out, you don't know me
Try to turn your head, try to give me some room
To figure out just what I'm gonna do...

"Back 2 Good" by Matchbox Twenty

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Woooooooo!

I'd like to announce in this public forum that I am that girl behind you in the audience, going "WOOOOOOOOOOO! WOOOOOOOOO!" when I like something. Sometimes it's just a quick "woo!" or perhaps the alternate woo- "YEAH!" And every once in a while, I'll shout a person's name- my daughter's or the QB's or the singer's... Lauren loves when I shout hers. (Not really.)

While I'm at it, I'll just admit that I am also that one female in your football game section who is yelling commentary and encouragement to the team. Maybe griping at the refs, but only when they deserve it.

Next... the "new Facebook": First, it ain't the NEW facebook news feed. It's pretty much the old news feed. The only thing they added back into the feed is people friended, events added and pages of which people become fans. I want to know that stuff! Especially the friends, because many times your friends are friending people you know, who you may want to add, or for whom you may have been looking for the past two years. (Doug, I dare you to friend one of my friends now. HA.)

Why is everyone whining? I just don't get it. If you don't like the live feed, just go back to news feed. That is what was showing up on your page before. So weird. Seriously. The Twilight Zone.

And ohhhhhhhh Chris Daughtry! So funny! His second attempt at a Twitter photo when fans deemed his first one "creepy":



(Here's the first...)

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The Halloween Meme

But first! Band weekend laughs...

Our guard girls, to another school's guard: Your costumes look kind of like our winterguard costumes!
Color guard member from other school: We think we look like bacon.
---------
Me: That girl has the wrong flag. For a minute, I just thought she was "special."
---------
Lauren: ...The guard that had the giant Cheetos!
Me: I thought those were floaties!
---------
Me: ...The band that had the plume condoms!
Lauren: Plume condoms??!!


Sunday Stealing: The Halloween Meme
1. What is your favorite written work of horror fiction?
The Exorcist

2. What is your favorite work of science fiction/fantasy?
The Matrix

3. Who is your favorite monster?
Alien

4. What is your favorite Horror movie?
The Exorcist

5. What horror movie gives you the most chills?
Other than The Exorcist... The Grudge

6. What character from any horror film would you most like to play?
Ripley in Alien, so I could kick some monster arse

7. Freddy or Jason?
Jason

8. What is your favorite Halloween treat?
Reese's Peanut Butter Cups

9. Ghosts or goblins?
Ghosts

10. Friendly-faced jack-o'-lantern or scary one?
Scary

11. What is your scariest encounter with the paranormal?
When I was 15, I saw a very clear apparition in my living room. A runner running through. No, seriously. Scared the crap out of me. Probably more abbey-normal than paranormal.

12. Do you believe in ghosts? Why or why not?
No. Spiritually, I don't believe souls roam the earth waiting to go wherever they're supposed to go. And scientifically, even if there were a glob of energy roaming around after a person's death, it wouldn't be organized or intelligent enough to move a spoon or slam a door.

13. Would you rather be a zombie, alien, or psycho?
alien

14. Favorite Halloween costume?
For me? Flasher

15. Best thing about Halloween?
seeing the kids' costumes and trying to figure out who some of them are behind the makeup or masks

16. Person in your family who most likes Halloween (not counting yourself)?
Lauren

17. Are you superstitious?
no

18. Share an unusual Halloween story.
I don't have an unusual one, but I do have a cute story of Lauren's first Halloween trick-or-treating with Niki when they were two. At each house, Teri and I would remind the girls to knock and then to say trick-or-treat when the door opened. Every single time, they would knock and immediately say in their little voices, "Trick or treat!" Then the door would open. Total silence. (I have it on video. Priceless.)

19. What did you do for Halloween as a kid?
my dad took me and my friends trick-or-treating

20. What's the best Halloween party that you've attended?
Shockingly, I haven't been to a huge one. Ask me about New Year's Eve. lol. We went to a few fun Halloween parties at friends' houses when all our kids were little. The Mothers Club also threw some awesome ones around that time.

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And the Review is In...

From a reviewer at Super-Regionals, on Lauren's band:

"This show will absolutely make Grand Nationals Finals."

Nice! And from Prelims...

"They start off with HUGE sounds that are full and rich and hit you with impacts. This drill is absolutely FLYING! It is FAST and with huge steps constantly and they do it really really well. The woodwind choir ballad was beautiful leading into a really nice French Horn solo... Then they just keep pushing the drill with impossibly tight drill constantly moving and interweaving, and a really dangerous fall in the middle of it, but with a miraculous recovery! Huge red flags fill the center for the tag ending while they have 3 more weeks to prepare for Grand Nationals."

I didn't see their prelim fall, but I'm not surprised to hear about it. People were falling a lot throughout the two days there. Lauren suffered a groin pull during Finals, but she carried on through rest of the show. Glad I didn't catch a glimpse of her with the EMT! One of the Drum Majors at another school passed out during Prelim awards. Scary.

On to Indianapolis!

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WOOOOOOHOOOOOOOO!!!

The band got 4th overall at a super-regional competition (covering Texas and a few bands from Oklahoma and Mississippi) and more importantly, beat out their big rival! This school has been edging them out the last two area and regional marching contests. Lauren's band was terrific, as were so many bands there. Lots of amazing shows.

Also... A&M best Texas Tech 52-30!!!!! Wheeeeeee! I wish I could have seen it instead of following it on ESPN.com. But the day (and night) was fun in San Antonio. Long, but fun.

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Saturday Nine

Saturday 9: Hey Jealousy

1. Tell us a story when you got jealous.
The worst jealousy I ever had was when Evans and I were still seeing each other when I went to college and it was his senior year of high school. We were both dating around, but one of the girls he was going out with had always wanted to date him while we were together. That really bugged me and I literally got a tension headache at the very mention of her name.

2. What is your least favorite thing about yourself?
Occasional shyness. I'm now proficient at managing it, interacting and doing the whole "fake it until you make it" thing, but I'm still not myself in the few situations where I'd love to blend into the wallpaper.

3. Who do you mess with the most?
Laura

4. Do you have any special talents? What are they?
I am good at print layout- magazine pages, newspaper, newsletters, etc.

5. If you could have a secret fling that no one would ever find out about, would you?
No

6. What's the furthest you've been from home?
Germany

7. How many Saturday 9 player's blogs do you typically visit?
none

8. Some great bloggers lose their "mojo" and quit blogging. Could you see that happening to you?
I don't have blogging mojo. More just a desire to put thoughts to paper... err... screen. So while I might stop blogging, and have quit for times in the past, I'll probably always journal in some form.

9. What's the biggest mistake you've made so far this year?
Telling Laura about my library conversation last week. ROFL

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TGIF

Library drama is at a minimum at this point, considering the depth and breadth of overdrama brought to it by my dear, well-intentioned friend. Thanks, Anonymous. One of my favorite things in life is an awkward work environment. ;)

San Antonio day tomorrow! It'll be just like the old cheer days at the Alamodome, only with band. Luckily we know all the ins and outs of getting around the place. Maybe we'll hit the Riverwalk a bit, too, depending on the schedule.

And common sense prevails with a unanimous vote by the Austin City Council to make it illegal to text while driving. You may text while your car is stopped. The law will go into effect January 1 and also includes web browsing, but not GPS usage, which is allowed.

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The Big Day

Annual Cancer Check Day was yesterday. Duh duh DAAAAAAAAAAAAAH. At least Dr. L is awesome and I like seeing him. All was well with my blood labs and the physical exam. I haven't had the mammogram yet. That is the day I really hate.

While talking to Dr. L, I lamented that I no longer get the sad stares from other patients and family members in the waiting room. That "awwww, that poor dear girl is too young to be here" look. He laughed and said "You're still too young to be here." So HA, waiting room people. :p

Oh, and he said the secondary breast cancer rate for young women who had chest irradiation for Hodgkins is only 5 percent, not the 30 percent the article I read was saying. He said it's never been that high. Stats are tricky things. And... WTF?! Five percent and I had to get it? Suckage!

He closed our long appointment with a mention that I look great. Aww! I had better dang well look great with all that kickboxing.

Song Lyrics of the Day

...I guess we're all one phone call from our knees...

"Closer to Love" Mat Kearny

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Wednesday, Baby!

Laura made the library assistant cry yesterday... ON MY BEHALF. Ohhhhhhh man. I can't wait to go there again. She wants you all to know that she did it because she "is such a good friend" of mine. Hit me up for the very long story.

We have realized that we have a metric ton of inside jokes over the years of going to Culvers, the burger and frozen custard joint. Here we go:

Laura: How much was that sundae?
Me: I don't remember. It was something like $1.67.
-------
Me: Mmmmmmm. Fresh nuts.
-------
Me: [looking out at a tiny car with tons of people getting out] It's like a clown car.
Culvers Employee: It IS a clown car.
-------
Lauren: Hold your nose! We call this the "feet room."
-------

Yeah, I guess they are pretty "inside." I'll spare you the rest.

Here's some funny funny stuff for everyone to enjoy!! Have a wonderful Wednesday!
Everything's Amazing and Nobody's Happy

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Outside the Casa Rosada...

I cranked up the Evita soundtrack yesterday. I really love the first half of the film, but the second half is kinda "eh." I also love Antonio Banderas and his beautiful accent. And his dancing. In tight pants.

Um, what was I saying?

Ahh yes- The music sorta goes downhill throughout, to me. Except the obvious "Don't Cry for Me Argentina" late in the story.

Song Lyrics of the Day

...Fill me up with your heat, with your noise, with your dirt, overdo me
Let me dance to your beat, make it loud, let it hurt, run it through me
Don't hold back, you are certain to impress
Tell the driver this is where I'm staying...

"Buenos Aires" Madonna from the Evita soundtrack

In a strange colliding of worlds, one of the Foundation staff went to the Numbers "80's reunion" this weekend in Houston, where one of my ex-bf's was also in attendance. Very weird. I wonder if they know each other. I'm thinking no. Of course, I didn't picture her going to the Numbers thing, so... LOL

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Parking Woes

Not the kind of parking where your windows are fogged up and you're dreading the policeman's flashlight in the back window...

When we arrived at Friday night's high school football game in the unfortunately unlined lot, we pulled into the facing row of an existing line of cars. There was supposed to be a space behind us before a new row. We came out of the stadium early to miss traffic and a whole row of dorkasses had parked behind our row, blocking us all in like this:

[STADIUM THIS WAY^^]

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
XXXKXXXXXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX <---- [DORKASS ROW]

The K is me.

Those people knew exactly what they did, because they had to walk through the two rows of cars to go towards the stadium. We sat there for maybe half an hour before the people next to us were luckily able to get out and I did some fancy maneuvering to exit to that side. Good grief.

Sunday Stealing: The ABC's of Meme

A- Advocate for:
Not an official advocate of anyone, but I probably contribute to a lot of conversations on behalf of people without health insurance.

B- Best Feature:
lips

C- Could do without:
clutter

D- Dreams and desires:
to visit Russia, Greece and Australia

E- Essential items:
internet

F- Favorite pastime:
going to movies

G- Good at:
math

H- Have never tried:
skiing

I- If I had a million dollars:
I'd buy you a green dress, but not a real green dress, that's cruel

J- Junkie for:
music

K- Kindred spirit:
Laura

L- Little known fact:
My mother was obsessed with Tom Jones. When I was little she played his albums all the time and I knew ALL his songs.

M- Memorable moment:
During my c-section, hearing Lauren cry when she was born and thinking it was someone else's baby crying. I didn't realize she was out yet, and she was off to my left, and I thought she was down the hall with her teeny weeny voice.

N- Never again will I:
park in the adjoining row of a non-lined parking area. I will start a new line in the appropriate place. :)

O- Occasional indulgence:
chocolate cake

P- Profession:
mom

Q- Quote:
"When I grow up, I want to be a Canadian, because I'm so funny!" Lauren, age 3

R- Reason to smile:
my funny friends

S- Sorry about:
my random blog posts

T- Things you are worrying about right now:
forgetting to do something this very busy week

U- Uninterested in:
"Survivor," the show

V- Very scared of:
scorpions

W- Worst habits:
leaving my shoes by the door

Y- Yummiest dessert:
chocolate cake

X- X marks my ideal vacation spot:
Hawaii

Z- Zodiac sign:
Aries

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Shh

I am sneaking online while everyone is asleep this morning. My mother-in-law is visiting this weekend!

Dad sent me these gorgeous pics of his backyard. Well, to call it a backyard is an understatement. They live on some land. I live in Texas on the skinniest lot in suburbia and he is in Binghamton, NY with enough room for punchin' dogies. (That's driving cattle, y'all.)

This is Binghamton going from fall to winter in 8 hours on October 15.



'Cept dogies don't much like the snow.

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1000th Post

Talking for free since February 2007. Whoa.

Bathroom spoilers ahead for those who are waiting to see it in person. Just a warning. :)

Song Lyrics del Dia

...You were just friends
At least that's what you said
Now I know better
From his fingers in your hair...

"Just Friends" Gavin DeGraw

One of the sweetest, most romantic things I have ever seen was during last week's wedding episode of "The Office," when Jim and Pam were taking "mental pictures" through the day of all the great moments. Awwwwwwwww! I loved that, and I'm still thinking about it. Bravo, writers!

I've been scattered lately on this blog. I guess I have one or two comments on a bunch of different things. (Or maybe I'm losing it.) When Eva does these sorts of random posts, she bullets each paragraph. Maybe I should do that.

And I present to you... bathroom photos!









Ta-daaaa! The colors are weird because some are with and some without flash. And the light is shining in. But the most accurate of the wall color is probably the w.c. pic.

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Here Comes the Sun

...And I say it's alright. More than alright!! Welcome back, sun.

QOTD: Thongs or boy shorts- which is better?
I think boy shorts are cute, but of course they do nothing for panty lines. I don't get the point of thongs really. I'd much rather wear nothing than have something wedged in there all day.

Auto-Tune the News. Watch it! So clever and well-done.

I was talking with Ginger about replacing master bath carpet with tile. She said she thought it would be cavernous in her large carpeted bathroom, but she really wants to replace hers. I told her it's cavernous in our small bathroom. Nice echo, too. But I would rather have that than the carpet. The window covering people did not show up yesterday. This afternoon...

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Rainy Tuesday

Add "people driving with little dogs in their laps" to my list of driving peeves. *eyeroll*

My dermatologist found a questionable little mole on my back last week. It turned out to be nothing of course. I always blow that stuff off, and then remember that bit of high-dose radiation I had back in the day. They don't even do radiation as part of the standard therapy anymore for Stage II Hodgkins. Chemotherapy only. Lucky! No radiation side effects, and no secondary breast cancers. It's six months of chemo instead of three, but I'd take that in a heartbeat. About 30% of women who had mantle radiation for Hodgkins under age 25 develop breast cancer as a result.

The bathroom will finally be complete this afternoon when they install my Roman shade. I made a candle for the bathtub surround yesterday! Well, not the candle itself. Yeah, I don't pour candles in my free time. I put together the candle ensemble. I took leather string and strung some little wooden beads on it, and tied it around a large pillar candle. Then I put the candle on this pretty glass thing I found at Hobby Lobby. Gorgeous!

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Zombieland

"I know it looks like zombies destroyed it, but that's just Garland."

Garland, Texas that is! See Zombieland. It is funny. Super gross, but funny.

And... a Mafia Wars tip: If you are working on mastering the Boss level in New York City and you need blackmail photos, don't waste your time obtaining cameras by robbing the electronics store on the Enforcer level. Go to Moscow and smuggle electronics for the Vory on the first (Baklany) level. It costs a little more energy, but you almost always get a concealable camera. Ta-da!!

Happy Monday, y'all! :)

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Where Did the Weekend Go?

Sunday already?? I cannot get marching band music out of my head after being at a contest until 11pm last night.

On "Ask Aida" she was making Portuguese Bacon and Bean Stew. She said, "Even vegetarians might be tempted by this dish, with all the flavors going on!" Cut to a pot full of chorizo slices frying in about a cup of rendered bacon fat. Yeah, I'm certain vegetarians are tempted by that.

Sunday Stealing: The Magical Mystery Tour Meme

1. Is there anybody you just wish would fall off the planet?
Paris Hilton

2. How do you flush the toilet in public?
the same as at home

3. Do you wear your seatbelt in the car?
I wear a seatbelt at the dinner table. Safety first!

4. Do you have a crush on someone?
George Clooney.

5. Name one thing you worry about running out of.
Fossil fuels. Thanks Al Gore.

6. What famous person do you (or other people) think you resemble?
I hear Molly Ringwald, as I'm sure every auburn-haired, fair-skinned, freckly girl has.

7. What is your favourite pizza topping?
ham and pineapple

8. Do you crack your knuckles?
heavens no

9. What song do you hate the most?
Gnarles Barkley, "Crazy"

10. Did just mentioning that song make it get stuck in your head?
Yes. Thanks.

11. What are your super powers?
Knowing where things are. Contrary to what Lauren might tell you, I have a 99% success rate recalling the location of lost objects. (I recently misplaced and had to replace her $100 calculator.)

12. Peppermint or spearmint?
Spearmint

13. Where are your car keys?
in the outside pocket of my purse

14. Last song you listened to?
"No Surprise", Daughtry

15. What's your most annoying habit?
being compelled to check my email when I walk in the door

16. Where did you last go on vacation?
Charleston, SC

17. What is your best physical feature?
green eyes

18. What CD is closest to you right now?
Lauren's Tim McGraw "Let It Go" cd

19. What 3 things can always be found in your refrigerator?
fruit cups, milk, cheese

20. What superstition do you believe/practice?
None

21. What colour are your bed sheets?
smoky blue

22. Would you rather be a fish or a bird?
bird

23. Last thing you broke?
the vacuum belt

24. What are you having to eat tonight?
chili

25. What colour shirt are you wearing?
red

26. If you could be doing anything else today, what would you rather be doing?
hanging out in Vegas

27. Do security cameras make you nervous?
Uh, no....

28. If you wrote a book about your life, what would the title be?
Okay I thought too long about this. Just know that I wouldn't expose anyone's secrets. Except that one of Cathy's... but only for the headline-grabbing publicity.

29. Last time you went to a cemetery?
Mom's funeral

30. Last concert you went to?
Journey

31. Favourite musician(s)/bands you've seen in concert?
So many. The best have been Prince and Billy Joel/Elton John.

32. Next concert you're planning to attend?
Daughtry!

33. Do you talk to yourself?
Very rarely. I make comments to people on the television more often.

34. Have you ever adopted or purchased a pet?
Purchased 1 kitten and 1 puppy. Adopted 2 cats. Each, one at a time.

35. Have you ever been present when an animal is being born?
no

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Smells Like Pie

Lauren and I went to Marie Callendar's for dessert the other night. When we walked in, I thought Lauren said, "It smells like pie." Marie Callendar's famous pies, right?

I said, "Mmmm!"

As we walked to the table, I said, "Wait, did you say 'potty?'"

"Yes."

LMAO. We laughed about that forever!


Saturday 9: Lie to Me

1. Can you tell when someone is lying to you?
Usually.

2. Tell us about one of your flaws. Do you live with it or try to correct it?
One I've recently recognized is that when I'm hesitant to say or do something, I immediately respond "it's not important" or "I don't want to talk about it" or "I don't think so" etc. sometimes hoping the person will press the point. I guess to see how important it is to them that I say or do whatever it is. Yeesh. How annoying is that? I am going to try to think more about my answer and just say/do things if I want to, rather than brushing them off unless someone else deems them important.

3. When was the last time you laughed hard and what struck you as funny?
Wednesday night.
"It smells like potty."
"Mmmm!"

4. Tell us about a time when you should have tried harder.
I should have tried harder keeping in contact with my half-brother Siegfried years ago when we had found each other. Dad doesn't have contact info for him now.

5. If you won the lottery, what would you buy first?
Let's say it together, shall we? BMW Z4. Silver, thankyouverymuch.

6. What movie do you know every word to?
None. But the closest would probably be Grease.

7. What was the best thing that happened to you this week?
Kathy and I had a fun trip to the outlet mall! And I found a fabulous pair of shoes there. One of those perfect pairs in the right color and everything.

8. What was the worst thing that happened to you this week?
I got a total of 8 hours of sleep over three days last weekend. I was a mess.

9. What do you think is the biggest difference between men and women?
Men seem to be able to set aside emotion for practicality. Not that they don't feel emotions the same as women, but they can compartmentalize them if necessary. No matter how much women want to put aside emotions, we can't seem to get rid of them.

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Rainy Friday

Facebook bug-- it's started showing things in "highlights" on the home page that you do not have permission to see. Even if you cannot see the large version, the small version is there, which is a privacy violation. There are sometimes notes there, where even the title may not be something you want your boss to see. Too bad there isn't a good place to reach someone to report stuff. Number one question in their help center is about how to contact facebook.... with no answers.

I have pretty good upper abs (lower abs will be the death of me). I always thought they were from crunches, but I think they are from cardio kickboxing. I've been doing a lot of step lately, and when I did cardio kickboxing yesterday, my abs were really working! Nice. I love kickboxing, hate crunches. Give me jabs and upper cuts any day. Roundhouse kicks. HA!

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Hide and Seek... in More Ways than One

Would y'all believe I am still trying to find Doug Williams? I mean, really. This is getting silly. Who isn't on Facebook? Okay, most of my daily life friends aren't on it... still... I think he would be on it. Of course one might say that he disappeared for a reason when he moved to Dallas. lol.

I had his email addy for a while after he left town, but deleted it after getting no replies to a few emails. I think I've finally learned not to toss things out in frustration. Hee! (Oh wait... I tossed a phone number last fall. What. I have it again.)

And of course he has such a super-common name. After all the searching, I've only managed to find his birth records online, but I already knew all that stuff.

If anyone out there knows a Doug Williams in the DFW area, who knows a Kathy in Austin, please send him to this blog. Thanks!

Song Lyrics o' the Day

..Oily marks appear on walls
where pleasure moments hung before the takeover,
the sweeping insensitivity of this still life...

"Hide and Seek" Imogen Heap

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Hump Day at the Library

Library volunteering and a foundation meeting this morning. Keeps me off the streets I suppose.

There is a guy on TMZ who is incredibly funny most every time they show him. I wish I knew his name! Yesterday he commented on "Fashion Week" which everyone said was over. He said, "No this is Fashion Week in Paris, where it's even more fashion-y." He has this "couldn't care less" attitude that cracks me up.

Facebook has now randomly erased at least three comments people have made on my status and photos. I get a notification that includes the comment, so I know what was said. Then I go to respond and it's not there. I asked Tracy about it when it happened on her comment yesterday, to make sure she hadn't deleted it herself. She said she didn't. Very weird! The first time it happened was when Michael, who is a huge UT fan, made a negative comment about A&M on one of my pics. When I saw it was gone, I thought he deleted it because he didn't have the cajones to leave it there for my reply. LOL! Now I realize he probably thinks I deleted it! Very amusing.

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Bathroom- Finishing the Details

I think we've finally moved everything back into the new bathroom. I still have a couple of accessories to get and the Roman shade is another two weeks out. The shower is AMAZING. There is so much space in there, plus the frameless glass makes it feel like it's completely open to the rest of the room.

I watched Arnel Pineda's story on Oprah yesterday. I had no idea he was homeless in the Philippines when they found him to be the new lead singer of Journey. He is such a humble person, too. The other band members seem to really love him. So it worked out for all of them I think!

I'm still chugging away at the print items (program, invitation, name tags, etc.) for a Foundation event. I was uninspired for the invite until yesterday, then once I decided on a direction, I did the first draft in about 2 hours. Not bad.

You simply must read this obituary. It is very funny and quite a tribute to the woman who passed away.

Song Lyrics of the Day

...With a broken heart
Your walls can only go down but so low
Can you hear me when I call your name?...

"Call Your Name" Daughtry

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Saturday 9 on Monday

Light bulb moment: Lady GaGa reminds me of Dale Bozzio of Missing Persons. The nasal singing. The blonde hair. The fashion.

Saturday 9: Let's Go to Bed

1. Has a relationship been affected by how one of you slept?
Nah.

2. What side of the bed do you sleep on?
In the bed, I am on his left.

3. Do you sleep on your back, side, or stomach?
Side.

4. Describe the bedding on your bed right now. How does it change with the seasons? Are you particular about your pillows or linens?
Change with the seasons?! Ahahaha! Who am I- Martha Stewart? Our bedding is high quality cotton sheets with a smoky blue, taffeta-ish comforter. I am not particular about linens, but very particular about my pillow, which must be very firm.

5. When sleeping with someone, do you hog the bed, steal covers, or snore?
I very rarely steal the covers. I also rarely snore, when my allergies are acting up.

6. What do you wear to bed? If it varies, explain.
Short night gown or-- your TMI for the day-- nothing. Rarely on a cold winter night I'll bust out the pajamas. Soft cottony ones. No flannel. :)

7. No matter how much you love someone, would you rather sleep alone?
Some nights. Jeff is a snorer.

8. Tell us about a time when you awoke in bed, saw the person next to you and thought, "Oh, no..."
lol. That hasn't ever happened to me.

9. Tell us about a time when you awoke thinking it was a different day than it was.
That happens a lot. I have gotten as far as brushing my teeth on a Saturday at 6:15 am, only to realize it wasn't a school day.

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Back Home this Weekend

First of all, a big kiss and a grope for Cathy, who agrees with my treatise on "cell phones in the car" and does not talk or text on hers while driving.

Went to the band contest in Houston, back to the area where I lived from 5th-12th grade. The band did super well, except for a costly technical mistake that took them from 1st place to 4th overall. The show is really amazing. Top notch musicianship and precise and expressive drill from the guard. The color guard's costumes are beautiful and the makeup they are wearing is glam city.

After the morning performance, I met Cathy for lunch and we did some shopping. I showed her Charming Charlie's. Gosh I love that place.

Went back for the day awards for band, then left the stadium again to drive around. I had spoken at length with a woman who lives in the area, who moved there about when I left. She told me where to go to see new stuff, including our newly rebuilt high school. But Kathy's parents intercepted me and invited me to come over for dinner and to watch some of the A&M game. So nice!! I got to see the first half before returning to the stadium for the band finals.

Aaaaaaaaggieeeeeeeeeeees.... WTC? (That would be "What the CRAP?" a la Cathy) Everything was going so well at first! They do show such potential though!

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BOA Regionals

Jeff is staying here today while I go to Houston for Bands of America regionals at the RIG in Pearland. Have a great Saturday y'all!

Gig 'em Ags!!! BTHO Arkansas!

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Please Don't Text and Drive

Would they just BAN texting while driving already???!!!! I imagine it's the same yutzes who pushed for cell phone chatting to be okay at the wheel who are now pushing to keep legal texting while driving. (Why does spellcheck think "putzes" is a word, but not "yutzes?" I need a true Yiddish dictionary.) It steams me when the texting guy in front of me is weaving in and out of his lane and driving 20mph under the speed limit. Get off the phone and drive, buddy. You wanna text at stoplights? Fine. I'll even wait for the occasional dork who doesn't realize the light is green. Wanna text while your car is in motion and use your vehicle to kill yourself, your family or someone else? Sorry, that's simply not your right.

Gov't seeks ban on texting truckers, bus drivers

Ahh! So it's only dangerous for certain drivers. Got it. *rolls eyes*

More Lyrics of the Day from yesterday's song, "It's You," by Tony Lucca. Because, yes... it's that good.

...I'll wait like no other man
For you to come in to me, lay skin-to-skin with me
Making me smile and smile...

And the Friday Five!

Careers, Dreams, and Reality.

1. What did you dream of being when you were a little child?
a doctor

2. What did you think you might become when you were between the ages of 12-13?
a backup singer for Bette Midler

3. What career choices did you consider as a young adult?
aerospace engineer (until a fateful A&M trip where an AE prof told me most girls don't do well in AE- yeesh. Probably just the one sexist guy in the department, but it really rubbed me the wrong way and I switched intended majors because of it.), travel agent (after the first semester of my sophomore year in the nuke dept), nuclear safety engineer (got the degree and came back for more in grad school)

4. Did you follow along one of the career paths you considered?
Nope. While I was "finishing my thesis" living in Austin, I took a data management job in pharmaceutical research and absolutely LOVED it.

5. Have you changed careers since then? Was it by choice or necessity?
I became a stay-at-home-mom by choice. Not saying it's for everyone, but for me and my family it was the most important and best choice I ever made. :)

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Just Thursday

Now I'm thinking my Journey videos' sound was poor because I had my finger over the microphone. ACK. I'll have to figure it out before Daughtry. DAUGHTRYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!!11!!!!1! December 13th at the Erwin Center.

I was telling Charity about the Journey concert, and mentioned that I was more a Duran Duran/Depeche Mode girl back in the day, rather than a rock chick (...but who doesn't love Journey?). She was big into Duran Duran, too. She said it's sometimes best not to have front row seats to these retro concerts, to preserve the memory of how they looked back then. LOL. True.

OK, I had to change my Facebook profile pic. The bangs were driving me nuts in the old one.

And finally, this beautiful morning... I think there are "song lyrics" people and people who don't pay attention to the words much. Know what I mean? Yeah, I mean cool people love song lyrics. And I have formally changed "song lyric of the day" to "song lyrics of the day" because lyric is not the singular of lyrics. Duh.

Song Lyrics du Jour

...I watch the sun set, while you watch it rise.
Flame colored teardrops burn in my eyes.
While you find another day, thousands of miles away.
One more night finds me alone, holding on
To the simple and sweetest thought of you...

"It's You" - Tony Lucca

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