Ran across this gem last night:
First Communion, 2nd grade. See how angelic I am? I would never have been in Laura's wild Catholic School crowd, playing Communion with cheese cubes, and saying, "Body of Kraft." Stay clear of her. That lightning is still waiting to strike. ;)
I said something about Hwy 71 and Hwy 290 splitting in Oak Hill. My daughter said, "OH! The road is a Y! I've always thought they called it 'the Y in Oak Hill' because there's a YMCA there!" Ahahahaaaaaa!
Some Mafia Wars players have their screen names in special characters. It looks sort of cool, but it seems like the sort of thing that is done by people over the age of 25 who type u instead of you, so I avoid it like the plague. But just once, I'm going to write my real name like that, just to see...
KΔ┼Ħϒ ☻
My favorite part is my smiley. Cute, ain't it?
Adrian Grenier has made a documentary about the teenager paparazzo. All I kept thinking while Adrian was talking in the ABC interview was, "He was so much hotter with longer hair." Yeesh. I was like a guy watching Angelina Jolie. I couldn't take my eyes off him long enough to listen to what he had to say, for goodness' sake. EYES UP HERE. THANKS. Only for me, that's where the distraction is. Regardless of the sad loss of the curls, he has beautiful eyes, doesn't he?
We're having a scheduled lockdown drill this week at work, especially important after what happened yesterday at UT. So relieved this guy didn't take out anyone with him. It seems that he had intended to, but maybe changed his mind in the process, because, one doesn't kill one's self with an AK47. Police reports say he had plenty of opportunities to shoot people, but did not. Thank God for small miracles.
As promised:
Pizza Burgers
(makes 24)
8 oz sliced hard salami, cut into very small pieces
11 oz Velveeta, cut into small chunks
2 lb ground beef
8 oz. tomato sauce
1 1/2 tsp sage
1 1/2 Tbl oregano
2 Tbl dry parsley
1 tsp salt
12 hamburger buns
Preheat oven to 400F. Brown ground beef and drain fat. Add Velveeta and salami to the hamburger in the pan. Warm through until Velveeta is melted. Add remaining ingredients.
Place mixture on 24 hamburger bun halves on sheet pans. Bake for 9 minutes until browned.
You can also freeze half of the meat and cut the buns down to 12 halves. The original recipe calls for 1 lb. of luncheon meat, ground or cut into small pieces, instead of the salami, which I eventually substituted because luncheon meat can be difficult to find. It is delicious with either!
"Battlestar Galactica" finale-- GENIUS.
That is all.
Sunday Stealing: The "I've Been Tagged" Meme
1. Where are you from?
Houston, Texas. We moved there from Germany when I was 3, lived in Kansas City for two years when I was 5-6, then back to Houston. Dad worked for NASA.
2. If you could live any place in the world, where would you live?
Austin, Texas. I love Texas, and Austin is beautiful, has great music, great restaurants, big-city cultural events, laid back atmosphere, centrally located to drive to just about anywhere in the state or fly to anywhere in the contiguous 48 states in a reasonable amount of time.
3. What's your favorite blog? I'll check them out of course!
The Bloggess
4. What is your biggest blogging pet peeve?
When your friends say you should be answering these memes with hilarious sarcastic replies for their entertainment, rather than opening up and sharing your innermost thoughts with them. Heh. And spammers.
5. What's your favorite TV show this season? I need a new show! :)
Modern Family
6. What's your favorite 'down' time {nothing computer related}?
Logic puzzles.
7. Are you a parent? If so, what's your favorite thing to do with your children?
Yes. I love taking drives with her, because it's a great time to really engage and talk. Also, we turn up the music really loud and sing along.
8. What about your blog have you considered changing?
Adding an online game to the sidebar, so you could waste more of your time here.
9. What do you do for a living (if you work outside the home or if you work at home)?
Library Assistant. I run the circulation desk, set up displays and featured events and book fair, scale tall ladders in my pencil skirt, troubleshoot ornery computers...
10. What is your favorite song at the moment? What is your favorite song ever?
Right now: Michael Franti, "The Sound of Sunshine"
All-Time: soooo many! One is Counting Crows, "Accidentally In Love"
11. What is your favorite niche TV channel to watch?
HGTV
12. If you could have any career, what would it be and why?
I would love to do something in the music industry. I'd enjoy being a backup singer or working behind the scenes in sound engineering or even way behind the scenes in an office job like data management. Why? Getting to hear new music and meeting a lot of creative people.
13. What is your favorite outfit?
It's the teal dress I wore Saturday night, when everyone and their dog stopped to tell me how great I looked in it! Before that, it was jeans, boots and my brown and white layered top.
14. If you could tell your teenage self something, what would you say?
Don't sweat the small stuff, and it's all small stuff.
15. What is your favorite recipe?
My fave is my mom's Pizza Burger recipe. Unfortunately I don't have time to type it at the moment, but I promise I will post it for your culinary enjoyment later. This is one of my favorite appetizers though:
Double Tomato Bruschetta
Lauren had a bunch of people over Saturday night. Jeff stayed home and chaperoned while Kathy and I went to dinner at Satellite Bistro, and to see Carmina Burana at the Long Center.
Austin is a town where you can wear jeans to a play, or "nice" khaki shorts and a polo shirt to a five-star restaurant with linen tablecloths. Surprisingly though, when you go the the ballet, Austinites actually dress up. It's great!
At 8pm in the beautiful Long Center, the lights went down and the audience became silent. Then, instead of the show beginning, video advertising for various Ballet Austin classes and programs was run on a screen over the stage. I was very turned off by it, as were most people around me. There's enough advertising all over the place at these performances (and in everyday life). Let's not start an elegant event with tacky pre-show ads. At least they didn't run soft drink or tampon commercials.
Kai was performed before Carmina Burana. While the dancing was fantastic, the "music" gave me a headache. It's all loud percussion- dripping sounds and random beats. For forty-five minutes.
I won't get into the extensive history of Carmina Burana and Orff's composition of the music, but it is really interesting. His cantata is from a selection of written works from the Carmina Burana, a bound collection of 11th and 12th century poems and manuscripts about many subjects, including many about love and sex, written in Latin and German by clergy and students of the church. Seeing it performed by Ballet Austin, the Austin Symphony and Conspirare together was truly amazing! I enjoyed it so much. You've definitely heard the opening and closing song, O Fortuna, in popular films.
An excerpt from one song, translated to English:
In my mind's wavering balance, wanton love and chastity sway in opposite scales. But I choose what I see, I offer my neck to the yoke; to a yoke so sweet I cross.
..and my favorite:
If the world were all mine from the sea up to the Rhine, this I would willingly forgo to have the queen of England lie in my arms.
Refers to Eleanor of Aquitaine, not the current queen, although Queen Elizabeth is certainly lovely as well. :)
When Jeff's parents were here Friday and Saturday, we got to see all the photos from their month-long trip to India and Africa, from which they returned about a week ago.... Coach Holtman, my high school calculus teacher, showed us his underwater pictures from a scuba diving trip during class one day. Every time one of us would ask "Ooh! What is that?!" the answer always seemed to be, "That's some type of coral." Huge joke forever. If you don't know what something is in a photo, it's "some type of coral."
Well, when Liz was showing me the pics from their safari days, about every other photo, she would say, "That's... a hyena." Sometimes I could tell it was a leopard or something else, and I was giggling to myself. If you do not know what an animal is in your safari photo, it's "a hyena."
Lauren auditioned for the church worship band yesterday. She's in! Singer and pianist. Brava!
Actually, it's always casual here at the old blog. But feel free to dress up, if you get the urge.
Jeff had a sleep study last night and Lauren was out at the ballet for a school thing. I dorked around here without a vehicle. Blasted my music. Facebooked. Found out that if you have a twitch, like the eyelid variety, it's usually caused by a lack of sleep, not stress. Thank you Google. Did I go to sleep at a reasonable hour though? Nah.
For the first three weeks I worked, it was hot in the library, so we had the window blinds closed. Then we were showing videos the next three weeks, so they stayed dark. The librarian opened them up a few days ago, and I cannot tell you the difference it makes in the ambiance in there! We have a gorgeous view, and it is a wall of windows from my office all the way through the library. So nice!
Jeff has been watching "Battlestar Galactica" DVDs he borrowed from JeffC, since we never watched the new series. I've been catching some of about every third episode, because I can't sit for hours on end and watch something like that. (Just the memory of our Lord of the Rings Trilogy in One-Day Day gives me the heebie-jeebies.) I did spot guest star Richard Hatch immediately, which Jeff missed. HA. I wonder what happened to Dirk Benedict, also of the old series. Holy guh. So cute with his cigars. Must Google him later. Also on the show are a couple of folks from "Eureka." Anyway, it's a quality show. JeffC said he would loan me the DVDs again to watch at my own speed. Maybe when this new season of TV is over, because I can't find time to watch just the network shows I like this time of year.
I may have to go back to "Modern Family" quotes in the sidebar, because it was so hilarious this week.
The in-laws are coming in today after lunch. I wanted to take them to the Pecan Street Festival tomorrow, but it looks like Central Market's Brewtopia is more what we're looking at. I'm pushing for Pecan Street.
Lauren told me last night that so many of my friends (teachers I know at her school, and friends who see her out and about) tell her that she has a lot of my mannerisms, and that they and her own friends say she looks and talks like me. I was laughing and said to Jeff, "Yikes, right?" She said, "No! It's great!" Awwwwwwwwwwww. Don't you just wanna hug her? Then Jaxon commented that he frequently starts talking to me on the phone when he thinks I'm her. Yep. So funny.
They played a Charades version of the Telephone Game yesterday in Lauren's Student Leadership class. The first person acted out "wedding." By the time the last person acted it out, it was- I kid you not- "killing yourself with a knife to the stomach." Bwahaha!!
Thursday Thunks
1. We are changing your name. You have no choice. You get to pick it, but we must approve it. You must have a good reason. Ok, what is the name and reason?
Anastasia, because it's really fancy and romantic. But I would go by Ana, because much like the Katherine/Kathy situation, I like going by the fun, shortened version, while being able to whip out the sophisticated name when I want to.
I heard Berlin's "The Metro" while we were out last night. Oh em gee, I loved that song back in the day!! One of those eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee! ones that my friends and I would jump up and dance to whenever it came on. Heck, I almost jumped up at Chipotle yesterday.
For such a cheesy 80s song, it has some quality lyrics:
...I was on a Paris train
I emerged in London rain
and you were waiting there
swimming through apologies...
Just to get this off my chest: Bite me, Wordpress. I don't need your editing interface rewriting my flawless HTML on the Foundation website, thus screwing up my pages. Thank goodness I don't blog over there! GAH.
:)
Carry on.
Lauren and her friends were talking to a lady who has the last name Hebert. It's pronounced "A-bare," so they asked what kind of name it is. She said she is Cajun, so the kids decided that your "Cajun name" is your name with the first and last letters silent. LOL. (For those who know us, the most amusing "Cajun last name" in the group was Lauren's. Ha!)
Sometimes I type out a piece of a conversation with Laura on here to share with you fine folks, and instead of being freakin' hilarious, as we found it at the time, it's either mean, in very poor taste, or just is not at all funny when you read it. So I'll spare you my comments on the deaths of Jim Henson and Farrah Fawcett, which were great, but of the "poor taste" variety. You are missing out though.
She's right. We are becoming Statler and Waldorf from The Muppet Show.
It is hard to work out with kittens in the room. Especially while wearing sport shorts with strings dangling down from the waist. Seriously, someone is going to get hurt. Probably me.
Sunday Stealing: The Threesome Meme
1. At what time of your life were you happiest and why?
While I'm quite happy right now, I am in a transition period from stay-at-home-mom to career, and also Lauren is going off to college in a year-and-a-half. It's big change, and I'm just sort of feeling like I'm flowing along with it, while I prefer stability in my life. I think my happiest time ever was Lauren's preschool years. Most of my friends were at-home moms and we hung out together all the time with our children. Busy, crazy life, but so much fun!
2. Where and when did you meet the love of your life?
Fall of my sophomore year at college, in Physics class. He sat in front of me, with his gorgeous wavy hair and soft, touchable sweaters. I managed not to touch the hair or the sweaters all semester until we officially started dating in January.
3. Favourite item of clothing ever or most treasured possession?
clothing- black leather boots!
4. Must-have makeup or beauty item?
Burt's Bees peppermint lip balm. So great!
5. What do you think is your worst vice or fault .. honestly?
I can hold one heck of a grudge. Very rare, but yes. If I've been screwed over... it is very difficult to get back in my good graces.
6. Would you tell your friend, if you knew her husband/wife was cheating on her/him?
A close friend- definitely. Imagine you find out that your spouse was cheating on you AND a close friend knew, but didn't say anything. That would be pretty crappy. In the case of an everyday friend, it depends on the situation. I would probably find a way to say something without coming right out and saying that I know their spouse is cheating.
7. What ambitions, wishes or desires, for your life, do you still hold close to your heart?
Lots of traveling left to do- Italy, Russia, Australia; I want to write my musical- it's on the back burner again, but I'll get to it; I want a kick-ass media room for our next (last) house, where we will host many get-togethers for sports, awards shows, movie nights, etc.!
8. Where do you see yourself five years from now?
Season tickets to A&M football games, where Lauren will be at school; in a new one-story house here in Austin, with that most awesome media room; two giant, spoiled cats running around; back in the data management biz
9. If you had the choice of any talent with the penalty that you would lose a talent in exchange, what would you want to gain, and what would you be willing to lose?
Gain: playing piano by ear
Lose: being able to do complex math in my head- who really uses that?
10. Name three things that you do want completed in your life before retiring.
a) Downsize and optimize the house situation.
b) Do the long-distance trips I want to do, in case it becomes more difficult financially or physically. If not, wonderful! We'll keep on traveling as long as we can. But at least I'll have done the ones I want to do most.
c) Save the most current recommended amount of money for retirement.
11. Of all of the people out there, who would have been your fantasy date? Date, not romance...
Fantasy date? Obvious answer. Next. :)
12. Google put another spell on you, you have just changed genders for 48 hours... what are you going to do with your 2 days?
ANOTHER spell? Other than touring men's bathrooms around town, I would do all my normal things, to see if I experienced them any differently.
13. If you owned your own island, and got to make it your own country, what would you call it? And why?
I would call it The Loo, so when people visit, they will say "I'm going to The Loo!"
14. If you rubbed the lamp and got 3 wishes, what would they be?
a) a cooktop
b) BMW Z4
c) three more wishes
15. What is your earliest memory of puberty?
Being horrified that hair was growing under my armpits.
16. If you got banished to your Island alone and could only bring 5 things, what would they be?
a) ponytail holder
b) Burt's Bees peppermint lip balm
c) laptop
d) cell phone
e) Ocean's 12 DVD
Jeff and I saw Catfish at the Drafthouse yesterday. Universal Pictures had our audience fill out a survey before and after the film. One of the questions was "Why did you decide to see Catfish?" Jeff answered, "Other- My wife made me." LOL. For the record, although he rolled his eyes at my quite enthusiastic synopsis of the movie trailer, he volunteered to take me.
Catfish is supposed to be an actual documentary, although I have some doubts that it's real. Could be, I suppose. It's about an NYC photographer who befriends a young girl on Facebook who paints his photos. He ends up friending other family members, too, and having a romantic online and texting relationship with the artist's older sister Megan. There's not much I can say without giving away what the guy and his documentary-making brother and friend find when they travel to Michigan to meet Megan and her family. The trailer reveals that things are not as they seem.
It's a very good movie. I recommend it. (I had a whole vague commentary typed out here, but it alluded somewhat to the conclusion, so... just see it!)
I think we have the only two cats in the world who appreciate and play with every single toy we purchase for them at the pet store. I've not had a cat who played with any pet store toys, much less all of them. Like toddlers, they'd typically rather play with toilet paper rolls.
More randomness---- I've noticed lately that Lauren twirls her hair just like my mom always did. Pretty neat. :)
And finally-- My all-time favorite Depeche Mode song is "Somebody." I wrote out the lyrics in perfect cursive on a sheet of notebook paper when I was in high school, and I still have them in the folder with all my songs and poetry. While I was researching who performs the amazing cover of Radiohead's "Creep" (Scala & Kolacny Brothers, a girls' choir from Belgium) for The Social Network trailer (a film I oddly have no desire to see), somehow I webbed around and saw a mention of "Somebody," and just had to feature it here in its entirety for the lyrics o' the day. Very honest and raw lyrics, and a beautiful, flowy melody.
Song Lyrics of the Day
I want somebody to share
Share the rest of my life
Share my innermost thoughts
Know my intimate details
Someone who'll stand by my side
And give me support
And in return
She'll get my support
She will listen to me
When I want to speak
About the world we live in
And life in general
Though my views may be wrong
They may even be perverted
She'll hear me out
And won't easily be converted
To my way of thinking
In fact she'll often disagree
But at the end of it all
She will understand me
I want somebody who cares
For me passionately
With every thought and
With every breath
Someone who'll help me see things
In a different light
All the things I detest
I will almost like
I don't want to be tied
To anyone's strings
I'm carefully trying to steer clear of
Those things
But when I'm asleep
I want somebody
Who will put their arms around me
And kiss me tenderly
Though things like this
Make me sick
In a case like this
I'll get away with it
"Somebody" Depeche Mode
The company who put in our new heating/AC system two and a half years ago has been nothing but obnoxious since our maintenance contract ended in January 2009. They have called as often as every other day for weeks at a time, and never less than once every two weeks since then, to schedule regular maintenance. I asked to be taken off their list on the very first call.
A couple of weeks into this massive harassment, I researched filing an FCC complaint. It requires a lot of paperwork, and tracking of times, dates, conversations, etc., so I decided I would ignore it and it would eventually go away. It never has.
A few days ago, Jeff suggested the next time they call, that I say, "They don't live here anymore." So yesterday, that is what I did.
In the moment, I unexpectedly used a fake voice. ROFL! Why would I do that? In case the person knew me? (Although, as many times as we've spoken, they probably all do.)
Well, I have very high hopes that it worked.
In other news- here is one of my favorite one-line lyrics. It's such a simple and lovely line, conveying a desire to forever put forth that "effortless effort" I was talking about yesterday that makes a good relationship what it is.
Or maybe it's about getting it on. Either way...
Song Lyrics du Jour
...I'm always gonna wanna blow your mind...
Train "Hey Soul Sister"
:)
If you are interested in how your favorite songs came to be written, or just the process of songwriting in general, you have to visit the Songfacts website! It has tons of background information on songs from many genres, collected from writers' and performers' interviews and such. The site also has their own interviews with songwriters. It's really cool! I spent faaaaaar too long hanging out there.
Pondering... what is the point of eating or drinking anything you're supposed to swallow without chewing or even holding it in your mouth at all, where the goal is to get it down as fast as humanly possible. Oysters, for example. Paula Deen was waxing poetic about these "delicacies from the sea," while giving us three separate recipes for oyster shooters, which were:
1) oyster in a shot glass, cover with cocktail sauce and a squeeze of lemon juice
2) oyster in a shot glass, cover with vodka, then cocktail sauce and lemon juice
3) oyster in a shot glass, cover with tomato juice and tobasco.
Once you've covered the oysters with all sorts of condiments to completely hide the disgusting taste, you're supposed to down them without letting any of that stuff touch your tongue on the way into your throat. And finish with the post-oyster shudder.
Why not just have a bite of steak instead?
Wednesday Wickedness: Cher Quotes
1. “A girl can wait for the right man to come along but in the meantime that still doesn't mean she can't have a wonderful time with all the wrong ones.” Have you ever had a relationship that you knew was wrong, but had fun anyway?
Yes. JohnN at A&M. I liked him a lot, but I wasn't really "in love" with him, so like oyster shooters, what was the point? We did have a lot of fun, which is good because we spent all our time together.
2. “Hate crimes are the scariest thing in the world because these people really believe what they're doing is right.” What group of people committing hate crimes in your country scares you the most and why?
They all scare me. Every person has their little prejudices, but hardly anyone has them to the extent that they would get riled up about them. It takes a special kind of crazy to hurt anyone over them.
3. “Husbands are like fires - they go out when they're left unattended.” How much effort do you feel a good relationship requires?”
I think a good relationship requires a great deal of "effortless effort," meaning that if you are conscious of the work it's taking, it's probably not that great a relationship.
4. “I won't be able to do what I'm doing forever. There aren't that many scripts floating around for fifty-year-old chicks.” Why are there roles for men till they get very old, yet very few roles are written for older women?
I honestly don't know.
5. “I've always taken risks, and never worried what the world might really think of me.” Does what other people think affect what you do?
Every now and then. I'm not driven by what other people think, but it becomes a factor in certain situations. Doing something to please a boss or avoid offending someone, etc.
6. “If you really want something you can figure out how to make it happen.” Do you agree with Cher?
For the grand majority of things, yes. Some things will be impossible. Not everyone can be a brain surgeon.
7. “To me marriage is for five or ten years.” In you experience, can a marriage last forever?
Definitely.
8. “Until you're ready to look foolish, you'll never have the possibility of being great.” When was the last that you felt foolish?
The other day, when I was learning how to use the postage meter at work. Simplest thing ever, and I've used one at the Foundation millions of times. I kept having to interrupt someone to ask questions, and then it happened to get jammed.
9. “Words are like weapons; they wound sometimes.” What types of things have people said that have really hurt you?
Most recently, a couple of my good friends clobbered me for taking my current job.
10. “It's not necessary, in order to be a complete person, that I have a man. It's not the end-all, be-all of my life.” Do you need to be in a relationship to feel whole?
Nope.
I am disappointed how many parents feel that their children should not listen to a Presidential address to children about education. It's this way every year, no matter who has been president. This is not a state of the union address or a pimping of some program for Afghanistan. This is your President speaking to children as the leader of their country, encouraging them to stay in school. A great lesson in respecting your leaders, whether or not you agree with his stand on individual issues, or even if you think he is a total nimrod. Parents treat the principal of their school with more respect than that. No notes saying "Please excuse Little Timmy from listening to Mrs. Smith's morning announcements."
Little Timmy. lol. He's the same Little Timmy I used in an example recently, when explaining to Lauren why there are dress codes at school.
"So Little Timmy doesn't show up wearing an 'F- You' tshirt." :)
Thursday Thunks
10. What number blog post is this for you?
On this particular blog- #1309
9. You are driving down a road and your GPS says turn right, but the road has a Dead End sign. You check your GPS and according to it's map, there is a road at the end of the Dead End road that you need to turn onto. Do you follow the GPS?
Of course! If I get to the end and there isn't a road, I can always turn around. Although it's far more likely that the GPS says it's a dead end, when there IS a road there that has been added since its last update.
8. If you had a $2 bill, would you spend it?
Yes
7. When there is nobody else around and you sneeze or cough, do you cover your mouth?
Yes
6. You are a DJ at a radio station and your first guest is Bud... what is the first question you are going to ask him?
How was your vacation?
5. Have you ever stopped to help a stranger with a flat tire?
No
4. You get on an airplane and you find that your seat neighbor is Kimber... what do you talk about or do you ignore her completely?
We talk a little about blogging and memes. Then I read SkyMall.
3. Have you ever rode an elephant?
Yes, at some carnival when I was little.
2. Time to bitch & moan! What is your biggest complaint about your current friends on Facebook?
I don't like seeing all the game and app announcements on my feed. I just turn that game/app's announcements off. When I post MW things, I only post them to my friends who are actively playing.
1. School is back in session for all little girls and boys now. What, in your life, changes when kids go back to school?
Traffic. My daily schedule. I don't see Lauren nearly as much as in summer because she gets home from school after 5. Shopping gets much easier when school is in session, since I can do it during weekdays.
Actual Post-Its stuck on my monitor right now:
DO NOT NEED:
arc welder
buzzsaw
gunpowder
gun drill
forge
Weapons: A43 D36
Vehicles: A38 D40
Armor: A35 D32
Animals: A30 D29
Vegas
least xp District 6
least stamina 32- district 1
Holly xxx-xxxx
(That's Holly's phone number, because I need to buy some makeup from her.)
I hate post-its that stay anywhere for more than 24 hours. Mafia Wars has taken over my desk. That stuff is going into OneNote today!
At our brunch on Saturday I actually met my first fellow George Clooney fan (not that every woman isn't a "fan," I'm talking about serious crushes here)-- my high school friend Bas's wife! See, Bas is a cameraman (he's got a much more fancy title, but I cannot think of it to save my life), and I thought he filmed on The American, because a while back he said he was filming with George, and posted a picture with him (oh my gahh... in a suit no less), and I looked up George's current project which was... The American. At brunch, Jeff mentioned that although we hated the film, we did appreciate the camera work and scenery. LOL. Well, it turns out Bas was in Italy filming a Clooney commercial just before The American began filming there. He wasn't on the film crew after all. Whew.
I mentioned George's mansion at Lake Como and Rachelle was all over it. "He's selling that place!" she said. Aahaha. Turns out Bas was offered (the awesome) Up in the Air and turned it down because he had been out of town for so long at the time. His wife- NOT happy about that. Missing Clooney, not the time out of town. Hee.
Bas's parents were out of town a lot in high school, so he had all the best parties. At one party, my boyfriend and I were holed up in Bas's bedroom with the lights off, with a bunch of people outside the window making all sorts of noises and calling the hilarious fake play-by-play, and Bas banging on the door, saying we had better not be in his bed. (We weren't.)
This New York Jets thing-- please. If you dress like Inés Sainz does, guys are going to make comments. Especially in a locker room. If Mark Sanchez walked into a girls locker room, he'd be ogled and cat-called all the same. And everyone would smile, because it's okay for ladies to grab and ogle. Just saying. I have no problem with the way she dresses. She's gorgeous! She just has to expect that sort of treatment if she's not going to dress professionally while doing her job.
Computer training downtown this morning for work. It's the software I've been using for six weeks now. Should be fun though! I've heard great things about the guy who is teaching the class.
Ohmigosh- hilarity for web and graphics designers (link hijacked from The Bloggess):
clientsfromhell.net
...Me: Worst case scenario, you can just email the text in the body of an email.
Client: I will print, scan to pdf and resend via email shortly.
Sorry, Paramore, but your current song is soooooooo repetitive. Must turn it off when I hear it. :(
The Pilot's battery went dead last night while Jeff and I were out. We stopped for gas, and when he tried to start it again, it was completely dead. It was sort of freaky, absolutely nothing was working- dome light, warning lights, nothing- but the lights on the radio were cycling around in rapid succession over and over. I almost took a video on my phone, because I figured we were about to be sucked up by an alien spacecraft, and I needed to leave evidence of what had happened to us. Well, we were in Oak Hill. That's the sort of thing that happens out there. ;)
We got a jump from the guy next to us, which would have been impossible where we had just been- in a parking spot along the street at the Hill Country Galleria. We would have had to wait a hundred years for one of the two people next to us to come back from wherever they were to jump us. There was a band playing in the amphitheater and the Iron Cactus was roaring with action. It could have been a while.
Luckily we made it to an auto parts store just before they closed and the guy switched it out for us. Whew!
Sunday Stealing: The Sunday Stealing Player's Meme
Today we ripped this meme not from a blogger but from you, our players and friends. We asked for original questions last week. And did you guys deliver!
1. :::sniff, sniff::: Is the dog in the house?
Gosh I hope not. We don't have a dog.
2. What is the best piece of advice you've ever received?
Never carry a balance on your credit cards. And I never have. I pay them off every month.
3. What's the worst experience you've ever had involving alcohol?
Waking up with that guy in the process of passing out on top of me, on the "coat bed" during Kathy and Tiffany's infamous screwdriver party.
4. What's the worst thing you've ever done to another person?
The only thing that even comes to mind is a time in fifth grade when we were horsing around in PE, whispering something down a line of girls, saying "pass it on," and the girl next to me wouldn't do it. I complained to the girl on the other side that she had ruined the game because she wasn't playing. I said "she's always like that." It really hurt her feelings. She was just really shy, I think. I remember it well to this day, because I felt so awful about upsetting her.
5. Who do you think started the concept of memes?
Tom on Myspace
6. Give a song title or line that describes how you are feeling right now.
Bootylicious
7. What's your favorite search engine? Yahoo!, Google, Ask, Bing? or something else?
Google
8. If Paul is the Cute One and John is the Smart One and George is the Quiet One and Ringo is the Funny One, which Beatle are you?
John
9. The democratic government decides that, not only do we have to share our money with people who choose not to work, we also have to share our children with those who do not want to ruin their bodies with being pregnant. Which child do you give up?
Ahahahaaa. I have one, so I don't have to share.
10. When should you procrastinate - now or later?
Definitely now.
11. What is your favorite fast food?
Chik-Fil-A
12. What was your favourite game as a child?
Scrabble
13. Why do the terrible twos have to be terrible?
Aww, they don't. Sometimes you just have to take a second to step back and appreciate that year for what it is. Your child's growth, independence... and a big, fat, cosmic test of your patience.
14. Describe your favorite family member.
My grandpa. He's 90. When he was raising his five kids, he was a very strict disciplinarian and a colonel in the army. He's a bit softer now. He still has a quick wit, and I love his insightful commentary on current events.
15. What does your favorite breakfast consist of?
Soft-boiled eggs on buttered toast. Strawberries on the side.
16. What food is better the day after it was made?
fruit salad
17. What was your last big purchase?
Washer and dryer
18. When was the last time you kissed someone and really enjoyed it?
Friday. LOL. Yeah, yesterday's kisses didn't rock my socks as much. ;)
19. Why are there memes?
They are filler for days when bloggers can't think of a darn thing to say.
20. Describe yourself using two words that rhyme. (i.e. fuddy-duddy)
Bavarian librarian-- okay technically no on both counts, but very close.
21. If you were given the option of a "do-over" in life .. would you take it?
Yes. If I knew the same people would be in my life when it was all said and done, there are a few things I would like to do differently.
22. What movie makes (or has made) you cry? What touched you about it?
Many, many movies have made me cry. In Moulin Rouge, I cried because the love story really touched me. Christian is this deep-thinking writer (and a surprisingly fabulous singer) and he's hopelessly and completely in love with Satine. She is the center of his universe. I just love seeing him swept up in happiness, eyes lit up, smiling, when she walks into the room. Also, she is about to croak over from some dreadful lung ailment, which kicks the kleenex count up a notch.
23. What is one big mistake that you did in your life? And what did you do to make it right?
Saw The American. Sadly, there's nothing I can do at this point. Maybe watch Ocean's 12 on DVD.
24. When Life Gives You Lemons, What Do You Do With Them?
Make limoncello.
25. How different are you in real life as compared to the online identity you have created for yourself?
I'm myself online, so my real life is pretty much identical to my online identity. Even my "anonymous" Twitter account is an accurate reflection of me. I'm a little less PG-13 in real life than I have to be online, but that's it.
26. Do you know what your parents would have named you if you had been born the opposite sex?
Why, yes I do! Alexander. (This is my question. *bows* Yeah, anyone who submitted a question had their question asked. Still.)
It's interesting that people feel the need to apologize when having events or any sort of fun on September 11. There are a few things going on today around here, and every one has said something like "this is the only day we could have this event." Mention the significance of the day during your event, and then kick up your heels and enjoy it! We are remembering a horrific day in our history and many people who lost their lives, but also we are celebrating freedom and showing radicals who carry out these acts that we will carry on with life as usual.
In that vein... Gig Em Ags! Beat Lousiana Tech!
Suddenly Firefox does not play nicely with Blogger. It's not allowing any sort of posting. So here I am in Internet Explorer, against my will... and all my convictions and principles. I've been on here for 1.37 minutes and I hate it already.
Brunch with Kimberly and Bas (and spouses) this morning! Whee! I had no idea t.u. was playing Wyoming. So that is why Kimberly and family are coming for the game! (Hubby Gib got his bachelor's degree at Wyoming and PhD at t.u. Kimberly graduated from t.u. Now they live in Wyoming.)
Saturday Six
1. What is the newest thing in your living room?
A six-cube storage credenza for all Lauren's "stuff" that would normally go in the mud room we don't have. (Kiptyn is actually newer than that!)
On restaurant tipping, from this article:
The appropriate tip is 20%...
That’s what chefs leave when they eat out, and it’s the amount they think is fair.
...unless the service is really poor.
An astounding 90% of chefs said it’s fair to penalize bad waiters with a smaller tip.
Adjusting your tip for bad service is "astounding?" Why? Of course it's fair. That is the very reason tips are decided by the customer instead of wait staff pay being included in the price of the food, as it is for all other employees of the restaurant. You tip based on your opinion of the quality of the service. The only time I think we shouldn't deduct for bad service is if the errors weren't the server's fault. It's difficult to decide the origin of some issues, and if in doubt, I leave a full tip, provided the server apologized profusely for the problem. But good grief. Since when is anyone in any job entitled to a tip for bad service?
/rant
Friday Five: Fields
1. What is the field nearest your home like?
It's right behind my back picket fence. There's an area with about 2-foot high whispy grass for a little way back, and then the forest begins. There are a few trees in the field. Deer like to group there to eat in the morning.
2. How did you get into the professional field you’re in? If you’re not working, what field are you most likely to find yourself in some day?
I'm not in a professional field again yet. It's highly likely I will return to data management- database administration and/or data quality assurance- in a few years. Maybe in pharma again, or perhaps in another industry.
3. What’s the most interesting sight within your current field of vision?
Thank you, Jenny, for this gem on Twitter, which had me giggling forever:
https://twitter.com/English50cent
My music recommendation du jour is Santana (featuring Chris Daughtry) remake of Def Leppard's "Photograph." (Listen to the full song on the top right, where they are currently displaying tunes from Santana's new CD, Guitar Heaven: The Greatest Guitar Classics of All Time.) Too cool!
Thursday Thunks: You've Got Mail
1. From whom did you get your last e-mail?
Grant
2. What is the most recent movie that you have seen in a theater?
The American. Do NOT see it. I can't reiterate that too much.
3. Have you ever seen a ghost?
I saw something when I was in high school that I thought was a ghost at the time- an apparition of a man in jogging clothes running through my living room. I was in tears, I was so frightened of it. I probably had too much Diet Coke that day.
4. Ever loved someone so much it made you cry?
Yes.
5. What are you most afraid of?
Scorpions.
6. What do you do when you are bored?
Hop on the net.
7. Other than the author of this mess of a meme, whose blog are you most curious to see their answers?
I don't read the other answers, unless I don't understand a question.
8. Name three things from your bucket list.
Visit Italy. Go to the Super Bowl. Write a musical.
9. Who was the last person who complimented you on how you looked, that actually was a surprise?
Lauren. I'm never expecting her to be paying much attention to what I'm wearing or how my hair looks.
10. What was the last concert that you attended where the band was much better than you imagined?
Brad Paisley. I know he's awesome at what he does, I'm just not into country music, so I thought I might be very bored. He was amazing. Especially on the guitar. For twangy country, it is great music, too, I have to say.
11. What’s the next band you’re either planning to see or want to?
Would love to see Nickelback, but I don't want to drive to Houston for them.
Well, surprisingly, the vast majority of universities have the same exact policy about leaving wheelchair-bound folks where they are on higher floors in fires and other emergencies where the elevators cannot be used. Not sure why a ton of colleges popped up when I searched for this topic. Maybe it's because they share their policies publicly, where corporations do not. There are rolling rescue chairs that are for going down stairs in emergencies, but they don't seem to be all that popular. Maybe it's because they would require training in how to use them, space to store them and lots of money to purchase them. This is all my general perception from Googling, which may or may not be even slightly relevant to statistical facts.
There was this one college in Oregon who had some more detailed procedures.
Some companies always keep non-ambulatory employees on the first floor for this very concern, but that would be impossible in our situation. So, there ya' go. Let's just hope we never have a fire or tornado. I'll be sick worrying about those people.
My high school buddy Gary always tells me when it's time for a new FB profile photo. It's evidently time now for a new one. I want one with the kittens, but they're so hard to get a good shot of together!
Speaking of shots... they get their first vaccinations this morning. Awww. I'm going to pack them up now. (Yes, it IS 6:30 a.m.!) Have a wonderful day, all!
Sunday Stealing: The Majorly Personal Meme, Part The Last
41. What are your plans for this weekend?
Saw The American. Kept track of the untelevised A&M game. Played cards with JeffC, Scott and Julie. No big plans today yet.
42. Do you think someone might be thinking poorly about you? Why might that be?
At the moment, I don't think so.
42. What features don't you have that you would like on your cell?
omg. Don't get me started. I would like an iPhone. The features I like are capacitive touch-screen, interactive game apps that all my friends are playing, access to my music on my phone, GPS and related apps, full-featured Facebook app, flash camera with zoom... Okay I have to stop now. I can't get a phone until May 2011.
43. How many people can comfortably sleep in your bed?
Two-- queen size bed.
44. What are you hoping happens by the end of 2010?
Jeff gets a new car.
45. What was the last video you watched on YouTube?
LOL
46. Would you ever agree to an open relationship with someone?
Like, we're a couple, but we can still date whomever else we please? No.
47. Is there something that you could never give up?
I don't think I could give up internet access. I would feel very out-of-the-loop.
48. Would you, (or did you) prefer a small, intimate wedding reception, or a big-scale, over-the-top reception?
We had a medium wedding reception, with a little over 100 people. If I were to do it again, I would do a very intimate 20-30 people, super-fun reception on a beach and play volleyball in my wedding dress.
49. What’s bothering you right now?
I'm still bothered by this whole "leave a wheelchair-bound person in a burning building" policy at work. Surely there is a well-described method for getting a disabled person down stairs in an emergency. I'm going to research that today.
50. Do you hate anyone?
Nah.
51. What were you doing at 12 am last night?
Just getting into bed after having guests over.
52. Was this summer a good one? How warm was it where you live?
It was great! It was very hot, with most days over 100F since July.
52. Is the last person you kissed before your current situation mad at you?
*thinks back 21 years* Charlie is the last person I remember, although surely in the 5-6 months between him and Jeff, there was at least one date I went on, where I kissed a guy goodnight. Either way, no. Charlie has never been mad at me, and some random date doesn't remember me.
53. Can a man and woman be friends without having feelings for each other?
Yes. I have had many amazing male friends in whom I wasn't the least bit interested in a physical or romantic way. I am well aware guys say it isn't true for them, but I still believe it is, for the most part. Just because a guy would sleep with a female friend if given the green light, doesn't mean that he's actually "into her."
54. Do you think long distance relationships work? If you’ve had one, tell us about it.
In general, I think they're too fraught with uncertainty to be successful. At some point or another, because of the separation and not being able communicate in person very often, each will inevitably wonder where they stand with the other. I dated my senior year boyfriend (not even exclusively) for quite a while after I left for college. We wrote a lot of letters and talked on the phone. He came to College Station sometimes and I went to see him others. It worked well most of the time, but it was still complicated. A committed relationship would have been even more difficult.
55. Do you know why it’s called "Random Boredom"?
Do I know why what is called "Random Boredom"? Is that a band?
56. Do you think that it’s always the man’s responsibility to initiate sex?
Absolutely not.
57. Have you ever made love while you were in the same room with another couple?
No, but another couple made love in a room where I was making out with a guy. We left the room.
58. Tell us the best thing about your current or most recent S/O.
He was with me through a few life-threatening illnesses years ago. He never ran away from those emotionally and physically draining times.
59. Tell us the worst thing about your current or most recent S/O.
He doesn't like music. Seriously. Who doesn't like music??!
60. Would you write one question in today’s comments so that we could have our followers allow us to steal their questions? We’ll need at least 15.
If I can think of a fantastic one.
We wasted two hours of our afternoon seeing The American yesterday. Even two hours of George Clooney couldn't save this boring film. I didn't care at all about his cold and detached character, as we never saw any of his redeeming qualities. The musical score was completely random and never matched what was going on. Huge action scene-- melodramatic, crawling music in the background. :/ Most of the film was silent. Did I mention it was boring? Lots of long shots of scenery or George sitting at a table or George driving his car. *yawn*
The hottest Clooney sex scene yet filmed definitely got my attention. Once he and the hooker started dating, I was into it... well, until I lost interest again and began contemplating how many years a girl can really be a prostitute. I don't care how cute you are, I'm pretty sure there is an age limit. And you know those girls aren't saving their money for when they age out of the biz. Perhaps there's a volunteer job in there somewhere, where financial advisers could hold free classes for hookers, to teach them about investing- diversified portfolios, IRA's...
And I was thinking how they should legalize prostitution. Then hookers could be required to have regular GYN exams and be certified disease-free. They would also contribute to Medicare and Social Security, which helps them have some sort of financial support in their later years, long after they've aged out of the industry. It's a win-win.
Yeah, it was the most boring movie. I don't recommend it. Not even as a rental. The only good thing about it is the beautiful Italian scenery. And the sex scene.
In other news... Heard at BJ's last night--
Lauren (reading the tented table ad): ...free beer!
Me: Free beer?!
Lauren: Gluten-free beer.
Me: Oh. That's not the same at all.
Foooooootbaaaaaaaaaall!!!!!! And the weather turned slightly cooler just in time.
Saturday 9: Half the Man I Used to Be
1. Do you feel that you are essentially the same person that your were ten years ago?
Yes, but wiser and a little less hurried.
2. Is there something that you have to give all or nothing to?
Performing brain surgery. Cheerleading. Firefighting. Oh-- me personally? Writing a musical.
3. Have you ever gambled? What have you bet on and for how much?
Jeff and I probably spent $150, a dollar at a time, in the ship's casino on his first cruise. I played video poker on my last trip to Vegas on a girls' weekend. I spent like $100 over three days. I played Bunco regularly for about 12 years at $5 a month. I actually won quite a bit there, though. And I've played poker for small money a few times. Not big into the whole gambling thing, really.
4. Can you sleep anywhere or does it have to be in a bed?
I can sleep anywhere that is horizontal. I don't do "sitting up" sleeping very well. Gotta have a pillow, too.
5. Tell us about the most disastrous or embarrassing first impression you've ever made on someone.
The very first time I met Jeff's parents, his mom served grapes with dinner. I had just put a grape in my mouth when she asked me a question. As I started to answer, the grape flew out of my mouth and rolled across her table. YAY!
6. Do you have a memorable "ripped clothing" moment in your life? No? How about in someone else's?
I really don't have any ripped clothing moments. One time, Laura flashed me an eyeful of her ripped bra. That was pretty memorable.
7. What's changed on your blog since its inception? ...a redo? ...a change of pace? ...or is it about the same?
It's very different. I was at LJ then. I was co-running a fansite, and my entries were mostly about that. My journal looked like this (click image for larger):
College Colors Day! It's today, for those of you who are working at all. Seems half my friends took off today, for a four-day weekend. Nice. I'm working, but it's a morning shift, so I'll be out at 11:30!
NCAA football has begun, signaling the official beginning of fall. YAY!!!!!11!!!!1! Aggies v. SFA tomorrow. I'll have to go harass my SFA friend, Sheryl.
We had crisis management training yesterday at work. There were several policies about which we had discussions, things that had no right or wrong decision, but we thought should be decided on a case-by-case basis during the emergency.
One example: We are in a three-story building. It is policy not to take a wheelchair-bound person down the stairs in any emergency involving the shutdown of elevators. Not carrying them, not rolling them (although that is kinda stupid), nothing. We are talking things like fire and tornado. Who will leave a person upstairs in a situation like that? And while the employer's concern is liability, should you hurt the person while bringing them out, I brought up the fact that you could be sued (with good reason in my opinion) for NOT attempting to get them out. Someone else mentioned there is now a Good Samaritan law in Texas, so it's difficult for someone to sue you for injuring them while trying to save their life. The company line is still- you take on that risk yourself. Company lawyers will not help you if you try to carry someone down the stairs in a fire. Most people in the room said they would take that risk.
In a single day, Kiptyn has started eating solid food, stopped eating cat litter and began using the litter box. That's a great thing! I was worried about the little guy.
Wednesday morning, the vet declared him underweight, and said he was a somewhat concerned that he was not at the same developmental stage as his sister (eating solid food and being litter trained). Additionally, since he's really bony thin (under all that fur- see below for pics), eating clay litter can indicate anemia or other diseases. The vet told me that our number one priority for him is to get him eating and have him gain a significant amount of weight over the next three weeks.
Sunday and Monday, he ate nothing at all. I thought he was just nervous about his new environment and being away from mom and the siblings. Late Monday and all day Tuesday, he ate kitten formula and then hard food saturated to mush with formula, but he's too big to get enough nutrients from that. He would not touch the first dish of canned food I gave him Wednesday, until I poured formula over it. But... the next dish, he devoured completely, sans formula, and also ate Maya's leftovers from her dish.
Also at the vet's recommendation, we changed from clay litter to Yesterday's News, which is Purina's recycled newspaper pellet litter. That was to discourage him from eating it, since the texture isn't great for eating. He hasn't eaten any of it. Luckily, Maya switched with no problem. Then yesterday evening, Kiptyn used the litter box for the first time. I was so happy. Seriously. Huge sigh of relief there.
Photos!
Ticketmaster tells me Corpus Christi is part of "San Antonio and Austin." Right. Evidently, Hidalgo (on the border of Mexico) has become a suburb as well. Who knew? Bienvenidos, Hidalgo!
Hidalgo is six hours from here, y'all.
And what is it with artists doing the same tour when they come through town again? Carrie Underwood is doing another "Play On" concert, and Lady Gaga is doing another "Monster Ball." It'll have been seven months. Can't we get a new tour?
I've decided that it's just too expensive to see comedians in arenas or performance halls. I have as much fun spending $10-20 at a comedy club for a comedian I've never even heard of. Plus clubs have free parking. And good drinks.
Facebook Connect is creeping me out. I clicked on a questionable photo in Google Image Search yesterday (Hey, don't judge. You would have totally clicked this one, too.) and I ended up on some cheap imitation of Flickr photo site, and it shows the large version of the questionable photo, a like button and "post to my wall and news feed," etc. No thanks.
And now Facebook is on Livejournal. Cross-posting capabilities, etc. *sigh* Cross-posting is for lazy bloggers.
Gotta post this on my LJ...
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