Last Day of 2011

Yesterday's movie was Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows. I didn't enjoy the first Sherlock Holmes (although I am a huge fan of Robert Downey, Jr. and Jude Law), so I was hesitant to see it, but it is getting such great audience reviews that I thought it would be OK. Once again, it was entertaining enough not to be bad, but I was sighing throughout, wondering when it would be over. The last few minutes are AWESOME though. Our full theater, ho-hum through the film, was moved to applause by that last scene. Very cute!

I'm almost college-footballed out and the big bowls haven't even begun. There have been some great games this week though. My fave so far- Baylor/Washington. Our bowl is starting shortly. Gig em Ags!!

Tonight- New Year's Eve! We are doing our second annual Super-Nice New Year's Dinner Out, this year at a well-reviewed steakhouse we've never been to before. Then it's back to the hacienda for drinks and jello wrestling.

Everyone have a safe and happy New Year's Eve! See ya' in 2012.

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Holiday Cinema

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is really, really good. It's very dark, and an incredibly compelling mystery. And that girl has a gift for perfect revenge. Just sayin'.

The film will make you uncomfortable to your core, but I guarantee you won't leave the theater or look at your watch during that two hours and forty-five minutes. Unless you absolutely have to pee, but you'll hold it until you're doing the pee pee dance down the theater hallway as fast as you can to get back before you miss too much.

ER heartthrob Goran Visnjic looks quite different with gray hair. Still hot, but those dark eyebrows are distracting. Too much contrast. Instead of watching the movie during his two scenes, I was trying to figure out if his eyebrows didn't turn gray... or if he's coloring just the eyebrows, which would be sorta weird... and maybe he should color the brows gray if they didn't turn on their own... Distracting.

Wednesday, Jeff and I watched a movie called Arena, with Samuel L. Jackson, who is far too good an actor to have participated in any capacity. It's the first film in a while that's actually made me want to throw up. It was better than Human Centipede, but that is not saying... well, anything really. It's one of the most violent movies I've ever seen. A lot of it is Saw gory, most certainly for the shock value. Hollywood must have flat run out of movie blood when they filmed this thing. Like Centipede, I'm betting there's a drinking game to go along with it!

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Circles and Real Housewives

The commercial for the new Galaxy Nexus at Verizon features Google+ (who?) circles. The guy has a circle called "Ex-Girlfriends."



At what point would you ever interact with your exes as a group? It sounds like a nightmare I had once. Friends, if you're ever tempted to group your former significant others on your social network, please step away from the tequila and think again.

~

Now that the Photoshop project is unwrapped, I can tell you all about it! A while back, Laura and I were talking about how they should do a Real Housewives of Austin. We cast ourselves, along with Tracy, KathyL and Sharon. (Bravo, if you ever wanna get really Real, we're your girls.) I wrote a detailed blog entry about it then.

So I took an old promo photo from Real Housewives of NYC, and put our heads on their bodies. I was going to just chunk them on there, obviously fake and silly, but when Sharon's head fit seamlessly onto Bethenny's body, I decided to make it look more like a real publicity shot. It doesn't, because I'm a total hack at image manipulation, but it looks fairly close. I even created a realistic logo for the show. Because there are six ladies in this particular picture, I added Laura's friend Kim. Kim is great and would fit perfectly into our cast. She wouldn't be that new character you hate for an entire season, just because she's new. (You know what I mean? Although sometimes you hate the new girl for legitimate reasons, like she's insane. *coughKellycough*)

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Merry Christmas

A very Merry Christmas to my friends, family and blog followers! I hope all those who celebrate are having a wonderful morning with loved ones.

Here's my favorite Christmas song, "Oh Holy Night," played by Chris Daughtry (at 25m 30s):

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Writing

The act of putting pen to paper encourages pause for thought. This in turn makes us think more deeply about life, which helps us regain our equilibrium. -Norbet Platt

This blog is written in a very casual format. Its purpose is idle chatter, sometimes silly, sometimes serious, sometimes cheeky, very typically scattered, with commentary on whatever I'm thinking about on a given day. Behind the scenes and in other spaces, I have always been serious about writing.

I kept paper journals growing up and through college. Although raw, as journals tend to be, they were well-written accounts of everything of consequence that happened in my day, along with my thoughts and feelings about it all. (I wish so much that I still had them!)

I was a sports writer for my high school newspaper, and also a very prolific poet and song writer during my teen years. A humorous Christmas poem I wrote at age 16 was published in a Houston entertainment magazine.

As an adult, I've written three-and-a-half novel-length stories and several short stories. I have participated in fun writing challenges with friends on the web. I've also written many song parodies and a couple of new songs. I write a portion of the web content for three websites. As some of you know, I have been talking for years about writing a musical, although somehow it never seems to be the right time for it. I will get to it.

I just found out that one of my former coworkers has a blog. I've known her for years as a highly successful business woman, a manager with a particular talent for hiring people with great ideas and letting them run with them. She's a no-nonsense, get it done sort of person at work, with little time for water cooler chit chat. Well, her blog is amazing. It's extremely personal and engaging, with true stories about her life and honest, sometimes heart-wrenching observations. Her writing is flawless. I was so moved I sent her a note about it. Turns out she has a journalism degree. Who knew! She's going back to writing now, after decades of being fairly removed from it.

"It's therapeutic," she told me.

That it is. :)

So this post is to all the aspiring writers, former writers and closet writers out there. Write! For yourself or for others. Be funny or serious. Something long or short. Publish it in a blog, on a message board or Facebook for everyone to see, or share it with one special person... or no one at all. You will be glad you did.

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Shopping in the Nether Regions

I'll be in far north Austin all day today, where my friend is having her surgery. She's having a hysteroscopy, not a hysterectomy... if you remember that whole hoo-ha. There will be about three hours during the process where I'll either come home or hang out somewhere near the hospital. I'd been trying to figure out where I could shop or see a movie or something, but nothing had come to mind.

Then Jeff remembered that we are supposed to get a toothbrush for the cats. (Seriously. The vet says we need to brush their teeth because those two are particularly prone to plaque build-up.) The regular toothbrush was a fabulous toy, while an epic fail for cleaning teeth, but there is a toothbrush that fits over your fingertip that is available at the pet store.

Jeff: A cat toothbrush. That's what you can shop for while you're in the nether regions of Austin!
Me: You mean northern regions?
Lauren *spits her drink*
Jeff: Northern... nether...

Not the same.

Actually, I do need to go to The Container Store up that way for a cuter box than the one I used for my mother-in-law's Christmas gift. I used an Amazon shipping box for something very heavy. I've felt awful about it ever since I wrapped it. It needs a white box. Container Store is surely a nightmare two days before Christmas, but it's totally worth the effort for the sake of a pretty presentation. Plus... Container Store! Yay!!

~

Best quote from last night's finale of The X Factor USA--  Steve Jones saying, "Coming up- Incredible performances... and Justin Bieber!" Ahaha.

Congratulations, Melanie, the first X Factor USA winner! We loved her from her first audition! Josh, for whom I had a slight preference to win, is equally talented, with a completely different style and voice. He connects with the audience during his performances, which Melanie never really does. She can easily improve that though. If Simon's people got Carrie Underwood from the aloof singer she was on AI to the extremely personable and emotive artist she is today, they can work with Melanie on eye contact, smiling, etc.

~

Last weekend SNL had a hilarious bit with a "flirting expert" played by Kristen Wiig. You have to see it...

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A Blythe Yule to Ye!

I gave KathyL a bottle of MacAllan 15yr Fine Oak Scotch for Christmas. She was thrilled and offered me a drink. I told her I would try a teensy bit, but I have had Scotch (cheap stuff) before and it was one of the most awful things I've ever tasted. She told me this was "very different," as JeffC and many others who enjoy it have also said.

While it is infinitely smoother than what I had years ago, it still has the whiskey taste that makes me want to hurl. I had barely a few drops of it and she took the rest. Actually, I can't think of any hard liquor I like straight up in a glass. The more it can be hidden in a mixer, the better.

Cheers and Merry Christmas, Scotch lovers!


Meet Me on Monday

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags?
wrapping paper

2. Real or artificial tree?
artificial

3. When do you put your tree up?
the day after Thanksgiving

4. When do you take your tree down?
New Year's Day

5. Do you like eggnog?
in extremely limited quantities

6. Do you have a nativity scene?
I have the hand-poured porcelain one my grandmother made :)

7. Favorite Christmas Movie?
Love, Actually

8. Favorite Christmas cookie?
thumbprint cookies filled with red and green frosting

9. Where will you eat Christmas dinner?
at my in-laws

10. Angel, bow or star on top of your tree?
angel

11. Most annoying thing about this time of the year?
trying to coordinate activities and gift exchanges with everyone when we're all so busy!

12. Do you like Fruitcake?
Does anyone?

13. What are you most excited about the holidays?
hanging out with the fam

14. Do you open presents Christmas Eve or Christmas Morning?
Christmas morning

15. Will you still be wrapping presents on Christmas Eve?
Nope. I'm done wrapping!

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Timeline 'n Stuff

Jeff and I went to the Armadillo Christmas Bazaar at Palmer last night with Scott and Julie. There is some seriously cool stuff there! Very unique artists. I even bought a supercute gift for a certain gardening friend. Then we had dinner at Habana. I tried the picadillo and arroz con gandules, which were both oh so awesome!! My new faves.

OK, it's time to talk Facebook Timeline. I like the whole Timeline concept- having a personal and customizable web page. It looks good and has all sorts of fun information. The problem is-- so few people ever see it. Brand new friends probably check it out once to catch up. Older friends may take a look... at some point... if they are completely bored and/or looking for ideas for their own cover photos.

Yep, that's about it.

I like the applications that can be featured on the Timeline, like Spotify and Netflix, but I don't like that to use them, you have to post all your songs and movies in the news feed. The news feed "noise" from them has already started. I don't want to see a note in my feed every time a friend listens to a song, but it would be interesting to see the last several songs they listened to on their Timeline... if I ever looked at it.

So it's a terrific idea, just a very limited audience.

Finally, from a Family Guy rerun yesterday:



"...Oh wait... I have an iPod like the rest of the world!" Bwahaha!

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Slides

I collected all my mom's slides into one box at some point. (Dear young people... Slides are photos you look at on a big screen via a projector...) The other day, I finally sat down and checked the contents to see if I should send them to my photographer uncle in Chicago. He has all the "family slides" of my grandparents, aunt, uncles and my mom during the kids' growing up years and into the early 70's. I thought all Mom's slides were part of that collection, which I've seen many many times at family gatherings.

Turns out, they are mostly she, my dad and I!  They're all from 1967-1972, when I was a baby to five years old. We have photos from then as well, so it really surprised me. There's a whole pack of slides from my first ballet class and recital. Awww. I remember running (and dancing) around in that blue tutu all day, every day, at our house.

My mother liked to take photos of scenery, so at least half of the slides are pretty local and vacation spots. I like to take photos with people in them. Even when I take a photo of a landmark or beautiful scene, I frequently stick my traveling companions in it. Just something I noticed when I was looking through them.

I want to get the slides turned into prints, but at 50 cents per slide, I need to select the ones I want from the hundreds that are there. I wish I had a lightbox or slide projector. I guess I have to just hold them up in front of a lamp. Lame!

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Spring Cleaning in December

I always get the spring cleaning bug in winter. It's usually around Christmas, because we're getting things in and out of closets and I'm appalled at the state of storage in some of them. So far, I/we have done tons of work in the now perfectly organized game room:

• completely cleaned out and re-organized the closet
• got rid of two trash bags of Lauren's stuffed animals (don't worry, she still has about 4 bags worth)
• gathered up no longer played video games and controllers to sell to Amazon

We also decided to sell all our CDs, since we store and listen to our music on computers and iPods. The last real CD any of us bought, with liner notes and everything, was about four years ago. (And major labels will no longer make CDs after 2012.) The only place I play CDs is on trips in the car, and I can use my iPhone there or burn a CD from iTunes anytime I want to. Most of the CDs in our car are mixes burned from iTunes.

Think of all the space you can clear!

Before you rid yourself of original CDs, make sure that you did indeed rip all of them to your device of choice, and also that you continue or begin to keep backups of your music. We automatically back ours up to a computer every week. There's also the cloud as a backup option.

A couple of other tips: Online stores that buy CDs are reported to pay the same as local stores (most of them ARE local stores), so you can save shipping by just selling your CDs to your local reseller. Also, they like perfect jewel cases, so I moved any CDs with cracked or scratched cases to new ones. If you don't have extras sitting around, you'll probably have mix-CDs or other random non-sellable CDs with which you can switch cases.

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Shopping.... Check!

I got my Christmas shopping done yesterday. Whee!!! KathyL and I are going to bake tons of cookie gifts today in her beautiful, new kitchen.

Oh, and in case anyone is wondering where their 2011 Christmas card and mildly amusing newsletter is from me, I didn't mail any out this year. I am thinking seriously about sending something for New Year's, but who knows.

Patrick's Sunday Seven

Here’s a list of Time magazine’s All-Time 100 greatest and most influential gadgets since 1923. Name seven of Time’s 100 All-Time Gadgets that you’ve either owned or used.

1. Apple iPod - We still have all the iPods we've purchased over the years. Four, I think. From my first (the giant fourth gen 40GB, non-color) to Lauren's teensy Shuffle
2. Logitech Harmony - best remote we've ever had. Get one! Makes a great gift!
3. Mattel Electronics Football - fun!! I still remember the sounds. And Mom telling me to turn it off.
4. Apple iPhone- finally got one this year! Better late than... wait my battery is dead again... Heh. No, I love it.
5. Palm Pilot- not sure what the model was, but I remember all the special writing required to enter data with the stylus.
6. Dirt Devil Hand Vac - yep. Had it.
7. Fujifilm Quick Snap Disposable Camera- was a genius idea for parties!

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Christmas Party

Jean's party was fun last night! We do an ornament exchange every year, where people draw numbers to determine order and each person either opens a wrapped ornament or steals an opened ornament from someone else. The exchange ends when the number one person gets to choose whether to keep her ornament or trade with someone.

I hadn't heard of the Night Before Christmas game, but we talked about it. It sounds like a really fun way to exchange ornaments, too!

We drank my Ménage à Trois Moscato at the party. It's not very sweet. It was fine, but definitely not a typical Moscato.


Saturday 9: I Will Survive

1. What in 2011 has proved to you that you are a survivor?
Absolutely nothing, which is good!

2. Have you ever stayed online for a very long time waiting for someone?
Only once or twice, years ago. I wouldn't do it today, because there are so many other methods of communication. If the person wants to talk to you, they can just contact you another way.

3. Are you REALLY ready for the holidays?
Yeah. It's low key this year, so no biggie. I still need one more gift and I have to wrap everything.

4. Did you have an imaginary friend as a kid?
Nope. Although I see how it would have made for a really cute story right at this moment.

5. What niche network do you watch the most?
HGTV

6. Have you ever seen the ocean?
Many many times. I grew up near the ocean.

7. Have you ever been hospitalized?
A few times... for a couple of surgeries, Lauren's birth and a life-threatening lung thing that completely disappeared and remains a medical mystery today.

8. What do you think of the US Republican candidates for president?
Mitt Romney- Very slick and politician-y. I hate that. I don't trust what he's saying.
Newt Gingrich- I don't like all his personal life problems. Not that most politicians don't have issues of personal integrity, but his are front and center. He is a polarizing individual I don't think would be able to get anything done. I've always found him just plain irritating.
Rick Perry- It's like Bush, Jr. all over again. Just... no. Let's not be the laughing stock of the world.
Michele Bachman- Far too conservative. A little "out there."
Ron Paul- His ideas are too fringe for him to be a realistic candidate.

Those are all the ones I know. If the Republicans can't come up with anyone I like, I'll abstain from voting for president next year. My general feeling about Obama is that he had the skills and an incredible opportunity to motivate Congress to work together, but as soon as he ran up against his first challenge with them, he gave up. He could have hung in there and chiseled away at the divides, but he just threw up his hands. He seems to approach the presidency as a drudgery, and I am surprised he's running again. There's intense pressure for the incumbent to run again though, so I get it.

Donald Trump said he might run as an Independent. Can you imagine? *shudder* He would probably commercialize the whole thing. "And now, live from the House of Representatives chamber, it's the State Farm State of the Union Address, with your host, Mario Lopez!!"

9. Could you imagine life without a computer?
And have to go to the library or own a set of encyclopedias to look up information? And use snail mail? And a typewriter? What a nightmare.

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Facebook Status of the Week

Oops- forgot my new thang!

Facebook Status of the Week

(Friends who own a daycare accompanied this status with a photo of five toddlers playing in a box by the front door.)

"The Occupy movement takes over the entryway. The 99% demand redistribution of cookies, more time outside and fewer naps."

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Moo-ooo-oooooooves Like Jagger

I awoke this morning at 5 a.m. with "Moves Like Jagger" in my head. I only know the chorus, so it wasn't long before I had to get the heck up and distract myself.

It's now 7 a.m. and I don't need to try to control you... look into my eyes and I'll own you...

Ack.

Anyhoo----

The Bloggess invited her readers to bring someone to her "most fascinating dinner party IN THE WORLD." I'm totally bringing Anderson Cooper.


Friday Five: Literally Figurative

1. Do you prefer to be in the driver’s seat or in the co-pilot’s chair, literally and figuratively?
Figuratively, I prefer co-pilot. Literally, I prefer to drive.

2. Do you have a lot of baggage, literally and figuratively?
No and no.

3. How much junk have you got in the trunk, literally and figuratively?
Literally none. Figuratively, more than I'd like. Better too much than too little though.

4. At celebrations where people are drinking, are you more likely to be literally or figuratively drunk as a skunk?
Nah, I don't drink to that point. I think the last time I was over-served was over ten years ago. The Jeffs and I were at the Hyatt and I accidentally ordered a fishbowl-sized margarita. And drank it.

5. What’s something you enjoy that’s literally cheesy, and what’s something you enjoy that’s figuratively cheesy?
Literally- Torchy's Tacos queso. Figuratively - The X Factor.

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*Insert Name Here* Has Joined the Conference

Yesterday, I was on a conference call at the office, with our marketing director and probably 100 other people around the country. The first ten minutes of the thing, the guy running the meeting was barely audible underneath constant announcements of...

"Mindy Sparkles has joined the conference."

"Steve Cummings has joined the conference."

"Britney Paris has joined the conference..."

(Not sure why I seem to be making up stripper names this morning, but you get the picture.)

Please, meeting organizers. Turn off the announcements if you're hosting a conference call for more than maybe ten people.

Then we had to keep making sure our phone was muted because we were making nasty comments about the late people... and the announcements. Luckily only one of the tons of folks on the call accidentally left their phone unmuted. They made a couple of comments on the meeting before muting. Oops. Now THAT's entertainment!

I finally solved my printing problem from yesterday. I had to play with the printer settings (ended up using "photo" and high print quality for the best results) and also changed from matte photo paper to superdy-duperdy high quality inkjet paper (who knew?!). Just in case anyone else out there comes here searching for problems printing photos- there's some stuff to try. Incidentally, I just stuck a piece of cardstock behind the paper in the frame to give it more body. Yeah, I have every sort of paper imaginable.

I have hanging doorknob sign paper, people. It's a sickness.

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Good Morning!

I spent hours working on a hilarious Photoshop gift for someone this week. It looks good, but I can't get it to print correctly. Gaaaaaah! Someone shoot me.

You know the two Christmas commercials for Marshalls/TJ Maxx/Whatever-the-other-is, where the Glee-types sing a song all over the mall to the tune of "Up on the Housetop"? The first one... here it is:



At the end, instead of "...same great giiiiift," do you sing "...same great shiiiiit"?

We do, too!! 

Meet Me on Monday

1. Tomorrow I'm going to _________?
go to the mall for a particular present only available there, and to Pier 1 to buy an ornament for Jean's party this weekend.

2. Pudding or Jello?
usually pudding

3. What book are you currently reading?
Not reading one at the moment, but I would love to read Jack Kennedy: Elusive Hero by Chris Matthews!

4. What is the first concert you went to see?
The first "real" concert at a concert venue was the Go-Go's at the Summit in Houston. My friends and I attended tons of Astroworld concerts before that. We were there literally almost every day during the summers in middle school. Not sure what our first big name concert was there.

5. What is your current weather?
68°F, light rain, winds south at 7mph, humidity 93%. It's similar to spring in Houston, only the humidity would be 110%.

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More on Ménage à Trois...

Found out the story behind the whole wine logo thing from this morning. Folie à Deux is the winery that makes the Ménage à Trois wines. From their website:

It’s Okay To Be A Little Crazy About Wine... In 1981, two wine-loving psychiatrists established a boutique winery they named Folie à Deux, a French term meaning “a passion shared by two.”

Hence, the dancing ladies!

Their Ménage à Trois wines are each a blend of three different grapes. I have tried and enjoyed the Red (Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot) in the past (thanks Cathy!), and now I have a bottle of their Moscato (Moscato grapes from different winemakers in different regions), which is as yet unopened. They also have mixed White (Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc, Moscato... ooh), Chardonnay (Chardonnay grapes from different Cali counties... Chardonnay makes me kinda gag, but I can see why YOU like it) and Rosé (Merlot, Syrah, Gewürztraminer... sounds yummy!).

These are inexpensive wines available just about everywhere, including Target. So try some!

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Matching Cohosts

But first... Why is the Ménage à Trois wine logo two women dancing?

*ponders*

So there were rumors that George Stephanopoulos was going to be replaced by Josh Elliott on Good Morning America. GMA denied it, so it's probably completely false, but it started discussion over how mismatched Robin and Steffy are, because she is so tall and he is so short. Josh is a burly sort of guy and looks more physically matched to her as a cohost.

I like George a lot! But I do always notice he seems really little next to Robin. So I had an idea- instead of giving George's job to Josh, they could find a woman littler than George to replace Robin. Jeff suggested Kelly Ripa. I was all, Yes!

Good Morning America with Kelly and Steffy.

OK. Maybe it's a good thing we're not in charge of casting.

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iPhone Battery Suckage

The iPhone has the most unpredictable battery ever. Love the phone. Hate the battery issues.

Some days I use my phone all day long and it has at least 20% battery when I go to bed. Other days I barely touch it and it's practically dead by the evening news. Not long ago, I charged it overnight and it was only at 93% by morning. Last night I went to bed with it at 45% (didn't charge it) and it is completely dead now. That's seven hours of standby eating half my battery.

It's so frustrating!

I can only guess that some apps are sucking my power during standby- perhaps the ones that use the GPS, though they shouldn't use it while the app is running in the background.

I want a single button on my screen that I can press to shut down every open app. A simple request, but no.

On a more blissful and blessed note, Jack and Diane had cutie baby Jacob yesterday!! Gotta call my uncle and give him the old "Hey Grandpa!" bit... Mwahaha!

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Ooh Baby Baby!

My cousin went into labor last night with the baby she never thought she would have. I am so excited for her that I could burst!! What an adventure she and her hubby are about to begin. The best one ever!

:-))))

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Fridaaaaaaay!

Borrowing the Friday Dance from Shane today...

\o\../o/..\o\../o/..\o\../o/..\o\../o/..\o\../o/..\o/

I'm starting a new thing here on the old blog. I'll post a FB status of the week, selected from my friends' statuses, on Fridays. Here we go...

          Facebook Status of the Week

          "I think Siri and I just had our first fight." -JP

(Heh.)

We were having lunch at Doc's yesterday when the Virginia Tech thing went down. We watched everything on the one news station of ten televisions otherwise showing sports, with no sound. After a bit, a displayed headline said that two people had been killed. Then it said they had caught the guy. Then it said more shots were being fired, at which point we weren't sure if they had never actually caught the guy at all, or they caught the wrong guy, or there were multiple shooters, or maybe someone was just hearing things. Then they started showing video from the previous shootings from 2007, which was very confusing until the year came up at the bottom of the screen. One really needs sound during these reports.

Very sad situation, and I can't imagine how freaked out the students must have been.

I've been doing aerobic kickboxing for four years now, and they pulled a brand new move out of their hat the other day- the "side punch." It's like you have an opponent standing about two feet to your side and slightly behind you (cuz that always happens). It's similar to the elbow, where you go from center position to elbowing the guy at a 90-degree angle straight to the side, but instead, you fling your entire arm to the side, and hit with your fist. After about two of those, your shoulder starts hurting. By the fourth one, you know it's going to be Motrin time in the morning. Unless you're 20. Then it's probably fine.

I have to say it feels more like a move from The Three Stooges than martial arts.

Nyuk nyuk.

Wow. Dating myself there. Moving on...

Friday Five: Toppings

1. What’s your favorite ice cream topping?
chocolate sauce

2. What’s your favorite pizza topping?
veggie - mushrooms, red onions, black and green olives, sun-dried tomatoes

3. What’s your favorite thing to sprinkle cocoa powder on?
eww. nothing.

4. What’s your favorite thing to put whipped cream on?
The only thing I like to put whip cream on is pumpkin pie. I don't like it on coffee or ice cream or any of the other things people put it on.

5. What do you like to put upon a cracker?
Brie

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Boop

Our kitties are about a year-and-a-half old now. Ever since we got them, we've done this pet-owner-ish weird thing, in that little voice people use when talking to their pets, where we put our fingertip on their nose and say, "Boop." Then there's usually a follow-up comment (when the cat looks at us like, WTF?) where we'll say, "I booped you!"

Well, Lauren saw this yesterday...

I mean, this is amusing anyway, but with all the booping that goes on in our house, it is freakin' hysterical!

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HEB Plus

Yesterday morning, Jeff and I were joking around about H-E-B Plus (an expanded version of a regional grocery store chain), whose commercial said they carry televisions and furniture. We were pondering what other random non-grocery things they sell. Used cars... Lingerie... Exotic reptiles...

Later:

Me (on the phone): There's an APD SWAT Team standoff nearby.
Jeff: H-E-B?
Me: A... P... D.
Jeff: Oh! I was thinking, H-E-B has a SWAT Team? Geez, they really have branched out.

Ahahaaaaaaa! Just try and lift a candy bar this holiday season... Suzanne Wade will show up with her red-shirted associates and spray your house with tinsel and snowballs.



Actually, H-E-B Plus probably carries ammo.

And loose diamonds... Live bait...

OK. I'm done.

:)

I have not done Lyrics of the Day in forever! I just heard this song on the radio and it's one of those that I've heard a million times, but it always touches me for some weird reason. I just love it.

Song Lyrics del Dia

...I'm falling even more in love with you
Letting go of all I've held on to
I'm standing here until you make me move
I'm hanging by a moment here with you...

"Hanging By a Moment" Lifehouse

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Monday Meme

Sunday Stealing: The Blue Memory Meme, Part One

1) If the whole world were listening to you right now, what would you say?
Citizens of Earth, I beseech you to love and support each other, to make this world a better place for all of us. And... Gig 'em!!!

2) If you could meet anyone on this earth, who would it be?
George Bush, Sr.

3) You just got a free plane ticket to anywhere. You have to depart right now. Where are you gonna go?
Sydney, Australia. It's summer and I've never been.

4) What do you think about most?
at the moment- my daughter

5) You have the opportunity to spend a romantic night with the music celebrity of your choice. Who would it be?
John Taylor of Duran Duran. Back in the day, it would have been him or Michael Hutchence of INXS. Oh. Yes.

6) You can erase any horrible experience from your past. What will it be?
My parents' divorce when I was 15.

7) What's your strangest talent?
No strange talents that I can think of!

8) What would be a question you'd be afraid to tell the truth on?
None. Fire away!

9) Ever had a poem or song written about you?
Nope. I've written a few, but no one has written one for me... yet. Let that be a challenge to you, Jeffery. Hee.

10) When is the last time you played the air guitar?
Just the other day, when that commercial with the family singing "Crazy Train" came on.



11) Do you have any strange phobias?
Nah

12) What's your religion?
I am a Christian, unaffiliated with a particular church at the moment. I was raised Catholic. In college I attended a Bible Church for a couple of years, which was a bit too fundamentalist for a Catholic girl. If I were a member of a church today, it would be a non-denominational Christian church. I have strong spiritual beliefs. I've just always been disappointed in the politics of the churches I've attended.

13) What is your current desktop picture? 
Texas A&M University wallpaper

14) When you are outside, what are you most likely doing?
walking the neighborhood

15) What's the last song you listened to?
"Good Life" OneRepublic

16) Simple but extremely complex. Favorite band?
The Beatles

17) What was the last lie you told?
I can't remember having told a lie in recent years.

18) Do you believe in karma?
I believe that you generally reap what you sow.

19) What is a saying you say a lot?
"I've got bigger fish to fry."

20) What is your greatest weakness; your greatest strength?
weakness- I sometimes keep my personal opinions to myself, to avoid unnecessary confrontations, then realize later that it might have been worth the argument. One can be too diplomatic.
strength- I can learn most new things well and very quickly

21) Who is your celebrity crush?
George Clooney

22) Give me the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the word: heart.
Austin's wonderful Championship Hearts Foundation, which provides free heart screenings for student athletes

23) How do you vent your anger?
I sing really loud to pissy music.

24) Do you have a collection of anything?
DVDs of musicals

25) What is your favorite word?
serendipitous

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Hyster......... something

Two weeks ago, on the same day my mammogram showed something (eek) that turned out to be nothing (whew), one of my girlfriends had some tests run and found out that she has a pre-cancerous uterine condition. I took her out to dinner that night and we chatted about it. She told me that she has to have a hysterectomy.

She said she wasn't planning on telling her mother about her lab results OR the hysterectomy. I said that her mother would want to know. She said she didn't want her to worry. We had the whole conversation you might imagine. She asked me if I would tell her mom, if she didn't. I said I would want to tell her, but I probably wouldn't be able to pick up a phone and actually do it, against my friend's wishes.

I very strongly encouraged her to tell her mom, because if her mother found out later, or if, Heaven forbid, something further happened and she needed the support, her mom would feel so awful that she hadn't known all along. Plus, you have a whole trust issue after that. And what are moms for, if not to worry about you and take care of you when you need them? That's the very reason we have Supermommy powers.

Then, as we're chatting along about whatever, she asked if I was up and around the day of my hysterectomy (elective, a few years ago because of obnoxious periods from Hell, totally worth it). I said they may have gotten me out of bed once at the hospital that day, but not really "up" until the next day at least.

She was confused.

Friend: They told me I would be up and around that afternoon, but I can't go back to work until the next day.
Me (shocked): The next day?!! Man, insurance companies are really running the system. Now we have drive-through hysterectomies?
Friend: Yeah, it's a day surgery.
Me: Are you sure you're having a hysterectomy? I was 3-4 days in the hospital and about another 3-4 days of recovery mode at home. And I'm pretty pain tolerant. Then you're not allowed to even drive for six weeks.
Friend: Oh. Hmmm... Maybe the doctor didn't say 'hysterectomy'?
Me: Maybe 'hysteroscopy'?
Friend: Maybe. I guess I need to call the doctor back.

Yeesh. Not that a hysteroscopy sounds as fun as a barrel of monkeys, but there is quite a difference between that and a hysterectomy.

It's been two weeks and she hasn't called the doctor back yet, much less made the surgery appointment, whatever it may be. Now I AM threatening to tattle on her.

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A Blender for Christmas?

Me: I think I want a KitchenAid 560 blender for Christmas.
Jeff: I am not getting you a blender for Christmas. That's terrible.
Me: Why? It's a nice one.
Jeff: I thought you wanted a grill pan! Oh. I guess that's kind of the same as a blender.

Kinda! LOL.

So I want a grill pan, a blender and the "Spongebob's Surf and Skate Roadtrip" game for Xbox. And of course world peace.


Friday Five: BRRR!

1. What’s your favorite thing about cold weather?
Snuggling up under a blanket with the hubby or the kiddo or both.

2. Soups and hot beverages seem to be everyone’s favorite cold-weather culinary combatant, but what’s another food that seems to take the bite out of the cold?
Chili

3. When the weather is just starting to turn cold but is not yet in full frigidity, what do you add to your bed until it’s time to break out the heavy artillery? (I said what, not whom!)
I replace the summer blanket with the thick electric blanket, but I don't turn it on. When it's really cold, I'll plug it in. I only turn it on to warm everything up before I get into bed. It's too hot to sleep with it on.

4. What household chore seems especially unkind in these colder months?
Taking out the trash. Brr!!

5. Among people you know, who seems most oblivious to cold weather?
JeffC. He was raised in it.

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Retail Therapy

Yesterday was pretty great! :)

But I can feel today sucking already. :(

I think it's going to be retail therapy day. Actually, this is the most wonderful time of the year for retail therapy, because we all have to shop for Christmas anyway. Shopping for others is always my favorite kind of shopping. It's the thrill of the hunt for perfect gifts!! Some cower and groan at the thought, but I love it.

Jeff's cousins from Missouri are going to be at the Christmas gathering in Dallas this year. I'm really looking forward to seeing them. We don't keep in close contact, so we don't know their tastes that well, but they're family, so gifts should be something a little more interesting than general purpose items along the stationery/photo frame line. I'm thinking Texas food gifts.

Everyone likes a little habanero salsa, yes?

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Shimmy Shimmy Strut Strut, Give a Little What What...

I just searched the iTunes store for "Train." It asked me, "Did you mean T-Pain?"

Uhhhh... no.

I did a FitTV workout yesterday that I thought would be different and awesome-- Burlesque!! Cool, right?! After about 15 minutes of writhing around on the floor, whipping my hair around and feeling myself up (I *think* that was part of the routine), I decided this particular program is actually for guys to watch, not for women to do as a workout. Don't fall for it, girls. You won't even break a sweat.

I think they are calling FitTV "Discovery Fit & Health" now, in case any dudes are grabbing their remotes to search. Enjoy!

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LOL Tuesday

From xkcd.com, where you can waste LOTS of time, should you be so inclined. You're welcome.

Ahahaaaaa! Story. Ofmylife.

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Broken Dishwasher Bluuuuues

While we were at a stop light yesterday, the guy in the car next to us actually tossed a piece of trash out his window. What kind of boor do you have to be to throw garbage out of your car onto the ground? I'm pretty sure most people stopped doing that in the mid-80's.

Our dishwasher stopped working the day before Thanksgiving. Ugh. Talk about bad timing... the week with the highest volume of dirty dishes generated. We found the one we wanted (after our typical Consumer Reports research and polling friends) at Sears, but the salespeople there are annoying and also kept trying to steer us to some Kenmore that was on sale for a few hundred dollars less than the dishwasher we wanted - a huge clue that the Kenmore had some sort of problem.

So we went to Lowe's, where we had been earlier, and asked them to price-match the one we wanted. Lowe's knocked off the $50 to match the Sears price, plus another $50! Thanks, Lowe's! PLUS it would have been delivered on Dec 16 from Sears and could be delivered as early as tomorrow from Lowe's. Huge difference, when you're hand washing everything!

Meet Me on Monday

1.  I really need to clean my _________.
closet

2.  What food makes you think of Christmas?
homemade chocolate chip cookies- Mom made a metric ton of them every year and brought them to my grandparents' house in College Station, where we and Mom's four siblings and their families celebrated. (People were sleeping everywhere! Very difficult to get your great-grandma up at 4 a.m. to open juuuuust one present without waking a bunch of other folks. "Sorry I woke you, Uncle Brian... Cookie?")

3.  If you could choose to stay a certain age forever, what age would it be? 
32

4.  What was your first paying job?
Babysitting! Working for someone else- a brief stint doing Houston Post telephone subscription sales.

5.  Have you read the Twilight series?
No, but I'm not a big fiction reader. I would probably read them if I were.

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Post -Thanksgiving Turkey Day!

I'm cooking Thanksgiving dinner today! We had leftover enchiladas for lunch yesterday and stadium fare for dinner. Meh. Bring on the stuffing.

The game yesterday was a great match-up of even teams. Two great defenses, two inconsistent offenses, both of whom spent three hours sucking last night. How there were any points made at all boggles the mind.

Because I live in Austin, I have a lot more friends who are Longhorns (or just fans of theirs) than Aggies. Longhorn fans being excited about their win- awesome! Good-natured teasing is even okay with me. Fervent, hateful railing on Aggies as a group, at any time, but particularly after a win, is utterly classless. Two malicious Facebook statuses from last night have forever changed my feelings about a couple of people in particular. I won't defriend them today, but they won't be on my friends list by the new year.

Bite me, jackwagons.

I am happy to report that the hope of our section at the game was carried by three season-ticket chicks, one of whom was moi. People were a bit sulky whenever our offense was on the field in the fourth quarter, but the three of us were waving our towels and cheering! WHOOP! I hope those girls are there again next year, along with our other neighbor season-ticketers.

I am very proud to be an Aggie and an Aggie football fan. The season was definitely not what we wanted or expected, but it had some fantastic moments. Thank you seniors, especially Ryan Tannehill, Cyrus Gray, Jeff Fuller, Coryell Judie, Tony Jerod-Eddie, and the amazing Randy Bullock, for your many contributions to our great team. Returning next year---- Ryan Swope, we love you! You ROCK! Ben Malena did a stellar job of stepping up with Gray and Michael out the last couple of games. Christine Michael should be back in the saddle as well. Thanks for a fun season and we'll see the fightin' Texas Aggies at Kyle Field next year!!

GIG 'EM!

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Happy Thanksgiving!

I hope all of you who are celebrating Thanksgiving have safe travels and a happy day! I am very thankful for too many things to list. Most thankful for family and friends. I treasure you every day.

I'll be serving our traditional meal tomorrow. Right now, we're preparing to head to College Station for the game. Today our game guest is Lauren's friend Shannon, who will be attending A&M as a freshman next year with Lauren.

This is Lauren's first t.u. game. I think she'll be surprised how much more intense it is. And how much your head can hurt and your voice can disappear from the screaming. In a good way! It's the last match-up for the foreseeable future. GIG 'EM!

Jeff and I saw The Descendants yesterday. You know I wanted to like the film. It was just very disjointed. Several aspects of the story were introduced and then dropped, like the teenage daughter's drug and alcohol problem. And I get that she might want to have her friend Sid with her for support, but would Dad really invite a new male friend of hers to stay in their hotel room, especially on such a personal trip? That being said, Sid was great. They had him along for comic relief, but didn't have a reason for him to be there, so they just tossed him in the mix and hoped the audience wouldn't question it.

George Clooney was awesome, of course. And I usually complain that he plays himself in every single role, but this one was definitely different.

Just wanted to note that. :)

The movie could have had a better flow and left out some extraneous things, while including more about the interesting story and subplots. My guess- this film was a victim of poor editing.

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Hmm...

I thought Lauren just said, "Ewok was yesterday," when she actually said "E-Walk..."

And with that, I'm not sure whether I lose my Aggie card or gain a geek card.

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I Love Music Award Shows, But...

I had a whole thing written up about this hilarious discussion Lauren and I had about what would happen if you returned to your human body after being an Avatar, and your Avatar transformation pod malfunctioned and you were trapped in there. Upon reading it though, you totally had to be there. There is a very important visual element that just can't adequately be described in words.

Lauren said she might let me post a video of her reenacting the conversation. Cross your fingers, friends! You don't want to miss that!

So instead, I have a mini-rant today:

The DJ on my radio station just echoed what I was saying last night-- What is up with the AMAs and other music award shows not knowing how to mix a band??! She complained, "They did Daughtry an injustice." I totally agree. Daughtry and every other performer on that show. A music savvy audience is tuning in to see this impressive list of performances, and they all sound horrific.

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Lieutenant Dan

We were at the game yesterday when some handlers paraded a dude in a nice suit past the end zone. Tons of people along the sidelines asked to have their photo taken with him. Everyone in our section started asking each other who he was. Some of our section got up and were using their cameras to zoom in and get a closer look. That's when I said, rather loudly, "It looks like Gary Sinise." And then the lady behind us excitedly told the people behind her, "Oh! It's Gary Sinise!"

And that's when the thing spread through the crowd like PRAIRIE WILDFIRE. People were immediately atwitter, discussing his film credits and how great he is on CSI.

There were a lot of really bad Forest Gump impressions.

We're in the 17th row. You should have seen me squinting as hard as I could to really see this guy, while hoping that it was Gary Sinise, but thinking, What the heck would Gary Sinise be doing at an A&M football game?! I was just waiting for someone to actually identify him as Tom Cruise... or the Brazos County Sheriff.

So I got on the web on my phone and Googled "Gary Sinise A&M football," and sure enough--- it was Gary Sinise! President Bush (Sr.) was at the game yesterday, being inducted into the Corps of Cadets Hall of Honor. He brought Gary Sinise as a guest.

From The Bryan College Station Eagle:

President George H.W. Bush also will be present, with special guest Gary Sinise, known to many as "Lt. Dan" from the film Forest Gump.

Sinise was a guest at a forum hosted by the former president in April 2010, where discussion centered around support for the USO.

"They had great interaction there and later that year he invited him to attend a football game," explained Kevin Wensing, spokesman for the president. "This was the first opportunity where his schedule allowed him to come, and it just also happens to be Military Appreciation Day.

Sinise is very active in supporting veterans and their families and also goes on USO tours with his band, The Lt. Dan Band.

They did eventually introduce him and show him on the sidelines on the jumbotron, waving an Aggie towel. Pretty cool.


Sunday Stealing: The Woman's Work 45 Meme

1. Do you like blue cheese salad dressing?
Quite a lot.

2. Favorite late night snack?
cereal

3. Do you own a gun?
No

4. What’s your favorite drink at Starbucks or other specialty coffee shop?
Lite Mocha Frappuccino

5. Do you get nervous before doctor appointments?
rarely

6. What do you think of hot dogs?
I like them, but I know how awful they are nutritionally, with respect to processing and dubious ingredients, so I don't eat them very often.

7. Favorite Christmas song?
"Oh Holy Night"

8. What do you prefer to drink in the morning?
I don't usually start drinking until noon. Heh.

If I am eating a regular breakfast, and not my everyday, highly processed Slim Fast with dubious ingredients, I usually drink skim milk.

9. Can you do push-ups?
A few, but I don't like to. Excessive push-ups and other pectoral exercises can flatten breast implants.

10. What’s your favorite piece of jewelry?
my wedding ring, followed very closely by my Aggie ring

11. Favorite hobby?
I don't really have a "hobby" at the moment. I particularly enjoy going to movies with friends and family, especially at fun theaters like the Alamo.

12. Do you have A.D.D.?
Nope

13. What’s one trait that you hate about yourself?
I don't really hate anything, but it would be nice not to be so easily moved to tears. Sad things, happy things, poignant moments... I'm not the annoying sobber or anything; it's that silent tear-streaming, where your "friends" will sometimes notice and not-so-sweetly say, "OMG. Are you crying?!" I've occasionally cried over football games- won and lost. Shed a few tears watching, or even just listening to, a really fantastic vocal performance. I've teared up a couple of times during the national anthem.

Um... Can someone pass me a tissue?...

14. The last disease you contracted?
I had a bladder infection last summer.

15. Name 3 thoughts at this exact moment.
I need to check times for The Descendants at the Drafthouse today.
Gotta add celery to my Thanksgiving grocery list. (I already have everything except fresh produce, which I always get last minute.)
No wonder my speakers aren't working... my headphones are still plugged in.

16. Name 3 drinks you regularly drink.
water with a splash of decaf tea, lemonade, diet Dr. Pepper

17. Current worry right now?
getting my Christmas shopping going before it gets really crowded at the mall

18. Current hate right now?
I hate people who steal credit card numbers. We've had it happen 5 times now and even though you aren't responsible for any of the charges, you have to get a new account. The whole thing is a pain in the rear. Yesterday we found out someone stole another one of ours and charged $1000 online to various women's clothing stores. I wish they would find the person and send you their address, so you could go there and pelt them with rotting garbage. Dirtbags.

19. Favorite place to be?
during football season? Kyle Field

20. How did you ring in the New Year?
with the Jeffs at McCormick and Schmick's

21. Like to travel?
Love to travel.

22. Name three people who will complete Sunday Stealing this week:
Laura, Doug and Gary Sinise

23. Do you own slippers?
yes, but I so very rarely wear them

24. What color shirt are you wearing?
blue

25. Do you like sleeping on satin sheets?
I like laying on satin sheets, but they aren't good for sleeping. The top sheet slides against the fitted sheet, usually all the way onto the floor during the night. Heck, I've had my comforter and top sheet slide off the bed when its made up. You sit on the bed to tie your shoe and... wheee! I like to sleep on cotton sheets.

26. Can you whistle?
I whistle, but I can only do it well while I am inhaling, not exhaling. Much like my daughter who can only jump rope backwards.

Perhaps I've said too much here. Moving on...

27. Favorite singer/band?
I'm not super into any one particular artist lately. I do have big love for Daughtry.

28. Could you ever make it 39 days on the show Survivor?
No, I'm more a hotel girl than the roughing-it sort. You don't want to be lost with me in the woods.

29. What songs do you sing in the shower?
Jazz standards

30. Favorite girl’s names?
Lauren, Ashley

31. Favorite boy’s names?
Ethan, Ian

32. What’s in your pocket right now?
a wocket

33. Last thing that made you laugh?
the three of us were having a little fun with an OU player's last name while we watched the end of the OU/Baylor game

34. Like your job?
Not working

36. Do you love where you live?
Very much

37. How many TVs do you have in your house?
4

38. Who is your loudest friend?
Laura

39. Do you drive the speed limit or speed?
I either drive right at the speed limit or just slightly over.

40. Does someone have a crush on you?
Nope

41. What is your favorite book?
The Notebook

42. What is your favorite candy?
Reeses peanut butter cups

43. Favorite Sports Team?
Texas A&M Aggies

44. What were you doing 12 AM last night?
chatting with Jeff

45. What was the first thing you thought of when you woke up today?
checking to see if my photos from yesterday's football game are good

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Sports Saturday

My heart and my prayers go out to OSU and the families of their coaches and others who were killed in that plane crash yesterday. It made it weird to go for Iowa State last night in the final minutes of the game, but WOW. What an upset! It doesn't get much more exciting than that.

I was at Kathy's last night and Jeff called over there around 10:30.

Jeff: Are you watching TV?
Me: No.
Jeff: You should probably turn it on.

OK people. You know what I was thinking at this point-- planes are crashing into skyscrapers or something.

Me: What's happening?
Jeff: Turn it to ESPN.

ESPN. Mmmmkay... I was slightly less concerned then, although with the OSU tragedy, and the Sandusky hoo-ha, I was still feeling uneasy.

Me: What is it?
Jeff: Iowa State is about to beat OSU! Five minutes left.

Holy hell. Don't scare me like that.

So we tuned in and watched the final five minutes and double OT, literally from the edges of our seats. What an amazing underdog win!


Saturday 9: Being a Good Sport

1. Were you raised around a lot of sports?
I was raised as a fan of professional football and basketball in Houston. Rockets and Oilers, baby!!

2. What is your favorite sport?
Football

3. When did you last play a sport?
Lauren and I played Speedminton about six weeks ago. The last teams I was on were my 7th grade volleyball and basketball teams. Go Lions!

4. When did you last attend a professional sporting event and what was it?
I went to an Austin Toros game last year.

5. What was the last sport you watched on TV?
The end of the OSU/Iowa State football game last night.

6. If you have children, do they play the same sports that you did? If not, someday if you have kids, would you like them to?
I played basketball and volleyball. Lauren did competitive cheer. I've never felt that I wanted her to do anything at all just because I did. We let her interests guide her.

Except for choir, which I very gently suggested... several times since she was in elementary school. She has a beautiful singing voice, but never had the slightest interest in choir. So we see how far that got me! :D

7. Do you think other people care too much about sports?
Nah. I think sports are a fantastic diversion from the daily grind, and if you play, a perfect way to get exercise without feeling like it's "a workout."

8. Do you have the freedom to be as involved in either playing or watching as much sports as you’d like to?
Yes. (This is where you can tell Saturday 9 is really written by a guy. You've outed yourself, Bud. ;) )

9. Who is your favorite sports team?
The Texas Aggies! Gig 'em! Beat the Hell outta Kansas!!

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LOL... and X Factor

Lauren and I were out yesterday in her car. I told her she should exit at 2222 and turn left, then left again at Balcones Drive. I mentioned that Chez Zee is on that corner. (It's a restaurant.) As we approached the intersection, with Chez Zee not yet in view...

Lauren (laughing): You mean CHASE?
Me: Huh?
Lauren (pointing to Chase Bank): I'm pretty sure it's pronounced CHASE, not SHAAAY-ZEEEE.

Bwahahaha!!!

Then we saw Chez Zee. Priceless.

Well... I didn't want to like X Factor USA, but I do! We've been watching it for several weeks now. The format has the contestants performing in a full-out concert environment, with backup singers and dancers and effects, which easily shows their capabilities in comparison with each other, as well as professional acts.

I'm not sure I'm diggin' the judge vs. judge aspect of the show though, because it detracts from the contest between the competitors. Judges have a motive to vote for their own people, rather than supporting anyone they think should win. It's always fun to see them argue, but they can do that without having their own little "teams." There is also a disadvantage to two particular mentors, I think: singing groups and older contestants. They just won't bring in the same numbers of votes as male and female individual singers.

My favorite to win is Josh. He is a great singer, has great personality, and improves his act and confidence every week. We only have had one complaint that his hair is too gelled and shiny and rather a mess, but this week it was gel-free and looked pretty good!



I also like Melanie, who has the best voice by a mile, but lacks personality on stage. If she works that out, she can win it.



Drew is fabulous and unique. Lakoda Rayne are good, except at times when they are "pitchy" (to use a phrase from AI).

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Penn State

The Penn State sex abuse scandal is getting more infuriating by the day. Sandusky says he isn't a pedophile, but he does shower with young boys. Seriously?

Further...

"Am I sexually attracted to underage boys? Sexually attracted, no -- I enjoy young people, I love to be around them ... but no, I am not sexually attracted to young boys."

OK. Let's remember our Psych 101 and read this again. Ask a normal adult if he is sexually attracted to young boys and he emphatically and immediately replies, with a pained wince, "Absolutely NOT." Heck, even a pedophile who is a good liar does that.

Also, we repeat a person's question only when we are taking a moment to consider our answer. He actually repeats it twice, in a way. A person answering appropriately and without doubt, a question about his own integrity or morality, answers without repeating the question.

Then we have Mike McQueary changing his story. On second thought, he stopped the rape AND reported it to police. The guy is a hero! Too bad those things escaped his mind all these years, especially during his recent testimony to the Grand Jury.

#yeahright

Penn State will suffer as an institution for years because of this. The scandal and coverup is all people think about when they hear the name. It's a real shame that a one sorry excuse for a human being, and a few people eager to cover for him, have brought this upon their school.

In a somewhat related note, far more related than most topics to which I jump... I had never ever heard the team name "Nittany Lions" before last weekend. I've followed college football for most of my life, and I just never heard what their team was called. Someone was talking about the Nebraska game and said "Nittany Lions." I thought Penn State played Nebraska. Who and where is Nittany University??

Evidently, it refers to Mount Nittany, near the school, and the mountain lions who used to live there, before vanishing in the mid 1800's. Mountain lions still roam the western half of the US. And Florida, because who doesn't want to live in Florida?

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SimHotel

THAT is what I said should be a sim game (see post below). We were watching the "SpongeBob" Crusty Towers Hotel episode and I said there should soooooo be a hotel-development simulation game. I would rock that thing.

Just.

Saying.

:)

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Video Games

The first computer game I ever played was Star Trek, a text game, on my dad's computer when I was a kid. Oh my gosh, I loved it! I had paper drawings everywhere, tracking Klingons and starbases...

Yeah, I should probably stop there, before I ruin my ubercool image. Heh.

itwassomuchfun!

Friday Five: Video Games

1. Do you prefer to play games on a console or PC?
Console. We have a Wii and a PS3. I want an Xbox with Kinect for Christmas.

2. What is your all-time favourite game? (No answer too embarrassing)
Any of the Super Mario platform games. Best game EVER-- Super Mario 64.

3. Which game has been the most disappointing?
Boom Blox - Spielberg, for goodness' sake. It was marketed as being great for all ages, but it's geared towards young children, I think. There are far more awful games out there, but none preceded by the hype of this one.

4. Are there any upcoming games that you're excited to try?
Anything that uses Kinect.

5. If you could design a computer game, what kind would it be (platform, racing, shoot-out, etc.) and what would it be about?
I love the old sim games, like SimCity. I was just saying to Lauren the other day that there should be a sim game for something, and of course I have no idea what it was. It was genius though. :) I'll have to ask her...

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Band Books Exhibit

ScottK wants to go to the banned books exhibit at the Ransom Center. I thought he said "band books." While I was thinking of a nice way to say I would probably be... I don't know... sick that day, I realized he was saying banned and censored books. Ahh! I'm all over that. Sign me up!!

Something I saw online randomly reminded me of the absolute most creative thing I ever made. I had seen a write on/wipe off board at a store, that I guess you hang on the wall by an office door. It said, "_______ is:" and it had check boxes for things like "in," "at a meeting," "at lunch," etc.  I was cross-stitching at the time, and Kimberly was an RA at her dorm at UT. So I made one for her room. I designed a project in white letters on burnt orange fabric, that said (with check boxes):

Kimberly is:
_ in
_ at class
_ in the TV room
_ at the game...

etc....

I stitched it, then stretched the fabric over cork board and framed it. I added a pushpin for her to stick inside the correct check box (which had been carefully sized to accommodate the pushpin).

BOO-YAH! Creative City.

She loved it and used it. The girls in the dorm thought it was so cool. I was thrilled with how it turned out!

You know, if I did that again, I would just paint on the corkboard.

Meet Me on Monday

1. Does your family/friends know about your blog?
some of them

2. What is your favorite card game?
Skip-Bo

3. What do you wear to bed?
usually a short nightgown

4. What is your favorite kind of French Fry?
sweet potato fries with just seasoned salt

5. What is your usual bed time?
I've been getting into bed about 11- 11:30, and asleep around midnight lately

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Saturday Night Downtown

I had a great time at the UT/Kansas State volleyball match! Only one teensy complaint. They play the fight song waaaaaaaay too much. I was a good sport and clapped along every single time, but holy cats, people--- every point?

Kidding! It was probably every other point.

After volleyball, we went to PF Changs downtown. At the end of the night there were fortune cookies. Julie happened to open hers to the side that just said "Eggplant" (then the translation in Chinese characters) to which Jeff and Scott added... "in bed." That got me giggling. Scott's fortune was "Always under-promise and over-deliver"... in bed. Bwahahaha! Great advice!

We watched "Whitney Cummings: Money Shot" on Netflix. Hilarious! Loved her thing about Cosmo articles like "Tricks for the Bedroom"... "I don't want my vagina doing tricks, like you open your legs... a bird flies out..."

:D

We love her new sitcom, "Whitney," too! My favorite character- Roxanne. Rhea Seehorn is fabulous! SO funny.


Meet Me on Monday (I seem to be running a day ahead or, more accurately, 6 days behind)

1. Are you excited for the holidays or are you dreading them?
Excited about the holidays! But dreading Christmas shopping. I need to get my list organized.

2. Do you hit the snooze button or get right up?
I get right up.

3. Do you still have your tonsils? 
Nope. I think I was five when they took them out.

4. What was the last piece of candy that you ate?
a peanut M&M about a week ago

5. Do you shop at thrift stores?
Rarely. Every once in a while I get the urge to do it. I particularly love to shop for home decor at thrift stores, because of the thrill of the hunt for a great item at a great deal. I once got a set of three small, framed prints that were unopened, in original packaging, with the $90 price tag still on them, for $4.

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Any of You T-Sips Know the A&M Score?

What the heck is up with Twitter being over capacity every two minutes? Gah! I don't want to see that happy whale graphic ever again. Upgrade your servers. :p

In a very disturbing, parallel universe sort of catastrophe, Jeff and I are going to be at the University of Texas volleyball game this afternoon as Scott and Julie's guests, WHILE THE A&M FOOTBALL GAME IS HAPPENING.

I don't even know what to say about that.

Lauren will keep us up-to-date via text, until she has to leave for her party... then we're all on our own.

Yes, it's birthday party day for Lauren! She and a bunch of friends are going out to a very nice dinner tonight, then watching a movie here afterward. It should be a superfun time!


Patrick's Sunday Seven

Name the last seven DVDs you watched in your own home.
(well, these are not all DVDs- some were streaming Netflix)

1. The Human Centipede -one of the worst films ever made
2. Moulin Rouge - one of my absolute all-time faves!
3. Evita - most of it anyway. I always get bored towards the end. Most of my favorite music is in the first half.
4. Killers - I hated it. Jeff and Lauren thought it was alright.
5. Hot Tub Time Machine - Ahahahahaa! My second time seeing it. LOVE it.
6. The Silence of the Lambs - We wanted Lauren to see this classic. She's a huge horror fan.
7. Daybreakers - surprisingly good

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iOS 5.01 Released

Chatty Kathy. They called me that throughout my childhood and into high school. So I interrupt this Thursday for the third time... to post that iOS 5.01 has been released. And this article lists exactly my issue--

Almost immediately after the launch of the iPhone 4S, owners began reporting that the phone was exhausting its battery at a prodigious rate, with some claiming that their batteries were losing 1% of their power every few minutes.

That was me! 1% every four minutes, to be excruciatingly exact. I don't have the 4S, but my battery was draining fast.

The update is installing right now on my phone. I shall report back tomorrow with the battery-life results.

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Sandusky, Paterno and Penn State Students

Well, you can read the whole disgusting account here, from the Washington Post:

Sandusky Indictment

...including who did what, after discovering it was happening.

Penn State should be embarrassed by their students' behavior. For crap's sake, why would you support Paterno? If you do, great. Hold a vigil or something. But to support him to the point of violence? Really? The rioting is unconscionable and strikingly juvenile.

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Adventures on LinkedIn

Donna and a colleague had lunch with Andrew McCarthy on Monday in New Zealand. In case you were wondering... he's still freakin' adorable. And an award-winning travel writer now, in addition to his acting and directing pursuits!

OK, my dear friend KathyL is a lot like me in some aspects, but very different in most ways... like... the girl is generally fairly serious about life. She is exceedingly laid back and unaffected by things, at least outwardly. She's typically very cool and keeps her head while all about her are losing theirs (as Kipling would say). The only time I've heard her really laugh is when she's had too much wine.

Last weekend, I mentioned her ex-boyfriend from high school and college. Kathy and I were only acquaintances in high school, and she and Mike dated long distance between Texas and Ohio while we were in college, so I've never actually met him. She said she wondered what he was doing now. (Wow!) She kind of giggled and asked, "Do you think he's on LinkedIn?"

I was all over that. "Yes! I bet he is." LinkedIn... far more impersonal than Facebook, but whatever works for her. After witnessing a glimmer of giddiness, I just wanted to see her see him.

She grinned and pulled out her laptop. I was very surprised that she was even a little excited about it, and I was eagerly giving her search tips. She found him after a few attempts. She read all his job info and saw where he lived. She told me all about his career, which he'd begun while they were still together- he's a camera operator, usually for TV news shows. He even had a current PHOTO and she said he "looks the same!" Hee!

Then she said, "Eh," and logged out and closed the laptop.

That's IT?

Oh well. I'm sure I'll convince her to look up someone else in a few years. :)

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Yahoo Calendar and Contacts Issues

I had to switch from my Yahoo calendar and contacts to Google calendar and contacts.

Yahoo contacts were not syncing correctly with my iPhone. Some of them were randomly missing from the phone, although they remained on Yahoo. There were also 13 contacts Yahoo would not allow me to delete during the long process of my trying to fix the problem. So weird.

For the calendar, the syncing was fine between my phone and Yahoo, but when I viewed my calendar online, which I do a lot during the day, the dates of events were incorrectly displayed, or looked like they were over several days when they were not. Um, that is a serious issue, Yahoo. Makes the calendar rather pointless, don't you think? The dates were correct on my iPhone and when I actually clicked on the event online.

Both issues are obviously on Yahoo's end. Moving to Google for both has been a perfect solution so far. Thank goodness! My frustration level was hitting max. We all know the inevitable final step... Gmail. I swore I would never do it. I don't want another email account to maintain. Guess I will get rid of my Yahoo account then.

My phone may be suffering from the iOS 5 battery problem. It's been draining faster with normal usage. I'm getting maybe six hours of talk time. Although that seems to be average, I was getting more time between charges before. Perhaps I'm using it more lately. Last night I left it on the nightstand with 81% battery. This morning it was completely dead. Not sure what happened there. It does seem like some weird one-time glitch. Hopefully it doesn't happen again, as that is my alarm clock. :)

I have now done every battery-saving thing recommended online. Waiting for the official fix from Apple, to see if it helps.

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Sunday Stealing 'n' Stuff

Well, one of my teams won yesterday! Yay LSU!!! Only caught the last quarter and OT, but woooooooooooHoooooooo!! Sorry, Mom. And 'Bama.

A friend commented on Facebook that he doesn't know what the Aggies are doing in the locker room during halftime, but he thinks they just shouldn't go in there anymore. I agree 100%. What the...?! We have the talent to beat every team we've lost to this season. Gah.

My hubby took me out to dinner and a George Clooney movie for date night last night. Not sure if the movie selection was very thoughtful or very clever. ;)

Ides of March was good. It took a little while to get interesting, but then it really took off. It exposes the tangled web of deceit that exists in the world of politics, particularly during election time. While it is visceral and sickening, it pushes you to think about your own integrity and what you might do if you were caught up in the game. You get a good feel for how someone's principles can be slowly (or quickly) eroded in that environment, to a point where a person doesn't even recognize himself.


Sunday Stealing: The Madness Meme, Part 1

1. Have you ever licked the back of a CD to try to get it to work?
Eww! Why would I ever do that? You spit on it and wipe it with your sleeve.

2. What’s the largest age difference between yourself and someone you’ve dated?
Six years. I was 19 and he was 25. It meets the "half-plus-seven rule," but my mom probably wasn't thrilled.

3. Ever been in a car wreck?
Only once, when a deer jumped into my windshield.

4. Were you popular in high school?
Nope. I wasn't "unpopular" though.

5. Have you ever been on a blind date?
A few. I'm not a fan.

6. Are looks important?
To varying degrees, from "not at all" to "extremely important," depending on the situation. I think the perception of attractiveness is more about a person being "put together" and confident, than it is about their actual physical features.

7. Do you have any friends that you’ve known for 10 years or more?
Most of my current friends I have known for ten years or more.

8. By what age would you like to be married?
I wanted to be married by 30. Got married at 23.

9. Does the number of people a person’s slept with affect your view of them?
Only if it is at the extreme low or high end of what I think is a reasonable number. So... yes.

10. Have you ever made a mistake?
Far too many to count. Learn and move on.

11. Are you a good tipper?
I tip very well for personal services like haircuts, and average for restaurant and bar service. I rarely tip at places like sandwich shops with tip jars.

12. What’s the most you have spent for a haircut?
$85

13. Have you ever had a crush on a teacher?
Two- 7th grade Science and college American History.

14. Have you ever peed in public?
With an audience? No. I've peed outside behind trees though.

15. What song do you want played at your funeral?
I'm a planner, but I happily leave planning my funeral to someone else.

16. Would you tell your parents if you were gay?
Yes. I've always had a very open relationship with my mom and dad.

17. What would your last meal be before getting executed?
Salt Lick barbecue

18. Beatles or Stones?
Beatles all the way. I really don't like the Rolling Stones.

19. If you had to pick one person on earth to die, who would it be?
That's all sorts of bad karma. Next...

20. Beer, wine or hard liquor?
wine

21. Do you have any phobias?
scorpions, heights at times

22. What are your plans for the future?
lots of travel, back to work, one-story house with fabulous media room

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Gig 'em Ags! Beat OU!

My mom would be going for Alabama today, but I'm going LSU, because two of my close friends went there and I like purple. So... Geaux Tigers!! Should be an amazing game!

I've never had so much conversation sparked by an article of clothing, than when I wore an A&M shirt to my oncologist yesterday. First comment was from Jeff. "Are you wearing that today because you'll be too embarrassed to wear it tomorrow?" My husband has no faith. Gig 'em!!

The oncology office I go to is enormous- many docs, chemo, lab, xray- almost a small-scale MD Anderson. While I was checking in at the desk, one of the receptionists started a big conversation with me about the season we've had. She has a son who went to A&M and they were at the Missouri game last weekend. The grandson is a junior Aggie to the max.

I sat down in the waiting area near the lab and everyone there was an A&M fan. Chatted with them for a moment before the lab tech called me back. He gave me the evil eye and said he didn't like my shirt at all. I noted that he was wearing maroon scrubs. Touché, eh? He said he found them on his floor that morning and dusted them off, because he didn't have any others. Sure, buddy. ;)

"Who are y'all playing?"

"OU. In Norman."

"Hey Joe!!" he called over to another tech across the lab. Joe looked over and he told him I was an Aggie. Joe flashes the back of his work ID, displaying a big OU sticker. I told him "Good luck."

Went back out into the waiting room and sat in the larger area, where I talked Aggie football for 45 minutes with a whole new group. A guy spotted my shirt from the receptionist area and came to sit next to me to talk about A&M.

Finally the nurse came for me. "Nice shirt!" she says.

I got into a gown in the doctor's office. When he came in, he saw the shirt on the chair and said in a disappointed voice (he's a Longhorn), "A&M? Really?"

I said, "We're everywhere!"

I thought it was cool yesterday on my radio station that Alex was saying he thinks the Ags will beat OU. Sandy said A&M "threw up all over themselves last weekend." Alex said he knows, but he honestly thinks we'll win this one. "And they're such nice people there. I just hate to see them lose." Awww!


Patrick's Saturday Six

1. Do you think you have the same accent as most of the people who live in your neighborhood, or do you sound like you’re from somewhere else?
I have far less of a Texas accent than most people in my area.

2. Have you ever been mistaken by a stranger as being from somewhere other than your place of birth? If so, what’s the farthest from your hometown one has guessed you’re from?
I don't think anyone would guess my German parentage and birth, but I consider my hometown to be Houston. Few people have been able to ID a place I'm from, if they are guessing. Their typical comment is that I have no accent, but very rarely I'll use the word "y'all" or a Texas expression like "I don't have a dog in that fight" and give myself away.

3. If you had to come up with a name for the dialect you hear most often, what would it be?
In Austin, it's mostly "mild Texas drawl."

4. Take the quiz: What Kind of American English Do You Speak?
You Speak General American English!
70% General American English
20% Dixie
5% Upper Midwestern
5% Yankee
0% Midwestern

5. What regional word or expression common to your area do you find yourself using most often?
Y'all

6. Which regional word or expression common to your area do you hate the most?
Hook 'em. :)

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Friday Five: Natural Disasters

This morning is my annual cancer checkup with my oncologist. Always a good time. I have now been cancer-free for 19 years! Woohoo!!


Friday Five

1. What natural disasters (earthquakes, tsunami, volcanoes, wildfires, tornadoes, hurricanes/typhoons/cyclones, floods, landslides, etc) is your area prone to?
tornadoes, wildfires, floods

2. What natural disasters have you experienced firsthand?
Biggest one- Tropical Storm Claudette flood in Houston in 1979. 43 inches of rain in 24 hours. We had knee-deep water in our house and were rescued by boat.

My dad's friend Bill, as the water recedes. It had crested just over the tops of cars in the street.

Dad (omg those white shorts! ahahaha!) and Bill (who would die if he saw this today, I'm sure).
Water finally out of the houses. There was a lot of beer being consumed that day.

 

Wanna know what ants do in floods? THIS. They float in clumps until they
hit something and then they swarm onto it. Don't let them find your leg.
Incidentally, snakes swim around in the water. That's why there are no
pictures of me wading around, posing with a refreshing beverage.

All our stuff coming out of the house to dry, including the carpets,
which ended up having to be tossed anyway.

I was also hunkered down at home through several huge hurricanes. The worst one was Alicia in 1983. (We were in the League City house then.) Our whole fence and a couple of trees blew down, along with damage to our roof, etc. Two friends and I had a three-way conference call going during the worst part of it. We were laughing and chatting about the storm and other regular stuff. My mom kept trying to get me to get off the phone, but I wasn't about to put it down. I would have been terrified! I'm surprised the phones kept working.

And finally, from my great-aunt's front screen door, I watched a smallish tornado come down the street at her house in Wisconsin. It was very surreal seeing it approaching so close. Before it got right up to the house, I rejoined my extended family, who were having fun playing cards while sheltering in the basement, because it happens so often there. I thought they were nuts. That tornado passed us by, about 100 feet away in the street.

3. Have you ever been evacuated due to a natural disaster?
The Flood. We had to leave my cat, Mickey, in the flooded house. Poor baby. We were at a Red Cross Shelter for several hours, and that was the hardest time, because I was upset and hot and totally drenched from wading out to the boat. Vivid memory. My heart always goes out particularly to flood victims when they are on the news. Been there; relived it a thousand times in my head.

4. Have you made/do you make any special preparations in case of natural disaster where you live?
If there is a tornado nearby, which there hasn't been, we have indoor spaces safe for sheltering. Also, I have drinking water stocked in the garage.

5. What type of natural disaster scares you the most? 
earthquake!

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