Education Funds Bickering

I read more about the Perry/Doggett federal education funds issue (an unusually "balanced" editorial from the Statesman- hmm!). Turns out it's a pissing contest between the two of them, where students and academic staff lose. Doggett started it, by attaching two specifications to the bill... for Texas only:

1) these federal funds cannot be offset in any way by a decrease in education funding by the state of Texas
2) Texas must split the money using Title I federal guidelines instead of our state guidelines

The state still has plenty of wasteful things they can cut before cutting education, so #1 sounds fine to me. And as a federal taxpayer, I think the federal government should be allowed to put any restrictions they want to on money they're giving out to states. So, #2 is also perfectly reasonable. I have no problem with the requirements, but Doggett should have put them on ALL states. Why just Texas? So he could stick it to Goodhair.

Perry, for his part, is lobbing the whole thing back because he's irritated by anything that doesn't allow Texas to act as its own country, and (probably rightly) irritated that Doggett is flexing his political muscle in his face.

Please stop dorking around and take the money, before they earmark it for something else. GAH.

We saw The Green Hornet yesterday. It was good!!

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"I Don't Know How to Tell You This..."

...but there's a Chinese family in our bathroom.
- Tom at IKEA with Summer, in 500 Days of Summer

Yesterday, Jeff and I went to Galaxy Cupcakes in Georgetown (yummy) and then hung out at IKEA for hours. He had never been there. Weird! I could have sworn he was with me when I bought the curtain rod for our bedroom. Anyhoo... he liked it a lot. :) And we left there with two office chairs.

Sunday Stealing

34. Have you been out of your home country?
I was born outside my home country.

35. Weaknesses?
kryptonite

37. First job?
steak restaurant hostess

38. Ever done a prank call?
many times, mostly with Lori

39. Do you think everyone out there has a soul mate?
I am one of the world's most impassioned believers in love and romance, but I just don't think there is one solitary person on Earth with whom each of us is spiritually bound, and that we happen upon that person by some stroke of remarkable luck. I definitely think there are a precious few people (men and women) with whom each of us has a very deep and special connection, who are on the same wavelength and "get" us, who are typically called "kindred spirits," but whom one might call our "soul mates."

40. What were you doing before you did Stealing?
I was at IKEA with my hubby. (I'm getting a head start on this thing before tomorrow...)

41. Have you ever had surgery?
Many times.

42. What do you get complimented about most?
How smart I am. Yeesh. Really? What I want when I walk into a room is for everyone to say, "Great rack!"

43. Have you ever had braces?
No

44. What do you want for your birthday?
Congressional term limits

45. How many kids do you want and what do you want their names to be? (or if you have kids, tell us about them.)
I originally wanted three. In my sleep-deprived haze after Lauren was born, I decided one was great.

46. Were you named after anyone?
My middle name is my maternal grandmother's name.

47. What is the biggest turn off of the sex(es) you're attracted to?
big bodybuilder muscles - ick

48. What is one thing you liked about high school?
I loved high school. One of my favorite things was senior musical. We did Carnival.

49. What kind of shampoo do you use?
Varies- anything from Suave to Paul Mitchell.

50. Do you like your handwriting?
yes

51. What is your favorite lunch meat?
pastrami

52. Any bad habits?
doing these surveys

53. Are you a jealous person?
not in general, but I have been jealous at times

54. If you were another person, would you be friends with you?
yes

55. Do you agree with friends with benefits?
absolutely not

56. Do looks matter?
To an extent. I don't think anyone has to be classically pretty or handsome to get a mate or a job or whatever the goal is, but you do have to look your best, to where others can tell you've got your act together.

57. How do you release anger?
I talk it out or listen to loud music.

58. Would you rather gain 58 pounds or lose 58 pounds?
Is this a trick question?

59. What's your main goal in life?
to appreciate the little amazing moments as much as the big fantastic experiences

60. What was your favorite toy as a child?
a doll named Jenny

61. How many numbers are in your cell phone?
206

62. Were you a fan of Barney as a little kid?
Barney Rubble was the only Barney when I was a kid. I was not a fan of his, but I liked his wife Betty a lot.

63. Do you use sarcasm?
never- heh

64. Mashed potatoes or macaroni and cheese?
mashed potatoes

65. What do you look for in a lover?
honesty, strength, sense of humor and an ENORMOUS... ;)

66. What are your nicknames?
Freek (the fansite girls still call me that to this day), K-Squared

67. Favorite super power?
invisibility

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Saturday 9

Saturday 9: What a Fool Believes

1. What celebrity do you think is the MOST foolish?
Lindsay Lohan

2. What are 5 things you don't care about?
designer purses, greeting cards that are just signed without a handwritten note, your Farmville farm, Twilight, South Dakota

3. What 'issue' do you think your opinion is so right about that you end up trying to sway others to your point of view?
That half-empty schools should be merged and closed.

4. What personality do you like to listen to on the radio?
Jason and Deb on 101X. Funny thing about Deb is that she was on my pop station with JB and Sandy a few years ago, and I didn't like her there at all. Maybe because she was too big a personality to be the fifth wheel in that group. I'm not sure. I love her on 101!

5. What culture are you fascinated by?
I am fascinated by traditional cultures like the Himba tribe in Namibia. I'm very curious about their day-to-day lifestyle and also how they avoid becoming "modernized."

6. You are alone with your lover's diary. What do you do?
Nothing. I remember what it felt like to have my diary read. It's traumatizing, feeling like you've been violated, wondering what someone, especially someone you care about, read in such a vast personal collection of your spontaneous, unedited thoughts. I would definitely ask if there is anything he wants to read to me from it though. :)

7. What frustrates you?
Politics. I'm a long way from the wide-eyed, super-enthusiastic Reagan campaign volunteer I was in 1984, before I could even vote. (My poor mom... staunch Democrat. She probably felt I may as well have joined a cult.) Now I think the whole bunch of them are in it for the power and perks, with little concern for what is best for the people of their city/state/country. The very, very simple answer is term limits, but it will never happen.

8. Do you remember the first time you were on the internet? What did you do first?
I went to a search engine and started searching random things. I clicked links from here to there to there for hours until I ended up on the most random site ever, about people who have "relations" with dolphins. No lie. I was completely horrified. When I told Laura the story, she was most disturbed because she assumed it was taking place via the blow hole. She's that girl who takes freakiness to a whole other level. ;)

9. What was the biggest fight you have ever had with someone?
I won't get into the details here, but Jeff and I had the absolute worst one ever about 10-11 years ago-- one of those that went on and on at an intense level for what seemed like forever, with neither person backing down. It is a pretty vivid memory, even today.

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Fed Up

An invaluable tip for you and everyone you know:

Do NOT use Strand Brothers, the heating and AC company.

They have hounded us constantly for two years via telephone, sometimes almost daily, to buy a maintenance agreement. It stopped for about three months, but Wednesday it started all over again. I'm seriously tempted to ditch my land line. GRR!


Friday Five: Actors/Actresses

1. favourite actor/actress growing up?
Gregory Harrison (who, incidentally, is married to Randi Oakes, who was on CHiPs with Erik Estrada, my other big crush when I was 10-12 years old)

2. favourite tv show/movie they were in and why?
He played Gonzo Gates on Trapper John, MD. I just adored his character on that show. He was so funny and charming.

3. favourite quote by said actor/actress?
"I didn't study acting for nine years to become a hunk."

Sorry, Greg. You can't escape your own hotness. Although, Johnny Depp has tried for years. Just get a weird hat, grow a few scraggly hairs on your chin and overdo "mysterious" to the point people think you're a little wacky. Even then, when your pirate movie comes out, where you're dirty and disheveled and look like you emit a noxious odor, the ladies will all swoon at the sight of you.

4. favourite image of said actor/actress?
This is the poster I had on my wall at the time...

5. what would you like said actor/actress to appear in?
I would LOVE to have seen him as Billy Flynn in Chicago a few years ago. Missed that. :( He would be a great cameo guest on any TV medical shows. Now he looks very distinguished and lawyer-ish. Same awesome smile.

(Speaking of lawyers, he guest starred as a client on Drop Dead Diva last year. I only saw that one episode.)

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Happy Hora

Happy hour last night with Jeff's coworkers and former coworkers was so much fun! It's been a while since I've been to a work happy hour. Mine are usually small, GNO get-togethers. There were around twenty people there at a long table. One of Jeff's old coworkers, ScottJ, who we know from waaaaaay back when we first got married, was at the other end of the table. I made my way down there to say hello. It's probably been ten years since I've seen him. He is still at the company and asked if Jeff was still there, which tells you how much they've seen each other in recent years... and how big the business campus is!

Texted JeffC all evening to get him to come up. Everyone was asking about him. He totally ignored me. Okay, he says he didn't see my messages until just now. That's alright. They have these things regularly, so I can harass him he can come next time.

Only in our house would you witness this exchange:

Lauren: Somebody loves you.
Me: Me?
Lauren: Yes.
Me (looking around for my purse): Are you sure?
Lauren: Yep. ♫ Doo-dee-doo! ♪

So I found my purse, with my phone, which had just chirped a late night text notification. It's all about knowing the code language around here. I should really provide a translation guide for guests.

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Depressing Stuff in the News

This newest act of terrorism in Russia really pissed me off. For the first time, I didn't feel any fear along with my anger. I did not imagine, like I typically do, how terrifying it must have been for the people in the area who weren't killed immediately. I did not linger on the photo of the mother and her crying son mourning the loss of their husband and father, while the usual tears welled up in my eyes. I did not dwell on my typical secondary concern that we might not be safe at our own airports. I just read the article and paged through the photos, completely incensed that such evil lurks in the hearts of some human beings.

It is so unfathomable.

AISD cuts are the big news since last Thursday. Because of parent outrage, the district has now decided not to close underutilized elementary schools. Buildings OR people, folks. How many of the 485 jobs cut at last night's school board meeting could be saved if they merged some of these half-empty schools? I understand that losing one's community elementary school is upsetting, but we need to look at the bigger picture, particularly in a time of financial crisis. Are you willing to lose teachers and have bigger class sizes, etc., and get a lower quality education for your children, instead of your children going to a school a little farther down the road? Well, I guess that question is answered. I don't get it.

Depending on which side of the political aisle you're on, this is all either Lloyd Doggett's fault or Gov. Goodhair's fault. I need to read more about the federal money issue before I make a judgement.


Song Lyrics du Jour

...Drinking old cheap bottles of wine
Sit talking up all night
Saying things we haven't for a while
We're smiling but we're close to tears
Even after all these years
We just now got the feeling that we're meeting for the first time...

The Script "For the First Time"

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Great Weekend

I had a terrific time hanging out with Cathy this weekend. We chatted a lot about boys- mostly her ONE (I know! Just one?!)- and reminisced over a box of her memorabilia. She had a pair of awesome photos of us in my room at home, on Christmas break during college, that I won't post on Facebook, but you can see them here, because you are special. And there's no identifying either of us from these shots. :)

I thought about posting them on FB and clarifying, "We're not drinking, we're just goofy." Then I looked at CJ's glass of "orange juice" and now I'm not sure we weren't drinking..... too.

Speaking of not drinking, Lori and Paul (who brought their sweet niece and nephew - age 8 and 9) joined us at Kemah Boardwalk for drinks on Saturday night. We looked all over for a lounge with comfortable bar seating, but all there are (since the Ike rebuild evidently) are restaurant bars with barstools. So, we ended up having pastries and coffee at Bayside Grille. Paul and Lori cracked me up so much with their stories that my cheeks hurt by the time we left! After hanging out there, we all rode the Boardwalk Tower and the kiddos rode the Drop Zone.

If you ever need someone to come shopping with you and convince you to buy things for yourself, I'm your gal. It happens all the time here at home, and I've now extended my services to the boardwalk as well. Lori tried on an ohsocute hat on a whim at one of the little shops. It was a knit beanie sort of thing, and we loved it. She put it back on the hook and started to walk off, when I said, "You're not getting it?!" (That, my friends is the kiss of death. Once I've asked the question, resistance is futile. You will buy that thing. You wanted to in the first place. I'm just the queen of the gentle nudge to get you to live a little.) She grinned and spun around and grabbed it off the hook. She's adorable in it.

Last night was the big fireworks show in Manor! (Correction from the other day- this was Rudy's project, not Stu's. They would never even see this blog, but I just like to provide accurate information for your reading pleasure.) It was really cool. Very up close and small town, with a big turnout! It was cold as all get-out, but for about 45 minutes, it was very bearable. I did find out my gloves aren't that great at keeping hands warm. Good to know.

Fun times!! Back to the regularly-scheduled week!

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Saturday Nine

Jeff: Did you hear your man has malaria?
Me: Wow. That's a turn off. Is he getting treatment?
Jeff: I think it's one of those things you're never really cured of.
Me: Like herpes? Eww.

;) Get well soon, George!

I am off to Houston this morning to visit my H-town chica! Yay! Have a fab weekend, y'all!


Saturday 9: My Woman From Tokyo

1. Have you ever been to Japan? If not would you like to travel there?
I have not been, but I would love to go! My mom lived in Japan for a couple of years during high school, when my grandpa was in the service. She absolutely loved it.

2. Have you ever played a game that required removal of clothing?
A few, yes.

3. Have you ever dated one of your best friends?
Doug and I dated for a few days. There were several reasons it didn't work out-- one of which didn't actually "come out" until much later. ;) We were still the best of friends afterward, so it was all fine in the end.

4. Have you ever kissed someone you didn't know?
I don't think so.

5. What is your secret guaranteed weeping movie?
The Notebook

6. What feature are you most insecure about?
my hips- ladies, can I get a 'hell yeah'?!

7. What do you miss most about being young?
Boundless energy

8. Who is the most annoying musical artist EVER?
Kanye West

9. Have you ever applied for a job that was an internet hoax, asking for credit history and your social security number?
No. I've never fallen for an internet hoax.

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Walking In

Oops. Looks like this never got posted yesterday! I blame the inventory scanner beeps beep-beeping in my head from three days and counting of library inventory. Only the professional library remains to be inventoried today. Whee!

........  Thursday, Jan 20, 2011.................

OK, I loathe Sarah Palin as much as the next person, but blaming her for the Arizona shooting is quite a stretch. A deranged person committed a dreadful and horrifying act. To randomly place blame on someone in politics is to promote fanatical partisanship and plain old hate. Step back and take a breath before making it into something it isn't, for the single purpose of furthering your own political agenda.

On a lighter note... Modern Family was pretty funny last night. Claire and Phil's kids walked in on them having sex. *cringe* I am one of those people who had the unfortunate experience of "walking in on" my parents, when I was 14. Does that image stay with you forever or WHAT? *quadruple cringe with a bonus "threw up a little in my mouth"* Luckily they have no idea to this day, and I'll keep that secret to my grave thankyouverymuch.

As the kids discussed with each other on the show- better to know they're happy together and having sex, rather than unhappy and not having sex and getting a divorce. Err, well... not sure what happened there in my parents' case. Ahaha.

Later in the episode, the kids didn't even want to see Phil and Claire kissing. Reminded me of when Lauren made Jeff a Fathers' Day card when she was 3. I had written down what she told me to write inside. Under 'Things I Like About My Daddy,' it included the very sweet sentiment, "I like when Daddy kisses Mommy." Aww. Last summer, she had an abrupt change of heart, when she became disgusted by anything resembling PDA around here. I understand her being grossed out by kissing or extended, extra-curricular hugging, etc., but Jeff had his hand on my leg one night while we were watching TV and she came unglued. "Eww! I don't want to see that!" I reminded her of her Fathers' Day card from long ago. That grossed her out even more. Mission accomplished.

..........................

And for today- The Friday Five

1. There are superheroes named Superman, Superfly, and Supergirl. Based on your performance this past week in whatever you do, what would have been your Super_____ name?
SuperFast(AndAccurate!)InventoryChick

2. This week, what has been superterrific and what has been superlame?
Superterrific- seeing Al Jarreau
Superlame- waiting in the doctor's office 1.5 HOURS past Lauren's appointment time to see the doc. One of my pet peeves.

3. Which of Superman’s abilities would have been the most useful this week?
Hmm. I can always use x-ray vision. (Does Superman have xray vision?)

4. What do you most expect will be super this weekend?
seeing Cathylicious and also catching the big fireworks show Stu is helping out with

5. What are your thoughts this week about the coming Super Bowl?
I thought it would be cool to go, since it's in Dallas this year, but I haven't been that into pro football this season and the Super Bowl is really expensive for what would really be just a "cool factor" thing. I'd like to see Mark Sanchez the Jets there though.

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Pimp Certification

KathyL is convinced, beyond any doubt, that I should get a Project Management Professional (PMP) certification. She went on and on about it. TWICE. I'm "organized and intelligent." I'm "not intimidated talking to high level corporate types." I "could run a project much better than most PM's out there."

Sweet. I need to buy that girl an expensive birthday gift. And more vodka.

I worked closely with PMs in my job as a senior data manager. I would enjoy and probably do very well heading up projects, but I'm not sure I would like all the politics of that position. Well... how much does it pay? Heh.


Patrick's Saturday Six

Since the zodiac got so much attention this week because of a newspaper article that introduced a centuries-old alternate lineup of astrological signs as if it were “new,” I figured this could be a good topic for a new set of questions.

1. Under which traditional zodiac sign does your birthday fall?
Aries

2. Go to this page and click on the appropriate symbol: what does it say about your zodiac symbol that you feel is most accurate?
-Aries tend to venture out into the world and leave impressions on others that they are exciting, vibrant and talkative.
-...low tolerance for boredom and lack of patience.
-Underneath the strong, independent surface may lie insecurity. This is due to the intense drive to succeed and Aries put too much pressure on themselves, thus resulting in self-doubt; however, the natural optimism and enthusiasm overtakes this and the underlying insecurity may never be known to others. 

3. What trait does it describe that you think least describes your personality?
-If confronted, Aries can turn to be quite childish, they will fight back with their aggressive nature and are known to have temper tantrums should they not get their way.
(I'm most often a diplomat when confronted. If I'm angry about not getting my way, which is rare, I usually retreat into silence.)

4. Now check out this schedule of zodiac signs from Time magazine. What does this adjusted lineup claim that your sign should be?
Pisces

5. If your sign changed, what is most accurate about your “new” zodiac sign’s personality traits?
-They have extreme compassion and they feel the pain of others. If something is wrong in the world that affects them, it affects them deeply, they take it to heart and feel extreme feelings regarding the matter. 

6. Assuming your zodiac sign did change, would you be more likely to claim to be whichever sign you felt was more accurate, or just stick with the traditional zodiac sign that has always been associated with your birthdate?
I would stick to the traditional one either way, since that's what has been done for like.... forever.  Plus- Aries definitely describes me better.

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The Bachelor

We watch The Bachelor mostly to make fun of the ridiculous things the girls do in the name of "love." My favorite is about the second or third episode, when they invariably start crying to the guy about how hard it is to share his attention with twenty other women (like so many did this week).

To that I say, "Duh."

Have they watched the show? That's the whole game. For weeks. No one likes to share their love interest with other people. If you can't take it... don't participate in the show.

The worst part probably isn't sharing him with twenty, it's sharing him with that last other one on the final episode. That's when it really gets weird, because the guy has two women equally convinced that he is in love with them (and wants to marry them... after a total of maybe 48 hours of one-on-one time since they first met). Many times, the guys have said they are actually in love with both women.

An interesting thing I've noticed over the seasons-- The person who goes on the very first one-on-one date always seems to develop an over-attachment to the Bachelor (or Bachelorette). That person is always tossed about mid season, when the Bachelor(ette) finally gets sick to death of having to bolster that person's self-esteem and constantly reassure them that they still like them.

And there's always a crazy girl. She's the most fun to watch, and the Bachelor always keeps her around. When the other girls start telling him the crazy one is crazy... he thinks they're being catty because they're jealous, which makes him all the more attracted to the poor little picked-on, crazy one. It's the most fun when he chooses the crazy one at the end. Sometimes HE turns out to be crazier than the crazy one ever was *coughJakecough*. Of course the crazy men are usually from Texas.

The Bachelorette is another thing altogether. The guys aren't nearly as snarky or competitive with each other as the girls. Guys and girls... very different. What the guys lack in entertaining drama, they make up for in being frequently shirtless.

Are you still reading this???!  I'll stop, so you can go read a book or learn a foreign language or something.

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MLK Day

Life's most persistent and urgent question is, "What are you doing for others?"
-Martin Luther King, Jr.

We watched an animated Japanese movie called Ponyo. It was so good! It has an all-star English voice-over cast, including Liam Neeson and Betty White. A sweet film, based loosely on The Little Mermaid. Ponyo is a playful and magical goldfish who wants to be a human girl. The movie centers around her friendship with a 5-year-old boy named Sosuke. I love her name, and she is too cute for words!!



Like Sean Patton, I am a fan of Lady GaGa's music. So, this is tooooo funny--



Tracy and I saw Al Jarreau last night at Riverbend. Wow. A music legend! Talk about someone who "feels" music. When he's talking, he's always adding in a little singing and scatting, which we decided on a daily basis probably drives his wife bananas. He sang some Beatles and Elton, but you wouldn't recognize the songs much, because they were completely jazzed out. So cool.

He said the show would be in two parts, because he is a football fan and had to see what happened in the Jets game... and he'd have to pee. He was very funny. Great show.

ETA: Riverbend Centre is a beautiful facility! Neither of us had been before. The acoustics are really great, too. It was pretty neat to be in that small a venue for this type of show. We had 11th row seats, but no seat is a bad one in there.

Speaking of the Jets- Mark Sanchez is the hottest guy in football, and perhaps all sports. Just wanted to mention that.

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Earl Campbell, "Sausage Guy"

Last night...

Jeff: The Earl Campbell kolaches at Shipley's are awesome!
JeffC: Earl Campbell?
Jeff: He's a sausage guy.
Me (appalled): Uh... AMAZING Houston Oilers running back! Heisman trophy winner from UT. He's a football legend, not a "sausage guy" like Jimmy Dean.
JeffC: Jimmy Dean is a singer.

:)

So, yeah. It turns out Jimmy Dean the sausage guy is also Jimmy Dean the singer. How is anyone supposed to know that?


Sunday Stealing

1. What time did you get up this morning?
7:25-- awesome!

2. How do you like your steak?
Medium rare

3. What was the last film you saw at the cinema?
Tron: Legacy 3D

4. What is your favorite TV show?
at the moment- Rules of Engagement. No other sitcom has me so tickled through an entire half hour.

5. If you could live anywhere in the world where would it be?
Tossing out practicality- Hawaii

6. What did you have for breakfast?
haven't had anything yet- I'll be whipping up my everyday SlimFast, breakfast of champions

7. What is your favorite cuisine?
Americanized Chinese

8. What foods do you dislike?
oatmeal, lychee, catfish (other than fried), anything super-hot

9. Favorite Place to Eat?
Salt Lick

10. Favorite dressing?
balsamic vinaigrette

11.What kind of vehicle do you drive?
Hyundai Santa Fe

12. What are your favorite clothes?
nice jeans, nice top, pretty leather boots

13. Where would you visit if you had the chance?
San Juan

14. Cup 1/2 empty or 1/2 full?
1/2 full

15. Where would you want to retire?
I used to say Scottsdale, but Arizona is having all sorts of issues these days. Would be fun to retire in Hawaii, if we had the funds to fly people out to visit. Realistically, we'll be in Texas.

16. Favorite time of day?
when I get into bed at night and snuggle up under warm covers, to begin that last half hour or so of "whatever" for the day--- reading a magazine, perusing a cookbook, watching Letterman, chatting with J, etc.--- It's always the most relaxed time of my day.

17. Where were you born?
Heidelberg, Germany

18. What is your favorite sport to watch?
Football

19. Who do you think will never call you again?
Angel. Still waiting for my phone call from last week... ;) (Kenneth says we're going to Vegas! Call me!)

20. Person you expect to call you next?
Cathy

21. Who are you most curious about their responses to Stealing?
Scotty- with the questions reprinted thankyouverymuch

22. Bird watcher?
No, but ScottK is an avid bird watcher. He's been all over the world, to all sorts of backwoods places I'll probably never see, just to bird watch!

23. Are you a morning person or a night person?
morning

24. Do you have any pets?
two six-month-old kittens... Maya (named after Maya Angelou) and Kiptyn (named after Kiptyn from "The Bachelorette") Quite the pair of names to live up to, eh? Good thing they aren't children. They'd totally have a complex.

25. Any new and exciting news you’d like to share?
I'M PREGNANT! :) :) :)

Juuuuust kidding!

26. What did you want to be when you were little?
a Broadway star

27. What is your best childhood memory?
One of the best is hanging out with my teenage Wisconsin cousins when I was 8. Mom, Dad, my grandma and I went to Wisconsin and stayed at my great aunt's house. All my mom's cousins' children- high schoolers at the time- had this fabulously cool, non-drivable, funky painted school bus parked in their back yard. It had been remodeled into "the kids' space" to hang out, with tables, etc. inside it. We were constantly out there playing cards. We also went to the lake several times as a big group. I was so thrilled that they let me hang out with them and do all their awesome, teenager-y things.

28. Are you a cat or dog person?
cat

29. Are you married?
Yep!

30. Always wear your seat belt?
Of course

31. Been in a car accident?
Only once- a deer ran into my windshield

32. Any pet peeves?
careless deer

33. Favorite Pizza Toppings?
Italian sausage and onion... or ham and pineapple

34. Favorite Flower?
tulips

35. Favorite ice cream?
mint chocolate chip

36. Favorite fast food restaurant?
Whataburger

37. How many times did you fail your driver’s test?
once :D

38. Who did you get your last email from?
Chad

39. Which store would you choose to max out your credit card?
The Container Store

40. Do anything spontaneous lately?
Nothing I can talk about here. ;)

41. Like your job?
love the people, bored to death with the job, because there just aren't enough things to keep me busy

42. Broccoli?
sure

43. What was your favorite vacation?
Germany in 1996 with Jeff and Lauren for a week in Munich (just the three of us) and a week in Berchtesgaden with my Dad's side of the family

44. Last person you went out to dinner with?
Jeff and JeffC last night- Evangeline Cafe

45. What are you listening to right now?
"Always Midnight" Pat Monahan

46. What is your favorite color?
green

47. How many tattoos do you have?
none

48. How many times have you tagged someone to do a meme?
I very rarely tag people to do memes. Although Scotty can consider himself tagged on this one.

49. What time did you finish this meme?
8:01 am

50. Coffee Drinker?
yes- typically decaf

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Not Tonight, Honey...

Jeff came home from work with one of his wicked tension headaches on Thursday night. He gets them once or twice a month, and uses a magical combination of Ativan and aspirin to make them go away. The Ativan usually makes him sleepy- an expected side effect. Thursday ended up being very weird though- probably because he took a lot of it.

He took the heaviest dose choice when he got home. Around 7, I headed up to the mall. When I left, he was tired... and a little out of it.

I got home at 8:45, curled up next to him on the couch and chatted with him a bit before going upstairs to work on Foundation graphics. When I came back down to take a shower around 10:30, he was in his office, on his computer.

He heard me in the bedroom and came in and said, "You're home!"

"Yeah, we talked when I got home quite a while ago."

"We did?!"

Okay then.

About 3:30 a.m., he woke up with the headache still going, and took another maximum dose of the headache meds.

Friday morning, he was awake... but forgot to wake Lauren up for school (luckily I was there to wake her up 45 minutes late), couldn't operate his computer mouse without sliding it off his desk, and complained he had walked into a few walls (too bad I missed that!). On top of that, he wasn't understanding much of what I was saying.

When he started getting ready for work, I suggested that I should drive him. He said he would be fine, and worried about how he would get lunch and get home without a car. I was like, Trust me. I should drive you. So I did. Not sure he functioned much all day. Thanks, JeffC, for taking him to lunch and bringing him home. He was still wonky at dinner last night. At least his headache finally went away!


Saturday 9: Wouldn't It Be Nice

1. What's the nicest thing a complete stranger ever did for you?
When I was seventeen, my boyfriend and I were at Franco's in Clear Lake, and an older couple at a nearby table picked up the tab for our dinner. So sweet!

2. What one thing always speaks deeply to you, to your spirit, no matter your mood or what else is going on in your life?
Music

3. How many jobs have you held in your life? How many of those were part of your chosen career field?
Total of 6: telephone newspaper sales, restaurant hostess, retail shoe store, office aide/database admin, clinical data manager, library assistant
One in my chosen field. None in my "intended" chosen field.

4. Of those jobs, how many did you leave voluntarily?
All of them except the current one.

5. How did you discover Saturday 9? How long have you played? (Thank you for joining in!)
A link from somewhere to the very first Saturday 9... in 2007!

6. What's the worst beverage you've ever tasted?
Scotch. JeffC and KathyL have told me the quality makes all the difference, and I am very sure I had sucky scotch.

7. Is there anything in life you are "certain" about? Firm in your beliefs? Strong in your convictions?
The existence of God and the complete absurdity of Sarah Palin as President.

8. How do you come up with the title of your blog's posts?
I read through the post and try to use the first thing that comes to mind- frequently song lyrics, which is appropriate, considering this blog's name is Duran Duran song lyrics. On random days, it's sometimes very lamely named with the day of the week.

9. Would you consider yourself a good cook?
Nope. I don't mind cooking, and there are certainly plenty of great things I make, but I always use recipes and avoid complicated or fussy items that require anything like an in-oven water bath. Yeah, I'm looking at you, creme brulee.

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Hello Three-Day Weekend!

I'm still totally drowning in Foundation projects. It's all the beginning of year stuff for the website (end of fiscal year records, etc.) plus these print ads. The ads are probably one revision away from my complete insanity completion. That will be a big heap off my plate!

This "new Zodiac" thing- There has always been another version of the zodiac. The "new" is just the longstanding Eastern version. We can use the same Western one we've always used, so all is well with the astrological world. (I am so not a Pisces.) Kudos to the Star-Tribune for getting everyone ruffled though!

A giggle for the font junkies out there:

I'm Comic Sans...

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Customer Service a Thing of the Past

We were talking about customer service yesterday at work. Mary had terrible trouble with AT&T with her mother's phone installation. Now she's having an even worse time with Time Warner, getting her own cable/internet/phone set up in her new house. She's had to take off work twice, and it's still not installed. No one has even apologized to her, when I think they should be on their knees, begging her to forgive them for their repeated errors.

For most companies, gone are the days of "the customer is always right."

When I was working as a hostess in the 80s, we bent over backwards to make sure anything we did wrong was fixed to the satisfaction of the customer. It didn't even matter if it was ridiculously obvious that it was the customer who was being a jackwagon. We were to smile and figure out how to make him happy. Moving tables, free meals, whatever.

Later, working in contract research, I primarily dealt with outside clients, whom I catered to every day. Our customer service was excellent.

Two poor service and follow-up customer service nightmares come to mind, that I've had in the last ten years. The first was my credit card company, who came after me to pay for my mother's $1200 credit card balance (through the same company) after she went into long-term care and couldn't work. My mother and I had never had calls from bill collectors, so it was very scary to have a company thug call me at home, pissed off and screaming that I needed to personally pay for my mom's outstanding balance- which of course I was under no obligation to do. I wasn't even on the card. GRR.

I wrote a long letter to the appropriate person there, explaining everything that had happened, and that I was completely appalled that they would resort to harassing family members to get their money. I never heard a word back. Not even a form letter.

I no longer have that credit card.

The other was when I delivered Michael at Seton Hospital. One nurse was amazing that day, but my labor was unnecessarily long, dangerous (OD on morphine much?) and miserable due to the incompetence of two other nurses.

Seton has a fine reputation, and I know that situation, unlike the credit card episode, was just an unlucky chain of events, rather than a reflection of the hospital overall. Still. They owed me at least a response to my very long written reply to the customer satisfaction survey. I heard nothing.

A few bright spots in customer service--
Southwest Airlines, who are the happiest, most fun staff I've ever encountered
Apple, who just handled a gift card problem for me promptly and with apology, even though it wasn't their fault at all
For me... AT&T, who has been outstanding in handling a couple of issues with our cell phones

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Random Hump Day

Well, I'm going to try Eva's way of posting random blog entries. I shall employ the dash to indicate a new subject. It's no less random, but quite organized. Enjoy!

-- Chad's FB status is "Why is Palin still around? Haven't we been subjected to enough of her?" It has been an exceptionally rare occasion when I have commented on political things on Facebook, but I was tempted to "like" the heck out of that.

-- Tom DeLay going to jail for three years? YAY! (Well, if it ever actually happens.) He reminds me of the Governor in Best Little Whorehouse in Texas. But more slithery.

-- Lauren's pre-cal teacher wrote Lauren's PSAT score (in the 200's) as her grade on a quiz yesterday, instead of the real grade. When Lauren noticed it, he congratulated her, as have her other teachers. I'm wondering why they all know her score. Sure, any of them could look it up, but why would they care to? *ponders*

Did you know that the class they now call "Pre-Calculus" is the former "Trigonometry"? I was wondering where trig had gone!

-- Well, we pulled the trigger on the season tickets for A&M football. WHOOP! Now we wait to see if we get them. We won't know until at least April. I won't use the parking pass, because I like parking at the mall and taking the bus onto campus. Sitting around for an hour in a parking lot after the games sounds awful. I'd rather spend my hour chatting with people and riding around town!


Patrick's Saturday Six

1. Would you like to gain weight or lose weight in 2011?
I would like to lose 20 pounds. (Friends: "From WHERE?!" Bless your hearts. You're all so sweet. And blind.)

2. On a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being the most fit, where do you rank yourself?
7

3. Can you go to a gym and do a workout without any assistance or need for motivation?
Yes. I haven't been a gym member for several years, but when I was, I could just as easily go by myself as with a friend. I've never used a trainer or any of that.

4. Do you think you’d accomplish more or less if you had a workout/diet partner?
More. Laura and I are supposed to start riding our bikes together on weekends. I wonder if that will turn out like our neighborhood walks... ;) I prefer supplementing my own regular workouts with exercise activities with family and friends, rather than exclusively working out with someone else. I don't like being tied to a workout schedule or depending on someone else to participate.

5. Take the quiz: What’s Your Fitness Personality?
Okay, I'd agree with this...
Your Fitness Personality is Minimalist
You're the type of person who just likes to move. You don't need anything fancy to exercise. You enjoy being outdoors. Your ideal workout is taking a simple hike or dip in the lake. If you're looking to shake things up, consider rock climbing, snowshoeing, or kayaking. Or consider taking a long walk in the city. You don't have to be out in nature to be inspired!

6. You’re working out in the gym and you spot a group of people who are lifting a lot more weight than you and being a little obnoxious about it: would that bother you or could you successfully ignore them without feeling any pressure?
I wouldn't feel any pressure. Each person has his own fitness level and goals. Lifting weights in particular isn't something about which I'm competitive. For me, it's reps, not weight.

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♪ Cry-y-y-y-ing Over You ♫

Lauren runs the two-year-olds class (babysitting, but with lessons/songs/art/etc.) at church, but on holidays, when there is only one service, they re-assign everyone to be able to cover all the kids. On those days she has infants, up to one-year-olds.

On New Year's weekend, a 12-month-old little boy came in and was inconsolable for a little while after mommy left. Lauren held him and talked to him until he calmed down (while he totally slimed her with crying snot- heh). Then for the next hour, he would hold on to her and start crying again if she tried to put him down. So she spent the whole time carrying him around.

Now, I have to laugh, because SHE was that child. During moms' club, the first time I put her in the babysitting room (she was one year old as well), they came and got me after ten minutes, saying she just wasn't going to stop crying. I tried childcare one more meeting, and kept watching the door for them coming to find me, but they didn't. I was so relieved, but when I got back there to pick her up after the meeting, my friend who had been working in there that day told me she had had to hold Lauren the entire time!

What goes around comes around, I guess. :)

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Boehner

So I've been mispronouncing Speaker Boehner's last name.

"Baner?" Please. It's SO "boner." Böhner is pronounced more like "behr-ner," but if you're going to Americanize your German name, I think you have to go with the American pronunciation. If your name is John Böhner, Americans get to ask you how to say it. If your name is John Boehner, you can say it however you like, but expect others to assume boner. My Americanized German maiden name is slightly different than the real pronunciation, but it is pronounced as it looks in English. (Mom and I always said it in English and Dad still says it in German. On a side note, I've noticed that after a lifetime of answering the home phone with his last name, my Dad now says "Hello!" I always want to tease him and say, "WHO is this?" You know, since he doesn't say his name... *crickets*...)

I've been defriending people on Facebook this weekend. I axed seven. Nothing personal. Just eliminated the flimsy connections. Quite honestly, there are four more people on the cusp I could get rid of, if I knew their feelings wouldn't be hurt. They're probably thinking the same thing about me.

I know. It's supposed to be a race to see who collects the most friends. I just don't like the clutter.

Sunday Stealing: The First 2011 Alphabet Meme

A is for Age: 43

B is for Beer of choice: Shiner Bock

C is for Career: clinical data management for Phase I through Phase IV pharmaceutical research studies (on hold)

D is for favourite Drink: iced tea

E is for Essential item you use everyday: computer

F is for Favourite song at the moment: "This Time" Carrie Underwood

G is for favourite Game: Skip-Bo

H is for Home town: Houston

I is for Instruments you play: piano

J is for favourite Juice: apple

K is for Kids: Lauren (age 17)

L is for Last kiss: yesterday

M is for Marriage: Jeff (20 years)

N is for full Name: KathyAnn Jingleheimer Schmidt (no relation)

O is for Overnight hospital stays: 4

P is for phobias: heights, scorpions

Q is for quote: "It's not illegal. It's frowned upon, like masturbating on an airplane." -Alan from The Hangover

R is for biggest Regret: not getting that Master's degree

S is for sports: football (for watching. I sorta suck at playing it.)

T is for Time you wake up: between 5am and 6am

U is for colour of underwear: dark blue

V is for Vegetable you love: snow peas

W is for Worst Habit: leaving my shoes by the breakfast room table

X is for X-rays you've had: waaaaaay too many

Y is for Yummy food you make: Chicken Parmesan

Z is for zodiac sign:  Aries, baby!

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Turn Out the Liiiiiiights...

Well Ags, it was a fabulous season... and a great first quarter and a half during the Cotton Bowl! My favorite play was the gorgeous Gray-to-Nwachukwu pass, and I loved the coach hug that followed. That hug really made me smile. For those who didn't see it, here's the touchdown... and the hug (at :40):



The commentators and game coverage were the WORST on Fox. Good gawd. The commentators were so stilted when reading the teleprompters. And the writing was cheesy and trite. They congratulated each other all night for things they'd done in their careers. They interviewed some guy from the 1912 Cotton Bowl or something, while the game was going on. Hello!

The worst part was the guy who was constantly whining that the rules are different in college than what he's used to covering professional ball. Oh. My. Freaking. Gravy. Shut up already and go cover a pro game.

I have to say that Jerrod Johnson is probably my favorite player of the year. I was as hard on him as anyone when he was... um... sucking earlier in the season. He played very well as QB for two years, and I still miss the Johnson-Nwachukwu partnership. Like Tannehill, one of his best QB qualities is his ability to recover easily and stay in the game when things aren't going our way. That's something with which the Aggies have had trouble in the past. Whatever happened to him- probably the surgery last summer- he has continued to lead the team as captain, and with a grace that has been commented upon by many around him. It can't be easy to lose that golden spot on the field, but he has put his personal disappointment aside week after week for the team. Nothing could be more admirable.

Cannot WAIT for next season! We are planning to get season tix for the first time. Someone at work mentioned a friend has LSU season tickets, and has to donate $10,000 per ticket per year to be able to keep them. (Plus the cost of the tickets of course.) I had no idea the donation level was that high! Then she said they are primo 50-yard-line seats. Ahh. We don't need those. I just want to be at Kyle Field. Put me in the end zone or whatever.

Kathy's was a lot of fun, despite the loss! Her parents are great. One of her mom's memories of Kathy's and my time at A&M- how red my face always was (from the blaring sun on the student side) when we would meet them after games. Ahh yes. I remember that. And my head was usually killing me, from all the screaming. Good times.

Also found out that had her dad known he was going to be a National Merit Scholar, he would have gone to Rice instead of A&M. Shocking. Her dad is one of the biggest Aggies I've ever met! He said with a smile that it worked out the way it was supposed to in the end.

On that note- Lauren scored in the top ONE PERCENT of all PSAT takers this year. Woooooo!!!!! She rocks out loud. She should easily make National Merit Semi-Finalist. Then there's an application process similar to any scholarship, to get to Finalist and beyond. They supposedly take the top 50,000 or so for semi-finalist (in September? WTH?), and Lauren is somewhere in the top 15,000. She said she scored higher than everyone she's talked to, even the number one ranked student in her class (a friend of hers), but she is still trying to covertly find out what this particular "genius" guy got on it, to see if she beat him. I don't know where she got that academically competitive streak. *bats eyelashes*

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BTHO LSU!

Happy Cotton Bowl Day! Whoop! I can't wait to get to work in my A&M-wear. (There are only two Aggies there, including me, amongst a burnt orange sea of T-sips.) Going to KathyL's tonight to watch the game with her family, who are coming up from Houston.

Last night, we (and by "we" I mean Lauren and I, as Jeff was at a rocketry thinger and not around to be the voice of reason) briefly thought about going to Yell Practice. But, nah. It wasn't the drive up to Ft. Worth that was daunting, but rather the drive home at 1 a.m.

Plus, the daughter thought we were talking about driving to College Station. Eh. What's another hour and a half (each way)? Two-percenter. ;)

Friday Five

1. What is the one place you never want to live?
Bangkok

2. Do you consider yourself to be a "picky eater"?
No. While there are a few disgusting foods like oatmeal (*gag*) on the list of foods I never eat, I am open to trying new things and I eat a variety of foods.

3. What do you think people say about you behind your back?
I don't even want to know. Probably that I should stop blogging about them. Which reminds me of a great story about Sharon and her involvement with the filming of "Dazed and Confused"... Hee...

4. If you could own and operate any major business what would be?
A concert venue, like The Backyard. How awesome would that be?!

5. Do you feel as if you are a black-and-white only person, or a person who sees many gray areas? That is to say, do you have strong opinions on everything, or do you recognize the need to compromise?
I see gray areas for most things. There are a few topics where I'm not convinced of any redeeming value of the opposing view, but typically I see both sides.

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Exercise TV On Demand

Exercise TV is another cable station like FitTV, which I've used for my workouts for several years. Unlike FitTV, Exercise TV is also available on demand, so I don't have to DVR everything and deal with deleting and rotating shows, etc.

They have everything, from ten-minute body sculpting or energizing cardio to hour-long full workouts like kickboxing, step, dance, yoga, etc. The shows do have advertising, but it is all shown at the beginning and as text on the bottom of the screen through the workout, rather than having standard commercials. I like that format a lot! It is less obstrusive and you don't have to figure out something to do to keep your heart rate up while the commercials are on.

This morning I did Billy Blanks Jr.'s Cardioke. (Don't worry, Dr. G. I didn't do any jumping or vigorous movements.) Yeah, I laughed too, when I saw "Cardioke" listed. It's a half-hour aerobic hip-hop workout with singing. It's very cheesy, but it's a lot of fun. It doesn't take itself seriously, except for the cooldown portion, which is very  "kumbaya." ...Not that there's anything wrong with that.

The episode I saw was very simple steps, but easy to adjust for any fitness level.

Sing-along means there are songs you actually KNOW in the routine, not that canned exercise music that you get sick of.

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Navy Hullabaloo

For those who have been asking... My New Year's Resolution is 1280x1024.

I have to admit, I haven't had time to do an in-depth study of the details of this navy video scandal. From what I've seen though, I don't get all the hoo-ha. It's THE NAVY, not Mr. Honors' sixth grade PE class. Those men joke around about that stuff day in and day out. It's raunchy humor central. On the news, they showed some clips, to illustrate how offensive they were. I was cracking up. (Most of you are not surprised.)

It seems the people serving under him love him, and he's been a model officer. These vids were never intended to be seen by the public. They were made for the enjoyment of the men on that ship. Consider the audience when you're watching them. There has been plenty a skit and video, in places like your public schools (gasp!), as well as corporations and institutions all over this country, that are strictly meant for the entertainment of people in that group, that would perhaps shock, disappoint or offend people outside that audience.

Not to mention, you've probably seen worse on Family Guy or Southpark.

And who is behind this witch hunt anyway? I hope none of those people has ever told a dirty joke.

I do understand why some feel this compromises his ability to lead, casts the Navy in a bad light and/or is "unprofessional." I think people need to relax and stop getting their knickers in a twist at every little thing. Pick your battles. Are there bigger affronts out there, that are actually harming people? Definitely. Let's get our blood pressure up for things like that, and just shake our heads at this and move on.

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Music Tuesday

Yeah, Music Tuesday is not a new featured event here at the blog. It's just today because I located this awesome video (thanks to Eva!).

Roseland Ballroom, NYC, 2006. JC singing his song "Until Yesterday", during a Timberlake concert. He's channeling Prince every now and then, I think. JT is on keyboard and backup vocals.

Hello, tight pants...




...Remember all the lies you sold me
Made me feel so sad and lonely
Now your fairytale is unfolding
Nothing left to say
'Cause I loved you all the way
Until yesterday...

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Back to Work!

Taking a break here for a moment to catch my breath. I went from three weeks off with the entire family to everyone back on-the-go. Lauren isn't in school until tomorrow, but I took her to a doctor appointment after work and now she's at band practice. It's laundry day, which keeps me running around and tripping up and down the stairs ;). I'm creating three Foundation print ads, all due by Friday.

On top of all that, I forgot one ingredient for tonight's dinner. Well, that is the nice thing about having a driving teenager in your house. She is picking it up on her way home from band- without complaint, because it's a driving task! If only I could figure out how cleaning her room could involve a stint behind the wheel.

By the way, Lauren and I kicked everyone's butts at Bananagrams while we were in Dallas for Christmas. We are a freakin' force. Do not mess with us. You have been warned.

:)


Sunday Stealing: The Over the Edge Meme

1. What curse word do you use the most?
usually some non-toxic version of the F word, like "frick" or "fark". Most-used real curse word-- "damn it"

2. Do you own an iPod?
yep

3. Do you still remember the first person you kissed?
Frankie B. I remember him well. He was from Staten Island, and had a thick NY accent when I met him in third grade. The last time I talked to him, in college, he had a very strong Texas accent. So funny! I called him out on it.

4. Would you rather take the picture or be in the picture?
take the picture

5. Has anyone ever called you lazy?
nah. I can barely sit still long enough to watch a movie.

6. Has anyone told you a secret this week?
Yes. Laura told me a secret about Megan. It was part of the requisite "discovery" process of a matchmaking thing I'm doing. It's a secret that I can't tell the guy, of course, but helpful for me to know in my decision to get these two together. Or maybe it's just gossip.

7. What is the first thing you notice about the someone that you are attracted to?
Their smile. Not the visual beauty of it, but the genuineness of it. I don't want to see a bunch of missing teeth or anything, but you know what I mean.

8. What are you looking forward to?
San Antonio girls' trip in March

9. Do you own any band t-shirts?
Bon Jovi

10. When is the last time you slept on the floor?
I'm pretty sure it was over twenty years ago.

11. What did you do last night?
cleaned out the pantry. No that isn't a euphemism for anything.

12. Do you get along better with the same sex or the opposite sex?
opposite sex

13. Who was the last person to make you mad?
Jeff

14. Who would you want to be tied to for 24 hours?
Anderson Cooper

15. T or F: All’s fair in love and war?
F

16. What’s something you’ve always wanted?
World peace. No really.

17. Do you enjoy spending time with your mother?
I loved spending time with Mom! She was awesome.

18. Do you want a bright yellow ‘06 mustang?
No thanks.

19. Where is/are your best friend(s)?
all over the country, from Texas to Wyoming to Florida

20. Would you rather swim in the ocean or a lake?
ocean

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Tips for Losing Those Holiday Pounds

I was reading a magazine article at the surgeon's office about post-holiday dieting, and it had the most useless information ever. Two of their tips were literally "eat less" and "exercise more." Please.

I figured I could do at least as well as that with my own tips. Here ya' go...

Captain Obvious' Tips for Losing Those Holiday Pounds*
by Kathy

1. Put down the cake and have a carrot instead. One serving of carrot cake with cream cheese frosting packs a gut-busting wallop of 400 calories. A baby carrot is only 5 calories.

2. Drink more water. A LOT more. Did you know that if you drink 16 oz. of water before a meal, you reduce your calorie intake by 15 percent? Drink 107 oz. and you can forget about dinner altogether.

3. Park far away from the door. If you can find a handy spot about 3 miles from your house, just think how many steps you'll add to the old pedometer each day! And when you're out, avoid a pesky $300 ticket for parking up front in a disabled space (I didn't SEE THE SIGN. It was fifteen years ago. Can't we just forget about it already?), and park way out in the back row, alongside that annoying jerk who always parks his Jag catty-wompus across three spots. Park reeeeeeeally close to his driver side door.

4. Ride your bike to work. Not the Ducati. The Schwinn. Don't mind those people flipping you off for taking up a whole lane at ten miles per hour. We'll get over it.

5. Don't leave the gym and go straight to your favorite Mexican restaurant. Pack an apple in your bag, for a light and delicious post-workout snack!

*The information included in this article is neither intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. Reading of any entries in this blog is done at the reader's own risk, and typically by people who have been drinking heavily. Always consult your healthcare provider to determine the appropriateness of the information for your own, if any, situation. Blackout dates may apply. Offer not valid in Alaska or any other state ending in A, and is not transferable.

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Happy New Year!

Happy 2011!

Had a fabulous time out with the Jeffs last night at McCormick and Schmick's, where the only two pieces of festive New Year's headwear were sported by an 8-year-old and me. My springy, sparkly "HAPPY NEW YEAR" headband had lights, and handily kicked her hat's butt.

We hung out here afterward, and I did fall asleep at 11:40, but only because JeffC called it quits around 11. Had he been able to stay awake another hour, I would have gotten my second wind. That's my story, and I'm sticking to it. Next year- PETE'S on 6th street. I can stay up all night there.

This is something I dug out of my mom's stuff yesterday, while looking for something else. A little late, but so cute.

Christmas Cake

1 cup water
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup sugar
1 tsp salt
1 cup brown sugar
lemon juice
4 large eggs
nuts
1 bottle vodka
2 cups dried fruit

Sample the vodka to check quality. Take a large bowl, check the vodka again. To be sure it is of the highest quality, pour one level cup and drink. REPEAT. Turn on the electric mixer.

Beat one cup butter in a large, fluffy bowl. Add one teaspoon of sugar. Beat again. At this point it is best to make sure the vodka is shtill OK. Try another cup... just in case. Turn off the miserer thingy.

Break two leggs and add the bowl and chuck in the cup of dried fruit. Pick the frigging fruit off the floor. Mix on the turner. If the fried druit gets stuck in the beaterers, just pry it loose with a drewscriver. Sample the vodka to check for tonsisticity. Next sift two cups of salt. Or something. Who giveshz a shit.

Check the vodka.

Now shift the lemon juice and strain your nuts. Add one table. Add a spoon of sugar, or somefink. Whatever you can find. Greash the oven. Place the smixture into a sorcepan- that's like a flyingpan with higher sidesss. Turn the sorcepan 360 degrees and try not to fall over.

Don't forget to beat off the turner. Finally, throw the bowl ththtough the window. Finish the vodka and kick the cat.

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