Wednesday

Just saw Florida Senator Marco Rubio on GMA... he's hot. It's too bad he's a Tea Party guy. :/

TEPCO needs to get their dang act together in Japan. Wild misreading of radiation levels? Please. Disaster of epic proportion that wasn't engineered into the plant design (although earthquakes and tsunamis do go hand-in-hand, eh?), but at least have staff who can accurately measure the human risk.

Meanwhile, for a very good layman's guide to comparative radiation levels, JeffC sent me a link. It's a general graphic representation, to give you an idea of what in the world a sievert really is. Here ya' go. Click the chart to see it full size.

I'm off to the dentist for a checkup. Jealous? Have a fab day!

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Sucker Punch

We saw Sucker Punch this weekend. Overall, it was good, although we (and everyone I've talked to) hated the ending. It's really like an amazing two-hour music video. Just appreciate it as that, and you'll enjoy it. Very cool cinematography. Brilliant colors and creative effects nothing short of hypnotic. Awesome music.

The story is very thin, and if you didn't see the trailer or know the plot already, you might watch and just think "wow, this is a really trippy, artistic movie." It is definitely trippy and artistic, but there is a shallow plot there, with the fantasy life being a coping strategy for the girls. Dr. Gorski never clearly explains this in the movie, like she does in the trailer. The only clue to what you're watching is towards the end of the film, when Blue asks Dr. Gorski what her job is, and she replies that it's to help the girls cope with him.

The ending- blah. Should have ended right after Sweet Pea walked through the gate.

C+

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Firefox 4 Bookmarks Toolbar Issue... 'n Stuff

I installed Firefox 4 yesterday, but my Bookmarks Toolbar was not showing the bookmarks. The bar itself defaults to not being visible, so you do have to toggle it on, which I did. I disabled all my add-ons and it still wasn't showing any bookmarks, so I started in safe mode, which worked. Hallelujah. Luckily, I just ended up having to restore all Firefox's default settings to get it working permanently. My add-ons were all ok. Who knows what setting was screwing it up- I had a ton of custom settings from over the years. Hope that can help someone else out there having the same issue.

Doug gave me tours of his apartment in Westlake and his under-contract home in Round Rock yesterday. That apartment has one of the most beautiful views of the lake and downtown Austin I've seen anywhere. A block away there is a business park where you can also see the 360 bridge in the view.

Oh. So. Pretty! (I'll get back there on a sunny day sometime. With an actual camera instead of my dorky phone.) Anyhoo- it's really a well-composed shot of the city and its landmarks.

Doug's new house (his first home purchase!) is a party house. Great pool. Huge hot tub. Open, flowing public areas and kitchen, with a nice, big pool table room- cool! It has some paint color issues, easy to remedy. The garage has been turned into a recording studio, but he wants the garage for his car, so he's tearing it out. I think he should just start a band instead.

Last night, Austin Police Chief Acevedo and some officers were at Red Robin, serving food and chatting with customers while we were there. Not sure what it was all about, but I thought it was very cool. I've always been a huge fan of Chief Acevedo and his really being "one of the officers," rather than some administrator in a suit behind a desk. Rock on, APD!

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Hmmm hmmm hmmm...

Yesterday at the library, I was humming Cee Lo's song.

Student (arching an eyebrow): What are you humming?
Me: "Forget You."
Student: Ya' know, those aren't the real words.
Me: They aren't?

:-)

My halo- still shiny.

Lauren starts her first job next week! Too cool. She's going to work at a gift shop, and she really likes her manager, who did her interview. She is very excited. So happy for her!

Saturday 9: A Long December

1. Looking back at it now, how were your holidays and your time on New Year's Eve?
The holidays were fantastic last year! Great time with the fam and JeffC on Thanksgiving day. (Awesome Aggie win, too!) Fun in Dallas with the in-laws at Christmas, complete with a scary encounter with a train at the light display in Farmers Branch. NYE with the Jeffs at McCormick and Schmick.

2. Do you have any unusual collections?
Medieval torture devices and Mary Engelbreit decor items

3. If you could train a machine to do one thing for you whenever you wanted, what would you have it do?
IRON. Gah.

4. What is one thing that makes you cry?
It's easy to get me crying with sentimental things. I cried during this week's episode of The Office.

5. What do you love to do on the weekend?
Hike! We need to do it more often. Our next one is planned for McKinney Roughs with JeffC, but we don't have a day picked out.

6. Do you and your family get along?
I get along very well with my family. The single glaring exception is my relationship with my aunt, which I cut off after an extremely abusive, drunken phone call from her last year.

7. Have you ever gotten kicked out somewhere? If yes, do tell.
I've never been kicked out of any place.

8. Who do you normally turn to when you need to complain about something?
Laura or Cathy. We agree on most things, which is exactly what you want when you're complaining. KathyL is my least sympathetic friend when I'm whining about something, because she is so incredibly laid back that hardly anything ruffles her. She's my best friend to talk to when I think I'm about to blow a gasket over something stupid.

9. What is the last thing you ordered online?
The cutest shoes EVER.

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Friday Question

There was a meme a couple of weeks ago that was brimming with contemplative and introspective questions, with little in the way of the "how many red things are on your desk right now?" sort. I always begin those "deeper" surveys by deciding whether I'm going to take it seriously or go balls-to-the-wall silly with it. Then I spend time thinking about one or two questions and erase the whole thing, because it's just going to take too darn long.

On that survey, I started with the one question I thought was a quick answer, and I couldn't even think of one at the time. Now I've thought of it! So here is a Friday one-question meme.

What is your least favorite song by your most favorite band?
I haven't had a single most favorite band since Duran Duran in 1984, but two of my very favorites actually sing two of my most despised songs of all-time. Matchbox Twenty "Push" and Train "Meet Virginia." *shudder*

I haven't watched The View in years, but I'm going to mention yesterday's show yet again. They got into a discussion about Obama's not wanting to show his birth certificate. Whoopi Goldberg kept saying it is only because he is Black that anyone cares to see it. Seriously? That is quite a stretch there.

Any presidential candidate with foreign-born parents, including me, or who even lived outside the country as an infant or for extended periods would have the same request made of us. It is such a non-issue. Just show your birth certificate. So what. Why not show it? I don't think he's here trying to undermine our country or any of that nonsense, but it's a law that the President must be a natural born citizen of the US. I don't get it. If he hasn't shown it publicly, he should at least have to have shown it to someone before he took office. Everyone who runs should have to verify their citizenship before they begin their campaign, whether born in Russia or Kansas. We have to verify more than that just to vote in the election.

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Surgery Process Complete

I had the final follow-up visit with my plastic surgeon yesterday morning. It began much like a spa treatment. They put me in a deliciously soft and very expensive ivory robe. Then I was lounging in a comfy and interesting medical chair. Too bad there wasn't champagne.

All too soon, the nurse was in there, oohing and ahhing over my "impressive visual result," and moving right in to get her hands on me. At the three-month mark, pretty much everyone in the office has groped you.

The surgeon came in and did his exam. Then they did my "after" photo session. Ahh, the photo sessions. They're a "stand here with your toes on this tape line on the floor" thing, sort of like the DMV, only naked.

In the end, the surgery and my healing went extremely well. So yay!

Lauren still has the stomach virus that I brought home from San Antonio and gave to my family. So she's home again today. :( We're watching The View right now- Joy Behar made me laugh with "Lindsay Lohan will be tried by a jury of her peers... a bunch of out-of-control starlets."

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Wednesday- Reformatted

Okay, Windows Live Writer officially bites. (See next entry.)

Jeff has decided that all we need to do to strike it rich, quit our jobs and travel the world in style, is come up with one awesome cellphone app that will rock everyone's socks at $2 a pop. He said he'll do the programming. I just have to come up with the creative idea.

I got nothin'.

Remember, I'm the one who doesn't have a smartphone.

Now cracking me up at The Bloggess: Ooh! Pistachios!

Have a fabulous Wednesday, y'all!

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*tap tap* Is this Thing On?

This entry is an experiment with Windows Live Writer, because Firefox and Blogger don't play well together. Of course, Microsoft and I have had our own difficulties in the sandbox. We'll see if it actually shows up when I post it!Jeff has decided that all we need to do to strike it rich, quit our jobs and travel the world in style, is come up with one awesome cellphone app that will rock everyone's socks at $2 a pop. He said he'll do the programming. I just have to come up with the creative idea.I got nothin'.Remember, I'm the one who doesn't have a smartphone.Now cracking me up at The Bloggess: Ooh! Pistachios!Have a fabulous Wednesday, y'all!

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Mom and Dad Suck the Fun Out of Spring Break

There is a daily news program specifically for schools that is shown in middle and high school classrooms across the country each day. Yesterday, they did a feature on Spring Break in Cancún. I completely agree with the point of the story, with vacationing students saying not going to Cancún would be like not going to California if there were violence in the streets in Virginia. They're absolutely right.

What I didn't like was 18-year-olds giggling that their parents had discouraged them from going to Mexico because of safety concerns, but they blew them off as being overprotective and went anyway. That's not a message I think a school news program should be putting out to kids. They could have done the same story about fun, beautiful and safe places to visit in Mexico, while omitting the suggestion that "your parents are paranoid and clueless and you should do as you please."

Yikes- I sound like a mom!


Monday Mayhem

1. Are you concerned at all with the possibility that radiation leaks could head your way?
No. We're waaaaaaaaaaaay too far away for any significant exposure. (Unless things go completely batsh*t, Tokyo is most likely too far away for any significant exposure.)

2. What is the one thing that you will always go cheap on?
Gasoline- I won't ever buy anything but regular, and at the cheapest recognizable name gas station I can find.

3. What would you buy that price would have no limit?
Any medical thing my child would need to survive an illness or injury. Or Clooney's half-eaten French toast.

4. Name a TV show that could be about the stupidest thing ever.
Hogs Gone Wild. Oh wait. That is a show about the stupidest thing ever.

5. What is the strangest thing you have ever eaten?
Alligator. Wimpy, I know. Escargot? I really need to get out more.

6. If it were really hot out and you were at the beach, would you go in the water even if it was dirty or full of jellyfish?
I would never go into dirty ocean. I've been in jellyfish-infested ocean... by accident. If I knew they were there before I got in, then no.

7. Can you teach old dogs new tricks or is it just not worth the effort?
New tricks- always good. Or improvements to old tricks. Heh. Definitely worth the effort.

8. What makes comfort foods taste so good?
almost always a stick of butter

9. How do you like your steak cooked?
medium rare

10. Have you ever stepped on something and had it stuck in your foot?
I got a little piece of glass in my shoe while we were tubing in New Braunfels many years ago. When I got out of the water, it went into my foot and wouldn't come out and got infected and stuff. SO. Gross.

11. We're looking for viral video theme ideas. What's your best idea for a viral video day?
Post the best viral video with an amateur singer or band doing a song cover as good as or better than the original song.

12. What is your twitter handle? Can we follow you?
My Twitter name is my fake rock-chick name, which cannot be revealed in this forum. I hardly ever tweet anyway. I'm only over there to follow people who aren't on Facebook.

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Scary Middle-of-the-Night Phone Call

Any calls between 11:00 p.m. and 6 a.m. scare me to death. That moment is all about seeing who is on caller ID, isn't it? Ack.

Last night, about 2:45 a.m., the phone rang with a private number on caller ID. I picked up and a young guy said hello. His voice was shaking. I could tell he was physically shaking, because of the sound of the phone rustling against his head. He was speaking very softly. Between the muffled whisper and the shaking voice, I could barely understand him. He identified himself as my nephew, of which I have zero, but my cousin is Lauren's age, and I am frequently mistaken for his aunt (although not by him)... so I asked if he was at home in Colorado and he said yes.

He wouldn't talk, so I asked if everything was ok and he said no. I asked if he and his mom were alright. He said yes. I asked what was wrong. He said "relationships."

"With mom? A girlfriend?"

"My girlfriend."

"Is she there? Is she ok?"

"She isn't here. She's fine."

Once I established that no one was hurt, we continued to talk for about fifteen minutes. He said he was whispering because he didn't want to wake up his mom. He went into great detail about an extremely personal problem with his girlfriend. I gave him lots of advice and calmed him down a little.

I just kept wondering if it was actually my cousin. Age came up at some point, so I asked him "How old are you right now?" (He's 16.)

"Eighteen."

"I'm sorry, tell me who this is again."

"Michael."

Yeah. NOT my cousin.

I had to tell this poor kid that he wasn't talking to his aunt.

"I'm so sorry, but it looks like you dialed the wrong number. This isn't your aunt."

"Oh my God, I'm so sorry."

"No no no. It's totally okay. I want you to call her about this though."

"Ok. I will."

Poor guy. I'm still wondering how he's doing. :(

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Sorry I Can't Afford a Ferrari...

...but that don't mean I can't get you there...

I have developed a very sudden crazy love for Cee Lo Green's "F*ck You". Love the music. Awesome pissy lyrics. Best of all, no one can manage to sit still while it's playing. No one! I've posted the official video of Cee Lo's clean version in the sidebar >>>. I'm pretty much listening to it on constant repeat now. Problem is, I keep dancing around or busting into my serious vocals (ya' feelin' me, Miss Angel?), so I can't seem to finish this post or anything else I'm working on.

Gwyneth Paltrow was adorable singing it with him at the Grammys. This is her Glee version (I've only watched a few episodes of Glee, but her recurring character is hilarious... and her outfit here- SO CUTE!)...



One of the best things ever--- coming home from a mini-vacation and it's the beginning of the weekend. Yeah, baby!!

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San Antonio Day 2

Me: George Clooney has gotten too skinny.
Donna: I'd still do him.
Me: Goes without saying.

Yesterday was another fun day at the Riverwalk. The four of us hit the mall briefly and had lunch. D and I came back to the hotel to hang out with our favorite waiter on the river. Through the afternoon, the Irish pub next door had a band playing traditional Irish music. A Mariachi group was playing in our restaurant, for an interesting combination of musical styles. Only in San Antonio!

The Jovi concert was really great! Afterward, we all came back to the hotel and hung out at the pub until it closed.

At one point, a young couple across the river stopped and the guy got down on one knee, and the entire pub started whooping and cheering. Then he pulled a camera out of his pocket and took a photo of his girlfriend. NICE. A whole bar full of St. Patrick's Day revelers, disappointed. Heh. No pressure, dude.

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Top o' the Mornin' to Ya'

Happy St. Patrick's Day! We're having a good time here in cloudy San Antonio. Hopefully the sun will come out later, like it did yesterday.

Donna and I checked into our hotel and spent the afternoon chatting and people-watching at a perfect table at the restaurant, outside on the Riverwalk. Since D is in tourism, she not only knows all the cool places to stay and eat and go, she knows people at those places, or makes fast friends with them on arrival, which inevitably gets her and her guests top notch service and perks we would not have otherwise gotten.

D had wine and I had two (one too many) margaritas. She ordered oysters and made me try one. I think I had a raw oyster once in Galveston as a teenager, because I remember them telling me to just swallow it as fast as I could so I wouldn't taste it. This one she gave me dressed up with cocktail sauce and on a cracker, which is how "oyster virgins" are supposed to eat them. It was actually pretty good. It's the first thing I've ever had that tasted like ocean. Very fresh and light. I still won't be ordering them for myself anytime soon.

By the time we left, D had befriended our waiter, Sergio, and also the restaurant manager. We told Sergio we would be back after dinner with some friends. He told us to ask for him.

We met Kelly and Barb at the restaurant a few blocks away. D quickly let the staff know she is friends with the chef who owns the restaurant and knows the local chef as well. They buzzed around us all night, chatting it up. Very fun. We didn't know which wine we wanted, so they brought out four for us to try, and we chose two. We had a German onion tart appetizer which was to die for. Then dinner, then dessert, where the chef sent an additional one out for us to try. At the end--- the restaurant comped our appetizer and all the desserts. So nice!

On our way back to the hotel, we were all teasing Donna about how she gets all this special treatment, and how we need to bring her along on all our trips. We get to the restaurant downstairs and it's 10:20 and the hostess tells us they closed at 10. Sergio sees us and tells her he'll take us. He shows us to a table outside, we hang out there until about 11 just having cocktails, and he comes over and tells us they're comping the whole thing. LOL. Now I'm definitely bringing her along on my vacations.

Unfortunately I was just having water at that point, because I was a bit over my typical amount of alcohol for a night out. Kelly started telling me a story, which Barb and Donna already knew, about how several months ago, a woman in five-inch stilettos, talking on a cellphone, had stepped on Kelly's big toe and ripped the nail off. I get queasy hearing about that stuff when I'm completely sober. She was describing it in painstaking detail, the enormous amount of blood covering her sandal and the ground... Donna finally laughed and said, "I think you're making Kathy nauseous."

Nauseous doesn't begin to describe it. Yikes.

So she wrapped up the story in another few minutes, by which time I thought I would have to leave the table. I must have been white as a sheet.

D and I are lounging around in our huge, beautiful hotel room right now. We'll be getting out of our PJs sometime soon, I think. We don't have to be anywhere in particular until the concert tonight. Then Dirty Nelly's, here we come! I'll be the one with the ice water. :)

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San Antonio

I'm in preparation mode this morning, heading to the grocery store for last minute preparation of my family before I leave for GIRLS TRIP SAN ANTONIO! Whee!! Donna already has us in tonight at a new restaurant a chef friend of hers just opened on the Riverwalk. Tomorrow is Spa Day (and Concert Day) (and St. Patrick's Day). And every day is Wine Day, when Donna is involved.

Joining us for the three day extravaganza- Kelly, who we met last year at the Dallas Jovi concert, Kelly's friend Barb (both from Frisco), and D's friend DeeDee, who will arrive tomorrow from DFW.

I'll be connected via various electronic communications devices, so have a great day and I'll report in here tomorrow!

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'Tis the Ides of March

Kimberly and I have a tradition of marking this day each year, because we had such fun with it in high school English, when we were reading Julius Ceasar. Beware the Ides of March!

...This weekend, Jeff was trying to say the word "machete" with a Spanish accent, but it came out sounding Italian. No matter how many attempts he made to make it really fierce, it just sounded like some sort of pasta dish.  

Would you like some fresh grated Parmigiano-Reggiano with your machete?

Similarly, I cannot manage to say the Spanish word "crema" without sounding completely German. It's all about where you roll your R's, friends- front or back of the tongue. I have an automatic urge to roll any R after a C in the back. So when I say "crema," rather than a delightful crème fraîche, it sounds like a WWII military command.

My crema -- FAR more terrifying than Jeff's machete.

Watched The Bachelor finale way too late last night. We knew he would pick Emily all along. Chantal is way more fun and outgoing than Emily... but I can see why HE likes her. ;) The after-show was surprising, especially since Brad was on the radio last week talking about how crazy in love they are. Riiiiiight. She had a pasted-on smile the whole time she was saying how jealous and angry she's been. I'm tellin' ya', this show is all sorts of crazy!

During our viewing of the show, Jeff spotted a new commercial he had seen and rewound the DVR to show Lauren and me. It is the cutest! I found an extended version on YouTube:

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Monday Mish-Mash

SXSW is a fabulous conference and we're lucky to have it right here in town. I like that they've added some satellite venues and such for locals to get in on the activities without having to take a whole week off to stand in lines, hoping to get into events, even with a badge.

The downside is that everything is overcrowded, especially our typically "Austin" restaurants and music/event venues. It's just a matter of keeping that in mind all week and avoiding those places unless you have an extra hour to dork around.

The best part of SXSW is people-watching. Tourists don't need a badge to give us a hint that they're from out-of-town. We can spot them right away in their blazer and scarf combos, with hats and ironic facial hair. Blending in here requires a very casual, almost careless sense of fashion. And flip flops. ;)

On a serious note, the nuclear situation in Japan is getting a lot of scary press. My good friend, a college classmate who is now a professor of physics and radiation safety engineering (health physics), has this to say this morning:

Getting quite frustrated at the national media and the misinformation regarding the nuclear events in Japan. It is a serious situation over there, to be sure, but for some reason the media refuse to interview people who actually KNOW about such things, preferring instead to interview "think tank" folks and other scientists who have never worked in or near a nuclear reactor.

For all my friends who have watched the news and have been alarmed by the discussion of radiation sickness, etc., as reported on the media, bear in mind that the highest radiation dose reported thus far to a WORKER on the site is less than 5% of what would be needed to cause any radiation sickness. The public dose is much much less.

Read more of his knowledgeable take on the situation, in simple terms, here.

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Windows and Mirrors

Heart-wrenching doesn't begin to describe the photos and video coming out of Japan over the past couple of days. Alan Taylor at The Atlantic has a fabulous photo blog called In Focus, that features amazing collections of the best and most impactful photos on just about any news item. His collection of pictures from the Japan earthquake is here. Bookmark the blog if you are a newsie or just have an appreciation of photography.

The whole thing is very surreal, as it is with natural disasters. You wonder how things will ever return to normal, but they always do, in time.

I remember how creepy it was driving down the switchbacks on the Big Island in Hawaii, with all the signs saying to watch for tsunamis and evacuate as quickly as possible if you felt an earthquake, knowing full well that if you were even halfway down to the beach, there would be no way you could escape. Thank God Hawaii had lots of warning for this one, and so little damage.

I was curious about damage to other countries in Asia, as we haven't heard much about them. China was barely affected, and despite strained relations, has offered assistance to Japan. There's a bright spot of hope for the world community.


Patrick's Saturday Six

1. Which do you have more of in your home: windows or mirrors?
windows (26, compared to 8 mirrors)

2. From where you are sitting right now, what’s closer to you: a mirror or a window?
window

3. Take the quiz: Are You a Mirror or a Window?
You Are a Window
You are a truly extroverted person. Your life feels empty without lots of people in it. Being around others makes you feel joyful. Friends and family bring meaning to your life. And even if you're all alone, you prefer to be people watching out in public. You are a cheerful and eager participant in the world. You are full of delight and wonder.

4. If you could change the view from your window to something else, what would you choose?
a beachfront view a la Giada De Laurentiis' kitchen

And I just read that this is not actually her kitchen in Malibu, but a neighbor's.

Here's the view from her house:

Yeah, I like that as well.

5. If you could change the view in your mirror to someone else, who would you wish you looked more like?
I'll stick with the theme and say Giada. So pretty!

6. If you had to choose between changing the view out of your window or your appearance reflected back in your mirror, which ONE would you choose?
Oh sure. What kind of Freudian question is this? I would choose the mirror. While I wouldn't want to change my looks to the point that I didn't look like me, there are a couple of minor things I would do if surgery wasn't involved.

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Winter Guard Day

Going to a color guard competition this afternoon! It's been quite a while since we've been to one. Can't wait to see the programs.

Saturday 9: St. Patrick's Day

1. St. Patrick's Day is March 17th (Thursday). Do you celebrate and wear green? Drink Green Beer? Ignore it?
If I'm going out, I do wear green, etc., but if not I sort of ignore it. Thursday night I'll be in San Antonio with Donna at the Bon Jovi concert! I am certain there will be some lively St. Patty's Day activities afterward at the Riverwalk.

2. If a leprechaun told you that you could have any amount of money from his pot of gold but it had to be a specified amount for a specified item, how much would you ask for and what would it be for?
$599 for an iPhone (that's the Immediate Gratification price, of course)

3. One of the symbols of St. Patrick's Day is the leprechaun. Name a celebrity that you think would look good as a leprechaun. Name a celebrity that would look ridiculous as a leprechaun. Is there any one celebrity that would make a really scary leprechaun?
Robin Williams would be a good leprechaun.

Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson would look ridiculous.

Howard Stern would be a scary leprechaun.

4. For a prize of $1,000,000,000 you are challenged to make yourself a costume for a St. Patricks Day party. The ONLY rules are that you aren't allow to use clothing and it has to be green. Using anything other than clothing, describe your costume to us using ANYTHING else in the house.
I would use green duct tape and green tissue paper to make a top and a skirt. I would wrap my old flip flops in the duct tape, too.

5. What day of the week is your busiest? Tell us about your schedule.
Monday is the busiest because I work in the morning from 7:30 to 11:30, and then do laundry the rest of the day. The laundry takes well into the night.

6. No matter what's going on in your life, what always makes you smile?
family and friends, most times when they're not even trying

7. Of all the clothes you own, what do you feel most comfortable wearing, and why?
I don't feel comfortable in the typical comfortable clothing, like sweats, because I feel very sloppy-looking in them. I'm most comfortable in jeans and a nice top.

8. On what television show—either past or present—would you like to make to make a guest appearance, and what role would you play?
I've already answered this with the obvious ER/"Dr. Ross's girlfriend" scenario. (Many similar questions last year. LOL. Looks like my taste has changed in toys. Makes the iPhone seem cheap, doesn't it?)

9. What else is on your mind? Go ahead and rant.
My daughter's letter jacket was paid for by the school, but this morning we went for the fitting and the three patches cost me $100. Just the patches. Sewing them on is going to be extra. Yeesh!

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TGISB

Just checking in. I am siiiiick. Blah.

I'm watching "Designer's Challenge," the only TV show I used to watch during the day when I wasn't working, other than the occasional episode of All My Children. In this DC episode, the game room that is being redesigned has WOOD PANELING WALLPAPER. Wow. It is really something. At least it distracts you from the black carpet.

I've also been reading through recipes in Food Network Magazine. Oddly they explain what a tostada is ("flat, hard taco shell" oh thanks), but don't even allude to what the heck a cornichon is. Google time!

Cornichon- a gherkin pickle. I can see why it would rather be called by a fancy French name.

Happy Friday! And Happy Spring Break to students and academic staff!

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Panic! At the Disco

On their sophomore CD, Panic! At the Disco veered away from the amazing sound of their first album. I'm so very pleased to hear "The Ballad of Mona Lisa" from their new CD coming out in a couple of weeks, which is a return to the original style. They are awesome.



Congrats to The Bloggess on the Wil Wheaton photo. Wil and Jenny both seriously crack me up.

...confusing laying pipe with laying cable...  LOL

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Nudity and Basketball

Last night before I got into the shower, I realized I didn't have a towel because they were all in the dryer. I burst out of the bathroom doors totally naked, to grab my robe, and at that same moment, Lauren was coming into our bedroom. We both shrieked. Hilarious. She and I see each other naked on occasion- no biggie- but never unexpectedly.

This made me wonder what sorts of family nudity policies are going on in everyone else's homes. Ours has varied based on Lauren's age at the time.

The entire family of a good friend of mine from high school, whose name I shall omit here for privacy purposes, stripped naked any time they were in their house. Some people take off their shoes when they come home; these people just took it all off. I don't know. Cooking in the nude just sounds scary to me. And what happens when someone comes to the door? I was over there a lot, and I never saw anyone naked. There must have been an elaborate notification system when guests were coming.

On a totally unrelated note, I saw a basketball camp advertised online, which reminded me of my basketball camp days in Houston in middle school. The summer before my first year playing on the school team, I went to a Houston Rockets camp and Moses Malone taught me how to do a layup. Awesome, eh?!

/random

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I Can See Why YOU Like It, Part II

Related bonus side story to yesterday's post! Gather around folks. Many of you know this one, but for those who don't...

When I was working at Gallagher's in high school, I went out with a waiter named Guy a few times. Nothing serious, but I had a huge crush on him. I kept telling Cathy she just HAD to come up one night while I was working and meet him. Finally she made it and I introduced them. I was so psyched about it.

When we talked later, I excitedly asked what she thought. She said with a deadpan expression, "Well... I can see why YOU like him." Bwahahaha! What does that even mean? She never actually said. Just left it at that.

It has been a constant running inside joke between Cathy and Kimberly and me since 1984, used in reference to just about anything, from music to guys to the positively delightful peach bridesmaids' dresses they wore at my wedding--- "Well... I can see why you like it."

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I Can See Why YOU Like It

Edwin McCain and Sister Hazel played Antone's on Saturday night. And I missed it!! I had no idea they were here. Sad day. :(

Facebook has finally done away with the Like button on updates that say "Joe likes such-and-such page." Back in the olden days of FB, several months ago,  you could comment on someone Liking something. That was great, because so many times people Like something interesting or obscure and you have some witty or enthusiastically agreeing remark to add. Or someone Likes an odd combination of pages at the same time, and the news feed says something like

Joe likes Linkin Park and Tarrant County Cloggers.

You have to say something about that.

Then they added the Like button onto the Like posts. So you could... Like... that someone... Liked something. Yeah! I may not Like it, but I think it's cool that YOU like it. We've all used it. Mostly for news feed items like

Joe likes Saying "Or Not" When People Do the Complete Opposite of What You Just Said.

I think it's cute, and I like that you Liked it, but I don't wanna *Like* it like it.

Then they changed the function of just that particular Like button overnight, as FB is frequently inclined to do, without so much as an announcement. When you Liked that someone Liked something, instead you were Liking that page yourself. Cue a new post for your mutual friends that says

Joe and Kathy like Saying "Or Not" When People Do the Complete Opposite of What You Just Said.

Argh. Unlike.

Website Design Rule #12: Consistency across every page of the site. "Like" has to mean "I like this," on a status, a comment, a photo, a video, a relationship status change, or on a post about someone liking something.

First they eliminated the comments on posts about someone Liking a page. Now the Like-a-Like button is gone. If you also Like a page, FB wants you to either go off and Like it yourself or just move on. And face it, your comments weren't that funny anyway.

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Easy Like Sunday Morning

I was going to do Sunday Stealing, but it's a repeat, and this week's Saturday Nine is pretty deep and requires too much brain power at the moment. So here is last week's easy Monday Mayhem:

Find a 'viral' video to post. You can give a brief explanation if you want to. Have fun!

This is a funny old viral video, but I only recently saw it for the first time at a library training...



Had lunch with Tara and Kimberly on Friday and got to meet Cal. It's been a while since I held a tiny baby. So fun! I still have the touch, btw. There was no crying on my watch.

I am all over a new favorite song (now featured in the blog sidebar >>), from JB's awesome Fest Select playlist for SXSW 2011-- Andrew Allen's "Loving You Tonight." Vaguely Jason Mraz-ish. I promise you will love it and have it blissfully stuck in your head after a single listen. And although I find Andrew and his leading lady to have absolutely no chemistry, the video is still very cute. :-)

I'll say, "Hey." You'll say, "Baby, how's your day?" I'll say, "Crazy."...

Song Lyrics of the Day

...Cause' every day is just the in-between
the hours separating you from me
I know you'll be waiting, I know you'll be waiting...

Andrew Allen "Loving You Tonight"

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Tuesday

Kimberly is coming down to see Tara's new baby, and I'll get to see all three of them in the next few days. Yay!

I want to give a blog shout out to Scott, whose speech at the School Board meeting last night was the only one to make the 10 o'clock news. As expected, the Board declared fiscal exigency and are cutting (and have cut some) 1150 jobs at this point.

Does fiscal exigency make Superintendent Carstarphen's contract also subject to nonrenewal? We could probably save a teacher or two just by eliminating her bonuses. Just wondering.

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