Aggies - Looper - Sat Six

Freaking amazing game yesterday!!! Aggies are looking fantastic! I'd stand in the rain for three hours to support them if they were the cruddiest team in college football... but it sure is a hell of a lot of fun when they're winning.

One terrific part of the game was the pouring rain at the beginning of the second half. Now THAT'S football, baby. Players and fans soaking wet. Loved the sun coming out just after we had a huge play. Cue the heavenly harps.

Thanks to the rain, our seat neighbors got to see my curly hair for the first time. And without the appropriate hair products. I hope they're not scarred for life.

Texas A&M 58, Arkansas 10

Could the Aggies be the team with the best chance of upsetting the SEC West apple cart?... The Aggies appear on their way to a big season.

Jeff and I saw Looper on Friday. It was really good! There was one teensy part I didn't understand. Talk to me if you saw it, and you get why they rolled through the appearance of Future Joe twice. Seriously. I have thought and thought about the possibilities of why/how that happened, and I just cannot wrap my head around it. I got The Matrix, y'all. This should be a cakewalk.

On a related note-- A&M QB Johnny Manziel and Joseph Gordon-Levitt... Separated at birth?

Joseph Gordon-Levitt

A&M's Johnny Football

Patrick's Saturday Six

1. D is for DAY: Which day of the week would you most like to have two of every week?
Tuesday.

Duh, of course Saturday!

2. D is for DRAMA: What’s your all-time favorite television drama?
thirtysomething and ER

3. D is for DOG: What breed of dog that you’ve never owned would you most like to?
collie

4. D is for DRINK: What single drink do you drink most often?
unsweetened decaf tea

5. D is for DESSERT: What is your single favorite dessert?
chocolate cake

6. D is for DIME: What is the last thing you remember being able to buy for a 10¢ or less?
Super Bubble bubble gum for 2¢ at 7-11, when Lori and Kim and I were in 4th grade. We called it "2-cent gum." It was perfect for spending that last few pennies of your allowance.

There's that green apple one my mom made me spit out if I chewed it around her! The smell of it made her want to gag. I LOVED the stuff. I wonder if they have it at HEB...

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Football Saturday!

It's gonna be a drenching and muddy football game today. Woohoo! Bring it on. Gig 'em Ags!! BTHO Arkansas!


Friday Five: Where To Go

1. Where do you go for a great cup of coffee or tea?
I'm a Starbucks girl. Sue me. (Iced Skinny Mocha)

2. Where do you go for a great doughnut?
Gordough's (Dirty Berry)

3. Where do you go for a great sandwich?
Habana (Cubano)

4. Where do you go for a great bowl of soup?
Thai Spice - Westlake (Tom Kha)

5. Where do you go for a great post-midnight snack?
Kerbey Lane (Kerbey Queso... or pancakes, depending on how far past midnight it is)

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Job Search

But first--- Kudos to the ATX for this!

Austin becomes first Texas city to endorse marriage equality

YEAH. Go on with your bad self, Austin. Ahead of Houston, even. :)


I've started my job search. Over the years, I've kept my ears open, maintained my contacts and checked the websites of all the area CROs, to see if jobs in my profession are plentiful. And they have always been, without exception.

This week... not so much.

There are literally two open positions in Austin. I'm under-qualified for the first one. The other is perfect for me, but it is with a company where former colleagues have emphatically advised me never to work. I could probably swing the higher-level position easily, if I were moving from one job to another, but after so many years out of the field, I will most likely have to go in at the level I left, perhaps even below that.

Jim's sister and I talked about this very issue a couple of weeks ago. She was a stay-at-home mom for many years. When she returned to work (she's in Dallas), she took a job slightly below what she had left, but within a year or so, she had been promoted to a higher position than where she had been before she was at home. She recently quit that job to pursue a completely different path. She's still in the same general field- healthcare- but in a job very different from what she was doing. She's loving it so far.

I've started looking into other positions in drug research. I would absolutely love love love to be a CRA (clinical research associate- they visit sites to monitor progress during pharmaceutical studies), but it's 80% travel, which isn't for me.

Well, I would love to travel for fun 80% of the time! It would be a total drag for work.

I've also looked into higher education administration jobs, but it's either Clerk or Dean of Engineering. Nothing in-between. I would really enjoy helping students with academic advising or financial aid, but I couldn't find one position open in either. Julie's contact agreed that there isn't anything available in academic advising now.

I briefly considered going to medical or nursing school, but I don't have the stomach for the job, physically or emotionally. It hurts me to see someone sick or in pain. And anyone bleeding or throwing up-- ACK.

People keep asking if I would take a full-time website administration job. I don't really want to do that. Although, that's where I may end up at this rate.

When I finally decided last night to just apply for the position for which I qualify at the questionable company, that job had disappeared from the company website.

Well, I'm still sending in my resume. So there.

Continuing the search. Wish me luck!!


Song Lyrics o' the Day

...I said all I had to say
in letters that I threw away
And you should know, please believe me
I've picked up the phone a thousand times
And tried to dial your number...

Carrie Underwood "What Can I Say"

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Step-Parents

One of my friends posted a photo with her brand new blended family on Facebook. Everyone, including me, commented what a fantastic picture it was. They really are a great bunch. I did think, though, that I would truly die a little inside, seeing my children with my ex and his wife and everyone bubbling around them with comments like "what a beautiful family!"

Yep. There are my kids and their other mom.

My parents split up when I was 14, and within a few months, my dad moved to England and then New York, so I only saw him once a year after that. Between my age and the physical distance, there was never any feeling or expectation that his new wife was my "stepmom." So my mother never had to deal with that complication. Nor did I, thank goodness.

Do fathers feel this way? (Heck, I don't even know if other moms feel this way.) If your kids run over and hug the dude that's now married to your ex- do you cringe just a little? It's wonderful that your kids love their stepdad, but honestly? Deep down? Another guy raising and helping to shape your children into who they will be...

Just shoot me in the heart.


Now, two Saturday Sixes, because I got behind...

Patrick's Saturday Six

1. B is for BUG: Which insect is your favorite?
Praying mantis. His face is so cute.

2. B is for BONE: Have you ever broken a bone? If so, how many have you broken?
Just my little toe. They don't even splint those.

3. B is for BOOGIE: On a scale of 1 to 10, how would you rate your own dancing ability?
9's and 10's are for pros. I'm a rock-solid 7.5.

4. B is for BAKING: What was the last pastry you remember buying?
A cranberry muffin at the Hyatt for breakfast last Saturday morning.  :)

5. B is for BORROW: What was the last thing you borrowed from someone else?
We borrowed a 1928 A&M yearbook from a guy who works where Jeff donates blood.

6. B is for BED: What size is your bed?
Queen


1. C is for COLOR: Which color is most represented in your wardrobe?
like most people- blue

2. C is for COMEDY: What’s your all-time favorite television comedy?
Will and Grace, followed very closely by Cheers

3. C is for CHANNEL: What single TV channel do you tend to watch the most?
HGTV

4. C is for CAT: What is your favorite kind of cat?
tiger

5. C is for COMMUTE: What’s the longest distance you drive as part of your normal routine?
7 miles to the Foundation office

6. C is for CREDIT: How many credit cards do you own?
Two-- a Discover that we use for every possible thing, and a cash rewards Mastercard for the few places that don't take Discover. We pay them both off every month and marvel at the amount of cash we get back each year. I highly recommend it!

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Dirty Laundry

I make my living off the evening news
Just give me somethin'... somethin' I can use...

Two separate conversations from Sunday-

Me: What's GTL?
Lauren: Gym, Tan, Laundry. It's from Jersey Shore, which I never watch.
Me (I, too, have never seen the show): What's "Laundry?"
Jeff: Laundry. Like laaaaaundryyyyy.
Lauren: Like the laundromat.
Me: Mmmmkay...

Me: Who are you chatting with?
Lauren (texting a friend at school): Mark. He had a confrontation with someone in the laundry room.
Me: What is "The Laundry Room?"
Lauren (laughing): Where you do laundry????
Me: Ohhhhhhhh. Like in the dorm? I thought it was a bar or something.

I seem to have some sort of brain block when it comes to laundry.


The "please do me a favor and change your settings so people can't see my comments..." alarmist and erroneous Facebook post is back again. *sigh* Sure, I can take the trouble to change my personal settings so I don't see your public posts on other people's pages, but it most certainly does not prevent everyone from seeing them.

Here's a complete treatise on this subject from Snopes.

Almost everyone has their wall posts set to be visible to their friends. Some have them viewable by friends of friends, and some by the entire online population of the world, including people who aren't on Facebook at all. Note their settings, which are conveniently indicated on each post, and comment accordingly.

If you must say something to someone via Facebook, but you don't want other people to see it, write it in a private message. Very simple, very easy. (I'm channeling my inner Chef Tell. Anyone remember him?! Okay, moving on...) Like real life, you want to keep private conversations private. If you write it on someone's wall, it's public. The changing of my settings doesn't affect that.

What exactly are you guys posting that you don't want your friends to see? I'm changing all the settings for people who post that silly message to "DEFINITELY show me comments this person makes on others' pages." ;)

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Random Tuesday

Lost at E Minor has a photography feature of Mont Saint-Michel in Normandy. Check out the pics. They're breathtaking! I've never heard of Mont Saint-Michel before (cue eye rolls from certain people reading this... I know who you are), but it is really beautiful. It's actually a town of 44 people covering a tiny, rocky island and rising sharply to a monastery at its peak.

It's unfortunate to see all those tourists' vehicles in the photos. Perhaps a park-n-ride from a less picturesque location would be nice? Plus, if you park in the wrong place, your vehicle floats away at high tide. Oops.


I noticed this weekend that Jeff has the same Facebook profile photo as I do! WTH. He's using one of my album photos. In all fairness, I must say he was using it first. He is never on FB, so I had no idea. Since I just changed my profile photo last week, who looks like the copycat?? That would be moi. Guess I'll be changing mine.


Song Lyrics du Jour

...I’m out here in the dark all alone and wide awake
Come and find me
I’m empty and I’m cold and my heart's about to break
Come and find me

I need you to come here and find me
'Cause without you I’m totally lost
I've hung a wish on every star
It hasn’t done much good so far
I can only dream of you
Wherever you are...

"Wherever You Are" from Lauren's favorite childhood film, Pooh's Grand Adventure: The Search for Christopher Robin 

(Three-Year-Old Lauren: Tigger doesn't have any money.
Me: Why not?
Three-Year-Old Lauren: He doesn't have any pockets.)

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Whooooop!

Aggies beat SC State 70-14! I see a pattern emerging for the season. I like the "slow to start" Ags much better than the "second half shutdown" Ags. Looks that all that conditioning is paying off! If it takes a failed drive or two right out of the gate to get the jitters out and play well the rest of the game, that's totally cool with me. I think they'll grow out of that, anyway.

Freshman Manziel is doing a fantastic job at improving his patience to find a receiver instead of just running when his first choice isn't available. He's also perfecting the dramatic and fun-to-watch scramble-run-pass play.  He and Evans are shaping up to be the new Tannehill/Swope. Whoop!

Dustin Harris was amazing, becoming the top punt returner in the nation with his 96-yard return for a TD. He also set A&M and SEC records for single-game return yardage!


Sunday Stealing: The Sparkling Beach Meme, Part 1

1. Ever given or received an engagement ring?
I received one in 1989. :)

2. Longest relationship?
24 years

3. Last gift you received?
A&M earrings, necklace and purse for game days from Kathy. Now that I've got all the sparkly accessories, I'm an "official" season ticket holder.

4. Ever dropped a mobile phone?
Yep.

5. When's the last time you worked out?
Thursday

6. Thing(s) you spend a lot of money on?
dining out, mostly for social/entertainment purposes though, rather than the meal itself

7. Last food you ate?
a bowl of Raisin Nut Bran

8. First thing you notice about the opposite sex?
hair

9. One favorite song?
"For the Nights I Can't Remember" by Hedley

10. Where do you live?
Austin, Texas!

11. High school attended:
Clear Creek High School in Houston

12. Cell phone provider:
AT&T

13. Favorite shop:
Pottery Barn

14. Longest job:
3 years at a CRO

15. Do you own a smart phone? Why?
Yes, originally because I couldn't stand texting with the phone keypad anymore. Now I use it for playing games, using the camera when I don't have my real camera with me, doing the Facebook thing, emailing when I'm out, googling things on the fly, maintaining my contacts via Google Contacts and tons more.

16. Do you prank call people?
Not recently, no.

17. Last wedding you attended?
Joshua and Brittany in June

18. First friend you'd call if you won the lottery:
Laura

19. Last time you saw your best friend(s):
I saw Laura two Fridays ago at the spotted dick happy hour. I visited Cathy in Galveston for a few days, two weeks ago.

20. Favorite fast food Restaurant:
Schlotzsky's

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Saturday 9

That awkward moment when Simon Le Bon looks like Zach Galifianakis:

From Duran Duran on Facebook

Speaking of Zach, we saw The Campaign yesterday. It was cute! We and the eight other people in the theater were laughing a lot. (It's been out for a thousand weeks.)

Now off to College Station with Scott and Julie. BTHO South Carolina State!


Saturday 9: Papa Was a Rolling Stone

1. What’s the best memory that you have of your dad, while growing up?
I've answered this one before. :)

He took me to a Duran Duran concert in London (from his home in Brighton) just because I saw it in the paper and absolutely freaked out about how cool it would be to see them there. I was a HUGE fan. He just said, "Let's go!" My step-brother (two years older) reported that it was sold out. Dad said we would find tickets somehow, once we got there. Dad and I hopped on a train and ended up 11th row on the floor at Wembley Arena. He barely knew who Duran Duran was, but he was dancing and getting into it as much as I. One of the best nights of my life. I loved that he wanted to take me just because I thought it was cool. I loved that he just stood up right there in the kitchen and said we should do it, without any concern of the money or time it would take to get there considering how hard (or impossible) it might be to get tickets. I loved that he embraced my music and was the hit of the evening with the teenagers around us at the concert.

2. How boring do you think your life is?
It's fairly exciting, actually. It'll be a tad more interesting when I'm working.

3. Can you do any accents? If not, do you know someone who is good at it?
I can do an okay German and a damn good Texan accent. Grant does a lot of accents!

4. What technology did you at first fear that you now could not live without?
Cellphones. I resisted getting a cellphone for years. The first one I got was only for emergency use. Now I have an iPhone and no landline.

5. Do you, or have you ever, thought you have a book in you?
I've written three-and-a-half online novels. Honestly, the third is probably good enough for publishing, with minor rewrites. I would also love to write something new.

6. How does the weather affect where you live?
I can't live in long-term snowing or constant rain. Other than that, I'm good.

7. Are you more interested in you favorite artist’s next work, or the TMZ side of it all?
Far more interested in the artist's work. The TMZ side is not to be tossed aside, though. I enjoy picking up a People Magazine now and then, and I watch TMZ every day. Although... the TMZ thing is as much for the sense of humor of the TMZ staffers as it is the breaking gossip. For example, this week Clooney's girlfriend was photographed trying on an engagement ring by herself. The TMZers broke into song. "...Na na na na, hey hey-ey, goodbye..." So funny!

8. Have you ever felt “battled-scarred” by a relationship or relationships in general? If yes, do tell.
I only ever felt "battle-scarred" with JohnH. About six months into what seemed to be a completely normal relationship, he told me he was bisexual. (Well, he didn't tell me. He had a female friend tell me, while he watched from across the lunchroom.) Then everything became really complicated. After another six months or so, it ended very dramatically, with an emotional and public argument. There were many great things about us, but in general it was far harder than healthy relationships should ever be.

9. Do you tend to root for the bad guy?
What kind of sicko roots for the bad guy? Ahaha. No, I always root for the good guys and the underdogs. I love a happy ending.

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The Friday Roundup

While I've been working like crazy on the new website this week, nothing has given me greater amusement than Kiptyn harassing the hermit crab in my makeshift office. Picture if you will, a giant, long-haired kitty pouncing against the glass of the terrarium about every four seconds or so.

I was a little worried the cat was scaring the crap out of the crab, so I went over to shoo Kiptyn away. Moe the Crab was practically out of his bright blue shell with the dreamsicle-orange heart on it, standing up, against the glass. Bwahaha! Moe just kept standing there! "Yeah?! You want a piece of me?!"

Did I get video? Of course not. As soon as it occurred to me to grab my phone, Kiptyn laid down. I tried to get him to pounce at the glass again, but he's a cat. Soooooo... you can guess how that went.

~

Pedro sent me a link to the funniest thing I've read in long time.

The Fart that (Almost) Altered My Destiny

I was ON THE FLOOR. Just when you think it's reached a pinnacle of hilarity, it goes one more step beyond that. Thank you, Anna Lind Thomas.

I sent this link to five people yesterday, and I don't think a single one of them opened it at work. They thought it might have audio. (If only!) So if you wanna click, it is completely SFW. It's a written blog entry.

~

On the broadcast of X Factor's Austin auditions the other night, Panda Ross sang one of my all-time favorite tunes, Sam Cooke's "Bring It On Home To Me." I went on YouTube to find some covers of it. I found some great ones. I wanted to share a few here...

Here is the gorgeous and oh-so-talented Darren Criss (from Glee) singing it:




Van Morrison, Tom Jones and Jeff Beck (oh my mom would loooove this)




And guess what I discovered that totally made my day? Tony Freakin' Lucca and Ernie Halter from a few years back. Are they having fun or what!!



Wow. Someone in that room laughs exactly like me.

Happy Friday, friends!

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TGIT

With Jeff taking Fridays off for three weeks in a row, Thursday feels like Friday. Three-day weekends, baby!

As proof that we are all self-centered creatures, I had one of those experiences with someone thinking I was talking to them on Facebook, when I wasn't. My friend posted a photo with a bunch of adults sitting in chairs or standing. One man was sitting on the floor, which was just weird. She posed the question, "Did they run out of chairs?"

First reply: Obama has that chair.
Second reply: Clint Eastwood stole it.
Me: Ha! Awkward.

I was referring to the photo and the guy looking silly sitting on the floor, but Commenter One thought I was talking about the political banter in the comments.

First Commenter again:  Just teasing, ladies!...

*facepalm*

People are funny. I'll be the next to assume such a thing though. Just watch.

Oh, remember when I wrote about Kimberly and her "the frost is on the pumpkin" status? Jeff had no idea what that meant. I told him, "You're welcome."

:D

We were reading last night about the new penalty people have to pay if they don't have health insurance. A couple of things perplex me about the whole thing.

First off, it sounds like a Republican notion that someone without the means to purchase healthcare insurance should pay a $700 penalty. Doesn't it? But it's actually a Democrat thing. That's pretty harsh from the bleeding hearts. The tax is opposed by Republicans because it's an invasion of the government into the private lives of individuals. Yet, isn't that what anti-abortion laws are? My head spins with these conundrums.

(I am also the one to whom ScottK had to carefully explain, over margaritas, why Democrats don't want anyone to have to show an ID on voting day. Ten minutes into the conversation, I was saying official IDs should be provided free of charge to every American at birth. That's when he called me a socialist. LOL.)

Anyway, my other question is this: How does the government know someone doesn't have health insurance??? Do people check a box on their tax return to say "yes I owe you $700 or 2.5 percent of my income, whichever is greater, because I don't have health insurance?" Also, didn't we just get done discussing how almost half the country doesn't even pay income taxes- most of them people who would be affected by this penalty?

I support the penalty wholeheartedly, by the way. Mountains have been moved and pigs have flown to get Obamacare passed. There are health insurance options for most everyone (not sure who the exceptions are, but I'm guessing there are a few), and one of the things that will help us to emerge from the healthcare crisis is to have everyone covered.

I'm talking politics again. Back to celebrity gossip and song lyrics tomorrow!

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Politics Wednesday

Nah, I'm not actually going to ramble on about politics every hump day. It's too tiring. Sometimes, though, things get really ridiculous and you have to say something, not only to your local buddies, but to the online population at large. :)

When this campaign started, I (and a lot of other Independents and even a few of my staunch Democrat friends) wanted so badly for the Republicans to choose someone at least somewhat moderate and minimally acceptable as their guy, so I could vote out a president I voted in, who I feel went back on his rainbow promises almost immediately upon taking office. In the first weeks, Obama selected a few cabinet members who had problems with their character and/or the law, when there are hundreds of wonderful people of integrity he could have chosen, who would have honored those important posts. So, politics as usual, these people had to have been owed a favor to get in there.

He wanted to encourage bipartisanship, but he was never able to lead and persuade even his own majority Dems in both houses of Congress to adopt that philosophy.

I also personally think he just doesn't like the job. I like to imagine it's because he honestly tries to get things working between the two dug-in parties in Washington, but the uphill battle is just too wearying. That would be my unjaded, optimistic side talking.

So the Reps put up Romney. The guy is so detached from average Americans that he thinks we should be impressed that he paid 13% taxes over the last 10 years, while the middle class pays about 20%. (I think there should be a flat tax, with an exemption of the first x dollars of income, to cover low-income folks. Over that, we all pay the same percentage. No deductions. A simple 15% would be great. Nothing is more fair than a flat tax. No loopholes. No jacking around.)

And Romney's latest "47% of voters are dependent on the government..." stuff. Just because someone doesn't pay taxes doesn't mean they feel they are entitled to government handouts. Much of the 47% of Americans who pay no income tax are working individuals who are upstanding and contributing members of society who simply don't make very much money, or retired people who've paid into the system all their lives and are now living on social security (also reports the Washington Post).

Romney is dancing around, desperate to say something that resonates with people, but he just continues to dig himself into a hole. And so many of us, Dems and Reps and others, will vote Obama to avoid the greater demise. I'm sure Obama is happy to have the votes, but really? Must we vote every four years out of fear that the other guy would be worse? Very sad.

That all said, Obama was great on Letterman last night. He reiterated all that stuff about being everyone's president. It all sounds really fantastic. At least he knows how to say the right thing, even if it's just the means to an end.

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Differences Between Men & Women: Arguing

Other than the exceedingly obvious, once again I have discovered an interesting difference between the sexes. The Jeffs were having their daily discussion about how great their Android phones are and how ridiculous the iPhone is. They get really wrapped up in it, while I (the iPhoner) just smile and nod. I don't care what phone anyone else uses, as long as they get my texts and calls.

Women do not argue about "things." We argue about feelings. Only men would gather and get all revved up bashing each other about their choice of phone, computer, car, lawnmower, TV, etc. A woman never asks what brand of lipstick another woman uses and says, "Maybelline sucks. Why would you ever use that crap? Revlon is so much better." You don't see soccer moms breaking into passive-aggressive groups of Kitchen Aid vs. Bosch.

Women argue about things people did or said to each other. They argue with each other when they feel slighted or ignored. Complicated, emotional stuff. It's never Dave telling Joe, "The other day when I asked you to come over for the cookout and you said, 'Sounds great...' What did you mean by that exactly? Are you still mad at me for telling you DirectTV sucks?"

Men also end arguments very differently than women. Men can argue about just about anything to the point of sweat on the brow and a bulging vein on their forehead, and then go out for a beer together. When women argue with each other, unless there is a very definite resolution to the mutual satisfaction of both parties, with at least one side apologizing, and perhaps a little crying, we're not talking to each other for three days. Or forever.

Heh.

This reminds me of a joke Brant Gumbel told on Live with Kelly recently. The difference between men and women is this: A woman comes home late from work. Her guy is suspicious and asks where she's been. She says she was at a friend's house. He calls ten of her closest friends and all ten say she wasn't there. A man comes home late from work. His girl is suspicious and asks where he's been. He says he was at a friend's house. She calls ten of his closest friends and eight say he was there. The other two say he's still there.

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Aggies Win!

Aggieeeeeeees!! Nice win, boys. 48-3 over SMU. First quarter was extremely questionable, but Manziel got the jitters out and ended up beating Kevin Murray's record of freshman single-game passing yards. Like I said, he is on his way to being an awesome QB.

I love when the announcers echo what I've been saying in the stands or at home. When Manziel gets nervous, he runs. Sometimes it works out, but not usually. He needs to learn how to relax and find his alternate receivers and not just take off running every play when his intended guy isn't open. He did that pretty well second half.

So I can add... nice second half, Ags!! First time in forever I can say that. On to South Carolina State.

Had a fabulous time with everyone at Jim's cookout last night! Jaxon is visiting from NYC. He's doing so well there. I was very happy to see the kiddos together again after all these months. :)


Sunday Stealing: The 88 Meme: The Last Part Thankfully

69. Song you're thinking of right now?
"We Are Young" by Fun.

70. Want someone back in your life?
Ina. She dropped off the planet about the time she and Jaime split up. She lives about an hour away now, but we haven't talked in years. :(

71. Will tomorrow be better than today?
Maybe!

72. What's the color of the underwear you are wearing?
I'm not wearing any at the moment. I haven't gotten dressed yet. It's past noon, I know.

73. Who was the first best friend that you ever had?
Kristen Duteny in kindergarten in Kansas City

74. How do you react when someone disappoints you?
I lower my expectations of that person to avoid future disappointment.

75. Is there anyone who understands your sexuality?
My sexuality isn't that complicated.

76. Are you a naturally happy person? Or is your happiness forced?
naturally happy

77. Is there anyone you wish would fall in love with you?
nope

78. What do you wear when you sleep?
Short nightgowns. And since this comes up a lot lately for some weird reason, I shall add that panties and bras are for daytime and shouldn't be worn under sleepwear.

79. Are you obsessed with something right now?
Aggie Football

80. The first person you loved is?
JohnH

81. Something terrible happened with you?
My sophomore year of high school, when I was advertising manager for the school newspaper, we had a journalism banquet at the end of the year. My good friend Grant, who was also on the paper staff, had driven me to the event. Steve was our co-editor, a junior in whom I had no romantic interest whatsoever, nor had he ever indicated to me that he liked me in that way. He told Grant he could drive me home from the dinner. Grant lived in the opposite direction and my house was on Steve's way home.

I knew Steve had been drinking before and/or during the banquet, so I should never ever have gotten into a car with him. About a mile from my house, he drove me into the parking lot of a grocery store and tried to get me to mess around with him. When I wouldn't, he kept talking and getting closer and closer to me, until he was actually holding me down in the front seat. I was able to get him off of me and I went into the store to call my mom to come get me.

I don't think he would have taken it any further, and he probably would never have done it at all if he hadn't been drinking, but it scared the hell out of me. I never spoke to him after that, except about newspaper business at school.

82. You are locked up with your celebrity crush for days, what happens?
So many things I can't write about here. "Celebrity pass!" Right, married girls?

83. If you could wish something, what would it be?
a hundred more wishes

84. Ever try to force someone to do something?
For years, I tried to force Jeff to go dancing. It doesn't work. :) Well, he will go along with it occasionally, if he's trying to butter me up for something.

85. When you are alone, what do you think about?
how I should be writing my musical

86. How was your first sex?
It was the first time for both of us. It was clumsy and awkward, but oh so great at the same time.

87. What's your favorite music genre?
pop

88. Are you happy I only wrote 88 questions?
No. These are my kind of questions-- easy!

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Bachelor Pad Finale 'n Stuff

Kimberly announced yesterday on Facebook that "the frost is on the pumpkin." She was meaning that in a literal sense, but I was secretly laughing. Maybe that's a regional euphemism? *g*

I've just caught up on some TV from this very busy week. The ending to season 3 of Bachelor Pad ROCKED!! OMG it was nothing less than genius. See, the winner, Nick, is no one. I mean, I didn't even recognize the guy when Rachel got paired up with him the last two episodes, after her boyfriend Michael (oh wait, no he totally led her on!) was kicked out. I watched the whole season of this show, plus Ashley's entire season of Bachelorette when he was one of the bachelors, and I don't remember him.

He stayed under the radar all these weeks, saying little to anyone and staying out of drama. It never works on these elimination shows. Well, it may work for a while, but in the end it always comes down to who everyone likes the most, because they are the ones who are able to develop alliances and keep everyone happy. Right?

But this time, it was the guy no one liked or cared about or even paid any mind at all! He had zero alliances during the show. He would have been eliminated because Rachel wanted to quit to be with her dear Michael, who was totally leading her on the entire season. (Did I mention that? Because he sucks.)

It was the lucky break that Night Ranger liked his and Rachel's butchering of "Sister Christian" better than the other two couples' that got him into the final. It was pure genius that he won the $250,000.

I know none of my friends watch, so I shall explain. See the prize money is $250,000. A couple wins the game. The guy and the girl each go into separate rooms, in a "prisoner's dilemma," and choose SHARE or KEEP. If they both share, they split the money. If they both keep, all the eliminated housemates split the money. If one chooses share and the other keep, the person who selected keep gets the $250,000.

The past two seasons, the final couples were romantically involved, so they shared the winnings. A no-brainer. This time, the two players barely know each other and played together for only two weeks.

Rachel said SHARE and... shock of all shocks... Nick said KEEP! We were dying! The studio audience was cheering and clapping. The really nasty gameplayers like Kalon and Chris were practically high-fiving the guy. It was stupendous! Thank you, ABC. That was totally worth the investment of two hours every Monday night for eight weeks.

"Are you f***ing kidding me?" Rachel screamed. " You're here because of me! You're a disgusting human being…You're a f***ing schmuck!"

"I'm a schmuck with $250,000," Nick agreed. 

Classic!! 

Did I mention that Michael let Rachel fall in love with him without so much as a hint that he wasn't that into her? Okay. Just making sure. Boys are not as clueless as they like to make girls think they are. They know that if they tell a girl who's really into them that they actually just want to hook up for a few weeks, she's probably not going to go for it.

Although... Jaclyn was more than happy to oblige with Ed, who was very upfront with her the day after they slept together, that he wasn't into her and was interested in someone back home.

Yes, he should have been upfront with her before they slept together, but I'm going to give him the benefit of the doubt on that one, because guys like Ed are just not that intuitive. Plus he was three sheets to the wind most of the show.

Just a brief comment on Real Housewives of NYC: Aviva's precious Reid, someone I thought was a class act, totally shocked me when he referred to the housewives' girls' weekend as "overweight old women gone wild." What a slimeball. I hope Aviva leaves the show and takes her rude hubby with her.

Patrick's Saturday Six

1. A is for APPLE: What Apple Computer product are you most likely to buy or most pleased that you have purchased?
iPhone

2. A is for ANATOMY: What part of your body do you feel is your best feature?
lips

3. A is for ACADEMICS: What single class gave you the most trouble in school?
Electrical Engineering 201. Laugh if you must, EE friends. I have brain block when it comes to circuit theory.

4. A is for ACE: What card game is your favorite?
Skip-Bo

5. A is for AUTOMOBILE: What car or vehicle are you most likely to buy as your next ride?
Hyundai Genesis Coupe

6. A is for ARGUMENT: What is the last thing you remembered arguing about?
Hmm. I haven't argued with anyone recently!

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Galveston

It's raining in the ATX! Yeah baby!!

Spent a couple of days in Galveston with Cathy. She recently moved from Houston to this awesome old Galveston neighborhood, where a few houses are completely boarded up and need restoration, but most have been restored to better-than-pre-Ike condition. The houses are beautiful colors that would look tacky in suburbia, but look quite charming on the island. Her place has a clawfoot tub, glass doorknobs and bedroom doors that have keyholes. So neat! We walked the area a bit. There are neighborhood cafes and all sorts of hidden treasures tucked in there. It's also walking distance to The Strand.

We rode the Bolivar Ferry back and forth to Bolivar, which is my all-time favorite free Galveston activity.

Hello seagulls.

My second favorite free Galveston activity is Seawolf Park, where you can walk around a WWII sub and the USS Stewart, a destroyer escort ship. Really interesting! It's especially great for kids, but fun for adults as well. You can take a look from the ferry.

We hit a couple of great beaches and bayside spots too. East Beach is the big teen hangout... well, it was 30 years ago. It was completely empty during the school day on Monday. Creepily so, as a matter-of-fact. I have so many fond memories of walking East Beach through spring break crowds and regular weekend crowds, too. Now they're turning some of it into condos. Meh.

The other teen hangout used to be Stewart Beach, when it wasn't full of families with little kids. Stewart Beach has a big building with bathrooms and food and showers. There are no amenities at East Beach.

We visited The Ocean Star Offshore Drilling Rig Museum and Education Center for the first time. It is supercool.

No longer a working rig, the Ocean Star sits in port.

That is some HUGE equipment! (That's what she said.)

Here is the career display. When you press a button, an oil rig worker comes up on the mirror and tells you about their job on the rig. The first one we saw was a female engineer in a lab coat. She tests sludge or something, to make sure everything is working as it should. We wondered if it would be interesting being the only woman on a rig full of guys who have been without their significant others for a month.

The next button we pushed showed the roughnecks, the physical laborers who do all the tough stuff. They're immensely strong, muscly types who get all dirty and oily during their shifts, and from the photos on the other wall, shower up nicely and tan on the top deck during their hours off. Then we thought maybe it wouldn't be so bad being the only woman working there.

We mused that if we kept pressing career buttons, there would be a "rig ho'" that might be a fabulous job opportunity for the right person. She would wear a bikini and cowboy boots.

We had a great time at Crow's on Tuesday night! Cathy's friend was playing there.

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Football Roundup

Another spotted dick joke from Friday... The teachers have physical mailboxes in the school office.

L: I'm going to leave some on her desk.
D: Why don't you just put it in her box?

Aaaaaahahaha.

We had a great time at the game!! Loss notwithstanding, of course. The energy and volume of the crowd was the level of a t.u. game. We played well overall and were evenly matched with Florida, and were ahead for most of the game, which is far better than I'd hoped! I was so thrilled for Johnny Manziel when he got his first touchdown. He was psyched!! The team was so proud of him as well. I think he's going to be an exceptional quarterback.

New coach, new freshman QB, new conference. Dominated the first half. I think it went pretty well. So YAY! The second half wasn't a complete flop, like our prior few years. I never felt like they gave up. Florida's fantastic march to the end zone at the beginning of the third quarter totally deflated everyone, but the team hung in there.

Onward and upward.

Best of all, Kevin Murray (Aggies QB 1983-86, while I was there) signed my A&M baseball cap!! WHOOP! Lauren's comment: "He's still really buff." She left off the "...after all these years..." which I appreciated.

Now I need to locate Bucky Richardson to have the complete QB autograph collection from my years at TAMU. And of course, Coach Sherrill would be a coup. He's at a lot of the games, so maybe I'll catch him at some point.

Congrats Denver on beating the icky Steelers!! Awesome game. Also, Eric Decker is hot. Worth a mention.


Sunday Stealing: The 88 Meme, Part Three

46. What are your LEGAL initials?
KMS

47. Who's the first B in your contacts?
Bob B, a close friend from college. He's from New York and was in the navy before coming to engineering school at A&M. He married an English gal, and they live in the UK now.

48. When was the last time you laughed really hard?
Friday night, at the spotted dick pun marathon.

49. Your number 1 top friend walks out of your life, do you go after them?
Absolutely

50. Explain your last awkward moment?
At the Aggie game, when the Gators missed their field goal and I spent so much time cheering and talking to Lauren about how awesome it was, that I missed the fact that we had taken a timeout before the play and they redid the field goal and made it. Oy.

51. Are you afraid of the dark?
Only if I've just watched something scary or if I'm completely alone.

52. Do you have good vision?
Yes, but I am slightly nearsighted in one eye and slightly farsighted in the other, so the optometrist said I will need glasses sometime soon to avoid headaches. 

53. Have you ever tripped someone?
I've tripped the cat when he was chasing his sister.

54. Have you ever slapped someone?
Nope

55. Are you Irish?
I am part Irish, yes! About 12.5%. My mom's mother was half Irish. Someone check my math.

56. Do you use chap stick?
I use Burt's Bees. Chap Stick is too waxy.

57. Do you have any scars?
Several small ones. Two larger ones that are not very visible.

58. Is there someone you will never forgive?
My aunt who verbally pummeled me during a drunken rant. Actually, I may forgive her at some point, but I will never ever forget the things she said.

59. Are you dating the person you last held hands with?
I'm married to him.

60. Name the last person to text you?
Angel

61. Would you marry someone 8 years older than you?
Possible, but highly doubtful.

62. Can you go in public looking like you do?
Yep!

63. Have you ever kissed someone whose name started with a A?
Not that I can think of!

64. What side of the bed do you sleep on?
On the left, when you're laying in the bed.

65. What's the first thing you'll do on your wedding day?
The first thing I did was get up and take a Tums. I was a bundle of nerves. Dad and the bridesmaids ate well at breakfast. Me, not so much.

66. Do you fall for people easily?
The right people, yes.

67. Has anyone put their arms around you in the past 5 days?
Lauren, Jeff, Kenneth

68. Do you miss the way things used to be?
Not generally.

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Happy Hour Report

How does one take a down and dirty, most awesome cocktail like a Mexican Martini and make it girly? Add a watermelon infusion! It's delicious and what most of us were drinking at happy hour yesterday.

The topic of the evening was spotted dick. What? you ask?

Yay! It's microwaveable!

It's an English pudding made of suet, flour, sugar and currants. *shudder* Wikipedia (live at happy hour, courtesy of Apple) reports that it is sometimes called "spotted richard" to avoid the giggles of everyone everywhere dick reference, although dick legitimately refers to any pudding. They stock it at the regular grocery store here.

When asked to describe the product for the people who hadn't seen it, I made my hands into a circle shape while describing the can, thus creating the international sign for spotted dick:

...which also resembles the Oregon "O."

Incidentally, spotted dick can be served in a bowl with cream.

I don't make this stuff up, people.

There were endless puns, including this exchange when one of the girls announced that she was going to have a spotted dick recipe contest next weekend at her house, in honor of this imported dessert.

D: Oh I can't have everyone over two weeks from now, it'll have to be next Friday.
R: Yay! It's coming sooner!

L: You can't start looking up recipes yet.
R: I just want to get a head start.

It's difficult to remember all of them through my Mexican Martini Infused with Watermelon haze, but it was hilarious.

Off to College Station for the big game today! There were about 40,000 at last night's first midnight yell of the season. WOW. Gig 'em Ags!!!! BTHO Florida!!

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TGI Friiiiidaaaaaay!!

A perfect primer for SEC schools coming to College Station for the first time this season, written by a Florida Gators fan:

Texas A&M Road Trippin': Some Quick Helpful Tips

Too funny!

Watch College Game Day on ESPN tomorrow. Aggie yell practice will be televised tonight at midnight CST ("what time is midnight yell?") on ESPN-U.

~

Pimpin' one of my all-time fave websites this morning- Color Schemer. It has tons of color schemes, intended for web design, but useful for any sort of designing. Scrapbook pages. Decor colors for a room, or just finding that one additional accent color you need in an already-decorated room. Check it out!

~

Last night's new episode of Impractical Jokers was great. If you've never watched, these four buddies put themselves into various scenarios. Three of them tell the other what to do and say, as they watch the scene unfolding in real time. The guy has to do/say everything or he loses that challenge. This was my favorite part from last night's episode. The guys pretend to be dental assistants. Watch what Sal does to this poor, unsuspecting patient...



I was dying even before the guy started having to deal with the bib falling down over his face.

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Aviva's Now Weekly Crazy Rant

But first...

Ha!!

It's probably a weekly experience for many people, but it is actually quite rare that I get irritated with someone in a reality show to the point where I just wanna punch them in the face. This week's Real Housewives of NYC was one of those episodes. Aviva was a raving lunatic at St. Barth's. She was already on thin ice after the over-the-top screaming at the girls for missing her fundraiser in last week's episode.



I totally get that she has phobias. After my illness, I went through a temporary, extreme fear of flying, so I've personally been in that very situation. I think it showed remarkable courage and dedication to her friends that she boarded that tiny plane to the island. If she needs her hubby to fly with her, and he has the time and resources to do that, I don't see a problem with it. (She needs her husband to be with her nearly 24/7, which is a whole separate issue. They probably have "couple" email and Facebook accounts.)

However, when she freaked out and spewed her venomous, finger-pointing, self-righteous attack at Ramona and Sonja, I thought I was going to have to turn off the TV. Ramona said hello and welcomed Aviva and Reid when they got there. Sonja got out of the pool (in a towel- go Sonja!) and greeted them and talked to Reid about wanting it to be a girls' weekend, etc. Everything seemed cool with everyone.

Reid himself made it clear that he was basically invisible for the trip. He had "delivered his wife" and was off to his bedroom to work the minute they arrived. He got that it was a girls' trip. He was fabulous and understanding of the whole situation.

Aviva expected a "red carpet" and a party for their arrival??? What the...?! (Loved Carole's sarcastic "I'm sorry" about not having a party planned.) The girls should bow down and thank Reid for bringing her? They did thank him. If anyone should physically get on her knees and kiss his feet and fan him with palm fronds, it would be Aviva. Not her friends, for frick's sake.

When her crazy, hateful tirade hit the "I went to Vassar and I have a law degree" point, and she was calling Ramona and Sonja "white trash," my jaw was on the floor. Then she had the nerve and the immaturity to try to continue the argument in public at the restaurant, after Ramona and Sonja had apologized (though they didn't even need to) and everyone there wanted to get on with their fun girlfriend trip.

I really liked Aviva at first this season, but she's recently shown her true colors as a smug, contemptuous woman who, to an even greater degree than Luann if that's possible, feels she has to lecture her "lower class" friends on how to behave. 

Get over yourself, Aviva. Relax and have a little fun in your life. You're not everyone's overbearing mother.

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Video Time

Angel shared with me a beautiful dance from "So You Think You Can Dance" that told choreographer Mia's story of dancing with her dad, who has passed away. Here it is:



...which reminded me of the scene from Contact, where Jodie Foster meets her long-deceased father. I was sobbing in the theater during this one, back in the day. See, Dr. Arroway was orphaned very young and had this amazing, exceptionally encouraging dad and her entire career in radio astronomy is dedicated to him. Rent it if you've never seen it. (Matthew McConaughey is in it.) She meets Dad about halfway through this clip, but the mystical voyage is way cool, too.



If you would like to complete the trifecta of cleansing cries for the day, you can watch this memorable and moving SYTYCD performance, about fighting breast cancer:

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Fix YouTube "Player Too Small" Error

If an embedded YouTube player is less than 200 pixels in width and/or height, it will usually (not always, so weird!) give an error when a user tries to play the video. The easy fix is to make sure it's more than 200 pixels tall when you are resizing your embedded player.

I am limited to 280 pixels in width in the right sidebar here, which results in a player height less than 200. To fix, just resize to your desired width (must be over 200) in YouTube's embed code. YouTube's code will retain perspective, so the height won't be over 200, but that's okay for the moment. After you cut and past YouTube's code, just increase the height to 201, or more if it's still not working, in your own html. (I tried setting it to 200, but I was still getting the error.) The player will just add black space at the top and bottom.

For example, I resized Ellie Goulding's beautiful version of Active Child's (also fabulous) "Hanging On" when I posted it in my sidebar this weekend. YouTube's resized dimensions were 280x158. I just changed it to 280x201, after cut/pasting into my html. You can see that it works splendidly >>>.

~

Jeff's Samsung Galaxy had not been receiving all of his calls for the past few weeks. It was very random, which ones weren't getting through. No mention of them in "recent calls." Nothing. Just a lot of people saying they called, when he had no idea. So he got a new phone. I tried to get him to get an iPhone 4S (only $129!), but surprisingly *coughnotreallycough* he went for the Galaxy SIII. The one redeeming thing about that purchase- the phone is maroon. WHOOP!

(Somewhere, ScottK is laughing. He loves the whoop. I'm not certain if Amherst grads are officially allowed to whoop, but I tell ya', he can whoop with the best of 'em.)

FYI, Sam's has phones for less than the AT&T Store.

My only problem with the Galaxy SIII-- it has a flashing light on it to notify you of emails, phone messages, etc. That thing lights up my bedroom at night. It's going to have to be face down on the nightstand.

~

Jeff and I had a fabulous time with Tara and Kimberly and their families on Sunday! It's always great to catch up with all of them. I got to harass Kimberly in person for outing Caleb's engagement on Facebook, before it had been officially announced there. Caleb's fiancée was totally cool about it, but she is much, much nicer than I. :)

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College Football, How I've Missed You

College football Saturday, week 1! I haven't watched so much television since about six years ago, when we did a Lord of the Rings marathon. I love LOTR with an unhealthy passion, but that was a long-ass day.

We watched just about every SEC game there was. Florida beat Bowling Green, which I found out is in Ohio and named after the playing field of a British game called lawn bowls. It's sort of like croquet without the mallets. Or not. Anyhoo... the football game was an unexpectedly hard-fought battle. Angel says this may be a long year for the Gators. Let's hope it starts getting really long next Saturday at Kyle Field! :)

Flipped away from Bama/Michigan to Auburn/Clemson when it became clear that the Tide had the Wolverines wrapped up in Dallas... somewhere in the first quarter. Painful loss for Auburn! Then back to DFW for the remainder of the Alabama game, which was a stunning surprise domination over Michigan. Same score as the LSU game, but Michigan ain't exactly North Texas.


Sunday Stealing: The 88 Meme, Part Two

23. Why do you think so many people cheat?
I don't have a clue.

24. Tell me what's on your mind.
The Foundation CMS has been down for two weeks, and I'm considering what I can do now to get everything ready for the craziness that will ensue when it's back up on Tuesday.

25. What are you looking forward to in the next three months?
college football!

26. Have you ever worn the opposite sex's clothing?
I've worn boyfriends' shirts. I especially like tossing on the button-down ones that go with suits/tuxes, after a night out. Am I right, ladies?!

25. When did you last talk to your BFF?
yesterday

28. When is your next road trip?
Next week I'm off to Galveston to hang with CJ for a couple of days at her new place.

29. Do you have someone of the opposite sex you can tell anything to?
I have several good male friends I could tell almost anything. Two male friends I could tell absolutely anything whatsoever- Scotty or Doug.

30. How's your heart?
Metaphorically and physically well.

31. Have you ever felt like you weren't important?
yep

32. Do you think somebody's secretly in love with you?
of course

33. What are you planning on doing after this?
updating my website

34. Last time you yelled at someone?
I'm not a yeller.

35. Have you told anybody you loved them today?
not yet

36. Who do you not get along with?
narrow-minded people

37. What does your most recent text say?
"Goodnight dahling! xoxo" to Angel

38. What are you wearing right now?
a zebra print, short nightgown

39. You're locked in a room with the person you last kissed in high school, how is it?
Friendly. We're sharing photos of our kids, laughing over some amusing story from high school and avoiding any and all political conversation.

40. When's the last time you had a grilled cheese?
maybe six months ago at Chedd's

41. What's your favorite boy and girl name?
Ethan and Lauren

42. How did you feel when you woke up?
Very content. At the moment, all is right with the world.

43. Do you wish someone would call or text you right now?
I wish JeffC would text me a link to the funniest political item he's seen recently.

44. Do you think Clint Eastwood would have been better talking to a table?
Having watched the speech after becoming very curious from all the internet chatter, I would say he would have been better off reading a teleprompter and leaving the furniture out of it. Oy.

45. What were you doing yesterday at midnight?
Lauren had just come home from being out all evening. The three of us were talking in the living room, while watching the Oregon game.

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Makeup Tips and Bus Trips

Makeup tip for fair, green-eyed girls... Two words: Pewter. Eyeliner. I was using superdark brown for a long time, then went back to black. No matter how thin and blended the line, it's just too harsh, really. I was told to try dark grey, and it is amazing the color it brings out, while also tuning down the contrast with light skin. Try it!!

When I texted Angel earlier this week, "I hear Kenny is coming to the football game! Awesome!!", she told me she looked at the message and thought about it for five minutes before texting me back. See, she calls her brother Kenneth, and would never have imagined that her freshman Florida college student was going to Texas next weekend. She first thought I had texted the wrong person. Then she thought I was referring to Kenny Chesney (because I refer to Kenny Chesney, like never) who was performing at a football game, and that I thought that she had a big crush on him, when it's actually Keith Urban she loves. (I know that!) So she finally replied, in inimitable Angel fashion, "Whatchu talkin' about, Willis?! LOL"

Some brain twin she is! ;)

I explained that Lauren and Kenneth had talked and he is coming to see her and go to the Florida game.

He was going to drive it, but Angel said it's fifteen hours one-way and his car is leaking oil. Gas alone would be around $300. So she and I got on the phone and brainstormed how to get him from Gainesville to College Station with less risk of being stranded in the middle of BFE, Mississippi with dead car. Kevin has a frequent-flier airline voucher, so Kenneth is going to fly to Houston, then take the bus to Bryan.

I took the bus from College Station to Austin a few times back in the day, to visit peeps at t.u., before I had a car. When Angel and I checked the Greyhound site, we originally were going to have him come to Austin and ride with us to the game, then take the bus back on Sunday to fly home after hanging out with Lauren. We discovered that the trip from Bryan to Austin (which was about 3.5 long bus hours in the 80's) is now, I kid you not... 10 HOURS. It's a two-hour drive, folks. I have no idea what that route is, but no one should ever take it.

Finally this morning (I'm late today, says Laura!)... To me, A&M and Missouri deciding to leave the Big 12 is a result of disagreement of powers-that-be in the athletic departments of the schools involved. A few of my acquaintances (none of my closer friends) have made it personal between alumni. For them and anyone else who would like to accost me on the street with their mudslinging, I'd point to this, my favorite quote to date, from the August issue of 12th Man Magazine. Rusty Burson said, "(SEC) schools will bloody your nose on the field, but they won't stab you in the back inside the boardroom. Not so in the Big 12."

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