Saturday Six Catch-Up

Patrick's Saturday Six: O/P/Q

1. O is for OATMEAL: What does your ideal breakfast meal look like?
soft-boiled eggs on toast with butter, along with strawberry/banana fruit salad

2. O is for OBESITY: How achievable do you believe your “ideal” weight actually is?
I don't know what my official ideal weight is, but my personal ideal weight is completely achievable.

3. O is for ODOR: Which odor do you enjoy the most in a kitchen?
cilantro

4. O is for OIL: How much did you last pay per gallon for gasoline?
$3.07

5. O is for OVEN: Which food is your particular specialty?
chicken parmesan

6. O is for OZ: Which character from The Wizard of Oz movie is your favorite?
Scarecrow


1. P is for PAIN: What’s your pain tolerance: do you handle pain well or are you a baby when it comes to discomfort?
I can handle a lot of pain.

2. P is for PARTY: Are you the type that’s in the center of the action at a party, or do you wind up in a corner with a few folks you know well?
I'm usually in a corner with the people I know well, though I'm not afraid to jump into the main spotlight if I have something particularly witty to contribute.

3. P is for PAYMENT: How often do you write a check instead of paying cash or using a debit card?
Never, if I can possibly avoid it.

4. P is for PENCIL: On the desk where your computer normally is, are there more pens or pencils?
Pens. Pencils are a pain in the rear. (I know that's not where they go. I'm referring to the sharpening, the lightness of the printing, their temporary and changeable nature...)

5. P is for PINTO: What is your favorite kind of bean?
Black beans

6. P is for POT: Copper, Non-stick, Stainless Steel: What are most of your cooking pots made of?
half are non-stick, half are stainless steel


1. Q is for QUACK: What’s the worst medical advice you ever received?
The doctor (a surgeon) who diagnosed my lymphoma in 1988 told me the first thing we should do was remove all the cancerous lymph nodes (which was all of them) from my chest. Not that it was never done (in back alleys and third world countries... kidding... Google if you're seriously looking for info), but it is not the standard treatment. It would not only have significantly reduced my chances of remission, but would have put me at increased risk for succumbing to countless other infections and illnesses afterward, because of my lack of lymph nodes and immune response. I am forever grateful to another doctor in the same office, who immediately got me into MD Anderson (which was referral-ONLY at the time), where I received state-of-the-art treatment and eventual cure with chemo and radiation.

2. Q is for QUEEN: What do you think you’d most enjoy about living the life of royalty?
the cool clothes

3. Q is for QUICK: What household chores are you least likely to procrastinate about doing?
laundry

4. Q is for QUIET: Where do you go when you feel like you need quiet time alone with no distractions?
The bathroom is the only 100% reliable place, but I could probably have quiet time in the front bedroom, as long as I close the door. Everyone would assume I was working out. I could just be lounging in the bean bag chair.

5. Q is for QUIT: What would you most like to quit doing in 2013?
I'd like to find a job, so I could quit looking.

6. Q is for QUIZ: What subject in school did you most dread a pop quiz in?
history

Read more...

Swarosvski Crystal Worlds

Must go there on my next European vacay, although I want to go to Italy next. Hopefully we could fit it in as well.

Swarosvski Kristallvelten (Swarosvski Crystal Worlds)

SO cool. I enjoy just milling around the Swarosvski store, with their little items. I can't imagine how amazing these huge displays must look in person. Sparkly!


Saturday 9: Same Old Lang Syne

1) This week's song is the tale of an accidental holiday encounter between former lovers. (Hear it here.) They sit in her car and spend hours catching up, then she gives him a chaste kiss and they never see one another again. Is there a past love who still has a special spot in your heart, despite the years or the miles since your relationship?
Each of them does. As long as you don't have lingering hostilities between you, I don't know how anyone with whom you've been a serious relationship could disappear from your heart. Not that you would ever date them again, but just like your old best friends, they are special people from your past, with whom you'd enjoy catching up if you ran into each other at the grocery store.

2) This week's song includes a play on the traditional Scottish song, "Auld Lang Syne." Have you ever visited Scotland?
No, but I would love to!

3) Mother Winters has long told Sam that if she has a glass of water for every glass of champagne she drinks on New Year's Eve, she'll feel better on New Year's Day. Do you have a favorite hangover prevention tip or cure?
Don't drink more than a drink an hour, and drink plenty of water before you go to bed.

4) Do you like champagne?
Not really. I'll have one glass, if everyone is having it.

6) This year at midnight, Crazy Sam will kiss the nose of her puppy, Chico. Will you be kissing anyone when the clock strikes 12?
Jeffery!

6) The Fifty Shades of Grey trilogy was the runaway publishing phenomenon of 2012. It was so successful that the publisher, Random House, was able to give its employees massive bonuses this year. Have you read it?
Nope. My friends tell me it is a great story, but poorly and immaturely written.

7) Year-end is a time for newspapers, magazines and websites to run lists. According to Askmen.com, Jennifer Lawrence of The Hunger Games is the at the of the year's "Most Desirable Woman" list. People magazine has declared Channing Tatum "The Sexiest Man Alive -- 2012." Do either of these two set your pulse racing? If not, who is your celebrity crush?
Channing Tatum is pretty hot, but there would be quite a few gorgeous men on my list before him. Bradley Cooper is the celeb catching my eye most often lately.

8) Pasadena, California, is known for hosting the traditional Rose Parade. It begins at 8:00 AM on January 1, so the people who watch it live must be there very early. Does the thought of getting up and dressed to sit in the California sun, bright and early on New Year's morning, appeal to you?
There are many events for which I would rise early and sit outside far ahead of time in the wee hours of the morning after a wild night out. Just not the Rose Bowl Parade. 

9) Sometimes aches and pains that aren't serious can still really hurt. For example, Sam just dropped a can of tomato paste on her foot and the little red mark it left is making her crazy! Are you suffering through a bump or bruise or cut right now?
I bit my tongue, but it's about healed now. Thank goodness.

Read more...

Christmas

Christmas was the bomb-diggity. (Are we still saying bomb-diggity?) I have the most thoughtful daughter, who gave the most fun and perfect gifts to everyone. Plus, her wrapping was beauuuutiful! My gifts looked lame-o next to hers. She must get her gift-wrap skillz from her grandma.

We went to the Chihuly glass installation at the Dallas Arboretum, which was amazing, particularly in the dark at night. The Artistry of the Nativity display (a separate exhibit) is what moved me the most. It is two collections of hundreds and hundreds of nativity sets from around the world. Some are cute and cartoony, others are very expensive Waterford and Faberge and the like. Just remarkable. Plus, I'd never been inside the DeGolyer Mansion, which is an attraction in itself. (I want that master closet please. Kthanks.)

We attended the annual telling of the Christmas Story at my in-laws' church in Frisco on Christmas Eve. Much singing of Christmas carols there! We opened presents after that, which made Christmas morning the biggest letdown ever. Eh. Whatever the fam wants to do. 

The Hobbit rocked like Bob, but we saw it in 2D, so I also have to also see it in HFR to get the full experience. Or just to see it twice. I'm not even sure myself. The story is missing a hot Aragorn-y character, but other than that, it's just supercool to be back in Tolkien mode after so many years.

To complete the 2012 holiday experience, I still need to see Les Mis, go to IKEA for a few things and give Kathy her Christmas gift when she gets back from Houston.


Friday Five: Sum

1. Who stands out among people you met in 2012?
Alex, who I finally met after emailing and speaking on the phone for five years at the Foundation. He's a really cool guy in person.

2. What new interest did you discover in 2012?
Bradley Cooper

3. In what way was 2012 better than 2011?
2012 was a bit more relaxed.

4. What small, symbolic item might serve as a good souvenir for 2012?
a Tylenol

5. Many years from now, what song, when you hear it on the radio, will remind you most of 2012?
"Call Me Maybe" because of all the funny videos made

Read more...

Off to Big D

So the first child of one of my close friends has gotten MARRIED. Holy moly. Cathy won "First Marriage" and "First Baby." Kimberly wins "First Married Child." (Yes. As a matter-of-fact, it is a contest.) Congrats to the Mother-In-Law! I'd love to have her as my mother-in-law! Lucky Rachel. :)

Leaving now for the DFW metroplex. See y'all later!


Sunday Stealing: The Mixed Bag Meme

1. How many songs are in your library?
2,745

2. Do you like Christmas music?
Yes!! Currently lovin' Cee Lo's version of "What Christmas Means to Me"...



3. What magazines do you have subscriptions to?
Real Simple, More and Consumer Reports

4. What is your favorite scent?
ocean air

5. Do you give money to charity?
Yes

6. What is your theme song?
Let's see... "The Sound of Sunshine" Michael Franti



7. What's in your wallet?
2 credit cards, about $15, my ID, my Regal Cinema card

8. Do you generally think before you act, or act before you think?
Think before I act.

9. Is there anything that has made you unhappy these days?
too much

10. Do you have a good body-image?
probably average

11. How are you spending your holidays?
Christmasing in Dallas with the in-laws

12. What have you been seriously addicted to lately?
New music! Particularly Bruno Mars and Christina Aguilera.

13. Tell us a secret?
I know about a certain unusual feature of one of Cathy's exes' private parts. I leave the identity of that person open, because of course I want all the exes to wonder if it's THEM value people's privacy.

14. What’s the last song that got stuck in your head?
"Just a Fool" Christina Aguilera and Blake Shelton. It's country, but it happens to be great.

15. What’s your favorite item of clothing?
My new dark wash jeans.

16. Do you think Rice Krispies are yummy?
I love the texture, but they need sugar.

17. Is Santa real?
"...In all this world there is nothing else real and abiding... Thank God he lives and he lives forever. A thousand years from now... nay, ten times ten thousand years from now, he will continue to make glad the heart of childhood."

18. What should you be doing right now?
Packing. :) Have a very merry Christmas, y'all!

Read more...

Home and Out Again

Home from Galveston and heading up to Dallas tomorrow.

Cathy and I had a blast celebrating her birthday! We spent Thursday shopping at the outlet mall. Thursday night we had a very fancy and wonderful dinner on the water at Willie G's, then walked too many blocks in the icy cold wind to Crow's, where Soulshine was playing. Great crowd there that night, including a fun group of Aggies!

Friday we hung out at Jimmy's on the Pier and then ran around UTMB, visiting with employees and trying to locate the old pedi endo lab. (I worked there the summer after high school.) We gave it a good effort, but I think it is hidden in a construction zone. The whole hospital is a construction zone, since Hurricane Ike- weird temporary hallways, lots of doors that say "no exit." It's sort of the thing nightmares are made of, now that I think about it.

The two things I really recognized as exactly as I remembered were the entrance to the hospital and the campus medical library. We (my fellow high school grads and I, who were in the research program) used to go to the medical library during lunch and watch videos of all sorts of births, just so we could gross ourselves out. It was a very effective method of birth control for our particular age group.

So yeah. Winter on the island can be fun!


SATURDAY 9: HAPPY HOLIDAYS

1. As you can see, Sam loved giving her annual wish list to Santa. Yet some children are reluctant to climb into Jolly Old St. Nick's lap. Did you enjoy the tradition or were you shy? Or did you by pass it altogether -- either because you wrote him a letter or because your family didn't celebrate Christmas?
I wasn't at all shy with Santa. I figured the best chance of getting something on my wish list was to meet with him personally.

Dad's company Christmas party- age 3. Looks like
Santa is a bit worn down from my detailed list.

2. Are you currently on the Naughty or Nice list? How did you get there?
Nice. I'm always nice! :p

3. Did you ship any gifts to friends and family this year? If so, which one traveled the farthest?
I had a pretty, live evergreen centerpiece shipped to my Grandpa in Dallas. Does the check to my 19-year-old cousin in Denver count?

4. Did you buy yourself a gift this year?
I cannot tell you how many ubercool things I passed up for myself at the Blue Genie art show and the Armadillo Christmas Bazaar and the mall. So no, I have not bought myself a Christmas gift.

5. What's your favorite holiday-themed movie?
Love, Actually

6. Thinking of movies, Christmas is lucrative for Hollywood. Have you ever gone to a movie theater on Christmas Day?
We all go as a family pretty often on Christmas afternoon.

7. Have you ever suffered an embarrassing moment at the company Christmas party?
Nope.

8. What's your favorite beverage in cold weather?
coffee

9. What will you remember most about 2012?
What a craptastic year it was. Eagerly anticipating a wonderful 2013!

Read more...

One Small Step...

Several times now, I've tried to organize and write down my thoughts on what could be done to attempt to reduce the number of mass shootings. As I've talked with my friends, we all seem to be able to identify the various factors involved, but we struggle to specify a particular mitigating measure for any of them.

Gun control is complicated. I don't own a gun, and never will, but the Constitution allows citizens to own guns if they choose. I could go into the history, but you probably know it, and if you don't, the web is a great resource.

Mental health issues- also complicated. We haven't locked up psychotic people simply for their psychosis for decades. There has to be a crime committed or an imminent threat. At least now, I think people will finally start stepping forward and reporting things they find suspicious, rather than assuming people are "just joking" or that they "would never do something like that."

The one thing that I think most of us can agree would be very simple, and effective in deterring some cases, would be for the media to never identify the shooter by name or photo. Ever. In print, on TV, anywhere. Sure, you can tell us about the person. We're all curious why they did it, what their background is, etc. Just provide the information in generic terms. Then at the very least, people know when they are planning these evil acts that they will not garner one minute of personal "fame" from it.

As an added bonus, you also avoid debacles like the misidentification of the shooter in Connecticut.

I don't blame the media for these events, I just think it would be helpful if they kept the identification of these particular types of people out of the news.

Read more...

Product Recs

Two product recommendations this morning:

1) BB Cream. Ladies, if you aren't using it as your foundation, stop reading this minute and hie thee to your nearest drugstore or beauty counter! I've only tried one- Loreal- but I can confirm that it is FANTASTIC. Skin tighter, tone even, small wrinkles spackled. It's not heavy at all, which is so nice. It is the miracle it claims to be. Want to test it for yourself? Do what I did- apply your regular foundation on one side of your face and BB cream on the other to compare. The difference was very apparent for my skin. Get a shade lighter than you think you need.

2) Mio. It's my new favorite beverage. I usually drink water with either a splash of tea or lemonade in it. We got the lemon-flavored Mio to try. I use one squirt in 16 oz. of water (about half the smallest intended amount) and it's GREAT lightly flavored water. Zero calories. And the portability factor is awesome. It doesn't need refrigeration and it's tiny, so you can carry it anywhere. Find it in your bottled juice and powdered drinks aisle at the grocery store.


Saturday 9: Christmas Carols

1) What's the first holiday song that comes to mind?
"Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas"

2) Are you sending cards (either by postal service or email) this year? If so, have they gone out yet?
Not sending any this year

3) Can you see any holiday decorations from where you're answering these questions?
I'm in the living room, and I can see several things. Stockings, A&M Football candles and ornaments on the mantel (thank you, Angel), some Christmas knick-knacks...

4) Do you wrap gifts in paper or take the gift bag route?
Most of them are wrapped in paper. Gift bags are good for certain gifts, but if I can, I prefer to wrap in a box. I love the ripping of the paper. It also takes longer, thus prolonging the anticipation, versus yanking something out of a bag.

5) The holidays are an important fundraising time for charities. Here's an opportunity to do a shameless plug for your favorite. What organization or cause do you wish got more support at the holidays, and all year around?
MD Anderson Children's Art Project - Purchase products featuring the art of young cancer patients at MD Anderson in Houston, to benefit patient services!

6) Andy Williams was famous for his family holiday specials. What TV family would most like to spend Christmas with?
The Modern Family gang. OMG this week was freakin' hilarious. My favorite line:

"There's something about going to work that makes you feel like... I don't know... you're worth something. No offense, Mom." -Haley

7) The holidays are a big time for travel. Where did you go on your first airplane flight?
Frankfurt to Houston

8) Does the weather have an impact on your mood?
When it's cloudy, I tend to be sleepy. Happy, but sleepy. There's a dwarf joke in there somewhere. 

9) Snack time! You're about to make yourself your favorite sandwich. What ingredients do you need?
I would never have an entire sandwich as a snack, but OK... Reuben: rye bread, corned beef, Thousand Island dressing, Swiss cheese and sauerkraut.

Read more...

Our Hearts Go Out

My thoughts are with the parents of Sandy Hook students who died tragically yesterday in the horrific mass shooting. I cannot imagine their grief.

Absolutely heartbreaking.

Read more...

Interview!

Well, I just finished my first interview. It went really well! I'm hoping I get the job, but even if I don't, it's so nice to have that first interview behind me. WHEW.


Today I moved my photos from my phone to my computer. As usual, I found some interesting ones I forgot about:

accidental screencap from Bad Piggies?

Shawn's "First Degree Burn"-- so good!

Lauren's roommate's kitten, Nala, on Lauren's bed

shirt and tie I wanted to buy for Jeff
It's awesome, right ladies?!

At the fro-yo place by IKEA in Round Rock. That is totally... what she said.

Friday Five: There's a Theme. Trust Me.

1. How self-conscious do you get when someone’s pointing a camera at you?
More than average. 7 on a scale from 1-10.

2. What was the last meal you took a photo of?
Lauren's first dinner she completely planned and cooked herself, for the family- mustard rosemary chicken and roasted asparagus. Yummy yummo!

3. When were you last bitten or stung by something?
I have a random bite on my arm from this morning. No idea what it was.

4. What’s something people miss most when they move away from your area?
the beautiful outdoor spaces- hills, hiking trails, parks, lakes

5. On long day-trips, do you prefer to be the driver or passenger? Why?
I don't mind either. I guess I would rather be the driver. I get motion sickness if I use my phone too much or read or anything in the car anyway. May as well let everyone else use their electronic devices.

Read more...

Kingsbury 'n' Stuff

Thank you Chad (who excitedly told me the very cool story of when he met Kliff Kingsbury), for informing me that Kingsbury's blood "runs red! Never has it run maroon!" To that, I say...

:p

Kidding. Best of luck at your alma mater, Kingsbury! Now the Tech girls (and their moms) can drool over you every week.


Totally unrelated, in the Austin news...
Drinking and driving is a crime, sometimes with fatal consequences, but I have a big problem with the law that makes bars (and party hosts) responsible for how much patrons drink. Austin PD released its annual list of what they call "DWI Bars," which are the places at which people arrested for DWI report having their last drink. So many other factors are at play in such a poll, including the sheer popularity of a bar. It's impossible to use that data for anything.

Only one person is responsible for how much you drink and if you choose to get behind the wheel of a car, and that is you. The bar has no idea how much you drank before you showed up. They have no idea if you are even driving. They don't know if you're someone like me who gets tipsy after one infrequent glass of wine, or a big drinker who has a bottle every night. It's shouldn't be their responsibility to babysit customers. The reason it's been made their responsibility--- bars have more money than individuals for lawsuit payouts.

May as well blame the liquor companies, while you're at it. How about the Stop 'n Go that sold the drinker the six-pack he drank before he went to the bar that night? The car manufacturer? The friends who let him drive? Silly, silly.

Read more...

Bunco Christmas Party

Funniest moment at Jean's party, or perhaps ever: At the end, Jean's mom told Laura, with great concern, that Laura should call a cab to get a ride home, because Laura had had too much to drink.

The thing is- Laura didn't have a drop of alcohol last night.

Priceless.

After dinner, we did an ornament exchange and Amy said someone's ornament looked like a bedroom toy. (She used the D word, but I don't know if I can say it here without getting classified as an adult blog. Then you guys would have click through a screen to promise you are 18 every single time you come in here. No one wants that.) Well, another guest came unglued and declared that she didn't know it was "that kind of a party." She started going on and on about it. Amy didn't hear any of the hubbub from across the room.

See, there were two crowds there this year- Jean's girlfriends from work and from bunco. Our bunco group, like so many for some reason, can get pretty raunchy. It's just assumed that when we get together, you're going to eventually see some naked body parts or someone's new bra (like Amy's last night- she was on a roll) or find out valuable information like which stretch of green on the neighborhood golf course is the best for fooling around in the middle of the night.

The offended girl was from the work group, not that I would put all the work gals in the "easily offended" category. Just saying that this person probably wasn't fairly warned that when bunco chicks are there, it is, indeed, that kind of party. I actually assumed the offended person was joking, because she was three sheets to the wind drinking wine all night, but it was pretty apparent pretty fast that she wasn't kidding.

Jean was fabulous and just moved along quickly to the next ornament unwrapping. Bravo. And of course, we had a little fun with it later when it was just us hanging out at the end.

So great to catch up with everyone!

Curious as a Cat

1) Do you have any friends you regret not keeping in touch with?
one of my best friends Ina who I met at work (who was the one who actually stopped keeping in touch with me), my childhood friend Frank with whom I last chatted just after high school grad, and most of all Eddie- one of my new and fast friends freshman year at A&M. We were inseparable that year, yet oddly, I have absolutely no recollection of why we didn't keep in touch. Not sure if he left school or what happened. Why can't I remember? So weird!

2) Would you have one of your fingers surgically removed if it guaranteed immunity from all major diseases?
Absolutely.

3) Which is creepier to see in your kitchen: a mouse or a cockroach?
definitely a mouse

4) Show and Tell. What comes to mind first when you see this picture? Or, tell a story if it reminds you of one.

This reminds me of Kelly Clarkson's hair on the Thankful album cover...

Read more...

Johnny Football, Baby!

Johnny Manziel wins the Heisman. Freakin' amazing! What a surreal and wonderful night for him and for the Aggie family. Still smiling! :)

When they went to the last commercial break before the announcement, I said that Johnny looked like he was going to throw up. Lauren said, "I'M about to throw up! I imagine he is, too." So funny!

By the way, great job on this event, ESPN. Much, much better than the Football Awards show.

And... Heisman winner and Houston Oilers running back Earl Campbell was at the ceremony! So awesome. My Oilers fave, a Longhorn supporting our guy from Tyler. Campbell is a cool cat from way back.


Patrick's Saturday Six: N

1. N is for NAME: Were you ever tempted to change your name, and if so, which name would you rather have had?
I've always liked my name. It's particularly cool that I can go with the sophisticated "Katherine" for some situations and the fun and casual "Kathy" for others.

2. N is for NATURE: What do you enjoy most about being in the great outdoors?
Connecting with something bigger than myself. (That's what she said.) I find it very centering to be under the infinite sky, hearing the birds and other sounds, feeling the breeze... It's a sort of "reboot," getting away from the busy, hectic world for even a moment.

3. N is for NEWSSTAND: If you had to purchase a magazine at a newsstand, which title would you be most likely to buy?
Real Simple

4. N is for NICKEL: If a president were to replace one of the current presidents on our coins, which one would you like to see immortalized on our currency next?
Reagan

5. N is for NOSE: Which aroma from the kitchen is your favorite?
Cilantro. Oddly enough, Lauren's very least favorite!

6. N is for NUT: When you’re ready for a snack, which variety of nut is your favorite?
cashew

Read more...

Cooookieeeeee

I've made all my cookies for Jean's party tomorrow night. Rum balls. I know, they are supposed to sit for a few days, but one day will have to do this time.

Laura: Are you going to Jean's party?
Me: I may go late. The presentation of the Heisman trophy is at 7, but who knows how long they'll stretch that thing out. This is funny-- I thought the Heisman announcement was Monday night, and I was trying to decide if I should cancel dinner plans with friends to watch! Turns out it's Saturday night, so it's not a problem.
Laura: Saturday?
Me: Yes.
Laura: Well Jean's party is on Sunday.
Me: I thought it was Saturday!

Yeesh. I think my brain is on vacation.


Saturday 9: Blue Christmas

1) Do you ever suffer the blues during the holidays?
No, although I have moments where I really miss my mom, who passed away December 19 six years ago.

2) More than 18 million visitors have toured Elvis' home, Graceland. Have you ever been there?
Strangely enough, Mom and I made a point of visiting the tiny, tiny home where Elvis was born in Tupelo, on our way to Nashville once, where we did NOT tour Graceland. It was her 20th high school reunion in Huntsville AL. Dad was working, so she and I went. We hung out there for a couple of days, did the reunion and stayed with her best friend Francis, and then went to Nashville for a couple of days with Francis and Larry and their kids.

Not to go on a tangent, but I am remembering vividly watching my mom chatting with her desperately serious and completely unattainable high school crush at the reunion. I can't believe I can't remember his name right now, but this was one of those über-popular guys who she adored back then, who was incredibly handsome (still was, at 38) and so charming and sweet, and made the effort to get to know kids from every single clique in the school. You know that guy, right? Everyone thinks he's awesome. I think every high school class has one. Ours was Peter Griffith.

Anyhoo... He hugged her and kissed her on the cheek when they met at the reunion, and I could tell she was DYING. Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh... So cute! He didn't do that with everyone. Many of the ladies, but not all of them. He sat at our table and talked with the group for quite a while. She and Francis giggled like teenagers about it for two days.

3) Elvis dyed his naturally light brown locks black. Do you dye your hair?
Nope

4) He also insisted his young girlfriend, Priscilla, dye her hair jet black. If your lover asked you to change your hair, would you?
Sure. As long as it doesn't look awful. Now ask Jeff how many times I've asked him to let his hair grow out into its wavy/curly glory. But noooooo...

5) Elvis served his country at an Army base in Friedberg, Germany. Have you ever been to Germany?
1) lived there from birth to age 3- Heidelberg/Worms area.
2) Visited when I was a freshman in high school- Dad's side of the family in Worms & Hamm, my uncle Brian and family then stationed at Wiesbaden, then toured all over the countryside up and down the Rhine staying in guest houses.
3) Jeff, Lauren and I went back when Lauren was 3- Munich for a week, then Berchtesgaden for a week.

6) Elvis famously had an affair with Ann-Margret during the filming of Viva Las Vegas. Have you ever indulged in a dalliance with a coworker?
I went out with a few waiters while I was a hostess in high school. I also dated JohnN, a comp sci major with whom I worked in the Dean's Office my junior year of college.

7) Thinking of his movies ... Elvis was, by and large, unhappy with his film career and once said, "The only thing worse than watching a bad movie is being in one." Are you happy with the way your career is going/has gone?
*eye roll* The timing of this question is lovely. Not happy in any way, shape or form with the way my career is going. I've convinced myself that some perfect opportunity is about to come up.

8) Elvis lost "the battle of the bulge" toward end of his life. Are you happy with your weight?
I'm working on losing 15 pounds at the moment. Ask me again in a couple of months. :)

9) As a teenager, Elvis worked as an usher at a movie theater. What was your first job?
selling newspaper subscriptions over the phone for the Houston Post when I was 16

Read more...

Is It Friday Yet?

It is!

Huge congrats to Johnny Manziel for winning the O'Brien Award (first freshman and first Aggie ever) and to Luke Joeckel for winning the Outland Trophy (first Aggie ever) at the Home Depot College Football Awards last night! Waiting, waiting, waiting for the Heisman announcement on Saturday night. Go JFF!

Still wondering when they'll do a Home Depot Tool of the Year award, so it can to go to one of those irritable, pop-a-gasket coaches.

Tool... Home Depot...

I'm sure going to miss making that joke every week, now that football season is over.

I hate to say it, but the whole awards show was just odd, from the awkward skits to the long silences to the mostly misread teleprompter. (The winner is... Joel Joeckel from The University of Texas A&M? Oy. Big moment bombed.) I think the problem was that the event needs to choose a personality. Is it solemn and meaningful or is it fun and celebratory? Here are all these stars of college football in one room, with somber presenters and little levity... and they jarringly throw in randomness like a DJ and goofy skits.

I'm more a DJ & goofy skit girl myself, so I wish they would have run with that and kept the presenters more smiley and casual, except for perhaps the more personal Disney Spirit Award honoring UT's Nate Boyer and the Contribution to College Football Award honoring former Notre Dame coach Ara Parseghian.

They also tried to do several impromptu "bits" that really require some sort of rehearsal, like having the first three winners throw the football around the room. Everyone was unsure what the heck they were supposed to do. You could almost see the cuing from behind the camera. I think they should have had more pre-recorded segments, like the golf game and Disney thing, to feature the players. The Te'o skit could have been pre-recorded, too. Cute, but the timing was off.

The only thing that could have made the event more uncomfortable and weird would have been comedian Richard Lewis hosting.


I said here yesterday that I thought the twenty minutes we saw during season 1 of AHS were from the pilot. It turns out it was from episode 10 of 12. I guess we jumped in later than I thought. Heh. And it was Tate and Violet in Violet's room with a chess board (Colonel Mustard in the Study with a Candlestick *gigglesnort*), not in the attic with a Ouija board.

Details, details.

Either way, we're watching the final two episodes of season 1 today!


Friday Five: Themeless

1. You know those delicatessens that name sandwiches after famous people? What would be the ingredients of the sandwich named after you?
a hot panini made with Fontina, genoa salami, roasted red peppers, caramelized onions and banana peppers on ciabatta

2. What’s your favorite part of staying in a hotel?
a king size bed and a fabulous shower

3. What was the last book you read, and how was it?
Skinnydipping by Bethenny Frankel. It was good!

4. What’s something super-unhealthy you’ve recently eaten?
Hello Dolly bars I made at Thanksgiving-- so worth it

5. What do you do with all those Christmas cards with photos of friends and their kids?
I put them in albums. They're the only things I've put in albums in the past ten years.

Read more...

American Horror Story

We've been watching "American Horror Story: Asylum" since episode 1. Lauren and I were mostly intrigued by the guest appearance of Adam Levine. It turned out to be the scariest television show we've ever seen, so now all three of us are hooked.

I saw all the comments from friends and reviews from critics last season about how terrifying "American Horror Story: Murder House" was, so Lauren and I watched about 20 minutes of one episode, which I thought was the pilot, but it wasn't. (I think there was a scene with Tate and Violet using the Ouija board in the attic or something.) We thought it was slow. We are now watching the first season straight through on Amazon. We're at episode 6 and I still haven't seen the parts we watched. It is freaky scary, not slow at all.  It's like reading a book... you don't want to stop watching to see what happens next! With access to all the episodes, it's hard to not just keep going.

Plus, there are gratuitous nude scenes of the gorgeous Dylan McDermott. Can't beat that with a stick. (Or a shovel. Right, Ben? Mwahaha...)

At the end of each week's episode of Asylum, we all whine out loud when it's over and wait on the edge of our seats for the previews for next week. I don't know that I've ever done that with any show, ever.

If you're not watching, and you like horror films or books, don't miss it! Wednesday at 10 pm EST on FX. The actors are top-notch. Stories are well-written and there's a shocking turn at every corner. Check out season one (Murder House) if you have access via Netflix, Hulu, Amazon, etc. There is a lot of blood, sex and foul language- just a warning. Not a kid-friendly show at all.

The opening credits for both seasons (especially season 2) are SO frightening. Intense, genius-scary music, too. If there is any portion of the show I will not watch alone or in the dark, it's the opening.

The Making of the Asylum Opening:


Asylum Opening Credits:

Read more...

Merengue vs. Hip-Hop

I'd like for everyone to please get out of your chairs and try a little something I discovered while doing Zumba, for the first time since that terrible flu-ish cold thing overcame me for a couple of weeks.

Everyone up?

I'll wait.

Okay. Do a V-step (men, that is a step forward with the right foot, then left, apart like the top of a V, then back with the right then left, together like the bottom of a V). Forward-forward-back-back, right-left-right-left...

Now, if you pop your left hip out when you step on your right foot, and then pop your right hip out when you step with the left, you are doing Merengue. Merengue is very smooth and wavy. If you pop your right hip out with your right step, then the left hip with the left step, you are more doing
a stripper move hip hop. It's sort of gritty and linear.

Holy frijoles. I actually managed to find on YouTube (in less than 2 minutes of searching... BOO-YAH) the actual clip that I was watching when I figured this all out. A snippet from a 45-minute workout video that happens to appear in this preview video.

*bows*

This is the Activate DVD Preview. V-step @ 00:13, the very first clip after they introduce the workout. Watch Tanya (in the pink pants) the first time through. When they put their hands up, they're done with V-step, so just click back to 00:13. Tanya does what I do there- the hip hop move, pushing out the same hip as the foot that is stepping. (Actually, her very last step goes just a tad Merengue...)



Now go through it again. The girl in the back, on the right, in the green shirt is doing the Merengue move, hip opposite of the foot that is stepping. See how different it is? Both cool. Very different. I just have to concentrate to do the Merengue wiggle there.

For some reason, I can very naturally salsa (which is also with the alternate hip from the stepping foot) all day long without wearying a brain cell.

Oh. I probably should have just let the men sit in their chairs and watch the vid of hot, gyrating chicks, instead of peer pressuring you to get up and do the steps yourselves. It was fun though, right? And now you know what a V-step is. You're welcome.

Incidentally, Tanya has inspirational abs. I mean, honestly. And Gina has the most gorgeous hair.

Read more...

SEC's Johnny Football Video

WHOOP!

Read more...

Wow, Y'all...

I have seen, for the first time, a Facebook Timeline that has been filled in to the hilt with all of someone's lifetime highlights. He's not a teenager either. He's 50. It is painstakingly detailed and very impressive. I can't imagine how long it took to enter all the stuff, much less to research and remember everything and scan photos for each one.

It has marriages, divorces, moves and buying houses, new jobs, career highlights, news items, births and deaths of family and friends, just everything. And photos for every single item, of course.

*slow applause*


Patrick's Saturday Six: M

1. M is for MAC: Which brand of computer do you use most often?
HP Pavilion desktop PC

2. M is for MACARONI: Which pasta dish do you enjoy most?
Italian sausage and peppers with penne

3. M is for MAIL: How often do you actually mail a letter versus sending an email or chatting online?
I mail about one snail mail letter every year, usually to a business. I send email and chat online almost every day.

4. M is for MICROPOLIS: If you had the choice to earn a decent salary at an enjoyable job and could be certain that you could afford a comfortable lifestyle, would you prefer to live in a big city, a small town, or something in between?
I strongly prefer living in the suburbs of a city. It's important to me to have ready access to concerts, shows, restaurants, malls, movies, etc.

5. M is for MOVIE: What is the next movie you are looking forward to seeing in a theater?
The Hobbit

6. M is for MUSEUM: Which type of museum would you most likely pay to enter: an art museum, a history museum or a science museum?
I love all of those!

Read more...

Rambling Monday Post

Talked with MelissaN yesterday about the complete lack of job prospects. In six weeks, I have found only five jobs for which I think I am qualified, and had zero interviews.

It all boils down to this: Right now, companies (at least in my fields of technology and research) don't need to hire anyone but mid-level and higher professionals, because there are so many great people with years of current experience looking for jobs. Because of the 19 years I've been a SAHM, I'm trying to re-enter the workforce as a level 2 data analyst (out of 4, I was a 3 before), and the lowest level opportunities I've seen or heard of are level 3. I applied for them and was politely dismissed.

I thought perhaps I should get my software certification, to put something current on my resume. Well, because that training is typically paid for by employers, the cost is completely outrageous for an individual ($4000 for five days). If there were a guarantee that I would be hired afterwards, I would more than happily put up the cash; however, I am painfully familiar with job prospects in Austin at the moment, and without several years experience, you're going to have to go with entry-level retail and restaurant jobs. There aren't a lot of those, either.

If it were less expensive, I would just do it. It couldn't hurt. As many people on job boards have said though- if you apply for a lower-level position, you aren't expected to have much experience and the company will train you. If you apply for the mid-to-high level positions and come in with your expensive training, but little (or plenty of 20-year-old, basically useless) experience, you still aren't qualified. Either way, you've wasted your time and money paying for training/certification yourself.

I've also searched jobs in healthcare that I would love to get into, where I am most likely considered to have no relevant experience, historical or otherwise. There aren't entry-level openings there either, except for a few that actually said in the postings, "No career changers or workforce re-entry." I can only guess that's an age discrimination tactic. A more politically correct way to say that is "Recent college grads only." There are a few of those! Good luck with that, tens of thousands of college grads.

Now I understand why so many parents I know and have run into with graduating children report that their kids are working the paint department at Home Depot or something else that doesn't require a $100,000 degree.

So yeah. The economy still sucks. Hold on to your jobs, folks.

Melissa reminded me, as others have, that hiring will pick up a bit after the new year. Let's hope so.

And now, we dance!


Saturday 9: Beer Barrel Polka

1) Have you ever danced the polka?
Once, at a beer festival in Germany.

2) Frankie Yankovic was a stellar accordion player. What instrument have you mastered, or would like to learn?
I have not mastered an instrument, although I can play piano. Would love to learn electric guitar, but from my attempt at acoustic guitar, I know that my fingers are far to delicate for it.

3) When Frankie died in 1998, his obituary proclaimed him as "America's Polka King." Lucille Ball was "The Queen of Comedy" and Michael Jackson was "The King of Pop." What royal title do you deserve?
Baroness of Word Games

4) Do you like light beer?
Not generally.

5) In 1901, daredevil Annie Taylor successfully went over Niagara Falls in a barrel. She was badly bruised but otherwise fine. How much money would it take for you do to do something that dangerous?
There isn't enough money in the world.

6) When was the last time you visited a pet store?
This summer, Lauren and I visited a pet store at the mall in College Station. I haven't seen any other pet stores in years, since all the puppy mills were exposed.

7) What's your favorite salad dressing?
my homemade lemon poppyseed

8) Sam Winters is crazy about her smart phone. She uses it to take pictures, record videos, listen to tunes, answer emails and surf the net and, oh yeah, she even uses it to make calls. How indispensable is your mobile phone in your day-to-day life?
Not as indispensable as it is to most people I know.

9) "Kocham cię" is "I love you" in Polish. Can you say "I love you" in a language other than English (and Polish)?
German, Spanish, Latin, French, Italian

Read more...

Johnny Football for Heisman

So, I have been one of the people who has been hesitant to put my full support behind any freshman to win the Heisman, not because they don't deserve it, but only because if you win it your first year, I wonder what's next for you in college ball. You hit your college football ultimate goal year 1. Now what?

However, I was swayed by a comment on the Johnny "Football" Manziel for Heisman Facebook page yesterday to throw my enthusiastic support behind Johnny... or any other fabulous freshman who is deserving in the future. It was in response to the post:

Tweet from Jim Rome after Johnny's interview:
"Regarding boneheads who won't vote for a freshman for Heisman...I just rapped with Johnny Football. Nothing about him says freshman."

A fan pointed out the simple fact of the matter is that the Heisman is for the best college football player of the year. It doesn't say, "...who is not a freshman."

Yeah!

Sports message boards are lit up with support from fans across the country, because of his accomplishments this season. There are Johnny Football-isms all over the net, similar to the Chuck Norris-isms... or the Dos Equis guy. (Chuck Norris is afraid of only one thing... Johnny Manziel outside the pocket.) Pedro's son was wearing an A&M jersey yesterday in Dallas and random people were yelling "Johnny Football!" We had lunch at Torchy's here in Austin on Thursday, and while it was very loud in there and the TV had no sound, a Johnny interview (in an empty Kyle Field... not sure who it was) came on and many customers were watching the screen intently and talking about him at their tables.

The kid is a phenom. He's done amazing things on the field, some of which have never been seen in football. His stats are incredible. The fact that he is a first-year player only makes it all the more impressive. Give him the trophy. :-)

And as far as my question about what Johnny would do for the next three years after winning the Heisman... Kathy's immediate response:

"Try for another Heisman!"

Whoop!

Read more...