Sunday Morning

I completely understand the emotion behind the "I'll leave the country if candidate XYZ is elected president" comments, but we are living in a democracy. If some insufferable doofus is elected (almost a guarantee at this point), he or she will have been elected by the majority and the rest of us will have to suck it up. Heck, even many (most?) people who voted for that person will be sucking it up, because they only voted for them as the lesser of two evils. I'm just hopeful that we are pleasantly surprised by the next president, and that the person will be able to work with Congress to get some positive things done.

Sunday Stealing: How Are Ya Today Meme

Okay, here we go. How are ya today? good
Have you ever been so happy you felt invincible? yep
Would you ever refer to something as ‘bitter sweet’? Yes
Is there a person in this world you don’t think you could ever figure out? Nah. I'm pretty good at figuring people out.
When was the last time you were freaked out? this morning when someone's gory post-surgery photos appeared on Facebook. Just... no.
Do you learn from ‘every’ mistake you make? Yes
Do you sometimes think that you’re too nice? to a fault, sometimes
Is there something you’re dying to tell someone? nope
Do you think you have a unique name? definitely not
Do you usually try to find the good in people? yes
Do you look back on embarrassing moments and laugh about them? definitely
Have you ever laughed just to save yourself from humiliation? of course
What are you doing in 2 hours? taking Kathy out for lunch for her bday!
What is the last thing you ate? pancakes
Do you love your job? No, but only because of the way it is managed.
When is the last time you showered? yesterday morning
Who is the last person you texted? Kathy
When is the last time you were in a hospital? when Lauren went to the ER for her leg pain in the fall
The last time you went out to eat, what did you order?
 deluxe chicken enchiladas at Chuy's
Do you tend to have a lot of those moments where you forget something that you wanted to say?
 not a lot, but I do have them
How long have you known the last person you text messaged? we were acquaintances since 8th grade, and became close friends after freshman orientation at A&M.
Will this week be a good one? yes!
Anything happen to you within the past month that made you really happy? People at work coming by to let me know that I will be missed both professionally and personally when I leave.
Do you prefer to take showers at night or in the morning? at night
Have you been to New York City? yes!

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Saturday 9

Saturday 9: The Times of Your Life (1976)
Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.

1) This song is all about memories. How far back can you remember? What's your earliest memory?

I was three and I encountered a spider in our front window. EEK. My first positive memory was in the same townhouse, when I was three or four, dancing around the kitchen in my leotard and tutu.

2) The first line is "Good morning, yesterday." What do you remember about yesterday morning?

Yesterday, I took the back way to work for the second time, which was really easy. They've closed a lane on Mopac, so you really just do NOT want to take Mopac during rush hour, unless you have to. Monday and Tuesday I took Mopac and it sucked big time. At 6:45! When I got to work, I did some user acceptance testing for two studies, had David sign them off and got them pushed to the production databases. Next, I dealt with the fire of the day- a site using a four-year-old adrenal function test for a patient, rather than doing a new one. Then I took off for a long lunch-- shopping!

3) This song was originally a 60-second jingle, featured in a commercial for Kodak film. Do you ever use film? Or are all your pictures digital?

I have used film. I even used flash cubes, when I was a very young photog. Look that up on Google, kiddos. My photos are digital since about 2005.

4) Who took the most recent photo of you?
probably Beth, at Jennifer's shower

5) This week's featured artist, Paul Anka, was born in Canada and enjoyed appearing in a made-for-TV Perry Mason movie with fellow Canadian, Raymond Burr. Do you enjoy courtroom dramas?
Love courtroom dramas.

6) At 15, Anka won a supermarket contest by collecting the most Campbell soup can wrappers. The prize was a trip to New York. Do you enter contests and sweepstakes? Play the lottery?
Almost never have entered contests/sweepstakes. I've bought lottery scratch-offs, maybe once or twice.

7) This year Paul Anka performed throughout Florida (Palm Beach, Fort Lauderdale, Orlando, Clearwater and Fort Myers). The Sunshine State is a popular vacation destination. Do you have a favorite spot in Florida?
Orlando. I think I would live there if I had to move to Florida.

8) In 1976, the year this song was on the charts, an earthquake hit China. Have you ever experienced an earthquake?
Yes. Hope to never go to San Francisco again. Sorry, San Fran. I love ya', but that was a deal-breaker.

9) Random question: Do you know CPR?
I have taken the class, but I need a refresher.

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Hump Daaaaay

The funniest thing about last weekend, when meeting Cathy's boyfriend for the first time, was telling him about the time she showed up to our hotel room in lingerie and a trench coat.

(See, I had answered some online meme question 'Who is the person most likely to show up naked at your front door?" with "CJ." So the next time Jeff and I were in Houston, she showed up in the trench coat. I thought I would pee myself laughing.)

George was amused. He's a good guy, by the way. Two thumbs up, C!

The latest Progessive commercial is cracking me up. Safe Driver, Paperless, Paid-In-Full, Multi-Car...

and Joey Fatone. Ha!!



The countdown to the last day of work is at 5.5 weeks. Meanwhile, the project I stayed to complete was canceled, due to contract issues. (YES! Management seems as happy as I am, so I can say that out loud.) Now I'm just preparing to transition my studies.

In other news, I've finally decided to vote for Rubio in the primary, so I can get my early voting done today! Let's see if he can continue his upswing against the absolutely abysmal top four. Get out there and vote for your candidate, friends!

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Drippin' Food and Alcohol Tour

Man, we did a Dripping Springs tour of food and alcohol yesterday with CJ and George. If I don't eat or drink for the next three days, it will be perfect. Started with lunch at Salt Lick (in Driftwood), which George had never been to and Cathy hadn't been to in many years. Needless to say... out-of-this-world delicious as always.

Hit Twisted X Brewery next. Their beers were pretty good! Twisted X Lager was my favorite. Debbie Does Drippin' was a very entertaining name, but the least fave in our group. George's son told him to taste the IPAs, and he, like us, learned that he doesn't like IPAs. They are so popular with the twenty-somethings, but yeesh, what the heck. Icky.

Deep Eddy Vodka was insanely crowded, so we skipped it this time.

We went to Argus Cidery next. Jeff really liked their basic cider. The rest of us decided we weren't cider people. Very strong flavors!

Next up- Texas Hill Country Olive Company, one of our regular visits. They do tours now, which is cool! We were late for the tours, but they let us walk around the olive orchard. Blueberry balsamic vinegar is my favorite item there.

We went on to spend some time at Hawk's Shadow Winery, with the most beautiful and expansive Hill Country view ever and a super-cool (literally) wine cellar dug out of the hill. Good wine, too. There were quite a few bachelorette parties everywhere we went. Great idea, and probably far more fun than traipsing around Sixth with plastic penises dangling from your hair.

Then we headed to the Hill Country Galleria, for Amy's Ice Cream. Sat in the outdoor amphitheater to enjoy that. After we walked around the outdoor mall, we headed home to hang out, then went out to dinner. Great day! Just a lot of food and drinks. Whew.

Sunday Stealing: Puzzler Meme

What time is it? 10:25
Quick. What’s the first green thing you see? The green throw on the couch
Do you like those Sudoku puzzles? Yep
Do you own a plaid shirt? two!
What’s your favorite kind of pie? cherry
Have you read a book today? nope
Do you like going to museums? definitely
Have you ever been to Washington D.C.? Or your nation's capital? No, but I would love to.
Have you ever been to the state of Washington? nope
Do you like apple juice? yes
How cold is it outside? 68
Have you ever taken a course in Chemistry? several
Do you like to draw? not really
What do you put on your french fries? ketchup or spicy ketchup
Do you like everything to match? I like everything to coordinate, but not necessarily to "match"
Do you like mustard? yes
Would you ever work at a movie theater? sure
Do you have a phone charger in your car? of course
Have you ever slept through an alarm? maybe once
Do you like pineapple on pizza? yes
Do you like to hold hands? yep
Do you want a tattoo? no thank you
When is the last time you ordered from a catalog? I ordered a Christmas centerpiece for my Grandpa from an LL Bean catalog in December.
Do you know anyone who has a collection of old records? I don't think so.
What’s the name of the gas station you last stopped at? Valero
What was the first song you heard today? I haven't heard a song yet.
Have you ever gotten a magazine subscription as a gift? yep
What was the last video you watched on YouTube?
I have become a big fan of Joe Santagato's in the last couple of weeks!



Check out all his videos.
Have you ever sacrificed something for someone you love? Don't we all. I think the first significant sacrifice I made for someone I love was moving to Austin instead of taking off for New Mexico or Washington for the big career options after college grad.
Have you ever had your picture in the newspaper? several times

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Happy Valentine's Day!

Watched Bridge of Spies with Scott-n-Julie last night. With Tom Hanks and Spielberg you can't go wrong, of course. The Coen brothers wrote the screenplay. It's pretty good and a great deal of it is historically accurate.

It brought me back to my Berlin trip. I hope I can return someday. It's a place with such significant changes in a very short time, provoking deep discussion and reflection and a feeling of having one foot in the past and one in the present.

Just don't walk in the bike lane on the sidewalks! :)

Sunday Stealing OLOGY Meme

MOUTHOLOGY
What is your least favorite salad dressing? Green Goddess- blech
What is your least favorite fast food restaurant? Taco Bueno- it's so bad I don't even see it in my head when we talk about the restaurants that are nearby
What is your favorite sit-down restaurant?  Austin Land and Cattle
On average, what would cause you to flirt with the server?  When I was single, a server with a sense of humor would catch my attention
What food could you eat every day just to "get along"?  pizza
What pizza toppings would make you hurl? broccoli, nuts, mint, jalapeños
What food is likely to get you "in the mood..."? chocolate
What is your favorite type of gum to get off your shoe? wintergreen

TECHNOLOGY
Number of contacts you'd never let your significant other see on your cell phone? 0
Number of contacts in your email address book that are exes? one, who I've never emailed.
Do you judge others about the wallpaper on their computer? definitely
What is your favorite technology from the past that is now obsolete? cassette tapes, just a big part of my high school years for recording stuff and listening to music
Do you have stuff on your computer that you'd never want someone to see? No. Never hide anything you don't want anyone to see. It will eventually be found.

BIOLOGY
Are you right-handed or left-handed? right
Do you like your smile? yes
What's your best feature? lips
Have you ever had anything removed from your body? a handful of things, including a mole and a baby
Which of your five senses do you think is keenest? taste
When was the last time you had a cavity? at least 10 years ago
What is the heaviest item you lifted last? the last heavy item I lifted was an enormous stack of work papers to take to the shredder
Have you ever been knocked unconscious? no

BULLCRAPOLOGY
If you could, would you wanna know the day you were going to die? no
Is love for real? yes
If you could change your first name, what would you change it to? Elise- my Oma's name. So pretty!
What color do you think looks best on you? Coral- too bad it hasn't been in fashion since the 80s! Coincidentally, my hair looks best like this:

Have you ever swallowed a non-food item by mistake? I've swallowed a bug or two in my day.
Have you ever saved someone's life? no
Has someone ever saved yours? oncologists at MD Anderson and Texas Oncology

DAREOLOGY
Would you walk naked down a public street for $100,000? nope
Would you kiss a member of the same sex for $100? yes
Would you cut off one of your little fingers for $200,000? no
Would you never blog again for $50,000? yes
Would you pose naked in a magazine for $250,000? no
Would you drink an entire bottle of hot sauce for $1000? no
Would you give up watching television for a year for $25,000? sure

DUMBOLOGY
What is in your left pocket? nothing
Do you have hardwood or carpet in your house? carpet
Do you sit or stand in the shower? who sits in the shower?
Could you live with roommates? if I had to
How many pairs of flip flops do you own? 4
Where were you born? Heidelberg, Germany
Last time you had a run-in with the cops? About five years ago, on vacation in Galveston, I got pulled over for doing 50 in a 35. I got a warning.
What do you want to be when you grow up? a contributor to the well-being of others, in whatever ways I can

LASTOLOGY
Friend you talked to? Scott-n-Julie
Last person you called? Laura
Person you hugged? Julie

FAVORITOLOGY
Number? 3
Color? green
Season? spring

CURRENTOLOGY
Missing someone? my mom
Mood? content
Listening to? Oprah Super Soul Sunday
Watching? Oprah Super Soul Sunday
Worrying about? nothing in particular

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Bonus Rant!

Travis County Assistant District Attorney Erika Hansen was arrested last weekend for DWI. Travis County DA Rosemary Lehmberg pled guilty to DWI a couple of years ago, causing all sorts of drama, not just here, but around the state. I mean HONESTLY. Follow the laws you're supposed to be upholding.

So pathetic.

The real rant though, is that when this weekend's arrest showed up on social media and people started making nasty comments, because they are well-deserved, someone pulled out the tired retort, "You must be a Republican. If this were a Republican DA, you wouldn't say a word."

1) But since you're a Democrat and it's a Democrat DA, you're offended that anyone would say anything. Gotcha.

2) She's a Democrat? Who the hell knew? Or cared?

3) Wait for it... this will be the second segue rant of this post (a new record!)...

Why is the DA (the railroad commissioner, the tax assessor and countless other positions I'll leave alone for now) an elected position with a political affiliation? That position should be hired like any other county worker. Do these people make all their decisions based on conservative or liberal politics and what party leaders tell them to do? 

Like I said about these wackjobs who won't process gay marriage licenses- you don't get to decide what the law is. The law is what the law is. I certainly wouldn't imagine the DA is making daily decisions based on her political affiliation. If you're fashioning the law, we need to know when you'll be representing some party line. Otherwise, it isn't relevant.

I don't care what your political views are, if you can't follow the law, you shouldn't be responsible for prosecuting criminals. There are far more law-abiding citizens than not, so there are great lawyers aplenty, on both sides of the political realm, to replace you.

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Ranty Wednesday!

They were just showing a news story about the rebuilding after the latest Bastrop fire. Behind the person they were interviewing were about 6 ladies wearing full-on Little House on the Prairie clothing, long dresses and bonnets, digging dirt and placing bricks for a house. No one said a word about it.

Texas, y'all.

Congrats, Von Miller and the Denver Broncos! GIG 'EM!

So yeah, I didn't watch the Super Bowl, but friends' reviews of the halftime show were bad, with Coldplay being the worst part.  Called it! :)

What the heck is with Cam Newton? Bad behavior and no apology for it? He's a brat. Someone said, "Well, he's young..." I'm sick of hearing that excuse for twenty-somethings. A 10-year-old knows what good sportsmanship is. Get over yourself.

Everyone has been saying "Well, he's young..." about Johnny Manziel, too. Now suddenly it's "someone needs to help him." People could help him by letting him suffer consequences for his actions. Just another person with incredible talent, who can't get out of his own way to let it shine.

What else can I rant about this morning... Hee!

Who knew we'd end up with Bernie Sanders and Donald Trump in the lead for President? This is all a reflection all of our dissatisfaction with politics as usual. Were the election held today, I would have to go with the lesser of two evils. I hate to vote that way, but it's better than not voting at all, I suppose. It's just too bad that there couldn't be a non-traditional candidate who we could all support. What a great thing that would have been!

SO relieved to see Clinton and Cruz falling out. Hope that continues!

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Tribes

Kathy and I saw Tribes last night at Zach. The set for the Zach production is hands-down the coolest one I've ever seen. And I've seen a LOT of sets. It's beautiful metal art, with the home set on one side and an alternate set on the other. The whole thing spins slowly on a turning floor between scenes. SO cool. Just stunning. 

Neither of us see a lot of dramas (everyone I know is into comedies and musicals), so the play was a bit of a draining experience. It has moments of comic relief, but it's an often dark dive into the issues of the deaf community vs. hearing people, dysfunctional family dynamics, mental illness and overwhelming feelings of fear, loneliness and not belonging. The actors are wonderful and the story is a good one, just not the usual uplifting evening that I seek out. It definitely got people talking on the way out, which is fabulous. So go see it, and then plan a fun post-theater activity to lift you up again.

Sunday Stealing: Carry A Tune Meme

Do you own a tablet of any kind?

iPad 

What’s something people always assume about you that isn’t true? 

that I'm a nuclear physics or nuclear regulatory expert... it's been 25 years since grad school and I never worked in the industry.

On a scale of 1-10, how much do elevators scare you?
2

When you’re upset, do you vent to people or do you keep to yourself?
vent to people

Have you ever watched a meteor shower? 

yes

Do you tend to put things off until the last minute?

nope

 
How do you react to random strangers suddenly trying to make conversation with you? 

I'm fine with it, but I will make a quick exit if it's just small talk. 

Do you have a lucky number? 

no

Would you go out to dinner with Oprah? 

yes

Did you ever play sports? 

I haven't played sports in a while.

Do you feel guilty if you throw food away?

yes

 
Do you think you could make it as a baker? 

yes

Are you one of those people who are wearing scarves with everything? 

no

Have you ever been in a castle? 

several in Germany

When you were little, did you ever play with Playdoh? 

yep

Would you rather write a mystery or love story? 

love story

Do you hate it when people smoke around you? 

yes

How are you wearing your hair right now? 

straight

When’s the last time you were sick? 

I can't remember

Would you rather have OJ or milk with your breakfast? 

milk

What were you doing thirty minutes ago? 

getting lunch

Do you own any school related clothing articles? 

t-shirts and sweatshirts

Would you rather call people or have them call you? 

either way

Can you carry a tune? 

yes

Who was the last person who unexpectedly texted you? 

Laura, in the middle of the day

Who do you text the most?

Jeff

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'Hood Drama

Superbowl weekend. I don't really care much about the NFL, but we'll watch. Lauren is a big Broncos fan, so we're going for Denver. I'm not really into Coldplay, so I'm not excited about the halftime show this year, but I am looking forward to the commercials!

Big drama in the 'hood this week. A former neighbor of a friend has been dragging her small children around with her, using them to gain entry into people's homes (including my friend's) to steal narcotic pain meds. It ended up on the neighborhood Facebook group, which is okay, but included a very detailed description of the person (her former job, her old street name, etc.), which I thought was over the line. 

Meanwhile, my friend and her neighbors had already contacted this woman's husband and she's in rehab. Best outcome for all involved. The Facebook post was removed by the person who posted it, saying it was "a misunderstanding," which it wasn't, but whatever turned down the drama factor was a good thing.

I may have mentioned our neighborhood Facebook group on here before. I don't know if all neighborhood groups are like ours, but it is about half useful information and half the rantings of people with too much time on their hands. The useful information- many, many lost pets found, great local service/store/restaurant recommendations, news on development and area road projects. The crazy- countless photos of dog poop encountered on people's walks/runs, self-righteous road safety rants always beginning with a creepy salutation like "Dear red Honda Civic on XYZ Street..." along with photos of license plates of the alleged violators, and the ever-warring fireworks/No fireworks groups (we're inside the city limit, but people do it anyway).

Wait. Kevin Smith's daughter is named Harley Quinn? That's awesome. How did I miss that? 

Anyhoo, the group is a good source of entertainment, but it can also be annoying. The lady who posted about the drug seeking neighbor found that information on ANOTHER neighborhood site called NextDoor.com, further proving that some of these folks really need a hobby. And if any of those crazies ever posts my license plate, I'll be at their house taking photos of their license plates and posting them as well. Just sayin'!

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