Supreme Court Ruling on Texas HB2

So glad the Supreme Court voted down the Texas HB2 restrictive abortion law. The rep for Texas Alliance for Life called our local news station to say that this will mean more abortions will take place in Texas now, thus CONFIRMING that this law put an undue burden on women seeking abortions, thankyouverymuch.

Next session, the legislature will try again to circumvent federal law under the guise of "preserving women's health and safety." Yeah, keep wasting time and money on that.

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Sunday Survey Time!

Random Survey

1. When you wash your hands, do you use the cold or hot tap (faucet)?
Hot. Unless it gets too hot too fast, then I add cold.

2. If you had to be straight/gay for a day (whichever you’re not), what celebrity would you most like to take on a date?
Jennifer Lopez

3. What is the biggest injury you’ve ever sustained and how did you do it?
I injured my rotator cuff, taking a shower. (Yep, that happened.) Couldn't lift my arm. Months of physical therapy and anti-inflammatories.

4. What is the most unusual food you’ve ever eaten?
escargot

5. What is the most unique animal you’ve ever touched?
Albino python? Dolphin? Well, maybe not unique, but supercool.

6. What’s the most expensive gift you’ve ever bought for someone? How much did it cost and who was it for?
Probably Lauren's laptop- I can't remember how much it cost. About $1000?

7. Which 3 countries would you LEAST like to live in and why?
I won't call out any countries specifically, but I wouldn't want to live in any country where there is a war going on, a dictator in charge, or inadequate healthcare.

8. If you could make just ONE change to this world, what would it be and why?
Encourage population control. Unemployment, hunger, pollution, etc. are all made worse by the ever-growing population of the world.

9. If you could wake up tomorrow and be fluent in 3 additional languages, which would you choose?
German, Spanish and Japanese

10. Which would you rather out of these 3 options? A: Be good looking and extremely intelligent but so poor you live on the streets. B: Be extremely intelligent and a millionaire but what society classes as ugly. Or C: Be good looking and a millionaire but extremely academically challenged? Why?
B. If you're extremely intelligent and a millionaire, who cares if you're ugly?

11. What are the top 10 movies to make you cry? (Or at least make you sad!)
The Notebook
Titanic
PS I Love You
Steel Magnolias
Terms of Endearment
Beaches
Ghost
Dead Poets Society
Love Actually
Inside Out

12. What’s the scariest nightmare you’ve ever had? Describe it in detail.
I have a recurring nightmare when I get super-stressed, about driving on a freeway that is going all over the place, straight up into the clouds, around and around like a roller coaster, zig-zagging through the oncoming traffic, through the ocean, etc. I don't know an alternate route to where I'm going, so I just keep driving. Scary!

13. Would you rather raise 25 children or have the chance of ever having children taken away? Why?
I would have no children. Twenty five children is waaaay over my limit.

14. Would you rather go on a relaxing beach type holiday to the Caribbean, a cultural holiday to Japan or an adventure packed holiday to South Africa?
Cultural (or beach, I'll never turn down a beach trip)

15. If you went to a desert island for just 6 months but could only take one album with you, what would you take?
Prince Purple Rain

16. Put these in order of your favourite movie genre to least: Horror, action, thriller, adventure, superhero, romance, drama, comedy, musical and dance?
Comedy, romance, drama, musical and dance, adventure, horror, superhero, thriller, action.

17. If you had to lose one of the 5 senses, which would you choose and why?
Taste. It's the least vital sense, I think. Unless your spouse poisons your drink with antifreeze. (I'm watching too much 48 Hours.)

18. What have been the top 3 most brilliant days of this year? Describe them in as much or as little detail as you like.
The last day at work- good times and great to wrap things up there
Belton day trip with Scott-n-Julie- fun and educational day!
Hill Country tour with Cathy and George- beautiful scenery and wonderful company

19. What do you believe we as human beings take most for granted in this world?
the water supply

20. How many concerts have you been to in your life and which was your favourite? If you’ve not been to one, who would you most like to see?
I've been to a heaping buttload of concerts. My all-time favorites so far are Prince (all of them), Lady Gaga, NSYNC in Vegas, Duran Duran in London, Train, Gavin DeGraw at Parish (super intimate) and of course Elton John/Billy Joel.

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Fried Chicken

The neighborhood Facebook group had a post yesterday asking everyone's opinion on where to get The Best Fried Chicken in Austin. There were several different responses, including Lucy's, and then a few people sheepishly said they thought Lucy's chicken was dry and flavorless, though the side dishes there are awesome. My sentiments exactly!! TOO funny. Finally someone had the nerve to say it out loud.

The other funny thing was one person saying, also with a bit of trepidation, that his fave is Popeye's. YES. Popeye's is definitely my favorite fried chicken, too. More people came in after that and admitted it was theirs as well. I think it has the most votes so far. Sorry, local places!

One local restaurant we frequent, Mandola's, made the list and I didn't even know they have fried chicken. It's a yummy Italian place (their Bolognese sauce is my favorite ever), but on Saturdays they have fried chicken. May have to try it one day, if I don't get distracted by my regular dish.


Saturday 9: As Long As You Love Me (1997)
Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.

1) This video shows the boys in the band nervously await an audition. When were you last nervous? 

Waiting to hear what the neuro-oncologist at UT Southwestern had to say about Lauren's case, back in April.

2) BSB Brian Littrell was born with a congenital heart problem and had open heart surgery the year this song was released. Who is the last person you visited in the hospital?

Lauren had a brain and spinal angiogram back in March.

3) Littrell had different health trouble in 2009. While working in Japan, he contracted swine flu, which caused the band to cancel several events. Have you battled a cold or flu this summer?

Nope. I rarely get sick. I do have seasonal allergies most of the year though.

4) When you feel a cold coming on, what's your favorite remedy?

Rest and Nyquil.

5) Brian and his cousin, fellow BSB member Kevin Richardson, are both from Kentucky and have been inducted into the Kentucky Music Hall of Fame.According to their website, if you tour the Hall of Fame you'll see exhibits that celebrate Kentucky's contribution to American music. Do you enjoy museums? Or do you think they're a snooze?
I really enjoy museums. I've even been dragged to museum exhibits I didn't want to visit, but found them to be surprisingly cool.

6) BSB Nick Carter was named one of People magazine's "Most Beautiful People in the World." Who is someone you think is especially gorgeous?
Joe Manganiello

7) This spring Nick became a father for the first time. Is anyone in your life expecting a baby this year?

Not that I know of.

8) The band has been involved in ongoing litigation with their first manager, saying he had been dishonest with them about how much they had earned. Tell us about someone you trusted, but shouldn't have.

A big one was when Lori and KathyK (yep, there was once another KathyK) and I, who were the three musketeers when I was 10, had been in a big argument. They invited me over for lemonade to apologize. I went to Kathy's expecting a kumbaya moment, but instead, they served me lemonade Kathy had peed in. I didn't drink it, because they were terrible actresses and suspiciously giggly over taking that first drink. Just gross!

9) The band's record-breaking 1999 tour was sponsored by the Sears department store chain. Sam remembers the twice-a-year shopping trips to Sears -- spring and fall -- with her mother to update Sam's school wardrobe. What's the last article of clothing you bought?

I am laughing because my mom took me to Sears every year for school shopping as well, when I was a kid. As a teenager I vowed that one day, when I had kids, they would never have to shop at Sears. The last article of clothing I bought was a pair of leather flip flops from Amazon.

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Real or Enhanced?

Is Camila's voice digitally enhanced at the end of "Work from Home" (beginning at around 2:55 below)?



I've been trying to sing along during that part on the radio forever and I can never match that exceptionally staccato-ish thing (totally the technical term) she's doing during those runs. It sounds super cool, but I didn't hear it when they performed live on the Billboards.

Yeah, I know way too much about this song. It's catchy and chock full of double entendre, so what's not to like? Either way, she has a great voice.

Countertops have been installed and now the crew is painting everything in the kitchen. They've reinstalled the washer and dryer in the utility room (thank goodness). We should be very close to done by Monday! Wheeee!! Of course, I will post before and after photos, once it's decorated. It is looking really nice so far!

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Mini Rant

People.

When clinking your drinks, the verb is to TOAST, not to CHEERS. "Cheers!" is an exclamation and is the plural of the noun cheer. People do not "cheers" anything.

You're welcome.

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Monday

Time Warner Commercial Wife (in friends' bedroom during party, after catching hubby watching TV): Why are your shoes off?!
Time Warner Commercial Husband: I'm on their BED. I don't wanna be rude!

Ahahahaa. Never gets old.

My favorite summer ad campaign- Coke's song lyrics.

I finally bought one of these:

Hee! YES.

I think that's all the randomness I have to share this afternoon! On to the survey.

Sunday Stealing: My Friends Call Me Tulip

Can you stay inside all day without getting bored? Every once in a while.
Tell us about a TV show that we should watch. The Blacklist. Best TV drama right now, with a gripping storyline and those perfect, snarky James Spader one-liners.
When was the last time you were at your home computer all day? A couple of weeks ago, doing UAT for work.
What websites other than your own do you visit daily? I don't really surf cool and/or informative websites anymore. I visit Amazon and Gmail most every day.
Do you have a favorite day of the week? Why? Friday. It's the beginning of the weekend, and has a fun vibe to it.
Did you ever watch Saturday morning cartoons? What was your favorite? Bugs Bunny was my favorite.
Were you a comic book fan? No
Did you earn an allowance when you were a kid? How much? Was it tied to chores? I got $5 a week. It wasn't tied to chores.
What is the fanciest type of car you've ridden in? What occasion? I have ridden in a limo a few times for high school dances and a couple of girls' trips. The nicest sedan I've ridden in was probably one of Doug's various BMWs over the years.
Whats your favorite sport to watch? Football
Ever tried surfing? No
Have you ever been to a live major team sporting game? I went to a Houston Aeros hockey game when I was a kid. That's it! Sad!
From a scale of 1 to 5 how athletic are you (1=nerd, 5=very athletic)? I was quite athletic - a 4 - until high school. In college I was about a 3. Since then, I'm a 1.
What's your favorite horror movie? The Shining
What is your favorite cult classic movie? Rocky Horror Picture Show
About how many times do you go to the movies a month? Once every couple of months. We used to go far more often, when movies were better.
Favorite movie, which one came to your head first? Love, Actually
What if your life was like a movie? What type of movie would it be? a comedy
Do you like long series movies, like "Lord of the Rings"? As long as each movie stands alone, I like them. I loathe cliffhangers than make you wait a year to pick up the story.

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Packing for a Kitchen Remodel

The plastic is about to come down on the kitchen project! The kitchen and utility room have been contained behind plastic walls since day 1, but the last of the dirty work will be Monday, when they sand the primed cabinets prior to painting, and finish the wall texturing (we had wallpaper removed). After that, I can begin the process of cleaning the dust from the rest of the house. Yippee!

The thing that is making me nuts more than the plastic walls is the plastic on the floors around the project. It's this sticky thin plastic they press onto the carpet, and it has air bubbles in it that pop when you walk on it. You'd think the air bubbles would pop out by about day 3, but no. We also had them tile our foyer, so we get bonus sticky plastic on all the floors around that area!

Before you remodel your kitchen, you should move everything out. Even if you aren't doing anything to the inside of the cabinets (ours are being painted, so it was required), I recommend boxing everything. Dust will get into every crevice of every item, so you'll be cleaning that stuff for weeks if you don't.

Actually, before you pack anything, get rid of all the glassware, obscure barware, weird serving dishes and random appliances you never use. Then packing will be MUCH easier.

Take everything off the walls and pack it.

Remove any toddler locks from the cabinets and drawers. Trash them, if your kid is 22. If you have toddlers, keep them.

Check to see if your new oven comes with a broiler pan. The vast majority of ovens today do not come with one! If yours doesn't, keep your old broiler pan. It can be packed, of course.

Those pull-out trash bins? You may just want to buy new ones. Mine had a melamine bottom, like many do. It was dirty and water damaged beneath the cans. The new ones have metal grates under the cans, so we're going to put Lifeliner plastic liner on the cabinet bottom to catch dirt and spills.

Do NOT pack your junk drawer(s). I dumped all our "junk" into a plastic storage drawer and put it in my makeshift kitchen, and I am so happy I did. You'd be surprised how often you need something out of there.

Leave out your dish towels and rags, because there will be spills and such in your makeshift kitchen, even though you're using paper products.

Use paper and plastic products in your makeshift kitchen. Just go ALL disposable. You don't want to wash anything in your bathroom sink or tub. Bless you if you are cooking in a crock pot or toaster oven during your remodel, but for me, it just ain't worth the cleanup. I froze cooked entrees ahead. The only appliance I kept out was the toaster.

Buy styrofoam cups for hot drinks, if you're a hot beverage drinker. You can't microwave anything in styrofoam, so we kept a 4-cup Pyrex measuring cup out for boiling water. No washing needed!

Keep your bug spray and carpet cleaner and any other cleaning supplies you use regularly.

Most importantly, don't pack the alcohol. You'll need it. ;)

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Disney Alligator

Incredibly sad time for Orlando. It's one of my very favorite cities and I've made so many great memories there. Just heartbreaking.

Regarding the alligator attack, I have to say that if there is a "No swimming" sign, I don't set foot in the water. Would you? Most of us assume it is dirty, or filled with chemicals, or there is an undertow or the bottom is covered in sharp objects. It's sufficient to keep the average person out of the water. Not that I blame the parents, because (although I would never do it myself) I can understand how the occasional vacationer might assume you could play along the edge. In the end, it was a terrible, rare and random incident.

There should be a warning sign when you enter the state of Florida that any body of water may contain alligators. Heck, you may see them walking around in the streets.

SO incredibly tragic. I cannot imagine the horrific experience and aftermath for the parents and other people who were there.

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Nothin' But Monday

So heartbreaking, the shooting in Orlando yesterday. There are just no words.

Why are we still giving murderous psychos publicity in the news? The media needs to stop showing this despicable guy's face and mentioning his name. We can hear all the relevant information about him without identifying him. Do the right thing, for goodness' sake.

Had a nice weekend. We saw One Man, Two Guvnors at Zach. SO funny!! There is quite a bit of audience participation, which is always entertaining.  On Saturday, we ventured down the temporarily open service road by Mansfield Dam to view the open flood gates. It is very cool! So much water.

Saturday 9: I Dream of Jeannie Theme (1965)
If you're not familiar with today's song, you can hear it here.

1) Jeannie was memorably discovered on the beach in an ornate bottle. Have you ever brought a souvenir home from the beach? (It doesn't have to be a genie. A shell or a stone will do.)

I have brought countless souvenirs home from the beach. One memorable item was a perfect little shell I found when I was in 7th grade. It was really different from anything I'd seen before- like half a sphere, with two bumps on one side and a little "tail" on the other. I wanted to show it to my science teacher, so I brought it to school. When I went into my purse to get it out, it had shattered into a hundred pieces. I totally cried. I described it to him and he said it sounded really cool. Sad!!

2) Major Anthony Nelson, the man who released Jeannie from her bottle, was an astronaut. When you were a kid, did you dream of being an astronaut when you grew up?

For a hot minute, yes. Dad worked for NASA. It was inevitable.

3) Upon discovering Jeannie, Major Nelson's first wish was that she could speak/understand English so they could communicate. If you found a genie, what would your first wish be?

that Lauren would regain her health

4) Major Nelson's best friend was fellow astronaut Major Healey. Where did you meet your best friend?

I met Cathy in 6th grade PE. She was telling a hilarious story in the locker room about her belly-dancer aunt, Patsy. 

I met Kimberly on the school bus in 8th grade, when I started at a new school. We also had classes together.

I met Laura in the Mothers Club, when she became President and I was Newsletter Editor. Our toddlers were two weeks apart.

5) This theme song was written by Hugo Montenegro, who is better known for the music he wrote for a pair of Clint Eastwood movies (The Good, the Bad and the Ugly and A Fistful of Dollars). Do you have a favorite Clint Eastwood movie?

Gran Torino was pretty good

6) The last episode of the series was titled, "My Master, The Chili King." What ingredients make up your favorite chili recipe? 

Our favorite chili is Wick Fowlers mix. It's ground beef, red pepper, masa flour, cumin, oregano, ground chili peppers, onion, garlic, paprika and salt. No beans!

7) Jeannie was played by Barbara Eden, who was born in Tuscon, Arizona. Summer in Tuscon can get very hot, with the mercury often reaching 100º. What's your favorite season?

fall

8) Anthony Nelson was played by Larry Hagman, who went on to play the villainous JR on the popular Dallas. Can you think of anything else Dallas is known for?
I hear they have a football team there. Heh.

9) In the autumn of 1965, just weeks after I Dream of Jeannie premiered, St. Louis' famous Gateway Arch was completed. An estimated 4 million tourists visit the Arch every year. Do you have any summer vacation plans?

Ahhhhhh, I wish. We will probably do our usual day trips, maybe stay a night somewhere, but I think getting away for a week will wait until school starts again.

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Duuuuust in the Wind

...and everywhere else.

Kitchen remodel day #4. There is dust on tables, couches, chairs, shelves, knick knacks.... every single surface in the house. Today I feel it on my skin. I think it's on the cats, too. Soon, they will take down the plastic surrounding the construction zone. Then I can start the real dust cleanup process in the rest of the house.

Neighbors who have gone before us in the kitchen remodel adventure warned us, but you really can't fathom the reality of dust in every nook and cranny of your home until it's in your house. Gah.

Tiling begins tomorrow. They have some of my tile laid out on the floor this evening. I LOVE it. Whew!! You always wonder what it will look like in your space. It looked beautiful in the brochure photos, but would it work in our kitchen? Yes. Yes, it does.

On the Presidential race: I wonder if Bernie would consider running as an Independent. I think I could vote for him over these other two losers. He couldn't hurt things much, with Congress blocking anything too weird. He'd be fun to watch in State of the Union addresses.

Gary Johnson might be a viable and more realistic alternative. He needs to get himself into the news more though- get his views out there, so people know there is another choice. Come on, Libertarians! Let's see what you've got! It's your time to enter the spotlight.

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Who Uses their Vent Hood?

Well, in packing up the kitchen last weekend, I learned something about over-cooktop vent fans. You should use them every single time you sauté or fry.

I thought it was just for smelly things like fish or bacon, or for things that got too hot and smoky. Turns out, if you don't use it each and every time you cook something in a pan, a layer of grease slowly coats EVERY TINY CREVICE of your cabinets and the items within them that don't get washed at least once a week. Especially those things on the top shelves that never get used in twenty years.

Twenty years of greasy residue is pretty icky.

Can't wait to get those items back into refinished cabinets, all clean and sparkly! I'll use the new cooktop fan more often.

So demo was completed yesterday- took two full days. Electrical work and cabinet priming began today. Tile comes tomorrow!

I had the hardest time finding pretty pendants for over the island, but I've decided on these:

Kichler "Silver Coral." Pretty!

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Preparing for Remodel

Kitchen remodel begins Monday morning at 7:30. I've spent the past week and a half at tile and countertop and flooring stores with the designer, selecting appliances, deciding which direction the wood tile plank flooring (so pretty!) will run, which lighting will be on which switch, what trim will contain the unfinished ends of the backsplash and all sorts of other teensy details. All that remains to be decided is the pendant lights for over the island, the wall paint color and kitchen towel bars. Gah.

The packing of the kitchen is killing me, but I am getting rid of a bunch of things I don't need. I wish I would have sold my china and crystal before this packing thing. Ha!

Turns out, we have metric buttloads of glasses for every type of alcohol ever invented. We barely drink, so a few sets of those are going. I'm totally keeping the cordial glasses though. So cute!

Saturday 9: Ode to Billie Joe (1967)
If you're not familiar with today's song, you can hear it here.

1) This song takes places on "the third of June," which is described as "another sleepy, dusty" day. Describe the weather where you were on Friday, June 3, 2016.

warm and rainy and flooding in the area

2) In this song, the family sits down to eat and discuss the doings of their friends and neighbors. Mama, Papa, Brother and Sister were at the table. Who did you have dinner with on Friday?

Jeff

3) Young Billie Joe MacAllister playfully put a frog down another kid's back. Do you see many frogs where you live?

A few. I think the snakes eat most of them, unfortunately.

4) This song made Mississippi's Tallahatchie Bridge famous. What's the name of a bridge in your neighborhood?

The closest named bridge is the Ann Richards Congress Avenue Bridge.

5) Bobbie Gentry often performed with Glen Campbell. Mr. Campbell's family is very open about Glen's battle with Alzheimer's. Is anyone in your life facing this terrible disease? 

Not currently. Jeff's grandfather had it.

6) "Ode to Billie Joe" was made into a movie directed by Max Baer, Jr. Mr. Baer is better known for playing Jethro Bodine in a famous 1960s era sitcom. Can you name it?

Petticoat Junction? (Awww man! The Google says Beverly Hillbillies. So close!)

7) Bobbie Gentry made one of her last public appearances in 1981 onThe Tonight Show with Johnny Carson. Johnny is now seen in reruns on the Antenna TV channel. Think of the last TV show you watched. Was it new or was it a rerun?

Ridiculousness- it was a new episode

8) In 1967, when this song was popular, Sweden changed its traffic laws and Swedes began driving on the right. Have you ever driven in a foreign country? If so, did you have a hard time adapting to their laws?

I've only driven in Germany. It's pretty much like driving here.

9) Random question: Which would you rather have more of -- compliments or hugs?

hugs!

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