Superbowl 'n Stuff

Superbowl was interesting this year! We went for Tampa, because Aggie Mike Evans is a starter for them, while Aggies Armani Watts and Ricky Seals-Jones aren't starters for the Chiefs. Since we don't follow NFL, that was our logic and we stuck with it. When it ended, we felt bad for Mahomes. His team just didn't ever get it going that day. He looked so beaten up, but he kept going until the end.

 

My favorite commercial all night was the Gwen/Blake/Adam T-Mobile one. OMG, so funny.

 

"Did you ride a horse here?" *snort*

 

Also enjoyed "Drake from State Farm." (Is this commercial the reason Jake's been working out and getting all those muscles?) 

 

 

And the Alexa ad with Michael B. Jordan.

I guess I don't really get the "Eat Local" ad. Where else are we going to eat? Are people ordering take-out from an Amazon warehouse?

Impeachment trial #2 started yesterday. Trump's lawyers admitted the people elected Biden. Wait. WHAAAAAAAT?

 

And his side says we can't impeach a president for "political speech," even though federal law says, "Whoever incites, sets on foot, assists, or engages in any rebellion or insurrection against the authority of the United States or the laws thereof, or gives aid or comfort thereto, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than ten years, or both; and shall be incapable of holding any office under the United States."?  I dunno. It seems pretty specific. It also makes common sense to any normal person in any country on Earth. Where did he find these dummy dumb-dumbs?

 

Watching the Rom-Com Showdown on Today. It's down to four finalists. Pretty Woman vs. Sleepless in Seattle, and Something's Gotta Give vs. You've Got Mail. My votes are Sleepless in Seattle and Something's Gotta Give, with my final vote to Something's Gotta Give. GREAT movie.

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Aggies!!

 

WHOOP!

 

And congrats to the Alabama Crimson Tide, 2020 champs! What a game! SEC SEC SEC

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Aggies!!!!!!

Happy New Year! #5 Aggies Orange Bowl win over NC 41-27! Whooooop! The game was close until the 4th quarter, which made for a good game, but... ack. Lauren went up to bed in the 4th, and immediately the Tarheels got a dramatic touchdown. I was about to tell her she needed to come back downstairs and get back in her seat, since she'd obviously upset the Aggie Football gods, but then we started looking like ourselves and took control of things. Whee!

In the TV recs department, I have the following for you:

"Letterkenny" season 9 on Hulu: a couple of lame-o episodes in this season, but still hilarious. Needs mores produce stands scenes.

"Home for Christmas" on Netflix: a very funny and entertaining comedy series from Norway, about dating, friend and family relationships. Total winner! 2 seasons available.

We just got HBOMax for a month, so I'm about to watch some things like Zen Diaries of Gary Shandling, The Undoing, and the Bee Gees documentary. 

 

Bee Gees, y'all!

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I'll Be Fiiiine and Dandy...

I really enjoyed the Christmas Garth Brooks/Trisha Yearwood special. I didn't intend to watch it, but it came on and it was live, and they were taking requests! I sang "Hard Candy Christmas" with Trisha at a pretty good volume. I hope the neighbors enjoyed it. Garth and Trisha sang "Shallow," which was hilarious, because... not Christmas. But we all need a little bonus awesome these days, so I was into it.

This NCAA football championship selection thing is a gigantic load of bullcrap. Just saying. The Aggies were stellar this season and they should be incredibly proud. I didn't really care if we got in or not, but I know the team wanted it. Next year!

I received all the USPS packages I was worried about, so yay for that. Did some in-person gifting this weekend. (Socially distant and masked, of course.) It is crazy to friends I haven't seen in person in months. Just got my curbside grocery pickup put away, and now settling in on the back porch, where it is 70 degrees and sunny. GORGEOUS. Thanks, global warming!

Happy holidays!

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Today in Pictures

I know you all need this for your homes:

 

In other random news, THIS is continuing:

WHOOP!

We're finally watching The Crown. Wow, this season is depressing. They really went there with Prince Andrew in that one scene, right?

 

And we finished Long Way Down, completing the three series... um... series. My general thoughts during that show are how lovely people are most everywhere and how beautiful all the scenery is. It does seem that during all three trips, they most enjoyed tackling seriously daunting obstacles like crossing muddy rivers and stuff, which I find perplexing and would have avoided at all costs. Maybe it's a "guy thing?" I would drive a couple of days out of my way to avoid using a winch. Loved the show though!

Brand new Letterkenny season 9 will be released on Hulu on December 26!

 

Wheeeee!!

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Happy 2019!

Went to Frisco for Christmas. It was nice. No political arguments with the Trumpers, even! Peace on Earth and all that! Lolo babysat in the infant room at the grandparents' church for the Christmas Eve service, which she's been looking forward to for weeks.  It was also the first Christmas with my new sis-in-law and her kiddos and parents. They're fun, which is really great!

Jeff and I went to Don's river house for NYE. Very cool. (Very cold, actually, but we had a big fire.) Many people were in and out all through the evening, and several of us stayed overnight. The young kids shot off fireworks with some adult help, announcing each one with, "IT'S HAPPENING!" Too funny.

College football has been interesting (and good- GIG EM!). Looking forward to the championship next week! Go get 'em, 'Bama!

Oh, and by the way, I have found the one person on this earth who hadn't seen, then finally watched, and actually hated Love Actually---- Laura! I even told her she didn't need to feel guilty for wanting Juliet to dump Peter and run away with the hopelessly romantic Mark (we don't ever really get to know Peter, so... Sorry Peter!). I mean, what the heck. Everyone loves Love Actually! Just discussing it with her made me want to watch again.

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Brent and Julie Moonves

Julie Chen called Brett "Brent" last night during her Big Brother sign-off, before calling herself Julie Chen Moonves, so I guess she was a little thrown by the whole "statement" she was making. The Talk is one of the shows I record and watch every day, and I really like Julie a lot, but I have mixed feelings about her public reaction to the Les situation. The Talk co-hosts have been supporting the women during the MeToo movement, and I don't think you can give an auto-pass to someone just because he's your husband, and so far, that's Julie's message.

I think that in order to move forward in her career and especially The Talk, she is going to have to explain her support. I personally think it is fine and very personal since it is her husband and father of her child, and people stay in marriages despite similar issues for various reasons we don't need to know... except no one can reconcile this with her previous MeToo commentary without some sort of heart-to-heart with her viewers. She of course has zero fault in the Les accusations, but women are just wanting to know that she isn't completely ignoring or denying the accusations. I assume she isn't, but I'm just saying she should say something more than "I support my husband."

And perhaps, she doesn't believe the accusations one single bit, in which case, I think she would be fooling herself and eventually she would figure out that at least something was happening with so many accusers coming forward.

(I think they should have voted JC out last night! I've grown to like Brett and his sense of humor, after finding him really arrogant and annoying before, and was sad to see him go.)

In football news, the Fightin' Texas Aggies are looking FABULOUS so far! Should have won the Clemson (#2) game (bad call- grr), but we're very happy with the game play!


Saturday 9: Teenage Dream (2010)
Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.

1) Much of the video for this week's song takes place in a convertible and on the beach. How's the weather where you are? Would you be comfortable riding around with the top down today?

It's rainy and 10000% humidity. Not a great day for a convertible.

2) This video was filmed all around Katy Perry's hometown of Santa Barbara. Amtrak runs through Santa Barbara via The Pacific Surfliner. Tell us about a memorable train trip.

Dad and I took a train from Brighton to London to see Duran Duran during my visit there (I've told this story a million times- best. story. ever.- well, other than my John Bon Jovi story...). The trains stopped running before we could get all the way home, so we ended up taking a few other methods of transportation, which was hilarious and adventurous and expensive as all get-out.

3) Katy sings that her boyfriend thinks she's funny, even when she gets the punchline wrong. Do you think you're a better joke-teller or audience? 

Audience. I laugh easily, and will probably very honestly LOL at your joke, no matter how lame.

4) Her "teenage dream" lover is shown working out with a heavy bag. When is the last time you visited a gym?

With Crystal, about 4 years ago. We went to a boxing gym and I got a cramp so bad the trainer had to stretch me. Oy.

5) Katy changes her hair a lot. She's gone from long black hair to cropped blonde hair with stops at red, green and purple. Today, are you having a good hair day?

Yep

6) Katy thinks dimples are "irresistible" and can't help poking a finger when a dimpled friend smiles. Do you have dimples?
No

7) Two of Katy's fragrances (Meow and Purr) are sold in cat-shaped bottles. Are you wearing a scent as you answer these questions?
Nope.

8) Katy's favorite dessert is ice cream (specifically Cold Stone Creamery's Birthday Cake Remix). What's the last dessert you ate?
a Magnum Chocolate Infinity ice cream bar a couple of nights ago

9) Random question: How often do you change your bedsheets?

once per week

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Super Bowl and Halftime Show

Super Bowl game was amazing!! I really enjoyed it, even though I don't follow NFL much and none of my fave teams were there. Such a great game.

We played two games- winners each quarter for guessing the last digits of the score, and Super Bowl Commercial Bingo. We had lots of Scott's great food. I made a Caesar salad from scratch, which I've never done before. Even made my own croutons. Fun!

Halftime... I was disappointed. Justin Timberlake is one of the most talented performers ever, but the halftime show was blah. No big stunts. No guest artists. Just him. I just don't think that cuts it for the Super Bowl.

Of course, I would always love to see NSYNC together, but since he's already had them join him onstage at the Super Bowl halftime, I get that he might not want to repeat it. Same for Janet Jackson. It's been done, even though she's a great performer. I really like the suggestions that he should have brought Britney on. She would have been a cool guest, with a huge reaction! Her inevitable lip syncing would have made me crazy, but at least the show would have been memorable. There are numerous other great bands/singers he could have had join him during the show. Anyone! I don't care who you are, you need a guest artist or two, or at the very least, a mind-blowing stunt/effect at the Super Bowl halftime show.

Also, as a Prince fan, I think it's very sad that JT performed "with" the image of Prince, a type of performance Prince himself specifically called "demonic." I personally don't like any of those duets with dead people, because I find them to be cheesy and creepy. The idea of a tribute to Prince in Minneapolis is a fantastic one, but Justin could have so easily just sung a Prince song without using the image and voice of Prince. So easily! How cool would that have been?!! Some people have suggested he could have had Shiela E join him for the tribute song. That would have ROCKED! Instead it was cringe-worthy. Gah.

I wanted to like it!

The game was amazing though!

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Congrats, Bama!

Made Ina's famous cheeseball recipe for New Year's Eve, and again last night for the NCAA football championship. Always a hit! And what a game!! I had a slight leaning towards the Dawgs, but it didn't really matter much to me who won. All SEC, baby!

In a very amusing variation of "your sunglasses are on your head," Sunday, Jeff was lounging on the couch, complaining that he couldn't find the television remote... which was sitting on his chest.

Ha!

Cathy posted this clip this morning on FB- my guilty pleasure song for years. I dare you to listen without singing and/or dancing.



Awesome!

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*Sigh*

Watching the 'Bama/LSU game. Roll tide.

TAMU 28
Miss. State 35

Yeah, so... WHO ARE YOU PEOPLE IN AGGIE JERSEYS, AND WHAT DID YOU DO WITH OUR AGGIES? I have no words. Okay, just a few. The team was unrecognizable today. You can't underestimate the opposition, no matter their record this season.

There were a few magical moments of Aggie awesomeness, but otherwise, it was all horse crap. Special teams, offense and defense all looking like they couldn't care less. And we lost Knight. Hubenak did pretty well, but with what he had to work with today, it wasn't enough to pull out the win.

The only good thing about today's game was that CBS wasn't calling it. Woohoo!

BTHO Ole Miss!


Saturday 9: Hold It Against Me (2011)
Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.

1) Britney Spears addresses this song to a dance partner when she hears her favorite song. What song always makes you want to get up and dance?

"Can't Stop the Feeling'" JT



2) She sings that she needs a vacation. How about you? If you could escape anywhere for an affordable three-day weekend, where would you go?
wine tour in Fredericksburg, stay at a winery or a B&B

3) Britney shows off her dance moves in this video. Her coordination shouldn't be surprising, since she was already an accomplished gymnast in grade school. If we asked you to turn a somersault right now, could you do it?
Uhhh, maybe. I thought I could do a cartwheel about ten years ago, and was sadly mistaken. I could probably manage a somersault.

4) Britney's first and only feature film was Crossroads, written by Shonda Rhimes. Ms. Rhimes is famous for writing popular TV series including Grey's Anatomy, Scandal, The Catch and How to Get Away with Murder. Have you watched any Shonda Rhimes shows?
Grey's Anatomy and Private Practice

5) Britney admits to smoking and biting her nails. Do you share either of these bad habits?
Nope.

6) Britney prefers Margherita pizza to thin slice or deep dish pizza. What's your pizza preference?
white sauce, salami and pepperoncini peppers on hand tossed crust

7) In 2011, when this song was popular, Prince William's wedding to Kate Middleton was big news. Are you a royal watcher?
Not really, but I enjoy hearing about them now and again.

8) Apple co-founder Steve Jobs died in 2011. Do you have a Mac, an iPad or an iPhone?
Yes, yes and yes.

9) Random question: Which friend annoys you more- the one who interrupts you all the time, or the one who is never on time?
one who interrupts, because I've learned to handle lateness by scheduling those people early

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Guess I'll Cancel that UnREAL Tattoo

How great is it, that there is an article out there with the headline Constance Zimmer Doesn't Want You to Get a "Money. Dick. Power." Tattoo?  Ha!

Constance Zimmer and Rashida Jones look alike. Right?

Constance

Rashida

Am I the first to mention this? 'Cuz I was a little late to the "Katy Perry and Zooey Deschanel must be the same person because we never see them together" thing.

Incidentally, Rashida is the daughter of Quincy Jones and Peggy Lipton. Pretty cool, eh? (I've known that since she was on The Office, so I'm not late to that party.)

So. Last Friday night, we came home from dinner and smelled something weird. It smelled like a candle had just been blown out, but we couldn't find the source of the smell. Then we tried to turn on the TV, but the satellite box wouldn't come on. The smoky smell was coming from the box. Yikers!

We called DirectTV customer service and had a terrible experience. We've been paying $8 a month for a couple of years now for "maintenance and free upgrades to the newest receiver." We've never needed a repair and didn't request new equipment during that time. We asked to get the newer receiver, but the person insisted that we should wait to upgrade after a "replacement" with the same model we already had. (We determined after the call that the newer receiver just accommodates 4k televisions and we don't have one, so it doesn't matter. There still wasn't any reason for them to deny it.)

She abruptly said goodbye, without any information on what would happen next. We stopped her and asked when we would get the new box. She said next WEDNESDAY. It's three-day shipping, not counting weekends.

We ended that call and called back. We asked if they could ship the box overnight. The guy said no. It's three-day shipping. We asked if we could pick one up at an AT&T Store, or if someone could bring one to us locally. No. We asked if we could get credit for the days we'd be without service. The guy offered three days at first, but we reminded him that it was five days. They agreed to credit us for five days.

Then we asked to speak with a supervisor. The guy asked what we wanted to tell the supervisor.

*sigh*

We explained that there wasn't anything wrong with what the guy had done; we just wanted to ask someone else if there was really no way to send the box overnight. (College football Saturday, people! Hello!) Finally the guy transferred us to a supervisor.

The supervisor reiterated that they only ship three-day. We mentioned other businesses, like Amazon, could have a replacement product to us Saturday morning, within hours, and asked if there was truly no way to ship it faster. She said no, but she would take another $15 off our bill this month.

We spent Friday night on the web, looking into Google Fiber, Dish, Spectrum and U-Verse.

The satellite box ended up arriving Monday, having been shipped overnight. Really?

We did manage to stream the Aggie game via AppleTV on Saturday. Lauren kept getting ESPN updates on her phone about 45 seconds prior to every big play, which was hilarious.

Aggies #4 in the FBS rankings! WHOOP!

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Stranger Things

We binge-watched Stranger Things this weekend. Ohmigosh, SO good! The 80's nostalgia is a nice bonus. Definitely catch this 8-episode first season!

NM State 10

Texas A&M 52

The game was an expected blow out, but we watched the whole thing anyway. Love that Kirk set a new record for punt return scores, with two in the game, for a total of four during his college career so far. It was nice to see the backup and newer guys in there, playing well. We've recruited a lot of amazing talent to continue the path for the years to come! We are back up to #7! Whoop!

Have a safe and happy Halloween!

Sunday Stealing: Halloween Meme

1. What is the worst treat to get when trick-or-treating? 

candy corn- ack

 
2. What character from any horror film would you most like to play?

bad-ass Ripley in Alien

 
3. Would you rather be a zombie, alien, or psycho? (why)

zombie, because you don't have to jump out and scare anyone, you just mull around groaning while people run screaming

4. How many Halloween, Friday the 13th, or Nightmare on Elm Street movies combined do you have on dvd? 

zero

5. What is the scariest movie you have ever seen? 

The Exorcist and The Grudge

6. Lamest costume you have worn on Halloween? 

The "ceiling fan" costume two years ago at work. People were guessing what I was all day long. They loved it, once they "got it." I would just rather go with a standard, non-pun costume.

7. Favorite Halloween treat? 

Reese's Peanut Butter Cups

8. Friendly-faced jack o’lantern or scary one?

scary

 
9. Have you ever had nightmares about a scary movie character chasing you? 

no

10. Best thing about Halloween? 

costumes

11. Strangest Halloween custom you’ve heard of? 

Hiding knives in Germany, so wandering spirits don't get injured. 

12. Person in your family who most likes Halloween (not counting yourself)? 

None of us are excessively into Halloween as adults, but we all loved it when we were little!

13. Are you superstitious? If so, name at least one superstition of yours. 

I'm not superstitious in general, but if I start doing something during a football game that seems to coincide with my team taking a turn for the worse, I will stop doing that thing. 

14. What's your best Halloween memory?

Teri and I taking Niki and Lauren trick-or-treating when they were 2. Lauren was Tigger and Niki was Piglet. We had to explain to the girls several times that they needed to say "Trick or Treat," because they would just stand there when the doors opened, holding their baskets out, waiting for candy. LOL. So cute!

 
15. At what age were you allowed to go trick-or-treating by yourself?

I'm pretty sure I trick-or-treated with my friends and no parents in third grade. We were 7-8 years old.

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Sunday Stealing on Monday

A&M 14
'Bama 33

Gah. We were winning in the third quarter against what is probably the best college football team in all of history. One ill-timed roughing the passer penalty led to a Tide touchdown, followed by huge emotional deflation, then 13 more points for 'Bama by the end of the game. I am so proud that we are incredibly improved from the past couple of years against them, and very disappointed that we couldn't keep up the fight.

Congrats to the crazy-amazing Crimson Tide. We'll see you next year!

Sunday Stealing: Wish List Meme

1.) What are 3 things on your Wish list and why? 

* shoes, because they're always on my list

* casual cool weather tops, because this will be the first fall/winter that I haven't been in an office every day

* a yellow candle for the mantel, because it will coordinate with the kitchen better than the blue one there now

 
2.) Do you miss your childhood? 

Not really. It was fantastic, but it's good to be a grown-up, too.

3.) What do you do on your spare time on the weekends? 

We usually try to do a day trip or interesting activity. If we stay at home, we'll watch a movie.

4.) What do you appreciate most in your life?

having a safe, pleasant place to live and great family and friends

 
5.) Would you rather be rich or healthy?

healthy

 
6.) If you could go back in time would you and why? 

I wouldn't go back permanently, but it would be great to go back to certain places and times just to visit.

7.) Favorite game as a child? 

Trouble, with the Pop-O-Matic! Sometimes you just pop it a million times for no reason.

8.) What is your dream career?

songwriter

 
9.) What do you do in your free time? 

Lately, I play Simcity Buildit. It's an addiction, really. Any time things get slow, I start checking on my city.

10.) Favorite clothing stores? 

Macy's, Steinmart

11.) What TV shows can't you live without?

The Blacklist, Real Housewives of NYC/New Jersey/Beverly Hills/OC/Dallas 

 
12.) 3 things you need in your life are: 

music, humor, football

13.) What can't you sleep without? 

a good pillow

14.) Who do you have a celebrity crush on? 

Bradley Cooper

15.) What is your Favorite Season and why? 

Spring- coming out of winter with warmer weather and flowers and stuff

16.) What is your Favorite Wild Animal? 

chimpanzee

17.) Name 3 of your Favorite Childhood shows:

CHiPs, Happy Days, Three's Company

 
18.) If you could live as a character in a movie, who would it be? 

the supercool Lara Croft

19.) Favorite vegetables? 

snow peas, jicama, cucumber

20.) Favorite Fruit?

watermelon

 
21.) If you had a dragon what would you name it?

Sparky

 
22.) What do you put on hotdogs? 

mustard and ketchup

23.) Do you play online games? 

Simcity Buildit

24.) Whats your favorite way to get inspired?

a great view

 
25.) Do you have a middle name?

Yes

26.) Favorite kid's name?

Lauren and Ethan

 
27.) Do you speak any other languages? 

No

28.) Do you use Twitter? 

No

29.) Do you go onto YouTube? 

Yep

30.) Do you play Angry Birds?

I have

  
31.) Do you like Angry Birds?

It's alright.

 
32.) Do you like Hello Kitty? 

Sure

33.) Have you ever cried because you were so happy?

Plenty of times

34.) Who would you like to see in concert? 

JT

35.) Can you swim well? 

I never excelled in swimming. I swim well enough not to drown though. 

36.) Ever won a contest? 

several mostly academic contests, from creative writing to science fairs to choir

37.) Ever won a giveaway? 

I won the door prize (free groceries) as part of a test audience years ago, where we watched two new TV pilots and gave our feedback. I also won tickets to Huey Lewis and the News at a radio event in college.

38.) Do you get a full 8 hours of sleep every night? 

Ahaha no. I get about 6, maybe 7 on a good night.

39.) What tea do you like? 

Tazo Iced True Black or Gold Peak Sweet

40.) What coffee do you like?

Dunkin Donuts decaf

 
41.) Do you shop at Walmart? 

Sometimes

42.) Do you shop at Target?

Often

43.) What do you order at Second Cup? 

I don't know what that is.

45.) Do you like homemade meals?

Yes

 
46.) Do you like homemade baked goods? 

Of course

47.) Do you shop online?

Yep

 
48.) Name 3 online stores you would like to shop at:

Amazon

Pottery Barn

Macy's

49.) What holiday don't you like?

I like them all

 
50.) What do you eat more of when you're sick?

soup

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Aggies Win! Whoop!

Texas A&M 45
Arkansas 24

What a fun game to watch! And it didn't end in a tie, going into overtime like the past two meetings with the Razorbacks. Whew!!

Knight really settled into the game in the second half. As far as the Defense goes- Hail to The Chief! They have truly arrived at ultimate defense after only one year.

Sad to see the injuries to some of our elite players, but it looks like they aren't major, thank heavens.

Arkansas' QB Austin Allen was pretty amazing, I have to say. He took a pummeling from our defense just about every play, and still made spot on passes!


Sunday Stealing: The "Doing Questions Like It's 2003" Meme

Tell us about your pets. If you don’t have one, share why you don’t.

Kiptyn, our long-haired, orangish-tan, big-ass tabby cat, is named after Kiptyn Locke, from The Bachelor. (We liked Locke and his cat-like name.) We call him Kippy or Kipper a lot of the time. He tends to be somewhat surly, since he's part Maine Coon, but he can also be very cuddly in short spurts, unlike our previous Maine Coon mix, Ernie. He is not the sharpest knife in the drawer, nor the most graceful cat. As Jen would say, "Good thing he's pretty!" Heh.

Maya is our black cat. She's Kiptyn's sister from the same litter, but regular size, with short hair. She's named after Maya Angelou. She is absolutely the sweetest cat you'll ever encounter. Super smart, she tends to lead Kiptyn in learning new things. She's pretty social, but like her brother, can be easily frightened by loud noises or other surprises.

Name three things that are close to you.

iPad, scissors, credit card receipts

How was the weather for your summer?

Hot-n-humid. Par for the course in The ATX.

What was the last film you saw? Did you like it?

Dont' Think Twice. We liked it.

Tell us about the last trip that you took.

It was a short trip, but we spent a long weekend in San Antonio. Jeff, Lauren and I stayed in our first AirbBnB home, with a gorgeous pool. The house was in the hills outside the city. We mostly hung out, walked a trail, went to La Cantera, etc. Loved the pool though. 

Where do you buy groceries? Why?

HEB, because they have all the things we need at great prices.

Tell us something that you did today. Or will do if you haven’t had your morning coffee yet.

Visited a million-dollar model home for funzies.

Have you pulled an all-nighter?

Yep

Can you taste the difference between Pepsi & Coke?

Um, of course! They're totally different. Pepsi is sweeter and smoother and "filling." Coke is more carbonated and acidic and light. I prefer Coke.

Tell us about your siblings. How many and what do they do?

I have one half-brother, two years older than me. We didn't grow up together, but we were introduced when we were in our 20's. We have only spoken on the phone so far. He lives in Germany and I'm almost certain he is a computer programmer. Ack. I don't know exactly! Something computery.

What’s the oldest thing that you own?

My grandmother's English washstand, from when they lived in England in the 1950's.

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Aggies Over Auburn! Whoop!

A&M 29
Auburn 16

What a game! This year we have a bunch of freshmen and unknowns and a new quarterback, but I think we looked solid on Saturday! The experienced guys looked great as usual. Knight looked good- better than the past two weeks. The newbies were showing their talents. It was especially exciting watching Trayveon run all the way down the field for a TD.

We should have made it into the end zone a couple more times than we did, being so close, but that's my only real complaint. Well and one more--- WHEW DOGGIE, it was a long game!

Gig 'em!

Jeff and I are working on our wills again this week. We have our second meeting with the lawyer on Wednesday. Holy crap, it's SO hard to pick people to take care of things when you're gone, when you have little families like ours. I do know though, that most of my friends with big families have the same issues choosing people from within their family!

My advice to you all, having done this Will Thing twice now, is to go forth and reproduce as much as possible, so you have the largest pool of family members available to put in charge of your finances, medical decisions, taking care of your children, etc. when you kick the bucket.

We have to select executors, beneficiaries, powers of attorney, etc. The planner side of me wants to have an infinite list of the order in which I want people to be assigned. The lawyer (unknowingly feeding my planner side) told us we can list as many backups as we want to, but I am limiting myself to just four people deep.

If I die, Person/Group A is selected. If they're unwilling/unable/dead, Person/Group B is chosen. If they are unwilling/unable/dead, Person/Group C is selected. If Person C is unwilling/unable/dead, Person/Group D is chosen. If Person D is unwilling/unable/dead... the State can just figure it out. Or my second-cousins-twice-removed can fight each other in court for it. Actually, in my will, Person D isn't a person at all, but a charity that I'm pretty sure will be around forever. That way, we just avoid any drama.

It gives me a headache thinking about it all. I can't WAIT to sign it and put it away again. Our last wills were done in 1996. I hope this one will last at least another 20 years!

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Aggies Over UCLA! Whoop!

TAMU 31

UCLA 24

While we were watching the game on Saturday, a small squirrel was slinking through our breezeway gutter, just outside the living room window. I said (to... the squirrel?), "You're a little squirrel!"  Josh Rosen was on the screen at the time, and Lauren thought I was talking about him. Ha! We called Rosen "Little Squirrel" for the rest of the game.

In the fourth quarter, it looked like the team thought we were far enough ahead to relax, eventually allowing UCLA to get two quick touchdowns to tie it up. We perked up during OT, thank goodness. As Christian Kirk said, "One thing we preached after the game is we can't get too lax, and to keep the pressure on." 

Trevor Knight was solid. Williams and Ford were particularly impressive. The O-line was amazing. Receivers on point. Defense performed well. The team is looking good!

It was the "SEC on CBS," but the their coverage was pro-UCLA all the way. So irritating. Just be unbiased. Is that too much to ask? From now on, we'll watch the games with alternative audio.

Saturday 9: Hello (2015)
Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.
1) This video begins with Adele and her flip phone. Is your cell phone a simple or a smart phone?

smart phone

2) As soon as her cell is fully charged, Sam disconnects the adapter from the outlet to save electricity. Are you careful about conserving energy?

Yes, but not so careful as to unplug adapters. I turn lights off when not in use, maximize wash loads, etc.

3) Adele sings that she must have a called a thousand times but her former lover never picked up. Think about the last call you made. Did you get through? Did you leave a voice mail? Or did you just hang up? 

The last phone call I made was 4 days ago, to Jeff at work. I got through.

4) Adele brews a cup of tea in the video. How often do you drink tea? Year round? Only in winter? Never?

Every day

5) Adele told Glamour magazine she like two sugars in her tea. Do you watch your sugar intake?

Yes, but not to an extreme.

6) This song is about reaching out to someone and extending an apology. When is the last time you said, "I'm sorry?"

Friday at the grocery store when I was in someone's way in the yogurt section.

7) Adele was a heavy smoker who enjoyed the habit and didn't quit until 2015, after doctors convinced her it contributed to her chronic throat problems. What's something you know you should do for your health?

Tai Chi or something to zen out.

8) Even though she is one of the world's highest-earning entertainers, she recently had her credit card rejected while shopping at H&M. She admits she was "mortified." Have you ever experienced that moment at the counter when your card was rejected?

Nope

9) Random question: When you were a kid, did you keep a neat or messy bedroom?

Messy. My poor mom was on me all the time to straighten it up. Once I got to high school age, I kept it very clean. 

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Of Attractive Guys and Obnoxious Things

Move over, Tyler Florence. Scott Conant is my new Food Network crush. I have no idea why, really. I've watched him for years. I guess I suddenly noticed he is more than just a picky Chopped judge. Ha!

He cooks, too!

The 49'ers quarterback protesting gun violence or whatever he said he was protesting last weekend should really stop and take a look at exactly what he is protesting. Not having respect for the United States of America is a statement against the United States of America, not against gun violence or police misconduct or hunger or vaccines or any other issue. Here's a clue: If you have to explain to the press what your beef is, you aren't protesting in a meaningful way.

He also said something about his actions bringing people together. What a crock of horse crap. One of the most significant things that bring us together is that we are all Americans. Black, White, Republican, Democrat, rich, poor... we are all citizens of the USA and want this country to be the best it can be.

I don't have a problem with him sitting down during the national anthem, as it is most assuredly his right (since we are in the USA), but since he has no respect for his country, I don't care a bit about any of his complaints. If he appears on my TV again, I'll just turn off the sound, like I do when that completely obnoxious Silk Almond Milk commercial comes on.

*shudder*

(Lauren finds the Carvana commercial with the "That Didn't Suck" song, which I LOVE, even more obnoxious.)

Holy shitsnacks! I just heard that Chris Pine is the son of Robert Pine! Remember... Robert Pine was Sgt. Getraer on CHiPs, with Erik Estrada and Larry Wilcox.

Mind. Blown.

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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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SEC SEC SEC

Congratulations, Bama!!

Watched the first half of the game with Scott-n-Julie Monday night. Kirsten is home from school right now. We were talking about people who died young, who always said they could never picture themselves old. I always make an extra effort to picture myself as old, just because of that! Ha!

Julie: I can easily picture myself as old... Kirsten bringing the kids over...
Kirsten: Goats, maybe.
Julie: Baaaaahhh-haha.

Oy. LOL

So, I'm using Safari for my browser on my MacBook, now that Firefox has something all jacked up about it on Mac that makes it scroll weird. Safari has its own challenges, like the Blogger cursor being weird.

Are there ANY non-weird browsers out there?! Stop yelling Chrome, because we all know Chrome sucks. Half the sites I regularly visit don't even display correctly in Chrome.

Damn you, Safari cursor.

What else.. OH. New Coen Bros. film Feb 5! (And Clooney!)

Someone is calling from the future...

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Monday, Monday

Super Awesome Lyrics du Jour

Why did you let me run

When you knew I'd fall

Through the gaping hole

Where your heart should be...

"Of Crime and Passion" Duran Duran

Oh. Yes. Classic, baby. 

Julie and I saw Brooklyn Sunday. It was really good. It was so beautifully shot as well.

Spoiler-- The only part I didn't get was when Eilis went back to Ireland and got involved with a young man there, just after she and Tony married. Now, had she known him from before or had he saved her from a burning building or some such thing, I might understand that she was "back home" and feeling like maybe her life was there and this man was the person she should have been with, etc. But she and Tony were completely in love and newly married, and I don't think her character would ever have entertained the notion of even hanging out with another guy. I think Eilis would have told her best friend, the very first day she brought him over, that she and Tony had secretly gotten married and that would have been the end of the new guy.

Also, Julie wondered what would have happened if her marriage hadn't been discovered. Would she have stayed? Gosh, I would hope not.

Anyway, it was very good and it's probably on its way out of theaters because it's been out so long. If you get a chance to rent it later, you should!


Ohhhhh A&M Football... What dirt does Spav have on someone that keeps him in that position?  Just wondering.

Very sad to see Kyle Allen go. :(


Saturday 9: Chuck E.'s in Love (1979)
Unfamiliar with this week's song? Hear it here.

1) In this song, Chuck E.'s friends look for him at the pool hall and the drugstore. If we want to find you on a Saturday afternoon, where should we look?
a retail establishment

2) The lyrics tell us his friends know something up with Chuck E because he's even combed his hair. So here's a question about your hair: do you usually use a blow dryer or let it air dry?
blow dry

3) In this song, Ricki Lee sings that she spotted Chuck E. at the Pantages, a grand old Los Angeles theater. Nearly 100 years old, the Pantages was originally a movie palace and was renovated in the 1980s for concerts and theatrical productions. Tell us about a cool landmark in your town.
The state capitol is amazing- the largest in the country, second in square footage only to the US capitol.

4) "Chuck E." is a real person. Chuck E. Weiss is a blues musician and DJ who hung around with Ricki Lee and her boyfriend ... until he fell in love. Have you ever had a friendship fall by the wayside when one of you entered a romantic relationship?
Never permanently. There was always that time at first where the person in a new relationship is hanging out with their new love all the time. Soon enough, you pick back up with the rest of the world.

5) Rickie Lee was once married to a French musician named Pascal Nabet-Meyer. Say something to us in French.

Parlez-vous Anglais?

6) When her popularity was at its height, Rickie Lee appeared on the cover of Rolling Stone twice. Who have you seen on a recent magazine cover?

Gwen Stefani

7) Rolling Stone called Rickie Lee "the duchess of cool." Who is the coolest person you know?

TracyR

8) 1979 was a good year for Rickie Lee, what with her big hit record and the Rolling Stone covers. But it was a terrible year for The Who, because eleven of their fans died during an Ohio concert. What's your favorite Who song?

"Pinball Wizard"

9) Rickie Lee moved to New Orleans, a city she fell in love with after a visit. Have you ever gone to a vacation spot and wished you could just stay there forever?

Hawaii

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