Burlesque!

Burlesque opens today! Yay! Gotta get my grocery shopping done first though, before today's crowds hit the store.

JeffP's football status du jour: "Time to sharpen those saws."

Indeed. Whoop!

Trying to extend the guest list for the "Ass Whoopin' Party," but most of our local friends are 'sips. And as Jim said, "I don't want to be within ten miles of any Aggies on Thursday. It's probably not going to be a good game."

One can hope. ;)

JeffC doesn't like football and also says he "doesn't have a dog in this fight," but I know he wants to stay through the afternoon to taste my tortilla soup. And watch Julie and I argue over the refs' calls.

I am still a bit under the weather from allergies gone bad. This cough is driving me crazy, and getting worse. The inside of my throat is actually itchy. Neither Zyrtec nor Claritin are doing a darn thing for me. Today's strategy: Benadryl and Shiner.

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Literary Tuesday

This is an excerpt from a little something called "Fair is Foul," which I wrote in high school. Scotty remembered it all these years. How awesome is that? :D

...Hold on tight, up and down
Hanging in the balance now
Blood-stained floors where fairies dwell
Murder on the carousel...

LOL. Dark and memorable.

I am looking at a very thick folder full of my songs and poetry from 1982-1986. I wrote a lot of shiny-happy things, too. Here's another, in its sparkly entirety:

live in love

love someone

share a dream

sandy beach

pink ice cream

hearts in time

beating fast

quiet smiles

love will last

holding tight

silent talks

happiness

moonlight walks

tender kiss

hearts in woo

you love him

he loves you

by Kathy K, 1984 (age 17)

Programming note: To go along with the release of the R.E.M. Live From Austin, TX DVD, PBS is re-broadcasting R.E.M.'s appearance on Austin City Limits in 2008 on November 27. Check local listings for time.

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Short Week

It's a two-day week for me! Come on TUESDAY! :)

Coach Pelini of Nebraska needs to take a pill. That guy is going to have a heart attack. (Awesome job this weekend, Aggie Wrecking Crew!!!!!! WHOOP!)

Reposting a touching link from The Bloggess:
The Red Underwear


Sunday Stealing

What was the last thing you put in your mouth?
a straw

How late did you stay up last night and why?
Only about 9:30 pm, because I was tired as all get-out.

If you could move somewhere else, would you?
Not just for the sake of moving. I like it here, but I would move if we needed to.

Have you ever been kissed under fireworks?
Probably, but not for any special, super-memorable reason.

Do you believe exes can be friends?
Definitely. Not best buddies, but genuinely "friends."

When was the last time you cried really hard?
A couple of weeks ago

What items could you not go without during the day?
internet, phone

Who was the last person you visited in the hospital?
Laura's friend DeeDee, who was diagnosed with Hodgkins, several months ago

How do you feel about your life right now?
Happy, despite it not being exactly perfect at the moment. 

If we were to look in your facebook inbox, what would we find?
entertaining messages mostly from Cathy, Renee and Doug (on the first page at least... if you're really nosy, feel free to look back further than that)

Say you were given a drug test right now, would you pass?
I would pass any day.

Has anyone ever called you perfect before?
Before what? Ahaha. Nope.

Someone knocks on your window at 2:00 a.m.: who do you want it to be?
Obvious answer. Next...

Do you think too much or too little?
too much

Do you believe in fairy tales?
nah, but reality can be fantastic, too :)

Have you ever licked the back of a CD to try to get it to work?
Why on earth would I do that?

What’s the largest age difference between yourself and someone you’ve dated?
Serious relationships: 1 year (one older and one younger). Individual dates: 6 years (older)

Have you ever been on a blind date?
A couple. I'm not a fan. But thank you, well-meaning friends.

Do you have any friends that you’ve known for 10 years or more?
A bunch

Have you ever had a crush on a teacher?
Yep- college American History

What song do you want played at your funeral?
I can't think of a funeral song off the top of my head, but I would want something unexpected that would make everyone smile.

Would you tell your parents if you were gay?
Of course.

What would your last meal be before getting executed?
ribeye with Gorgonzola butter, from Austin Land and Cattle

Do you walk around the house naked?
Extremely rarely.

What do you do as soon as you walk in the house?
Take off my shoes.

Who is the person you can count on the most?
Jeff

What is your favorite Holiday?
Christmas

Would you ever get plastic surgery?
I'm having it in three weeks.

Have you ever caught a fish?
Several. In the lake and the ocean. My first fish was a croaker at the Texas City Dike when I was 8 or so.

What is the first thing you notice about people?
Their hair.

What is the farthest you’ve been from home?
Munich. 5483 miles from Austin.

How did you meet your spouse or significant other (or most recent one)?
in a class at college

Where was the last place you drove (other than home/school/work)?
Chuy's

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Indecent Proposal

Joke of the night last night with Cathy and the Jeffs...

Somehow we got on the subject of if there were any sum of money that would get Cathy or I to sleep with someone we found extremely unattractive. The question evolved into being specified as "a very elderly, unattractive guy like the one Anna Nicole Smith married." (Disclaimer: This was not intended to disrespect elderly guys, but to add the pervy element of the extreme age difference. We all agreed that when we're 85, we'll be perfectly happy to sleep with 85-year-olds. We now return you to your regular programming.)

Were there ground rules for what we had to do?

"Whatever he wants."

Cathy said absolutely not, for any sum of money. Cuz she takes the high road in these things. When she knows I'm about to take the low one anyway.

I said I'd do it for a million dollars. The response from the group? "No you wouldn't!!"

"I might have to hurl, but I would get through it."

Cathy says, "Just don't hurl on..."

(I think she's going to say "...the guy." )

"...THE MONEY!"

Just don't hurl on the money. Nice high road there, CJ. ;)


Saturday 9: Happy Turkey Day 2010

1. Tell us about your very favorite Thanksgiving.
Has to be the year (not sure which) in college when KathyL's parents took us all out to lunch in College Station before the football game where we beat the snot out of t.u. WHOOP.

2. What are you doing for Turkey Day this year?
Going to a fabulous hotel brunch with JeffC. We went there last year and loved it, so we're going for the replay this year. Then that night we are having an "Ass Whoopin' Party," so dubbed by ScottK, who has no care in the world who wins the A&M/t.u. game, but assumes A&M will win big.

3. If you were to go to somebody else’s house, what would be your favorite dish to bring?
My sweet potato casserole with the pecan/brown sugar topping. No disgusting marshmallows! Whee!

4. Tell us about the funniest person that you'll be with this Thanksgiving.
That would probably be JeffC. Last night I told him he should have a blog for all his witty and interesting observations. He won't do it, so I said I would start one and just post everything he says. He said I could call it "Sh*t My Friend Jeff Says." Ahaha.

5. What would surprise us to know about your Thanksgivings?
I have never cooked a whole turkey. The biggest Thanksgiving meat I've cooked myself has been a turkey breast. We've stayed home for Thanksgiving since Lauren was about five, so it's a small group for the meal portion of the day, sometimes just the three of us. I can only eat holiday leftovers a couple of times before I gag at the sight of those food containers.

6. Does your usual mix of guests result in drama, or is it a group you’re happy to see?
No drama with such a small group. Ask me about Christmas.

7. What did your family do for Thanksgiving when you were a kid? Do you still do it?
We always went to my mom's parents' house in College Station. Huge family (my mom was one of five kids), huge meal. Football on TV all day. Playing with my cousins outside for hours. Nope, we don't do that since my grandparents moved to Dallas several years ago. :(

8. We know you've been asked this probably 15 times this week. But share with us in 2010, what are you most thankful for?
Jeff still having his job, Lauren having grown into such a responsible, bright and generally awesome young lady, my treasured friends and reusable shopping bags.

9. Okay, the big question: are you going to 'attend' any of the "Black Friday" sales? ...and if you are, are you hard core serious like the 5 am "be there" crowd?
I will avoid stores like the plague on Friday. My mother-in-law LOVES shopping on Black Friday at 5am. I used to tag along, sipping my coffee, just irritated with the crowds. Yeah, you can get someone a Christmas sweater for five bucks, but you have to fight fifty sleep-deprived women over it. Without spilling your latte. No thanks.

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TGIF

Was not unfriended by anyone on Facebook on National Unfriending Day. Awesome. I would like to unfriend a few people, not because I don't know them, but because they aren't ever on. Not people who log on once a week, which qualifies as "never on" for all practical purposes, or even once a month, but literally never. Like they stopped participating two years ago, but didn't close their account. They've got wall messages like "Where are you?" and birthday greetings from '08. Those are the people just asking to have embarrassing photos of them posted and tagged. Mwahaha.

Our kittens are four-and-a-half months old. About three weeks ago, we put out a very soft throw in the living room. Both cats instantly started sucking on this blanket, and kneading, too, which goes along with nursing. It's a little distressing to watch, because it makes me think they are stressed out or miss their mommy. Google says many cats actually do this, whether or not they were raised by their mothers, and in times of stress or happiness, just as a comforting thing. Not a whole lot different than a child sucking a pacifier. Still... weird. 

I was reminded this morning of that story Chasez told about when he ran out of milk and used amaretto coffee creamer to make mac-n-cheese. Yikes.

Cathy will be here when I get off work. Time to get the weekend started! Have a good one, y'all!

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Time to Shuck Some Corn

The Dems kept Pelosi? She is so awful. Well, they do know what's best for the people, even if we don't know it ourselves. *eyeroll*

For those of you who may not be aware (or who live in Belgium), Texas A&M will play the Nebraska Cornhuskers on Saturday evening. Seen Monday on Facebook--

JeffP: Time to shuck some corn on Saturday! Whoop!
Wade: Is that what you couples in the burbs are calling it these days?
JeffP: Yep, we shuck corn in the suburbs. It's a lot different than that cornholing thing you city folk get into.

Bwahahaa! (Since when are city folk the opposite of suburbanites? Makes it sound like we're out on the farm, milking goats. Incidentally, cornholing is also a beanbag game.)

94.7 has taken to playing Creed's "Higher" about twice a day while I'm in the car. I began to wonder if it was some sort of sign. Now that I've really looked at the lyrics, I'm thinking, no. Or maybe you have to be high deep to get it. I always really dug the verses of this song, but oddly, I find the chorus incredibly blah. If anything, it's usually the reverse!



Cathy has decided to come up this weekend. Yay! I'm trying to set her up with Jason. Maybe I can throw something together on that front. :D

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Don't be Fancy, Just Get Dancey...

Why so seriouuuuuuuus???????!
...We will never be never be anything but LOUD
and nitty gritty
dirty little freaks...

"Raise Your Glass" P!nk

Revealing that I like that song is almost as embarrassing as when I was all over "Tick Tock" by Kesha. Yeah, "Tick Tock" really is a great tune, if you ignore the lyrics. If you ignore the lyrics, however, you miss out on a great deal of entertainment value. The first time I heard it, I said to Lauren, "This reminds me... there is some gross song supposedly out now, where a girl brushes her teeth with Jack Daniels."

"That's this one!" she said, as if we'd just stumbled upon a delightful mutual interest in Peruvian art.


Patrick's Sunday Seven

The website Frisky recently posted a list of 20 things a couple should do before they get married. The items make sense. But your task this week is to narrow the list, or come up with something they missed.

Name the seven most important things you think a couple should do before getting married.

1. Complete school. Although I certainly favor waiting until the age of 25+, it's really education that most concerns me. If you're not going to college, then graduate from high school before getting married. If you're going to be a pediatrician, then complete medical school first. Whatever your goal is. Because it's difficult to add the stresses of marriage- good and bad- to a plate full of classes and school-related social activities. You also want to be free to make educational decisions based on your own goals, and not having to consider those of another person.

2. At least meet the other person's family before the wedding planning starts. Not because his crazy aunt might be a deal-breaker, but because you don't want your first experiences with your spouse's family to take place during that surreal, busy engagement or wedding time. Even better to get to know them before all the wedding stuff begins and you become part of the family.

3. Definitely talk about kids (how many, when to have them) and religion (if different- how will kids be raised, where to go to church, etc.).

4. Have sex. Or at least get fairly close, if it's important to you to wait. You don't want to find out too late that your intimate relationship is not great. This is someone you're going to be with forever.

5. Discuss and agree on name-changing. And don't forget to decide what your children's last names will be, if you will not share the same last name with your spouse.

6. Discuss and agree on career issues, like if you'll move when one or the other of you gets transferred. Whose job takes precedence, if any? Will both of you continue working when kids are born? These are things that are fluid in nature over time, but at least being in agreement before marriage, and just being aware of the other person's priorities and dreams, is so important.

7. Live in the same city for at least six months. Well, I didn't think about that, but if you are marrying someone with whom you are in a long-distance relationship, I agree that it would be vital to live in the same geographical area for six months or so before marriage, if that is what you will be doing after the ceremony. If, as KathyL would prefer, you are marrying someone who lives far away, and you only plan to meet up every weekend for fun and frolic, then I think the six months could be safely skipped. (As could the marriage part...)

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Referring to the Northeast

Was pondering...

When my friends from Massachusetts refer to New England, they say "back east." When I refer to the same area, I say "up north." Well, I usually say "New England," but I guess when I'm feeling a little apathetic and it comes out all vague and wishy-washy, it's "up north." Neither "back east" nor "up north" is really correct, considering our geographical location.

"Back east" sounds a little more "summer in the Hamptons" than "up north" does. "Up north" conjures up visions of sled dogs and Canadians in funny hats.

Both of the Massachusetts peeps went to small liberal arts colleges up there.... erm... BACK there. My Pennsylvania friend who went for the scientific degree says "up north" like me. So, perhaps it's a liberal arts major thing. Or a Massachusetts thing.

*is clueless*

One of the funniest "How I Met Your Mother" episodes ever was on  last night, with Robin's Canadian teen show that really looked more like soft-core porn. With Alan Thicke, no less. Bwahahaha! I was dying at the joystick scene. Hilarious.

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The Flavors of Christmas

JeffC has figured out the types of exchanges I deem amusing enough to make it onto the blog, and instantly knew that this was going to show up here.

Heard last night in the frozen yogurt shop parking lot--

Me: They have all sorts of Christmas-y yogurt flavors right now. Pumpkin, eggnog...
JeffC: ...reindeer...
Me: ...Santa...
JeffC, Jeff and I: Ewww!
JeffC: Tastes like cookies!
Me: Ewww!

That is just all sorts of wrong.


Sunday Stealing: Another 14 Question Meme

1. Lots of pillows or just one? Describe your pre-sleeping rituals.
I remove all the decorative pillows and add a regular pillow on top of the one I sleep on, at a good TV-viewing angle, so I can watch Letterman. When I'm ready to go to sleep, I toss the extra pillow, and sleep on one.

2. What kind of books do you read?
Non-fiction... biographies, self-improvement, learning books like website development or graphics design (whatever I'm into at the moment)

3. What are your neighbors like?
Very friendly, with a wide variety of backgrounds and interests. Many of them work from home, so there are a large number of adults around during the day, which is nice.

4. What's really creepy to you?
scorpions, snakes, Marilyn Manson, oatmeal, young women who marry old guys, peeling someone's chewed gum off the bottom of my shoe, über-long fingernails, dolls with one or both eyes missing...

5. What's your current fandom/obsession/addiction?
I don't have one at the moment. That's probably for the best.

6. Do you prefer your junk food sweet, salty or savory?
salty

7. What was the last expensive thing you bought?
washer/dryer

8. What is your greatest fear?
That I will wake up from my re-augmentation surgery and he'll have given me double-F's on both sides. Oops.

9. Do you get cravings? If so, what do you crave?
I get cravings for things that you can't make at home, that you can only get at one restaurant, like Torchy's queso or the spider roll at Musashino.

10. What do you do to change your mood?
Usually I listen to music or call/visit a friend. If I'm in a great mood and want to take it down a notch, Sunday morning political shows work wonders.

11. What was the last meal you ate that you loved?
I made this new recipe for balsamic chicken Thursday night, and served it with grapes and our favorite corn casserole. Unlike my regular balsamic chicken, this had roasted balsamic cherry tomatoes and onions all over it. Yummo. The fam was not as impressed with the chicken as I. :(

12. Do you want to learn another language? If so, why?
I would like to learn German so I could talk more easily with my brother and other German relatives. Also, Elvish. Very geek-chic.

13. What's something that you'd like to say to someone right now?
I would like to tell the Aggie football team, "WHOOOOOOP! You ROCK!!" They are masters of the comeback.

14. What are you looking forward to?
Thanksgiving Day. :)

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Hello Beautiful Saturday!

It's highly likely KathyL is losing her job this week, as a casualty of a merger and re-org. :(  She is very high up in the company, and it may take her a while to find something else. She may also have to move out of Austin, which would be very sad. Last night, we discussed starting a business together, but we were drinking wine, so our brainstorming was not very fruitful. Our most realistically profitable idea was opening a Krispy Kreme in the neighborhood, but I don't need Krispy Kreme nearby, and I certainly don't need to be working there. We did think of a perfect location that we know would make a lot of $$$.

I'm heading out-of-town for one of Jeff's rocket launches today. Lauren and a few friends are going out to a very nice dinner tonight for her birthday (which is actually on Tuesday).


Patrick's Saturday Six

1. Which late night host, past or present, would you consider television’s all-time greatest?
Johnny Carson. When I was 8-10, I used to sneak out of my room and stand silently in the hallway to watch the Tonight Show. My parents finally got to where they would periodically turn around and see if I was there. Sometimes I was actually asleep in my bed. HA. :p

2. Which late night host, past or present, would you consider television’s all-time worst?
Arsenio Hall, although I am as guilty of watching as most of you.

3. On average, how many nights per week do you actually watch a late-night talk show?
five - I always watch Letterman, except on the occasional Friday when I'm not home.

4. Which popular late-night skit are you most likely to enjoy: a good monologue, a man-on-the-street segment, an audience quiz, a funny headlines segment, or a hidden camera segment?
a good monologue - by far

5. Take the quiz: What Late Night Show Are You?
Ack. Can't stand Jay Leno. But this is a pretty accurate description of me.

You Are the Tonight Show
You are old fashioned and down to earth. Once you like something, you usually stick with it.
You find it easy to laugh, and you have a good sense of humor.
You are laid back and hard to upset. Even if there is drama going on around you, you avoid it.
You're just here to have a good time. Too bad to anyone who isn't!

6. If you had to appear on a late night talk show, which one do you think you’d be most comfortable as a guest on?
Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson. I love Dave, but if you say anything remotely stupid, he will punish you for it, for the sake of the laugh. While I enjoy watching others squirm, I wouldn't want to do it myself. Craig is one of those people who always makes his guests look good.

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