♪ Cuz You Had a Bad Day... ♫

I had a rough day yesterday. So many little things... blah. The worst was something suckeriffic that happened at work. I learned a huge lesson in what can happen when you take your eyes off someone you shouldn't. *sigh*

The only bright spot- the PC Gamer Magazine boys. Those kiddos make me smile with their enthusiastic discussions of all things computery. Very smart and well-spoken little guys. It's like watching Steve Jobs and Bill Gates at age eleven.

Thought for the day: Passionate people use the word "love" a lot. They don't "like" things, they frequently LOVE them. I don't mean common things that are loved, like people or vacation destinations. I'm talking about a keen appreciation for simple things like a sunset. It's been borne out in my own world of friends. The ones with joie de vivre use the word prolifically, while the regular ones are sparing with it. (I loooooove using it. Hee.)

Oh yeah. Here is what greeted us at the theater the other night, when we went to see Saw 3D:

Well, hello, Chris Pine. Not my type at all, but SO pretty to look at.


Friday Survey

1. You have 10 bucks and need to buy snacks at a gas station. What do you get?
Hopefully they have something fresh, like kolaches or breakfast tacos. If not, I just go for the Funyuns and a Diet Dr. Pepper.

2. Who's your favorite redhead?
Debra Messing

3. What do you order when you're at an ihop?
Buttermilk pancakes.

4. Rock concert or symphony?
rock concert

5. If someone were to buy you a gift, what would you like it to be?
a Tervis tumbler

6. What type of shirt are you wearing?
a pretty green, gauzy one my husband told me is too low-cut

7. If you could use only one form of transportation for the rest of your life, what would it be?
silver BMW Z4 :)

8. What is your deadly sin?
Lust. Hey, if you have to pick one...

9. What are you listening to right now?
"Almost Lover" A Fine Frenzy

10. What's your favorite city?
Only one? Las Vegas. I love that it is lit up and alive all night long.

11. What's the first word that comes to mind right now?
Blow

12. What type of pet do you have?
two four-month-old kittens

13. What did you have for dinner last night?
I made shrimp po-boys.

14. Where have you lived the longest?
Austin

15. What's the last thing you said out loud?
"What time does Lauren get up?"

16. Who was the last person that spent $100 on you?
Jeff

17. What's the last piece of clothing you bought?
Black slacks at Macy's

38. Who makes you laugh the most?
Laura

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Foggy Thursday

My plastic surgery consult is this morning. Whee! Thank you, girlfriends, for your opinions. I now know more about everyone's boobs than their husbands do. How awesome is that.

Queen Latifah was on Ellen yesterday, talking about the "It Gets Better" campaign/movement. She pointed out that this applies to all sorts of bullying. She was always taunted in school for having big breasts. When she became an adult, she realized it was actually a great thing. Ha.

That is all. Hey, at least I stayed on topic this morning. :)

Have a good day!

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Dad

Talked to Dad yesterday. The pathology results are in from the removal of his bladder cancer several days ago. He does not need chemo! Woohoo! He sent me a copy of his path report, "since you can make more sense of this than I can." He has papillary urothelial carcinoma, low grade, stage pTa. Of course I knew immediately that this is one of the more desirable types of bladder cancer, and his cure rate is at around 90%. (Nah, I didn't. But Google did.)

So YAY!!!!!!!!

As is typical for cancer patients and survivors, the diagnostic tests will test your fortitude more than the disease itself. He's going to have cystoscopies every three months for a while. *cringe* Of course this is the guy who said he had "no discomfort at all" after bladder surgery. He's a stone, I tell ya'.

Seriously Random Questions Meme

1. Your ex is on the side of the road, on fire. What do you do?
Holy Moses. On fire? Uh, yes I would put the fire out and call 911.

2. Your best friend tells you she is pregnant. What is your reaction?
I have a few best friends, and my reaction to any of them being pregnant would be shock and horror. Although it would be tons of fun to babysit... if I'm not hanging out in San Juan or Vegas or...

3. When is the last time you wanted to punch someone in the face?
People like OJ Simpson and Joran Van der Sloot get me riled up. The ones who commit unspeakable atrocities and think they can get away with them. I've only wanted to punch people on the news in the face, never someone with whom I've had personal contact- even that rude cheer mom at the Frisco competition a few years ago. I wanted to physically remove her from the line, but not to beat the crap out of her.

4. What is the last thing you spent money on?
Lauren's birthday gift

5. Do you think you gained or lost weight this past month?
I know I've stayed the same. Woohoo!

6. Crunchy or Puffy Cheetos?
crunchy

7. The first person on your friends list just called you a bitch. What do you do?
Alicia-- I would punch her in the face. Ahaha. I would just laugh. She probably gets called a bitch ten times more than I do.

8. Congratulations! You just had a son. What’s his name?
Ethan

9. Congratulations! You just had a daughter. What’s her name?
Yeesh. These two babies are really gonna screw up my travel plans. Ummm... Cassidy.

10. What are you craving right now?
Cheerios. What am I- three?

11. What was the last thing you cried about?
Ugh. The job. :(

12. When you buy something and your change is 2 cents, do you keep it or tell the cashier to keep it?
I keep it. The cashier doesn't want it any more than I do. We should stop circulating everything smaller than a quarter.

13. What color is your tissue box?
maroon

14. Do you have a ceiling fan in your bedroom, and if so, is there dust on that fan?
Yes, a gorgeous one! Of course there's dust on it.

15. What was the last voicemail you received about?
Laura on my work phone, asking if I liked my office, after her daughter messed around with my A&M stuff when I wasn't there.

16. Have you ever blocked someone on Facebook?
One person who I didn't know who kept trying to friend me. WAIT!! Maybe I did know her. ;)

17. Scariest thing you’ve experienced in the last year?
Suddenly feeling the valve on my implant for the first time, and thinking it was a tumor. Just another reason to go with silicone.

18. Do you wear a name tag at work?
I wear my photo ID around my neck, but no name tag.

19. What kind of car do you want?
Z4. Or for practicality, perhaps a Toyota RAV4.

20. What do you order when you go to Burger King?
Haven't been there in ages. I used to get a mustard Whopper and fries.

21. Have you ever had a garage sale?
A few. Mary was telling me about a relative of hers who will pick up all your stuff and sell it, for a fee of 40% of the money. Now THAT is a deal. Garage sales are a total headache to me.

22. What color is your cell phone?
black

23. What is the last alcoholic beverage you had?
Mango margaritas at Curra's. Yummy!

24. Are you happy right now?
at the moment, yes

25. Who came over to your house last?
Douglas

26. Do you drink beer?
I do.

27. Have your brothers or sisters ever told you that you were adopted?
LOL. I'm an only child and was spared that particular torture.

28. What is your favorite key on your key chain?
I'll go with the Pilot key, because it has the alarm buttons on it. My key is separate from the alarm thingie.

29. What was the last movie you watched at home?
Iron Man 2

30.What is in your pocket?
nothing

31. Who introduced you to your bf/gf/husband/wife?
I introduced myself.

32. Where do you hurt?
My knee still hurts a little most days.

33. Has someone ever made you a build-a-bear?
Nope :(

34. What’s something fun you did today?
It's early, so yesterday a fun thing I did was peruse chicken recipes on FoodNetwork.com

35. What is your favorite aisle at Target?
organizational stuff

36. When is your birthday?
April 2

37. Is there anything hanging from your rear view mirror?
No

38. How many states in the US have you been to?
35

39. What kind of milk do you drink?
Skim

40. What are you going to do after this?
Go grocery shopping!

41. Who was the last person you went shopping with?
Jeff

42. What is something you need to go shopping for?
Tervis tumblers

43. Do you have the same first name as one of your relatives?
Jeff has an aunt named Kathy, but she spells her full name Kathryn.

44. What kind of car do your parents drive?
I have no idea what my dad is driving these days.

45. Are you rich?
Nope. We're not destitute either.

46. What color is your couch?
Gold. Not sparkly lamé. Just regular.

48. What famous person do you look like?
Ellie Kemper

49. Does someone like you right now?
The hubby likes me a lot.

50. Say you were given a pregnancy test right now. Would you pass or fail?
It would be negative, which would be a total A+ in my book.

51. Favorite pop-tart flavor?
Eww. None.

52. Do you know anyone in jail/prison?
Shockingly and unfortunately, yes. A friend's dad.

53. What are your plans for the weekend?
Not sure. Working on that now.

54. Do you like the color green?
It's my favorite.

55. Who was the last person you sent an instant message to?
Donna

56. Last restaurant you went to?
Melting Pot

57. How many hours did you sleep last night?
6

58. Do you swear at your parents?
Hell no. Never did.

59. Do you think someone is thinking about you right now?
Oooooh. :) No.

60. Have you ever changed your clothes while in a vehicle?
Many times. Last time was in October at a rocketry event.

61. What is your ringtone?
Daughtry "No Surprise" or Katy Perry "Waking Up in Vegas," depending on who is calling

62. What were you doing at midnight last night?
sleeping

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Saw 3D

Saw Saw 3D last night. We've seen all the Saw movies, and it's become an annual activity over the years. Never was there a horror franchise as absurdly disgusting, disturbing and cheesy as this one. It's Motel Hell on a big(ger) budget. (There were even pig masks in this installment! Time to make the sausage. Mwahaha.)

Lauren told me afterward that Cary Elwes, Westley in Princess Bride, played Dr. Gordon in the original Saw and in this one. Whaaa? I had no idea that was him. Perhaps if he had just said something like, "I spent the last few years building up an immunity to iocane powder..."

We kept the glasses, because nothing beats them as nerd glasses when you pop out the lenses. Not that I frequently have a need for nerd glasses, but you never know.

I'm already scouting out activities for next weekend. It's a great time to hike, tour wineries... all sorts of cool things! Can you say slooooooow aaaaaaat wooooork? Come on, Friday!

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Need More Weekend

Doug and I had a fun afternoon yesterday! We went to Curra's and Zilker Park. Just another gorgeous day in the ATX. There won't be a Trail of Lights this year, but the Zilker Tree is up now! Not lit yet though.

In unrelated news, I have caught Lauren's stomach bug from last week. Yeah. It's as awesome as it sounds.


Patrick's Sunday Seven

The Mattel toy company has given media haters a gift: the Barbie® I Can Be… News Anchor Doll. Envisioned as a way for girls to “play out different roles and ‘try on’ fabulous careers,” the first job was chosen by a vote of Barbie fans. So now that she has her first career choice out of the way, it’s time to help guide her towards her next careers.

Name the seven careers you’d like to see depicted in a Barbie Doll.

Barbie® I Can Be… Ghost Hunter
Barbie® I Can Be… Carny
Barbie® I Can Be… Senator
Barbie® I Can Be… Crayon Color Namer
Barbie® I Can Be… Professional Student
Barbie® I Can Be… Paparazzo
Barbie® I Can Be… Gangsta Rapper

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Gig 'em Ags!!

Trounced OU, despite the cruddiest third quarter ever and injuries and penalties out the yang. You know you're on the edge of your seat during an entire football game when a full five minutes after the win and subsequent celebrating concludes is the first time you realize have to pee so bad you're not really sure you can make it to the bathroom. Just saying.

Gypsy Picnic was an awesome Austin-y event! Had a great time with Scott, Julie, Jim and the kiddos. There were a few details the event might think about working out, but it was the first year, so I think they did an amazing job. The food trailers were in a giant circle on Auditorium Shores, but the lines were very long and winding, so it was difficult to figure out where the end of your line was and to cross lines to get anywhere. They definitely could have removed all the trailers and tents in the middle of the circle to help that. Long lines took only about 10-20 minutes for most places, which is pretty good.

Ideally, they would have all 30+ trailers lined up next to each other and the waiting lines coming straight out with ropes between. Ahahaa. Impossible, but ideal. You're welcome, Gypsy Picnic planners. :)

Sunday Stealing: The 14 Question Meme

1. What do you consider your hometown to be?
Houston, TX

2. What’s the hardest part of your average day?
when I'm bored at work

3. The easiest? Why?
about 8pm, when dinner and cleanup is complete and we're relaxing and hanging out

4. What beverage do you reach for to quench your thirst?
unsweetened iced tea

5. What is one not-so-secret goal you have for your life? I’ll let you keep your secret ones to yourself.
Having a fabulous entertainment room to treat our friends and ourselves to a perfect spot to watch thrilling football games like last night's!!

6. What physical pain do you fear most? For example, I’m trying to decide how bad my jaw pain needs to get before I risk a potential needle from my dentist. So, for me, throbbing is preferable to jabbing.
it would be a tie between migraines (which I used to get) and childbirth

7. Where do you find solace?
music

8. What makes you the saddest when you read/see the news?
a child or animal in fear or anguish

9. What do you eat for a favorite snack?
grape tomatoes

10. What movie could you/would you watch more than two or three times and still enjoy just as much as the first time?
50 First Dates & Love, Actually

11. What boy/girl first made you cry?
A mean boy hit me on the playground in first grade. Does that count? heh. My first serious (and unrequited) crush, BobbyM, in middle school.

12. What brand of coffee/tea do you drink most often?
Luzianne decaf tea, Starbucks coffee

13. Dig in the dirt with or without garden gloves?
With. The dirt doesn't bother me, but the thought of touching a worm or other creepy crawly thing does.

14. James Taylor or Carly Simon?
Neither really, but I'd prefer James Taylor.

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Monday Mayhem on Saturday

So I got up at 9:15. I'm still in my jammies. I'm dorking around here on the computer for a bit, then having a teensy snack-breakfast before we head out to Gypsy Picnic with some friends for an extended lunch. Tonight several of Lauren's friends are hanging out here. It's going to be a great day!

Monday Mayhem on Saturday

3 Places I Would Pack My Travel Bag For
Moscow, Rome, Honolulu

3 On-Screen Characters I Love To Watch
Cam on Modern Family, Sheldon on Big Bang Theory, Jim on The Office

3 Moods That Describe Me The Best
chipper, contemplative, optimistic

3 Things I Always Think Of Doing On A Weekend
festivals/events, trail hiking, movies

3 Things From My Childhood That I Can't Forget
-My mom wasn't at the highway to meet me one day walking home in 1st grade, so I crossed without her (oh man was I in trouble for that) and went to a neighbor's apartment. She spent a couple of hours trying to find me.
-One of my journalism "friends" my sophomore year of high school, offered to take me home one night after a banquet. It turned out somehow he had been drinking all evening. In his parked car, he tried to get me to mess around with him (oh heck no), and actually got me pinned against the door before I was able to get out and call my mom to pick me up. Grant was supposed to have driven me home that night, but we had decided it was easier for this guy to do it. Grant felt terrible about it- poor guy!
-When I was 13. The sight of my father in lederhosen. ;) It was a big party at our house, and he changed into them in the bedroom and came out holding up a beer stein and singing opera. Everyone was dying. I have the photos, too, to remind me if I almost forget. Hee hee.

3 Things I Would Never Say No To
a trip to Vegas, Salt Lick, backstage passes

3 Things I Can't Live Without
music, internet, phone

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Here's to Good Hair Days

I got more compliments on my hair yesterday than I have in months. Wanna know how I wore it?

In. A. Ponytail.

Freakin' hell. If I had known I could be rockin' the pony all this time, I would have been doing it every day.

Best comment-- "You look 29." An obvious exaggeration, but very sweet anyway. I wasn't even wearing my up-high Cheerleader Ponytail. Wait until they see the CP! I'll practically look like a student.

Shhhh. Don't burst my bubble.

Mrs. A told me I have to try the Hecho in Mexico restaurant on William Cannon. When I told Lauren about it, I left off the silent H. She was all, "Really? You went to the trouble to use the accent on the hecho part, and then said the X in Mexico?" *g*

Friday Five

1. What were your three favorite songs ten years ago?
1) "Smooth" Santana feat. Rob Thomas
2) "Bye Bye Bye" NSYNC
3) "Bent" Matchbox Twenty

2. What songs or groups from ten years ago did you love then, but don't like anymore?
I thought Britney Spears was a real talent in her early days. Not so much since then.

3. What songs from ten years ago did you love then, still love now, but haven't heard in a long time?
"Bailamos" Enrique Iglesias, "Story of a Girl" Nine Days, "I Hope You Dance" Lee Ann Womack

4. What songs or groups from ten years ago did you not like then, but do like now?
I did not like Train back then, especially their song "Meet Virginia." Now I love them!! I still despise that song though. "Music" by Madonna- a song I didn't like when it came out, but it's grown on me over the years.

5. How has your taste in music changed in the last ten years?
My taste in music is the same. I haven't gone country or anything. That happens to people in Texas, you know. Something takes you over in the middle of the night...

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Thursday

...Show me, show me, show me how you do that trick
The one that makes me scream, "SEASICK!"...

Ahahaa! Yeah. Misheard The Cure lyrics from a hundred years ago. Just in case anyone else on the planet heard the same thing, it's actually:

..."Show me, show me, show me how you do that trick
the one that makes me scream," she said...

You're welcome!

(Seasick rhymes better.)

Finally beginning work on a song or two for my musical. It's in its very early stages, since I still don't have a good story yet. There has to be a song about some sort of strife, and a sappy love song... that's easy enough to build some basic phrases and hooks. I'm really looking forward to writing the requisite duet with two characters singing over each other. You know the one. I'm thinking I'll have to involve my melody guy at that point.

I still need some great new music to listen to! If any of you can recommend something, I would be very grateful. I like everything but twangy country. Prefer alternative and pop.

Have a wonderful day!!

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Voting Notes

I voted against two particular candidates, rather than for their opponents, yesterday. That's a real cup-half-empty sort of way to process one's options, but when the opposing candidate is not a favorite of mine, that's how I do it. Like... remember when George W was the "lesser of two evils" back in 2000? Well, to me anyway. Ahaha.

There was one State Board of Education race I've been watching like a hawk via television ads for several weeks. Turns out it isn't even my district. Boooooo. I want to get the extreme conservatives out of there quick, before our textbooks are complete garbage. Looks like a lot of others do as well. :)

I had to run the gauntlet of political enthusiasts outside my polling place, including one candidate himself, who kept talking about his platform as I walked off into the building. That whole scene was almost as annoying as the hundreds of political phone calls I've fielded over the past month. Yeesh. Thank goodness it's over.

On a happy note-- I am loving this cool weather!!

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