Education Funds Bickering

I read more about the Perry/Doggett federal education funds issue (an unusually "balanced" editorial from the Statesman- hmm!). Turns out it's a pissing contest between the two of them, where students and academic staff lose. Doggett started it, by attaching two specifications to the bill... for Texas only:

1) these federal funds cannot be offset in any way by a decrease in education funding by the state of Texas
2) Texas must split the money using Title I federal guidelines instead of our state guidelines

The state still has plenty of wasteful things they can cut before cutting education, so #1 sounds fine to me. And as a federal taxpayer, I think the federal government should be allowed to put any restrictions they want to on money they're giving out to states. So, #2 is also perfectly reasonable. I have no problem with the requirements, but Doggett should have put them on ALL states. Why just Texas? So he could stick it to Goodhair.

Perry, for his part, is lobbing the whole thing back because he's irritated by anything that doesn't allow Texas to act as its own country, and (probably rightly) irritated that Doggett is flexing his political muscle in his face.

Please stop dorking around and take the money, before they earmark it for something else. GAH.

We saw The Green Hornet yesterday. It was good!!

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"I Don't Know How to Tell You This..."

...but there's a Chinese family in our bathroom.
- Tom at IKEA with Summer, in 500 Days of Summer

Yesterday, Jeff and I went to Galaxy Cupcakes in Georgetown (yummy) and then hung out at IKEA for hours. He had never been there. Weird! I could have sworn he was with me when I bought the curtain rod for our bedroom. Anyhoo... he liked it a lot. :) And we left there with two office chairs.

Sunday Stealing

34. Have you been out of your home country?
I was born outside my home country.

35. Weaknesses?
kryptonite

37. First job?
steak restaurant hostess

38. Ever done a prank call?
many times, mostly with Lori

39. Do you think everyone out there has a soul mate?
I am one of the world's most impassioned believers in love and romance, but I just don't think there is one solitary person on Earth with whom each of us is spiritually bound, and that we happen upon that person by some stroke of remarkable luck. I definitely think there are a precious few people (men and women) with whom each of us has a very deep and special connection, who are on the same wavelength and "get" us, who are typically called "kindred spirits," but whom one might call our "soul mates."

40. What were you doing before you did Stealing?
I was at IKEA with my hubby. (I'm getting a head start on this thing before tomorrow...)

41. Have you ever had surgery?
Many times.

42. What do you get complimented about most?
How smart I am. Yeesh. Really? What I want when I walk into a room is for everyone to say, "Great rack!"

43. Have you ever had braces?
No

44. What do you want for your birthday?
Congressional term limits

45. How many kids do you want and what do you want their names to be? (or if you have kids, tell us about them.)
I originally wanted three. In my sleep-deprived haze after Lauren was born, I decided one was great.

46. Were you named after anyone?
My middle name is my maternal grandmother's name.

47. What is the biggest turn off of the sex(es) you're attracted to?
big bodybuilder muscles - ick

48. What is one thing you liked about high school?
I loved high school. One of my favorite things was senior musical. We did Carnival.

49. What kind of shampoo do you use?
Varies- anything from Suave to Paul Mitchell.

50. Do you like your handwriting?
yes

51. What is your favorite lunch meat?
pastrami

52. Any bad habits?
doing these surveys

53. Are you a jealous person?
not in general, but I have been jealous at times

54. If you were another person, would you be friends with you?
yes

55. Do you agree with friends with benefits?
absolutely not

56. Do looks matter?
To an extent. I don't think anyone has to be classically pretty or handsome to get a mate or a job or whatever the goal is, but you do have to look your best, to where others can tell you've got your act together.

57. How do you release anger?
I talk it out or listen to loud music.

58. Would you rather gain 58 pounds or lose 58 pounds?
Is this a trick question?

59. What's your main goal in life?
to appreciate the little amazing moments as much as the big fantastic experiences

60. What was your favorite toy as a child?
a doll named Jenny

61. How many numbers are in your cell phone?
206

62. Were you a fan of Barney as a little kid?
Barney Rubble was the only Barney when I was a kid. I was not a fan of his, but I liked his wife Betty a lot.

63. Do you use sarcasm?
never- heh

64. Mashed potatoes or macaroni and cheese?
mashed potatoes

65. What do you look for in a lover?
honesty, strength, sense of humor and an ENORMOUS... ;)

66. What are your nicknames?
Freek (the fansite girls still call me that to this day), K-Squared

67. Favorite super power?
invisibility

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Saturday 9

Saturday 9: What a Fool Believes

1. What celebrity do you think is the MOST foolish?
Lindsay Lohan

2. What are 5 things you don't care about?
designer purses, greeting cards that are just signed without a handwritten note, your Farmville farm, Twilight, South Dakota

3. What 'issue' do you think your opinion is so right about that you end up trying to sway others to your point of view?
That half-empty schools should be merged and closed.

4. What personality do you like to listen to on the radio?
Jason and Deb on 101X. Funny thing about Deb is that she was on my pop station with JB and Sandy a few years ago, and I didn't like her there at all. Maybe because she was too big a personality to be the fifth wheel in that group. I'm not sure. I love her on 101!

5. What culture are you fascinated by?
I am fascinated by traditional cultures like the Himba tribe in Namibia. I'm very curious about their day-to-day lifestyle and also how they avoid becoming "modernized."

6. You are alone with your lover's diary. What do you do?
Nothing. I remember what it felt like to have my diary read. It's traumatizing, feeling like you've been violated, wondering what someone, especially someone you care about, read in such a vast personal collection of your spontaneous, unedited thoughts. I would definitely ask if there is anything he wants to read to me from it though. :)

7. What frustrates you?
Politics. I'm a long way from the wide-eyed, super-enthusiastic Reagan campaign volunteer I was in 1984, before I could even vote. (My poor mom... staunch Democrat. She probably felt I may as well have joined a cult.) Now I think the whole bunch of them are in it for the power and perks, with little concern for what is best for the people of their city/state/country. The very, very simple answer is term limits, but it will never happen.

8. Do you remember the first time you were on the internet? What did you do first?
I went to a search engine and started searching random things. I clicked links from here to there to there for hours until I ended up on the most random site ever, about people who have "relations" with dolphins. No lie. I was completely horrified. When I told Laura the story, she was most disturbed because she assumed it was taking place via the blow hole. She's that girl who takes freakiness to a whole other level. ;)

9. What was the biggest fight you have ever had with someone?
I won't get into the details here, but Jeff and I had the absolute worst one ever about 10-11 years ago-- one of those that went on and on at an intense level for what seemed like forever, with neither person backing down. It is a pretty vivid memory, even today.

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Fed Up

An invaluable tip for you and everyone you know:

Do NOT use Strand Brothers, the heating and AC company.

They have hounded us constantly for two years via telephone, sometimes almost daily, to buy a maintenance agreement. It stopped for about three months, but Wednesday it started all over again. I'm seriously tempted to ditch my land line. GRR!


Friday Five: Actors/Actresses

1. favourite actor/actress growing up?
Gregory Harrison (who, incidentally, is married to Randi Oakes, who was on CHiPs with Erik Estrada, my other big crush when I was 10-12 years old)

2. favourite tv show/movie they were in and why?
He played Gonzo Gates on Trapper John, MD. I just adored his character on that show. He was so funny and charming.

3. favourite quote by said actor/actress?
"I didn't study acting for nine years to become a hunk."

Sorry, Greg. You can't escape your own hotness. Although, Johnny Depp has tried for years. Just get a weird hat, grow a few scraggly hairs on your chin and overdo "mysterious" to the point people think you're a little wacky. Even then, when your pirate movie comes out, where you're dirty and disheveled and look like you emit a noxious odor, the ladies will all swoon at the sight of you.

4. favourite image of said actor/actress?
This is the poster I had on my wall at the time...

5. what would you like said actor/actress to appear in?
I would LOVE to have seen him as Billy Flynn in Chicago a few years ago. Missed that. :( He would be a great cameo guest on any TV medical shows. Now he looks very distinguished and lawyer-ish. Same awesome smile.

(Speaking of lawyers, he guest starred as a client on Drop Dead Diva last year. I only saw that one episode.)

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Happy Hora

Happy hour last night with Jeff's coworkers and former coworkers was so much fun! It's been a while since I've been to a work happy hour. Mine are usually small, GNO get-togethers. There were around twenty people there at a long table. One of Jeff's old coworkers, ScottJ, who we know from waaaaaay back when we first got married, was at the other end of the table. I made my way down there to say hello. It's probably been ten years since I've seen him. He is still at the company and asked if Jeff was still there, which tells you how much they've seen each other in recent years... and how big the business campus is!

Texted JeffC all evening to get him to come up. Everyone was asking about him. He totally ignored me. Okay, he says he didn't see my messages until just now. That's alright. They have these things regularly, so I can harass him he can come next time.

Only in our house would you witness this exchange:

Lauren: Somebody loves you.
Me: Me?
Lauren: Yes.
Me (looking around for my purse): Are you sure?
Lauren: Yep. ♫ Doo-dee-doo! ♪

So I found my purse, with my phone, which had just chirped a late night text notification. It's all about knowing the code language around here. I should really provide a translation guide for guests.

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Depressing Stuff in the News

This newest act of terrorism in Russia really pissed me off. For the first time, I didn't feel any fear along with my anger. I did not imagine, like I typically do, how terrifying it must have been for the people in the area who weren't killed immediately. I did not linger on the photo of the mother and her crying son mourning the loss of their husband and father, while the usual tears welled up in my eyes. I did not dwell on my typical secondary concern that we might not be safe at our own airports. I just read the article and paged through the photos, completely incensed that such evil lurks in the hearts of some human beings.

It is so unfathomable.

AISD cuts are the big news since last Thursday. Because of parent outrage, the district has now decided not to close underutilized elementary schools. Buildings OR people, folks. How many of the 485 jobs cut at last night's school board meeting could be saved if they merged some of these half-empty schools? I understand that losing one's community elementary school is upsetting, but we need to look at the bigger picture, particularly in a time of financial crisis. Are you willing to lose teachers and have bigger class sizes, etc., and get a lower quality education for your children, instead of your children going to a school a little farther down the road? Well, I guess that question is answered. I don't get it.

Depending on which side of the political aisle you're on, this is all either Lloyd Doggett's fault or Gov. Goodhair's fault. I need to read more about the federal money issue before I make a judgement.


Song Lyrics du Jour

...Drinking old cheap bottles of wine
Sit talking up all night
Saying things we haven't for a while
We're smiling but we're close to tears
Even after all these years
We just now got the feeling that we're meeting for the first time...

The Script "For the First Time"

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Great Weekend

I had a terrific time hanging out with Cathy this weekend. We chatted a lot about boys- mostly her ONE (I know! Just one?!)- and reminisced over a box of her memorabilia. She had a pair of awesome photos of us in my room at home, on Christmas break during college, that I won't post on Facebook, but you can see them here, because you are special. And there's no identifying either of us from these shots. :)

I thought about posting them on FB and clarifying, "We're not drinking, we're just goofy." Then I looked at CJ's glass of "orange juice" and now I'm not sure we weren't drinking..... too.

Speaking of not drinking, Lori and Paul (who brought their sweet niece and nephew - age 8 and 9) joined us at Kemah Boardwalk for drinks on Saturday night. We looked all over for a lounge with comfortable bar seating, but all there are (since the Ike rebuild evidently) are restaurant bars with barstools. So, we ended up having pastries and coffee at Bayside Grille. Paul and Lori cracked me up so much with their stories that my cheeks hurt by the time we left! After hanging out there, we all rode the Boardwalk Tower and the kiddos rode the Drop Zone.

If you ever need someone to come shopping with you and convince you to buy things for yourself, I'm your gal. It happens all the time here at home, and I've now extended my services to the boardwalk as well. Lori tried on an ohsocute hat on a whim at one of the little shops. It was a knit beanie sort of thing, and we loved it. She put it back on the hook and started to walk off, when I said, "You're not getting it?!" (That, my friends is the kiss of death. Once I've asked the question, resistance is futile. You will buy that thing. You wanted to in the first place. I'm just the queen of the gentle nudge to get you to live a little.) She grinned and spun around and grabbed it off the hook. She's adorable in it.

Last night was the big fireworks show in Manor! (Correction from the other day- this was Rudy's project, not Stu's. They would never even see this blog, but I just like to provide accurate information for your reading pleasure.) It was really cool. Very up close and small town, with a big turnout! It was cold as all get-out, but for about 45 minutes, it was very bearable. I did find out my gloves aren't that great at keeping hands warm. Good to know.

Fun times!! Back to the regularly-scheduled week!

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Saturday Nine

Jeff: Did you hear your man has malaria?
Me: Wow. That's a turn off. Is he getting treatment?
Jeff: I think it's one of those things you're never really cured of.
Me: Like herpes? Eww.

;) Get well soon, George!

I am off to Houston this morning to visit my H-town chica! Yay! Have a fab weekend, y'all!


Saturday 9: My Woman From Tokyo

1. Have you ever been to Japan? If not would you like to travel there?
I have not been, but I would love to go! My mom lived in Japan for a couple of years during high school, when my grandpa was in the service. She absolutely loved it.

2. Have you ever played a game that required removal of clothing?
A few, yes.

3. Have you ever dated one of your best friends?
Doug and I dated for a few days. There were several reasons it didn't work out-- one of which didn't actually "come out" until much later. ;) We were still the best of friends afterward, so it was all fine in the end.

4. Have you ever kissed someone you didn't know?
I don't think so.

5. What is your secret guaranteed weeping movie?
The Notebook

6. What feature are you most insecure about?
my hips- ladies, can I get a 'hell yeah'?!

7. What do you miss most about being young?
Boundless energy

8. Who is the most annoying musical artist EVER?
Kanye West

9. Have you ever applied for a job that was an internet hoax, asking for credit history and your social security number?
No. I've never fallen for an internet hoax.

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Walking In

Oops. Looks like this never got posted yesterday! I blame the inventory scanner beeps beep-beeping in my head from three days and counting of library inventory. Only the professional library remains to be inventoried today. Whee!

........  Thursday, Jan 20, 2011.................

OK, I loathe Sarah Palin as much as the next person, but blaming her for the Arizona shooting is quite a stretch. A deranged person committed a dreadful and horrifying act. To randomly place blame on someone in politics is to promote fanatical partisanship and plain old hate. Step back and take a breath before making it into something it isn't, for the single purpose of furthering your own political agenda.

On a lighter note... Modern Family was pretty funny last night. Claire and Phil's kids walked in on them having sex. *cringe* I am one of those people who had the unfortunate experience of "walking in on" my parents, when I was 14. Does that image stay with you forever or WHAT? *quadruple cringe with a bonus "threw up a little in my mouth"* Luckily they have no idea to this day, and I'll keep that secret to my grave thankyouverymuch.

As the kids discussed with each other on the show- better to know they're happy together and having sex, rather than unhappy and not having sex and getting a divorce. Err, well... not sure what happened there in my parents' case. Ahaha.

Later in the episode, the kids didn't even want to see Phil and Claire kissing. Reminded me of when Lauren made Jeff a Fathers' Day card when she was 3. I had written down what she told me to write inside. Under 'Things I Like About My Daddy,' it included the very sweet sentiment, "I like when Daddy kisses Mommy." Aww. Last summer, she had an abrupt change of heart, when she became disgusted by anything resembling PDA around here. I understand her being grossed out by kissing or extended, extra-curricular hugging, etc., but Jeff had his hand on my leg one night while we were watching TV and she came unglued. "Eww! I don't want to see that!" I reminded her of her Fathers' Day card from long ago. That grossed her out even more. Mission accomplished.

..........................

And for today- The Friday Five

1. There are superheroes named Superman, Superfly, and Supergirl. Based on your performance this past week in whatever you do, what would have been your Super_____ name?
SuperFast(AndAccurate!)InventoryChick

2. This week, what has been superterrific and what has been superlame?
Superterrific- seeing Al Jarreau
Superlame- waiting in the doctor's office 1.5 HOURS past Lauren's appointment time to see the doc. One of my pet peeves.

3. Which of Superman’s abilities would have been the most useful this week?
Hmm. I can always use x-ray vision. (Does Superman have xray vision?)

4. What do you most expect will be super this weekend?
seeing Cathylicious and also catching the big fireworks show Stu is helping out with

5. What are your thoughts this week about the coming Super Bowl?
I thought it would be cool to go, since it's in Dallas this year, but I haven't been that into pro football this season and the Super Bowl is really expensive for what would really be just a "cool factor" thing. I'd like to see Mark Sanchez the Jets there though.

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Pimp Certification

KathyL is convinced, beyond any doubt, that I should get a Project Management Professional (PMP) certification. She went on and on about it. TWICE. I'm "organized and intelligent." I'm "not intimidated talking to high level corporate types." I "could run a project much better than most PM's out there."

Sweet. I need to buy that girl an expensive birthday gift. And more vodka.

I worked closely with PMs in my job as a senior data manager. I would enjoy and probably do very well heading up projects, but I'm not sure I would like all the politics of that position. Well... how much does it pay? Heh.


Patrick's Saturday Six

Since the zodiac got so much attention this week because of a newspaper article that introduced a centuries-old alternate lineup of astrological signs as if it were “new,” I figured this could be a good topic for a new set of questions.

1. Under which traditional zodiac sign does your birthday fall?
Aries

2. Go to this page and click on the appropriate symbol: what does it say about your zodiac symbol that you feel is most accurate?
-Aries tend to venture out into the world and leave impressions on others that they are exciting, vibrant and talkative.
-...low tolerance for boredom and lack of patience.
-Underneath the strong, independent surface may lie insecurity. This is due to the intense drive to succeed and Aries put too much pressure on themselves, thus resulting in self-doubt; however, the natural optimism and enthusiasm overtakes this and the underlying insecurity may never be known to others. 

3. What trait does it describe that you think least describes your personality?
-If confronted, Aries can turn to be quite childish, they will fight back with their aggressive nature and are known to have temper tantrums should they not get their way.
(I'm most often a diplomat when confronted. If I'm angry about not getting my way, which is rare, I usually retreat into silence.)

4. Now check out this schedule of zodiac signs from Time magazine. What does this adjusted lineup claim that your sign should be?
Pisces

5. If your sign changed, what is most accurate about your “new” zodiac sign’s personality traits?
-They have extreme compassion and they feel the pain of others. If something is wrong in the world that affects them, it affects them deeply, they take it to heart and feel extreme feelings regarding the matter. 

6. Assuming your zodiac sign did change, would you be more likely to claim to be whichever sign you felt was more accurate, or just stick with the traditional zodiac sign that has always been associated with your birthdate?
I would stick to the traditional one either way, since that's what has been done for like.... forever.  Plus- Aries definitely describes me better.

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