Aggies - Looper - Sat Six

Freaking amazing game yesterday!!! Aggies are looking fantastic! I'd stand in the rain for three hours to support them if they were the cruddiest team in college football... but it sure is a hell of a lot of fun when they're winning.

One terrific part of the game was the pouring rain at the beginning of the second half. Now THAT'S football, baby. Players and fans soaking wet. Loved the sun coming out just after we had a huge play. Cue the heavenly harps.

Thanks to the rain, our seat neighbors got to see my curly hair for the first time. And without the appropriate hair products. I hope they're not scarred for life.

Texas A&M 58, Arkansas 10

Could the Aggies be the team with the best chance of upsetting the SEC West apple cart?... The Aggies appear on their way to a big season.

Jeff and I saw Looper on Friday. It was really good! There was one teensy part I didn't understand. Talk to me if you saw it, and you get why they rolled through the appearance of Future Joe twice. Seriously. I have thought and thought about the possibilities of why/how that happened, and I just cannot wrap my head around it. I got The Matrix, y'all. This should be a cakewalk.

On a related note-- A&M QB Johnny Manziel and Joseph Gordon-Levitt... Separated at birth?

Joseph Gordon-Levitt

A&M's Johnny Football

Patrick's Saturday Six

1. D is for DAY: Which day of the week would you most like to have two of every week?
Tuesday.

Duh, of course Saturday!

2. D is for DRAMA: What’s your all-time favorite television drama?
thirtysomething and ER

3. D is for DOG: What breed of dog that you’ve never owned would you most like to?
collie

4. D is for DRINK: What single drink do you drink most often?
unsweetened decaf tea

5. D is for DESSERT: What is your single favorite dessert?
chocolate cake

6. D is for DIME: What is the last thing you remember being able to buy for a 10¢ or less?
Super Bubble bubble gum for 2¢ at 7-11, when Lori and Kim and I were in 4th grade. We called it "2-cent gum." It was perfect for spending that last few pennies of your allowance.

There's that green apple one my mom made me spit out if I chewed it around her! The smell of it made her want to gag. I LOVED the stuff. I wonder if they have it at HEB...

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Football Saturday!

It's gonna be a drenching and muddy football game today. Woohoo! Bring it on. Gig 'em Ags!! BTHO Arkansas!


Friday Five: Where To Go

1. Where do you go for a great cup of coffee or tea?
I'm a Starbucks girl. Sue me. (Iced Skinny Mocha)

2. Where do you go for a great doughnut?
Gordough's (Dirty Berry)

3. Where do you go for a great sandwich?
Habana (Cubano)

4. Where do you go for a great bowl of soup?
Thai Spice - Westlake (Tom Kha)

5. Where do you go for a great post-midnight snack?
Kerbey Lane (Kerbey Queso... or pancakes, depending on how far past midnight it is)

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Job Search

But first--- Kudos to the ATX for this!

Austin becomes first Texas city to endorse marriage equality

YEAH. Go on with your bad self, Austin. Ahead of Houston, even. :)


I've started my job search. Over the years, I've kept my ears open, maintained my contacts and checked the websites of all the area CROs, to see if jobs in my profession are plentiful. And they have always been, without exception.

This week... not so much.

There are literally two open positions in Austin. I'm under-qualified for the first one. The other is perfect for me, but it is with a company where former colleagues have emphatically advised me never to work. I could probably swing the higher-level position easily, if I were moving from one job to another, but after so many years out of the field, I will most likely have to go in at the level I left, perhaps even below that.

Jim's sister and I talked about this very issue a couple of weeks ago. She was a stay-at-home mom for many years. When she returned to work (she's in Dallas), she took a job slightly below what she had left, but within a year or so, she had been promoted to a higher position than where she had been before she was at home. She recently quit that job to pursue a completely different path. She's still in the same general field- healthcare- but in a job very different from what she was doing. She's loving it so far.

I've started looking into other positions in drug research. I would absolutely love love love to be a CRA (clinical research associate- they visit sites to monitor progress during pharmaceutical studies), but it's 80% travel, which isn't for me.

Well, I would love to travel for fun 80% of the time! It would be a total drag for work.

I've also looked into higher education administration jobs, but it's either Clerk or Dean of Engineering. Nothing in-between. I would really enjoy helping students with academic advising or financial aid, but I couldn't find one position open in either. Julie's contact agreed that there isn't anything available in academic advising now.

I briefly considered going to medical or nursing school, but I don't have the stomach for the job, physically or emotionally. It hurts me to see someone sick or in pain. And anyone bleeding or throwing up-- ACK.

People keep asking if I would take a full-time website administration job. I don't really want to do that. Although, that's where I may end up at this rate.

When I finally decided last night to just apply for the position for which I qualify at the questionable company, that job had disappeared from the company website.

Well, I'm still sending in my resume. So there.

Continuing the search. Wish me luck!!


Song Lyrics o' the Day

...I said all I had to say
in letters that I threw away
And you should know, please believe me
I've picked up the phone a thousand times
And tried to dial your number...

Carrie Underwood "What Can I Say"

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Step-Parents

One of my friends posted a photo with her brand new blended family on Facebook. Everyone, including me, commented what a fantastic picture it was. They really are a great bunch. I did think, though, that I would truly die a little inside, seeing my children with my ex and his wife and everyone bubbling around them with comments like "what a beautiful family!"

Yep. There are my kids and their other mom.

My parents split up when I was 14, and within a few months, my dad moved to England and then New York, so I only saw him once a year after that. Between my age and the physical distance, there was never any feeling or expectation that his new wife was my "stepmom." So my mother never had to deal with that complication. Nor did I, thank goodness.

Do fathers feel this way? (Heck, I don't even know if other moms feel this way.) If your kids run over and hug the dude that's now married to your ex- do you cringe just a little? It's wonderful that your kids love their stepdad, but honestly? Deep down? Another guy raising and helping to shape your children into who they will be...

Just shoot me in the heart.


Now, two Saturday Sixes, because I got behind...

Patrick's Saturday Six

1. B is for BUG: Which insect is your favorite?
Praying mantis. His face is so cute.

2. B is for BONE: Have you ever broken a bone? If so, how many have you broken?
Just my little toe. They don't even splint those.

3. B is for BOOGIE: On a scale of 1 to 10, how would you rate your own dancing ability?
9's and 10's are for pros. I'm a rock-solid 7.5.

4. B is for BAKING: What was the last pastry you remember buying?
A cranberry muffin at the Hyatt for breakfast last Saturday morning.  :)

5. B is for BORROW: What was the last thing you borrowed from someone else?
We borrowed a 1928 A&M yearbook from a guy who works where Jeff donates blood.

6. B is for BED: What size is your bed?
Queen


1. C is for COLOR: Which color is most represented in your wardrobe?
like most people- blue

2. C is for COMEDY: What’s your all-time favorite television comedy?
Will and Grace, followed very closely by Cheers

3. C is for CHANNEL: What single TV channel do you tend to watch the most?
HGTV

4. C is for CAT: What is your favorite kind of cat?
tiger

5. C is for COMMUTE: What’s the longest distance you drive as part of your normal routine?
7 miles to the Foundation office

6. C is for CREDIT: How many credit cards do you own?
Two-- a Discover that we use for every possible thing, and a cash rewards Mastercard for the few places that don't take Discover. We pay them both off every month and marvel at the amount of cash we get back each year. I highly recommend it!

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Dirty Laundry

I make my living off the evening news
Just give me somethin'... somethin' I can use...

Two separate conversations from Sunday-

Me: What's GTL?
Lauren: Gym, Tan, Laundry. It's from Jersey Shore, which I never watch.
Me (I, too, have never seen the show): What's "Laundry?"
Jeff: Laundry. Like laaaaaundryyyyy.
Lauren: Like the laundromat.
Me: Mmmmkay...

Me: Who are you chatting with?
Lauren (texting a friend at school): Mark. He had a confrontation with someone in the laundry room.
Me: What is "The Laundry Room?"
Lauren (laughing): Where you do laundry????
Me: Ohhhhhhhh. Like in the dorm? I thought it was a bar or something.

I seem to have some sort of brain block when it comes to laundry.


The "please do me a favor and change your settings so people can't see my comments..." alarmist and erroneous Facebook post is back again. *sigh* Sure, I can take the trouble to change my personal settings so I don't see your public posts on other people's pages, but it most certainly does not prevent everyone from seeing them.

Here's a complete treatise on this subject from Snopes.

Almost everyone has their wall posts set to be visible to their friends. Some have them viewable by friends of friends, and some by the entire online population of the world, including people who aren't on Facebook at all. Note their settings, which are conveniently indicated on each post, and comment accordingly.

If you must say something to someone via Facebook, but you don't want other people to see it, write it in a private message. Very simple, very easy. (I'm channeling my inner Chef Tell. Anyone remember him?! Okay, moving on...) Like real life, you want to keep private conversations private. If you write it on someone's wall, it's public. The changing of my settings doesn't affect that.

What exactly are you guys posting that you don't want your friends to see? I'm changing all the settings for people who post that silly message to "DEFINITELY show me comments this person makes on others' pages." ;)

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Random Tuesday

Lost at E Minor has a photography feature of Mont Saint-Michel in Normandy. Check out the pics. They're breathtaking! I've never heard of Mont Saint-Michel before (cue eye rolls from certain people reading this... I know who you are), but it is really beautiful. It's actually a town of 44 people covering a tiny, rocky island and rising sharply to a monastery at its peak.

It's unfortunate to see all those tourists' vehicles in the photos. Perhaps a park-n-ride from a less picturesque location would be nice? Plus, if you park in the wrong place, your vehicle floats away at high tide. Oops.


I noticed this weekend that Jeff has the same Facebook profile photo as I do! WTH. He's using one of my album photos. In all fairness, I must say he was using it first. He is never on FB, so I had no idea. Since I just changed my profile photo last week, who looks like the copycat?? That would be moi. Guess I'll be changing mine.


Song Lyrics du Jour

...I’m out here in the dark all alone and wide awake
Come and find me
I’m empty and I’m cold and my heart's about to break
Come and find me

I need you to come here and find me
'Cause without you I’m totally lost
I've hung a wish on every star
It hasn’t done much good so far
I can only dream of you
Wherever you are...

"Wherever You Are" from Lauren's favorite childhood film, Pooh's Grand Adventure: The Search for Christopher Robin 

(Three-Year-Old Lauren: Tigger doesn't have any money.
Me: Why not?
Three-Year-Old Lauren: He doesn't have any pockets.)

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Whooooop!

Aggies beat SC State 70-14! I see a pattern emerging for the season. I like the "slow to start" Ags much better than the "second half shutdown" Ags. Looks that all that conditioning is paying off! If it takes a failed drive or two right out of the gate to get the jitters out and play well the rest of the game, that's totally cool with me. I think they'll grow out of that, anyway.

Freshman Manziel is doing a fantastic job at improving his patience to find a receiver instead of just running when his first choice isn't available. He's also perfecting the dramatic and fun-to-watch scramble-run-pass play.  He and Evans are shaping up to be the new Tannehill/Swope. Whoop!

Dustin Harris was amazing, becoming the top punt returner in the nation with his 96-yard return for a TD. He also set A&M and SEC records for single-game return yardage!


Sunday Stealing: The Sparkling Beach Meme, Part 1

1. Ever given or received an engagement ring?
I received one in 1989. :)

2. Longest relationship?
24 years

3. Last gift you received?
A&M earrings, necklace and purse for game days from Kathy. Now that I've got all the sparkly accessories, I'm an "official" season ticket holder.

4. Ever dropped a mobile phone?
Yep.

5. When's the last time you worked out?
Thursday

6. Thing(s) you spend a lot of money on?
dining out, mostly for social/entertainment purposes though, rather than the meal itself

7. Last food you ate?
a bowl of Raisin Nut Bran

8. First thing you notice about the opposite sex?
hair

9. One favorite song?
"For the Nights I Can't Remember" by Hedley

10. Where do you live?
Austin, Texas!

11. High school attended:
Clear Creek High School in Houston

12. Cell phone provider:
AT&T

13. Favorite shop:
Pottery Barn

14. Longest job:
3 years at a CRO

15. Do you own a smart phone? Why?
Yes, originally because I couldn't stand texting with the phone keypad anymore. Now I use it for playing games, using the camera when I don't have my real camera with me, doing the Facebook thing, emailing when I'm out, googling things on the fly, maintaining my contacts via Google Contacts and tons more.

16. Do you prank call people?
Not recently, no.

17. Last wedding you attended?
Joshua and Brittany in June

18. First friend you'd call if you won the lottery:
Laura

19. Last time you saw your best friend(s):
I saw Laura two Fridays ago at the spotted dick happy hour. I visited Cathy in Galveston for a few days, two weeks ago.

20. Favorite fast food Restaurant:
Schlotzsky's

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Saturday 9

That awkward moment when Simon Le Bon looks like Zach Galifianakis:

From Duran Duran on Facebook

Speaking of Zach, we saw The Campaign yesterday. It was cute! We and the eight other people in the theater were laughing a lot. (It's been out for a thousand weeks.)

Now off to College Station with Scott and Julie. BTHO South Carolina State!


Saturday 9: Papa Was a Rolling Stone

1. What’s the best memory that you have of your dad, while growing up?
I've answered this one before. :)

He took me to a Duran Duran concert in London (from his home in Brighton) just because I saw it in the paper and absolutely freaked out about how cool it would be to see them there. I was a HUGE fan. He just said, "Let's go!" My step-brother (two years older) reported that it was sold out. Dad said we would find tickets somehow, once we got there. Dad and I hopped on a train and ended up 11th row on the floor at Wembley Arena. He barely knew who Duran Duran was, but he was dancing and getting into it as much as I. One of the best nights of my life. I loved that he wanted to take me just because I thought it was cool. I loved that he just stood up right there in the kitchen and said we should do it, without any concern of the money or time it would take to get there considering how hard (or impossible) it might be to get tickets. I loved that he embraced my music and was the hit of the evening with the teenagers around us at the concert.

2. How boring do you think your life is?
It's fairly exciting, actually. It'll be a tad more interesting when I'm working.

3. Can you do any accents? If not, do you know someone who is good at it?
I can do an okay German and a damn good Texan accent. Grant does a lot of accents!

4. What technology did you at first fear that you now could not live without?
Cellphones. I resisted getting a cellphone for years. The first one I got was only for emergency use. Now I have an iPhone and no landline.

5. Do you, or have you ever, thought you have a book in you?
I've written three-and-a-half online novels. Honestly, the third is probably good enough for publishing, with minor rewrites. I would also love to write something new.

6. How does the weather affect where you live?
I can't live in long-term snowing or constant rain. Other than that, I'm good.

7. Are you more interested in you favorite artist’s next work, or the TMZ side of it all?
Far more interested in the artist's work. The TMZ side is not to be tossed aside, though. I enjoy picking up a People Magazine now and then, and I watch TMZ every day. Although... the TMZ thing is as much for the sense of humor of the TMZ staffers as it is the breaking gossip. For example, this week Clooney's girlfriend was photographed trying on an engagement ring by herself. The TMZers broke into song. "...Na na na na, hey hey-ey, goodbye..." So funny!

8. Have you ever felt “battled-scarred” by a relationship or relationships in general? If yes, do tell.
I only ever felt "battle-scarred" with JohnH. About six months into what seemed to be a completely normal relationship, he told me he was bisexual. (Well, he didn't tell me. He had a female friend tell me, while he watched from across the lunchroom.) Then everything became really complicated. After another six months or so, it ended very dramatically, with an emotional and public argument. There were many great things about us, but in general it was far harder than healthy relationships should ever be.

9. Do you tend to root for the bad guy?
What kind of sicko roots for the bad guy? Ahaha. No, I always root for the good guys and the underdogs. I love a happy ending.

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The Friday Roundup

While I've been working like crazy on the new website this week, nothing has given me greater amusement than Kiptyn harassing the hermit crab in my makeshift office. Picture if you will, a giant, long-haired kitty pouncing against the glass of the terrarium about every four seconds or so.

I was a little worried the cat was scaring the crap out of the crab, so I went over to shoo Kiptyn away. Moe the Crab was practically out of his bright blue shell with the dreamsicle-orange heart on it, standing up, against the glass. Bwahaha! Moe just kept standing there! "Yeah?! You want a piece of me?!"

Did I get video? Of course not. As soon as it occurred to me to grab my phone, Kiptyn laid down. I tried to get him to pounce at the glass again, but he's a cat. Soooooo... you can guess how that went.

~

Pedro sent me a link to the funniest thing I've read in long time.

The Fart that (Almost) Altered My Destiny

I was ON THE FLOOR. Just when you think it's reached a pinnacle of hilarity, it goes one more step beyond that. Thank you, Anna Lind Thomas.

I sent this link to five people yesterday, and I don't think a single one of them opened it at work. They thought it might have audio. (If only!) So if you wanna click, it is completely SFW. It's a written blog entry.

~

On the broadcast of X Factor's Austin auditions the other night, Panda Ross sang one of my all-time favorite tunes, Sam Cooke's "Bring It On Home To Me." I went on YouTube to find some covers of it. I found some great ones. I wanted to share a few here...

Here is the gorgeous and oh-so-talented Darren Criss (from Glee) singing it:




Van Morrison, Tom Jones and Jeff Beck (oh my mom would loooove this)




And guess what I discovered that totally made my day? Tony Freakin' Lucca and Ernie Halter from a few years back. Are they having fun or what!!



Wow. Someone in that room laughs exactly like me.

Happy Friday, friends!

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TGIT

With Jeff taking Fridays off for three weeks in a row, Thursday feels like Friday. Three-day weekends, baby!

As proof that we are all self-centered creatures, I had one of those experiences with someone thinking I was talking to them on Facebook, when I wasn't. My friend posted a photo with a bunch of adults sitting in chairs or standing. One man was sitting on the floor, which was just weird. She posed the question, "Did they run out of chairs?"

First reply: Obama has that chair.
Second reply: Clint Eastwood stole it.
Me: Ha! Awkward.

I was referring to the photo and the guy looking silly sitting on the floor, but Commenter One thought I was talking about the political banter in the comments.

First Commenter again:  Just teasing, ladies!...

*facepalm*

People are funny. I'll be the next to assume such a thing though. Just watch.

Oh, remember when I wrote about Kimberly and her "the frost is on the pumpkin" status? Jeff had no idea what that meant. I told him, "You're welcome."

:D

We were reading last night about the new penalty people have to pay if they don't have health insurance. A couple of things perplex me about the whole thing.

First off, it sounds like a Republican notion that someone without the means to purchase healthcare insurance should pay a $700 penalty. Doesn't it? But it's actually a Democrat thing. That's pretty harsh from the bleeding hearts. The tax is opposed by Republicans because it's an invasion of the government into the private lives of individuals. Yet, isn't that what anti-abortion laws are? My head spins with these conundrums.

(I am also the one to whom ScottK had to carefully explain, over margaritas, why Democrats don't want anyone to have to show an ID on voting day. Ten minutes into the conversation, I was saying official IDs should be provided free of charge to every American at birth. That's when he called me a socialist. LOL.)

Anyway, my other question is this: How does the government know someone doesn't have health insurance??? Do people check a box on their tax return to say "yes I owe you $700 or 2.5 percent of my income, whichever is greater, because I don't have health insurance?" Also, didn't we just get done discussing how almost half the country doesn't even pay income taxes- most of them people who would be affected by this penalty?

I support the penalty wholeheartedly, by the way. Mountains have been moved and pigs have flown to get Obamacare passed. There are health insurance options for most everyone (not sure who the exceptions are, but I'm guessing there are a few), and one of the things that will help us to emerge from the healthcare crisis is to have everyone covered.

I'm talking politics again. Back to celebrity gossip and song lyrics tomorrow!

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