Let's Talk Travel... 'n Football

Well, it finally happened. Our beloved Aggies imploded yesterday from the weight of their own insecurities. There are still coaching calls to be changed as well. (Run and pass primarily in a forward direction, please.)

We're stacked with honest-to-goodness football stars (with a bunch more on the way next season) and they've proven they are capable, but they need to learn to emotionally recover from a few bad plays four games ago in a game we eventually won, instead of letting it crush them. There is nowhere to go but up from yesterday's abysmal performance, guys, so put those doubts aside and let's play some football!


Sunday Stealing: Let's Talk Travel Meme

Ok let’s talk travel, do you like to travel? 
Yes

Where have you been?
England, Germany, all over the Caribbean, Jamaica, Mexico, Canada, Puerto Rico, San Jose, San Francisco, Vegas, Phoenix, Milwaukee, Kansas City, Branson, St. Louis, Denver, Corpus, Padre, Dallas, San Antonio, Bar Harbour, Boston, NYC, Orlando, Tampa, Miami, Charleston, New Orleans, Nashville

Next place you want to go? 
Italy or back to Puerto Rico

What is something you MUST take with you when you travel?
I have a mini pharmacy with over-the-counter meds for various conditions.  I don't like having to find a med in the middle of a trip, much less pay an arm and a leg for a whole bottle of it.

How do you like to travel? (mode of transportation)
car or cruise ship

With someone, or alone?
always with someone

Do you dance in your car when there are other people with you? 
Sure!

If you're quiet, what does it mean? 
Well, occasionally I am just quiet. Other times, I am contemplating something that I don't want to talk about. 

Favorite store?
Target

Say you wanted coffee.. what kind is your favorite?
I like iced decaf mocha.

Favorite kind of pizza? 
veggies and Italian sausage

Do you get embarrassed easily?
not really

Do you mind people asking you personal questions? 
nope

You have a tank of gas, $50, and the day off… what do you do? 
Drive out to a hill country town and spend the day walking around and checking out the shops and having lunch at a recommended restaurant.

Favorite tv show?
definitely Blacklist

Song you turn the volume up all the way to listen to? 
"In Your Pocket" Maroon 5

Something you keep in your car? 
CDs

Highlight of your day?
during the week- hanging out with everyone at lunch, weekends- getting out of the house

Something you do every day that you wish you didn’t have to do?
As an employee of a contract-based company, I have to keep a time sheet even though I'm salaried. I HATE it. It takes too much time and there are always questions of which job code to bill for this or that task. Totally annoying.

Do you mind if people just show up at your house unannounced? 
Nope, but my friends know to call me when they show up, because I frequently do not answer the door due to the large number of salespeople in our neighborhood.

What do you do when you disagree with someone? 
I voice my opinion. If we can't work out a compromise, then we'll just agree to disagree.

Do you enjoy rain? 
yes

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Saturday 9

Well, it was the CDC's fault that the second ebola patient flew to and from Cleveland. It's one thing to allow at-risk people to move around locally if they aren't symptomatic, quite another to advise them to hop on a plane with a fever. Who the heck do we have working at the CDC these days? Was that person fired? Good grief. 


Saturday 9: The Power of Love (1985)
Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.

1) In this song, Huey explains that you don't need a credit card to find love. What's the last thing you charged?
lunch with the girls at the Texican Cafe

2) This song was written for Back to the Future. At the beginning of the movie, hero Marty McFly traveled around town on his skateboard. Are you good on a skateboard?
I've never been on one. I'm fabulous on a scooter though.

3) Huey sings lead and his backup group is The News. Was the most recent news you heard, bad or good?
There's a cruise ship now returning to Galveston with a Dallas hospital employee who was involved with the original ebola patient. I suppose the CDC ok'd that trip as well.

4) Huey's mother, Maria, was born in Poland. Who is the first member of your family to be born in the US of A?
My brother was the first and only person ever to be born in the USA on Dad's side (all German). My maternal grandma and her siblings were the first born in the USA to German and Irish parents. My mom's dad's family go waaaaaay back in the US.

5) Brainy Huey got a perfect score on the math portion of the SAT. Did you take the SAT? How did you do?
I got a 1380 out of 1600.

6) This song also hit #1 in Australia, where anzac biscuits are popular. To make them (the recipe is here) you need coconut. Do you have any coconut in your home right now?
Nope.

7) Thinking of dessert, would you rather have cookies, cake, pie, ice cream or frozen yogurt?
cake

8) We're definitely into autumn now. What will you remember most about Summer 2014?
EARTHQUAKE

9) Tell us your superhero name, as determined by the color of your shirt and an item directly to your right. For example, Sam fights crime as The Gold Kleenex Box!
The Turquoise Owl!

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Ready for the UK

Last night, texting with Jen...

Me: Jeff just pulled my muffins out of the oven and said, "These are black." Oy.
Jennifer: Are they... chocolate muffins? :)

Nice try! (Always heed that warning about reducing the temp and time when using a dark pan for baking. Just. Saying.)

So. The company travel agent made my plane reservation for London today. Get ready for this...

Business Class (a.k.a. "Club World") on a British Airways 787 Dreamliner, baby. These seats recline flat for sleeping.

Supercool!! When do we leave?!

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Ebola

So this second healthcare worker diagnosed with ebola traveled on TWO plane trips, knowing she was not allowed to do so. Worse yet, per this CNN article, she knew she had an elevated temperature on Monday before she traveled back to Dallas:

"...The worker had a temperature of 99.5 Fahrenheit (37.5 Celsius) before she boarded her flight...."

She didn't report it until Tuesday:

"...The second worker reported a fever Tuesday and was immediately isolated, health department spokeswoman Carrie Williams said..."

The worst part- she is a healthcare worker. Healthcare professionals with blatant disregard for quarantines are in the wrong line of work. She didn't care who she put at risk.

The government should nail her with attempted murder charges, especially if any of the people on that flight to Dallas show up with ebola. If they need to post guards at houses to make sure people at risk of infection aren't out trying to see how far they can push the rules of a quarantine, then that is what needs to happen. Yes, even for you, Soups Snyderman.

ETA: I just heard on ABC News, regarding the nurse, that "it's not clear whether she knew she wasn't supposed to travel." If she didn't know, then there isn't any culpability on her part. But the hospital? The CDC? Yes. Get your crap together. Inform your employees and others that they are quarantined and explain what it means. What a mess.

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P.S.

Kaser for Heisman!! :)

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Game Recap Sunday

As a game summary last night at midnight, when we were all tired and disappointed, I would just have said "The Ags imploded." I've had 5 hours of sleep now (these 2:30 a.m. drives through Bastrop kill me), so I can formulate a more accurate recap of the A&M/Ole Miss game.

First and foremost- shoutout to Speedy Noil, who was a bright bright light through the weary evening. That kid was IN THE GAME. All. Night. Long. I am so impressed with him. Calling him "talented" on the field is an understatement, but I really admire how incredibly energetic and dedicated he was last night, making plays until the very last moment through a long, hard game. He has the attitude and fortitude to be a great leader for the team. True freshman, y'all. 

The first few games of the season went exceptionally well and we all happily forgot that the team is primarily made up of true freshmen and red-shirt sophomores. Although they are top-quality recruits, it is a rebuilding year without our experienced players and we were never expected to do well. When we smashed South Carolina and continued putting up amazing numbers the next few games (even though they were fluffy non-SEC opponents), it created unrealistically high expectations for the team and especially Hill.

I won't rehash the more eloquently written analyses, but it boils down to this for me: Hill needs to make the forward passes he was making before, not these lateral passes for no gain. Most importantly, he needs to regain his confidence, because interceptions and fumbles aren't going to cut it. The RBs need to run straight ahead, not sideways and backwards. The receivers need to catch the (now rare) passes that are hitting them right in the numbers.

Our Section 130 had a LOT to say about the coaches' play calls last night. If only we had a line to those guys. Who knows how things may have gone. ;)

And finally the D. We've struggled with defense for several years now, but this year is different. It's a progression. The defense really came through in the second half of the game. Early, they looked tired and beat down. Later though, they and Noil were the spirit of the team. Come heck or high water, they were going to do their part. Good on ya', Aggie Defense.

The competition in the SEC West is brutal. There's no embarrassment in losing to the best teams in the nation, especially with a young, inexperienced team. I think we're all back to the rebuilding mindset now. Carry on and gig 'em!


Sunday Stealing: Random Questions

Who were you with yesterday?
Lauren and Jeff... and an SEC and state of Texas (including NFL) record-breaking 110,633 football fans!

What woke you up this morning?
Daylight

Where are you?
In the living room

Is tomorrow going to be a good day?
Yes! I get to put together my new office at work.

What’s on your mind RIGHT NOW?
grocery shopping

Do you listen to music every day?
yes

Are you a fast typer?
yes

Whats your favorite type of soda?
diet ginger ale

Have you ever won an award?
Haven't we all? Yes, several.

Are you listening to music right now?
no, I'm watching Giada at Home

How long ’till your birthday?
about six months

Do you use ebay to buy or sell?
nope

Who makes you mad?
Just one person I work with. I am working on dealing with it better than I have been, because the negative energy is draining.

What do you do when you’re mad?
Vent to friends. Thanks, friends!

Do certain songs make you cry?
Yep. A sampling: "Rain" Patty Griffin, "Fireflies" Ron Pope, "Over You" Miranda Lambert

Are you usually a happy person?
Yes! Turns out it drives my unhappy friends nuts. LOL

What makes you the happiest?
hanging out with family and/or friends doing something fun or just chatting

Do you believe in yourself?
most of the time

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Good Morning!

So. I'm watching Hilary Duff and Giada De Laurentiis on Watch What Happens Live now (on my DVR from this week). LOL and omg. SO funny. I think Andy is freaking them both out. And I'm having Lizzie McGuire flashbacks. I watched every episode with Lauren when she was a little girl. Lauren has even met Jake Thomas!

...Then I see you smiling as I go oh, oh, oh
Yesterday my life was duller
Now everything's techni-color
Hey now, hey now,
This is what dreams are made of ...

"Hey Now" The Lizzie McGuire Movie Soundtrack- Ha!

OH man, Hilary has no idea what a shotski is. Giada has done it before. This is awesome.

BTW, regarding the Giudices of Real Housewives of NJ and their prison time... I'm sick of them thinking of themselves as victims. They need to stop acting like something terrible has happened to them. They did this to themselves. They committed fraud at the expense of other innocent people. Their "we'll get through this" attitude is seriously ridiculous. While I feel awful for their daughters, I have zero sympathy for them.

My company moved today! It was a long-ass day, but we all got packed up and out of there in time to get to Chuy's for happy hour.

Goodbye beauuuutiful Austin skyline view.  :(
Hello ten minute commute! :)

We'll see if I can remember how to reconnect all my electronics on Monday morning.

Off to College Station today. BTHO Ole Miss!!


Saturday 9: Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)
Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.

1) Are the majority of your friends married or single?
It's honestly about half and half.

2) Rings are one of the items most frequently pawned. Have you ever visited a pawn shop, either to sell or to buy?
I have been in a pawn shop one time in my entire life. JohnH pawned a guitar when we were in high school. He thought he would get a couple of hundred dollars for it and he got about $30. Thus I learned at 15 that a pawn shop is the last place you want to get a loan.

3) Let's say we want to put a ring on it: What's your ring size?
I have no idea.

4) Beyonce does commercials for Pepsi. What's the last beverage you drank?
New Mexican Martini at Chuy's

5) Beyonce also has a clothing line. What are you wearing right now?
jeans, a grey long-sleeve top and tennis shoes.

6) Speaking of clothes, Sam was changing hers this morning when she unintentionally flashed her neighbor. She didn't realize he was working along the fence that runs under her bedroom window. Tell us one of your most embarrassing moments.
My bedroom in high school was in the front of the house. I had a huge floor to ceiling window. One evening, I realized that you could completely see through my translucent bedroom curtains if the lamp was on at night, which it was during who-knows-how-many times I didn't want to share with the neighborhood.

7) Rumor has it Beyonce is pregnant again. Coincidentally, Sam needs to check the Babys R Us registry for a shower present. Who will receive the next gift you give?
Lauren. It's her 21st birthday next month!

8) But Sam doesn't actually want to go to the shower and is trying to come up a good excuse. Tell us a time you fibbed to get out of doing something.
I don't fib to get out of things. I just say I can't or don't want to do it.

9) When did you last go inside the bank and talk to a teller?
The last time I even went into the bank, Lauren was in high school and I had to get a form notarized for a summer camp. Last time I spoke to a TELLER? 2008 perhaps.

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Sunday Stealing

Well, the Mississippi game was just plain painful to watch. What has happened to Hill's confidence in the last two weeks? No one expected anything out of this year, so it's been amazing where we've been so far, but in the end, our team is young and thus inconsistent. I really wanted them to throw Kyle Allen in there yesterday, but I suppose patience with Hill is best. When he's relaxed, he hits those receivers every single time. He needs to learn to trust his ability.

So weird that so many top 25 teams lost this week. It's a shakeup of a season so far. Keeps things exciting though!


Sunday Stealing: Random 20

1. Have you had an argument with anyone recently? If so, do you still have issues with that person?
Well I didn't think we were having an argument on Thursday, but Felicia thought we were. I was telling her that I was angry that someone else did something. She thought I was angry with her, because she had actually told the person to do what they did, which I didn't know.... So about two minutes into the conversation, she got very defensive and was angry with me and I was sooooo confused! When I figured out what was happening, I told her I wasn't mad at her at all. I also emailed her after we hung up the phone with a huge apology. She never said a word about it, but we've talked since then. So I'm not sure where we stand at this point. Hoping we're good!

2. Are you talking to anyone while filling this in? How about texting/chatting on Facebook? 
Nope, I'm just watching cooking shows and doing this meme at the moment.

3. Have you done something recently that helped someone else, in any way?
I took care of having the fence fixed, so the neighbor didn't have to handle it.

4. Who was the last person to pay you a compliment? 
Leslie said I was "on fire" correcting things during the vendor meeting the other day. I've been finding errors in their specs at every single meeting! Gah.

5. Is there anything that’s happened in the past month, that you wish you could go back in time and change?
Nothing I can think of!

6. What colour is your purse/wallet? 
black

7. What’s the closest item to you that’s black? 
Maya

8. Think about what you looked like 5 years ago. How did you look different, compared to the way you look now? 
I was leaving my hair curly most often then. Now it's almost always straightened. 

9. Before Facebook became popular, did you use any other social networking site, like Bebo or Myspace? 
I had a Myspace page, but I was never very active on it. Most of my online social time was devoted to message boards and LiveJournal.

10. Has someone of the opposite sex ever sung to you? If so, how did you respond to it? 
I've been sung to on a few occasions. I love that!

11. When did you last hug someone of the opposite sex? 
Jeff and I hugged yesterday.

12. Have you ever seen the film “Casablanca”? Did you like it? 
I've seen it. I don't really get into old films, so it was ok, but not something I would watch again.

13. Do you have a relative whose name begins with ‘L’? Tell me about him/her. 
Lauren is the obvious 'L', but you know all about her! Liz is my mother-in-law. She was a stay-at-home mom while her kids were growing up, and then worked as the administrative assistant to an airline executive for many years. She likes to cooking, traveling and home decorating.

14. Are you a secretive person? 
No. I'm a very open person. If anything, I tend to "overshare."

15. When did you last eat? 
A couple of hours ago I had cereal.

16. If you were going to buy a present for a special person, what would you generally choose? 
I really like getting someone an activity-based gift like tickets to an event or class, etc.

17. If I’m going to buy you a box of chocolates, which kind should I definitely NOT get?
I don't generally like chocolates with gel or cream fillings.

18. Is there something you generally always ask for help with? 
Vacuuming the air registers on the ceilings. I can't reach them.

19. If you had to give up your phone or your computer, which would it be? 
Computer. It's not as mobile.

20. Has anyone called you gorgeous/beautiful today?
Not yet. The day is young!

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Happy Sunday!

AGGIEEEEEEES!! Whoop!!



We were playing so unusually crappy yesterday and Arkansas so unusually well, that I would never have guessed we would find our rhythm in time to tie it up. Could we stick with taking 1 quarter next time and not 3? Most exciting finish in a long time though. We were all thrilled and amazed!

Coach Price (defensive line) was happy...



Sunday Stealing: Ask Away!

1. What is your zodiac sign? Aries
2. What is your favorite color? green
3. What’s your lucky number? 3
4. What talents do you have? I sing, write songs and fiction, I'm a pretty good hack interior designer
5. Are you psychic in any way? no, just observant
6. Favorite song? at the moment- "Animals" and "In Your Pocket" on Maroon 5's new album V
7. How many pillows do you sleep with? 1-2
8. What position do you usually sleep in? on my left side
9. Have you ever tried archery? only during PE at school
10. What’s the longest you’ve ever gone without sleep? When Lauren was born, I went close to maybe 48 hours awake. I was hallucinating and my visual depth perception disappeared.
11. Do you have any scars? I have one cat scratch scar from Ernie, several little biopsy scars here and there, a round scar by my eye where I was hit in the head by a falling conch shell (#ThatExplainsALot #DamnBlanketForts), a scar on the top of each foot from a lymphangiogram, and my post-mastectomy reconstruction scar.
12. Have you ever had a secret admirer? I don't think so.
13. Can you do any other accents other than your own? Various English accents, southern, Texan, Australian, German. Not sure I do any of them well.
14. Are you a good judge of character? I tend to assume people I meet are honest, good-hearted, etc. and when a few turn out not to be, I'm always surprised. Then that's the first thing I think- I'm a terrible judge of character!
15. Can you curl your tongue? Yes
16. Are you a clean or messy person? I'm clean, but not exceedingly so. My stuff gets cluttered and messy, but as soon as I notice, I straighten things up.
17. How long does it take for you to get ready? ready for what? Ha. I can get ready to go out in as little as 10 minutes or as long as an hour. That's probably less than average.
18. Do you have much of an ego? Nah.
19. Do you talk to yourself? Rarely.
20. Do you sing to yourself? I sing alone a lot, but I wouldn't call it singing "to myself."
21. Can you name all 50 states of America? Yes, but I don't know the little song or anything. I would have to think through them.
22. Have you ever been scuba diving? Nope. Never will.
23. What makes you nervous? Speaking in front of hundreds of people. I do it, but it's not my favorite thing.
24. Do you correct people when they make mistakes? Depends on the mistake. If it's a spelling or grammatical error on social media or in an email, no. If it's something that will be a problem if repeated, I do.
25. Are you ticklish? yes
26. Have you ever been in a position of authority? I've been a manager and supervisor in my career.
27. How many piercings do you have? 2
28. Can you roll your Rs? Yes. In the front and in the back.
29. How fast can you type? Medium.
30. What are you allergic to? CT and MRI contrast agents, sulfa antibiotics
31. Do you keep a journal? Only this blog and only things I don't mind everyone in the world knowing. I kept daily written journals twice when I was younger and both times they were read by people I had trusted, who then felt compelled to question me about things I'd written. After the second time, I realized it wasn't worth anyone getting their panties in a wad over my private, uncensored thoughts.
32. Do you like your age? Yes. I'm still young and healthy, yet old enough to have accumulated a lot of life experience and to know myself well.
33. What makes you angry? Anyone who feels they have the right to physically harm someone else (guy in Llano beating up elderly folks, two teen girls stabbing their "friend" in the woods, etc.). Exception- police officers who have to use force when someone they are arresting is fighting them. If you're being arrested, calm down and get in the car and voice your concerns at the station. You have zero right to fight the police. If you do, I don't mind if they beat the ever-loving crap out of you.
34. Were your ancestors royalty? Not that I know of.

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Waught the Fock

I've been having daily meetings with a sponsor and a vendor to get a mobile phone app going for a study (patients will enter their dosing information into it- cool, eh?). The vendor screwed something up something critical in a HUGE way during Wednesday's call. I was working from home, so I couldn't see the reactions in the office and wasn't in on what I was sure was an interesting conversation afterwards.

Later, C called me and we talked about the whole debacle. She described how shocked our local team was and that they were all just speechless.

Our sponsor's product manager is a petite girl with the cutest English accent. She's very sweet and endlessly positive.

I said, "I wonder what (the sponsor's product manager) said when they got off the call!"

C said, "She probably said..." and then in the cute, girlish voice with the English accent, "What the F**K."

...which, of course, is now the running phrase at work. It's actually brought a bit of culture to the place. ;)


Saturday 9: A Day in the Life (1967)
Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.

1) According to Rolling Stone, this is the greatest Beatles song of all. What's your favorite Beatles song?
"A Day in the Life" is an amazing song. One of my faves. But "Oh! Darling" is probably my very favorite. As a bonus, you can really drama it up when you sing it. Fall to your knees, etc...



2) "A Day in the Life" took 5 days to record. Looking back on the last five days, what did you accomplish?
I am locking a database next week, and I got all my ducks in a row for that.

3) This song is the highlight of Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Heart's Club Band, the first album released after the Beatles gave up touring. Critics predicted that, when they abandoned live concerts, their creativity would wane. Obviously this wasn't the case. When has someone underestimated you?
I've been accused of being "too nice," but I come out swinging when I need to, to many people's surprise.

4) The song says our hero "woke up, got out of bed, dragged a comb across my head." How is your hair right now? Are you prepared to go out and face the world? 
My hair is good! I'm ready for the world.

5) The lyrics tell us he had to hurry to catch the bus to work. When is the last time you rode public transportation?
I rode the game bus in College Station from the mall to campus the weekend before last.

6) "A Day in the Life" was a true Lennon-McCartney collaboration. Conventional wisdom is that Paul is easy going while John was edgy. Is your temperament more Lennon or McCartney?
McCartney

7) "A Day in the Life" came out five years after the Beatles replaced their drummer. Taking over for Pete Best was undoubtedly the biggest break of Ringo Starr's career. Tell us about a time when fortune smiled on you.
I was diagnosed with Hodgkins Lymphoma in college and was scheduled for a local surgeon (the doc who diagnosed me at the university Health Center) to remove all the lymph nodes in my chest. The director of the Health Center heard about my diagnosis and intervened immediately. She informed me that surgery was not a good treatment option. She knew a doc at MD Anderson, which was referral-only at the time, and he got me in. I was in Houston starting chemo within a few days. Her actions likely saved my life.

8) It would be hard to overestimate the Beatles' impact on popular culture. Their story and music have inspired a Broadway musical, a Las Vegas show, two movies and, according to Amazon, 900+ books. What's the most recent biography you read?
Anderson Cooper (it's been a while). I'm working on Jenny Lawson's book. (Does that qualify as a biography?)

9) The Beatles are an ongoing boon to England's tourism industry. Fans from all over the world visit Liverpool each year to see where the Beatles grew up and got their start. If you won a trip to England, tell us what you'd like to see.
I'm going to England in December! I've been before and hit all the major London and Brighton sites, but I'd love to visit a bunch of castles. I love castles!

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