Buh-bye '09

Well, another year is a-comin'! Can't believe we are already saying goodbye to 2009 ... it's been a fast year. I always heard that time speeds up as time goes on (nicer way to say, "as you get older"), but I never could have known it would pass this quickly.

It's been a good year, though. I have nothing to complain about in my life - I am truly a blessed person. I have a great partner, a great family, great friends, a great puppy, and in general just a really nice existence.

I pretty much gave up on resolutions when I realized the start of a new year means little else than the end of one chapter and the starting of a new. Sure, you can aspire to change your life, or yourself, or your situation ... but resolutions are not going to be the ways to do those things.

January 1st is nice because it kind of does feel like a new slate, with one year in the past and whole new one to look forward to - but January 1st doesn't have to be "the day." Usually, for me, it isn't. Mine usually come before that specific day in any given year.

My point is, don't use the first of a new year as a scapegoat for not doing what you should have done before then. And I'm not saying that to anyone in particular, just a random pouring of thoughts on the last day of the year.

I always feel nostalgic around the holidays. I'm not sure why, but today could have to do with the snow. I also find Christmas lights mighty enchanting, and mine are all lit up nice and bright today. I think I'll start taking them down tomorrow ... I hear it is tacky to leave them up much longer than this.

So, what did I learn in 2009? Hmmmm ... I learned a lot about commitment and how fantastic it can be with the right person ... I learned that I can successfully put together a desk that is in a hundred tiny pieces all by myself ... I learned a puppy doing a happy dance can literally make my day ... I learned how to cook ... I learned that skiing is not as easy as it looks, nor is raking and bagging leaves ... I learned that quality time is not the same as all the time ... I learned how to take a compliment ... I learned how to make the most awesome blueberry muffins I've ever tasted ...

I'm sure there is a ton more, but that's all I can think of at the moment.

And, what do I know about 2010? I know I will still have the best partner, family, puppy, and friends anyone could ever hope for, and I know that I be teaching 11th grade English at Monterey.

The rest is a complete and total mystery - just as it should be.

As for right now, I have the very daunting task of choosing between Onyx Rush, Golden Twilight, and Bolting Blue ... nail color for my New Year's Eve dinner, of course! I feel a little game of "inny meeny miny moe" in my very near future.

Hope everyone has a delightful New Year's Eve! Be safe out there.

Christmastime

I can't believe it is already Christmas week! Where in the world has 2009 gone?! I feel like last week was last Christmas. Golly!

I am just happy that my entire family is either in town now or coming into town very shortly. My cousins (Melanie & Crystal) and niece (Corinne) and aunt (Charlotte) came into town on Sunday and will be here until the day after Christmas. My other cousin and his girlfriend (Mark & Chrissy) and my cousin-in-law (Scott) will all be here a little later this week.

The holidays are fabulous for me for that reason alone ... family!

Christmas Vacation

One of my very best memories for all time happened last night.

Alex and I were watching Christmas Vacation snuggled up on the couch with the Christmas lights on, feeling very warm and cozy, him propped up, me in my nook ... when the little dog (who cannot be left out) waddled her way up onto the couch with us, stretched completely across our two laps, put her chin on my leg, and snored for the remainder of the movie.

Perfect night.

SYTYCD

Fine, I admit it ... I love So You Think You Can Dance!

Quote of the Day

I added a neat-o little gadget today. Check out the "Quote of the Day" to the right. It changes daily without me having to do anything at all ... just like magic.

I love my puppy.

Tuesday Morning

Well, I have been totally neglecting journaling lately. Work, Master's, and Puppy occupy so much of my time, it's amazing I find time to have a "life" of any kind.

Work and Master's are just that ... necessary and not always tons of fun ... no surprises there.

Puppy, or "Kimbo Slice," as Alex calls her, is growing like a little weed. She's getting bigger and bigger, as is her personality. She's a super-awesome puppy ... can be quite spirited at times, but overall, couldn't ask for a better little dog. Right now it is all about training, and training is all about patience. She's "getting it," though. Sheesh, Alex taught her her how to "Sit" in less than 4 hours!! Girl gots the smarts!

I am happy that it has actually been getting cold here. We've had a few days of Indian Summer, but for the most part, the temperature has actually been dropping. In fact, I think we had our first freeze last night. I definitely felt it when my bare feet hit the hardwood floor this morning. Yikes!

Oops ... must go! The little one is rousing, time to go outside.

Kimber

This is our new puppy, Kimber. She is an Alaskan Malamute, 8 weeks and 3 days old, and I am totally and completely in love with her. She's the funniest, cutest, sweetest, smartest, most precious little thing I have ever seen. I couldn't be happier. :)

C'mon Fall!

Today has been a really good day. We stayed in bed until about noon, then made coffee, waffles, and bacon. It was deeeeee-licious! I've spent couple of hours since cleaning the kitchen just to mess it up again. We are headed to Nikki and Joe's tonight to watch the Tech vs UT game. I'm baking brownies and making some queso in the crock pot. Football and queso go together like peanut butter and jelly - I'm telling you the truth. (I should probably blame Aunt Kay for this.)

I'm excited about the game tonight. I have no idea when I started enjoying football so much, but it has happened. I think it has to do with the hint of Fall creeping in, with the grilling and the excitement. I don't know ... I just really look forward to football season these days.

School so far this semester has is going very well. I'm still trying to do whatever I can do go above and beyond. I am determined to get a good job next school year and graduate (eventually) at the top of my graduate class. I do this so that I can perhaps write my own ticket into a Ph.D. program ... and, of course, a better job once I graduate.

Still trying to think about where I might attempt the Ph.D. I mean, I have plenty of time to suss it out, but I think our discussions are centered around either Austin or Denver. Both have good schools, and both are pretty awesome cities.

Yeah, I'll admit it ... I miss Austin a little. It's a really fantastic city ... even with the horrendous traffic. The food there is top notch, and the atmosphere is just ... cool. The heat, I could definitely do without. I felt like I was dying during the summers ... and I hate not having all four season ... but, even so ... great city, and I do miss living there. (Oh, "Ode to 'Alamo' ...")

I'm also thinking of reading the Sookie Stackhouse novels. I have no idea why I feel inclined to mention that on here, but there it is. We watch Tru Blood like it's some sort of crack, and I hear the books are better than the show. So, I'm going to give it a go. I just need something fun to balance all of the required reading I do for school.

Oops! Buzz go the brownies. Time for me to cool them off, cut them up, get ready, and head out for some at-the-house tailgating. Whoooo-hooooo!!!

(And, P.S., the Jimmy Eat World station on Pandora is the coolest thing since pockets. Seriously ... check it out!)

Basterds, Laundry, & Weddings

Went to see Inglorious Basterds today. The verdict is that it was alright, but could have been better if it were a little shorter. Some funny parts, not at all historically accurate ... but I guess that was probably the point. Anyhoo ... it would probably have been better to wait and watch it on DVD.

I've been cleaning house and doing laundry since returning from the movie. I would much prefer sitting on my duff on the couch and zoning out for a while, but things such as lack of clean clothing and dirty dishes must be attended to somehow. No other time like the present!

Nikki and Joe's wedding was nice yesterday: very non-traditional, very fast ... which I appreciated. I mean, the wedding was definitley BIG and FANCY (make no mistake about that), but the vows and the way it was all done was very much not in the realm of what most would call "milk toast." (Is that even the right expression? Sheesh.)

The reverend who presided over the ceremony is an old friend of Joe's who got ordained in college, but is not the leader of a church or any other religious affiliation, so the vows were very short, sweet, and ... unique. He actually quoted The Ataris ... I thought it was SO COOL! :)

Anyhow, I'm a little wiped out from work, school starting, this wedding's events, and such, but I am incredibly glad that I could be there for Nikki. She has been a great friend to me through the years (almost half of my entire life, yikes), and she deserves to be safe and sound ... and will be with Joe.

I did take note of a few things while watching her plan her wedding, and while hearing her talk of how much work actually goes into a ceremony of that size. The first is that I am just not cut out for a large wedding of my own. The second is that (if and when I get married) I want something very small, very intimate, and very stress-free! Of course, then there would be a very large reception (in the form of a house party) a week or so later ... but, you know, the actual vows and ceremony ... short, sweet, intimate, calm.

I think that the older I get, the more I realize that I just don't want (and could not handle) an extravagant lifestyle of any form or fashion. Some might call it boring, but I think it's nice to keep things as simple as possible. No muss, no fuss. I just want to be happy. The rest doesn't matter too, too much.

Oh, and did I mention that the entire time I've been writing this, some strange man has been knocking on my door incessantly? (Guess he didn't (or can't) read the "No Soliciting" sign clear as the day is long right beside the front door!) It's nearly nightfall and I'm here alone, so I'm a little freaked out. I never know what to do in these kinds of situations ... open the door and try my luck, call the police, sneak out the back door and run.

Ugh! I'll let you know what I decide.

Textbooks and Dresses

I'm knockered. (Meaning: worn completely out!)

School starts tomorrow, and it will be my first night class since I was trying to graduate from high school a year early. (No dinosaur jokes, please ...) The rest of my classes will be on Tuesdays.

Work has been a little crazy this week, but I suppose that can be said of most jobs when all of the paperwork is due. End of the month = never a dull moment.

I've also been convinced to be on the United Way committee this year, which has a kick-off luncheon tomorrow. I'm still very unclear as to what I will actually be doing (such is my life), yet I suppose anything for charity is worth doing.

(Did I say "anything"?! Whoooo ... I'm slipping. Never use words like "anything" ... or "never," for that matter. Whatever.)

Nikki and Joe's wedding is this weekend, and I am a bridesmaid, so it is going to be busy, busy, busy. Rehearsal and dinner Friday evening, wedding on Saturday, reception with open bar to follow. Good times!

I'm also quite thrilled because the dresses are chocolate brown and very much wearable outside of the wedding setting. This pleases me, as so many bridesmaids dresses I have seen in my lifetime are completely grotesque and humiliating.

... And don't even get me started on theme weddings! I mean, seriously! What the ... ?

Well, it's 9:30, and I feel like a grandma today, so I might as well embrace it and go to bed now.

Hope all is well! 'Night.

Buckley

How in the world did I forget the BRILLIANCE that is Jeff Buckley?!?!

I put the 'Grace' CD on last night, and can't stop listening to it. The music mirrors my mood.

Gosh, he was SO GOOD! Such a shame.

House of Blues

It's going to take time, my friend
You have to keep graceful dancing ...
- Justin Furstenfeld, 'Graceful Dancing' -

House of Blues was AMAZING!

All work and no play ...

My work week is OVER, and I will be heading to Dallas in the morning for a 3-day mini-break with Kala. We are going to a concert on Saturday night, and hanging out the rest of the time. Yesssssssssssss!

No end to the madness.

Yet again, things are completely monkey-balls in my life! I thought everything would slow down a little after finals last week, but they certainly haven't so far.

I plan to write a pretty sizable post in the next few days. (If only I could do this from work. Ha!)

Speaking of, did I mention my new job? I am an executive assistant at the A-J (the newspaper here in town). I've been in training and am still unsure exactly what my specific job will be, but I think it's one of those things that they are trying to redefine now that the last lady left. I'm not too sure on the details, but hints and whispers lead me to believe that she had been there a LONG time, and was very poorly received by her co-workers.

Hence, me! :)

I can't complain. It is 30 hours a week (all, if not more, than I can swing with grad school), and I get full pay and benefits. Whoo-hoo!!!

Um ... what else, what else? OH! I got a 4.0 in my collective summer classes, which pleases me tremendously. The pact I made with myself before starting school again is safe so far.

Yikes, look at the time!!

So, yeah ... there's more ... but I have to go to work now. Like I said ... a new post in the next few days. Until then ...

Busy bees make tasty honey.

Grad school in the summer is kicking my butt!! But, you know, it's in that really productive, feeling good about myself, happy to be motivated and doing something positive kind of way. I can't complain.

I made a pact with myself to put forth whatever effort must be exerted to receive a 4.0 for my Master's. So far, so good!

I haven't turned on the television, except to decompress and try to fall asleep on occasion, in the past 3 weeks. I can't even tell you what is happening in the world at large. Last I heard, CNN was talking about Michael Jackson non-stop (overkill, if you ask me ... no pun intended).

So, that's my life right now. I'm taking a break this evening to hang out with Kala for a bit, then it will be back to the books.

As soon as I can pull my head from all that is the Texas Tech Education Department (taking only Education courses this summer), I will have a much more exciting update to share. In the meantime, working on that 4.0, baby! ;)

1st day of school.

I start grad school today!! I'm all aflutter.

Updates, pictures of the new house, discussion, and much more to come. Right now, I need to make myself some breakfast, get a little coffee, and start walking to campus (yes, I can actually *walk* ... deeee-lightful!). :)

Yea!!!!

"You're drownin', Shoog!"

What I really want to know is how in the world I have ended up with so much STUFF?! I mean ... geez, Louise, folks! The packing is downright incessant.

I am taking a HUGE, MONSTROUS, GIGANTIC carload (possibly 2) of things to Goodwill today. Then I am heading to the "record-sell-back-store" ... whatever ... we'll call it "Ralph's" because that is my only point of reference. Then I need to go to the church around the corner and drop off a box of books for their book drive that I saw fliers for at our mailbox yesterday.

All of that, and I *still* am not done with packing. I've saved the kitchen until now because I still cook every day at home. I guess it'll just have to be sandwiches and cereal for the next 3 days. :)

But, yeah, seriously ... 10 years of living "on your own" coupled with an acute case of sentimentality will accumulate into some mass amounts of business hanging around. It's nuts!


(For those who think I have lost my mind with the title of this post ... it's from King of the Hill, a show I have become addicted to via reruns on Adult Swim. I conveniently blame my boyfriend.)

Wow.

Farrah Fawcett, Michael Jackson, and Ed McMahon all in one week ... sad times for the entertainment industry.

Lazy, hazy, crazy days.

I haven't been posting lately because my life has transitioned into some sort of dream world where I have absolutely no schedule, obligations, or responsibilities ... nor does the person with whom I co-habitat. Both of us are off work until we start school, and we really just do whatever we feel like, whenever we feel like.

It's thrown somewhat of a wrench in my structured little schedule where I actually get things done, and pride myself on extreme productivity ... but it's actually been pretty lovely.

It all ends soon, though. There are mass amounts of packing and sorting and Goodwill dumping that must be accomplished before the U-Haul arrives on June 30th. I plan to get rid of about a quarter of my net accumulation before we head back to Lubbock. There's a time to keep and a time to give. Now is the time to give!

I'll get back on track with ... well ... everything ... once school starts back up on July 7th. Until then, I think I'll just stay right where I am, doing what I what, when I want, and enjoying every minute of it!

One month.

Yet another exciting revelation about our new house:

No more SCREAMING couples on the opposite side of our bedroom wall waking us up at 7 o'clock every, single Sunday morning like clockwork.

Awesome! Those two "lovebirds" are totally whack ...

(Mood: Annoyed)
(Music: Either Way, I'll Break Your Heart Someday by Augustana)

Glee

Fox has pulled a tricky, tricky move ... they forced us to watch the pilot of Glee, made it completely fabulous, and are now withholding the remainder of the goods until the Fall.

What a nasty thing to do!

Ugh, if you didn't get a chance to check out the first episode on its original air date (a couple of weeks ago), it will apparently be running throughout the entire summer. Watch it!

(Mood: Productive)
(Music: Journey's Greatest Hits)

Kay's 60th

Happy Birthday, Aunt Kay!!!!!

Here are a few pictures from her 60th birthday party this past weekend:

(More to come as soon as I get all of the photos from the party-goers.)

C'mon, Thursday!

Busy, busy, busy, busy, busy ...

It's nice to have so much to do. Sitting around all day without a purpose bums me out.

So ... on Thursday, we are heading to The LBK for Aunt Kay's 60th Birthday Party!!! It's a HUGE shindig at Norbert's house with lots of food, lots of drinks, lots of games, and lots of people! I have no idea of the actual head count, but it is going to be BIG.

That's Saturday night.

Thursday afternoon and Friday (most of the day) will be dedicated to finding a house. We have made it our mission to sign a lease and have a Lubbock address waiting for us at the beginning of July before returning back to Austin for the month of June. This shouldn't be too, too difficult, as I hear there is a lot for rent right now, with the official school year being over and whatnot.

Call me crazy, but I do enjoy a good day of house-hunting.

Saturday is mostly party, very little business. It starts at 5, but there is much to do in preparation. Alex and I will be full-on decorating and setting up and assisting right up to the time of the hoe-down. (Ho-down?) Then it's all fun and games into the late evening hours.

F-U-N!

Sunday and Monday and possibly Tuesday are all up in the air. We aren't going to leave until Tuesday morning, at the earliest. Just depends on what other loose ends we need to tie up before the big move, as we will not be back to Lubbock until we roll in with our U-Haul.

(I can't believe it's only a month away.)

Anyway, I'm totally excited about this trip! It is going to be full of super-fun stuff. I also have devised a plan to optimize the picture-taking extravaganza that Saturday will most certainly be! I mean ... SO MANY PEOPLE will be there!! All of our family and lots of friends. Too sweet of an opportunity to NOT take a boat-load of photos.

Of course, I will post a great number of them on here as soon as they are uploaded late next week.

Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee ...


(Mood: Thrilled)
(Music: Firecracker by Ryan Adams)

Bliss

Fresh cherries are back in season!!!

I squeaked and clapped my hands in the grocery store when I saw them.

(I think maybe it's time to stop listening to my iPod when I shop ... makes me feel like I'm not really in a crowd; hence, almost too comfortable.)

Still, I've been happily treating myself to a bowl of cherries every day for the past three.

Whoooody, whooooo!!! Life is good.

Let's do this!

Now that everything surrounding school is determined, delivered, and decided, speed of life has flown into the highest of high gears. There is so much to do in preparation: packing, finding a new place to live in a different city, movers, u-haul, dates to arrange, solidifying registrations and payments, jobs, schedules, etc ...

It's a lot to take in, and many lists are quickly growing.

I've been looking online at houses for rent in The Hub this morning, and I have to say ... I'm somewhat baffled by the super low prices. I guess the near 2 years I've lived here in Austin has jaded my money perspectives a bit. I must say, I'm delighted to find that cheaper living is soon-to-come!

There are definite benefits. I'll never say different.

I also had another happy realization about my Fall schedule while going over details of classes. I will only be in school on Tuesdays (all day) and Thursday evenings. Grad school classes are scheduled so much more conveniently than undergrad! This helps tremendously with job possibilities.

Though, I still don't know what kind of job I'll do.

There's always subbing as an option. I have a bit of a sour taste with my experiences with the school district here, but not all districts are the same. Subbing is always a good fall-back, just in case. There are also many openings on campus for grad students. I'm thinking of checking those out first.

(Almost) anything to pay the bills!

Oh, and yeah, after my first year of grad school, I'll hopefully be teaching full-time while finishing my Master's in night classes. The time-frame will most likely still be 2-2 1/2 years to finish everything up, and I would just like to have an actual salaried job (with benefits!) before I graduate.

Then it's possibly onto a Ph.D and full-college professing.

I'm just really happy because I'm finally able to relax and allow myself to get excited. With everything being so uncertain for so long about the move, and no specifics whatsoever being known, it has been really difficult to feel anything other than anxiety and stress. Not anymore!!! Bring it, I'm ready now.

Well, after all of the aforementioned tasks have been done, that is ...


(Mood: Wiggly)
(Listening to: Shoot Your Gun by The 20-20s)

The Beans

(... are about to be spilled ...)


The "official" tally ... Alex and I will be moving to Lubbock together in about 6 weeks.

Lots to do before the end of June!!!

Cripes on crackers.


(Listening to: Honey & the Moon by Joseph Arthur.)

City

I'm having one of "those" days. Blegh!

"The situation's always the same
You got your wolves in their clothes whispering love's just a game
Stealing gold from the silver they see
But it's not me ..."

Grad School

I guess I never really followed up on the grad school stuff I have been talking about for months now.

Well, I got in. I got in here in Austin and at Tech. I applied to UNM as well, but didn't get in there because they take almost only residents of New Mexico.

Two out of three ain't bad.

The reality of the situation is that staying in Austin to finish school would be a poor choice, given my current economic situations here. Despite all of my (many, many, MANY) efforts to overturn this plight, I have been basically bleeding money since I pulled into town.

The schools still aren't hiring, I'm still certified with a degree and unable to get a job. And if I've said it once, I've said it a thousand times ... I refuse to wait tables with an education. I just won't do it. I don't care how fanciful and "great" a city may seem.

The truth is that staying here just isn't worth it to me. If I had a job, or if the schools here had offered me a better deal than Tech, sure, I would consider staying.

That just isn't the case, though.

So, yes, I am moving back to Lubbock for some grad school. It took a TON of deliberation and a TON of ... stress ... but it's really the best thing for me and my future.

I need at least a Master's to do what I want to do with my life, and living here with a BA and a teacher's certificate for the past 2 years (almost) just isn't cutting it for me.

So, I move on. I start over ... in some ways.

I start my dual-Master's degree (English and Education) on July 7th. I'm excited more than nervous, but nervous as well. It's a big deal.

I'm trying not to look at it as a step backwards ... because it isn't at all. Circumstances are still shaky involving certain aspects of the move, so I can't really discuss those at this time. All I know is that I will be there ... because it is what I need to do for me.

There you have it. Grad school ... in less than two months ...

Penguins & lions, oh my!

Last night, Alex and I watched a special on Animal Planet about Sea World. (We are going to the one in San Antonio in June. Yessssssss!) The main "Awwwww" moments for me came from the penguins. I mean, I LOVE the little critters! (Well, some are big, but you get what I mean.) They are just the cutest, funniest, goofiest, almost-fake-looking animals I've ever seen.

I mean, seriously!




While we were watching the Sea World special, a trailer for a show they are going to be airing on Friday came on. It is the full-length story about Christian the Lion. I don't know who has seen that YouTube video, but it literally makes me cry every, single time. (Pardon the music, as it was not my choice.)

Again, I say ... SERIOUSLY!!!!

Piggy, piggy.

Ugh! Alex is totally sick. I took him to the doctor this morning and they asked about a billion questions about possible interactions with Mexico.

The "good" news is that he has something else. Bronchitis, it seems. The bad news is that he is sick, sick, sick. I mean ... sick!

The Mexico questioning has lead me to a random pouring of thoughts I seem to consistently go back to about the media in general, and this current "outbreak" of swine flu specifically. I just can't decide what I believe.

All of the subs in AISD have been asked to avoid schools right now. (That includes me, even though I'm "permanent.") Apparently, there is some nervousness about bringing "new" germs constantly in and out. I get it ... and I don't.

I definitely don't get the closing of schools before any cases have even been confirmed, or are even probable ... as in Fort Worth. I think that's just way too touchy and rash.

Then again, I'm not really worried about most of the stuff they warn about on tv. I would prefer to not catch this supposedly horrid flu, but I'm just not panicked like a lot of people seem to be.

I can't decide if this is a good or a bad thing. Which is my biggest thought on government and the media in general. I never have any idea what to believe, and just how worried (or comforted, for that matter) to be about all of the crap they spew.

Because, you know, President Ford faced something like this in 1976 while he was campaigning against Reagan. There was a military base that had an outbreak of this same flu ("they" say).

One G.I. died and Ford made a huge deal about it on the campaign trail. He ordered that vaccines be made for every man, woman, and child in quick-order. They were rushed through, and it turns out less than half of the population took them.

I read that of those who did, a certain number (rather small-ish, but still) either became paralyzed, lost function of the arm in which the shot was given, or flat-out died.

And it turned out that only about 150 were infected total, all of which lived on the base ... it never left the premises. Still, there was a mass flip-out, just like there is now. Decisions were hasty and people were overwrought.

My point - Is this the same kind of situation, or are we actually dealing with something that is as terribly threatening to the human population as so many officials are saying?

Because, you know, hysteria does no one any good. This is just my opinion, of course. I'm no one who knows anything about it, really, I'm just a normal, everyday member of society ... one who can't help but wonder how all of this recent flurry will play out.

My instinct tells me that a somewhat small number of people will get it, some might have really bad times with it, but the great majority will be just fine ... and it won't end up being the animal house it's so far been chalked up to be.

Like I said, I could be totally wrong. I hope I'm right, though.

Those are just my thoughts for now. I guess we shall see.

Vay-cay Pics

The first three are from shooting the first weekend we were in NM. The second two are from Telluride. Still can't believe I didn't take more pictures! I definitely took more than just these five, of course, but I'm usually a freak about keeping on top of that kind of thing. I guess I was just too busy going, going, going. Shoot!

Alex getting the weaponry ready while I watch, too afraid to touch anything without heavy supervision. ;)




I'm obviously not very comfortable with a gun in my hands. I realize this is not exactly the proper posture. Ha!




This is what shotgun shooting is supposed to look like. Alex is an amazingly precise shot! Misses maybe 3 per 100.




About 5 layers deep for warmth after our first day of skiing ... very hungry, very cold, very tired, but very happy.




View from the dining room window of our condo in Telluride. It snowed the entire time we were there. Beautiful!

Randomness #3

I have this strange obsession with coffee mugs. (Preferably oversized.) Every time I see one that is even remotely neat, I have the strongest urge to take it home with me. It doesn't even have to be a set. In fact, it's best if it's not. I like them on their own.

I have never really "collected" anything. I have tons of books and DVD's and CD's and pictures all over the apartment, but that's not really "collecting." That's another thing altogether.

So, here's my thought ... maybe I could embrace my obsession and start collecting mugs? I could get one of those corner cases and have a hay-day. It wouldn't be a collection worth anything in the long run ... but it sure would make me happy! :)

Window Crashers

Did I ever mention the lady who drove her car through the front of my mom's shop the day before Thanksgiving?

Well, I am now. The story goes just about like that. She hit the gas instead of the break and blasted right on through. Quite a shock, to say the least, but no one was hurt.

Alex and I were actually in town and on our way to her shop when it happened. There's the possibility I would have literally strangled someone had I driven up to see the disasterous scene and find that my mom was seriously injured. Thankfully, she wasn't, so it didn't come to that.

Anyway, it was a dreadful ordeal ... took forever to fix and with it being the day before Thanksgiving ... I don't know ... it just was a huge mess and hassle for my mom to deal with.

The craziest part, to me, is that the lady actually came back later that day to pick up her pants that my mom had altered. This was, of course, after she had been checked at the hospital and released. I shit you not. She really wanted her dang pants!

You would not see even a glimmer of me anywhere near that shopping center for the rest of my life if I had demolished a portion of the building like that for something as silly as hitting the gas instead of the break.

Anyhow ... the point is ... it happened AGAIN! Not to my mom's shop, thank goodness, but to the shop four doors down from hers, in the same shopping center! Are you kidding?! 5 months apart!

This time, it was a much, much older man. I guess the situation was similar, though. He might have gotten confused when leaving and put his car in drive instead of reverse. Either way, he managed to wedge his WHOLE car into the lobby of the balloon store down the way.

This affirms two things in my mind ... 1. the building's managers and owners should be forced to put cement those nifty partition things (very technical term) at the curb to deflect these cars (but are probably either too lazy or too cheap) ... and 2. as we get older (and I do mean ALL of us at about 75 and above), we should be taking regular, mandatory driving and eye exams before our licenses are renewed.

This has nothing to do with ageism. When I think of that little old man sitting in his car, confused as hell about how he ended up parked inside a storefront, it makes me want to cry a little. So, no, I have nothing against the older generations. I'm all for public transportation in the form of free/super-cheap taxi services or whatever for the elderly who do not pass these tests ... as long as they are not the actual drivers!

I'm simply talking about pure reality. Some of my favorite people on Planet Earth have been/are over 80 years old. One is 60 years my senior and more spry than I am! She can drive ... maybe better than me ... so I say, let her! But, you know ... not all have the presence of mind and body as the years progress to perform such tasks. I still love them dearly, but do I think some of them should still be allowed behind the wheel? Absolutely not.

That's all I'm saying.

Musical Stylings

Apparently, the widget or gadget or whatsit or whosit galore I was previous using for my Playlist at the bottom of the page has been on the fritz for a nice chunk of time. I didn't notice until someone emailed and brought the flub to my attention.

(Thanks bunches, by the way!) :)

It took a little tweaking, but the player is back! I add to it often, though I do keep the old songs on there. I'm up to something ridiculous like 120-some-odd songs right now. Oh well! I like it.

Right now, I'm stuck on Should Be Loved by Blue October. It makes me want to get up and dance around in circles with my arms in the air. I like it uh-lo'.

Oh, and with rain, one of my all-time favs is sounding mighty fine. That would be Alison by Elvis Costello. It's a crime to not like the guy.

So ugly they're cute!

I think I've fallen in love ... twice over!

This is a Bull Terrier. (You know, like Spuds McKenzie from back in the day.) I mean ... PRECIOUS!!!




And, for some reason, I have a strange affection for the French Bulldog. I think it could be because they look like little gremlins.




I have always fancied myself a larger dog kind of girl, but ... you know ... these little dudes are melting my heart these days. Of course, I know very little about the actual breeds. Much research and reading and planning first. All in due time.

Easter Weekend

I have been meaning to post all week, but have had some sickness issues and just haven't felt like it, to be honest. I'm feeling quite a bit better today, so here's the shake-down.

I had a really nice weekend. Kala visiting was just the ticket! She got in on Friday evening and we went to Alamo to see Sunshine Cleaning and have some dinner. I wasn't exactly clear on the premise of the movie, but I knew that I like Emily Blunt and Amy Adams as actresses. So, I thought ... why not?! It was a pretty decent story; I enjoyed it. Lots of good performances.

We woke up fairly early for a Saturday and went all around Austin, shopping in places that Lubbock doesn't have. You know ... South Congress (SoCo), the campus district (Urban Outfitters), 6th & Lamar (Book People, Anthropologie, etc), the mall (Apple Store). By the time we were done with that business, we had time to come back to the apartment, take a nap, and get ready for the concert.

We arrived at about 8. The doors opened at 7, but anyone who has any experience with bands knows that the estimated door time means nothing. The opener didn't even go on until 8:30 or so. We got wrapped up in catching up with our old friend, Alan, standing in line to get Kala a t-shirt, and obtaining adult beverages to really listen properly to them. I hear they were good, though.

Alan had Blue on a lot more promptly than any band I've ever seen, so that was impressive. He must run a tight ship. (Ha!) As I mentioned in an earlier post, I hadn't even heard their new songs. It was interesting to have no previous knowledge of their material, as I have pretty much always had pre-released demos and whatnot from having been going to concerts since the later part of '99 ... or was it 2000? I think it was '99.

Anyway ... it was a really great show ... as it always is ... but something was very strange to me this go 'round. I have been kind of used to seeing them in more intimate settings, with people who know all of their songs and don't go just because they've heard a riff they liked on the radio. Stubbs is a fairly large outdoor venue here in Austin, and the show was very sold out ... so there were A LOT of people there! Some of whom were very annoying and talked through the entire show. Granted, we didn't push our way to the front of the stage. I think those days have passed for me. But ... still ... if you pay money to see a concert, shut the hell up and watch it, for crying out loud! It's a peeve.

But, yeah, they've always been a great performing band. All of them have awesome stage presence, and every time I've seen them they have been just as good (if not totally better) live than recorded. (And, trust me, because of my earlier life "with the band" (although, not the band I'm currently discussing), I have seen them a whole, whole, whole lot.) They played their new stuff (all of it, I think) first, then went into some old-ish stuff. The encore was my favorite because they played "Italian Radio" from the very first, no-label album. Good stuff. The crowd went bananas.

I think because of my history, seeing them always dumps buckets of nostalgia all over me. It's a different feeling every time, really. I blame the music. Music will get you more than anything else. More than pictures, even. This time is a little difficult to describe because I've separated my past from now. Seeing them, though, is a pretty large chunk of my past, so it brings the past into the present ... with new words mixed with a little of the old. The feeling that I experienced almost felt like watching a movie of myself with characters that vaguely resemble me, but aren't really me.

They're one of my favorite bands for sure, but I have no real comparison anymore. I've been watching their shows for years, not really ever having been friends with them, but certainly not strangers at all. The parallel comes through in the words. My past linked with their songs. It's incredibly difficult to describe.

I will say that I have now purchased the new album and I like it quite a bit. It am listening to it exclusively right now, but I find myself stuck on one particular song ("The End"). It's the sickest on the whole cd, but the narrative is immensely captivating. I'm also a pretty big fan of "Should Be Loved" and "Been Down." ("When our colors mixed we couldn't fix the way they wouldn't blend" ... best line, hands down.)

So, yeah, good show. Alan texted afterwards asking Kala and I to meet them out at a bar downtown, but Kala was already in bed (dental issues) and I needed to get her to the airport at about 8 the next morning. It would have been nice to hang out, since I rarely get to see my "old-time" friends who live here very often. Sometime soon, I'm sure.

The next morning, I took her to the airport, came back home and made waffles for Alex and I. I hadn't made them in quite a while and I usually make one, really massive breakfast on the weekends. Plus, it was Easter, so why the heck not?! :)

So, I've decided.

So, I've decided ... after MUCH consideration ... that I will be getting myself a puppy as a reward for getting into grad school. I will first have to rent a house and settle in, then I will embark upon training a puppy.

I've wanted one for a very long time, but have opted not to get one while I am in an apartment. Since I have been in an apartment for some time now, well, puppies have not been possible. In a HOUSE, though ...

Yes, I realize it is a big commitment. Yes, I realize they are a lot of work. Yes, I realize they cost money. Yes, I realize they must be trained. Yes, I realize it's like having a child in your house.

My response: Okay! I am 27-freaking-years-old, for Pete's sake! If I want a dog, I should get a dog. That's all I'm sayin'. If I didn't think I could handle it, I wouldn't even consider it at this point.

The main problems I am encountering are exactly what breed to get and who to get this puppy-to-be from. I want a girl, and I don't want a dog that drools profusely or sheds like it is making spare coats in the living room.

Size isn't an issue, really. I mean, I don't want a Great Dane or anything, but small-ish ... medium ... large-ish ... makes no real difference to me. As long as she doesn't require a saddle or a magnifying glass, I'm cool.

So, yeah. I haven't gotten much further with processing or planning than that. There are about a thousand more steps that must be taken before I come anywhere near getting a dog. First step ... figure out precisely where I'll be living in 3 months ...

The point is ... I have decided to get one.

K & Blue

I'm excited!!

My good friend, Kala, will be coming into Austin this Friday to hang out and stay the weekend with me. She hasn't been to Austin since I've lived here, so it should be a lot of fun. We have a very full day planned on Saturday, then we will be heading to a Blue concert on Saturday night at Stubb's.

It's been a long time since we've been to one, so it should be interesting. I'm not too sure about their new stuff, as I haven't heard even one single chord, but "old times sake" is enough of a reason for me!

I also keep forgetting (partly because I'm in denial about this whole time-quickly-escaping) that Easter is also this Sunday. Wild.

In other news, I have lots of other ... uh ... news. It seems that I finally know about grad school. I do need to have some more conversations and fully solidify everything before I divulge, though. As it seems things like this always are, it's a bittersweet kind of feeling.

Change typically makes me somewhat weary. Thankfully, I tend to acclimate well enough.

For this present moment in time, I'm just going to be excited about getting to spend some fun times with one of my oldest and best friends in the very near future.

The One About Firsts

Well, friends and fam, the title ain't no stinkin' liar! The trip to visit Alex's parents last week was a trip chalk-full of firsts for this West Texas girl.

Let's make a quick list:

- I had never held a gun, much less shot one ... did it!

- I had never driven, winding up a mountain packed with ice and snow ... did it!

- I had never feared death by plunging hundreds of miles off a cliff ... did it!

- I had never been in the middle of a "white out" (albeit, very briefly) ... did it!

- I had never been 12,000 feet high without an airplane ... did it!

- I had never gotten drunk on a single beer (altitude, oh, altitude) ... did it!

- I had never ridden in a high-speed gandola through mountains ... did it!

- I had never successfully mounted and dismounted a ski lift ... did it!

- I had never snow skied all the way down a huge mountain ... did it!

- I had never realized how much FUN skiing can be ... did it!

So, as you see, the trip was quite eventful. I got back to Austin on Monday afternoon, and I am seriously STILL tired. I feel like I need a vacation after my vacation.

We had a blast, though! As is obvious, I had never done almost everything we did this trip. It is how Alex grew up, though, so I thought it was somewhat important to overcome some fears (hello, tiny 2-lane roads winding straight up and around MONSTROUS mountains, with no guard rails, while it is snowing like nuts, with ice and all kinds of snow packed on the road!) and just go for it. You only live once, right?

Telluride was very nice; although, we stayed in Mountain Village, which is about halfway up the mountain and slope-side. Telluride, the town, from what we could tell in the hour we were actually in the town, is a cluster of messiness. It looks like it just exploded one day without much planning beforehand. (Remieniscent of the city where I currently reside. Hmmmm.) Mountain Village was lovely, though. We stayed in a lodge next to a high-speed gandola that took us to the ski lifts and shops and places to eat. The ride was about 5 minutes, if it didn't get stuck from someone freaking out about getting on or off.

We were in Telluride from Monday to Wednesday, in Aztec from the Friday before until Monday morning, then back in Aztec from Thursday to Saturday. We went to Durango a few times ... it is only about half an hour from Aztec, where his parents live. We strolled around "historic" downtown and ate and drank and had good times. The rest of the time ... which wasn't much ... was spent at his parent's house, hanging out.

It snowed a lot while we were there. It snowed A TON in the mountain while we were there. I think the only actual break we got was when I was having my skiing lesson on Tuesday.

I decided to take a lesson, as opposed to Alex or his dad teaching me. The sole reason is because neither of them can recall learning how to ski. Alex has been doing it since he was about 4, and his dad has been doing it all of his life as well. I am the very definition of beginner snow person, having grown up vacationing at the beach and the lake, and not in the colder climates. So, nervousness on my part was much to be expected. I saw no reason for frustrations and arguments, though I'm not even sure there would have been any. I just felt better going out on my own, with someone who is used to seeing clumpsy folk on skis.

It worked out splendidly in the end because I was given a "private all-day lesson." I didn't pay the amount that anyone would ever pay for it, but, instead, lucked out in meeting my instructor-to-be in the gandola that morning, then having him request to just take me to the top of the mountain alone.

His name was Seth, and he was awesome! He pushed me, but not in an irritating way. We laughed most of the day. I did fall coming off of the ski lift many times before I got the motion down, and I definitely fell TONS throughout the day. Stopping was tricky, and my upper body definitely felt the effects of dragging my butt off of the ground hundreds of times by the end of the day.

I'm proud to say that I went all the way to the top of the mountain and wound down by the end of the day on greens. No blues or blacks for quite some time, I feel!

I will certainly need more practice, as one day does not an expert skier make, but I am definitely willing to continue learning and trying. Being horrible and somewhat timid was still fun, I imagine being good and confident is a total blast.

That was really the highlight of the trip for me. I think everyone can envision the rest of the trip without me having to go into detail. We were on a mountain. It took some tedious work to get us there, but ... we made it.

Altitude does get you, though. Maybe not 7,000 feet or less ... but 9,000 and up ... yeah, you feel it. The first day, I was winded walking from the car to the hotel room. Believe me when I say that has NEVER happened to me before!

Does make for some cheap dates, though ...

We also went up into the foothills by his parent's house and did some shooting while I was there. Alex grew up knowing how to shoot, and all of my family (well, my mom and Kay and Norbs) all know how to shoot pretty well. It's not something I would ever care to do directed at anything other than bottles, but ... I think it's probably important to know how to at least handle a gun, as a defense-only kind of thing.

I now know. That's about all I can say about that. Oh, I will add one interjection ... the buggers are a lot heavier than they look. I was shocked. So were my shoulders.

So, that was my trip in a nutshell. I had a little solo time in Lubbock with the family before flying to Albuquerque, and also after the trip and before driving back to Austin. It's always nice.

I did take some pictures, as did Alex's mom. As soon as I receive her batch, and organize mine to a point of showing, I will post a little strip for everyone to check out. I'm not sure when that will be. Most likely early next week.

In the meantime, Alex and I are both back in Austin together, trying to get back to our regular routines after being gone for 2 full weeks, still waiting to figure out what our next move will be in a mere few months.

(More on that later ... as I do have half of the puzzle put together, but am still waiting on the very central piece.)

Happy Weekend!

Safe & Sound

Well, hellllloooooooooo!!

I feel like it's been ages. (Probably because it has.)

I am back in Lubbock, waiting on my car to be fixed, then I will head back to Austin. I'm thinking Monday. The dealership is closed tomorrow, so hoping for my car is a moot point. Plus, I think my mom, Kay, and I will be seeing Duplicity in the afternoon. (Clive is delicious.)

I flew in and was directed straight to a dinner party with a whole slew of Germans. For those of you who may not know, this means a neverending glass of red wine. The point, as far as I can figure, is to not ever have any clue as to how much you've actually imbebbed. Tonight ... I feel like a lot. I don't think it was too much. Travel makes me ringy.

I'm also craving a blueberry muffin. Don't ask why.

As soon as I get back to Austin and have spent some quiet time with my man (I love vacation, but so very much look forward to the unwinding once it is over), I will proceed to fill in the gaps.

A taste?

I did ski. I did not get injured. Go me!

I think I might be a little more tipsy than I thought ...

Spring Break

... means VACATION!!!!!!!!


Here's what I know so far, friends and fam ...


Next Monday: To Lubbock (just me)

Next Tuesday: St. Patrick's Day with my seeeeeeester!

Next Wednesday: Charlotte, Melanie, and Corinne arrive in the LBK.

Next Thursday: Family time in Lubbock! (Alex leaves Austin for NM.)

Next Friday: I fly to Albuquerque SUPER early in the morning to meet up with Alex.

Next Saturday: To Aztec, where his parents live and he was raised. (Small town at the very Northern tip of NM near Farmington ... about 7 miles from the Colorado border.)

Following Sunday: Alex-family time!

Following Monday & Tuesday: To Telluride for some skiing and true-mountain time.

Following Wednesday- Friday: Back to Aztec, which is also about half an hour from Durango, CO ... where we tend to "hang," eat, and enjoy.

Following Saturday: I fly back into Lubbock, Alex flies back to Austin (both from Albuquerque).

Following Sunday: I drive back to Austin. (Unless I am too exhausted to drive solo, then it will be Monday.)


Quite the Round Robin, wouldn't you say? :) I'm happy about it, though!! We haven't been to see Alex's parents since last July, and I always love going home for visits with my family. That I get to squish them all together in a two-week bonanza is fantastic with me!

I admit that I am a little nervous about skiing because it is in the realm of "the unknown," but ... you know ... you only live once! Can't be scared all your life.

All of this will, of course, be well-documented in photos. I am trying to figure out how we will take pictures on the mountain, as I will NOT be carrying my very nice and expensive mamma-jamma camera with me whilst skiing aboot. I imagine I'll resort to disposable for those 2 days.

OH! And Telluride is gorgeous, from what I am told. Alex and his family have never been there before either, so it will be new to all of us. I hear there's ice skating at night in the middle of town as well. I'm so there!

Can't believe my departure day is less than a week away! I feel like I should start packing already ...

"This is an emergency!"

You've heard the one about the woman who called 911 three times because McDonald's ran out of McNuggets, right?

Granted, they never should have sold her a meal that was unavailable ... and, granted, they should have given her a refund on the spot when asked.

But, really, 9-1-1 three times for roughly $4?!

People be crazy!!!!


(Full Story: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29498350/from/ET/?gt1=43001)

Bitter/Ugly

I keep meaning to post this story, but continually forget when I sit down to write. I fear it might be lost in translation (and without the ability to "inflect," but whatever). Even so, I'm writing it down today. Classic teaching moment ...


I was filling in for a 7/8 Grade English teacher a couple of weeks ago. The school is "on the bad side of town" and most of the kids are minorities. A rough school for sure, but you discover fairly quickly that the kids there are so, so, so great if you have a chance to really talk to them and get to know them a little bit ... apart from their violent and seemingly destructive behavior (most are on probation at the age of 13 or so).

(Must not get on my soapbox about these kids and the conditions in which they have had to grow up and experience! Later ... much later.)

Anyhow, I was in the same classroom for 2 days, in which the regular teacher had left absolutely no lesson plans, meaning I had to make something up spur-of-the-moment for what the school calls "advisory." Since kids had been learning about character development, theme, and plot, I had them read a book of their choice independently for about 30 minutes, then write a summary including ... you guessed it! ... character analysis, theme, and plot.

While it took most of the students the majority of the class period to finish this assignment, about 3 of them finished way ahead of the rest. These 3 asked if they could work on a crossword puzzle together in one of the monthly educational magazines they use for supplementary assignments from time to time. Since they weren't asking to run around the halls with their hair on fire, and, instead, asking if they could complete something of merit ... of course, I said yes.

With about 20 minutes or so left for that particular class, then entire class was done with the reading portion of the day, the 3 aforementioned students were sitting in the far corner of the room together, barely even whispering about the crossword as they worked, while the rest of the class was very quietly writing their summaries, and I was walking around the room answering questions for those who needed help ...

Without warning, in bursts a "lead teacher," slamming the door open, stomping into the classroom with wild eyes and unruly hair, hollering at the kids to "GET TO WORK!!!!!" Thundering to the front of the room, she screams at me ... "What do you have these kids doing? What are they working on? Why are those three sitting over there? What is going on in this classroom?!?!?!"

Mind you, NONE of the kids had been talking, save the 3 in the corner, who I could so very barely hear from a mere 2 desks over ... and ALL of them were busy working on their assignment when she came barreling into the room like a much taller and more unkempt, yet equally as off-putting and bitchy, version of Ms. Umbridge from Harry Potter.

Stunned, yet composed, I politely answered her questions, explained the lack of lesson plans left for the day, told her my emergency assignment, expressed the reasons for the kids in the corner working on a crossword together, and told her the students were actually behaving amazingly well, were delightful, and that I was doing my job to down to the very last detail.

To this response, she huffed (audibly), spun on her heel, and tore out of the classroom, telling 5 or so kids, who were sitting down ... to "pull up their pants and tuck in their shirts immediately." (The pants were being sat on ... with no butts hanging out ... and it is school dress code to tuck in shirts, which I check every period of every day as they walk in the door ... so nothing was awry, and her outburst was absolutely unwarranted.)

As she slammed the door behind her ('don't let it hit you in the ass on the way out'), all of the kids, as well as myself, looked as though we had been sucker-punched across the face. All 25 or so pairs of eyes were staring at me for some sign of an appropriate reaction to follow, and I was still too in shock from being reamed for absolutely nothing to blink, much less speak.

After about a full minute of silence (long one in that situation) with everyone kind of oddly staring at each other, one of the timid little girls in the front said, "She's like all the time. No one likes her. Not even the other teachers." I nodded and asked to the entire class, "I mean ... ... ... seriously ... ... ... what's wrong with her?!"

A very quick and witty boy in the back of the class immediately responded very matter-of-factly, "She bitter 'cause she ugly."

25 or so kids froze with saucer-sized eyes ...

And I literally fell over laughing! Then it was a like a hysterical chain reaction. The boy who made the comment started to chuckle really deeply and loudly, then the rest of the class positively burst! I snorted, I cried, we laughed and laughed and laughed. It was like that horribly inappropriate moment where you are definitely not supposed to even crack a smile, but simply cannot contain yourself in even the most slightly controlled way. And it just got worse and worse and worse, until we were ALL snorting and crying and falling over. None of us, including myself, regained control until the bell about ten minutes later.

I wish I had a recording of his face, his voice, and overall demeanor when he said that ... "She bitter 'cause she ugly." Oh ... it was so great! By leaps and bounds my favorite moment in teaching so far.

Whooooosh!

It's crazy what shortening a month by a mere 2 or 3 days will do to the brain. February being only 28 days really screws with me for some reason. I feel like March has started on stolen time, or something.

Ah, well ...

This month should be a good one! Spring Break occurs in a couple of weeks, and Alex and I have big plans for long-vacationing. We are working through the details this evening, so I'll give the whole skinny later.

A little taste? Skiing ... on the snow ...

Should be interesting ... for me, anyway ... he learned when he was 4 years old, or some-such ridiculous fact like that. I, on the other hand, have only been skiing once ... and it was mainly done on my ass.

List-mania

I have "off" today, but it always feels to me like I have more to do when I'm not at work than when I am. I am a highly devout 'List Person' ... I think it might run in the family. My grandma made lists out the wazoo (some of which we still have), and my Aunt Kay is big on them, too. Of course, my mom has many going at any given time, and don't even get me started on Norbert and his lists ...

Today, I'm trying to combine about 4 To-Do's that I have accumulated over the past week. The first is "Taking Care of Bid-ness" for school and teaching and volunteering. That would be my first priority. The second is "Leftovers" from what I failed to remember earlier this week at the store. Things like mushrooms, bacon, toothpaste, coffee, hand soap, with an added dessert for tonight. (We usually treat ourselves once every couple of weeks.) The third is "Around the House," which involves laundry and changing out my winter clothes to my spring clothes in the closet. The final list is "Fun Stuff" like renting some movies for the weekend, starting on the insanely large puzzle I bought for us recently (over 1000 pieces; I was feeling overly ambitious that day), and going to the fabric store to buy the necessary notions for the first shirt I will make (hopefully) soon without supervision.

Most likely, I'll take care of all of pressing business before lunch, meet my dad at The Drafthouse to have lunch and see The Wrestler, then run to the store and pick up some movies on my way back home in time to meet Alex after work. The closet can wait (even though it's been 90 degrees here all week and I still have sweaters hanging on my side of the closet), the puzzle is more fun when I have a parter in frustration, I'm still a little intimidated by the sewing alone thing (worried I'm going to jam something), and I'm holding off on laundry until Alex can switch out the dryer plug (long story) tomorrow.

You see what I've done here ... I've just created another list of my lists. There has to be some sort of 12 step program for this kind of thing.

My guess is ...

I am filling in for a teacher with the last name Waffle today ... next door is Mr. Peacock ... and across the hall is Ms. Brown. I couldn't make this up if I tried. I'm smack in the middle of Clue!!!

Up-down, we go again.

Things have gotten wild with school decisions. Generally speaking, I'm not all that incredibly "busy" these days, but by way of HUGE life choices, I've never been more overwhelmed and busy in my life!

I keep trying to tell myself that it will all work out for the best ... life is unfolding as it should ... and that everything happens for a reason ...

But, seriously, sometimes it is really, really difficult to not get totally stressed out with decision-making. Especially when parts of the puzzle are still waiting to reveal themselves and fall into place.

I've been talking to colleges now that all of my applications are in, and just when I think it is out of my hands, another big question arises.

I will elaborate more once I have all of the information I need. It basically comes down to which path I want to follow ... and, of course, there is the ever-present notion that I am definitely not the only person to consider in all of this.

Another month or so ... that's all the comfort I can allow. We will know in another month or so. Just have put a little faith in the unknown ...

Take your cautionary tales ...

... take your incremental gain ... and all the sycophantic games ... and throw 'em all away ...

I seriously can't watch the news! It's all so damn depressing, so drama ... all it does is anger me.

I mean, I get it ... that's what sells and all, but geez, Louise! It's all "the economy is in the hole, everyone is corrupt, people are dying, this person got murdered, that person got robbed ..." Uuuuuugggggggghhhhhhhhh!

I'll tell you what really torcs my drawers is that loony toon, Casey Anthony. Some people are downright sick, sick, sick!

I knew there was a reason I somehow found myself leaving the room around news times. Now, however, it's on ALL THE TIME. People need to know what's going on, and I understand ... but, really, most of it is so twisted, what can anyone believe?

News at 5: we're screwed, and all going to hell in a handbasket. Awesome ... just what I wanted to hear morning, noon, and night ...

When you hear this song ...

... and you sing along, well you'll never tell ... and you're the fool, I'm just as well ... hope it gives you hell ...

I have that song stuck in my head something terrible! It's one of the kids at school that got me hooked on it. During some classes, I let them listen to their iPods. I know, I know! I'm not "supposed to," but a lot of them work so much better with some music streaming. Plus, it keeps them quiet, which is really the biggest goal in classroom management ... let's face it.

Speaking of "my kids" at school ... 2 of them (so far) have decided to use me as the subject for their current projects in Art & Graphic Design. I have NO CLUE how they created these in Photoshop (maybe Adobe?), but I think both are neat, neat, NEAT! How talented are some of these kids with technology?! Seriously. It blows my mind.









But, really ... I am amazed by how much more advanced the young'uns (even 7 or so years younger) are with computers. I have a hard enough time getting my digital photos INTO the computer ... much less CREATING a mock-photo with the paint tool in an application! What the ... ?! I do have this class for at least a few more days, though ... so maybe I can worm my way into having one of the kids show me a few, very simple tricks.

Yes ... that is one lovely perk of working with computer classes ... I can also be on the computer! It's beautiful.

Two hours and counting ...

You're messin' with a Southern girl.

By far, one of my favorite smells in the entire world is French Toast, still simmering in the skillet. Mix in the additional smells of coffee and the hint of maple syrup (not yet poured) and that just might be the best smell, ever. Really breathe it in next time.

I've channeled the Southern Dame within and will also be making Pot Roast (tomorrow), Baked Mushroom Chicken (Friday night), and Biscuits with Sausage Gravy (Saturday morning). I have been harboring a hankering for some really good, homemade comfort food, and these seem like the ticket to happiness at the moment.

Cooking has become a huge hobby of mine lately. I've been dabbling with quick and somewhat easy meals on the weekdays, and conquering the more difficult preparations on nights when I am not exhausted ... but visiting with Norbert (over many, many glasses of red wine) on Sunday night made me that much more ready to tackle some new, more involved recipes. The three above are mine, but he always has amazing tips to share.

We had slow-cooked ribs (about 8 hours on low heat) that night with potato salad and greek salad as sides. It was a HUGE crowd-pleaser. I think I'll try it the next time we have people over to our place. I would probably make cucumber salad and a mixture of grilled vegetables on the side, though. (Only because I have a lot of successful experiences with both under my belt, and have only made German-style potato salad twice.)

Save a few meals during actual travel this past weekend, and last night when we picked up some soup and spicy chicken at our favorite Chinese-Japanese-Thai place on the way back into town (Austin) ... and I haven't eaten out ... for any meal: breakfast, lunch, or dinner (of which I always have all 3) ... in over a month. That's crazy! Once you get used to eating at home, though, the thought of eating fast food is somewhat repulsive.

The biggest added bonus of cooking at home all of the time is ... well ... aside from saving tons and tons of money and feeling a thousand times better ... is the whole weight-loss factor. Without even trying, I have somehow dropped about 8 to 10 legitimate pounds since Christmas. I didn't even notice until my family pointed it out recently. I am perfectly happy with my body (10 pounds added, even!), and have been for years, so I haven't been trying to lose weight at all. I can only attribute it to home-cooking, as nothing else has changed.

As promised, I will definitely share some recipes I've tried lately on here in the next couple of days. A lot of my friends (and some of you guys reading this) have been asking about the things I cook (because they are fairly simple and literally ANYONE can cook them ... step-by-step instructions, not leaving any detail out, are the key). Right now, however, I need to start preparing for an interview I have at 1pm. (Details later.)

In the meantime, go throw some French Toast in a skillet, if for nothing else, than to bask in the delicious smell! :) Ah, and I do hope everyone had a great weekend. I know I did! None of us wanted it to end, but, alas ... "the real world" beckons. It's a bummer sometimes, but that's just how it goes ...

Chocolate therapy is, oh, so good!

It is my opionion that the only truly amazing thing that has ever come out of this Hallmark Holiday is the excess of chocolate-covered strawberries hanging around everywhere. Goodness me, talk about delicious!

Alex and I made the completely spur-of-the-minute decision yesterday afternoon to make a trip to Lubbock for the long weekend. (I had off yesterday, Alex had a half-day, and we both have off the normal weekend, as well as Monday.) His parents were thinking of visiting us in Austin, but they got stuck working in New Mexico. We were looking forward to some family fun times together, so ... here we are!

Right now, I am hanging out at Kay's while my mom is closing up shop and Norbert and Alex are out running around, doing whatever it is guys do when they frolick about town in packs. (Most likely, shopping for "man" things ... outer wear and gadgets and what-have-you.) Tonight, we are foregoing the insanity that holidays like this inspire and having a really nice home-cooked dinner at Norbert and my mom's house. (The Norb is a knockout cook!)

I will be contributing the aforementioned chocolate-covered strawberries. Norbert isn't much for sweets, and Alex isn't crazy about strawberries ... so it will really be my mom and I indulging for the most part. I must say ... this is just fine by us!

The Grammy's

I think I must be REALLY far out of the loop ...

I taped the Grammy's and watched it (fast-forward-style) right after work yesterday. I barely knew ANYBODY! I knew the obvious icons like Stevie Wonder and Al Green and, of course, Paul McCartney ... I knew Radiohead and John Mayer and Keith Urban and Foo Fighters and Jason Mraz and Coldplay and Justin Timberlake and Kings of Leon and Adele (I haven't completely been under a rock) ... I had even heard of Miley Cyrus, Taylor Swift, and The Jonas Brothers (working in schools makes this knowledge inevitable) ... but I had never, ever heard anything by them (I boycott radio) ... but who in the world were T.I. and Ne-Yo and Lil Wayne and Duffy and Lady Antebellum and Jazmine Sullivan and Chris Brown (apparently, some sort of girlfriend-abuser; great role model for the kids; way to go, asshole) ... and, seriously, who, who, who, who, WHO was that horribly pregnant girl in polka-dotted spandex gyrating across the stage?! Horrifying!!! I was just waiting for her water to break right there on national television.

My point is ... I don't get the music of the younger generation ... obviously. All of the people I had actually heard before are "older" folk who have been around for a while ... and what I mean by "older" are musicians my age or older who have had more than a couple successful singles ... and, gasp! ... probably even multiple high-selling records. I think the term is "longevity."

I don't know; watching The Grammy's yesterday made me feel like a granny. I fast-forwarded through a lot of it, muttering "Rubbish ..." under my breath and rolling my eyes. I will say, though, those little Jonas boys did impress me with holding their own next to the fabulous Mr. Wonder himself. I was actually, physically nervous for them when I saw that pairing; however, they did hold their own. And, yes, while the young-girly duet with Taylor Swift and Miley Cyrus was not my kind of thing ... those girls can actually sing. I'll give them that much! The rap, gangsta, "I'm bad" stuff, though ... I'll just never understand. It's not music to me. I guess I'm just square that way ...

I wear my sunglasses at night.

Crop my mom in (she was taking the photo) and it's a total keeper! (Also made evident by this photo is how anyone and everyone joining our family is doomed to absolute nerdom. Sorry, Corinne!)

When I go walkin', I strut my stuff

This morning, Alex took the LSAT. As anyone and everyone can probably imagine, this was a very draining endeavor for him. When he got home at 2, we decided to go see a movie at Alamo Drafthouse (where you eat *and* drink while watching a movie ... brilliant idea!). The movie we wanted to see was Taken (because I have a secret, dirty little girl crush on Liam Neeson and Alex thinks he's "cool"). It wasn't showing at the South Lamar location (where we normally go, as we live ... you guess it ... South), so we had to go to The Village location, which is a decent jaunt North up MoPac.

The movie was pretty kickass ... and I do mean that ... kick.ass. However, on the drive home (on Southbound MoPac), we got stuck in some awful traffic! On a Saturday at 6pm, traffic is not "supposed" to be gridlocked, with no movement either way. But, you know, this is Austin, after all, where lanes bottleneck at the absolute worst places, and you better leave your house with a full tank of gas if you expect to get anywhere with any certainty.

We were diverted, and ended up going in circles on some stupid sidestreet that winds halfway into town, then back to the loop (MoPac) only one exit down after about 10 minutes. Talk about frustrating! We never did see what the heck was causing the massive blockage, as we finally ... after an hour and a half!!!!! ... got off of the frontage road and found a familiar street.

You know, living in a bigger city is supposedly so neat and great, but if you can't get anywhere at any time of day, the luster begins to wear off really quickly. Maybe I'm just a small town kind of gal ... I don't know. All I know is ... this traffic crap really twists my knickers, and not in the good way ...

Ain't nothin' but a G-thang

Girl Scout Cookie Time finds me flummoxed.

It's a see-saw between deliciousness and guilt.

It's a small crime ...

I very rarely involve myself in this kind of discussion anymore these days, but I am going to break my self-made rule for now ... because, for whatever reason, I think it is important for these things to be put out into the open. As a general race of people, we are declining, we are dishonest, we are losing our faith, we are letting the good sides of ourselves win over the bad ...

I can't (and won't) get into details about the specific, isolated cause of this rant. It isn't about the overall decline I mentioned, but about a small facet of the decline. The details are not my business to air. All I will say to preface is that I found out last night that a male friend of mine is living a double life with two other girls who are also friends of mine (varying levels and lengths of friendship) ... both of which are unaware of the other. Both of which are amazing people!

My problem with all of this should be obvious, and is that ... I freaking cannot stand guys who do this kind of thing to women!! GREAT, AMAZING, WONDERFUL women!!! Friend or not, I can't stomach it. I try not to internalize it, as it is not me in the situation (for once!), but it is so difficult for me to see this kind of behavior and not be affected by it. Ignoring it only makes it worse. We should all be more compassionate, as a general rule. Even though it is not me in this particular situation, it has been me in too many situations terribly similar in the past.

I couldn't sleep last night, I am so bothered. This kind of behavior ruins lives ... it damages people ... it breaks down parts of honest and caring and open people that take so long to repair. It destroys trust, and not only in that particular relationship, but for all relationships following. This kind of behavior makes me ill. No metaphor there. And the fact that it is one of my guy "friends" who is the root cause just tears me apart.

I have known too many men ... and, yes, I am definitely calling out men in this situation ... who cheat with no consequences and no real guilt. I'll just say it ... it's generally easier for men to cheat and to lie about it and have no real remorse for their actions than it is for women. There are exceptions to every rule, but seriously. Have I known women who have cheated? Sure. But I can with all honesty say that those women were either being cheated on (for years!), abused (physically and/or emotionally), or completely neglected (in every possible way) by the men they eventually reciprocated in action. I am, of course, not excusing it ... I'm just saying ... it seems to me that men will do it just to do it, while women will do it mainly when first-betrayed.

However, if you ask me about how many men I know who have cheated, first-offense, second-offense, every-single-time, in a supposedly "great" relationship, for no reason, because it was available, just to try it? Well, I can name the staggering majority of every, single man I have ever known. How horrible is that?! I can name almost all of my ex-boyfriends, save a few, who were truly kind to me in every way ... I can name family friends, acquaintances, and co-workers ... I can name many of my friends' ex-boyfriends, current boyfriends, and ex-husbands ... I can name ... and I can name ... and I can name. I won't, of course ... but I can!

How sad is that?! What is wrong with these people?!?! Seriously. And I won't hear anything about how, "Oh, the women encourage it by putting up with it, and should just leave." Because, really ... what for? To move on to the next cheater?! Sure, there are men who don't cheat. Alex doesn't cheat on me, and I can whole-heartedly assure that the men in my family are actually great guys (... maybe because of being raised around so many women who complained about philandering men all their lives).

And I certainly don't want to hear that it is the women's fault! Don't even go there with me. That is said by people who are incapable of admitting blame in any situation ... and always, always said by the truly guilty. You want a sure-fire way to know if someone has no morals, or is guilty a sin themselves ... you'll know when that gem comes flying out of their mouths. Don't blame anyone else, that's just bad business.

Now, don't get me wrong. I know there are good men out there! I know some, and truly believe that I am currently living with one of them. Because of these men, I know there are great ones out there! It's possible that some of them are actually the ones cloaking themselves as assholes with kind of behavior. But why?! What does it accomplish? Does it make them feel better? Does it validate some stupid insecurity they have? Are other people's feelings merely a game to them? I, for one, just flat-out don't get it. Seriously, I don't. I have had far too much experience in these cases to still be so clueless, and yet I am.

I applaud the good men who are left out there in the world, who are respectful and decent and kind to women ... who love wholly ... who may eyeball the menu from time to time, but always come home to eat. (Yeah, I said it.) I appreciate those men more than I can say, really, as do all of the good women out there. I fear those kind of men are dwindling at an enormously high rate, however. My problem is ... how do you weed them out in this huge mess of jerks? So many are so good at hiding it, lying about it. It's deflating, and I simply can't stand to see it.

I just had to get that out there. I understand finding other people attractive, I understand thinking other people are neat, I understand looking ... but I absolutely do not understand sampling, double-dipping, or diving in. Where is the loyalty?! It has been a peeve of mine for years and years and years ... a peeve that I have earned in spades. Most of the time, I try to ignore it, but when it is blatantly in my face, ignoring would be ignorant and impossible. I keep to my own, listen when I am needed, and I don't "rat people out" ... but maybe I should. Maybe we all should!

I know that if people around me had been more honest with me in my past, I might not have the stack of dusty trust issues I most assuredly, involuntarily, subconsciously carry over with me into even healthy situations now. And, for the love of Pete and everybody, if you do something like this ... come clean and apologize!!!! It's the least a cheater can do. At least give the other person closure. My girl friend will never have that ... she will have to create her own, just as I had to do in my past. Trust me, it's horrible.

Thankfully, I am lucky enough to have a man in my life now who will talk to me when I worry (completely irrationally, I might add), and tell me any time I need that he loves me, and wants to be with only me ... that he thinks I am the greatest girl he's ever known, and that my worries are unnecessary. I am thankful every, single day for him, and can only hope and pray that my friends will eventually be as lucky.

Because, in truth, I consider it a miracle that I have made it anywhere near here with the wake of baggage men like this "friend" of mine are leaving behind. Seeing one of my intelligent, hilarious, witty, beautiful, strong, fantastic friends last night, sitting in front of me, heart breaking, totally and utterly defeated ... a strong, sweet, kind, smart, mature, delightful woman ... defeated by a philandering ass-bastard ... was far too familiar ... and nearly more than I could take.