Work In Progress

The One with Wordless Wednesday

2006-04-19T01:04:00.000-05:00

The One with My Return

2006-04-19T00:44:00.000-05:00

Hi Y'all! Sorry I've been away for so long this time. You know how it is. Busy, blah, blah, blah. So, I bought a laptop in the hopes that it will give me some more time for blogging. It's a beautiful new iBook. I also got an iPod nano to go with it. I haven't had much time to play with them yet. So, let me catch everyone up on the last 2 months.

My mom was here in Feburary for a week. She had to come down for a checkup with her cardiologist. All is well. Then my dear friend Craig was here for a visit. We went downtown for some drinks and had an nice time. It was great to see him again. Next I went to NYC with several of my friends. I will be posting about this in more detail later. We had a GREAT time! St. Patrick's day I went downtown with friends and got totally trashed, which I had not done in awhile. I'm doing the Jenny Craig diet, so I don't really drink as much as I used to. Although, I did also go to a wine festival in Grapevine 2 weekends ago and got a little toasty, but twice in the last two months in nothing. This next week I am taking my mom on a vacation to Charleston and Savannah. Neither of us have ever been to either city, and we are both looking forward to the trip. I am nervous about the fact that my mother has not flown in almost 30 years though. Hopefully, she'll be ok. Oh, I almost forgot. I'm also training for the Capital of Texas Triathlon. This means that I am doing 2 hour workouts five times a week. It's exhausting, but I'm starting to like it.

So, that's the latest 411. Hope everyone is well.

The One with Wordless Wednesday

2006-02-22T23:06:00.000-06:00

The One with Quote Monday

2006-02-20T19:39:00.000-06:00

The dance is a poem of which each movement is a word.

Mata Hari (1876 - 1917)

The One with Dance

2006-02-19T17:31:00.000-06:00

This weekend was all about dance for me. On Friday, Mitch and I braved the cold and went to Copa for a little salsa dancing. They have free lessons at 9. I was pleasantly surprised to see a lot more guys than I thought there would be in the lesson. I know males have a tendency to think dancing is emasculating, but I think it is so hot when guys can dance. I did pretty well during the lesson, but afterwards all the pros start show up, and it got a little intimidating. Several men asked me to dance and thankfully they were very nice and instructive. Mitch is a very good dancer, and she looked great and held her own with the professionals. I had a great time and will be going back soon. Plus, now I have an excuse to go buy some cute new shoes for dancing!

The next night Granola and I went to the ballet. First, we had a fabulous dinner at Louie 106. We both had spinach salads with pears, walnuts, gorgonzola cheese, and an avocado dressing. Then I had the Moraccan Spiced Pork tenderloin, and Granola had the Crunchy Trout. They were both delicious. Then we walked the few blocks to the Paramount Theatre, a really fabulous old theatre in downtown Austin, for the ballet. The performance was New World Talent, and it showcased the work of 3 up and coming choreographers in the world of modern ballet. Granola and I had completely different opinions on the performances. His favorite was the first piece, which I hated. We both enjoyed the second, and the third was my favorite. The choreographer was Thang Dao, originally from Vietnam. His piece was inspired by the Robert Frost poem Fire and Ice.

Some say the world will end in fire,

Some say in ice.

From what I've tasted of desire

I hold with those who favor fire.

But if it had to perish twice,

I think I know enough of hate

To say that for destruction ice

Is also great

And would suffice.

I just loved this piece. He used multimedia in the background, it was set to beautiful music, and it featured more traditional duets, which I love. It was a great evening and a fantastic weekend!

The One with Wordless Wednesday

2006-02-15T22:30:00.000-06:00

The One with Quote Monday Valentine's Day Edition

2006-02-13T18:21:00.001-06:00

1. Love is a condition in which the happiness of another person is essential to your own.

-Robert Heinlein

2. I love you
Not only for what you are
But for what I am
When I am with you

-Love (first stanza)
Roy Croft

3. Your task is not to seek for love, but merely to seek and find all the barriers within yourself that you have built against it.

-Rumi

4. Friendship is certainly the finest balm for the panges of disappointed love.

-Northanger Abbey
Jane Austen

5. Love is not blind - it sees more, not less. But because it sees more, it is willing to see less.

-Rabbi Julius Gordon

6. Love is an irresistible desire to be irresistibly desired.

-Robet Frost

7. 'Tis better to have loved and lost
than to have never loved at all.

-Alfred Lord Tennyson

8. If you have love in your life it can make up for a great many things you lack. If you don't have it, no matter what else there is, it's not enough.

-Ann Landers

9. The heart has its reasons which reason knows not of.

-Blaise Pascal

10. Why love if losing hurts so much? We love to know that we are not alone.

-C.S. Lewis

11. Love is composed of a single soul inhabiting two bodies.

-Aristotle

12. Love is life. And if you miss love, you miss life.

-Leo Buscaglia

13. To love abundantly is to live abundantly, and to love forever is to live forever.

-Henry Drummond

14. If you want to be loved, be lovable.

-Ovid

The One with Growing Older

2006-02-12T23:24:00.000-06:00

You know those moments when it suddenly hits you that you've aged, and you're not some spry young thing any more. Well, I had one of those moments this past weekend. I already had plans on Friday to go to a "toy" party with my SIL when a friend of mine asked if I wanted to go salsa dancing with some girlfriends. I told her that I would love to but I was otherwise engaged. She said that they would be there until 4 in the morning and that I should just come join them after the party. Back in the day this would have been a normal weekend for me. When I first moved to Austin, I had just graduated from college and was 23 years old. I used to go out every Friday and Saturday and bar hop on 6th St. until everything closed. Then my friends would come back to my place, and we'd all sit in the hot tub and talk until the sun came up before we would finally go to sleep. I realized on Friday that I just can't do this anymore. I would be at the "toy" party until close to 11, then I'd have to go home and change before going out, and then I'd be dancing until dawn. I no longer have the energy for this. So, when another friend called and asked me to play poker that is what I decided to do after the party. Their house was on my way home and playing poker only requires mental energy. I can't tell you how much this saddens me. I know that I am moving into a new more adult phase of my life, but a part of me is mourning the loss of my party girl self. She was cool chick, although maybe a little bit of a lush.

The One with Wordless Wednesday

2006-02-08T22:44:00.000-06:00

The One with Quote Monday

2006-02-06T19:16:00.000-06:00

The difference between a successful person and others is not a lack of strength, not a lack of knowledge, but rather a lack of will.

-Vince Lombardi

The One with the Hottie of the Week Super Bowl Edition

2006-02-05T22:30:00.000-06:00

Steelers win 21-10. YEA! They are my second favorite professional football team, so this is the first Super Bowl that I have cared about in awhile. It was a pretty good Super Bowl I thought. Not nearly as exciting as the Rose Bowl, but can anything ever be as great as that? The commercials were decent. My personal favorite was the one with the sheep streaker. Funny! The halftime show was much better than last year. I know Paul McCartney is a legend, but it was so boring last year. Ofcourse, the greatest thing about the Stones is marveling about the fact that they are still alive. I guess all the alcohol and drugs have had a preservative effect on them. Now time for business. Hines Ward may have won the official MVP, but my MVP goes to hottie Ben Roethlisberger. He is a cutie! I love football players. They are just so virile. Enjoy!

P.S. Was anyone else pissed at the ending of Grey's Anatomy? I hate cliffhangers!

The One with Wordless Wednesday

2006-02-01T16:51:00.000-06:00

The One with Quote Monday

2006-01-30T21:30:00.000-06:00

I dwell in possibility...
Emily DickinsonUS poet (1830 - 1886)

The One with the Big Apple

2006-01-29T22:55:00.000-06:00

That's right, I am going back to New York! YEA! I am so excited! Me and some of my coworkers have scheduled a trip to NYC in March. It's been in the works for awhile, but now we have our hotel and airfare booked making it official. I went to New York last May with my friend CT, but we were only there for two days. You can't even begin to cover New York in that amount of time. Plus, he's a typical guy and not into shopping. I don't normally like to shop on vacations either 'cause I don't want to do things that I can do at home. New York is an exception to this because they have better shoe stores. Oh, and H&M. I wish we had an H&M here. So cute and cheap! Some of the other things that I didn't get to do last trip and want to accomplish this go around are Central Park, a Broadway show, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. If anyone has theatre and restaurant recommendations, that would be great. My guide books pretty much only list very expensive restaurants. I'm thinking in the $10-20 range. I love New York! I fantasize about moving there, but I'm too scared to live that far away from my family. The only time I've ever lived away from them was in San Antonio, and that was just an hour away and only for a year. I have become so much more independent since college, just not quite enough for this huge of step. Anyway, I could go on and on about this trip, so I will say goodnight. NYC here I come!

P.S. On a different note I have decided to start a couple of weekly posts that will be easy and enable me to blog more often. Soon to come will be Quote Mondays and Wordless Wednesday, the latter being inspired by Whiskey Talking.

The One with the Rollergirls

2006-01-26T23:38:00.000-06:00

If you haven't been watching Rollergirls on A&E, you should be. I love this show! It is the only show out of all the television that I watch that I can't wait for each week. It comes on Monday nights at 9 CT. I had heard the Rollergirl's games advertised on the radio since I moved to Austin, but I never really knew what it was. When I first saw an advertisement for this show, I wanted to check it out. Now I'm completely hooked. These girls are totally hardcore, and I love it! I am such a pansy, and I love seeing women that are so strong, not only physically but mentally. I also love the way the show portrays Austin. I'm a fan of the Real World on MTV, but I hated the Austin season. Not only did the cast suck, but the only thing you saw of Austin was 6th St. and some of SXSW. There is so much more to this city. In this show you get to see more of true Austin. For example, last week, some of the girls went to Trophy's, this cool little dive bar off South Congress that I go to frequently. In fact, just last weekend I went there to watch the Shim Shams. Austin has this whole south vs. north war. North of Town Lake being the new yuppie Austin that came in with the tech boom, and south being the old "true" Austin. In this show they show alot of south Austin. Plus, the Rollerderby itself is cool. It has the same appeal as hockey, in otherwords the violence. If I were in shape and had a backbone, I would totally try out for a team. The next bout is this Sunday. The Holy Rollers vs. my favorite team, the Putas del Fuego. I'm going if I can drag a friend along with me. Go check them out at TXRD for more info.

The One with the Hotties of the Week

2006-01-23T22:45:00.000-06:00

I haven't done a hottie post in awhile, so I decided today would be a good day since I went to see a couple movies this week with some nice hotties. The first movie that I saw was Tristan and Isolde. I was very excited about this movie because it comes from an old Arthurian legend, and I have a fondness for all things Arthurian. In fact, I have a fondness for all things medieval. I sometimes think I should have been born in a different decade, but with my luck I would be a peasant, not part of the upper class. Ofcourse, peasants could marry for love, so maybe that wouldn't be so bad. Also, my nephew was named after this character from legend. Anyway, back to the moive. This is a story about a couple that falls in love, but can't be together because of duty to their countries. Tristan was played by the very handsome James Franco, best known for his role as Harry Osborn in Spiderman. The movie was worth watching but a little disappointing. It is such a great epic tale, and I don't think this movie did it justice. The cinematography was not all that it could be, and Tristan was portrayed a little too whiney for my tastes. The other movie I went to see was Brokeback Mountain. This was a great movie, totally deserving of all the Golden Globes it won and of all it's Oscar buzz. Both the cinematography and the acting were fantastic. I didn't think anyone could replace Joaquin Phoenix as my first pick for a best actor Oscar, but I have changed my vote to Heath Ledger. He and Jake Gyllenhaal did a great job of portraying the angst their characters were suffering. The storyline was also great and one that led to self conflict. I understand that same sex relationships are not fully accepted today, and they certainly weren't back then. Therefore, I understand why they struggled with their love for each other and their need to fit into their society. However, I still think cheating is cheating. Thus my self conflict, but I love it when a movie gives you something to think about. So, those are my reviews.

The One with 28 Things About Moi

2006-01-15T17:12:00.000-06:00

Since I have become another year older, I have to udate my more about me list and add a #28.
I feel pressure to make it something juicy, but I don't have that many juicy secrets, at least not that I'm willing to share. So, here goes.

1. I was born and raised in the oldest town in Texas, Nacogdoches.
2. My great great grandfather signed the Texas Declaration of Independence.
3. I am the youngest of five. I have two half-sisters, a half-brother, and a brother. The half siblings, or the Elders as I call them, and I have the same father but different mothers.
4. I love my sister-in-law dearly and will be eternally grateful that she married my brother.
5. My initials are LAB, and I work in a pathology lab. It was destiny.
6. I tell people that my job is to screen slides and look for cellular changes associated with cancer, which is true. I leave out that most of the slides are pap smears.
7. I was pre-med in college and still have aspirations to become a doctor. I am just terrified of not getting in to med school, and therefore, I have not applied.
8. I have a really bad habit of twisting my hair into knots that I have to cut out.
9. I have naturally curly hair that I sometimes wear straight, and it hurts my feelings when people tell me they like it better that way.
10. Also, my personality changes when my hair is straight. I become much more assertive and outgoing. I call her Nicole.
11. I am liberal and consider myself a Democrat, but I took an online quiz that said I was a liberal Republican. Isn't that an oxymoron?
12. I am single and very content for the most part, but I occasionally get lonely and depressed. On those nights, I end up drinking a bottle of wine and eating chocolate while watching old episodes of Sex and the City.
13. My favorite food is cheese, and unfortunately my body has started to reflect that love. My favorite ice cream is Ben & Jerry's Everything But The. My choice for caffeine is Diet Dr. Pepper, and my favorite adult beverage is wine, preferably red.
14. I have many sleep issues, including a recurring nightmare in which someone is trying to kill me. My sister-in-law thinks this is because I overschedule myself.
15. I sleep with a stuffed elephant named E, and a killer whale that does not have a name yet.
16. I took four years of French in school. I am now trying to correct that mistake and learn Spanish since a large part of my town and state speak this language.
17. My father was a UT grad, and I have grown up as a Longhorn fan. I went to college in my hometown, but I did go to cyto school at a UT affiliated school. I think this qualifies me as being a Longhorn.
18. I have many addictions including magazines, scrapbooking, and most recently blogging.
19. Like most women, I have a very large shoe collection. I think the reason women love shoes so much is because no matter how much our dress size may change, our shoe size stays the same.
20. My all time favorite TV show is Friends, and I am a little afraid I may be turning into Monica.
21. My favorite number is 9. When I was little it was always my age, and when I got to 9 I stopped.
22. I think I have symptoms of OCD because I have to eat french fries in pairs of equal size and M&M's in groups of three of different colors.
23. My first vehicle was a green Pontiac Sunfire that I bought myself when I was 18.
24. I have a fascination with the mafia that scares me a little. I blame that for my disastrous last relationship. He was Italian but not in the mafia.
25. That being said, the vacation destination I most want to see is Italy. Not because of the mafia, but because of the wine.
26. I love to gamble. My favorite casino game is Let It Ride Poker, and my favorite sports bet is March Madness.
27. I cannot leave Target without spending at least $100 even when I have a list.
28. I have a small tatoo of a butterfly in the middle of my lower back. Technically I got it because I lost a bet involving tequila, but secretly I wanted to get one.

That's all folks!

The One with the King's Birthday

2006-01-08T16:30:00.000-06:00

Today is Elvis Presley's birthday. He would be 71. It also happens to be my 28th birthday. I have a had great birthday, and I had plans to make this a very jubilant post with music and everything. However, I should have known that things were going too well. Today, Vince Young announced that he is going pro and will not be returning to play for Texas next year. I know that there are many factors that went into his decision, and he doesn't know me from Adam. Still, you know how much of a die-hard fan I am, and I cannot help but feel betrayed. I actually cried. Next year the National Championship is on my birthday, and I had plans to go. We could still get there, but it's less likely now. I will get over it, but I need a few weeks to mourn. Ok, I can't talk about this anymore, back to my birthday celebration. One of my friends and I were born on the same day, and we decided to have a joint party with an 80's theme. We rented the clubhouse at her apartment, and it was great. There was a big crowd, and many people got into the theme and dressed up. I had a fabulous Madonna outfit. We played all 80's music and had a fantastic party. I also have a TON of beer left over, which is good since I'll be in mourning for awhile. Today, I went over to my family's house, and my SIL had prepared a very fancy lunch for me. I opened all the presents from my family, and my nephew attempted to sing Happy Birthday to me. He's only 2 so it wasn't perfect but still cute. Tonight, I am going to one of my favorite restaurants, Chuy's, with a group of friends. Every year Chuy's has a big Elvis birthday party, and it is always a lot of fun. After dinner, we're going to campus to take pics of the UT tower with the #1 lit up. The tower was all orange on Wednesday right after the game when I went to the drag with all of the other revelers, but they didn't put up the #1 until Thurs. So, I have had a great 28th, which is a good thing because next year I will be too depressed about my age to celebrate. Thank you to all my friends and family! I love you guys! As for Vince, I will miss seeing you in orange white, but I wish you good luck in the NFL.

The One with the National Champions

2006-01-05T01:46:00.000-06:00

I have an upcoming birthday( I share it with the King), and my only wish was for the Longhorns to beat USC in the Rose Bowl and win the National Championship. My wish came true.

Texas is #1!!!!! Nuff said.

The One with an Austin Favorite Part 7

2006-01-03T23:07:00.000-06:00

I haven't done an Austin favorite post in awhile, and in light of the fact that my Longhorns are playing tomorrow night for the National Championship, I thought I would give y'all a little info on the UT Tower. The tower was designed by Paul Cret of Philadelphia and construction was completed in 1937. It stands 307 ft or 27 stories tall and provides some lovely views of Austin from it's observation deck. Unfortunately the tower does have a bit of an infamous past. On August 1, 1966, Charles Whitman went up to the observation deck and opened fire on those down below killing 13 and injuring many more. Many people mistakenly believe that this is why the deck was closed to visitors. However, the deck wasn't closed until 1974, and it was because of suicide jumpers. My sister has a story about a suicide jumper from when she attended UT, but it's a tad gruesome, so I won't share it. Today, a safety lattice has been added, and the observation deck of the tower was reopened for tours in the fall of 1999. There is a system to how the tower is lit at night. Normal days it is all white. For academic and staff achievements it is white on top with an orange shaft. For sports victories it is orange on top with a white shaft, except for special games such as Texas A&M or the Big 12 Championship, then it is all orange. For any National Championship victory, like the one we will have tomorrow, it is all orange with a #1 lit up in the windows.

There are also some other special occasions. When Ricky Williams won the Heisman it was all orange with a #24, and the other night when I went to the ballet it was all orange with an 05. I am assuming this was for the end of the year.

On a different note, I decided to count how many Texas shirts I have. I pulled them all out and layed them on my guest bed. The grand total was 22. This is actually alot less than I thought it would be. I also have hats, scrubs for work, and even shoes and a purse that are all Texas.

Don't forget to watch the Rose Bowl Jan. 4th at 7 p.m. CT on ABC. Texas and USC are both great teams, and it will be a really good game with Texas ultimately coming out on top. Hook 'em Horns!

The One with New Year's Eve 2005

2006-01-01T23:40:00.000-06:00

Hello Everyone and Happy New Year! I hope that you are having a great 2006 thus far. Last night my friends and I started our celebrations early with an extravagant dinner at Truluck's followed by drinks at Malaga, a wine and tapas bar and one of my fav places in Austin. Wine and good times were flowing, and all the good cheer caused me to generously pick up the tab before we all headed to a party at a friend's downtown apartment. Here we rang in the new year with champagne and a fireworks show over Lake Austin. Today, I slept late and was completely unmotivated to do any of the things I had planned, such as organizing my garage. Instead I went to Threadgill's for a late lunch with friends. I had some black eyed peas for luck and my something green for wealth was fried okra. Good southern comfort food! I spent the rest of the day on my couch watching all of the shows I had stored on my DVR and hadn't gotten around to watching yet. I have made a new year's resolution that I have managed to keep on the first day. It is to stop twisting my hair. This is a serious issue because you see, I twist my hair into knots that I have to cut out. I only do this on the left side so, eventually my hair ends up looking lopsided. This has been a problem for me since I was a child. It has been my resolution many times before, including last year, and I have yet to conquer it. One year I made it 9 months. Here's hoping 2006 is my year! So, what are your new year's resolutions?

The One with a Holiday Wish

2005-12-22T23:40:00.000-06:00

I am leaving this morning to go home for Christmas. If you remember, my mother is not electronically inclined, so I won't be doing much blogging until I return. A few words before I go. In our current times of political correctness, it seems that Christmas has lost some sense of itself in order to not offend anyone. Go check out my blog friend Keb's Thursday Thirteen post for a hilarious rant about this topic. For me personally, Christmas is about giving and spending time with my loved ones. So, I would just like to wish every one a merry holiday whether for you that is Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Ramadan (which I know is already over this year), or whatever.
Even though it is futile, I will still be wishing for a little of this outside my window.

Goodbye for now and may there be

Love,
Lish

The One with a Hanukkah Party, the Trail of Lights, and Martha Stewart

2005-12-20T22:17:00.000-06:00

This holiday season I have been trying to be Martha Stewart. I have decorated my entire apartment, I've made fudge and cookies for gifts, and I've been entertaining. All of this has kept me very busy, and it has taken it's toll on my body. I have completely lost my voice. To begin with, my voice is high pitched and soft, and I'm often mistaken for a child when on the phone. I've been told by several guys that this is sexy. I guess it could be if you're a pedifile, but that's not who I'm looking to attract. Now, if any sound comes out at all when I speak, it is only a mouse squeak. I went to the doctor today and learned that I just have to wait for it to come back. I was also given a lecture about drinking enough water and getting enough sleep to keep my immune system going. Sleep? Are you kidding me? I just don't have time for that!

Saturday I got up early to finish up some Christmas shopping, and then I came home to begin preparing for the dinner party I was hosting on Sunday. Next, I got dressed to go to my friend Adina'a Hanukkah party. You may remember her from my post about her band, the Shim Shams. She has this party every year, and it is not so much about Hanukkah as it is just a party with some kosher food. I had brought the ingredients to make pomegranate martinis. This was very dangerous because they are very good and easy to drink. The Hanukkah party sort of died down around midnight, and the other members of her band asked me to go along with them to another party. At this party I began chatting with a nice guy who asked for my number (more on this later). I also continued drinking pomegranate martinis, and let me just say that I learned they can get you into situations that you did not intend. Don't be alarmed. I got myself out of it and home in one piece. However, I didn't get home until about 4am, and you remember I'm having people over later that day.

So, Sunday I wake up a few hours later and a little hungover and go meet Holly to rent the space for the joint birthday party we are having in January. Yes, I have an impending birthday. Let's not talk about it. Then I came home and began making the rest of the food for my dinner party. I was having my family and a few close friends over for dinner followed by a trip to the Trail of Lights in Zilker Park. I had to make two of some dishes because one of my friends, Special K, is vegetarian. My menu included Garlic Artichoke dip, a Ham and Black Olive Cheese Ball, plus a veggie version of the same, Chili, Veggie chili, two kinds of cornbread, Brownie Bourbon Balls, White Chocolate Peppermint fudge, and sugar cookies. I somehow managed to get everything done and on time. Everyone enjoyed the conversation and loved the food. Next, we took the kids down to the Trail of Lights which is an anuual event at Zilker Park that ends with a big tree of lights at the moon tower. Despite the fact that it was very crowded, the trail is always an enjoyable sight. I pulled off a successful evening! I love entertaining even though I get completely stressed out and in this case lost my voice.

So, an update about the boy. He called me on Monday evening (apparently he is a follower of the two day rule). I couldn't very well answer because, I have no voice. I decided to try to send him a text even though I wasn't sure if he had this feature or not. He responded and asked if I would like to have dinner. Yea! I told him yes and that I would call as soon as I can speak again. Since I am leaving on Thursday to go home for Christmas, our dinner probably won't take place until next week. I will keep you somewhat updated, but not too much. I have to keep some secrets!

The One with Humanity

2005-12-17T16:45:00.000-06:00

This month's issue of Real Simple, one of my favorite magazines, had a really good article about random acts of kindness which I thought was really appropriate for the season. I have given you a couple of songs to listen to as you read this that are not only holiday songs but also fit my message today. I know that I don't live in New York, but it is the rest of the lyrics that I want you to hear. Sometimes it seems like humanity and compassion have been lost in today's society. I personally don't think that this is because people aren't compassionate anymore. I just think that we get so caught up and busy in our own lives that we don't notice those around us that need some help or even just a smile. In the article, some of their suggestions are common courtesy in my opinion such as waiting for your friends to make it inside their home when you drop them off. I was raised with this not being an option. Others though I thought were worth trying out. I particularly liked the idea to leave your extra change in the machine when you buy a soda from a vending machine. I have been doing this a lot at work lately. It's just a little thing that puts a smile on someone's face. One suggestion that I have been too scared to try yet is to pay for the order of the car behind you at a drivethrough. I want to do this one, but I'm afraid that I would freak someone out. Another idea that I like is to take cookies or something edible for the workers when you drop off an in-person donation to a charity. It's something thoughtful for the people that do so much for others. This week I performed my own random act of kindness at the grocery store. I had to pop in to pick up a couple of last minute items for our holiday party at work. I was there around 10:30am which apparently is when most of the elderly population goes to the grocery store probably to avoid crowds. I was in line at one of the quick registers and had already put my items on the conveyer belt. There was a little older lady behind me with a cart, and I offered to put her items on the belt for her. She was so happy and thanked me repeatedly and told me what a nice young lady I was. This was just a common courtesy, but I took the time to notice her and that is what I want you to get from this. So, please not just in the next week during the holidays, but every day from now on, remember this and look around you and try to do a kind deed for someone. Find your own way to do a random act of kindness and spread humanity.
Thanks and Happy Holidays!

The One with Howard's Farewell

2005-12-16T23:42:00.000-06:00

So today was Howard Stern's last day on free radio. A very large crowd gathered in New York to bid him farewell. I will really miss him! At least until I get Sirius which I will be doing before January. I have an impending birthday, and I always buy myself a pair of shoes. This year I'm going to get Sirius instead because I can't get through the morning without Howard. I know a lot of people don't like him, but I think he's brilliant. Not only is he hilarious, he's also very intelligent. I especially loved listening to him during our last presidential election. I also think he does great celebrity interviews 'cause he asks questions that others won't. And not just sexual stuff. One of my personal favorites was his interview with Vincent Gallo, the director and star of The Brown Bunny and Buffalo 66, both of which are films I recommend. If people would just get their panties out of a their asses and listen to his show, they would see that there's actually a lot more to it than just farting and strippers. I also think the FCC has gotten out of control. If you don't want to listen to something, then don't. If you don't want to see sex and violence on the tv, then change the channel. It's a free country! I think it's really sad that Howard is being forced to move to satellite in order to express himself as he wants. So, goodbye Howard, goodbye Robin, goodbye Artie, and goodbye High Pitch Eric, Jeff the Drunk, Wendy the Retard, and Bong Hit Eric. Until we meet again.

The One with the Nutcracker

2005-12-13T23:36:00.000-06:00

This past weekend was a very busy one for me. On Friday, I babysat my niece and nephew so their parents could go to a holiday party. We all ate chicken nuggets from McDonald's, and then they made me watch How the Grinch Stole Christmas THREE times. I hate that movie! I didn't like it as a child, and I don't like it now, but you try to argue with 2 and 3 year olds. At 9 when I told them it was time to go night night, my nephew got very upset with me, but who was the first one to fall asleep. You guessed it, TRISTAN!

On Saturday, I spent the day running errands and Christmas shopping, then I fixed dinner and got dressed for the Nutcracker. This year I took my friend Debs and her daughter, Ellie, to see Ballet Austin's performance of the Nutcracker. I love the ballet, and I had only seen this performance on PBS, so I was very excited. I had bought a new outfit for the occasion. We were all dressed up and looked very pretty, if I do say so myself. The performance was wonderful! My favorite part was the second act at the Sugar Plum Fairy's court. Ellie did very well sitting through the performance. Afterwards we drove down 37th St. to look at the Christmas lights. This is an Austin tradition. This one neighborhood goes all out stringing lights everywhere, and there's lots of artsy pieces and crazy things like an old stove covered in Christmas lights. Keep Austin weird and all that.

Sunday, I woke up early and began preparing brunch for my family. We were exchanging presents with my sister since we won't be seeing them at Christmas. I made Cranberry Orange muffins from scratch for the first time, and they were delicious! That afternoon, my SIL and I went shopping while the kids and Etienne napped. I spent enitrely too much money at Marshall's, mostly on Christmas bags. And I've already wrapped all my presents! Oh well, I can use them next year. I also bought a really cute pair of shoes that I love even though I can't feel my toes after about 30 minutes of wearing them. SIL bought me a green cashmere hoodie for Christmas which I'm very excited about. I had asked for something cashmere, and a green hoodie was exactly what I had envisioned. I can't believe we found one. Later that evening I made fudge for my neighbors. I used this recipe from Rachel Ray that I had seen on Oprah. It was so easy and very yummy! TTFN!
Lish

The One with the Ice

2005-12-08T22:36:00.000-06:00

Uh-oh, I'm posting two days in a row! Someone alert the media! I'm conducting a test to see if I can be a regular blogger and still have a life away from my computer. Alot of you out there in the blog world have kids, spouses, and careers. If you can do it, so can I. So, last night I went to bed with visions of snowflakes dancing in my head. I awoke at 7am (very early for me) to find ice, not snow, and alot of it. As you know, in Texas our weather changes at the drop of a hat. On Saturday we had temps in the 80's, and yesterday afternoon, they began dropping rapidly into the 20's along with this slushy stuff, not really rain but not snow. I had to pry my door open to get into my car, and then search frantically for my ice scraper so that I could get home last night. When I arrived home I tried to rescue my poor container garden, but I'm afraid my hydrangeas may never recover. I decided to brave the ice this morning and try to make it to work around 10. Now, I love my state, but I must admit Texans can't drive. Things come to a stand still when it rains. Throw some ice into the mix, and you're just asking for trouble. TexDOT does not know how to handle this kind of weather either, and the road I live on was not sanded. Keep in mind that this is a major road that turns into a freeway. Things were going well until I got closer to the first light and had to brake. Then I began sliding, which freaked me out. Once I got to the light, I decided to turn and pull over for awhile. I called in to work and said I was going back home, but then I spoke to my SIL and found out that I-35 was in good condition. At this point I was afraid to go back from whence I came, so I made my way over to 35 and had no problems getting to work. At work, there were only about 5 people there, and only one of our support staff showed up, so I had to help them out all day since I used to be one of them before my elevation to cytotech. It was kinda nice to have a break from the microscope for awhile. More people showed up around noon, and everyone was complaining. I could do without having to thaw my car before driving and the sliding on the roads, but I, for one, am glad to have a December that feels like December. My drive home was very uneventful, not even the normal traffic got in my way. The pictures that I took this morning were not very good, so I tried to find you all something else pretty to look at. Tonight our temperature is supposed to get to 17. SEVENTEEN! I don't think that's ever happened since I've been alive. Alright, I'm off to drink some hot chocolate and snuggle under a blanket, or three.

The One with the Big 12 Champions

2005-12-07T23:24:00.000-06:00

We are the CHAMPIONS, my friends. This past weekend I went to Houston to watch the Big 12 Championship. It was the best $400 dollars I ever spent. Texas totally kicked Colorado's ass winning the game 70-3. Even though the game was kind of boring after the first half, it was so much fun! My fellow Longhorn friend, Histo, and I went to Katy on Friday to stay with a friend of mine from college, Bud. We got up early on Saturday, drove to Reliant stadium, and kicked back with a couple of Lonestars before the game while watching the crowd come in. The stadium was packed with a sea of burnt orange. I myself was wearing one of four new Longhorn shirts I bought last week (you can never have too many) in honor of the occasion. It's the one with Mack Brown's slogan Come Early, Be Loud, Stay Late, Wear Orange. And that is exactly what we did. I made a sign to hold hoping that we would get on TV, but to no avail. After the game we were stuck on the freeway for hours, even though we didn't leave for about an hour after the game. We had planned on going out that night with Bud, but we were so tired from the all day affair that we just went to dinner and stayed in with a movie. The next day we made a special trip to IKEA before heaing back to Austin. I LOVE that store! I found a buffet for my dining room that I have been looking for forever. Everything there is so cheap! I could have stayed for hours. They are building one in Round Rock, and I can't wait for it to open. So, now my Longhorns are going to the Rose Bowl on Jan 4th to play for the National Championship. Look out USC! The Eyes of Texas are upon you!

The One with Halloween, Wurst Fest, and Dave Chappelle

2005-11-16T21:14:00.000-06:00

I know it's been awhile folks, and I'm sorry. I've been really busy, so this is going to be a catchup post about the last several weeks. Let's start with Halloween weekend. I had been invited to this really big Halloween party, but the girl that invited me got into a fight with her boyfriend, so we didn't go. Instead we went downtown. I was dressed as a pirate's wench (sorry, no pictures). I met Special K, Granola, and Fendi at Opal Divine's, this bar on 6th known for its Scotch. I had a couple of scotch on the rocks to calm my nerves about being in a costume. The only problem with this plan is that when I start with hard liquor, I don't stop. From there we went to Fado's, an Irish bar on 5th and one of my favorites. They were having a Heaven and Hell costume party. By far the best costume I saw was this guy dressed like the painting of the man with a green apple in front of his face. It was the most original costume I think I've ever seen. Some girl dressed like a pirate came up behind me and yelled
"ARRRGGGG!" in my ear. She scared the crap out of me and then would not leave me alone the rest of the night. I guess she thought I was her personal pirate wench. We all made it home safely and had a great time. On the actual day of Halloween, Monday, I went to my brother's for what my sister-in-law was calling their white-trash Halloween party, because they were having it in the front yard. It was mostly couple friends of theirs with children, but I made Granola come with me so I wouldn't be the only single there. We had food and beer for the adults and games and candy for the kids. My niece and nephew were Tinkerbell and Peter Pan and looked adorable, but I was unable to get any good pictures of them. The pic is of my friend Debs and her children at the party.

The next weekend, my friends were doing the Wurst Ride from Austin to New Braunfels. I went down to cheer them across the finish line. I could never spend 5 hours on a bike! However, I can go to Wurst Fest afterwards and eat sausage and drink lots of German beer, which is what we did for the rest of the day. The next day I had to get up before the sun and go walk in Race for the Cure. I wanted so badly to sleep in, but I was team captain so I couldn't. It was really hot and humid and miserable, and the rest of the day I sat on my couch and watched the history channel instead of running errands.

Last weekend, I went with my sis-in-law to a scrapbook retreat. It was at this ranch in the middle of nowhere, and all we did was scrapbook all weekend. I actually had more fun than I thought I was going to. This place cooks all your meals and snacks, and they have other activites if you want to take a crop break. On Saturday, they had someone giving massages, which was great since I had gotten a charley horse the night before and needed some help. They also had a large selection of chick flicks for us to watch while we were cropping. On Sunday, when we came home, I had tickets to see Dave Chappelle. I had thought he was going to be at Austin Music Hall, which is the really small, intimate venue, but to my surprise he was at the Frank Erwin center, where UT plays basketball. There were like 15,000 people there! Not intimate at all! It was still great though. My favorite part was this little skit he did about the p word and the five senses. Sorry I can't tell it to you. I am unable to say that word. I love Dave Chappelle. When I was in college, my friends and I used to hang out every night at my friend Skills' house during the summer, and we watched Half Baked a million times. Aaaahhh, those were good times back in the day.

So, that is the 411. I'll try not to be away so long again. I hope I was missed. I know I miss you guys! Look, CT, I said you guys and not y'all. Aren't you proud? BTW, from now on I'm going to call CT Maverick since I am his Goose. I've tried this before, but this time, it's going to stick! Later!
Lish

The One with a Blogaholic

2005-11-04T23:01:00.000-06:00

Some of you may have noticed that I have not been posting as frequently nor have I been commenting as much. This is because I had become a Blogaholic. I found this list awhile back, and let's just say I discovered that I was very sick. I had many of these symtpoms, like more than 20 less than 50. Even before finding this, I knew I had a problem. To all of my blog buddies, I love reading all of your posts, but many of you post every day. There are many more blogs that I read than my blogroll reflects because I'm lazy and haven't added them all yet. So, between trying to write my own posts and keep up with all of yours, I was spending way too much time in front of the computer. My apartment was a wreck (which if you know me, this drives me crazy), I was only getting a few hours sleep a night (which means I was falling asleep at my scope during the day), and my friends were accusing me of becoming a recluse. I actually turned down invitations on the weekend to stay home and play Michele's weekend meet-n-greet. Don't get me wrong I love the weekend meet-n-greet, but I needed help. So, this is why I have not been around as much. My apartment is back to being spotless, I'm trying to sleep at least 6 hours a night, and I'm not home much on the weekends (or during the week for that matter). So my dear blog friends, I love and miss you all, but have patience with me. I will come visit you all as often as I can, and please keep coming back.

The One with Three

2005-10-28T21:59:00.000-05:00

I haven't been very inspired lately, so here's a little meme to kick off the weekend. This one is courtesy of Blond Girl.

Three names I go by:
1. Lish (sometimes Aunt Lish)
2. Nicole, I use this name when I get tired of people mispronouncing my real name
3. Luscious, this is my secret porn name ;)

Three screen names I have had:
1. lish99
2. shoegal99
3. N/A

Three physical things I like about myself:
1. My curly hair
2. My green eyes
3. My hands

Three physical things I don't like about myself:
Gosh, I can only name three!
1. My thighs
2. My stomach
3. My chin

Three parts of my heritage:
From my dad:
1. English, English, and more English
From my mom:
2. Scotch-Irish
3. Native American ( I think Caddoe)

Three things that scare me:
1. SPIDERS!!!!!!! ( deathly afraid!!!!!!)
2. Closets, I've had this fear since I watched Poultergeist when I was little
3. Closed shower curtains, I freak myself out thinking there's someone behind it

Three of my everyday essentials:
1. Blistex Complete Moisture lip balm
2. Nasonex, damn allergies
3. My cell phone, I cannot be seperated from it

Three of my favorite musical artists:
These are the groups that I have every album they've made
1. U2
2. Bon Jovi, still love him
3. Dixie Chicks

Three of my favorite songs:
1. With or Without You-U2
2. When You Say Nothing-Keith Whitley or Allison Kraus
3. O Holy Night ( favorite Christmas song)

Three things I want in a relationship:
1. Honesty
2. Humor
3. Friendship

Three lies and truths in no particular order:
I'll let you decide what's what.
1. I have a tatoo of a butterfly on the small of my back.
2. I have a pet spider.
3. I am a Longhorn fan.

Three physical things about the opposite sex that appeal to me:
1. Eyes
2. Arms
3. Butt!

Three of my favorite hobbies:
1. Blogging
2. Scrapbooking
3. Drinking ;)

Three things I want to do really badly right now:
1. Pay off my student loans
2. Redecorate my living room
3. Win the Mega Million

Three careers I've considered/I'm considering
1. Cardiologist
2. Pathologist
3. Wine shop owner (this is if I win the lottery)

Three Places I want to vacation:
1. Italy
2. Macchu Picchu
3. NYC

Three kid's names I like:
1. Jackson, call him Jacks
2. Caroline, call her Carly
3. Emerson, could be a boy or a girl

Three things I want to do before I die:
1. Become debt free
2. Own a home
3. Again, go to Italy

Three ways that I am stereotypically a boy:
1. I love to watch sports.
2. I love action movies.
3. I hate to talk on the phone.

Three ways that I am stereotypically a girl:
1. I have a large shoe collection.
2. I have a large handbag collection.
3. I love makeup.

Three celeb crushes:
1. Matthew McConaughey, ofcourse!
2. Colin Firth
3. Jon Bon Jovi

Three people I would like to see post this meme:
I don't know if any of you will actually do this, but
1. Utenzi
2. Keb
3. Bearette

Have a great weekend everyone!

The One with the Haunted Forest

2005-10-24T21:51:00.000-05:00

This was a very busy weekend for me. It started on Saturday when I went to watch the game at Ringer's, a sports bar downtown. I had gotten up early and stood in line to get us a table for the OU game, so my friend was supposed to do that for the Texas Tech game this past Saturday. I kept calling her all morning and couldn't reach her. I finally get to the bar around noon, and she is nowhere to be found and neither is a table. I managed to find an empty seat at the bar next to two guys who tried to buy me a drink even though I had a full beer. Then they offered me a shot, and I said it was a little early in the day for shots. My friend, Histo, finally showed up around 1:30 followed by Special K. Watching this game was a totally different experience from the OU game. That day, the crowd was made up of all UT fans. This weekend, there was only slightly more orange than red, because a lot of Tech fans come to Austin for this game. I was worried about Texas making the 16.5 point spread in my football pool, because I thought this would be a close game. I am incapable of betting against Texas even if it means I lose money, but I needn't have worried. The beginning of the game was not looking good for us, and the Tech fans were going crazy. However, Texas came back strong and won 52-17. Yeaee Yaeeee! Hook 'em! Today, the BCS ranked Texas ahead of USC. Number 1, baby! Don't get too excited though. It won't last. USC just lost some ground on strength of schedule last week, but they will get it back. They still have to play Cal and UCLA. Not that it really matters, 'cause Texas will still be #2 and still be going to the Rose Bowl (knock on wood). Yea!

After the game, we walked a few blocks south to watch some cycling. The Ride for the Roses benefitting the Lance Armstrong foundation was this weekend, and one of my coworkers was competing in a short track street race. I've never seen a cycling race in person, and it was quite an experience. They go really fast, and they are all really close together. One wrong move and there is going to be a really big pile and alot of pain. Next, a big group of us went to eat at Marakesh, a Middle Eastern restaurant downtown. The service left much to be desired, but the food was very good. I had a dish with spinach and feta in phyllo dough that was served with hummus. They had excellent hummus, and I also really liked the grape leaves and falafel I sampled from Special K.

Next, we all went to Austin's Haunted Forest on South Lamar. When I asked DK for directions, he told me it was just down from the Horseshoe on the left. I said great and everyone starting laughing. It turns out that before I walked up he told them to always reference a bar when giving me directions and I would know where it was. So, what are you trying to say, DK? I readily admit to being a lush. The Haunted Forest was a trip and half. My friends discovered that if chased by zombies, men in Jason's masks, or anyone with a chainsaw, I will do anything to get away, including remove you from my path and leave you behind. You start out in this maze, and people jump out at you, only you can't run 'cause there are trees in the path. My sweater got caught on one, and I was screaming for someone to help me and not leave me. At one point our group got seperated, and the group I was with was following some little kid with a big knife. We started to suspect he was leading us astray and we should turn around. I was in the back and when I turned around, there was a guy standing there in a Jason mask. I totally freaked and pushed evryone out of the way and ran, leading us into a dead end. Somehow, we managed to find our way out and meet back up with the rest of our group. Then you have to walk along a 1/4 mile path through the woods and over rickety bridges where they have different scenes set up. I was leading this time, and the only things that got to me were the gigantic spiders we had to walk through and the chainsaw man. I didn't even see him. As soon as I heard the chainsaw start up, I took off pulling my friends along with me. Throughout this whole adventure, we were alternately screaming and then laughing at ourselves for getting so scared. I know the whole thing was fake, and it's just funny how your own mind can freak you out. And why do I love to do scary things when I know I have trouble sleeping afterwards?

After the forest, I went with Navy to watch her husband play at the Ritz. The Ritz is a bar on 6th St. that is located in an old movie theater. They have several pool tables and a couple of air hockey tables, my personal fave. Navy's husband is a drummer that plays for several bands. On Saturday he had gotten a call from a band whose drummer was sick. They were a cover band, but they were pretty good. By this point, it had been a long day, so we only stayed about an hour. On my way home, I drove through campus to take a pic of the tower lit up. Mine is not nearly as good as the one I found on the net. I had to turn the flash off, and I couldn't hold the camera still enough. I tried propping it on my car, but that didn't seem to help much and then my battery died. Oh well!

Sunday was much lazier. I slept really late and then went shopping. Every Sunday evening, I go to Georgetown to have dinner with my fam. They are doing the South Beach diet right now, so we had roast and mashed cauliflower instead of potatoes. They are actually alot better than they sound. So, that was my weekend. Now, I am anxiously awaiting Halloween. Oh, and we finally got some cold temperatures here. I hope it stays!

The One with the Shim Shams

2005-10-21T23:34:00.000-05:00

I have a friend that plays bass guitar/guitar in a band called the Shim Shams. They perform at alot of different places around Austin, and last night I went to see them at Trophy's, a sort of dive bar on South Congress. I am not one of those people that can wax poetic about music like a Rolling Stone writer, so I will tell you that one of my friends says their sound has a Talking Heads influence. If you check out their site, they describe their music as Garage-Pop Rock-adelic, and they do list Talking Heads as an influence. Personally, I would describe them as Punk Rock, and I like them alot. Also, go here to listen to some of their songs. They all have characters that they play when they are perfroming, and one of the songs is named for my friend's character, Candypants Larue.
On a different topic, last night reminded me just how painfully mainstream I am. Last night, I wore my Seven jeans, a Gap sweater, some Nine West heels, and I was carrying my pride and joy, my Fendi purse. I walk in, and everyone there was dressed either in a grunge or a rockabilly look. I'm sure they all bought their clothes at trendy vintage stores. I just can't pull this off. At least, I like to drink Lone Star, which seemed to be the perferred drink of most everyone there. Even most of my music tastes are so mainstream. I like pretty much everything from Kelly Clarkson to Audioslave to Faith Hill to Kanye West. In this town it is just so uncool to be mainstream, which I guess is why I try to surround myself with alternative friends. My friends all have something unique that I love about them, and I get to experience new things by hanging out with all of them. For the life of me, I will never understand what they get from me, other than a superior knowledge of shoes and handbags!

Anyway, go check out the Shim Shams! They rock!

The One with Homecoming

2005-10-19T23:09:00.000-05:00

I'm back! I've actually been back a couple of days, but I haven't been home much. This past weekend, I went to Nacogdoches to go to the homecoming game. I went to the game with my high school sweetheart, let's call him JT. We have remained friends although it has not always been easy. I had really great weekend. Nac beat Pine Tree 59-30. Yea! I didn't see alot of people from my class, but the class of '95 was having a reunion so there were alot of people there that I knew. Also, one of my favorite teachers, Mr. Gibson, was selling tickets, so I got to chat with him awhile. He was my A&P teacher. I was looking forward to the halftime performance, since I was in band and a twirler in high school. The twirlers were not very good, but the band looked awesome. After the game we went to Casa for some drinks. I love their queso and used to go here every year for my birthday. The next day I had lunch and ran some errands with my mom, then I headed up to Bullfrogs to watch the Texas game with JT. I was watching 3 games at once, UT vs. Colorado, USC vs. ND, and the Astros. I'm still upset about Notre Dame barely losing to USC. What a game! Next, I took my mom out for dinner at a nice Italian restaurant we have in Nac. Then I went to a club with JT and some of his friends. I stayed out a little too late and imbibed a little too much which made the drive home on Sunday difficult, but I had a great time.
Being back in Nac always makes me reminisce. I remember how dramatic everything was in high school, and how sure I was of what would happen in my future. None of the things I had planned have happened, and being an adult with adult problems makes you realize just how easy high school really was. I wish sometimes that I could go back to that carefree feeling. The feeling that you have your whole future ahead of you with so many possibilites. I'm happy with my life and the decisions that I made that have lead me to where I am, but it's just interesting to wonder where you'd be if you'd done things different, or the way you originally planned. Hmm?

P.S. I think JT's new haircut and facial hair make him look like Dave Navarro.

The One with the Xterra

2005-10-13T21:39:00.000-05:00

I have a new Xterra! I LOVE it! The lease on my old one was up so, last night I turned it in and bought a new one. They have added alot of features since 2001, and my new Xterra is alot more luxe. It's amazing how happy simple things like mirrors on the visors can make me. I also have steering wheel radio controls, an in dash 6 cd changer, crusie control, a compass on the rear view mirror, and my personal favorite, it tells me how many miles I have til empty! I got those little Beabie Babies at McDonald's a long, long time ago, and they move with me to each new car. Every vehicle I have owned has been green, so I was determined to get another color this time. I went with a very dark gray. They call it night armor, I call it charcoal.

This is my first car that is solely in my name, and my mother is very excited. My first car was bought when I was a senior in high school and had no credit, so it was in her name. My second was after college when I had bad credit because of all those damn credit cards they throw at you in college, so she had to cosign with me. Now, I have no credit cards and have improved my credit. A cell phone and a car in my name! I feel so grown up! Next, I will have to get a house, but give me a few more years.

The cd player in my old Xterra was broken, and I am very excited about trying my new one out. I bought 3 new cd's today for the occasion: Greenday, Kelly Clarkson, and Faith Hill. Yes, my music tastes are very eclectic. I can't wait to listen to them tomorrow. I will be driving down the road in my gas guzzler blaring American Idiot! Normally I dread the 4 hour drive to Nac, but now I'm looking forward to it.

Speaking of, this school year marks ten years since I graduated from high school. So, this weekend I am going to the homecoming game in Nac. My mother is completely clueless about electronics and does not have a computer, so I won't be posting again this week. I also won't be able to read anyone's blog. I have become such a blogaholic, I don't know how I will be able to go cold turkey. I will miss you all! While I am gone, I have a special assignment for you. I always name my vehicles and need help deciding on a name for this one. I thought about Stormy because of the color, but I once had a cat with this name. What do you think?

The One with Victory

2005-10-11T00:19:00.000-05:00

This past weekend was one of the most important games of the year, the Red River Shootout against OU. Texas finally finally won, 45-12, after 5 years of losses. YEA! I woke up early to wait outside Pluckers so we could get a table. I got there around 10:30, and I'm very glad because there was already a line. We had a great table right in front of the big screen tv. We drank alot of beer, ate some wings, and watched a great game. The restaurant was packed with a sea of orange, and everyone was pumped up. I had so much fun! Hook 'em!

Saturday evening, I went to a company softball game. It was the Austin crew against the San Antonio crew. We thought it was just for fun, so our team had no formal practices. Well, it turns out the San Antonio crew plays in a league. When I saw they had matching shirts, I knew we were in trouble. They totally kicked our ass, twice. But, everyone still had a great time. We had hot dogs and drank more beer. I was so excited about UT winning, I didn't care about the humiliation. It was a great weekend!

The One with a Crappy Week and Another Meme

2005-10-07T21:57:00.000-05:00

Let's start with the meme first. This one is also from Keb.

The Rules:
1. Go into your archive.
2. Find your 23rd post.
3. Find the fifth sentence (or closest to).
4. Post the text of the sentence in your blog along with these instructions.
5. Tag five other people to do the same.

The fifth sentence from my 23rd post was... drumroll please!

His side bar has all of his previous shnacky girls.

You're probably like, WTF? This post was my very first Hottie of the Week post, and I was explaining how I stole this idea from my friend Craig. He has a Shnacky of the Week post, shnacky being a hot girl. My first hottie was Matthew McConaughey, which is kind of fitting for this weekend as well. He is a UT graduate and huge fan afterall, and tomorrow is the single most important day of the year for any Horn fan. It is the Red River Shootout game against OU. Also, I'm planning on seeing his new movie, Two for the Money, this weekend. I'm not going to tag anyone by the way. I've seen this one on alot of blogs, so most of you have done it already.

Now for my crappy week. Really, it's just been a couple of crappy days. About 2 weeks ago I began to get sick. It started out as a very sore throat with some body aches and moved to a dry hacking cough that I haven't been able to shake. Wednesday, I woke up feeling especially crappy and decided not to go to work. I made an appointment to go to the doctor on Thursday morning because I already had an appointment to get my car detailed that afternoon. I had to have this done because it's a lease that I'm about to turn back in, and I was getting a big discount on the detail. I ran a couple of errands that I had been putting off on the way home from the carwash place and didn't get home til about 7. That is when I discovered there were things missing from my car, such as a couple of maps, my phone charger, my antenna, and my garage door opener. I can't get into my apartment without my garage door opener because I lock the deadbolt on my front door. I immediately called the car place and ofcourse they were closed. F*&#!!!!!!! I was beyond irate. My cell phone was on it's last leg so my next call to my sister-in-law went like this, "Pam! My phone's dying. Can't talk. I have to come spend the night. On my way now. Bye!". So, I had to drive to Georgetown to stay with my brother's family, and I didn't have my OTC cough meds so, I slept like, you guessed it, crap.

The next morning I had to cancel my doctor's appointment because I wasn't about to go in yesterday's clothes with sleep breath. Then, I had to wait for the car place to open, drive all the way to south Austin from Georgetown, and retreive my things so I could drive way back north and get dressed for work. This made me REALLY late for work, much more than my normal 15 minutes, which means I also had to work REALLY late. I finally got to the doctor today, and it turns out that I have bronchitis and a fever. JOY! After work today, I went to get my meds and, naturally I had to go to 2 pharmacies because the first didn't have my cough syrup with a narcotic. I need my cough syrup with a narcotic people! After the pharmacy, I picked up some KFC for dinner. It's good southern comfort food. This may be the narcotic talking, but why is cole slaw called cole slaw? Where did that come from? My friend Debs thinks I should take it easy this weekend, but I have stuff planned all weekend so that won't happen. However, I do think I'll cut my net session a little short tonight and go pass out now.

Hook 'em!

The One with Girl's Night

2005-10-06T21:58:00.000-05:00

Last weekend I went to the big D, and I do mean Dallas. Ok, I know that was cheesy. Forgive me. Seriously though, my roommate from college, Heather, decided to have a girl's night while her husband was away for the weekend playing golf. Really it was more like a slumber party for adults. When I told my sis-in-law about our plans, she looked at me like I was crazy, but we had so much fun! Unlike in grade school, this slumber party had alcohol, and lots of it! Heather had asked me to pick up some ice, and when I walked in she had one of those really large coolers like the beer girls when you walk into a bar. It was filled to the top with beer and wine coolers. There was also a large array of wine and hard liquor. So, we drank alot, ate a bunch of junk food, and sang karaoke. It was great! We also attempted to play with a Ouija board, but it was a total failure. Not that I expected anything to happen. My camera battery died so I didn't get many pics. These were the best two. Somehow I managed to escape having a hangover the next day, thankfully since I had to get back to Austin for the Lance thing. Can't wait for the next girl's night!

The One with Lance

2005-10-03T21:05:00.000-05:00

Every year, or at least the last 6, the city of Austin throws a victory bash for Lance Armstrong. This year he decided to have a thank you concert in recognition of all the support the community has given him throughout his career. It was held on Sunday, October 2nd, nine years to the day since he was diagnosed with cancer. Bob Schneider, a local legend, started things off, followed by a video of all Lance's Tour wins, and then a speech by the man of the hour himself. He presented our mayor with a thank you proclamation and a yellow jersey, and then he showed a video about the work of his foundation. Next, he cracked a joke about paying top dollar for the night's headliner, Sheryl Crow. She played all her hits and put on a great show. She is every bit as good live as she is recorded. One of Lance's daughters kept coming out on stage, so Sheryl just let her stay. It was very cute! For the encore song, Lance even played the drums. There is nothing like a free concert in Austin at Auditorium Shores with the view of the Austin skyline in the background, the smell of pot in the air, and our famous resident transvestite bum, Leslie, posing for pictures. A small shower, just a sprinkle really, cooled things off, and I was able to just sit back and relax with my Tecate and listen to some good music. Good times!

The One with an Austin Favorite Part 6

2005-09-30T23:08:00.000-05:00

One of my favorite activities is to go see performances at the UT Performing Arts Center, whether it's theatre, ballet, or opera. Traditionally before I go to a performance, I have dinner at Hyde Park Bar and Grill, one of my favorite Austin restaurants. They have a very eclectic menu, and a small, but excellent wine list. They are famous for their french fries which are served with Hyde Park sauce, a sort of aoli. My favorite dish is the fried artichoke appetizer served with a Chipotle Ranch sauce. They are like little bites of heaven! The Wom Kim's Peach Pudding was also to die for.

Tonight, I went to see Ballet Austin's Carmina Burana. This is normally performed as just an opera, but Ballet Austin has added dance and are taking it on tour to New York. You may not recognize the name Carmina Burana, but I guarantee that you have heard it. The music can be found in about a million movies. It is especially common in battle scenes and is practically a requirement for any movie about Arthurian legend, such as Excalibur. Carmina Burana was composed by Carl Orff from Germany. It is based on a set of poems and songs from the 13th century that were discovered in 1803 in Munich. The set was very dark and sparse, almost elemental. There was a large metallic sculputre, very geometric with harsh angles, that seperated the dancers from the chorus. The dancer's costumes were modern in muted earth tones with just a few interjections of color. Both the dancing and the music were incredible. The music and vocals in this piece are so powerful with a long buildup to a climactic ending. It was thrilling to experience it live. Goosebumps! No one has ever put dance to this piece before, and I thought it was very creative and entertaining. I had a wonderful evening!

The One with a Meme

2005-09-29T21:34:00.000-05:00

This is my first meme, and it is courtesy of Keb. So, here goes:

1. Do you try to look hot when you go to the grocery store just in case someone recognizes you from your blog? I don't think anyone is going to recognize me from my blog, but I do try to look my best with the hopes of picking up someone in the produce department. "Excuse me, do you know how to tell if this melon is ripe?"
2. Are the photos you post Photoshopped or otherwise altered? My profile picture is cropped so that only I am visible, but otherwise, no. The whole picture can be seen here.
3. Do you like it when creeps or dorks email you? My blog isn't popular enough to get much email, but ofcourse I would love it.
4. Do you lie in your blog? This depends on what I'm writing about. Sometimes I omit things if I think it will embarass a friend, because most of the people I write about do read this. For example, there was much more that went on this night. I'll never tell (said like Britney Murphy in that creepy movie).
5. Are you passive-aggressive in your blog? I suppose my comment about the FCC in the first Bachelorette Party post was a little passive-aggressive. There's probably othertimes too. Sorry, I dislike passive-aggressiveness.
6. Do you ever threaten to quit writing so people will tell you not to stop? No. I doubt anyone would care.
7. Are you in therapy? If not, should you be? If so, is it helping? No, but I probably should be. I have some issues about abandonment and trust that stem from my relationship with my father.
8. Do you delete mean comments? Do you fake nice ones? I have only deleted one comment. I knew the person was trying to get under my skin, and they did. It's that passive-aggressive thing again. I never fake nice ones. It hadn't even occured to me.
9. Have you ever rubbed one out while reading a blog? How about after? Um, no comment. Just kidding! That would be a no.
10. If your readers knew you in person, would they like you more or like you less? Ofcourse they would. I'm a really sweet person and fun to hang out with. Truly!
11. Do you have a job? Yes, how do you think I pay for the internet connection?
12. If someone offered you a decent salary to blog full-time without restrictions, would you do it? Hell yes! People get paid to do this? Can I have an application?
13. Which blogger do you want to meet in real life? I can't answer this, 'cause I don't want to play favorites. There is one blog I read that I can tell the blogger lives in the same town as me. I often wonder if I'll ever run into them somewhere. Would I even recognize them if I did? Would they recognize me? I think it would be weird. What if they thought I was a stalker?
14. Which bloggers have you made out with? The only blogger I know is Bandit. We went to cyto school together. He's like a brother to me, so no making out. I'm his winggirl.
15. Do you usually act like you have more money or less money than you really have? Neither.
16. Does your family read your blog? My sister-in-law does. My mother is not allowed to, not that she knows how to surf the net anyway. She can't even work her answering machine much less a pc.
17. How old is your blog? I started this past Feburary, but there was a slight lull due to some pc problems.
18. Do you get more than 1000 page views per day? Do you care? That would be a big NO. I just added a stat counter about 2 weeks ago. I haven't even had 2000 hits yet. I am not a blogebrity. I don't care that much, just a little.
19. Do you have another secret blog in which you write about being depressed, slutty, or a liar? No, I don't need one. I'm not a liar, and I'll tell you if I'm depressed or if I do something slutty. Just wait til I post about my garden tub. ;)
20. Have you ever given another blogger money for his/her writing? No
21. Do you report the money you earn from your blog on your taxes? Seriously, where's that application?
22. Is blogging narcissistic? I don't think so. I find it therapeutic.
23. Do you feel guilty when you don't post for a long time? Yes, I just had this conversation with Bandit the other day. I'm starting to feel self-inflicted pressure to post more often and to be more literary and entertaining.
24. Do you like John Mayer? Like Keb I detest Daughters, but I would love it if someone told me my body was a wonderland. In my dreams!
25. Do you have enemies? There are 3 people in this world I hate, and they all wronged me and deserve it.
26. Are you lonely? Most of the time no. I love my life and am very happy. However, sometimes I wish I had someone special to share it with. Yes, my friends are special to me, but you know what I mean.
27. Why bother? Why not?
Who am I gonna tag? No one 'cause I'm nice like that.

Finally, I'm all done!

The One with the Hottie of the Week

2005-09-28T21:15:00.000-05:00

Meet Bradley Cooper. Just look at those piercing blue eyes. You probably recognize him from one of this summer's hit movies, Wedding Crashers, where he played Zach "Sack" Lodge, the jerky boyfriend. He also played Will Tippin in the frist 2 seasons of Alias. I was still holding out hope that he would reappear on that show, because Will remains one of my favorite characters. I think he would have been a good match for Sydney, but alas it is not to be. Because not only is Bradley hot, he is also on my favorite new show of the season, Kitchen Confidential. He plays the lead Jack Bourdain, a chef that made it big, then enjoyed himself a little too much. Now he's being given a second chance running a hot New York restaurant, Nolita. This show gives a humorous and enlightening behind-the-scenes look at a happening NYC restaurant. I love this show! It is hysterically funny! Guys, there is plenty of eye candy on this show for your enjoyment as well. Check it out, Monday nights on FOX at 7:30 CT after Arrested Development. If people don't watch this show, I won't be able to watch Bradley every week, and this would make me sad. Please don't make me sad!

P.S. You put the ho in hostess.

The One with Desperate Housewives

2005-09-25T13:05:00.000-05:00

Congratulations! You are Gabrielle Solis, the
ex-model with everything she's every wanted a
rich husband, a big house and John, the
17-year-old gardener.

Which Desperate Housewife are you?
brought to you by Quizilla

I am so happy to be posting about something other than hurricanes for a change. In honor of the Desperate Housewives season premiere tonight, I decided this quiz might be fun. I was very surprised by my results, because I don't relate to this character at all. I'm not narcissistic, and I think cheating on your spouse is deplorable, even if it is with a hot younger man, I mean boy. The only reason I can think of for these results is that I said I wasn't ready for children, but Gabrielle doesn't want children at all. I do eventually, and I even have names. Caroline (Carly), for a girl, and Jackson(Jacks), for a boy. Yes, those are character names from General Hospital, but Caroline is also a family name and Jackson goes very well with it. Very southern, like me.

Back to my results. I don't even like this actress, Eva Longoria. As soon as she hit it big, she left her husband Tyler Christopher who plays Nikolas on GH. Last fall she was spotted with many different men, and their divorce wasn't final until January. Yes, I've mentioned General Hospital again. I can't help it. I've watched it since I was like 8 or so. I listen to it while I'm working. In fact, it's the only time you're guaranteed to find me at my scope. Then, before I go to sleep, I watch it on SoapNet. There are things that happen that you don't catch in the audio. I do realize that I have no idea what went on in Eva and Christopher's relationship, and my dislike is unfounded. However, I dislike Tom Cruise for similar reasons, and I'm very stubborn.
>
I think I am more like a mix of Bree Van de Kamp and Susan Mayer. I have Susan's insecurities, some of her klutziness, and my wardrobe most resembles her's. I also have some of Bree's need for perfection, some OCD symptoms, and her hair color. My hair stylist even calls me her Bree.

I knew I was going to like this show last season just from the ads before it started. It is outrageous, campy, and just plain fun to watch. If you aren't a fan already, check it out tonight. It airs on ABC at 8CT.

The One with the Aftermath

2005-09-24T18:15:00.000-05:00

Well, Rita finally made landfall. This week has felt like an eternity worrying about all my friends and family and waiting for this hurricane to get here. I do not envy people who live in Florida and go through this every year. I couldn't handle it. With Hurricane Katrina having been so recent and all of those horrific images stuck in our minds, this has been torture.

I have not been able get a hold of my friend Sunny to find out how her family is. When Rita was expected to hit around Galveston, they fled to the north east. I didn't realize until yesterday that they didn't go very far north. They ended up not too far inland from where Rita hit. My aunt and unlce have spoken to neighbors who stayed where they live near Beaumont, and their house is fine.

As for the weather in Nac, where my family evacuated to my mom's, things are ok. I first spoke to her around noon, and they had just experienced some high winds of up to 90 mph. Her voice was shaky and I could hear her fear, but she insisted they were fine. Yesterday, they made the decision to move from our house to the home of a coworker of my mother's. Our house is surrounded by lots of pine trees and, Elaine's is not. The high winds demolished the carport that they were all parked under, but only my cousin's truck was damaged. They watched as the carport crashed down sending a beam onto his truck, then the winds wrapped the tin roof around it. Another piece of the roof was sent careening onto the condo next door. You can imagine what hearing all this did to my nerves, but I thank God that they are all ok.

My mom had also spoken to a friend in our neighborhood, and our house is fine. However, there is alot of damage there as well. A pine tree fell on a house a few down from ours and another is blocking the road. No one in Nac has electricity, and they don't know when it will return. The area that my uncle lives in is not expected to have power again for several weeks.

I am just glad that my family is alive. Hopefully, I will hear from Sunny soon. My heart goes out to all who have been effected by this storm.

The One with an Update

2005-09-22T21:03:00.000-05:00

Ok, I have calmed down considerably and am no longer panicking. Sorry about that. I think listening to the constant hurricane coverage by the media all day yesterday sent me over the edge. Apparently I'm not the only one in Austin who had this problem. At present there is not a single bottle of water to bought in the whole city.

My family and friends have all managed to get out of the coastal areas. Hurricane Rita is now expected to make landfall further east around Beaumont/Port Arthur, and we are no longer expected to feel any effects here in Austin. However, this is not exactly good news. The current projected path shows Rita moving directly over the area where my aunt and uncle live, near Beaumont. They are at my mother's along with my cousin and her family so hopefully they will be safe, but I am concerned for their home. Also, current projections show Rita moving straight North over East Texas where my Mom lives. They might end up experiencing some of the severe weather that I was worried about yesterday, possibly even category 1 winds. With the amount of really large pine trees in East Texas, this has me concerned. I have tried to talk my mother into bringing everyone here, but they have decided to just wait it out there and hope that Rita weakens quickly after landfall.

Today, every news report seemed to be about the incredible traffic jam in Houston. Many people were calling from their cars understandably upset. It has to be very frustrating to be stuck in a car for hours when you are trying to escape for safety. One of my cousins came to Austin, and it took them over 7 hours and that was on the less congested backroads. However, some reports I heard were critizing the local and state officials for this problem, and I have to disagree with this. Maybe there is something that could have been done differently, but I don't see how it is possible to not have a traffic jam when you are evacuating an area containing over 4 million people, most of whom have their own vehicles. But that is just my opinion, and I did not have to suffer through this personally.

Right now, I am praying that my family in East Texas stays safe and that everyone I love will have a home to go back to.

The One with Me Freaked Out

2005-09-22T00:19:00.000-05:00

I hardly screened any slides today at work. I was on the phone talking about Hurricane Rita all day. My family reunion that was planned for this weekend has been canceled because most of them were flying in to Houston on Friday evening and then driving north to Nac. Scratch that idea because almost ALL of Houston is driving north. My brother's family and I were going to stay with Mom, but my aunt and uncle, who live near Beaumont, and my cousin Pam and her family, who live just north of Houston, are all driving up tomorrow to escape Rita. A friend of mine who lives in Brazoria, which is only about 15 miles inland, has gone to stay with someone in Boerne while the rest of her family is going to East Texas. I called my friend Amie, who lives in Katy, to offer her my guest room, but she is staying there. Then my mom told me that my other cousin Paige, who lives in Sugarland, might need to come stay with me. Sara, from the Sea World post I did after Labor Day, had to cancel her wedding in Houston this weekend. Can you imagine? I would be devastated! Plus, our local weather reports are saying that we are expected to have sustained winds anywhere from 60-100 mph and that tornado spinoffs are likely. One report said that when Hurricane Carla moved over Austin back in the day there were 26 tornados produced in the hill country. TWENTY-SIX! All of this has me completely freaked out. Growing up in East Texas I have weathered countless tornados, and hurricanes have hit Texas before, so why am I so scared? I know that the coast is going to suffer much more damage than here, but 60-100 mph winds and tornados are nothing to scoff at. Hurricane Katrina was so recent, and I cannot get those images of whole towns with nothing left but pieces of plywood out of my mind. I'm going to the store tomorrow to stock up on bottled water and something to eat that does not require refrigeration. I'm also planning on renting a bunch of movies since I will probably be staying inside on Saturday. Ofcourse, I might not have electricity. To those on the Texas coast my thoughts are with you and please be safe.

The One with an Austin Favorite Part 5

2005-09-20T20:58:00.000-05:00

They don't call Austin the Live Music Capital of the World for nothing. Austin City Limits has been featuring both new and legendary musical talents for 30+ years. Sheryl Crow and Beck are just two of the artists lined up for this season. It is shown on PBS, so check there for your local listings. Several years back they decided to start the Austin City Limits Festival, which is a 3 day multi-stage concert held in Zilker Park with all kinds of music genres from rock to country to bluegrass to zydeco. They sell both one day and three day passes, and the city provides free shuttle buses from the state garages to the park. You can bring 2 bottles of water with you, and you'll need 'em 'cause it's still hot as blazes here this time of year. There are also booths selling drinks and food from local vendors, plus there's the SoCo (that's South Congress) Arts Market featuring local artisans. I have yet to get to go to ACL Fest, and this year is no exception. This year's festival is this weekend Sept. 23-25, and I will be out-of-town for a family reunion. Even though I have not actually been to ACL Fest, I decided to write about in my Austin Favorites because I know I would love it. Blue October, Blues Traveler, Lyle Lovett, Oasis, Dierks Bentley, Robert Earle Keen, Jet, and Asleep at the Wheel are just a few of the bands I would liked to have seen this year from a list of more than a hundred bands. Then, there is the headliner, Coldplay! I am SO sad to be missing them. Ofcourse, we do have a hurricane heading for our coast, and a local weather report said we could have winds of up to 70 mph even this far inland this weekend. That might put a kink in things!

The One with My Cooking

2005-09-18T12:43:00.000-05:00

Last night I had my family over for dinner so that we could all look at pictures from the Alaskan cruise my sister and her husband took. For those of you that don't know, cooking is not something I do very often. Mainly because I live alone, and it is just easier to pick dinner up or microwave something. Also, I am not very good at cooking. When I say that I don't mean that the food I cook tastes bad. It actually turns out pretty good. It's just that I cannot cook without causing either property damage or personal injury, sometimes both.

For example, in college I had just moved out from my mother's and was living in an apartment. I was making a Mexican layer dip to take to a work function. I needed some cumin to mix into the bean layer and was trying to pry the little plastic shaker part off so I could remove the seal. I was using a knife to accomplish this feat. SMART! So, I end up taking a big chunk out of my thumb. It took several months to heal, and I still have a scar.

Another and more traumatic incident occured when I was living in San Antonio for cyto school. I making was Chicken Parmesan, only I had the oil too hot. As soon as I put the chicken in, it turned black. I took it out and turned off the stove. Then the oil started to smoke, and then it was in flames. So, I know all sorts of things to do in this situation, number one being to put a lid over the pan to smother the flames. However, I started to panic and all of this knowledge just flew out of my head. I happened to have my patio door open, and my first thought was to carry this pan of flaming oil all the way across my dining and living rooms and dump it out onto the grass which I did. Some of the oil splashed out onto my foot and the carpet, but I just kept going. Once I had dumped the oil, I noticed that my carpet was on fire, so I put it out with a dish cloth. Then I noticed that the grass outside was on fire, so I put this out with a glass of water. The whole time the fire alarm was going off and screaming in my ears, but no neighbors came to see if I was alright. Everything turned out ok. My apartment didn't burn down, I had only minor burns on my foot, and I managed to air the place out. However, my carpet looked like it had an acid burn, and I did not get my deposit back when I moved back to Austin, not that I expected it. Also, I have not attempted to fry anything since.

Most recently I had friends over to watch the Texas vs. Ohio State game. I was making pigs-in-a-blanket only really it was more like cows-in-a-blanket because I used beef smokies, but I digress. I had put one pan in the oven already and was moving it to add another one. I used my bare hand to accomplish this because I didn't think it would be that hot already. Touching the pan is not what hurt me though. It was when I reacted and jerked my hand away hitting it on the rack above and causing the nice little burn that you see pictured here. The game was a really good game, and Texas won, so it was all worth it.

Back to last night, I made a Beef Stroganoff dish , a salad, steamed petite green beans, and garlic bread. It was all very delicious, and everyone had a nice time. I managed to cook last night without any incidents much to my surprise. I had even perpared a Chocolate Cream Pie on Friday night that was also scrumptious despite the fact that the crust cracked, and I didn't have all the vanilla extract the recipe called for. That's it in the picture up top. Very pretty! So, that's my cooking story. Now I'm going to go have leftovers for lunch!

The One with 27 Things About Moi

2005-09-16T20:56:00.000-05:00

I have decided to follow a trend that I have noticed on alot of the blogs I've read and do a post with, hopefully, interesting little tidbits about me. Why 27, you ask? That is the number of years that I have graced the world with my presence. I must warn you that this is going to be VERY revealing. So, here goes!

1. I was born and raised in the oldest town in Texas, Nacogdoches.
2. My great great grandfather signed the Texas Declaration of Independence.
3. I am the youngest of five. I have two half-sisters, a half-brother, and a brother. The half siblings, or the Elders as I call them, and I have the same father but different mothers.
4. I love my sister-in-law dearly and will be eternally grateful that she married my brother.
5. My initials are LAB, and I work in a pathology lab. It was destiny.
6. I tell people that my job is to screen slides and look for cellular changes associated with cancer, which is true. I leave out that most of the slides are pap smears.
7. I was pre-med in college and still have aspirations to become a doctor. I am just terrified of not getting in to med school, and therefore, I have not applied.
8. I have a really bad habit of twisting my hair into knots that I have to cut out.
9. I have naturally curly hair that I sometimes wear straight, and it hurts my feelings when people tell me they like it better that way.
10. Also, my personality changes when my hair is straight. I become much more assertive and outgoing. I call her Nicole.
11. I am liberal and consider myself a Democrat, but I took an online quiz that said I was a liberal Republican. Isn't that an oxymoron?
12. I am single and very content for the most part, but I occasionally get lonely and depressed. On those nights, I end up drinking a bottle of wine and eating chocolate while watching old episodes of Sex and the City.
13. My favorite food is cheese, and unfortunately my body has started to reflect that love. My favorite ice cream is Ben & Jerry's Everything But The. My choice for caffeine is Diet Dr. Pepper, and my favorite adult beverage is wine, preferably red.
14. I have many sleep issues, including a recurring nightmare in which someone is trying to kill me. My sister-in-law thinks this is because I overschedule myself.
15. I sleep with a stuffed elephant named E, and a killer whale that does not have a name yet.
16. I took four years of French in school. I am now trying to correct that mistake and learn Spanish since a large part of my town and state speak this language.
17. My father was a UT grad, and I have grown up as a Longhorn fan. I went to college in my hometown, but I did go to cyto school at a UT affiliated school. I think this qualifies me as being a Longhorn.
18. I have many addictions including magazines, scrapbooking, and most recently blogging.
19. Like most women, I have a very large shoe collection. I think the reason women love shoes so much is because no matter how much our dress size may change, our shoe size stays the same.
20. My all time favorite TV show is Friends, and I am a little afraid I may be turning into Monica.
21. My favorite number is 9. When I was little it was always my age, and when I got to 9 I stopped.
22. I think I have symptoms of OCD because I have to eat french fries in pairs of equal size and M&M's in groups of three of different colors.
23. My first vehicle was a green Pontiac Sunfire that I bought myself when I was 18.
24. I have a fascination with the mafia that scares me a little. I blame that for my disastrous last relationship. He was Italian but not in the mafia.
25. That being said, the vacation destination I most want to see is Italy. Not because of the mafia, but because of the wine.
26. I love to gamble. My favorite casino game is Let It Ride Poker, and my favorite sports bet is March Madness.
27. I cannot leave Target without spending at least $100 even when I have a list.

There it is. All my little quirks laid out for the world to see. I hope you found it somewhat entertaining, and I promise I am actually a pretty normal person and very nice.
Lish

The One with the Bostons

2005-09-14T20:50:00.000-05:00

The adorable creature pictured above is Lucy, my brother and sister-in-law's Boston Terrier. She is a much loved member of our family, and I have been thinking alot lately about getting a Boston of my own. They are such great dogs! They are super friendly and very easy to care for; and because of their size, they make great apartment dogs. Plus look how cute! I realize that a dog is a big responsibility, and for once in my life I think I am ready for it. I have a career, a nice apartment, and my all night partying has reduced to about once a month. So, I found a local rescue organization for Bostons and have sent in my adoption application. I have already become very attached to one of the dogs on their website and will be heartbroken if they don't approve me. Wish me luck!

The One with the Hotties of the Week

2005-09-12T21:55:00.000-05:00

It is that time again, and in light of the fact that I recently watched The Wedding Crashers, I have decided to give you two handsome hunks for your viewing pleasure. Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughn are both hot, but I must admit I have a slight preference for Vaughn. Fave Owen Wilson movies of mine are The Royal Tenebaums and Behind Enemy Lines. I have not seen Bottlerocket, but I have been told that it is a really good film. For Vince Vaughn I like Swingers and Made. Enjoy!

The One with Another Bachelorette Party

2005-09-10T23:48:00.000-05:00

Over Labor Day weekend, I went to another bachelorette party for a friend. We went to San Antonio, and the whole weekend was planned by her sister and was a total surprise to her. First, we went to Sea World. I have not been there since the 5th grade, and I had so much fun! We rode all the roller coasters several times and went to the Shamu and Viva shows. All the bridesmaids had bought Sara a Beluga interaction that we all got to watch. First, they take everyone behind the scenes of Viva and show you a tape about Beluga whales. Then, the trainers show you how they train the whales. It is all done by positive reinforcement, and it takes 3-4 years to get them show ready. I found all of this really fascinating and was ready to change careers until I found out they start at $7.50 an hour. That's typical for the science field unfortunately. The Beluga experience was alot of fun, and I highly recommend it if you go to Sea World. It was so amazing to be so close to such amazing creatures.

Next, we all went to our hotel to get ready for the evening. We had a really great dinner at Italia on the riverwalk. One of the waiters kept coming by and singing to us. The we went to Howl at the Moon which is a piano bar. I love piano bars! We have one in Austin called Pete's, and even though they all play the same songs, I can't get enough. My friend Debs, who doesn't drink often was very tipsy and very entertaining! We all had a great time!
Lish

The One with an Austin Favorite Part 4

2005-09-07T22:21:00.000-05:00

This past weekend I went to see "Wedding Crashers" at Alamo Drafthouse. The movie was funny, although I didn't feel that it lived up to its hype. Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson are nice to look at though, and a movie at Alamo is always a pleasurable experience. For those of you that don't know, Alamo Drafthouse is a movie theater where you can also have dinner and order drinks while you watch. They have basic food like burgers, sandwiches, and pizza with names like "The Godfather" and "Splendor in the Grass", and you can get a bucket of beer to share. Alamo started here in Austin, but it has since spread to Houston and San Antonio. I believe they have plans to go national, but I'm not sure that will happen soon. In Austin, the downtown location plays older movies like "Dog Day Afternoon" and B movies like "Attack of the Killer Beehives". They also have a recurring show called The Sinus Show which is a live version of the old Mystery Science Theatre 3000 from the sci-fi channel. It's alot of fun and always hysterical. I always take out-of-town guests to Alamo Drafthouse, because it is one of my favorite places in Austin. Go check it out.

The One with Florida State

2005-09-05T22:45:00.000-05:00

Today I did alot of nothing. I slept late, took a long bath, scrapbooked a little, spent entirely too much time on the net, and checked my football scores since I was out of town on Saturday and couldn't watch the games. To my delight, I discovered that not only had TCU defeated OU (woohoo!), but that I was tied for the lead in my work pool. It would all come down to the Miami vs. Florida State game this evening. Immediately I devised a game watching plan. I would go get some beer, order a pizza, and cheer on the Seminoles. I went down to my local Chevron station to buy some Zeigen Bock, and the clerk flirted shamelessly with me and tried to get an invite to my Texas Watch Party next week. I will never be interested but was none the less flattered, especially considering I had on no makeup and did not fix my hair today. For the pizza, I called one of those one line fits all numbers that is supposed to direct your call to the store nearest your home. Why they have these I have no idea. They NEVER work! The store I got directed me to another number, and then that store directed me to yet another number. The third time was a charm as they say. With a beer and pizza slice in hand, I settled in for a night of college football with a little Laguna Beach on the side. I needed Florida State to win, and the total score to be 45+. FSU did indeed win, but the score only came to 17. Damn the luck! Congrats to the Seminoles, but couldn't you have scored some more? I guess that is asking too much when you're playing Miami. My winnings would have replenished the funds I spent this weekend in San Antonio. Oh well, better luck next time!
Lish

The One with the Fall Season

2005-09-03T01:18:00.000-05:00

I would be hard pressed to name a favorite season, because I think they all have something to love. In Winter there are the holidays, spending time with family, my birthday ofcourse, and the futile hope that this year it will snow. In Spring there are flowers, the kite festival, and gorgeous, breezy, sunny days. And in Summer there are sunsets at the Oasis, listening to Unplugged at the Grove, and swimming at Barton Springs. But there is something about Fall that makes it dear to my heart. There are the qualities that everyone loves like the changing of the leaves and cooler temperatures, although that doesn't happen here until November. But, for me, it is all about television season premieres and UT football.

In the Fall, the torture of the season finales is finally over, and you finally get answers to all those unresolved questions. This year I'm mostly an ABC girl anxiously awaiting the new episodes of Alias, Desperate Housewives, Grey's Anatomy, and Lost. Ofcourse, I'm also anticipating The OC and Gilmore Girls. Too much TV you say? I know, but I love it!

And then there are the University of Texas Longhorns. A large part of my family are UT grads, and I have grown up rooting for the Horns. Now that I live in Austin, it is even more exciting. The whole town just has this energy on game days. It is not often that I actually get to go to a game because tickets can be hard to come by, but I watch every single one. This year UT is ranked 2nd on most poles behind USC. I think this is our year! We will at least beat those damn Sooners! Vince Young is an awesome quarterback and so exciting to watch. The first game of the season is at 6pm CT today against Louisianna-Lafayette on Fox Sports. So get out your burnt orange, turn on the TV, and cheer on those Horns. Hook 'em!
Lish

The One with My Bipolar Day

2005-09-01T20:59:00.000-05:00

Today started out great. I checked my blog this morning to see if there were any new comments, and found out that Michele had added me to her blogroll. I was very excited because I really love and admire her blog. Also, it doesn't hurt that she has tons of readers, and I might get some more traffic now. Then, I go to work and things were fine, until this afternoon. I finally got my review, and lets just say it could have been better. Ofcourse, I guess that means it also could have been worse. Basically, my super said I need to screen more slides per day, which I was expecting. They want me to screen 80, and I'm only at 70 and that's not consistent. Then he said that I have to raise my reactive and ASCUS rates to match the lab average. I know that is somewhat technical. I won't go into detail, but it wasn't something I wanted to hear. I did get a bit of a raise. On the way home, I talked to my sister-in-law, Pam, who made me feel a little better. Then, I opened a bottle of wine, got out some cheese, and plopped myself in front of the TV. Guess what was on VH1. Dirt Dancing, one of my all time favorite movies! So, now I have a small buzz and my spirits are somewhat lifted. Also, I know that emotional eating is a bad thing, but there is some Ben&Jerry's in the freezer that is calling my name. "Nobody puts Baby in the corner!"
Lish

The One with Hurricane Katrina

2005-08-30T22:33:00.000-05:00

As I'm sure everyone knows Hurricane Katrina has reeked havoc on the Gulf coast. To everyone that has been effected by this, you have my deepest sympathies. Help is desperately needed, and I want to encourage everyone to please donate to the Red Cross if you can. Either go to the Red Cross or call 1-800-HELP NOW. I'm going to leave you with a very inspirational quote that I just read the other day on a fellow blogger's post (Retrospect).

I am only one
But, still, I am one.
I cannot do everything,
But, still, I can do something.
And because I cannot do everything,
I will not refuse to do the something
That I can do.
-Edward Everett Hale

The One with the Hottie of the Week

2005-08-28T17:53:00.000-05:00

Alright, alright, alright! This is going to be a new recurring segment that I totally stole from Craig ( hope he remembers I did ask him first). His is called Shnacky of the Week which is a term he coined for hot girls. For my guy friends if you don't want to see this go on over to Craig's blog. His side bar has all of his previous shnacky girls. Now, on to business! Could anyone other than Matthew McConaughey be my first blog hottie. I think not! We will ignore the fact that he is dating someone who really annoys me. He is and will always be at the top of my list of celebrities that I can sleep with if given the chance even if I'm in a relationship. He is just too cute for words! Not to mention that he is in one of the best movies of all time, Dazed and Confused, which was also filmed in my favorite city. Plus, his voice just makes me melt with that southern drawl! Oh, and I love those Stetson ads he is in. Here's a link to the commercial www.stetsoncologne.com/stetson_commercial_sa.html.

Ride 'em cowboy! Enough said. Enjoy!
Lish

The One with the Tilted Kilt

2005-08-26T22:09:00.000-05:00

"There once was a lad with drawl
never a bar did he brawl
he'd double fist'em down
order another round
and never leave without a, thank y'all!"

It is just after 10 o'clock on a Friday night, and I am wasted. I always get stressed out at work around review time( which is now), so I have been drinking alot lately. Tonight I went to happy hour at this new place called the Tilted Kilt that is literally like 2 minutes from my home. Think Hooters but with Irish beer and food, and the waitresses wear naughty Catholic school girl outfits instead of orange shorts. I was excited because even though I don't have the body to work there, my hair is exactly like the girl in their logo. Craig, it is like your heaven. Come back to Austin, bring Rudy, and I'll take you there. So, I have been drinking Guiness since about 5, and it has definitely taken effect! Because of the waitresses, this joint attracts alot of male customers, which means there was alot of eye candy for me as well. I spent most of the evening making eye contact with this guy, let's call him plaid shirt guy, but no go. Oh well! I have to pass out now because I agreed to one of those damn Saturday morning bike rides for tomorrow!
Lish

The One with an Austin Favorite Part 3

2005-08-24T23:13:00.000-05:00

Nothing beats a bike ride on a day with a heat index of 108 for a little self torture! The vast majority of my friends are very athletic( think marathons, triathlons, 2K swims, etc.). They think that a 50 mi bike ride is a great way to spend a Saturday morning, and if you're in pain that's even better. CRAZY! Lately, they've been riding together 2, sometimes 3, times a week, and I've been feeling a little left out. So today Diana, also a newcomer to cycling, and I decided to go ride with the crazies( JK, don't take offense). After sitting in traffic on SLOPAC, we finally arrived at the Veloway. The Veloway is a very well known 3 mi loop off MOPAC in South Austin that is just for cyclists and rollerbladers. There were cyclists everywhere all decked out in their bike shorts and cycling jerseys with their sleek road bikes, and there was me in my capri yoga pants, a Race for the Cure t-shirt, and my rugged mountain bike trying to figure out how to put on my helmet. I was very intimidated to say the least. Then we started riding, and I had the best time. I had heard all this talk of this really big hill, but it turned out to be alot easier than the hills on the San Gabriel trail I've been riding. I was so afraid that I would hold everyone back, but I think I held my own. I can't wait to go back. Maybe there is something to these Saturday morning rides afterall!

The One with My Aching Back

2005-08-23T23:31:00.000-05:00

This morning I woke up with an aching back, and it wasn't from a wild and crazy night. Ever since I got my new furniture, I have been unable to sleep in my room. I don't know why exactly. It's just too perfect looking, like a hotel room. This weekend I spent alot of time in there hanging pictures, putting out decorations, hanging a canopy, putting clothes in the dresser, etc. But I just don't feel like it's my room yet. So, last night I decided to make myself sleep in my new bed. Even after several glasses of wine I had difficulty falling asleep, but that's not really unusual. I have alot of sleep issues and am somewhat of an insomniac. Then this morning I wake up in pain. Great! I don't know if it's the mattress or the new pillows I bought that are supposed to be for stomach sleepers. I will give it one week, and then I'm going back to sleeping in the guest room!
Lish

The One with Scrapbook Mania

2005-08-22T23:08:00.000-05:00

This weekend while my not-so-secret crush was celebrating his birthday in style (see Craig's blog for more info), I was scrapbooking. Exciting, huh? Seriously, I began scrapbooking about a year ago, and it has become one of my many obsessions (shoes and magazines are other examples). When I first started scrapbooking I spent hundreds of dollars buying tools, paper, stickers, embellishments, whatever I could get my hands on. I have since calmed down some, but I still enjoy it immensely. I know I am a geek! What can I say? It's my creative outlet. I can't sing or paint or write novels or anything else artsy cool, so this is my thing. Below are some examples of my work. Sorry they're cell phone pics.
Lish

The One with the New Furniture

2005-08-20T01:56:00.000-05:00

I recently bought new bedroom furniture that arrived today. I decided that I am tired of having a room that could be mistaken for that of a 12 year old, because let's face it white wicker is just so girly. I have been shopping for awhile, and I narrowed it down to 2 sets at different stores. Then, after getting multiple opinions I made my choice and bought the furniture. My new furniture is a very dark wood with chrome handles, very sophisticated adult. Immediately after I bought it, I began agonizing over whether I made the right choice. Cut to today. When it first arrived I was a little disenchanted. Ok, so I almost cried. I still think it's beautiful furniture, but it's also HUGE! It completely overwhelms my little apartment bedroom. But hey, one day I'll be living in a house with a large master bedroom, right? Please say yes! Besides, I think it's staritng to grow on me, but tonight I'm sleeping in the guest room.
Lish

The One with a Quiz

2005-08-20T01:38:00.000-05:00

I came across this test and thought it was fun. I knew I was going to a 90's girl 'cause that is when I was a teenager, but I was really hoping I would be 80's. The 80's were just so much more original! Damn my mainstream personality! Now it's your turn and be sure to post a comment with your results.
Lish

what decade does your personality live in?

quiz brought to you by lady interference, ltd

The One with Bandit

2005-08-19T00:39:00.000-05:00

This one goes out to my good friend Craig! He has helped me so much with my blog. It still needs alot of work (hence the name), but without his help it would be a POS. So, without further ado, I am now going to plug his blog. I really cannot say enough about it. It totally blows mine out of the water with its complexity, and for those of you that don't know him, Craig is absolutely the funniest guy I know. His blog address is www.bandit54.blogspot.com. I also I have a link to it in my sidebar (which he taught me how to do) under Friends. So, please go check it out and be prepared to laugh your ass off!
Lish

P.S. Craig calls me Goose (long story), so if you see that name in a post or on a comment its me!
P.S.S. If you do check it out go to the April archive and take the Hell Test. It's very interesting.

The One with a Very Vicci Night

2005-08-17T23:19:00.000-05:00

The past two weeks of my life have been all about birthdays and none of them were mine. First, Aug. 6th was Pam's, and I agreed to babysit my niece and nephew so that she and Stephen could go out for dinner. Next, was my dear friend Debs on Aug. 9th. I also agreed to watch her two kids so she and Lee could go to dinner and a movie. However, I was unable to do so because I contracted a stomach virus probably from the first babysitting adventure and spent most of her birthday praying to the porcelain god. Then came Karen's on Aug. 11th and Ellie's on Aug. 12th which were both being celebrated this past Saturday. I spent the night with Karen so that we could get up early and go to Hamilton Pool in the morning before it got to crowded. Ofcourse, as anyone who knows me can guess, this did not happen. We slept in, ate a really fantastic breakfast that Karen made, and lounged by her pool instead. Then I went over to Debbie and Lee's for Ellie's gathering and visited with them. Debs is becoming quite the little cake artist, and Ellie was so cute on her new scooter! Then I went home and got ready for Karen's party. It started at 7 at Romeo's, a really great Italian restaurant. Everyone was drinking wine and having a great time! We were almost the last to leave. Next, a handful of the group decided to continue the night with some dancing at Vicci! More drinking ensued which means the dancing got very interesting. We stayed until last call, and then I made sure the birthday girl got home safely. I think we left Quazar still on the dance floor! I didn't get to bed until 6 am which in my book means it was a very exciting night! But alas, my birthday fun is not over yet. Aug. 26th is my brother's so more than likely I will be babysitting again, but hopefully without a repeat of the virus! Later!
Lish

The One with the Catchup

2005-08-08T22:38:00.000-05:00

Ok, so I haven't posted in awhile because I haven't been able to get on the computer at Pam and Stephen's, but that is all about to change because I got a new pc for myself. YEA! So, let me catch everyone up on the last month.

At the end of June I went to El Paso to visit my Aunt Lois Alicia with my two sisters. I've never really hung out with them before and aside from my aunt's chain smoking it was kinda nice. She and I are both huge Lomghorn fans so we watched the college world series together. Hook 'em!

Then my mom came to visit Stephen and I for 2 weeks, and we all went to Port Aransas for July 4th. We had the best time! My trip to DC and NYC, while great, was exhausting. SO, at the beach I did nothing but lay in the sun and read. I also bought a boogie board and played in the waves a bit. Once I got pretty far out and something swam into me. I freaked out thinking I was going to be the first shark victim in Texas. I don't know what it was, but I had a pretty big bruise. We went to watch the fireworks and didn't realize how close we were sitting to were they set them off. It was awesome! The best fireworks I've seen!

Mom was here for most of July. She went home for a week and then came back for 2 more. She mostly wanted to shop 'cause shopping in Nac sucks. I enjoyed her company, and I'm glad she came to visit, but I don't miss her yelling at me to get up in the morning. That's pretty much it. Nothing to exciting since she was here. Karen's birthday is this weekend, so I will report more later.

The One with the Fall

2005-06-28T19:06:00.000-05:00

Last week, I went for another ride on the San Gabriel trail in Georgetown, when something happened that has left me a little disenchanted with mountain biking . I was riding down a steep hill when I lost control and fell hard onto a mound of limestone. Thankfully there wasn't any lasting damage done to the bike. I do have some rock rash on my leg, quite a few bruises, and for the first few days after the fall I couldn't move my thumb. I thought at first it might be broken, but I think I just broke alot of blood vessels. I am posting some pics of views from the trail and the infamous rock that I fell on. I have now recovered except for the bruises and the rock rash, and I will conquer that trail!

The One with the Weddings

2005-06-28T18:57:00.000-05:00

Two weekends ago, my friend Sunny and I went to a couple of weddings up in Dallas. Her friend Angie was getting married in the Colony Sat morning, and my friend Jenn was getting married in Grapevine Sat evening. We went up friday night and stayed with my old college roommate Heather. She recently got married in Vegas, and I had never met her husband. He was very nice, and we all had a great time eating queso and drinking Corona. The first wedding on Sat was very nice, and we had some food and a couple of drinks. Then we drove over to Grapevine, checked into our hotel, and had some margas at Don Pablo's. Jenn's wedding was at a winery, and it was a blast. Alot of her friends and family were all staying at the same hotel, so after the reception we all headed back there for an after party at the pool. It was good times!

The One with an Austin Favorite Part 2

2005-06-12T22:30:00.000-05:00

Today I am going to talk about Shady Grove. It is one of my all time favorite places in Austin. I love to go there on a hot summer day, sit under the trees, drink a cold Shiner, eat a Hippie sandwich with some cheese fries, and relax. During the summer, they have Unplugged at the Grove every Thursday where they set up chairs and have live music. I went this last Thursday to listen to Toni Price who is a well known local artist. It was a great night, not too hot with a nice breeze, and the music was awesome. I highly encourage everyone to check out the Shady Grove. It rocks!

The One with the Bike

2005-06-12T22:21:00.000-05:00

I have had the best weekend! On Friday, when I got home my neighbors were sitting outside, so I joined them and had a few beers and nice conversation. These are the only neighbors I have ever met living in an apartment. Saturday night I went to a dinner party at my friend Diana's house and got a little tipsy on wine and port. Sunday I went to brunch and a movie with the girls from work. We saw Mr.and Mrs. Smith. I liked it even though all I could think about was the Brad cheating on Jen with Angelina hype. Then I got my bike from the shop and went up to Georegtown for a ride. It was awesome! I had know idea of the trails that are just down the road from Pam and Stephen's house. I rode around some of Lake Georgetown and then went the other way and rode along the San Gabriel River. It was such a beautiful trail, and I saw several deer. I am so sad that I forgot my camera! Oh well, next time!

The One with the Godmother

2005-06-08T19:54:00.000-05:00

On May 3rd, one of my best friends, Debs, gave birth to her second child, a little boy named Michael Lee. He was born at 7:59 a.m. and weighed 7lbs 1 oz. he is absolutely adorable, and I love him! She and her husband Lee asked me if I would be the godmother, and ofcourse I said yes. So, on Memorial Day weekend we went to Nac for the baptism. They had the option of either pouring water over his head or submerging him, and naturally Lee wanted to submerge him. Michael did very well though, he only cried a little. I am so happy for them and very honored that they asked me to be the godmother!

P.S. Now that I am the head of the Family, I am taking applications for my right hand man. I will accept bribes, preferably Manolos or Jimmy Choos.

The One with an Austin Favorite Part 1

2005-06-05T22:53:00.000-05:00

This is the debut of what is going to become a frequent post. I absolutlely love living in Austin, and I am going to share with you some of the reasons why I think it is such a great city. This week I am going to tell you about the Oasis. It is a legendary restaurant on Lake Travis known for its fantastic views. I love to go there and watch the sun set while sitting on one of the many decks and sipping a margarita. Sadly though, last week the Oasis was ravaged by a fire. Lightning struck one of the decks during a severe storm and quickly spread. But like a Pheonix, the Oasis will rise from the ashes! It will be rebuilt, and has even partially reopened since there was one area the fire didn't destroy. Check out this sight to see pics of this Austin legend and its views atThe Oasis, and check out this sight for info on the fire atNews 8 Austin.

The One with the Bachelorette Party

2005-06-05T22:28:00.000-05:00

One of my dear friends, Jenn, is getting married in two weeks, and this weekend we had a bride-to-be extravaganza. We started with a shower at her sister Erica's house, then we moved to Cara's for a naughty lingerie party, then we headed to the wharehouse district for some bachelorette fun. At the lingerie party, we played a game where we had to put this really long and floppy male "part" between our knees and try to pass it to one another, and I won! My prize was a nicely flavored treat that I can't use because my love life is non-existent! We had so much fun dancing at the new place downtown called Vicci. All the guys there that night had their ultimate fantasy realized. Eight beautiful girls all dancing with each other, kissing, and even some water splashing from the water wall! And did I mention that Jenn and Erica are twins!

P.S. Disclaimer: It was all innocent bachelorette fun, so no one get all FCC on my blog.
P.S.S. And no one needs to show my blog to my mother!

The One with the Challenge

2005-05-25T18:39:00.000-05:00

I have three friends that are all competing in a triathalon on Memorial Day. I am very excited for them, however this has been the only topic of conversation at lunch for several weeks now. They have gotten me to agree to try one next year. So, I am putting it out there officially so that I cannot renig on my word. Next year I will complete a triathalon. I don't care about being competetive, I just want to finish it. You all must make sure I keep to my word. I began my training last night by swimming approximately 800 meters in about 30 min. Not too bad. Also, I have confiscated my brothers mountain bike because he hasn't used it in years. It needs alot of work, so I am taking it to be repaired next week. I can't wait to start cycling!

The One with the Pool Party

2005-05-23T18:59:00.000-05:00

This weekend Special K and I had a pool party for 2 of our friends that are moving. Kellie is going to PA school in San Antonio, and "Scuba" Steve is going to law school in Houston. Even though it was hot as Hades, good times were had by all! We grilled some meat, drank alot of beer, and frolicked in the pool. Our friend Quazar aka Bud Light Man entertained us all with his crazy diving antics. I had bought a key lime pie for dessert, and one of Karen's dalmations pulled it off the table onto the patio. This did not stop people from eating it. They just pulled up a chair and dug in! I promise to post pics of all this later, when Craig teaches me how. I have an awesome pic of Quazar upside down in the air. Later!

The One with the Allergies

2005-05-17T15:49:00.000-05:00

Alright, so I have really bad allergies, and I've been sick since last Wednesday. I've been taking Claritin for about 2 years and it used to work great, but lately not so much. I thought moving away from all the pine trees in East TX would help, but it turns out I'm allergic to a whole host of other things in Austin, like Cedar for example. So, after trying to self medicate for several days I decided to go to the doc today. One of my friends is against western medicine. He takes tree pollen and eats local honey for his alergies. Does this help you ask? Nope! He still gets sick all the time. My doc is a D.O. so thats a little bit of the Austin hippie influence rubbing off. He gave my Rx's for Nasonex and Clarinex, so I hopefully I will now start to get better! I'm not thrilled about having to spray meds up my nose, but you do what ya gotta do, right?

The One with the Trip

2005-05-15T19:37:00.000-05:00

I just recently went on a week long trip to Washington D.C. and NYC with one of my best friends, Craig. We stayed with a friend of his, Becky, who lives in the D.C. area. The trip was entirely too long, and we did too much for me to tell you about everything. So, I will just give you some of the highlights. In D.C., we saw all the monuments, the Capitol, the White House, the Air and Space Musuem, the Natural History Museum, the International Spy Musuem, and Union Station. My favorite thing was going up into the Washington Monument. It has the best views of the city. In NYC, we went to the Empire State building, Times Square, the Statue of Liberty, Rockefeller Center, the Conan O'Brien show, and Yankees game. The taping of the Conan O'Brien show was great, and the Yankees game was alot of fun. Plus, Derek Jeter is so hot! It was a great trip. Thanks so much to Becky for letting me come and showing us around. We only had 2 days in NYC, and I can't wait to go back and see more!

The One with the Awful Flight

2005-05-14T19:36:00.000-05:00

Ok, so I just went on a week long trip to Washington D.C. and NYC with my friend from cyto school, Craig. We stayed with his friend Becky and her roommate Kelin. I had an awesome time and I will tell you more about it later, but for now we are going to talk about the return flight home. We had all gone out the night before in Adams Morgan, and it was a late one. So, I get up early with very little sleep to get to the Baltimore airport by 11 for my 12:30 flight. I go to checkin and the man at the Continental counter tells me that I am to late for my flight. They had changed my flight to 11:15 without notifying me! So, now I am put on a 2:00 flight to Houston with a standby flight to Austin for 5:25 and a confirmed flight for 7. So, Craig and I hang out in the airport from 11-2. Thank God Craig was there for entertainment. Then my flight to Houston lands an hour and half late due to storms. It was a very turbulent landing which I had never experienced before. So, now I am tired, irritated, and a little freaked out, and I have to go figure out if I am on this standby flight or not. I go up to the lady at the gate, and she very rudely while giving me a you're an idiot look tells me I am on the earlier flight which is now leaving at 7:20. I ask her if my bags are going to be on that flight or the later flight that I was confirmed on like the man in Baltimore told me to ask. She snaps at me that there is no way they will be on this flight and I will have to wait for my luggage when I land in Austin. At this point I have a breakdown and start crying. I call Karen and my mom and they calm me down. I go to Papasito's and pay an outrageous price for a margarita which makes me feel alot better. By now, both my flights have changed and are going out of the same gate, and the later flight is leaving before the ealier flight. So, I get on it and finally leave Houston with my luggage at the same time. I didn't get to Austin until 9:30. My original flight that I had scheduled before my trip had me home at 4:30. I finally got to my house at 11 and immediately went to sleep. Thank God I didn't have to go to work until noon on Monday! Anyway, I've had all easy flights in the past, so I guess I was due!

The One with the First

2005-02-21T00:42:00.000-06:00

I am a blog virgin! A friend of mine recently started blogging as a way to keep his friends updated, and he has inspired me to try my hand. So, what to discuss? I recently saw an ad for a website that supports people that are trying to quit smoking. Its join-the-cirle. I ordered this bracelet from the site with this silver sunburst that is supposed to their version of the pink ribbon. It's very cool. Check it out or not. Your health is not my business. I booked my flight tonight for my upcoming trip to D.C. I am extremely excited! Suggestions for cool places to eat or drink or just see are welcome.