The One with Quote Monday

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

The One with the Big Apple

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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!