So, I mentioned last week that much shopping angst was going on in preparation for attending a wedding last Friday. I should say first off that the much-desired halter dress was finallly acquired at a decent price from Emerald's on Lamar. This is just down the street from By George, which, from the prices, is apparently under the impression it's clothes are spun from gold and chocolate, and Chico's, which will cater to me when I'm 50...but not now. I love my new dress and I got lots of compliments, which every girl needs, so it was all good.
The wedding was great! Laurie and Tony, you are the best, and I have no doubt that you will live a happy life together, forever and ever, amen. Angela, your toast, that their love will only grow so that they look back on their wedding day as the day they loved each other least, was wonderful. I love that sentiment, and wish for us all to find that kind of love. So many loving, mushy sentiments to ponder!
Oh, and lots of drinking, dancing, laughing and embarrassing pictures, too. The reception was great! Really, Laurie, it was one of my favorite weddings I've ever been to!
Highlights of the night: the letters read during the ceremony; the audience participation singing at the reception; the open bar of margaritas and other drinks of which I did not avail myself (the margaritas were too good); the running slideshow of pictures on the wall by the dance floor; the free form dancing, particularly Randi's (get the girl another glass of wine - it only gets more interesting as her empty glasses stack up); the perfect weather; the amazing food.
One interesting note: My butt was grabbed at least 4 times - I would've said 3 (Nikki - no surprise - Amy, and Ronnie), but Randi told me on Saturday that she grabbed it once. I don't remember that, but maybe I quite noticing after a while. Perhaps the pictures will tell the story when they get developed! Oh, and Laurie, there's no telling what will be on that film - Edgar was just wandering around taking pictures without seeming to even frame anything. That guy's a nut! (Mary Beth, you are a brave woman!)
*Note to stalker girl: Only people who know me and have established that I like them and that their butt-grabbing is not creepy may engage in the practice. If anyone un-approved touches my rearend, it gets ugly. It's a permission-only zone, and you don't have permission. Got that? Awright then. (Besides, nobody should be grabbing anyone's butt at church, and that's the only place I plan on seeing you.)
We should all hope that our weddings are that much fun, with that much love and good will and support for us!
Tuesday, May 16, 2006
Monday, May 15, 2006
Stalker?
Have you ever had someone who came on just a little too strong? I'm not talking about dating - guys come onto chicks too strong all the time. I'm talking about someone who you meet in some kind of non-dating situation who gloms onto you just a bit too soon and a bit too strong - wanting to have some kind of instant relationship with you, and you find yourself trying to duck them?
Me too. A few weeks ago, I was in Sunday School and a woman was visiting our class and our church, trying to find a church home. She asked some questions about our church, and we answered them, and in the process of answering one of the questions for her, I let her know I'm in a similar position to her in my life and that I find a lot of resources at this church. A lot of other people piped in with stuff, and I wasn't sure how clear we'd been, so at the end of class, I approached her and asked, "So, did we answer your questions?" She says yes. Good. Glad to be of service.
I start to leave class, and I'm talking to one of the regulars, and she walks up and just joins in. Uh...okay...havin' a conversation here. I finish my conversation with my friend, and this woman stands in front of me, just a little too close and positioned so that I'd have to get past her to leave and says, "We should keep in touch!" Um...I don't know you. Maybe you could come to class for a while, and we could get to know each other, and then if we want to try to have some sort of friendship outside of class, we could pursue that. But you're a perfect stranger I met less than an hour ago, and I've had two exchanges with. I'm not handing out my phone number and making plans with you.
I give a vague, "Yeah," and leave hurriedly without exchanging information, but something tells me this woman isn't going to give up. I can't explain it. It sounds on paper like an innocent enough exchange, but you know, sometimes you can just tell when someone is just a little too enthusiastic about you. 22 years of dating gives you the internal alarm system. And something about this woman just set my bells to ringing.
So last week, I was visiting my parents and had planned to go to church at home, but this woman immediately leapt to mind, and I just did not want to go. Maybe if she came again and I wasn't there, she'd glom onto someone else or give up. So, I skipped. How sad - pushy, borderline creepy lady keeps me from going to church.
And now we're at this week. I went to the early service and then went to Sunday School, and like some kind of hunted animal, I'm keeping an eye out for this woman. I go to our classroom, but it's too soon and no one is there yet. I don't want to get stuck alone with her if she comes to the room, so I wander back out and chat with the guy acting as greeter at the front doors. He's in our class, so I've known him for years. We're chatting, and up she walks. She asks me if I remember her, then when I say I do and I put my hand out to shake her hand, she HUGS me!!! Personal. Space.
Now there's no denying it - this woman has a way different threshold of intimacy than I do. I'm sorry - I just have to get to know people before I forge friendships and start hugging each other. I DON'T KNOW HER. And don't say, "Well, that's how you get to know people - you go do stuff." No. No, it's not - not if you know you'll both be in the same place every week. It's not necessary to cross the personal boundaries immediately when you already know you'll have the opportunity and place to build up to that. When you've got that kind of opportunity, you let it build naturally. When you start working a new job, do you run around asking people to come hang out at your house the first day you meet them? No. That would be weird. When you're that pushy to try and forge some kind of immediate, false intimacy, that's just a little off. And girlfriend's alarm bells are deafening her.
Luckily, she went to a different Sunday School class, so I was able to avoid her during the class, but after class, she stopped me in the foyer and asked me what I do in my spare time. I wanted to say, "I avoid freaks," but instead I just said how very busy I am with my many activities and friends. So very, very busy. She gives me her card, tells me how much she'd like to meet my friends and how we should keep in touch. Scary Lady, my friends are my friends because I don't inflict needy, desperate strangers on them.
I should say something here. I would never say, "I don't need anymore friends." If I meet someone I like, that I think is cool, I'd love to add to my friends. And my friends are always open to meeting a new, fun person. So, this isn't about me being closed off. And I admire this chick's assertiveness in trying to make friends. She's been in town about a year and a half she said, so it's still a somewhat new city to her, and making friends can be HARD. Meeting people, getting invited stuff, getting to be part of a group. It can be work, and sometimes it requires you to push a little. I know. I've been there. So, I pat her on the back for not just sitting around wondering, "How come I have no friends?" She's trying to do something about it. Good idea.
However. Having said that, you cannot just meet someone in a non-meat-market environment and immediately shove yourself down someone's throat. People don't like that. We're put off by it. It's too much, and it makes you appear desperate and needy, which isn't what most of us are looking to add to our lives. Before you start asking for people's contact information and their schedule, and saying you want to meet their friends and do stuff together, why don't you try chatting like a normal human being within the boundaries of the environment you're in? Give it some time - a few weeks or months to see if there's any "click." If you seem compatible and the person seems to want to talk to you (as opposed to politely acknowledging you then trying desperately to talk to someone else, like, say, I was doing), then you put it out there that it might be fun to do something. If they seem *genuinely* amenable to that, then come up with an actual activity. Invite them, then you'll get your answer. They'll go, or they won't. If they don't, *leave it alone.* They know where to find you. They know you're interested in pursuing a friendship. They either need more time to get to know you or aren't interested in return. But trying to make someone your best friend 10 seconds after you meet them? Well, that just makes them hide from church. And do you really want to be responsible for someone's soul atrophying?
Me too. A few weeks ago, I was in Sunday School and a woman was visiting our class and our church, trying to find a church home. She asked some questions about our church, and we answered them, and in the process of answering one of the questions for her, I let her know I'm in a similar position to her in my life and that I find a lot of resources at this church. A lot of other people piped in with stuff, and I wasn't sure how clear we'd been, so at the end of class, I approached her and asked, "So, did we answer your questions?" She says yes. Good. Glad to be of service.
I start to leave class, and I'm talking to one of the regulars, and she walks up and just joins in. Uh...okay...havin' a conversation here. I finish my conversation with my friend, and this woman stands in front of me, just a little too close and positioned so that I'd have to get past her to leave and says, "We should keep in touch!" Um...I don't know you. Maybe you could come to class for a while, and we could get to know each other, and then if we want to try to have some sort of friendship outside of class, we could pursue that. But you're a perfect stranger I met less than an hour ago, and I've had two exchanges with. I'm not handing out my phone number and making plans with you.
I give a vague, "Yeah," and leave hurriedly without exchanging information, but something tells me this woman isn't going to give up. I can't explain it. It sounds on paper like an innocent enough exchange, but you know, sometimes you can just tell when someone is just a little too enthusiastic about you. 22 years of dating gives you the internal alarm system. And something about this woman just set my bells to ringing.
So last week, I was visiting my parents and had planned to go to church at home, but this woman immediately leapt to mind, and I just did not want to go. Maybe if she came again and I wasn't there, she'd glom onto someone else or give up. So, I skipped. How sad - pushy, borderline creepy lady keeps me from going to church.
And now we're at this week. I went to the early service and then went to Sunday School, and like some kind of hunted animal, I'm keeping an eye out for this woman. I go to our classroom, but it's too soon and no one is there yet. I don't want to get stuck alone with her if she comes to the room, so I wander back out and chat with the guy acting as greeter at the front doors. He's in our class, so I've known him for years. We're chatting, and up she walks. She asks me if I remember her, then when I say I do and I put my hand out to shake her hand, she HUGS me!!! Personal. Space.
Now there's no denying it - this woman has a way different threshold of intimacy than I do. I'm sorry - I just have to get to know people before I forge friendships and start hugging each other. I DON'T KNOW HER. And don't say, "Well, that's how you get to know people - you go do stuff." No. No, it's not - not if you know you'll both be in the same place every week. It's not necessary to cross the personal boundaries immediately when you already know you'll have the opportunity and place to build up to that. When you've got that kind of opportunity, you let it build naturally. When you start working a new job, do you run around asking people to come hang out at your house the first day you meet them? No. That would be weird. When you're that pushy to try and forge some kind of immediate, false intimacy, that's just a little off. And girlfriend's alarm bells are deafening her.
Luckily, she went to a different Sunday School class, so I was able to avoid her during the class, but after class, she stopped me in the foyer and asked me what I do in my spare time. I wanted to say, "I avoid freaks," but instead I just said how very busy I am with my many activities and friends. So very, very busy. She gives me her card, tells me how much she'd like to meet my friends and how we should keep in touch. Scary Lady, my friends are my friends because I don't inflict needy, desperate strangers on them.
I should say something here. I would never say, "I don't need anymore friends." If I meet someone I like, that I think is cool, I'd love to add to my friends. And my friends are always open to meeting a new, fun person. So, this isn't about me being closed off. And I admire this chick's assertiveness in trying to make friends. She's been in town about a year and a half she said, so it's still a somewhat new city to her, and making friends can be HARD. Meeting people, getting invited stuff, getting to be part of a group. It can be work, and sometimes it requires you to push a little. I know. I've been there. So, I pat her on the back for not just sitting around wondering, "How come I have no friends?" She's trying to do something about it. Good idea.
However. Having said that, you cannot just meet someone in a non-meat-market environment and immediately shove yourself down someone's throat. People don't like that. We're put off by it. It's too much, and it makes you appear desperate and needy, which isn't what most of us are looking to add to our lives. Before you start asking for people's contact information and their schedule, and saying you want to meet their friends and do stuff together, why don't you try chatting like a normal human being within the boundaries of the environment you're in? Give it some time - a few weeks or months to see if there's any "click." If you seem compatible and the person seems to want to talk to you (as opposed to politely acknowledging you then trying desperately to talk to someone else, like, say, I was doing), then you put it out there that it might be fun to do something. If they seem *genuinely* amenable to that, then come up with an actual activity. Invite them, then you'll get your answer. They'll go, or they won't. If they don't, *leave it alone.* They know where to find you. They know you're interested in pursuing a friendship. They either need more time to get to know you or aren't interested in return. But trying to make someone your best friend 10 seconds after you meet them? Well, that just makes them hide from church. And do you really want to be responsible for someone's soul atrophying?
Thursday, May 11, 2006
Karma.
I had a family situation last night that kept me away from home, and I tried to tape TAR using my parents' VCR, but wouldn't you know I did the settings too fast and screwed it up. So, I missed the greatest episode yet! The one where karma puts the hurt on MoJo!
I read the recap on CBS, and man, am I sorry I missed it! I see that while none of the teams left the hippies any money this time, Ray and Yolie and Eric and Jeremy left them some needed clothes, while MoJo left them nothing. You reap what you sow from the universe. It's pathetic that Eric and Jeremy lied to MoJo about giving BJ sandals, though. When Monica and Joseph are the people you want to impress in life, you got problems.
I love that the frats played with the monkeys at the temple while they waited for it to open. I think I would've just wanted to stay there and play with them all day.
I see the lure of a Fast Forward at this stage of the game, but they would had to have renamed it "Suzanne Pukes." I just do NOT have it in me to eat crickets and/or grasshoppers - much less a jumbo bowl of them. I couldn't eat that much ice cream, much less insects. Would they let my cat do it in my place? She loves crickets, and she wouldn't even need them to be stir-fried or dead. Seriously, we would've lost time when I couldn't force the nasties down my throat and had to give up and go back to the Roadblock. BJ, you have my admiration for pushing through the vomit and finishing the task. You guys are made of steel.
Detour: Altar It. No question. I hear Monica had a breakdown. Poor witta Monicuh.
I'm very happy with the lineup for the final round. I'll be bummed if the frats win, happy if the hippies win, and fine with it if Ray and Yolanda win. Should be fun!
I read the recap on CBS, and man, am I sorry I missed it! I see that while none of the teams left the hippies any money this time, Ray and Yolie and Eric and Jeremy left them some needed clothes, while MoJo left them nothing. You reap what you sow from the universe. It's pathetic that Eric and Jeremy lied to MoJo about giving BJ sandals, though. When Monica and Joseph are the people you want to impress in life, you got problems.
I love that the frats played with the monkeys at the temple while they waited for it to open. I think I would've just wanted to stay there and play with them all day.
I see the lure of a Fast Forward at this stage of the game, but they would had to have renamed it "Suzanne Pukes." I just do NOT have it in me to eat crickets and/or grasshoppers - much less a jumbo bowl of them. I couldn't eat that much ice cream, much less insects. Would they let my cat do it in my place? She loves crickets, and she wouldn't even need them to be stir-fried or dead. Seriously, we would've lost time when I couldn't force the nasties down my throat and had to give up and go back to the Roadblock. BJ, you have my admiration for pushing through the vomit and finishing the task. You guys are made of steel.
Detour: Altar It. No question. I hear Monica had a breakdown. Poor witta Monicuh.
I'm very happy with the lineup for the final round. I'll be bummed if the frats win, happy if the hippies win, and fine with it if Ray and Yolanda win. Should be fun!
Wednesday, May 10, 2006
I'm female. I promise.
On the whole, I'm a pretty female-y female. I look like a girl (curves in the appropriate places), and sound like a girl (I've largely cleaned up my sailor mouth from college), and dress like a girl (I even wear dresses when I don't have to). I've watched my share of Lifetime movies and seen most episodes of "Whose Wedding Is It Anyway?" (the child of "Bridezillas"). And I read "O" magazine. I'm solidly in the XX category.
So WHY can't I shop? I try. I go to the mall. I look at stuff. I try stuff on. But I'm only good for about an hour to an hour and a half, and then I just lose all steam. I can keep walking the stores, but it's pointless. After 90 minutes, I officially don't care anymore. So, I either come across good stuff that I don't buy because my motivation is gone, or I buy stuff I don't really want and pay too much just to have it all over with.
One problem, I know, is that I often go into it knowing what I want and trying to find THAT thing. Only that thing doesn't exist. Maybe I don't know where to look. But if my staying power is only 90 minutes, I can't cut into that driving all over town to individual boutique places. If it's not at the mall, I'm probably only good for one stop. So, the free-standing boutique place better be golden. It had better meet all my needs, and that means not charging 4 times what I can pay. And what are the odds that will happen?
My shopping ineptitude was on display last night as I tramped fruitlessly around Barton Creek Mall trying to buy a new dress for a wedding I'm going to on Friday. I tried the big guns - Foley's, Dillard's, Nordstrum. I got to the point that $118 was actually looking reasonable for a springish, halter sundress (the target of my quest), and I knew I had to leave. I did find one possibility at Foley's - a Liz Clairborne number that fit the bill on the hanger. But when I tried it on, my boobs disappeared, replaced by gapping, fabric cones. I think the dress was made for someone several inches taller than I am (a common occurrence) with D size cups. I tried valiently to make it work before giving up in disgust.
Oh, and I should say that while I love Nordstrum's policy of no-hassle returns and their fab-o shoe selection, I wanted to scream as every single sales person I came upon as I browsed had to individually engage me. "Hello. Do you need a new dress?" "Hello, how are you?" "Hello. Let me know if you need a dressing room." "Hello. That's really cute isn't it." LEAVE ME ALONE! If I need anything I'LL talk to YOU!!! See. I'm just not a shopper.
One of two things happens at this point. I either try a couple of boutique places with my non-existent time between now and Friday, or I wear something I already own. I tried a few things when I got home from my mall excursion, and there are one or two things I suppose I wouldn't hate to wear, but I sure would like a new springish, halter sundress. Can't someone just read my mind, make what I want in the correct size at the correct price, and then deliver it to my house and put it in my closet?
So WHY can't I shop? I try. I go to the mall. I look at stuff. I try stuff on. But I'm only good for about an hour to an hour and a half, and then I just lose all steam. I can keep walking the stores, but it's pointless. After 90 minutes, I officially don't care anymore. So, I either come across good stuff that I don't buy because my motivation is gone, or I buy stuff I don't really want and pay too much just to have it all over with.
One problem, I know, is that I often go into it knowing what I want and trying to find THAT thing. Only that thing doesn't exist. Maybe I don't know where to look. But if my staying power is only 90 minutes, I can't cut into that driving all over town to individual boutique places. If it's not at the mall, I'm probably only good for one stop. So, the free-standing boutique place better be golden. It had better meet all my needs, and that means not charging 4 times what I can pay. And what are the odds that will happen?
My shopping ineptitude was on display last night as I tramped fruitlessly around Barton Creek Mall trying to buy a new dress for a wedding I'm going to on Friday. I tried the big guns - Foley's, Dillard's, Nordstrum. I got to the point that $118 was actually looking reasonable for a springish, halter sundress (the target of my quest), and I knew I had to leave. I did find one possibility at Foley's - a Liz Clairborne number that fit the bill on the hanger. But when I tried it on, my boobs disappeared, replaced by gapping, fabric cones. I think the dress was made for someone several inches taller than I am (a common occurrence) with D size cups. I tried valiently to make it work before giving up in disgust.
Oh, and I should say that while I love Nordstrum's policy of no-hassle returns and their fab-o shoe selection, I wanted to scream as every single sales person I came upon as I browsed had to individually engage me. "Hello. Do you need a new dress?" "Hello, how are you?" "Hello. Let me know if you need a dressing room." "Hello. That's really cute isn't it." LEAVE ME ALONE! If I need anything I'LL talk to YOU!!! See. I'm just not a shopper.
One of two things happens at this point. I either try a couple of boutique places with my non-existent time between now and Friday, or I wear something I already own. I tried a few things when I got home from my mall excursion, and there are one or two things I suppose I wouldn't hate to wear, but I sure would like a new springish, halter sundress. Can't someone just read my mind, make what I want in the correct size at the correct price, and then deliver it to my house and put it in my closet?
Tuesday, May 09, 2006
Holy humidity, Batman!
Before I even address what I was originally going to post about - the crazy weather we're having - I must take a moment to say, "What is UP with Blogger????" It's taken me all day to get the screen to come up so I could post. Sheeeeeeeesh.
Back to our regularly scheduled programming. It's been a heck of a spring so far for us Central Texans. We came into the season in a drought - really hurtin' for water. And the past couple of weeks, that little problem has been solved, or at least improved. We've gotten a lot of rain. Like 10 inches this month, and it's only the 9th. Maybe people in Seattle are used to that, but here in the Land of the Parched Earth, that's a lot of rain. Luckily, it's spaced itself out a bit, giving us breathers for the water to soak in before the next patch of rain comes, so that we're not having flooding problems. But the mosquitos are already out in force, and that's something I could do without.
And we *are* having hail and wind problems. Two weeks ago, they had a crazy bad hail storm down the road from us in San Marcos, and it really made a mess out of people's cars and house roofs. Even traffic lights got the crap beat outta them with some of the little hoods that go on top of the lights so you can see them better getting shattered. You could even see on the pavement near the freeway where hail stones had blasted away some of the grime that had accumulated from years of car exhaust and the elements. I went to the outlet mall Saturday and thought some of the shops were abandoned until my mom told me that no, they were still open - their signs had just been destroyed. It was bad.
Then last Thursday, it came Austin's way. A huge storm with hurricane force winds (or so I'm told - about 70 mph) and hail just battered the whole area. I know people who have been without power since last Thursday because so many trees snapped power lines. A sidenote on that is that alot of people in high-dollar neighborhoods with mature trees fought the city's tree-trimming program, because they liked the leafy look of their big trees and didn't want the city doing "excessive" trimming. Now those people have been without power for almost a week (that's where the long-term outages were), and guess who some of them blame? The city. How much should people like that be slapped? But I digress.
In any case, I guess this is the first time I'm grateful that my trees are little baby trees that provide no shade and probably precious little carbon dioxide. But they stayed rooted in the ground during all that, so they get to be called Trooper Trees now! I may get to see my Trooper Trees grow into mature, leafy, shade trees someday if the home prices keep rising around town, everywhere except my neighborhood. I read a story in USA Today about how prices are rising in Austin, and I just sighed. I got my property appraisal last week, and my valuation actually went down. Depressing since the hope was that this home would be an investment - that after a few years, when the neighborhood was all built out, values would go up and I could sell and upgrade. Doesn't seem to be happening that way.
There's a state highway going in less than 2 miles from my neighborhood, and I'm hoping that will increase, not decrease, values as development pops up because of it. I'm sad for development to happen since the area around my neighborhood is rural and it's nice to feel like you're in the country. But it's even nicer to see the biggest investment I have appreciate rather than stagnate or depreciate. I'd have to take a pretty huge loss when I sell for rent to have been a better deal, so I know it wasn't a mistake to buy, and I do love the house, but I grit my teeth now when all my friends talk about how much their houses are appreciating. As Ren from "Ren and Stimpy" would say, "That's just great. For YEW!!!!!!"
Back to our regularly scheduled programming. It's been a heck of a spring so far for us Central Texans. We came into the season in a drought - really hurtin' for water. And the past couple of weeks, that little problem has been solved, or at least improved. We've gotten a lot of rain. Like 10 inches this month, and it's only the 9th. Maybe people in Seattle are used to that, but here in the Land of the Parched Earth, that's a lot of rain. Luckily, it's spaced itself out a bit, giving us breathers for the water to soak in before the next patch of rain comes, so that we're not having flooding problems. But the mosquitos are already out in force, and that's something I could do without.
And we *are* having hail and wind problems. Two weeks ago, they had a crazy bad hail storm down the road from us in San Marcos, and it really made a mess out of people's cars and house roofs. Even traffic lights got the crap beat outta them with some of the little hoods that go on top of the lights so you can see them better getting shattered. You could even see on the pavement near the freeway where hail stones had blasted away some of the grime that had accumulated from years of car exhaust and the elements. I went to the outlet mall Saturday and thought some of the shops were abandoned until my mom told me that no, they were still open - their signs had just been destroyed. It was bad.
Then last Thursday, it came Austin's way. A huge storm with hurricane force winds (or so I'm told - about 70 mph) and hail just battered the whole area. I know people who have been without power since last Thursday because so many trees snapped power lines. A sidenote on that is that alot of people in high-dollar neighborhoods with mature trees fought the city's tree-trimming program, because they liked the leafy look of their big trees and didn't want the city doing "excessive" trimming. Now those people have been without power for almost a week (that's where the long-term outages were), and guess who some of them blame? The city. How much should people like that be slapped? But I digress.
In any case, I guess this is the first time I'm grateful that my trees are little baby trees that provide no shade and probably precious little carbon dioxide. But they stayed rooted in the ground during all that, so they get to be called Trooper Trees now! I may get to see my Trooper Trees grow into mature, leafy, shade trees someday if the home prices keep rising around town, everywhere except my neighborhood. I read a story in USA Today about how prices are rising in Austin, and I just sighed. I got my property appraisal last week, and my valuation actually went down. Depressing since the hope was that this home would be an investment - that after a few years, when the neighborhood was all built out, values would go up and I could sell and upgrade. Doesn't seem to be happening that way.
There's a state highway going in less than 2 miles from my neighborhood, and I'm hoping that will increase, not decrease, values as development pops up because of it. I'm sad for development to happen since the area around my neighborhood is rural and it's nice to feel like you're in the country. But it's even nicer to see the biggest investment I have appreciate rather than stagnate or depreciate. I'd have to take a pretty huge loss when I sell for rent to have been a better deal, so I know it wasn't a mistake to buy, and I do love the house, but I grit my teeth now when all my friends talk about how much their houses are appreciating. As Ren from "Ren and Stimpy" would say, "That's just great. For YEW!!!!!!"
Monday, May 08, 2006
Brass knuckles are expressive.
Yesterday afternoon, I hung out with some friends, and I had an exchange with one of them that really bothered me - partly because of what my friend said, and partly because of what I didn't say. This is a friend I've known for almost 20 years. We haven't been close in a long time, but we see each other at a regular gathering and keep up. Over the years, I've seen her and her husband change, as we all do. One area, in particular, where they've changed course is religion. When I first knew them, they were religious. They married in an elaborate church service with a full communion (not just for the wedding party, but for everyone in the congregation who wished to participate) and seemed to have a solid foundation of relationship with God and connection to church.
As time went by, their politics became fervently liberal and, in tandem with that, their religion fell away. Now, being liberal is not an indication of religious bent - several people in my Sunday School class who are very religious and involved with the church are also passionately liberal/Democrat, so one is not necessarily attached to the other. But for this particular couple, it seemed to be connected. Since I am a religious person, I decided as I saw this change happening that for the sake of our friendship, it would be best for us to avoid the religion/politics discussions. After all, we can still enjoy brats and football, even if we have different social and/or political views! And so it went. People growing and changing and moving in different directions, but finding common ground to enjoy together.
But yesterday, my friend breached the boundary that has been silently drawn over the years. As we sat at our social gathering, talking about books, my friend says to me that speaking of blockbuster books, she noticed driving to the gathering that a nearby church had a banner about a class at their church on debunking The DaVinci Code. I'd seen the banner and couldn't remember that it said anything about debunking - I thought it just advertised a discussion about the book, but I hadn't paid close attention so I didn't challenge her interpretation. Maybe she's right - maybe it did say that. But then she says that the fact they'd feel the need to do that shows, "They're really scared!" She said this with great enthusiasm - more than she'd shown for any topic discussed all afternoon.
I looked at her with a mix of surprise of sadness that this would be a point of glee for her. What happened exactly that made her not just decide that the church no longer held anything for her, but get to the point that she now wants to see it scared and, presumably, fall? Sci-fi isn't for me, and I don't read it, but I don't feel the need for it to be banished. I don't like olives, but I have no problem with other people enjoying them. And I'd hate living in the desert, but I don't suggest that the people who love it there should be forcibly removed. If my friend doesn't find a home in the church, there's no authority that forces her to go, so why would she be so pleased at the notion that religion might take a body blow from some piece of fiction? What is the desire to see the thing you don't agree with destroyed? I thought the liberal creed was tolerance?
And who, exactly, is "they"? This particular church? All churches? All Christians? Because I'm a Christian, and I'm not scared for the future of my religion because someone wrote a novel. My religion isn't like some, where we put out a fatwa on people who write books aimed at our religion. We don't riot when offensive cartoons are published about us. We talk about it. That doesn't sound like a religion on the rocks. And my church also has classes for discussing the novel, and I've not gotten the impression for a moment that my church is scared. It's just a really popular book about the very subject the organization is founded on - Jesus. So, why would they NOT discuss it? When The Passion of the Christ came out and was such a big deal, they discussed that. They have lots of classes discussing literature, so how weird would it be if they ignored the book that was about the subject they're most interested in? If the congregation is reading it, and may have questions, what better place to open up the discussion and address them?
I said to my friend, "Well, I don't think they're scared. Maybe offended." And she says, "Okay, maybe not scared. But they're threatened." Now, this is when I *should* have said what I just said above. But I didn't. I didn't want to get into some conflict at a social gathering, so I just mumbled, "I don't know. Maybe." with a tone that indicated I didn't really think "maybe" but wasn't going to discuss it any further, and I looked away as if I was suddenly very interested in the conversation happening across from me. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw her raise her hands and then let them flop back into her lap like "Whatever."
That was the end of the conversation, but it ate at me. It ate at me in part because as a Christian, I should've done a better job defending my religion and pointing out that the very fact we're talking about the book, whether to "debunk" it or just to talk about the issues it raises, is proof that we're not extremists. Instead of calling for the head of whoever wrote it, we're buying it, reading it, discussing it. We're enlightening ourselves, asking questions, looking for answers. That's not fear. That's not anger. You can be offended by something. But what comes after the natural, emotional reaction of offense? Apparently, it's the desire for enlightenment. I'm proud of my church for engaging in the world it lives - for discussing the issues of our day, be it tough social issues or literature. I'm frustrated that we're so very misunderstood or mischaracterized by the secular world. And there I sat, with an opportunity to at least try and put something else out there to counteract the negative spin, and I didn't take it.
I'm also frustrated because I do that alot. There are lots of times that I have opinions and thoughts and the opportunity to voice them and I don't. And I've found over the years, that sometimes people underestimate my intelligence or my seriousness because I don't speak up. Yet, I've sometimes been discouraged by the times that I have stood my ground and argued my side. Two times I remember specifically when I went ahead and participated in the debate. Once I was chastised later for it by my boyfriend (apparently I was supposed to just be pretty while his friends were allowed to spout off about the issues of the day), and another time a friend later told me that her husband described me as "crazy" because I'd shown emotion during the debate (keep in mind, I didn't yell or get physical, I didn't stomp out, I didn't name-call or tell anyone to shut up - I simply had passion in defending my side). Yet, strangely, she told me her husband enjoys having regular, spirited debates with one of her other, female friends who I know to be highly emotional, and she even told me he enjoys setting this girl off. So, I just don't understand that whole experience.
Usually, I don't engage because I'm in a social environment, and I don't want to ruin the evening by getting into an argument. And that's what debates feel like to me - arguments, aimed at convincing the other person of your opinion with no interest in learning anything yourself. It's about winning - not gathering information. A lot of people love debate. I don't. I hate it. I always have. I've learned as an adult to deal with confrontation when I have to, and I do, and I think I do it pretty well. But I despise conflict, and I feel things passionately, so when I get into a debate about some big issue, it's very hard for me to not take it personally when someone attacks what I believe or think or am, and it's hard for me to just dissipate all the passion and adrenalin and (often negative) energy that gets stirred up. So, while some people think debate is fun, to me it's torture. And I want to enjoy my time. Not to mention, I don't have an encyclopedic memory for all the facts, people, dates and history I need at my disposal to confidently support every opinion I hold. I try to gather information, hear both sides, and form an opinion. So, I have an opinion, and it's an informed one, but I just don't have the kind of memory where I can recite back every fact that went into consideration of the subject, and in a debate, if you can't pull up every little piece of data, you're often labeled as "uninformed" and your arguments dismissed out of hand when that may not be true at all.
(sigh) So, the bottom line is that I hate debate, yet I feel I do a disservice sometimes to the causes I believe in by not engaging in it. I love to learn, and I spend a lot of time educating myself about a lot of different things. I'm intelligent and thoughtful and have opinions, but I hate to fight. If enjoyment of conflict were an indication of intelligence, Mike Tyson would be a freakin scholar. I guess I need to spend some time thinking about how I can better handle those situations - when someone expresses an opinion that I patently disagree with and one that legitimately deserves a response, without having my whole day ruined by an unpleasant exchange. I'm tired of everyone else being entitled to express themselves without worrying who they'll offend, while I bite my tongue at my own expense.
Update: I learned today that a Catholic Cardinal is actually encouraging good Catholics to file lawsuits against the movie The Da Vinci Code because ... it offends their faith, I think? I don't even know exactly what the legal basis of the lawsuit would be, since I assume some sort of harm has to have happened. And it doesn't even really matter what the trumped up reason would be because it's just ridiculous to sue someone because their art offends you. I was as offended as the next modest female when I saw the "Britney Giving Birth" (or whatever it was called) statue, but you don't sue over it. Just don't go see it. And I think he suggested a boycott, too. Fine. Don't see the movie. That's fair. But really, let's not clog up the courts with this kind of absurdity. I'm not sure what country he'd want these lawsuits filed in, but in the U.S. we have a little thing called "freedom of expression." You're allowed to write or film something that some people won't like - particularly if people have to pay to even see it, meaning you'd have to go out of your way to gain access to the material. No, lawsuits and boycotts are not on par with fatwas and riots, but they're attempts to silence voices you don't like, and let's not play that game, shall we?
As time went by, their politics became fervently liberal and, in tandem with that, their religion fell away. Now, being liberal is not an indication of religious bent - several people in my Sunday School class who are very religious and involved with the church are also passionately liberal/Democrat, so one is not necessarily attached to the other. But for this particular couple, it seemed to be connected. Since I am a religious person, I decided as I saw this change happening that for the sake of our friendship, it would be best for us to avoid the religion/politics discussions. After all, we can still enjoy brats and football, even if we have different social and/or political views! And so it went. People growing and changing and moving in different directions, but finding common ground to enjoy together.
But yesterday, my friend breached the boundary that has been silently drawn over the years. As we sat at our social gathering, talking about books, my friend says to me that speaking of blockbuster books, she noticed driving to the gathering that a nearby church had a banner about a class at their church on debunking The DaVinci Code. I'd seen the banner and couldn't remember that it said anything about debunking - I thought it just advertised a discussion about the book, but I hadn't paid close attention so I didn't challenge her interpretation. Maybe she's right - maybe it did say that. But then she says that the fact they'd feel the need to do that shows, "They're really scared!" She said this with great enthusiasm - more than she'd shown for any topic discussed all afternoon.
I looked at her with a mix of surprise of sadness that this would be a point of glee for her. What happened exactly that made her not just decide that the church no longer held anything for her, but get to the point that she now wants to see it scared and, presumably, fall? Sci-fi isn't for me, and I don't read it, but I don't feel the need for it to be banished. I don't like olives, but I have no problem with other people enjoying them. And I'd hate living in the desert, but I don't suggest that the people who love it there should be forcibly removed. If my friend doesn't find a home in the church, there's no authority that forces her to go, so why would she be so pleased at the notion that religion might take a body blow from some piece of fiction? What is the desire to see the thing you don't agree with destroyed? I thought the liberal creed was tolerance?
And who, exactly, is "they"? This particular church? All churches? All Christians? Because I'm a Christian, and I'm not scared for the future of my religion because someone wrote a novel. My religion isn't like some, where we put out a fatwa on people who write books aimed at our religion. We don't riot when offensive cartoons are published about us. We talk about it. That doesn't sound like a religion on the rocks. And my church also has classes for discussing the novel, and I've not gotten the impression for a moment that my church is scared. It's just a really popular book about the very subject the organization is founded on - Jesus. So, why would they NOT discuss it? When The Passion of the Christ came out and was such a big deal, they discussed that. They have lots of classes discussing literature, so how weird would it be if they ignored the book that was about the subject they're most interested in? If the congregation is reading it, and may have questions, what better place to open up the discussion and address them?
I said to my friend, "Well, I don't think they're scared. Maybe offended." And she says, "Okay, maybe not scared. But they're threatened." Now, this is when I *should* have said what I just said above. But I didn't. I didn't want to get into some conflict at a social gathering, so I just mumbled, "I don't know. Maybe." with a tone that indicated I didn't really think "maybe" but wasn't going to discuss it any further, and I looked away as if I was suddenly very interested in the conversation happening across from me. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw her raise her hands and then let them flop back into her lap like "Whatever."
That was the end of the conversation, but it ate at me. It ate at me in part because as a Christian, I should've done a better job defending my religion and pointing out that the very fact we're talking about the book, whether to "debunk" it or just to talk about the issues it raises, is proof that we're not extremists. Instead of calling for the head of whoever wrote it, we're buying it, reading it, discussing it. We're enlightening ourselves, asking questions, looking for answers. That's not fear. That's not anger. You can be offended by something. But what comes after the natural, emotional reaction of offense? Apparently, it's the desire for enlightenment. I'm proud of my church for engaging in the world it lives - for discussing the issues of our day, be it tough social issues or literature. I'm frustrated that we're so very misunderstood or mischaracterized by the secular world. And there I sat, with an opportunity to at least try and put something else out there to counteract the negative spin, and I didn't take it.
I'm also frustrated because I do that alot. There are lots of times that I have opinions and thoughts and the opportunity to voice them and I don't. And I've found over the years, that sometimes people underestimate my intelligence or my seriousness because I don't speak up. Yet, I've sometimes been discouraged by the times that I have stood my ground and argued my side. Two times I remember specifically when I went ahead and participated in the debate. Once I was chastised later for it by my boyfriend (apparently I was supposed to just be pretty while his friends were allowed to spout off about the issues of the day), and another time a friend later told me that her husband described me as "crazy" because I'd shown emotion during the debate (keep in mind, I didn't yell or get physical, I didn't stomp out, I didn't name-call or tell anyone to shut up - I simply had passion in defending my side). Yet, strangely, she told me her husband enjoys having regular, spirited debates with one of her other, female friends who I know to be highly emotional, and she even told me he enjoys setting this girl off. So, I just don't understand that whole experience.
Usually, I don't engage because I'm in a social environment, and I don't want to ruin the evening by getting into an argument. And that's what debates feel like to me - arguments, aimed at convincing the other person of your opinion with no interest in learning anything yourself. It's about winning - not gathering information. A lot of people love debate. I don't. I hate it. I always have. I've learned as an adult to deal with confrontation when I have to, and I do, and I think I do it pretty well. But I despise conflict, and I feel things passionately, so when I get into a debate about some big issue, it's very hard for me to not take it personally when someone attacks what I believe or think or am, and it's hard for me to just dissipate all the passion and adrenalin and (often negative) energy that gets stirred up. So, while some people think debate is fun, to me it's torture. And I want to enjoy my time. Not to mention, I don't have an encyclopedic memory for all the facts, people, dates and history I need at my disposal to confidently support every opinion I hold. I try to gather information, hear both sides, and form an opinion. So, I have an opinion, and it's an informed one, but I just don't have the kind of memory where I can recite back every fact that went into consideration of the subject, and in a debate, if you can't pull up every little piece of data, you're often labeled as "uninformed" and your arguments dismissed out of hand when that may not be true at all.
(sigh) So, the bottom line is that I hate debate, yet I feel I do a disservice sometimes to the causes I believe in by not engaging in it. I love to learn, and I spend a lot of time educating myself about a lot of different things. I'm intelligent and thoughtful and have opinions, but I hate to fight. If enjoyment of conflict were an indication of intelligence, Mike Tyson would be a freakin scholar. I guess I need to spend some time thinking about how I can better handle those situations - when someone expresses an opinion that I patently disagree with and one that legitimately deserves a response, without having my whole day ruined by an unpleasant exchange. I'm tired of everyone else being entitled to express themselves without worrying who they'll offend, while I bite my tongue at my own expense.
Update: I learned today that a Catholic Cardinal is actually encouraging good Catholics to file lawsuits against the movie The Da Vinci Code because ... it offends their faith, I think? I don't even know exactly what the legal basis of the lawsuit would be, since I assume some sort of harm has to have happened. And it doesn't even really matter what the trumped up reason would be because it's just ridiculous to sue someone because their art offends you. I was as offended as the next modest female when I saw the "Britney Giving Birth" (or whatever it was called) statue, but you don't sue over it. Just don't go see it. And I think he suggested a boycott, too. Fine. Don't see the movie. That's fair. But really, let's not clog up the courts with this kind of absurdity. I'm not sure what country he'd want these lawsuits filed in, but in the U.S. we have a little thing called "freedom of expression." You're allowed to write or film something that some people won't like - particularly if people have to pay to even see it, meaning you'd have to go out of your way to gain access to the material. No, lawsuits and boycotts are not on par with fatwas and riots, but they're attempts to silence voices you don't like, and let's not play that game, shall we?
Thursday, May 04, 2006
Whew!
I'll just start off with the most important fact of last night's Amazing Race, and then I'll move on to my recap: the hippies escaped elimination again!!! They got me this season by putting the two non-elim rounds so close to one another and so close to the end of the race. I didn't expect that last night and was sooooo happy! :)
Okay, so we started the round by traveling to Swan Bells. I pretty much figured when Phil explained the task that the bells would have operating hours, allowing everyone to catch up. They did. MoJo has gotten seriously hostile toward the hippies, and I just do not get why. I understand them being angry when they got yielded, but their anger started long before then, and I've always said yielding is just part of the game anyway. But that aside, those two need to take some Nice Pills.
I've been proud of the way my hippies have played the game until last night when they tried to stir up dissension by starting a rumor about Eric and Monica. That's not cool, and they're better than that. Also, trying to take Mojo's cab when it was clear it was Mojo's? Tsk, tsk boys.
Eric and Jeremy are a-holes. Cancelling everyone's taxis is cheating in my book. That's like stealing people's money. That's no longer "playing the game." And it was SUCH karma that their taxi didn't show either! I might've felt bad for Mojo for getting the blame on that except that they're just such jerks, they sort of invite people to think something like that about them. Nobody would ever think Ray and Yo would do something like that, even if they had the only cab that showed up. You get back what you put out there, people.
How about that airport worker asking MoJo for a bribe?! And on camera! What is Australia now...Mexico? It was pretty funny, though, when they offered a kiss from Monica to the guy as a bribe and he just looked at her totally unimpressed. I'll bet Ms. Thang ain't used to that!
Crocodyle Park. Again, a place with operating hours and the chance for everyone to catch up. If this were a Roadblock, I SO would have had my partner do the task of wading through the crocs instead of me! As it was, I was suprised Monica had the gumption to do it.
Batchelor. Hippies yield Mojo. Yeah, they did. And forgive me if I can't find my sympathy for them. I wanted to slap Monica when she whined about how "It's not fair," that the hippies stopped their car sooner and ran and got to the Yield first. How is it unfair to stop your car further back? Oh, and don't even act like the hippies are jerks for yielding you - you SO would've done the same thing if you'd gotten there first! You're so much more hostile than the hips. Or when you said to Tyler that if y'all weren't in the race, "I'd beat you down," did you mean at cards? It was beautiful when you missed the sand running out on your timer because you were arguing.
Roadblock: Skydive. This is becoming a refrain for me, but gotta toss that one to my partner. I'm not good with heights, and hurling myself out of an airplane is not on my lists of things I must do before I die. Interesting "on the ground" action, why was Jeremy flirting with Yolanda? What was that?
Magnetic Termite Mounds. Those were freaky! I had no idea that's what termite mounds look like. I wonder why they build them like that - seems inefficient.
Detour: Wet or Dry. I would've chosen Wet, and it would've been a bad choice. Normally, I don't choose the super-physical tasks. You tire yourself out and waste time if you can't do it and have to switch. But I figured the swimming sounded okay, because I'm a good swimmer. But since both teams that chose that fell behind, clearly the aboriginal horns were the better choice. Oh, and Yolanda said she can't swim. I may have addressed this back in Russia, but who does this race if they can't swim? Swimming and driving stick - might want to learn those before going on TAR.
Pit Stop: Lake Bennett. Phil dodging the lasso guy was pretty funny. Ray and Yo coming in first was cool, and the Mercedes lease seemed to be just what they both wanted, so that was cool. How big a jerk is Joseph - flipping off the hippies for no reason whatsoever as they drove down the road? BOY that guy's karma must be rancid. It was so great when he thought the hippies were out, and then they weren't!
Here's hoping the Hips can pull magic again next leg and stay in it.
Okay, so we started the round by traveling to Swan Bells. I pretty much figured when Phil explained the task that the bells would have operating hours, allowing everyone to catch up. They did. MoJo has gotten seriously hostile toward the hippies, and I just do not get why. I understand them being angry when they got yielded, but their anger started long before then, and I've always said yielding is just part of the game anyway. But that aside, those two need to take some Nice Pills.
I've been proud of the way my hippies have played the game until last night when they tried to stir up dissension by starting a rumor about Eric and Monica. That's not cool, and they're better than that. Also, trying to take Mojo's cab when it was clear it was Mojo's? Tsk, tsk boys.
Eric and Jeremy are a-holes. Cancelling everyone's taxis is cheating in my book. That's like stealing people's money. That's no longer "playing the game." And it was SUCH karma that their taxi didn't show either! I might've felt bad for Mojo for getting the blame on that except that they're just such jerks, they sort of invite people to think something like that about them. Nobody would ever think Ray and Yo would do something like that, even if they had the only cab that showed up. You get back what you put out there, people.
How about that airport worker asking MoJo for a bribe?! And on camera! What is Australia now...Mexico? It was pretty funny, though, when they offered a kiss from Monica to the guy as a bribe and he just looked at her totally unimpressed. I'll bet Ms. Thang ain't used to that!
Crocodyle Park. Again, a place with operating hours and the chance for everyone to catch up. If this were a Roadblock, I SO would have had my partner do the task of wading through the crocs instead of me! As it was, I was suprised Monica had the gumption to do it.
Batchelor. Hippies yield Mojo. Yeah, they did. And forgive me if I can't find my sympathy for them. I wanted to slap Monica when she whined about how "It's not fair," that the hippies stopped their car sooner and ran and got to the Yield first. How is it unfair to stop your car further back? Oh, and don't even act like the hippies are jerks for yielding you - you SO would've done the same thing if you'd gotten there first! You're so much more hostile than the hips. Or when you said to Tyler that if y'all weren't in the race, "I'd beat you down," did you mean at cards? It was beautiful when you missed the sand running out on your timer because you were arguing.
Roadblock: Skydive. This is becoming a refrain for me, but gotta toss that one to my partner. I'm not good with heights, and hurling myself out of an airplane is not on my lists of things I must do before I die. Interesting "on the ground" action, why was Jeremy flirting with Yolanda? What was that?
Magnetic Termite Mounds. Those were freaky! I had no idea that's what termite mounds look like. I wonder why they build them like that - seems inefficient.
Detour: Wet or Dry. I would've chosen Wet, and it would've been a bad choice. Normally, I don't choose the super-physical tasks. You tire yourself out and waste time if you can't do it and have to switch. But I figured the swimming sounded okay, because I'm a good swimmer. But since both teams that chose that fell behind, clearly the aboriginal horns were the better choice. Oh, and Yolanda said she can't swim. I may have addressed this back in Russia, but who does this race if they can't swim? Swimming and driving stick - might want to learn those before going on TAR.
Pit Stop: Lake Bennett. Phil dodging the lasso guy was pretty funny. Ray and Yo coming in first was cool, and the Mercedes lease seemed to be just what they both wanted, so that was cool. How big a jerk is Joseph - flipping off the hippies for no reason whatsoever as they drove down the road? BOY that guy's karma must be rancid. It was so great when he thought the hippies were out, and then they weren't!
Here's hoping the Hips can pull magic again next leg and stay in it.
Wednesday, May 03, 2006
Try switching to hybrid vehicles.
The friggin' postal service is wanting to increase stamp prices AGAIN!! Did we not cover this just a few months ago in one of my posts? They want to hike it to 42 cents next May.
They're actually trying to blame it on the increased fuel prices this time. Fine. It costs too much to drive those little Jeeps around (or reimburse their people and contractors for driving their own cars)? Then issue your people the little number I alerted you all to last month. Give them ZAP Smart Cars! Who cares if they're fashionable? They'd be WORK vehicles! UPS doesn't concern themselves with whether their vans are in fashion.
Or better yet, switch to hybrid or electric cars, like the hideous golfcart thing GM markets, the GEM. Letter carriers (because you can't call them postmen anymore) drive the same short route everyday (short compared to some people's commutes or, say, the miles a Realtor has to drive every day). The distance they need to drive to deliver the mail would work just fine for one of these little things. And they're stopping constantly - they don't need a fast vehicle or something with some great acceleration ratio. And the Web site shows that some have little haulers on the back. They're perfect!
I realize this wouldn't change the cost of the planes and 18-wheelers that they have to use, but it'd have to make a dent. And considering how they're constantly falling behind both with their product (again, see my previous post about how I started doing auto-charges for some of my bills to decrease my bill-mailing costs) and their efficiency, they need to make some dents. Maybe those of us ponying up for those stamps would feel a little better about it if we saw them tooling around in electric cars and we could see that they're actually making some kind of attempt to control costs, not just passing expenses on to us. Grrrrrr.
They're actually trying to blame it on the increased fuel prices this time. Fine. It costs too much to drive those little Jeeps around (or reimburse their people and contractors for driving their own cars)? Then issue your people the little number I alerted you all to last month. Give them ZAP Smart Cars! Who cares if they're fashionable? They'd be WORK vehicles! UPS doesn't concern themselves with whether their vans are in fashion.
Or better yet, switch to hybrid or electric cars, like the hideous golfcart thing GM markets, the GEM. Letter carriers (because you can't call them postmen anymore) drive the same short route everyday (short compared to some people's commutes or, say, the miles a Realtor has to drive every day). The distance they need to drive to deliver the mail would work just fine for one of these little things. And they're stopping constantly - they don't need a fast vehicle or something with some great acceleration ratio. And the Web site shows that some have little haulers on the back. They're perfect!
I realize this wouldn't change the cost of the planes and 18-wheelers that they have to use, but it'd have to make a dent. And considering how they're constantly falling behind both with their product (again, see my previous post about how I started doing auto-charges for some of my bills to decrease my bill-mailing costs) and their efficiency, they need to make some dents. Maybe those of us ponying up for those stamps would feel a little better about it if we saw them tooling around in electric cars and we could see that they're actually making some kind of attempt to control costs, not just passing expenses on to us. Grrrrrr.
Friday, April 28, 2006
The downside of vacations
Wow, did I have a great time in Mexico! We stayed at a fantastic all-inclusive resort in Playa Del Carmen, and I will SO be going back! I didn't do much of anything (no visiting ruins or snorkeling and the like), and it was just what I needed - several solid days of downtime. But I would like to go back sometime and do those things. We were all ready to go back when our time was up, though. Or at least I thought I was ready.
The downside of getting away is having to come back and face all your day-to-day stuff, like work and errands. Worse yet, stuff has built up while you were gone, so now you've got a bunch of stuff instead of just your usual stuff, which you already needed a break from. But oh well. I'm glad I went. :)
My busy-ness getting ready to go and coming back, though, has put me way behind on my TAR recaps! Let's do a two-fer here and talk about the last two weeks!
Okay, last week they started with the flight to Muscat and that enormous incense burner. Everyone got caught up, but Ray and Yolanda showed some signs of splintering.
The SUV drive across the flooded riverbeds was interesting. The local who helped them cross was great, and it was fun watching the Hippies and the Frats try and decide who would cross first. "You go." "Oh, no you go." "Oh, you were here first, you go." I wish the Frats had flooded out, but I figured they wouldn't, because if the river had been impassable, nobody would've been able to cross, which would've slowed the race down considerably. The producers had to know it was passable to have routed the teams there.
Detour: Camel or Watch Tower. I would've picked Watch Tower because I think camels are hard to work with and I'd be afraid of dropping one and hurting it. I was suprised how many people picked Watch Tower, though, since it was the luck one. Mojo switched tasks, which always costs you time. The Frats made me happy by getting lost and losing time.
Roadblock: Dig for Shuwa. I probably could've done this, but if you didn't find something fairly quickly, it seemed like you got pretty exhuasted. Monica's whining I could've done without, though. Just do the task, Mo. The later teams also seemed to have an advantage over the first teams since they could avoid the mounds that had already been dug into. The lamb sounded good, too. Boy, did my heart go out to BJ. He was so exhausted, and that's one of those luck tasks - you just have to happen upon the right mound. Yolanda cracked me up when she muttered about Ray's mama having a pattern and said, "You tell 'em BJ" when Tyler was cheerleading and BJ got irritated. I think Yolie had done had enough at that part of the day.
Pit Stop: Fran and Barry, you rock! I'm so happy for them. I never thought they'd get this far, and now they're in first place! And they won a trip to Rome. Awesome. They deserve it. And FINALLY a non-elimination round! And what perfect timing - just in time to save my hippies. :)
This week.
Okay, my hippies start out with no money or possessions. Good guys Fran and Barry and Ray and Yolanda left them some cashola, but Mojo and the Frats not suprisingly refused. Because they are awesome and fearless, my boys picked up a Bedouin hitchiker who totally hooked them up with gas and food. I gotta admit, I wouldn't have been picking up the hitchhiker. I'm a small, fearful woman who wouldn't be picking up strangers in an Arab land. Good for the hippies for being so open, though! And how fun was it for me to see them board that plane to the dismay of Mojo and the Frats?? Mojo has really been vocal about not liking the Hippies lately. What's that about?
Perth, Australia. I can't tell how I'd feel about a hostel. They just sound dirty. And aren't you sometimes in a room with strangers? I can't see myself actually sleeping in a room with strangers, hoping no one would steal my backpack. And Fran and Barry's room - "The Pleasure Dome." I'm pretty sure I'd be unable to sleep in that room - too many images and not enough confidence the sheets were clean.
Rottnest Island. That biking would've been tiring. Detour: Sand and Sea. I'd have gone with Sand on this one - avoid the luck factor of having to find the right crayfish trap. Not to mention, I might get wiggy and drop the crayfish. The beach brushing was physical, though. No discounting that. And I loved how Mojo screwed up and then complained about their "luck." Uh-uh, Joseph. It's called reading the clue - nothing to do with luck.
Fremantle Prison. It bit that Fran and Barry's taxi didn't show. Did you hear Joseph tell Barry on the ferry that he was taking the first taxi he saw, no matter whose it was, though? Punk. He knows he's a punk, too, b/c he made a point of saying how the cab they took was in their name so Barry couldn't say they stole it. So what? You *would have* so you're still a punk. I loved Jeremy getting frustrated when he couldn't find the tunnels a the prison. If the Frats were Rob from a few seasons ago, they would've bribed MoJo's cab driver and stolen their cab. Just something that occurred to me when I saw that scene.
Pit Stop: You won't believe this, but I was actually glad to see the Frats win the leg over MoJo. MoJo is seriously on my nerves lately. They're jerks. I was sad to see Fran and Barry go down, though. They got so much farther than I thought they would. It was a good run, and they're a great couple.
The downside of getting away is having to come back and face all your day-to-day stuff, like work and errands. Worse yet, stuff has built up while you were gone, so now you've got a bunch of stuff instead of just your usual stuff, which you already needed a break from. But oh well. I'm glad I went. :)
My busy-ness getting ready to go and coming back, though, has put me way behind on my TAR recaps! Let's do a two-fer here and talk about the last two weeks!
Okay, last week they started with the flight to Muscat and that enormous incense burner. Everyone got caught up, but Ray and Yolanda showed some signs of splintering.
The SUV drive across the flooded riverbeds was interesting. The local who helped them cross was great, and it was fun watching the Hippies and the Frats try and decide who would cross first. "You go." "Oh, no you go." "Oh, you were here first, you go." I wish the Frats had flooded out, but I figured they wouldn't, because if the river had been impassable, nobody would've been able to cross, which would've slowed the race down considerably. The producers had to know it was passable to have routed the teams there.
Detour: Camel or Watch Tower. I would've picked Watch Tower because I think camels are hard to work with and I'd be afraid of dropping one and hurting it. I was suprised how many people picked Watch Tower, though, since it was the luck one. Mojo switched tasks, which always costs you time. The Frats made me happy by getting lost and losing time.
Roadblock: Dig for Shuwa. I probably could've done this, but if you didn't find something fairly quickly, it seemed like you got pretty exhuasted. Monica's whining I could've done without, though. Just do the task, Mo. The later teams also seemed to have an advantage over the first teams since they could avoid the mounds that had already been dug into. The lamb sounded good, too. Boy, did my heart go out to BJ. He was so exhausted, and that's one of those luck tasks - you just have to happen upon the right mound. Yolanda cracked me up when she muttered about Ray's mama having a pattern and said, "You tell 'em BJ" when Tyler was cheerleading and BJ got irritated. I think Yolie had done had enough at that part of the day.
Pit Stop: Fran and Barry, you rock! I'm so happy for them. I never thought they'd get this far, and now they're in first place! And they won a trip to Rome. Awesome. They deserve it. And FINALLY a non-elimination round! And what perfect timing - just in time to save my hippies. :)
This week.
Okay, my hippies start out with no money or possessions. Good guys Fran and Barry and Ray and Yolanda left them some cashola, but Mojo and the Frats not suprisingly refused. Because they are awesome and fearless, my boys picked up a Bedouin hitchiker who totally hooked them up with gas and food. I gotta admit, I wouldn't have been picking up the hitchhiker. I'm a small, fearful woman who wouldn't be picking up strangers in an Arab land. Good for the hippies for being so open, though! And how fun was it for me to see them board that plane to the dismay of Mojo and the Frats?? Mojo has really been vocal about not liking the Hippies lately. What's that about?
Perth, Australia. I can't tell how I'd feel about a hostel. They just sound dirty. And aren't you sometimes in a room with strangers? I can't see myself actually sleeping in a room with strangers, hoping no one would steal my backpack. And Fran and Barry's room - "The Pleasure Dome." I'm pretty sure I'd be unable to sleep in that room - too many images and not enough confidence the sheets were clean.
Rottnest Island. That biking would've been tiring. Detour: Sand and Sea. I'd have gone with Sand on this one - avoid the luck factor of having to find the right crayfish trap. Not to mention, I might get wiggy and drop the crayfish. The beach brushing was physical, though. No discounting that. And I loved how Mojo screwed up and then complained about their "luck." Uh-uh, Joseph. It's called reading the clue - nothing to do with luck.
Fremantle Prison. It bit that Fran and Barry's taxi didn't show. Did you hear Joseph tell Barry on the ferry that he was taking the first taxi he saw, no matter whose it was, though? Punk. He knows he's a punk, too, b/c he made a point of saying how the cab they took was in their name so Barry couldn't say they stole it. So what? You *would have* so you're still a punk. I loved Jeremy getting frustrated when he couldn't find the tunnels a the prison. If the Frats were Rob from a few seasons ago, they would've bribed MoJo's cab driver and stolen their cab. Just something that occurred to me when I saw that scene.
Pit Stop: You won't believe this, but I was actually glad to see the Frats win the leg over MoJo. MoJo is seriously on my nerves lately. They're jerks. I was sad to see Fran and Barry go down, though. They got so much farther than I thought they would. It was a good run, and they're a great couple.
Sunday, April 23, 2006
Una margarita, por favor
Hello there! This is just a quick note to say that I´m basking away on a Mexican beach for the next four days, so I have a better than usual excuse for not keeping up with my blog!
I´ll do my recap on the last TAR when I get back, and I´ll tell you all how super great the resort is here. This Internet time ain´t cheap, though, so I´m going to leave it at that.
Buenas tarde!
I´ll do my recap on the last TAR when I get back, and I´ll tell you all how super great the resort is here. This Internet time ain´t cheap, though, so I´m going to leave it at that.
Buenas tarde!
Wednesday, April 19, 2006
Grilled cheese is vegetarian.
I once tried to go vegetarian. I'm an animal lover, and the softy in me just got all guilty that these poor animals are raised, sometimes in less than pleasant conditions, for the sole purpose of being my dinner. I had angst.
I read books on how to get all my vitamins and minerals while no longer eating God's creatures. I gathered recipes and tried tofu versions of things. I really gave it a shot.
But I couldn't stick to it. It wasn't that I suddenly stopped caring. It's just that I couldn't turn my back on a bacon cheeseburger (May I have some meat with my meat? Thaaaaanks.). At some point, I had to just accept a certain amount of emotional dissonance - that while I could never actually kill my own food (or watch anyone else do it), as long as it's appearing in the freezer section wrapped in plastic, I'll just not to think about the parts of the situation I don't like. Someone tries to hurt my pet cat, we are throwin' DOWN! But that chicken breast there in HEB, that's got "fajita" written all over it. My ex once told me I was a hypocrite for eating meat when I claim to love animals, but he was just trying to make me feel bad because he was being a hypocrite at the time, so he can cram it. I'm not justifying it. I'm just saying that's how it is. I like meat, and I'm going to eat meat. And I'm also going to give money to the humane society. I'm not hypocritical. I'm *complex.*
I would prefer that the means by which they raise and kill the animals I'll be eating be as humane as possible. I do pay extra for eggs from free-range chickens, for instance. I do my part to support a pleasant life for the animals. And my time as an erstwhile vegetarian wasn't for naught. I definitely eat vegetarian alot more now than I used to, and I like it when I do. I just don't want to be limited to vegetarian only. I no longer have a mindset that there must be meat involved for it to be a meal, but when I want meat, I want to be able to eat it.
Having said all of that, I had two fab-o meals this week that were vegetarian, and I thought I'd give you all recommendations, should you ever find yourself looking to eat out in Austin-town. One was at Eastside Cafe. I had the artichoke manicotti, salad with dijon vinaigrette, and mashed sweet potatoes. Oh yeah. The leftovers even rocked. The second was at Cosmic Cafe. I had the taco trinity. Super yummy, and again, the taco I took as a leftover was just as good heated up.
The moral of this story is that even if you're not interested in becoming or ready to become a vegetarian, expand your horizons, people. Open your mind. There is some way-good food out there if you're willing to give it a try. Find a friend with a spirit of culinary adventure and get out there and try some new foods! And when you're hankering for that bacon, cheeseburger, you go on and get one.
I read books on how to get all my vitamins and minerals while no longer eating God's creatures. I gathered recipes and tried tofu versions of things. I really gave it a shot.
But I couldn't stick to it. It wasn't that I suddenly stopped caring. It's just that I couldn't turn my back on a bacon cheeseburger (May I have some meat with my meat? Thaaaaanks.). At some point, I had to just accept a certain amount of emotional dissonance - that while I could never actually kill my own food (or watch anyone else do it), as long as it's appearing in the freezer section wrapped in plastic, I'll just not to think about the parts of the situation I don't like. Someone tries to hurt my pet cat, we are throwin' DOWN! But that chicken breast there in HEB, that's got "fajita" written all over it. My ex once told me I was a hypocrite for eating meat when I claim to love animals, but he was just trying to make me feel bad because he was being a hypocrite at the time, so he can cram it. I'm not justifying it. I'm just saying that's how it is. I like meat, and I'm going to eat meat. And I'm also going to give money to the humane society. I'm not hypocritical. I'm *complex.*
I would prefer that the means by which they raise and kill the animals I'll be eating be as humane as possible. I do pay extra for eggs from free-range chickens, for instance. I do my part to support a pleasant life for the animals. And my time as an erstwhile vegetarian wasn't for naught. I definitely eat vegetarian alot more now than I used to, and I like it when I do. I just don't want to be limited to vegetarian only. I no longer have a mindset that there must be meat involved for it to be a meal, but when I want meat, I want to be able to eat it.
Having said all of that, I had two fab-o meals this week that were vegetarian, and I thought I'd give you all recommendations, should you ever find yourself looking to eat out in Austin-town. One was at Eastside Cafe. I had the artichoke manicotti, salad with dijon vinaigrette, and mashed sweet potatoes. Oh yeah. The leftovers even rocked. The second was at Cosmic Cafe. I had the taco trinity. Super yummy, and again, the taco I took as a leftover was just as good heated up.
The moral of this story is that even if you're not interested in becoming or ready to become a vegetarian, expand your horizons, people. Open your mind. There is some way-good food out there if you're willing to give it a try. Find a friend with a spirit of culinary adventure and get out there and try some new foods! And when you're hankering for that bacon, cheeseburger, you go on and get one.
Monday, April 17, 2006
True artiste
Some people just approach art from a different direction. Today, I discuss the cinema. I think I shall forego the usual directors (Spielberg, Scorsese, Demille) and films (Apocalypse Now, Gone With The Wind, Shawshank Redemption). No, today we shall discuss the genius that is Angry Alien Productions.
Or maybe there's no need to discuss. What is there to say about the magic that is 30-Second Bunny Movies? It's the Cliff's Notes Animated Bunny versions of your favorite film classics. These cinematic experiences speak from themselves. Check it out, people. Spend some time. It's good stuff.
Or maybe there's no need to discuss. What is there to say about the magic that is 30-Second Bunny Movies? It's the Cliff's Notes Animated Bunny versions of your favorite film classics. These cinematic experiences speak from themselves. Check it out, people. Spend some time. It's good stuff.
Thursday, April 13, 2006
Oh, for pity's sake.
The unthinkable has happened. I have no justification - no acceptable excuse. I can only say that due to overscheduling myself and that stupid schedule change instituted last week, I *missed* TAR last night! Missed it as in didn't see it and didn't tape it! I got no recap. I got no pithy commentary. I had to check the CBS site this morning to find out who got ousted. And wouldn't you know - Lake finally gets the boot, and I MISSED IT!!!
I read the recap online, so I'll just make a few comments based on what they wrote. Looks like there were several different opportunities to level the playing field this time as teams caught up to each other at the train station, the airport and the Agora. I definitely would have tried for the Fast Forward. Since you're all running for the restaurant at the same time (Or you should be if all the teams started at Agora at the same time - why did Fran and Barry get there after it was already over? CBS says they arrived "very late to the party" but doesn't say why.), it's just a matter of luck - who breaks the right plate first (that'd be fun, wouldn't it?). And with several teams vying for it, you're not screwing yourself if you don't get it. You know there's at least one other team that will be behind the teams that didn't go for the FF, so you're not automatically in last place. The fact that E&J got it is just more proof of the hippies' contention that they're dumb, but lucky. I'm so aggravated at their luck/dominance. I think they may win the whole thing, and I just can't stand it.
Anyway, back to the CBS recap. Sounds like Joseph is going to take over for Lake in being a butthead. It says he bitched at Monica when she cried after losing the FF. I hope the guy I find to go through life with is actually a nice guy who when I cry, puts his arm around my shoulder and lets me just have my moment. People are allowed to have emotions, you know.
Roadblock: bungee jump. My partner would have to do this one. Not even a conversation. I don't like heights, and hurling myself off a bridge wouldn't happen unless I was being chased by something even scarier than death. My survival instinct is just a little too strong for bungee jumping.
Detour: Herculean Effort or It’s All Greek to Me. I think I would've chosen It's All Greek to Me unless my partner was really athletic. I am athletic, but since you'd be having to meet competitive standards (according to the CBS recap), I'm not sure how effective I'd be. The wrestling, in particular, could've been a bad scene for me!
I can't believe the hippies went 2 hours in the wrong direction! That would've stressed me OUT if I'd been watching it on the show. Not to mention the 15-minute penalty when they managed to arrive at the pit stop ahead of Lake and Michelle. Just so I understand this, Lake and Michelle arrived last because they got lost after leaving the Detour, and Lake got all upset? (snicker)
Well, it's ain't the same as watching it live, but thank goodness CBS does a recap. I'll do better next week! I promise!
I read the recap online, so I'll just make a few comments based on what they wrote. Looks like there were several different opportunities to level the playing field this time as teams caught up to each other at the train station, the airport and the Agora. I definitely would have tried for the Fast Forward. Since you're all running for the restaurant at the same time (Or you should be if all the teams started at Agora at the same time - why did Fran and Barry get there after it was already over? CBS says they arrived "very late to the party" but doesn't say why.), it's just a matter of luck - who breaks the right plate first (that'd be fun, wouldn't it?). And with several teams vying for it, you're not screwing yourself if you don't get it. You know there's at least one other team that will be behind the teams that didn't go for the FF, so you're not automatically in last place. The fact that E&J got it is just more proof of the hippies' contention that they're dumb, but lucky. I'm so aggravated at their luck/dominance. I think they may win the whole thing, and I just can't stand it.
Anyway, back to the CBS recap. Sounds like Joseph is going to take over for Lake in being a butthead. It says he bitched at Monica when she cried after losing the FF. I hope the guy I find to go through life with is actually a nice guy who when I cry, puts his arm around my shoulder and lets me just have my moment. People are allowed to have emotions, you know.
Roadblock: bungee jump. My partner would have to do this one. Not even a conversation. I don't like heights, and hurling myself off a bridge wouldn't happen unless I was being chased by something even scarier than death. My survival instinct is just a little too strong for bungee jumping.
Detour: Herculean Effort or It’s All Greek to Me. I think I would've chosen It's All Greek to Me unless my partner was really athletic. I am athletic, but since you'd be having to meet competitive standards (according to the CBS recap), I'm not sure how effective I'd be. The wrestling, in particular, could've been a bad scene for me!
I can't believe the hippies went 2 hours in the wrong direction! That would've stressed me OUT if I'd been watching it on the show. Not to mention the 15-minute penalty when they managed to arrive at the pit stop ahead of Lake and Michelle. Just so I understand this, Lake and Michelle arrived last because they got lost after leaving the Detour, and Lake got all upset? (snicker)
Well, it's ain't the same as watching it live, but thank goodness CBS does a recap. I'll do better next week! I promise!
Wednesday, April 12, 2006
I can get a tuna on wheat at Thundercloud for $3.19
I like food. I really do. I enjoy cooking it. I enjoy eating it. Eating is a pleasure to me - something I look forward to. Some people eat to live; I live to eat; blah, blah, blah. To me, eating is like a massage - a sensory indulgence. And I like good food. I've developed a palate over the years, and I can appreciate the finer things (though the allure of cavier and brie still eludes me). But having said that, anyone who pays $148 for this sandwich is insane:
In case you haven't read the story, a chef named Scott McDonald (oh, the irony) created this little culinary wonder with Wagyu beef (I'm a Texas girl - we know beef - and I don't know what the frig that is), fresh lobe foie gras, black truffle mayonnaise (mushroom mayo? Why?), brie de meaux (see, that's a problem RIGHT there), rocket (that's what my old roommate and I used to call her dog's unit - I don't want that on my sandwich), red pepper and mustard confit, and English plum tomatoes on "24-hour fermented sourdough bread." The charge: 85 pounds (122.53 Euros, $148.33 US). It's on display at Selfridges Department Store in London. On display. At a department store.
It's a sandwich, people. I can get one mighty fine tuna salad on wheat WITH cheese at Thundercloud for $3.19. I can even add pickles for an extra 25 cents. And Thundersauce is free. You can't beat that. Shoot, you can pump it up to a large for $4.19. Add a Coke and chips, maybe even toss in a brownie, and you're still under $10. What would possess anyone to spend $148 on a sandwich? It's just not possible that it's tasty enough to justify the cost. It's not possible. Crazy Brits.
In case you haven't read the story, a chef named Scott McDonald (oh, the irony) created this little culinary wonder with Wagyu beef (I'm a Texas girl - we know beef - and I don't know what the frig that is), fresh lobe foie gras, black truffle mayonnaise (mushroom mayo? Why?), brie de meaux (see, that's a problem RIGHT there), rocket (that's what my old roommate and I used to call her dog's unit - I don't want that on my sandwich), red pepper and mustard confit, and English plum tomatoes on "24-hour fermented sourdough bread." The charge: 85 pounds (122.53 Euros, $148.33 US). It's on display at Selfridges Department Store in London. On display. At a department store.
It's a sandwich, people. I can get one mighty fine tuna salad on wheat WITH cheese at Thundercloud for $3.19. I can even add pickles for an extra 25 cents. And Thundersauce is free. You can't beat that. Shoot, you can pump it up to a large for $4.19. Add a Coke and chips, maybe even toss in a brownie, and you're still under $10. What would possess anyone to spend $148 on a sandwich? It's just not possible that it's tasty enough to justify the cost. It's not possible. Crazy Brits.
Tuesday, April 11, 2006
Your Tuesday TAR fix
Well, I'm just barely getting this recap in before the next installment of TAR, but since they've moved it to Wednesday, some of us need a little Tuesday fix of TAR anyway, so here's my recap of last week's episode!
We started the show with the hippies saying the frat guys are dumb, but lucky. This isn't their normal free love attitude, but since I agree, it made me chuckle and love my hippies that much more. I think it's almost a foregone conclusion at this point that the hippies and the frats will be in the final leg. They've been neck-and-neck at the top of the pack the whole race. The toss up is who the third team will be be.
The Detour was Big Fish, Little Fish. I think I would've gone with Little Fish. It would be a risk, but my initial feeling on Detours like this is that selling stuff is never as hard as you think it will be (I think locals kind of like joining in the game), and I'd have a few concerns about the Big Fish. I'm not sure I could carry 30 pounds of dead weight, I might get lost and/or have trouble finding the right fishmonger, and I wouldn't want to smell like fish the rest of the day. I'm afraid I would've ended up like Monica - covered in reeking fish guts and crying on the ground in the marketplace. Fran and Barry kicked butt on selling their fish and had a good time. Great decision-making this time on their part!
David and Lori showed some early signs of splintering with the bickering in the car. Lori was right, though, about asking for directions. There's no time in this race for getting lost and wandering around because your testosterone won't allow you to ask a local where to go. I can't help but wonder if in the end, that made the difference for them.
Lake was a his usual rude self. Some people would say "Rude American" but that characterization is a burr in my saddle. There are rude Frenchmen, rude Italians, rude Brazilians - anywhere you go you can find rude people and rude people from all over the world travel, so I don't give in to the self-hate. Plenty of polite Americans travel and behave themselves just fine. If the world feels the need to denigrate us, then they're just haters. They certainly work hard enough to get here and get their piece of the pie. But I digress. Back to Lake.
Lake honked at an old man who wanted to cross the street and muttered something. RUDE! Then he called Michelle a "ding dong." She kicked butt on the Big Fish thing. She hoisted that thing like it was nothing and hardly had any fish nasty on her when they got done.
Roadblock: water kayak polo. I'd have had to punt this one to my partner. I don't kayak and don't trust myself not look like Barry or Ray - going the wrong direction or tipping over. Oh, and just by the by, what the hell was Lake wearing??? It look liked some kind of bondage stripper halter.
The leg ended as it does too often - with Eric and Jeremy winning. Phhhhht. I was bummed that David and Lori were out, but they had a great ride, and David is right - what they have as a couple you couldn't buy with a million dollars. They're more fortunate than they can imagine.
Anyone else think we're due for a non-elimination round?
We started the show with the hippies saying the frat guys are dumb, but lucky. This isn't their normal free love attitude, but since I agree, it made me chuckle and love my hippies that much more. I think it's almost a foregone conclusion at this point that the hippies and the frats will be in the final leg. They've been neck-and-neck at the top of the pack the whole race. The toss up is who the third team will be be.
The Detour was Big Fish, Little Fish. I think I would've gone with Little Fish. It would be a risk, but my initial feeling on Detours like this is that selling stuff is never as hard as you think it will be (I think locals kind of like joining in the game), and I'd have a few concerns about the Big Fish. I'm not sure I could carry 30 pounds of dead weight, I might get lost and/or have trouble finding the right fishmonger, and I wouldn't want to smell like fish the rest of the day. I'm afraid I would've ended up like Monica - covered in reeking fish guts and crying on the ground in the marketplace. Fran and Barry kicked butt on selling their fish and had a good time. Great decision-making this time on their part!
David and Lori showed some early signs of splintering with the bickering in the car. Lori was right, though, about asking for directions. There's no time in this race for getting lost and wandering around because your testosterone won't allow you to ask a local where to go. I can't help but wonder if in the end, that made the difference for them.
Lake was a his usual rude self. Some people would say "Rude American" but that characterization is a burr in my saddle. There are rude Frenchmen, rude Italians, rude Brazilians - anywhere you go you can find rude people and rude people from all over the world travel, so I don't give in to the self-hate. Plenty of polite Americans travel and behave themselves just fine. If the world feels the need to denigrate us, then they're just haters. They certainly work hard enough to get here and get their piece of the pie. But I digress. Back to Lake.
Lake honked at an old man who wanted to cross the street and muttered something. RUDE! Then he called Michelle a "ding dong." She kicked butt on the Big Fish thing. She hoisted that thing like it was nothing and hardly had any fish nasty on her when they got done.
Roadblock: water kayak polo. I'd have had to punt this one to my partner. I don't kayak and don't trust myself not look like Barry or Ray - going the wrong direction or tipping over. Oh, and just by the by, what the hell was Lake wearing??? It look liked some kind of bondage stripper halter.
The leg ended as it does too often - with Eric and Jeremy winning. Phhhhht. I was bummed that David and Lori were out, but they had a great ride, and David is right - what they have as a couple you couldn't buy with a million dollars. They're more fortunate than they can imagine.
Anyone else think we're due for a non-elimination round?
Friday, April 07, 2006
Meme #2
It's the second meme of my blog! I stole it from my friend Judy's blog. I'll indulge in this today and give my TAR recap from last week tomorrow.
1. Who was your first prom date? Which prom?
Well, I only went to one prom - mine, my senior year in high school. I went with a guy from my homeroom that I really didn't even know! His name was Frank Smith (really...that was his real name), because neither of us had dates.
2. Who were your first roommate(s)?
My first roommate was my dorm roommate my freshman year in college, Stacy. She was fine, but we were like different beings, sleeping in close, but carefully segregated space. She drove a BMW and was a cheerleader and sorority girl who called David on Young and the Restless a "snake." I drove a 1980 Camaro, sneaked into bars on 6th street and called David on Young and the Restless an "asshole." Different worlds.
3. What was your first job?
I was a cashier at Shipley donuts! Shipley's, mmmmmmmm.
4. What was your first car?
My first car that I got to drive as my own was my mom's hand-me-down 1977 Cougar. It was a hoss. But the first car I bought was a 1980 Camaro. I drove the crap out of it.
5. When did you go to your first funeral?
The first one I remember was my grandfather's. I guess I was about 7.
6. How old were you when you first moved away from your hometown?
18, when I went to college.
7. Who was your first grade teacher?
Mrs. Ickert! She had a Dorothy Hamill haircut.
8. Where did you go on your first ride on an airplane?
My first airplane ride was actually not on a commercial airline. My friend Michelle's dad was a private pilot and flying instructor, and when I was in 6th grade, he took us up for a ride in his plane. We just tooled around! My first flight where I actually went somewhere was later that same year when we took a family vacation to Hawaii. I went from a 4-seater to a wide-body!
9. When did you sneak out of your house for the first time, who was it with?
It was with Melanie, and I think it was around 8th grade. Other than wrapping Martha's house once, I don't remember what we did while running around in the dark! (But boy was it a dumb idea. We didn't have many safety smarts, did we?)
10. Who was your first Best Friend and are you still friends with them?
My first best friend was Stephanie Rickman. Our parents were friends, so we were friends pretty much from birth until sometime in elementary school, when Lee Ray took her place (yes, a BOY best friend!). Stephanie and I didn't live in the same neighborhood or attend the same schools, though (her family was, shall we say, well off), so our lives went in different directions not long after we started school. Props to one of my best friends from elementary school that I AM still in touch with, though! Judy!
11. Where did you live the first time you moved out of your parents' house?
Other than college, when I lived in dorms or in an apartment that my parents paid for, the first time I lived out of my parents' house and paid my own rent was in Houston just after college graduation. I've moved back into their house several times since then, though!
12. Who is the first person you call when you have a bad day?
My mom.
13. Who's wedding were you in the first time you were a bridesmaid/groomsman?
Joelle and Dan's.
14. What is the first thing you do in the morning?
Head to the bathroom.
15. What was the first concert you ever went to?
Hall and Oates' Private Eyes tour, with Melanie, Martha and Melanie's parents. They were troopers to take us!
16. First tattoo or piercing? What age?
No tats, and I think I got my ears pierced when I was 12.
17. First celebrity crush?
Donny Osmond. He was a little bit rock and roll, ya know.
18. Age of first kiss?
7th grade, so 12 years old? Embarassingly, I had to ask my 6th grade friend what to do.
19. First crush?
I started young. My first crush was a boy named James in pre-school. Seriously. I still remember it. I never went through a boy-hating phase until my 30s (just kidding - please set me up with someone wonderful).
1. Who was your first prom date? Which prom?
Well, I only went to one prom - mine, my senior year in high school. I went with a guy from my homeroom that I really didn't even know! His name was Frank Smith (really...that was his real name), because neither of us had dates.
2. Who were your first roommate(s)?
My first roommate was my dorm roommate my freshman year in college, Stacy. She was fine, but we were like different beings, sleeping in close, but carefully segregated space. She drove a BMW and was a cheerleader and sorority girl who called David on Young and the Restless a "snake." I drove a 1980 Camaro, sneaked into bars on 6th street and called David on Young and the Restless an "asshole." Different worlds.
3. What was your first job?
I was a cashier at Shipley donuts! Shipley's, mmmmmmmm.
4. What was your first car?
My first car that I got to drive as my own was my mom's hand-me-down 1977 Cougar. It was a hoss. But the first car I bought was a 1980 Camaro. I drove the crap out of it.
5. When did you go to your first funeral?
The first one I remember was my grandfather's. I guess I was about 7.
6. How old were you when you first moved away from your hometown?
18, when I went to college.
7. Who was your first grade teacher?
Mrs. Ickert! She had a Dorothy Hamill haircut.
8. Where did you go on your first ride on an airplane?
My first airplane ride was actually not on a commercial airline. My friend Michelle's dad was a private pilot and flying instructor, and when I was in 6th grade, he took us up for a ride in his plane. We just tooled around! My first flight where I actually went somewhere was later that same year when we took a family vacation to Hawaii. I went from a 4-seater to a wide-body!
9. When did you sneak out of your house for the first time, who was it with?
It was with Melanie, and I think it was around 8th grade. Other than wrapping Martha's house once, I don't remember what we did while running around in the dark! (But boy was it a dumb idea. We didn't have many safety smarts, did we?)
10. Who was your first Best Friend and are you still friends with them?
My first best friend was Stephanie Rickman. Our parents were friends, so we were friends pretty much from birth until sometime in elementary school, when Lee Ray took her place (yes, a BOY best friend!). Stephanie and I didn't live in the same neighborhood or attend the same schools, though (her family was, shall we say, well off), so our lives went in different directions not long after we started school. Props to one of my best friends from elementary school that I AM still in touch with, though! Judy!
11. Where did you live the first time you moved out of your parents' house?
Other than college, when I lived in dorms or in an apartment that my parents paid for, the first time I lived out of my parents' house and paid my own rent was in Houston just after college graduation. I've moved back into their house several times since then, though!
12. Who is the first person you call when you have a bad day?
My mom.
13. Who's wedding were you in the first time you were a bridesmaid/groomsman?
Joelle and Dan's.
14. What is the first thing you do in the morning?
Head to the bathroom.
15. What was the first concert you ever went to?
Hall and Oates' Private Eyes tour, with Melanie, Martha and Melanie's parents. They were troopers to take us!
16. First tattoo or piercing? What age?
No tats, and I think I got my ears pierced when I was 12.
17. First celebrity crush?
Donny Osmond. He was a little bit rock and roll, ya know.
18. Age of first kiss?
7th grade, so 12 years old? Embarassingly, I had to ask my 6th grade friend what to do.
19. First crush?
I started young. My first crush was a boy named James in pre-school. Seriously. I still remember it. I never went through a boy-hating phase until my 30s (just kidding - please set me up with someone wonderful).
Thursday, April 06, 2006
TMI
I'm a victim of TMI. Not the kind where a co-worker gives you unwanted information about birthing their third child, but the kind where the news inflicts data upon you before you're ready to know it. Namely, I already know who won last night's leg of TAR and who got eliminated. Darn!!! But this influx of unwanted information will not deter me from watching the full episode and recapping - possibly tomorrow, but maybe not - depends if I get home in time tonight to watch the tape of last night's episode that my mom taped for me. If I get home late after visiting the folks tonight and don't have time to watch the episode, it may take me a few days to get my recap officially logged here.
I do have one current events comment to make. It's not about Duke lacrosse or Tom Delay or Moussaoui trail. I want to know if anyone really cares about Katie Couric moving to primetime news. Really - does anyone care? I think she's gotten more attention than anything else this week, and I just want her face off my computer. I don't watch Today, and I don't watch network news. I watch local news in the morning, then I read a bunch of news sites online during the day. So, Katie's career plans don't interest me in the least. Could we please stop talking about her? Dan Rather didn't get this much play when he retired, and he had a tinge of scandal attached. Katie's got a new job. Let's all move on and try to live like our lives aren't affected...what with them not being affected and all.
I do have one current events comment to make. It's not about Duke lacrosse or Tom Delay or Moussaoui trail. I want to know if anyone really cares about Katie Couric moving to primetime news. Really - does anyone care? I think she's gotten more attention than anything else this week, and I just want her face off my computer. I don't watch Today, and I don't watch network news. I watch local news in the morning, then I read a bunch of news sites online during the day. So, Katie's career plans don't interest me in the least. Could we please stop talking about her? Dan Rather didn't get this much play when he retired, and he had a tinge of scandal attached. Katie's got a new job. Let's all move on and try to live like our lives aren't affected...what with them not being affected and all.
Wednesday, April 05, 2006
What's going on???
Okay, I can't be home tonight for that show of shows, The Amazing Race. So, last night, I go to set my VCR to record it for me tonight, and I can't find it on the tv listings. I check the CBS site this morning, and it shows a preview for tonight's episode, but when I check a different source for my area's tv listings, yet again, it shows no TAR tonight. What's going on???
My VCR is not set, so if TAR IS showing tonight, I'm going to be pretty hacked that I've missed it. But why would the tv guide show a CSI: NY repeat at 9:00 on CBS tonight instead of TAR? I checked the whole primetime schedule for CBS tonight, and no TAR. Don't *make* me miss my show, tv guide!
UPDATE: I just saw on USA Today, that CBS has moved TAR to Wednesdays starting tonight. I was confused last night when I couldn't find it, and then saw online that it would be tonight, but like I said, couldn't find it on the listings. So, I guess the tv guide folks didn't know about the switcheroo. Who moves a show in the middle of the season????
My VCR is not set, so if TAR IS showing tonight, I'm going to be pretty hacked that I've missed it. But why would the tv guide show a CSI: NY repeat at 9:00 on CBS tonight instead of TAR? I checked the whole primetime schedule for CBS tonight, and no TAR. Don't *make* me miss my show, tv guide!
UPDATE: I just saw on USA Today, that CBS has moved TAR to Wednesdays starting tonight. I was confused last night when I couldn't find it, and then saw online that it would be tonight, but like I said, couldn't find it on the listings. So, I guess the tv guide folks didn't know about the switcheroo. Who moves a show in the middle of the season????
Monday, April 03, 2006
I win!
Well, it's official. I won the NCAA bracket contest I participate in every year. Thanks to the bizarre wins and losses from the Elite Eight on, I am at the top of our leaderboard, and no one can garner enough points in the championship game to knock me off. Too bad there's no money in this particular contest! But the glory...the glory is all mine!!
In other news, I still have the red, swollen place on my pinky finger, so I'm going to the doctor tomorrow to have her see if she can do anything. Why am I pretty sure that my finger is going to hurt worse after my visit than it does now? Stupid plants.
In other news, I still have the red, swollen place on my pinky finger, so I'm going to the doctor tomorrow to have her see if she can do anything. Why am I pretty sure that my finger is going to hurt worse after my visit than it does now? Stupid plants.
Friday, March 31, 2006
See what happens when you do yard work?
A couple of weeks ago, I was pulling the gargantuan weeds in my front yard, and I got a splinter. The dandelion saplings that grow in my yard have tiny, sharp stickers on their leaves, so I'm assuming it was one of these little spears that lodged itself under the skin of my pinky finger. I tried squeezing to get it out, and I wasn't even sure if I could see it. Was it still in there? Had I gotten it out?
The next day, a red puffy spot told me it was still in there. So, I dug around with a needle and squeezed some more, because if you just inflict enough pain and tear up enough skin, eventually the splinter vacates the area just to get away from you. Or...it becomes a red, swollen knot on your pinky finger.
I thought two days ago that maybe I should try lancing the red, swollen knot, sure that fluid would gush out, carrying the splinter with it. But all I did was make the knot scratchy to the touch by tearing up the surface (and it's on the inside of the finger, which means it rubs against the finger next to it all day!).
This morning, I thought I saw the splinter and tried again. Result: more scratchiness.
I hate to spend $20 on an office visit to go to the doctor over something like this, but if I still have the red, swollen knot on my finger on Monday, I think I have to. I don't really want that to be a permanent fixture on my pinky.
The next day, a red puffy spot told me it was still in there. So, I dug around with a needle and squeezed some more, because if you just inflict enough pain and tear up enough skin, eventually the splinter vacates the area just to get away from you. Or...it becomes a red, swollen knot on your pinky finger.
I thought two days ago that maybe I should try lancing the red, swollen knot, sure that fluid would gush out, carrying the splinter with it. But all I did was make the knot scratchy to the touch by tearing up the surface (and it's on the inside of the finger, which means it rubs against the finger next to it all day!).
This morning, I thought I saw the splinter and tried again. Result: more scratchiness.
I hate to spend $20 on an office visit to go to the doctor over something like this, but if I still have the red, swollen knot on my finger on Monday, I think I have to. I don't really want that to be a permanent fixture on my pinky.
Thursday, March 30, 2006
Step it up!
This is the forest in Tasmania:
That's what my backyard looks like...except for the trees. The trees and the shade. And the ferns. I don't have any ferns. But imagine what it would take to clear the land in that picture and you get the sense of the impossible that get every time I look out my back door.
I'm beginning to think that rather than clearing all the weeds, I should just submit my backyard as a location for the next season of The Amazing Race. Just imagine Lake and Michelle approaching the Valley of the Weeds.
"Michelle, yer gonna have to step it up, girl. You said you'd do this roadblock. I can't be doin' everythang. Now git in there and find the clue."
"Lake, what if there's some Russian guy hidden down in the weeds, and he takes a picture up my shorts as I walk by?"
"Dammit, Michelle, we ain't got time for this!"
"Fine, but can I have some bug spray?"
"Did Yolanda git bug spray? You don't see Ray havin' to talk her into this. Go on!"
She moves forward, gingerly looking for open terrain. The dandelions are scratching her calves, and she steps in a bed of fire ants. She dances like a marionette, slapping at her feet until the little Hell creatures are off, then goes deeper into the abyss.
"Lake, I think I saw something move! At the back, by the potting bench!!!"
"It's Yolanda! She's got the clue! GIT OVER THERE!!"
Michelle tries to run and trips. Screams ensue. Lake throws his hat on the ground.
"Dammit, Michelle! Git your head in the game!"
With the money I'd get from the show for letting them use my yard, I could pay someone to come in and make it look like a yard again. In fact, I could probably get the Home and Garden channel to come out and film the transformation. These weeds might just be a boon for me.
That's what my backyard looks like...except for the trees. The trees and the shade. And the ferns. I don't have any ferns. But imagine what it would take to clear the land in that picture and you get the sense of the impossible that get every time I look out my back door.
I'm beginning to think that rather than clearing all the weeds, I should just submit my backyard as a location for the next season of The Amazing Race. Just imagine Lake and Michelle approaching the Valley of the Weeds.
"Michelle, yer gonna have to step it up, girl. You said you'd do this roadblock. I can't be doin' everythang. Now git in there and find the clue."
"Lake, what if there's some Russian guy hidden down in the weeds, and he takes a picture up my shorts as I walk by?"
"Dammit, Michelle, we ain't got time for this!"
"Fine, but can I have some bug spray?"
"Did Yolanda git bug spray? You don't see Ray havin' to talk her into this. Go on!"
She moves forward, gingerly looking for open terrain. The dandelions are scratching her calves, and she steps in a bed of fire ants. She dances like a marionette, slapping at her feet until the little Hell creatures are off, then goes deeper into the abyss.
"Lake, I think I saw something move! At the back, by the potting bench!!!"
"It's Yolanda! She's got the clue! GIT OVER THERE!!"
Michelle tries to run and trips. Screams ensue. Lake throws his hat on the ground.
"Dammit, Michelle! Git your head in the game!"
With the money I'd get from the show for letting them use my yard, I could pay someone to come in and make it look like a yard again. In fact, I could probably get the Home and Garden channel to come out and film the transformation. These weeds might just be a boon for me.
Wednesday, March 29, 2006
And the Danis...they are gone.
This week was a little better on The Amazing Race - a little more drama. And the locations were great.
We started with the first task of flying to Palermo. I must stop here, before we get to how any of the teams did, and note how many of the teams could not properly pronounce "Palermo." Apparently, they'd never heard of it, which is hard for me to imagine, but okay - we're Americans and don't know any geography and don't bother to learn the names of places outside a 50-mile radius of our homes. Fair enough. But can you not READ??? That just bugged me. But I digress.
First of all, we had the rides to the airport. Eric and Jeremy - I decline to even discuss them and their libidos anymore. At least this week. I just have nothing new to add since they are always the same. Lake and Michelle - how arrogant is this putz? He actually said *Michelle* needs to improve - like she's been holding them back - as he reiterates how he's the leader of their team. Well, how unfortunate since you screw something up every leg and apparently can't even use the Internet. You're a real leader, pal - you've got it all under control, don't you? No one will be suprised at how giddy I was at the two of them (or Lake in particular, actually) missing both the first flight and then the better connection. Ha. Ha. Ha.
More thoughts on this first task: Luvin' that my hippies got the first flight. And I was even entertained by the wheelchair obstacle course, even though it involved the hound dogs. Fran and Barry slippin' past the Lakester was fun - she was smart enough to ask about the connecting flight, unlike Mr. Tude. But how about that remark when she asked him to step back as they made their reservations - "She's a doctor's wife. She shouldn't be actin' like that." What? If you're married to a doctor you're supposed to act like Michelle? And the rest of us women-folk who aren't married to a doctor, we can go ahead and act like the trash that we are? Butthead.
Detour: Foundry or Laundry. I think I would've risked the extra time and gone with "Laundry" because I don't think I would've been strong enough to carry that bell. I was just relieved that Fran and Barry got smart and didn't choose the physical task this time. They're learning! Of course, they walked right past the cluebox again. I'm impressed they're still in it, but I still don't think there's any real chance that they'll win it.
Task: traveling to Segesta. What a beautiful location! Those ruins were amazing. I love history and archaeology, and just being there would have been incredible. Of course the Danis couldn't drive a stick. Do any of these people watch the show before they go on it? If they did, they'd know that a stick shift is in their future!
Yield: I *knew* Lake would yield someone - anyone. He's just the type that lives for that kind of thing. I will say that I've noticed through the seasons how angry some people get when they're yielded. They really shouldn't take it so personally. It's just part of the game. Every time I've seen it used, it's been nothing more than strategy - not a personal attack because one team didn't like another (unless I'm forgetting an episode somewhere along the line). So, there's no sense having a fit about it and hating the other team. But they often get really angry. Now, a lot of teams won't yield anyone as a matter of strategy as well - they don't want to make someone mad who might come back later and burn them. I guess you just have to weigh the needs of the present moment with the longer-term possibility that you might make an enemy.
Roadblock - build the statue. I could've done this one, but I'm afraid I would've been like Lori. I think I would've lost a lot of time, determined that the extra two pieces must fit somewhere and losing my cool when I couldn't figure it out. Frustrated tears would have been a possibility. I also wondered why no one looked at the already-completed statues done by other teams, though. They would've seen the extra pieces if they had and known there were supposed to be leftovers. I wonder if there's a rule against that, against looking at someone else's completed task?
Pitstop - The hippies are first!! Yea!!! I'm so glad the Danis are out, and I'm glad that Ray and Yolanda are still him. I like them.
We started with the first task of flying to Palermo. I must stop here, before we get to how any of the teams did, and note how many of the teams could not properly pronounce "Palermo." Apparently, they'd never heard of it, which is hard for me to imagine, but okay - we're Americans and don't know any geography and don't bother to learn the names of places outside a 50-mile radius of our homes. Fair enough. But can you not READ??? That just bugged me. But I digress.
First of all, we had the rides to the airport. Eric and Jeremy - I decline to even discuss them and their libidos anymore. At least this week. I just have nothing new to add since they are always the same. Lake and Michelle - how arrogant is this putz? He actually said *Michelle* needs to improve - like she's been holding them back - as he reiterates how he's the leader of their team. Well, how unfortunate since you screw something up every leg and apparently can't even use the Internet. You're a real leader, pal - you've got it all under control, don't you? No one will be suprised at how giddy I was at the two of them (or Lake in particular, actually) missing both the first flight and then the better connection. Ha. Ha. Ha.
More thoughts on this first task: Luvin' that my hippies got the first flight. And I was even entertained by the wheelchair obstacle course, even though it involved the hound dogs. Fran and Barry slippin' past the Lakester was fun - she was smart enough to ask about the connecting flight, unlike Mr. Tude. But how about that remark when she asked him to step back as they made their reservations - "She's a doctor's wife. She shouldn't be actin' like that." What? If you're married to a doctor you're supposed to act like Michelle? And the rest of us women-folk who aren't married to a doctor, we can go ahead and act like the trash that we are? Butthead.
Detour: Foundry or Laundry. I think I would've risked the extra time and gone with "Laundry" because I don't think I would've been strong enough to carry that bell. I was just relieved that Fran and Barry got smart and didn't choose the physical task this time. They're learning! Of course, they walked right past the cluebox again. I'm impressed they're still in it, but I still don't think there's any real chance that they'll win it.
Task: traveling to Segesta. What a beautiful location! Those ruins were amazing. I love history and archaeology, and just being there would have been incredible. Of course the Danis couldn't drive a stick. Do any of these people watch the show before they go on it? If they did, they'd know that a stick shift is in their future!
Yield: I *knew* Lake would yield someone - anyone. He's just the type that lives for that kind of thing. I will say that I've noticed through the seasons how angry some people get when they're yielded. They really shouldn't take it so personally. It's just part of the game. Every time I've seen it used, it's been nothing more than strategy - not a personal attack because one team didn't like another (unless I'm forgetting an episode somewhere along the line). So, there's no sense having a fit about it and hating the other team. But they often get really angry. Now, a lot of teams won't yield anyone as a matter of strategy as well - they don't want to make someone mad who might come back later and burn them. I guess you just have to weigh the needs of the present moment with the longer-term possibility that you might make an enemy.
Roadblock - build the statue. I could've done this one, but I'm afraid I would've been like Lori. I think I would've lost a lot of time, determined that the extra two pieces must fit somewhere and losing my cool when I couldn't figure it out. Frustrated tears would have been a possibility. I also wondered why no one looked at the already-completed statues done by other teams, though. They would've seen the extra pieces if they had and known there were supposed to be leftovers. I wonder if there's a rule against that, against looking at someone else's completed task?
Pitstop - The hippies are first!! Yea!!! I'm so glad the Danis are out, and I'm glad that Ray and Yolanda are still him. I like them.
Friday, March 24, 2006
Are you kidding me?
What a March Madness tournament this year! I can't even believe the upsets and close games I've watched over the last two weeks, and last night was no exception. I actually did not get to park myself in front of the TV for all of last night's games (as I did for all the games last week). I had dinner at a friend's house during the first two games, and mystifyingly, they are not sports fans, so the games were not on, then I got home just before halftime for the two night games.
So, just to start with, I had no idea that Duke had already blown my bracket all to hell. What up with that Blue Devils? I had you winning the whole dance! Ingrates. I had to look in 3 places before I really believed LSU had taken them out. But back to Texas.
Because Texas had a commanding lead at the half, and I had to get up at the crack of dawn as usual for work this morning, meaning I couldn't stay up half the night watching basketball, I decided to just turn on the VCR last night and catch the last half or game and Zag/UCLA this morning. I mean, we had it in the bag, right?
Zowie! The second half was a freakin' barn-burner! I barely got to the end before I had to leave for work, and that was only because I fast-forwarded through all the time-outs. I had originally expected that game to be close, but then when we were up so high in the first half, I thought we had it! I watched the Mountaineers all year and knew West Virginia would be formidable (that Pittsnogle is somethin' else), but boy would I have preferred a nice blowout! I was jumping up and down and screaming with that last shot! Paulino, that's your moment. You get to hold on to that forever.
The upside is that even though my bracket is toast, I think Texas will have a better shot with LSU than we would've had with Duke. I think there's a psychological aspect that will work in our favor. LSU is like our neighbor. We know them. They're very good, obviously, or they wouldn't be in the Elite Eight and wouldn't have taken down Duke, but I think we can win that puppy! I think this turn of events with Duke will be good for us. Even if it stops next round, though, I'm so proud of my Horns. You guys are fantastic! Elite Eight, baby!!!
So, just to start with, I had no idea that Duke had already blown my bracket all to hell. What up with that Blue Devils? I had you winning the whole dance! Ingrates. I had to look in 3 places before I really believed LSU had taken them out. But back to Texas.
Because Texas had a commanding lead at the half, and I had to get up at the crack of dawn as usual for work this morning, meaning I couldn't stay up half the night watching basketball, I decided to just turn on the VCR last night and catch the last half or game and Zag/UCLA this morning. I mean, we had it in the bag, right?
Zowie! The second half was a freakin' barn-burner! I barely got to the end before I had to leave for work, and that was only because I fast-forwarded through all the time-outs. I had originally expected that game to be close, but then when we were up so high in the first half, I thought we had it! I watched the Mountaineers all year and knew West Virginia would be formidable (that Pittsnogle is somethin' else), but boy would I have preferred a nice blowout! I was jumping up and down and screaming with that last shot! Paulino, that's your moment. You get to hold on to that forever.
The upside is that even though my bracket is toast, I think Texas will have a better shot with LSU than we would've had with Duke. I think there's a psychological aspect that will work in our favor. LSU is like our neighbor. We know them. They're very good, obviously, or they wouldn't be in the Elite Eight and wouldn't have taken down Duke, but I think we can win that puppy! I think this turn of events with Duke will be good for us. Even if it stops next round, though, I'm so proud of my Horns. You guys are fantastic! Elite Eight, baby!!!
Thursday, March 23, 2006
My new car!
In hell, that is. Or some alternate universe where goldfish eat with you at the kitchen table and Texas is cold in the summer.
Supposedly this monstronsity, the ZAP Smart Car, is going to be hitting U.S. streets anytime now. I recognize that there will be lots of Americans who will think this is just nifty. These are the same people who think this car is attractive:
I understand that beauty is in the eye of the beholder and my "hideous" is your "beautiful." I get that. But some things are empirical:
1. Chocolate is yummy.
2. William Hung sings badly.
3. That car is ugly.
ZAP that pet crate on wheels right back to Europe. I swear to Cary Grant, caged shelter animals have more room. Besides, I'd like to make it to my destination alive. Even if I survived the shame of driving that little mutant, I'd be dead within a week when some Hummer changed lanes without seeing me and squished me like a cigarette tossed onto the pavement (assuming he didn't do it on purpose - at least bikers kind of scare you into respecting their existence on the road).
But they'll sell. They will. A sign of the apocalypse? Well...I'm just sayin' it ain't right, that's all.
Wednesday, March 22, 2006
Another week. Another Amazing Race.
Well, I must say that this week wasn't quite as exciting for me. I'm not sure why, but I just wasn't an invested as I usually I am. I dutifully took notes, though, for the blog, so I'll get to it.
First off, Red Square was amazing. The part of me that grew up during the Cold War, back when there was still a Berlin Wall and we watched movies like War Games, would be really anxious about visiting Russia on my own. But going with the safety of a tv show or a tour or something, when you know someone's got your back, I think you could really take in the beauty of the architecture and let it sink in that you're really in *Russia*! I got that sense just seeing Red Square on tv. Looking at the multi-colored onion domes, I just thought how cool it would be to be there. But on to the game.
As I say every week, I luv my hippies. It was so sweet that they were concerned about Barry and Fran making it and not getting eliminated. Love them.
How annoyed was I that the Rutting Animals (aka Eric and Jeremy) were the only ones to make the first flight out of Russia? They had luck the whole leg. Yuck.
Lake, on other hand, redeemed himself a bit by showing Ray and Yolanda the right line at the airport. (What WAS up with his hat, though???) Everyone was really down in the dumps at the Moscow airport, and I kept thinking, "Don't worry about it - as long as you're all in the same boat, it's no problem." But I think they were all just really tired. I hate to think how I'd come across on tv when I got really tired. I'm sort of worthless without enough sleep.
First task: Take a Test Drive. Two words for that Wall of Death test drive. KICK ASS!!!! Boy, would that be fun, and the German accents were so perfect. The drivers seemed so stiff and uptight, "Ve are goink to drive now." And then they put the hammer down! Even better - you get to drive that car around afterward.
The Bavarian countryside: gorgeous. David and Lori are gettin' tough now - telling little white lies to throw off the competition. I wonder how much of a dark side they've got.
Roadblock: Find the gnome. I would've done this one. Easy sneezy. I got a good laugh when Lake and Michelle were there at the same time as the hippies. As they're reading their clue, one of the hippies is dancing like a goof in the background as the other one searches, and you hear Michelle say to Lake, in a very stern mother tone, "Quit payin' attention to that." Cracked me up! I could just see Lake distractedly watching The Dancing Hippie and his voice trailing off as he was supposed to be reading. That's another thing. Has Michelle even done a Roadblock yet? Doesn't each partner have to do an even amount? They're going to be hurtin' if she gets stuck with a bunch difficult ones at the end b/c she's been bailing on everything up front.
Detour: Break It or Slap It. I would've gone with Slap It because I'm a crappy dancer. My one laugh from Eric and Jeremy was during this Detour. One of them hit his head into the bottle instead of the other way around and then said, "German karate." Chuckle. But of course, they had to hit on the girl working the Detour. I repeat: rutting animals. Again, Fran and Barry choose something physical and have difficulty. I shake my head.
The Pitstop: Eric and Jeremy won the leg and a trip to Africa. Someone should probably warn them there's a rampant AIDS epidemic there. The look on Phil's face when they referred to more "tongue wrestling" with the Boob Twins was priceless. My hippies running backwards? Uh...okay. And I'm not sorry to see Wanda and Desiree go. I didn't loathe them or anything, but Wanda got on my nerves alot with her drama and Des kept correcting her English, which was annoying - it seemed a little disrespectful, like she's embarrassed by her mom. Anyway, I was glad to see them go. Maybe the Boob Twins can be next.
First off, Red Square was amazing. The part of me that grew up during the Cold War, back when there was still a Berlin Wall and we watched movies like War Games, would be really anxious about visiting Russia on my own. But going with the safety of a tv show or a tour or something, when you know someone's got your back, I think you could really take in the beauty of the architecture and let it sink in that you're really in *Russia*! I got that sense just seeing Red Square on tv. Looking at the multi-colored onion domes, I just thought how cool it would be to be there. But on to the game.
As I say every week, I luv my hippies. It was so sweet that they were concerned about Barry and Fran making it and not getting eliminated. Love them.
How annoyed was I that the Rutting Animals (aka Eric and Jeremy) were the only ones to make the first flight out of Russia? They had luck the whole leg. Yuck.
Lake, on other hand, redeemed himself a bit by showing Ray and Yolanda the right line at the airport. (What WAS up with his hat, though???) Everyone was really down in the dumps at the Moscow airport, and I kept thinking, "Don't worry about it - as long as you're all in the same boat, it's no problem." But I think they were all just really tired. I hate to think how I'd come across on tv when I got really tired. I'm sort of worthless without enough sleep.
First task: Take a Test Drive. Two words for that Wall of Death test drive. KICK ASS!!!! Boy, would that be fun, and the German accents were so perfect. The drivers seemed so stiff and uptight, "Ve are goink to drive now." And then they put the hammer down! Even better - you get to drive that car around afterward.
The Bavarian countryside: gorgeous. David and Lori are gettin' tough now - telling little white lies to throw off the competition. I wonder how much of a dark side they've got.
Roadblock: Find the gnome. I would've done this one. Easy sneezy. I got a good laugh when Lake and Michelle were there at the same time as the hippies. As they're reading their clue, one of the hippies is dancing like a goof in the background as the other one searches, and you hear Michelle say to Lake, in a very stern mother tone, "Quit payin' attention to that." Cracked me up! I could just see Lake distractedly watching The Dancing Hippie and his voice trailing off as he was supposed to be reading. That's another thing. Has Michelle even done a Roadblock yet? Doesn't each partner have to do an even amount? They're going to be hurtin' if she gets stuck with a bunch difficult ones at the end b/c she's been bailing on everything up front.
Detour: Break It or Slap It. I would've gone with Slap It because I'm a crappy dancer. My one laugh from Eric and Jeremy was during this Detour. One of them hit his head into the bottle instead of the other way around and then said, "German karate." Chuckle. But of course, they had to hit on the girl working the Detour. I repeat: rutting animals. Again, Fran and Barry choose something physical and have difficulty. I shake my head.
The Pitstop: Eric and Jeremy won the leg and a trip to Africa. Someone should probably warn them there's a rampant AIDS epidemic there. The look on Phil's face when they referred to more "tongue wrestling" with the Boob Twins was priceless. My hippies running backwards? Uh...okay. And I'm not sorry to see Wanda and Desiree go. I didn't loathe them or anything, but Wanda got on my nerves alot with her drama and Des kept correcting her English, which was annoying - it seemed a little disrespectful, like she's embarrassed by her mom. Anyway, I was glad to see them go. Maybe the Boob Twins can be next.
Friday, March 17, 2006
Doing my duty
While it probably seems improbable to anyone who knows me that I should be able to talk about anything other than March Madness right now, I actually have a number of other things going on in my life right now that are worthy of comment, so I'm just posting as I can and addressing subjects as I get to them. Don't worry - there will be basketball talk, as well, in the next two weeks!
Today, however, I think I'll share with you my jury duty experience from Monday. This is the first time I've ever been called for jury duty, which is amazing in and of itself, since I've been a registered voter since my freshman year of college. But there you have it - almost 20 years of being ignored by The Man. Unlike most people, I always kind of thought I'd like jury duty. I'm fascinated by the law (I used to think about being a lawyer), and I'm never loathe to take a day off for my normal routine. I like to read, so give me a book and a courtroom and if I'm not being engaged by the legal stuff going on, I can read. My job pays me for the days I'm serving, so I'm not losing any money, and I even get a little pocket change from the court. So, it's all good in my book.
I didn't really get to sleep in much that morning, but I got to wear jeans instead of office clothes, and I grabbed a Starbucks mocha and a paper (both luxuries from my normal routine) and I headed to the courthouse for my day of public service.
I won't give you a blow-by-blow since that might be tedious. And I don't think I should talk about the case, but I suppose I can say it was apparently about an armed robbery. The case is over by now and part of the public record. But I'll give you a random sampling of my thoughts and impressions through the day:
- There's too many people in this row! I'm totally being squished against the wall! Scoot over, man (to the guy next me).
- Who are those people who just came in and sat in the jury box? Are those law students?
- I gotta pee.
- Oh, for pete's sake, lady (to the loud lady in the back room who feels the need to comment on every legal point and hypothetical scenario the prosecutor lays out for us in the attempt to determine if we're smart enough to understand the law and if we'll find as the law says we should, even if we don't agree with it). Please tell me I won't get stuck serving on a jury with her.
- "I've been convicted before - once for theft." Thank you, sir. Here's a note saying you completed your service today.
- Am I comfortable sitting in judgement of someone else? You betcha.
- Seriously. I gotta pee!! Do we get a break? Should I raise my hand and ask if I can go? How does this work? That lady behind me looks like she's done this before. Should I ask her? Maybe you get in trouble for talking.
- Yes, the people in the jury box are students.
- Recess! Sweet relief! (Bugger! A line at the bathroom.)
- My word, has every person in here been the victim of a robbery (except that guy over there who commits them)? Our society is messed up, man.
- Is that a coffee stain on my jacket?
- "If you don't want your juror pay, just fill out this form." Right.
- What do you mean I wasn't picked? Why not?
Personally, I think they should have to tell you why you weren't picked. I was among the first 12 people in the pool, so that means I was struck, not simply that they got their 12 before they got to me. I think they ought to have to tell me why. I'm a citizen! I have a right to know! (No one ever worries about my outrage.)
Today, however, I think I'll share with you my jury duty experience from Monday. This is the first time I've ever been called for jury duty, which is amazing in and of itself, since I've been a registered voter since my freshman year of college. But there you have it - almost 20 years of being ignored by The Man. Unlike most people, I always kind of thought I'd like jury duty. I'm fascinated by the law (I used to think about being a lawyer), and I'm never loathe to take a day off for my normal routine. I like to read, so give me a book and a courtroom and if I'm not being engaged by the legal stuff going on, I can read. My job pays me for the days I'm serving, so I'm not losing any money, and I even get a little pocket change from the court. So, it's all good in my book.
I didn't really get to sleep in much that morning, but I got to wear jeans instead of office clothes, and I grabbed a Starbucks mocha and a paper (both luxuries from my normal routine) and I headed to the courthouse for my day of public service.
I won't give you a blow-by-blow since that might be tedious. And I don't think I should talk about the case, but I suppose I can say it was apparently about an armed robbery. The case is over by now and part of the public record. But I'll give you a random sampling of my thoughts and impressions through the day:
- There's too many people in this row! I'm totally being squished against the wall! Scoot over, man (to the guy next me).
- Who are those people who just came in and sat in the jury box? Are those law students?
- I gotta pee.
- Oh, for pete's sake, lady (to the loud lady in the back room who feels the need to comment on every legal point and hypothetical scenario the prosecutor lays out for us in the attempt to determine if we're smart enough to understand the law and if we'll find as the law says we should, even if we don't agree with it). Please tell me I won't get stuck serving on a jury with her.
- "I've been convicted before - once for theft." Thank you, sir. Here's a note saying you completed your service today.
- Am I comfortable sitting in judgement of someone else? You betcha.
- Seriously. I gotta pee!! Do we get a break? Should I raise my hand and ask if I can go? How does this work? That lady behind me looks like she's done this before. Should I ask her? Maybe you get in trouble for talking.
- Yes, the people in the jury box are students.
- Recess! Sweet relief! (Bugger! A line at the bathroom.)
- My word, has every person in here been the victim of a robbery (except that guy over there who commits them)? Our society is messed up, man.
- Is that a coffee stain on my jacket?
- "If you don't want your juror pay, just fill out this form." Right.
- What do you mean I wasn't picked? Why not?
Personally, I think they should have to tell you why you weren't picked. I was among the first 12 people in the pool, so that means I was struck, not simply that they got their 12 before they got to me. I think they ought to have to tell me why. I'm a citizen! I have a right to know! (No one ever worries about my outrage.)
Wednesday, March 15, 2006
You're still racing.
Well, as I feared when I started this blog, life is intruding, and I'm not finding myself able to keep up with posting. I realize that if you don't post pretty much every day, people don't read, so I don't know how much longer I'll be able to hang in there in Blog World. But I'll see if I can't stick with it a while longer. I'll give my rundown on last night's The Amazing Race, then I gotta bust back to my real life and the overload of stuff I have to do in non-Blog-World!
Okay, we started by learning that the Boob Twins are, in fact, stupid ho's. The Pigs, er, Eric and Jeremy, have stated in no uncertain terms they just want to get in those girls' pants, and during the pitstop, the BT's showed they are apparently up for being munched on like cheap candy on national television. I'd really prefer that the 20-something meaningless hookups were relegated to The Real World and The Amazing Race could be blissfully free of all that. It started when Flo and one of the Twins got involved a couple of seasons ago, and now we're down to this. Makes me pray the Boob Twins will be knocked out in this round, just to remove all that. We'll still have to listen to E&J pant about every woman in their path, but at least we won't have to watch them attempt to actually mate.
On to the race itself. The first task this week was the zip line. That looked fun! I'm not too great with heights, but I think would've enjoyed it. As usual, the hippies were fun, kidding around with everyone and scaring E&J, which of course, made me laugh. Lake again proved what a complete tool he is. Not only did he tell his wife to "shut up" as he screwed up and went the wrong way (screwing up while asserting your manly authority is becoming a theme with you, isn't it Lake?), but then later, when she says something that wasn't half as rude as he had been on the way to the zip line (I can't even remember what she said), he tells her "don't be ugly" (as if he hadn't been the picture of it telling her to shut up), and then even better, "don't be a bitch." WOW would I have punched this guy in the face a long time ago! I can't even believe some people find someone to marry them.
Roadblock - the plunge into the Russian pool. This would've totally been my roadblock. The cold would have been a little tough, but I'm a good swimmer, and the water looked like it was heated, so I would've been all over it. I was a little surprised to see so many of the contestants so afraid of water and swimming. I'm a water-baby, myself. I've always loved it. But I was proud of Yolanda and how she pushed past her fear. Wanda made me want to scream. I realize she was scared, but come one - you'd already seen everyone else do it, you were surrounded by people who would never let you drown or get hurt, so just DO IT!!!
One other note on this one: did you hear Michelle's comment to Lake? When Lake says he wishes she'd done the task, she says something like, "Would you really want me out there in a bathing suit in front of all those Russians?" What. Evuh. Good lord, Michelle, it's a pool - EVERYONE is in a bathing suit! And are you under the impression the Russians are going to be so taken with you that they're all going to whip out camera phones and snap your photo, then Photoshop it to make you appear naked then put it on a Russian porn site? Is THAT what you thought would happen? Just jump in the damn pool like everyone else and chill with the Southern belle routine. No one is impressed. Movin' on.
A short stop at Smolensk Cathedral to grab a clue. What's noteworthy here is the fact that the hippies took a couple of seconds to just be quiet and look around and take in the beautiful place. That's why these guys are my boys. They're enjoying the journey, man!
Detour - Scrub or Scour. I have to say, my first thought when I heard it was Scour. I just thought the trolley washing could be tougher than it sounded. Picking the nesting dolls could be a mistake, because you could be there forever looking for the clue (Remember that Roadblock in one season where they had to eat all these pieces of cheese to get the clue and then another one where they had to eat all these pieces of chocolate? Sounded good at first, but after a while, they player wanted to just puke and give up.). But you *could* get lucky, and it's not physically demanding so that kind of saves your strength in case you need it later. Turns out, I would've made a good choice with that. The trolleys were outdoors, meaning you'd be really cold, and they were big, making it hard to clean them all over. Plus, you're at the mercy of the guy and if he thinks you did a good enough job. Also, several people picked Scrub, then couldn't find the trolleys and ended up at Scour, but they lost time.
Another note on this one: did you notice than when Lake asked Eric (or Jeremy - same dif) what the clue looked like after he found it, he said he "couldn't" show it to Lake? But when the hippies found their clue, they gladly showed it to Fran and Barry, and even told them where they found it. That's the difference in character. It wouldn't have harmed E&J's position in the game to show Lake and Michelle what their clue looked like. Karma, boys.
The twist at the end, when Phil tells E&J he's not the pitstop and they're still racing - HAHAHAHAHA!! They should've known that was a possibility since the clue said they were meeting Phil, but didn't say specifically that it was a pitstop. It's like when the clue says the last team "may" be eliminated. Heads up, folks. The wording in the clues is always very careful.
Okay, we started by learning that the Boob Twins are, in fact, stupid ho's. The Pigs, er, Eric and Jeremy, have stated in no uncertain terms they just want to get in those girls' pants, and during the pitstop, the BT's showed they are apparently up for being munched on like cheap candy on national television. I'd really prefer that the 20-something meaningless hookups were relegated to The Real World and The Amazing Race could be blissfully free of all that. It started when Flo and one of the Twins got involved a couple of seasons ago, and now we're down to this. Makes me pray the Boob Twins will be knocked out in this round, just to remove all that. We'll still have to listen to E&J pant about every woman in their path, but at least we won't have to watch them attempt to actually mate.
On to the race itself. The first task this week was the zip line. That looked fun! I'm not too great with heights, but I think would've enjoyed it. As usual, the hippies were fun, kidding around with everyone and scaring E&J, which of course, made me laugh. Lake again proved what a complete tool he is. Not only did he tell his wife to "shut up" as he screwed up and went the wrong way (screwing up while asserting your manly authority is becoming a theme with you, isn't it Lake?), but then later, when she says something that wasn't half as rude as he had been on the way to the zip line (I can't even remember what she said), he tells her "don't be ugly" (as if he hadn't been the picture of it telling her to shut up), and then even better, "don't be a bitch." WOW would I have punched this guy in the face a long time ago! I can't even believe some people find someone to marry them.
Roadblock - the plunge into the Russian pool. This would've totally been my roadblock. The cold would have been a little tough, but I'm a good swimmer, and the water looked like it was heated, so I would've been all over it. I was a little surprised to see so many of the contestants so afraid of water and swimming. I'm a water-baby, myself. I've always loved it. But I was proud of Yolanda and how she pushed past her fear. Wanda made me want to scream. I realize she was scared, but come one - you'd already seen everyone else do it, you were surrounded by people who would never let you drown or get hurt, so just DO IT!!!
One other note on this one: did you hear Michelle's comment to Lake? When Lake says he wishes she'd done the task, she says something like, "Would you really want me out there in a bathing suit in front of all those Russians?" What. Evuh. Good lord, Michelle, it's a pool - EVERYONE is in a bathing suit! And are you under the impression the Russians are going to be so taken with you that they're all going to whip out camera phones and snap your photo, then Photoshop it to make you appear naked then put it on a Russian porn site? Is THAT what you thought would happen? Just jump in the damn pool like everyone else and chill with the Southern belle routine. No one is impressed. Movin' on.
A short stop at Smolensk Cathedral to grab a clue. What's noteworthy here is the fact that the hippies took a couple of seconds to just be quiet and look around and take in the beautiful place. That's why these guys are my boys. They're enjoying the journey, man!
Detour - Scrub or Scour. I have to say, my first thought when I heard it was Scour. I just thought the trolley washing could be tougher than it sounded. Picking the nesting dolls could be a mistake, because you could be there forever looking for the clue (Remember that Roadblock in one season where they had to eat all these pieces of cheese to get the clue and then another one where they had to eat all these pieces of chocolate? Sounded good at first, but after a while, they player wanted to just puke and give up.). But you *could* get lucky, and it's not physically demanding so that kind of saves your strength in case you need it later. Turns out, I would've made a good choice with that. The trolleys were outdoors, meaning you'd be really cold, and they were big, making it hard to clean them all over. Plus, you're at the mercy of the guy and if he thinks you did a good enough job. Also, several people picked Scrub, then couldn't find the trolleys and ended up at Scour, but they lost time.
Another note on this one: did you notice than when Lake asked Eric (or Jeremy - same dif) what the clue looked like after he found it, he said he "couldn't" show it to Lake? But when the hippies found their clue, they gladly showed it to Fran and Barry, and even told them where they found it. That's the difference in character. It wouldn't have harmed E&J's position in the game to show Lake and Michelle what their clue looked like. Karma, boys.
The twist at the end, when Phil tells E&J he's not the pitstop and they're still racing - HAHAHAHAHA!! They should've known that was a possibility since the clue said they were meeting Phil, but didn't say specifically that it was a pitstop. It's like when the clue says the last team "may" be eliminated. Heads up, folks. The wording in the clues is always very careful.
Friday, March 10, 2006
South Beach pizza? Oh yeah.
When you think of South Beach, either the place or the diet, pizza doesn't leap immediately to mind. But I gotta tell you - it is good! I had a coupon, so even though I haven't been doing the South Beach diet, I decided to try two of their frozen pizzas: the pepperoni and the grilled chicken and vegetable. Yuummmmmy! And they're healthy. Can you ask for more than that? I think not.
I don't know about most people, but I luvva the coupons. I save money every time I go to the grocery store. In fact, I like to think of it in another way. I add up how much I saved with my coupons at the end of my shopping trip, and then I pick out items from my grocery booty that add up to that amount and I tell myself that it's like I got those items for free. I know some people don't like to take the time to mess with coupons, but to me it's worth it - a little time spent with some scissors while watching tv in exchange for free food. And if you can combine coupons with a sale item...well, that's just like gettin' away with somethin'! And you know you get a thrill when you get away with somethin'.
I don't know about most people, but I luvva the coupons. I save money every time I go to the grocery store. In fact, I like to think of it in another way. I add up how much I saved with my coupons at the end of my shopping trip, and then I pick out items from my grocery booty that add up to that amount and I tell myself that it's like I got those items for free. I know some people don't like to take the time to mess with coupons, but to me it's worth it - a little time spent with some scissors while watching tv in exchange for free food. And if you can combine coupons with a sale item...well, that's just like gettin' away with somethin'! And you know you get a thrill when you get away with somethin'.
Thursday, March 09, 2006
Hallelujah!
I was able to watch the second installment of The Amazing Race 9 last night, and let me just do a little jig! Lisa and Joni are OUT! Man, they were annoying. If I thought all the screeching was bad on the first show, the hysterics about the car in the second one was enough to seriously get me rooting that Fran and Barry would beat them to the finish line. Woo-hoo!
Let's run down the episode this week.
Eric and Jeremy - someone turn these guys into eunuchs so I can stop listening to them salivate about every 20-something woman they see. It's really pathetic, and 2 shows in, I'm already sick of it. In the first show you giggled about how you don't want to work, then the second one you spent rutting around like farm animals. I'm now over the hump of tolerating you. Now, I'm actively rooting against you. Go back home, play beach volleyball everyday, and wonder in 20 years why you're alone, have nothing, and your life sucks.
BJ and Tyler - still lovin' you guys! I have no idea why you were buddying up with Eric and Jeremy in the beginning except that you're friendly to everyone. And how happy was I that you guys won the Tahiti trip instead of Piggly and Wiggly? Keep on rollin', you crazy hippies!
Fran and Barry - you're sweethearts, but what were you thinking choosing "Climb It" on the Detour? Do NOT pick strength tasks! I give major props to Fran, especially, for completing it, but you probably lost time, and you almost got eliminated. I don't think this sweet pair has much gas left. They may be out next round unless someone gets tripped up.
This episode featured a Roadblock and a Detour. On the Roadblock, I think I might've volunteered to do it simply because whoever I paired with for the show would have to do all the eating tasks, so I'd have to step up on the ones that were remotely doable for me (why is there never a task that involves spelling?), but it wouldn't have been my best task. For one thing, DAMN that was a lot of stairs! I'm a sprinter, baby...sprinting on a flat surface. 432 flights of stairs, not by bag. And I'm not too good with heights, either, so the rappelling might've led to vomitting - if not the actual rappelling, then the fear of it as I waited up top to start. Sadly, I might've sounded a lot like Danielle (or was it Dani? Who knows? Who cares? Same difference.). But I would've been willing to try, so I get points for that.
On the Detour, I think I would've picked "Press It." The waterfall was beautiful, and I would've hated to miss seeing that, but my upper body strength leaves something to be desired (and I would've been pretty much used up after the Roadblock if I'd had to do that one), and it would've been kind of interesting to see how the sugar cane got turned into fuel, so that's likely how I would've gone with that. It didn't seem to hurt David and Lori or Wanda and Desiree on their time to choose that one. The one thing you want to avoid is starting one task, finding you can't do it, and having to switch to the other, so you gotta be realistic about your abilities when you're picking a Detour task. Don't always just go with the one they say is faster.
And that's it for this week! I'm not McDonald's, but I'm lovin' it!
Let's run down the episode this week.
Eric and Jeremy - someone turn these guys into eunuchs so I can stop listening to them salivate about every 20-something woman they see. It's really pathetic, and 2 shows in, I'm already sick of it. In the first show you giggled about how you don't want to work, then the second one you spent rutting around like farm animals. I'm now over the hump of tolerating you. Now, I'm actively rooting against you. Go back home, play beach volleyball everyday, and wonder in 20 years why you're alone, have nothing, and your life sucks.
BJ and Tyler - still lovin' you guys! I have no idea why you were buddying up with Eric and Jeremy in the beginning except that you're friendly to everyone. And how happy was I that you guys won the Tahiti trip instead of Piggly and Wiggly? Keep on rollin', you crazy hippies!
Fran and Barry - you're sweethearts, but what were you thinking choosing "Climb It" on the Detour? Do NOT pick strength tasks! I give major props to Fran, especially, for completing it, but you probably lost time, and you almost got eliminated. I don't think this sweet pair has much gas left. They may be out next round unless someone gets tripped up.
This episode featured a Roadblock and a Detour. On the Roadblock, I think I might've volunteered to do it simply because whoever I paired with for the show would have to do all the eating tasks, so I'd have to step up on the ones that were remotely doable for me (why is there never a task that involves spelling?), but it wouldn't have been my best task. For one thing, DAMN that was a lot of stairs! I'm a sprinter, baby...sprinting on a flat surface. 432 flights of stairs, not by bag. And I'm not too good with heights, either, so the rappelling might've led to vomitting - if not the actual rappelling, then the fear of it as I waited up top to start. Sadly, I might've sounded a lot like Danielle (or was it Dani? Who knows? Who cares? Same difference.). But I would've been willing to try, so I get points for that.
On the Detour, I think I would've picked "Press It." The waterfall was beautiful, and I would've hated to miss seeing that, but my upper body strength leaves something to be desired (and I would've been pretty much used up after the Roadblock if I'd had to do that one), and it would've been kind of interesting to see how the sugar cane got turned into fuel, so that's likely how I would've gone with that. It didn't seem to hurt David and Lori or Wanda and Desiree on their time to choose that one. The one thing you want to avoid is starting one task, finding you can't do it, and having to switch to the other, so you gotta be realistic about your abilities when you're picking a Detour task. Don't always just go with the one they say is faster.
And that's it for this week! I'm not McDonald's, but I'm lovin' it!
Tuesday, March 07, 2006
Drip, drip, drip.
My leak is still not fixed. As of Friday, my plumber was saying he'd be here Monday. Monday came and went, and no plumber. So, I called today, and gee, if everything goes well, he might be there Thursday or Friday. Meanwhile, I've still got a leak. That means it's been a week and a half since I first called the guy, and a week since he came out and verified I have a leak, and NOTHING has happened since then!
I get that his truck broke down and these things happen, and now he's behind, but he told me Saturday that he'd be out Monday, and he never even called to tell me he wasn't going to show, much less give me the new ETA, which is 3-4 days later! I'm not pleased.
But if I call someone new at this point, they're not likely to be out any sooner. I could call today and they might come out tomorrow, but I'm not sure they'd actually start the work tomorrow, so I don't suppose I'd save myself much time. But let me reiterate: I'm not happy. People need to show up when they say they will and need to stay in touch with you if plans change. I got this guy on a recommendation, and so far he hasn't charged me anything, so hopefully his prices once he actually does something will be reasonable, but Big Guy, your hope of me recommending you to anyone else is quickly fading.
On top of that, I won't be able to watch The Amazing Race tonight! I'm having a birthday dinner with family tonight, so I've got the VCR set (I know, I know - I need to get TiVO. Sorry, but I've got plumbing to pay for; I can't be upgrading my television budget at this time.). I'll watch it tomorrow night and then give my rundown on Thursday. I'm also taping the series premiere of Sons and Daughters. I think I'm going to like that one. I'll let you know.
I get that his truck broke down and these things happen, and now he's behind, but he told me Saturday that he'd be out Monday, and he never even called to tell me he wasn't going to show, much less give me the new ETA, which is 3-4 days later! I'm not pleased.
But if I call someone new at this point, they're not likely to be out any sooner. I could call today and they might come out tomorrow, but I'm not sure they'd actually start the work tomorrow, so I don't suppose I'd save myself much time. But let me reiterate: I'm not happy. People need to show up when they say they will and need to stay in touch with you if plans change. I got this guy on a recommendation, and so far he hasn't charged me anything, so hopefully his prices once he actually does something will be reasonable, but Big Guy, your hope of me recommending you to anyone else is quickly fading.
On top of that, I won't be able to watch The Amazing Race tonight! I'm having a birthday dinner with family tonight, so I've got the VCR set (I know, I know - I need to get TiVO. Sorry, but I've got plumbing to pay for; I can't be upgrading my television budget at this time.). I'll watch it tomorrow night and then give my rundown on Thursday. I'm also taping the series premiere of Sons and Daughters. I think I'm going to like that one. I'll let you know.
Sunday, March 05, 2006
Busy, busy.
Boy, oh boy, no time to write the last several days. Things at the homestead have kept me busy. Aside from taming the weed farm (otherwise known as my yard), my plumbing has yet again challenged me. Seems I baited it by thinking a simple mastery of toilet repair would foil it. Don't make your plumbing angry, folks.
After a couple of water bills that seemed a bit high, I got hit with one that was through the roof. No leaky toilet was causing this one. So, I did a little research on how to discover if you've got a leak in your lines somewhere, and with dread I performed the simple tests. I have a leak. My simple "handy homeowner" repairs were no longer an option. So, I called a plumber, and he came out and did his Plumber Tests and said, yes, I have a small leak. He thinks he knows where it is, and if he's right, it won't be too bad. If he's right, it's outside between the meter and my outside faucet, meaning we just tear up the yard a little and replace the pipe. Since my yard is crap anyway, I couldn't care less abou digging it up, and that's WAY better than what will ensue if it's under the foundation or in a wall somewhere. If the plumber's guess is wrong, things get a lot uglier and a lot more expensive in a hurry.
The plumber was supposed to come back on Friday and commence digging (giving me an answer to what exactly I'm facing), but his truck went out. Can you believe it? So, now it'll be at least Monday. Meanwhile, I'm trying not to let it stress me out, because as I type this, God knows how many gallons are streaming out of my pipes and into the earth around (please not under!) my house. I'm afraid to spend any money. Until we get the leak located, I have no idea what I'm looking at here financially. I hope I'm not about to buy this guy a pool.
Oh, and after I get this all squared away, I get to call the water company and beg the reconsider the "winter averaging" they're doing for me. "I had a leak! See! I really WASN'T using 2,000-4,000 gallons a month by myself!" My water company averages your monthly use between October and February and that determines your rate for the rest of the year. So, I pretty much had this happen at the worst possible time. I'm sure they're going to say something like, "No problem, ma'am. We completely understand. We'll just use the save average we used last year. That's how much we value you as a customer."
Homeownership really is the most fun anyone could ever have.
After a couple of water bills that seemed a bit high, I got hit with one that was through the roof. No leaky toilet was causing this one. So, I did a little research on how to discover if you've got a leak in your lines somewhere, and with dread I performed the simple tests. I have a leak. My simple "handy homeowner" repairs were no longer an option. So, I called a plumber, and he came out and did his Plumber Tests and said, yes, I have a small leak. He thinks he knows where it is, and if he's right, it won't be too bad. If he's right, it's outside between the meter and my outside faucet, meaning we just tear up the yard a little and replace the pipe. Since my yard is crap anyway, I couldn't care less abou digging it up, and that's WAY better than what will ensue if it's under the foundation or in a wall somewhere. If the plumber's guess is wrong, things get a lot uglier and a lot more expensive in a hurry.
The plumber was supposed to come back on Friday and commence digging (giving me an answer to what exactly I'm facing), but his truck went out. Can you believe it? So, now it'll be at least Monday. Meanwhile, I'm trying not to let it stress me out, because as I type this, God knows how many gallons are streaming out of my pipes and into the earth around (please not under!) my house. I'm afraid to spend any money. Until we get the leak located, I have no idea what I'm looking at here financially. I hope I'm not about to buy this guy a pool.
Oh, and after I get this all squared away, I get to call the water company and beg the reconsider the "winter averaging" they're doing for me. "I had a leak! See! I really WASN'T using 2,000-4,000 gallons a month by myself!" My water company averages your monthly use between October and February and that determines your rate for the rest of the year. So, I pretty much had this happen at the worst possible time. I'm sure they're going to say something like, "No problem, ma'am. We completely understand. We'll just use the save average we used last year. That's how much we value you as a customer."
Homeownership really is the most fun anyone could ever have.
Wednesday, March 01, 2006
It's amazing, I tell ya!
Oh, it is a happy day! I had two full hours of The Amazing Race last night, and it's back to it's top form, and I get to talk about all the teams today - woohoo! Let's just jump on in, shall we? I'll say up front that there are several teams I don't have strong opinions about yet, but we'll see how that progresses with more shows. I'll give my initial impressions, though, because I've got some!
First off, I'm disappointed that John and Scott were first off. I admired John for saying he wanted to use the race as an opportunity to tackle some fears, like flying, and then really doing it. He just jumped right into the cockpit of that helicopter like a champ! He was playing assertively, though Scott was kind of holding them back by being passive about the cab. And what's up with none of the locals helping them find the bridge? Did you see that vegetable stand guy just wave off John when he asked if the guy knew where it was? Nice hospitality, Brasilia. Anyway, I think they would've done better in subsequent legs once they got rolling. But hey, they got a free trip to Brazil with some awesome experiences, so that's pretty cool.
Lisa and Joni. Oh, how I wish they'd been the first team off. The screaming...someone..stop..the screaming.
Danielle and Dani. No opinion, really, except that the hot pink outfits were a bit boob-job-cheerleaderish. Too bad they didn't have to endure the catcalling that Yolanda had to stomach at the motorcycle place. They asked it for it way more with those outfits than Yolanda did with hers. And Yolanda even had her boyfriend with her! Men in Brazil are clearly pigs.
BJ and Tyler. Thought I would hate them, and I so didn't! They're really fun. They seem nice - like their entire goal is not to destroy the other teams - and they seem like they're really enjoying the journey, which is supah! Too many of the contestants are so into the competition aspect that they don't enjoy what they're doing and where they are. BJ and Tyler seem to be, which means that even if they don't win, they'll have gotten so much out of the game. Good for them!
Lake and Michelle. Someone please give this woman an almanac so she'll know what year it is and what country she's in. Good lord, woman - the "My Man is My Leader" routine went out about 45 years ago. You pride yourself on being the picture of a Southern woman. Well, I think I like being a Texas woman better than a Southern one, then, because I'd be explaining to my husband that he married a partner, not an assistant. He needs to come down a few notches. He blew the FIRST thing y'all had to do, then he tells you later that same day, "Do NOT second-guess me!" You need some second-guessing, pal. And the phone mistake? Not partially your fault. ALL your fault. BOY, do I hope they go down soon, and it's his mistake that causes it.
Ray and Yolanda. Not too much opinion so far. It'll be interesting to see if all the time together, after being long-distance, brings them together or pushes them apart.
David and Lori. My favorites so far! They're so good to each other and seem to be enjoying themselves, which as I stated above, I love to watch. They're a real team and seem to have a genuine respect for each other, as well as being really compatible. I'm rootin' for em!
Eric and Jeremy. Thought I wouldn't like them from their intro, but they're not too bad so far. Hitting on the Boob Twins was a little cheesy, but otherwise, I didn't mind them.
Fran and Barry. They're nice, but I don't think they'll last too long.
Joseph and Monica. Not too much opinion yet. I thought I'd hate him from the intro, but he hasn't been uber-competitive man yet, so I didn't have a problem with them.
Wanda and Desiree. No opinion yet.
My gameplan: For this first leg, the flight I went for would've depended on how fast I got to the airport. I knew as soon as I heard the Detour that I would've picked the Rotorhead (I'm not mechanical and would've dug the helicopter ride). And the rest kind of depended on the cabs - whether your cabbie knew where he was going and was aggressive. Cabs are a crap shoot - you never know if you'll get a good driver or not, so you're at the mercy of luck with that.
I'm so excited to be enjoying a new season!
First off, I'm disappointed that John and Scott were first off. I admired John for saying he wanted to use the race as an opportunity to tackle some fears, like flying, and then really doing it. He just jumped right into the cockpit of that helicopter like a champ! He was playing assertively, though Scott was kind of holding them back by being passive about the cab. And what's up with none of the locals helping them find the bridge? Did you see that vegetable stand guy just wave off John when he asked if the guy knew where it was? Nice hospitality, Brasilia. Anyway, I think they would've done better in subsequent legs once they got rolling. But hey, they got a free trip to Brazil with some awesome experiences, so that's pretty cool.
Lisa and Joni. Oh, how I wish they'd been the first team off. The screaming...someone..stop..the screaming.
Danielle and Dani. No opinion, really, except that the hot pink outfits were a bit boob-job-cheerleaderish. Too bad they didn't have to endure the catcalling that Yolanda had to stomach at the motorcycle place. They asked it for it way more with those outfits than Yolanda did with hers. And Yolanda even had her boyfriend with her! Men in Brazil are clearly pigs.
BJ and Tyler. Thought I would hate them, and I so didn't! They're really fun. They seem nice - like their entire goal is not to destroy the other teams - and they seem like they're really enjoying the journey, which is supah! Too many of the contestants are so into the competition aspect that they don't enjoy what they're doing and where they are. BJ and Tyler seem to be, which means that even if they don't win, they'll have gotten so much out of the game. Good for them!
Lake and Michelle. Someone please give this woman an almanac so she'll know what year it is and what country she's in. Good lord, woman - the "My Man is My Leader" routine went out about 45 years ago. You pride yourself on being the picture of a Southern woman. Well, I think I like being a Texas woman better than a Southern one, then, because I'd be explaining to my husband that he married a partner, not an assistant. He needs to come down a few notches. He blew the FIRST thing y'all had to do, then he tells you later that same day, "Do NOT second-guess me!" You need some second-guessing, pal. And the phone mistake? Not partially your fault. ALL your fault. BOY, do I hope they go down soon, and it's his mistake that causes it.
Ray and Yolanda. Not too much opinion so far. It'll be interesting to see if all the time together, after being long-distance, brings them together or pushes them apart.
David and Lori. My favorites so far! They're so good to each other and seem to be enjoying themselves, which as I stated above, I love to watch. They're a real team and seem to have a genuine respect for each other, as well as being really compatible. I'm rootin' for em!
Eric and Jeremy. Thought I wouldn't like them from their intro, but they're not too bad so far. Hitting on the Boob Twins was a little cheesy, but otherwise, I didn't mind them.
Fran and Barry. They're nice, but I don't think they'll last too long.
Joseph and Monica. Not too much opinion yet. I thought I'd hate him from the intro, but he hasn't been uber-competitive man yet, so I didn't have a problem with them.
Wanda and Desiree. No opinion yet.
My gameplan: For this first leg, the flight I went for would've depended on how fast I got to the airport. I knew as soon as I heard the Detour that I would've picked the Rotorhead (I'm not mechanical and would've dug the helicopter ride). And the rest kind of depended on the cabs - whether your cabbie knew where he was going and was aggressive. Cabs are a crap shoot - you never know if you'll get a good driver or not, so you're at the mercy of luck with that.
I'm so excited to be enjoying a new season!
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