Oh, the glory of "things"

I got a new toy! I have achieved a dream of several years now. As a TV junkie and hipster, it has pained me no end to go without a TiVo lo these many years. But those days are over!

DVR is in the hoooooouse!

I got a flyer from Dish Network that they had a new DVR package. The package would allow me to have the same programming I have now, plus DVR service, for less than I'm currently paying. Well, duh!

I called to make sure it wasn't all too good to be true, and it tweren't. So, I did an upgrade on my satellite box, which only cost me $25, $10 of which I can get back if I send them my old box, and I signed up for the new service. I'm obligated to 2 years, and as of next January, they can (and probably will) jack up the price from the package price I'm going to be getting from now until then, but I doubt they'll jack it up too dramatically (Dish has been really good about that since I've had them, and that's 5 years now), so I feel comfortable with locking myself in that long. I don't generally like to obligate myself to more than a year on service of any kind, but I don't change stuff like that too often, so I'm not too concerned.

Anyway! The new box arrived Monday, so all the wires and plugs were wired and plugged into their proper spots that night, and last night I carefully read through the manual to see how to actually use the thing. I played around a bit, getting familiar with my new remote (I think we all know the horror of a new remote), and last night I did some test taping to my new DVR. When I get home tonight, I'll see if it worked!

I'm so excited! I will now have hours and hours of TV that I can't possibly all watch! NIRVANA!!

A little OCD.

I think I have just a touch of OCD. Just a touch!

Some people have to lock the door three times before they can leave the house, or they have to turn the water on and off four times to be sure it's off. With me, it's the garage door. I may have blogged about this before (I'm too lazy to look it up), but I frequently drive off down the street after backing out of my garage and can't remember if I've closed the garage door. Invariably, I have to turn around and go back and check. Invariably, it's closed.

I had one of those moments this morning. Bad timing really, because for some reason I don't know, the traffic has suddenly gotten horrendous getting out of my neighborhood in the morning, and delaying myself even by a couple of minutes to soothe my compulsive mind that the garage door IS closed - as it always is - throws a real monkey wrench into my commute.

But I had to do it. I had to go back. I had to be sure. I just couldn't drive off to work, unsure whether my garage door was standing open. So, I went back. It was closed.

I can't be the only one with this affliction. Surely, there's *something* that each of you out there is OCD about! What is it?? What are you obsessive-compulsive about???

Spring is coming

What an insanely beautiful day here in fabulous Austin, Texas. It's supposed to hit 80 today. It's March 14, people! I'm sure this means we're in for some kind of blistering summer, but hey, it's a gorgeous day and I won't complain.

We've had a really mild winter. In fact, on my way to Galveston on Wednesday, I saw the first roadside bluebonnet photo shoot of the season. A mother had pulled over along the highway just east of La Grange and had her kids out in the first bluebonnet blooms I've seen this year taking photos. Usually, the blooming season doesn't really kick in until April, and then you have to ramp up your "alert driver" sensor, because anywhere there's a patch of grass along the roadside, there's a chance someone may have pulled over to take pictures.

That's a tradition here for you non-Texans who don't know. All Texan children MUST have a picture in a field of bluebonnets taken at least once before their 18th birthday. You can take one every year if you like, and you can take as many as you like once you're past 18, but any parent who allows their child to reach adulthood without immortalizing their childhood against a backdrop of bluebonnets has to hand in their Texan card. I think it's a law. Someone should look it up.

A meme.

This carries the risk of bringing back bad memories, but I'm taking on a meme from Judy's blog about 9th grade. Let's see what I can remember!

Who was your best friend? Laurie.

Who did you go out with? Tim

Did you have a crush on anyone? Well, there was Tim. But I also always liked John W. He was dreammmmy.

Did you buy your lunch? Sometimes...most of the time? I honestly don't remember if I brought my lunch in 9th grade!

Did you skip? No, although I did skip a pep rally once! Our pep rallies were first thing in the morning, so you could blow it off, be late and still make all your classes.

Did you get suspended/expelled? No.

What was your favorite class? Hmmm...I didn't take Choir my freshman year, so I honestly don't remember a particularly enjoyable class in 9th grade.

What was your mascot? The Rams!

Did you go to the dances? I don't think we had dances. So, if we did, I guess that's a no!

If you could go back would you? Not for Bill Gates' money.

Where did you sit at lunch? No particular spot that I remember, though usually the South cafeteria (We had two - North and South. It was a huge school.).

Who was your science teacher? Don't begin to remember.

Who was your English teacher? You'd think I'd remember this one, but I got nothin'.

Who was your history teacher? I'm sure I must had history in 9th grade...

Who was your math teacher? Crime in Italy, did I even GO to my classes???

Did you think you were cool? Of course - my boyfriend was a Junior.

Describe your outfits in ninth grade? Jeans and OP t-shirts.

Who was your favorite teacher? See the above problem regarding remembering teachers.

What was your most memorable moment? I remember Laurie and I dancing in the stadium bleachers one time while our boyfriends were playing a JV football game. For some reason, we thought we were invisible. We were mortified later to find out both teams had been watching us the whole time.

What were your least favorite memories? Being alive and 15. And having the only fight of my entire life...with the girl my boyfriend cheated on me with. I know - I beat up the wrong person.

What was your best accomplishment? Not getting suspended over the aforementioned fight.

What action do you regret the most? Tim.

What did you spend the most time doing on weekends? Hanging out with Laurie! I seem to remember there being a lot of mall time.

Did you make any lifelong friendships? Not that year.

Travelin'

Wow, yesterday's post was long! Now I remember why I always just forward those things on email...

Traveling for work today. I get to go to Galveston, one of my favorite places. I won't get to spend much time enjoying it, because I'll be working as soon as I get there and into the evening, then I head back to Austin in the morning. But I'll go to sleep to the sound of waves on the beach and wake up to a view of the sun coming up over the ocean, so it's ALL GOOD!

I'll make sure I have breakfast at the Denny's on the Seawall so I can watch the ocean while I have breakfast. Gotta love Denny's - hashbrowns, baby, hashbrowns.

I'll have to go back down soon when I can play in the water and hang out on the Strand.

I'm Spongebob Squarepants! Awesome!

A friend of mine sent this to me on email, and I liked it, so rather than forwarding it, I'm going to post it here. What cartoon character are you???

Everyone has a personality of a cartoon character. Have you ever asked yourself what cartoon character you most resemble?

A group of investigators got together and analyzed the personalities of well-known and modern cartoon characters. The information that was gathered was made into this test.

Answer all the questions (only 10) with what describes you best, add up all your Points (which are next to the answer that you choose) at the end and look for your results. And don't cheat by looking at the end of the e-mail before you are done!

1. Which one of the following describes the perfect date?

a) Candlelight dinner (4 pts.)
b) Fun/Theme Park (2 pts.)
c) Painting in the park (5 pts)
d) Rock concert (1 pt.)
e) Going to the movies (3 pts.)


2. What is your favorite type of music?

a) Rock and Roll (2 pts.)
b) Alternative (1 pt.)
c) Soft Rock (4 pts.)
d) Country (5 pts.)
e) Pop (3 pts.)


3. What type of movies do you prefer?

a) Comedy (2 pts.)
b) Horror (1 pt.)
c) Musical (3 pts.)
d) Romance (4 pts.)
e) Documentary (5 pts.)


4. Which one of these occupations would you choose if you only could choose one of these?

a) Waiter (4 pts.)
b) Professional Sports Player (5 pts.)
c) Teacher (3 pts.)
d) Police (2 pts.)
e) Cashier (1 pt)


5. What do you do with your spare time?

a) Exercise (5 pts.)
b) Read (4 pts.)
c) Watch television (2 pts.)
d) Listen to music (1 pt.)
e) Sleep (3 pts.)


6. Which one of the following colors do you like best?

a) Yellow (1 pt.)
b) White (5 pts.)
c) Sky Blue (3 pts.)
d) Dark Blue (2 pts.)
e) Red (4 pts.)


7. What do you prefer to eat?

a) Snow (3 pts.)
b) Pizza (2 pts.)
c) Sushi (1 pt.)
d) Pasta (4 pts.)
e) Salad (5 pts.)


8. What is your favorite holiday?

a) Halloween (1 pt.)
b) Christmas (3 pts.)
c) New Year (2 pts.)
d) Valentine's Day (4 pts.)
e) Thanksgiving (5 pts.)


9. If you could go to one of these places which one would it be?

a) Paris (4 pts)
b) Spain (5 pts)
c) Las Vegas (1 pt)
d) Hawaii (4 pts)
e) Hollywood (3 pts)


10. With which of the following would you prefer to spend time with?

a) Someone Smart (5 pts.)
b) Someone attractive (2 pts.)
c) Someone who likes to Party (1 pt.)
d) Someone who always has fun (3 pts.)
e) Someone very sentimental (4 pts.)


Now add up your points and find out the answer you have been waiting for!

(10-16 points) You are Garfield:

You are very comfortable, easy going, and you definitely know how to have fun but sometimes you take it to an extreme. You always know what you are doing and you are always in control of your life. Others may not see things as you do, but that doesn't mean that you always have to do what is right. Try to remember, your happy spirit may hurt you or others.


(17-23 points) You are Snoopy:

You are fun, you are very cool and popular. You always know what's in and you are never are out of style You are good at knowing how to satisfy everyone else. You have probably disapp eared for a few days more than once but you always come home with the family values that you learned Being married and having children are important to you, but only after you have had your share of fun times


(24-28 points) You are Elmo:

You have lots of friends and you are also popular, always willing to give advice and help out a person in need. You are very optimistic and you always see the bright side of things. Some good advice: try not to be too much of a dreamer. Dreaming too big could cause many conflicts in your life.


(29-35 points) You are SpongeBob SquarePants:

You are the classic person that everyone loves. You are the best friend that anyone could ever have and never wants to lose. You never cause harm to anyone and they would never not understand your feelings. Life is a journey, it's funny and calm for the most part. Stay away from traitors and jealous people, and you will be stress free.


(36-43 points) You are Charlie Brown:

You are tender, you fall in love quickly but you are also very serious about all relationships. You are a family person. You call your Mom every Sunday. You have many friends and may occasionally forget a few Birthdays. Don't let your passion confuse you with reality.


(44-50 points) You are Dexter:

You are smart and definitely a thi nker... Every situation is fronted with a plan. You have a brilliant mind. You demonstrate very strong family principles. You maintain a stable routine but never ignore a bad situation when it comes. Try to do less over thinking every once in a while to spice things up a bit with spontaneity!

He's a Pisces - like me

It's Chuck Norris' birthday. As Chuck is The Man, I know you'll want to send him a birthday greeting, so you should arm yourself with as much information as you can to make sure your greeting stands out. I'm sure he'll be inundated with well wishes, and you wouldn't want to get lost in the shuffle.

So, be sure to visit the Chuck Norris Fact Generator and then come up with your own unique way of wishing this true blue American bad-ass a happy birthday! (But duck after you've offered up the best you've got - if Chuck doesn't like it, he may take your ass out with a round-house to the face.)

Menace on the highway

If you happen to be in Austin at about 5:00 today, you'll probably want to avoid driving. I'm going for my annual eye exam this afternoon, during which they *insist* on dilating my eyes, and then I have to drive myself home - or actually to my parents' house, which is even further and will involve a major highway.

I hate getting my eyes dilated. I wish they wouldn't do it. But it seems to be some non-negotiable thing with this optometrist (or opthamologist or laser-surgery shill or whatever his title is), because they do it EVERY time. I don't remember previous eye doctors doing it every time. In fact, until this doctor, it was rare that I had it done.

I've thought about changing eye doctors, because I'm not always sure they need to do all the stuff they do, but I've been with these people for several years, and it's nice if you have really crappy eyesight and are on "watch" for glaucoma when they have an actual health history for your eyes. They can see over time how things are progressing, etc. So, I stay.

But I just thought I'd put the word out. It's sunny today, and I'll be half-blind (at least up close), so if the entire city would like to just hold off on driving this fine Friday afternoon until around 5:30, that'd be greeeeat. And if you're a traffic cop reading this, I drive a crappy, white four-door sedan, have bushy hair and make a sour face whenever I spot new model Tiburons. Pull me over.

Got me thinking

Patrick Swayze has pancreatic cancer. Apparently, this is the one of the most deadly forms of cancer. I didn't know that until I read the stories about him yesterday. Depending on which news report you read, he's either not having a very optimistic reaction to treatment and has only weeks to live or he's responding well and the doctors are hopeful.

I've had an interesting reaction to the news. I never was all that into Patrick Swayze. I had nothing against him - I even like him for the fact that through all his fame and years in Hollywood, he's still with the woman he married before he was famous, and you never heard of any scandals or anything with him. He seems like a nice and decent guy. I like that. And I admire his dancing. But he never stirred anything in me on that chemical level, and I never thought he was that great of an actor. He was just a nice B-list actor. There are worse things to be.

But when I heard the news about his cancer and possible impending death, instead of just blithely reading it and moving onto the next story, as I usually do with the 25 celebrity stories you get every day, I found myself really thinking about and wondering about what he's going through right now.

What tipped him off that something was wrong? What did he feel and think when he got the diagnosis? What did they tell him about his chances and what they'd have to do regarding treatment? What conversations did he and his wife, Lisa, have then and now? How is she responding? Is he scared? Is she? Is he preparing for the worst while hoping for the best? Is he leaning on her? Is she there for him the way he needs her to be? What about her - does she have someone to help her with what she's going through? Is he reflecting on his life, and if so, what does he think and feel about it? How does he feel about the whole world now knowing - is he used to it? Is it a relief? Is it an intrusion? If his time is possibly limited, what would he really like to do with that time?

He's only 55. And he has the "advantage" of knowing that he might be approaching the end (as opposed to someone like John Ritter who just dropped dead one day). How is he processing and using this knowledge? How would I?

I don't know why his particular situation touched me. But it did. Maybe because he seems like this nice, normal guy who just happened to get famous. He could be you or me. And now he's dealing with something that doesn't care if he's famous. Just like you or me. And it makes me wonder. What if it were me?

Roooooound up!

Okay, here we go.

1. Brett Favre is retiring. I happen to love Brett Favre. I think he's awesome - and not just for what he does on the field, but for the man he is in his personal life as well - and I can understand why Packer fans are disappointed. They thought they'd have him for one more year. But if he's ready to move on to the next phase of his life, then more power to him. He's earned the chance to see what's next.

He's given it his all, and he's been fantastic for the franchise, while also being a great husband, dad and philanthropist. He's lived a well-balanced life, never letting his career or fame or money be his god, making sure that he was there for his wife when she battled cancer and proving that you really can have it all - you can be success at your career and your personal life when you make the decision to be. That's a concept close to my heart these days.

You never heard scandals about him or heard him complaining that his salary wasn't big enough or he wasn't appreciated enough. He just worked hard, did the right things, kept his priorities straight and succeeded on every level. He's the true picture of success, and I think he can walk away without any regrets...on to whatever the rest of his life has in store.

2. Hillary is still in it. She won Texas and Ohio, but didn't pick up a lot of delegates. I'll be curious to see if she and Obama team up. Seems like they'd be unbeatable if they did.

3. Some beeotch at a gas station the other night asked me what year my car was. I told her 2007, to which she responded, "I prefer the older body styles on the Tiburons." I wanted to say, "It's funny that you say that, because from the look of what you're driving, I'd have thought you preferred ugly-ass old, white sedans. But you say older body-style Tiburons?" But instead, I just said, "Oh really?"

What exactly is the point of approaching a stranger for the sole purpose of telling them you don't like what they're driving, wearing, etc.?

4. Salma Hayek, who just had her first child, a baby girl, told the press that she had wanted a boy. Hey Salma, shut the fuck up. On second thought, it's too late - it's been recorded forever in the media, so your daughter can read it when she gets old enough...after she's already heard about it because some mean little kid tells her at school (because the mean little kid's mom is jealous of your gorgeous mom and repeats what you said where the mean little kid can hear it). Just go ahead and line up a therapist now. There's nothing like knowing that from Day One you're a disappointment and not really what your mother wanted. Moron.

5. Nepal's "living goddess" has retired. She's 11. I want to retire. But more importantly, can you retire from being sacred? Word is, she would've been replaced as soon as she got her period (I guess it's hard to maintain a goddess's demeanor when PMS grabs hold of you), but still...can you really just say, "I've decided I'm not a goddess anymore. It's too much trouble. Pick someone else to be holy."?

6. Looks like Lisa Marie Presley may be pregnant. Funny...I don't really care. But it's in the news, so am I supposed to? I've never really liked her. I don't dislike her, but she's always seemed unpleasant to me. She never smiles. I wouldn't think she'd be fun to be around.

What's on all of y'all's minds today?

Bat-nap

We got a bat in the hall.

No, not the kind Babe Ruth used - the kind that fly around and eat mosquitos and people freak out about. But we ain't freakin'. We're Austinites.

For anyone who doesn't live in Austin, this isn't terribly shocking for a downtown building. Central Texas is home to North America's largest colonies of Mexican freetail bats, and one of them is under the Congress Ave. bridge right here in the heart of Austin. So, occasionally, one of the furry little guys finds his way into a building.

As long as the rodent in question is not on the ground, it's usually nothing to worry about. However he got in, he'll probably get back out, and if he's hanging up high like in a Dracula movie, he's just doin' his bat thang, and he's not going to bother you. It's not like a hornets nest where it's just going to get bigger and bigger and sooner or later, someone gets attacked.

If you see one on the ground, though, it's probably sick, and they DO carry rabies, so DON'T TOUCH IT. Call animal control, and they'll come get it.

In any case, as ubiquitous as bats are in these parts, it's still a novelty to spot on napping near the ceiling in the hallway of your office building. So, all day long, we've been checking on him whenever we go down the hall to the bathroom or to a meeting. He hasn't moved. He's sleepin'.

I'd post a picture here, but I don't have a camera with me, and the quality from my camera phone would just look like a tiny blob. We're on the top floor of our building, so I'm guessing he was in the attic, and he got cold last night (temps dipped below freezing), so he found his way to warmer climes, which happened to be our hallway. I wonder if he'll be there tomorrow.

I saw Chuck Woolery.

Seriously. I'm not making that up, and it's not a euphemism. I saw Chuck Woolery yesterday at a coffee shop!

Oh, crime in Italy, you're not going to try and pretend you don't know who Chuck Woolery is, are you? FINE. This is Chuck:


Among other game shows, he hosted Wheel of Fortune before Pat Sajak got the gig, but if you're like me, what you remember him for is Love Connection. Don't even try and tell me you didn't watch Love Connection - unless you're under the age of 30, and then maybe you didn't. For you chil'ren out there, Love Connection was the precursor to Blind Date. People went on set-up dates and then came back to the studio together and reported on camera how it went. There were rarely scenes involving naked hot-tubbing and a lot of bleeping, so you young-uns might not have enjoyed it. But it was fun.

Anyway, I did a little research after spotting him, and it seems he bought a house near Austin in 2006. Who knew? I'm actually glad I didn't know. It makes the fact that I recognized him all the more impressive. Would YOU have recognized him? Even with cheesy highlighted tips in his hair? Yeah, right. Just go ahead and bow to my pop-culture savant-ness. You know you're impressed.

Born to run...back inside

You know your cat is completely domesticated when she's out in the backyard, having a nice time watching birds and chasing bugs, and she stops, comes inside, uses the litterbox, then returns to the backyard.

Murphy, honey, you can go outside.

Lord love the city.

Usually I welcome the opportunity to travel - for work, pleasure, doesn't matter. And I don't even care how far away it is. Chicago, San Antonio - just as good. I'm not in my normal routine, sitting at my desk, looking at the same cars at the same intersection out my window, so it's all good.

And usually, I'm not a city snob. I grew up in a major city, Houston, and I've lived in a moderately sized city the rest of my life, Austin, except for 5 months that I spent in a college town in the Midwest, so it's true that I've spent pretty much my entire life living in cities. But small towns have always been part of my life, and I've always enjoyed them.

My grandparents lived in a small town, and we visited them at least once a month when I was growing up, and as I said, I lived in one for a bit, and several of my friends had family in small towns that I visited with them, and my parents retired to a relatively small town, so I've spent a lot of time there, so I've spent many a day in small towns. I've always liked them. Until this past week.

I had to travel to a small town in East Texas for work this week. Along the drive, which lasted several hours, I passed through a number of small towns, each more depressing than the last. I found myself thinking, as I passed through each one, "If I had to live here, I think I'd kill myself." I thought it about each aspect of each town. "If that's where I had to eat Mexican food..." "If that's where I had to do my grocery shopping, in some rinky dink place called 'Fred's'..." I just kept imagining if each of these towns were "home" how I would feel. And I couldn't drive through fast enough.

Then I got to my destination. The person I had to meet for work was not around when I got there, then when he finally arrived, he said how he didn't know I would be there - despite several emails, me talking to him about it in person a couple of weeks ago, and a phone call earlier this week. I was speechless. How does this person run a business?

I knocked out my work in a hurry, but had to stick around for a meeting a little more than an hour later. I had no intention of hanging out with this moron for all that time, so I excused myself to go looking for a library - see if I could check my email. I stopped at a bank to get directions. They had closed at 2:00. On a Thursday. So, then I started driving around looking for the library. It wasn't that big a town - I was sure to stumble upon it.

Instead, I stumbled on a visitors center. Cool - they could tell me where the library was. If they'd been open. They had closed at 4:00. Okay. Well, they had some maps out front of their building, so I grabbed one. Library = not listed. But all the restaurants, a famous local bakery and a few other vital locations were listed. What the frig, man? This "small town mentality" was about to piss me the hell off. Was ANYONE working?? So, I started out again, just driving.

Then I found it. Sure enough, I'd stumbled upon it. The library. It was open - hurrah! Just one problem: the Internet was down. Naturally. The librarian told me there was some place at the mall, or the "mini mall" as she expressed it, that offered Internet access. So, 2 minutes after parking, I went back to my car...which a local in a piece of shit sedan had just dinged. I was so pissed, I tried to key their car slyly as I got into mine, but their car was so trashed, you couldn't even tell I'd scratched it. Would nothing go right in this town?

I went in search of the mini mall. I never found the mini mall, but I did find the famous bakery. Fine. I'll go sample pastry and drink cheap coffee. Why the hell not? Finally, it was time to go to my business meeting. It was at the town's fru-fru restaurant. The lemon for your tea was in packets on the table, as was the powdered creamer for your coffee. The meal was smothered chicken over rice, of course, and the veggies had been boiled of all color and served next to a salad of iceberg lettuce. I guess the Dairy Queen didn't have enough privacy for the important business matters that needed to be discussed. At least there I could've gotten a pineapple milkshake.

I endured the meeting until it was reasonable to leave, then got back into the car to head the several hours back home. And I got lost. I couldn't get out of the damn town!!

I had originally planned to spend the night there, and I'd been bitter about having to drive all the way back home that night, but by the time the visit was over, I was quite happy to make the drive home. To the CITY where I live. God bless it.

Granola for the rest of us

Does anyone else love Caribou Coffee granola bars?


I tried the caramel one first, and I was hooked, but now I've tried the chocolate mocha, and I think I've found a little bar of heaven.

I'm not sure how you can possibly go wrong when you're combining granola bars (health food by all accounts - don't try to disabuse me of that notion) with chocolate AND coffee! And there's even a cute animal figure thrown into the mix. I mean seriously. It's perfect.

Better days for The Murph

Well, the rehydration and antibiotics seem to be doing the trick for The Murphinator.

Last night, she was her usual social self, sitting next to me on the couch, following me around, and bumping the phone with her head while I tried to talk and purring into the receiver.

She had eaten, and her meow was back to its loud, insistent quality - who would've thought I'd be glad for that?

I haven't seen her drink any water yet, but seeing as the vet pumped her full of fluids on Monday evening, maybe she just wasn't thirsty yet. I have to say it's an odd occurrence to see your cat's back leaking water. I'm hoping that tonight, though, I'll see her hitting the water trough. The subcutaneous fluids they gave her Monday should have all been absorbed by now, and since she's eating again, she should get thirsty again.

So, I don't think I'll need to take any donations for her medical care, but thanks to all of you who so generously offered to contribute. Murphy is touched by your concern, and she says to tell you all that she now knows that you all like her - you really like her!

Poor Murphy...'s mom's bank account

My boo-boo kitty Murphy is illin'.

As of last Thursday, she was still herself. She was stalking around, yelling at everyone, harassing my mom's cat (we were visiting), and being her usual, lovable, purr-monkey, snuffling self. All was well in Murphyland.

But Friday morning, when I woke up, she wasn't on the bed with me and didn't come up to me in bed for lovin'. Something was amiss. She was hiding somewhere, and she never even came out for any conversation while I got ready for work. Hmmm. But I didn't have time to deal with it just then - I had to get to work. So I did.

That night, she was still anti-social. Not a good sign. Maybe allergies? She'd spent most of Thursday on my mom's porch. And she does have sinus issues.

Saturday I brought her home. Maybe getting back to her normal environment would help. By now, she was downright lethargic, unsocial, and her meow had become kind of puny. This is not my Murphy.

Sunday morning - same story. I began to notice she wasn't eating or drinking either, and she literally spent the whole day lying on the bed in the guest room. Time for action. I called the vet that afternoon, and they didn't have any more appointments unless I needed to bring her in on an emergency basis. Well, I'd felt her nose and there didn't appear to be fever, and I'd felt her all over and couldn't find any wounds or tender spots, so I made the call to wait until Monday. Emergency tips to the vet are pretty freakin' pricey, and with such non-specific symptoms, I wasn't hopeful they'd know what was wrong.

Good thing I waited. I took her in yesterday, and after almost 2 hours and $250 worth of exams, tests, prescriptions and giving her fluids to rehydrate her (when you don't eat or drink for 2 days, you get dehydrated), I walked out without a clear diagnosis and a vet who would've done full-on exploratory surgery if I'd let him. Imagine the price if I'd brought her in on an emergency basis! He wants to re-run her blood test in a few days. Uh, yeah, not likely unless she's worse instead of better or holding steady. I'm not ATM, pal.

I told Aggressive Vet that for now, we'd treat her as if it's an infection (one of the possibilities he came up with based on her white blood cell count...and nothing else) and see what happens. It could be a virus. Or it could be who the hell knows what. But we rehydrated her, gave her an antibiotic shot, and now I'm giving her antibiotics at home.

I seriously hope this works because I don't really want to pour more money into a mystery illness. She does seem a little bit better this morning - a bit more vigor in her meow, and at least a little bit of interest in eating. But antibiotics tend to have a negative effect on her digestive tract, so we'll see what I come home to. Wish me luck. I'd prefer not to have to cash out my IRA if this doesn't get resolved!

Lesson for the day: be female.

The following story appeared in USA Today today (is that redundant?):

Man dies during cupcake-eating contest

A British man choked to death Friday during a cupcake-eating contest at a pub in Wales.

BBC News says Adam Deeley, 34, was competing with his friends to see who could eat more of the "fairy cakes" that were left over from a party at the Monkey Cafe and Bar in Swansea.

"It is thought Mr Deeley had around five of the cakes lodged in his throat," the South Wales Evening Post says. "Colleagues trained in first aid and an off-duty lifeguard rushed to help him. Paramedics arrived moments later. But they couldn't open his airway."

The coroner plans an inquest, but police don't suspect foul play, The Guardian reports. "It was a tragic accident and very sad and should serve as a cautionary tale," the nightclub's owners say in a statement to BBC News.

I'd like to think that I'd recognize I'm choking long before the fifth cupcake became wedged. I'm guessing when the FIRST cupcake became lodged in my windpipe, I'd probably pause. "Hmmmm. I can't breathe. Maybe I shouldn't shove *more* cake down my throat."

And then there's the question of why even the paramedics couldn't open this guy's airway. What the hell were these "fairy cakes" made of? Surgical glue and slime - it sticks to everything but you can't get a grip on it? Did anyone try the Heimlich?

The police say it should serve as a "cautionary tale." Right - like, "Don't be an idiot." You'll notice that when you read these stories, it's never a woman who has died in some pub trying to cram more cake in her face than everyone else and not stopping when she's ceased being able to breathe.

Cuba = the size of New Jersey

Fidel Castro, 81, has resigned as "president" of Cuba. His brother, Raul, 76, will take over. An ABC reporter this morning, reporting the story, said that this peaceful turnover of power from one communist to another would foil the hopes of those wanting a new kind of government "for a long time."

Really? For a long time? Raul is 76. How long do you expect the man to last up there atop the utopian kingdom?

What you tell a reporter is usually reported.

A possible hate crime is being investigated in the college town where my parents live - down the road from Austin. A Muslim professor's house was broken into and nothing was stolen but the house was trashed and "epithets" were scribbled on the walls.

I saw a news report about it last night and again this morning, and the reporter interviewed neighbors who were "shocked." I guess they were "shocked senseless" because this one guy announced how the street where they live (where the hate crime happened) is so quiet that he often leaves his doors unlocked and he never sees police around.

Hey, genius - did you ever think that the kind of people who break into other people's houses, usually to steal all their stuff, not to just write stuff on the walls, just *love* when you tell them exactly which streets have unlocked houses and no cops around? Moron. Maybe you should just announce on television where your spare key is hidden and your alarm code while you're at it.

In my email...

According to an email in my bulk folder, I sent myself an email with the following subject line: "SAVE Up to 15 % ... Top Replicas".

I don't HAVE any replicas of tops! What can this mean????

I stand corrected.

The Pats didn't pound. I must say I'm surprised. I really thought the Patriots would just dominate last night, and not only did they not dominate, they didn't even win. Eli Manning was very impressive, and Tom Brady just didn't seem on his game. I don't know what to tell ya.

Luckily, I don't really care that much. I was rooting for the Pats. A perfect season would've been cool - history and all that. But I like the Manning boys, and it's also pretty historic to have one brother win last year and the other win this year. The only downside is that I don't like New York, so it's unfortunate that we have to all listen to New Yorkers gloat. Blech.

But congratulations to Eli Manning!

In my email...

John Cordova assures me, "She will always want it now." Really, John? ALWAYS? Because that's a pretty bold promise. Oh, wait - you're talking about a gift of money and chocolate, aren't you? You're right. She will always want it. In fact, HE will always want it, too. Everyone would want that. So, you're not really telling us anything we didn't already know, are you, John? Good grief, man, stop wasting our time.

Got some old Crocs you're ready to let go of? Well, you can toss your old Crocs and help a good cause all at the same time. The maker of the ubiquitous plastic shoes has started a new iniative called SolesUnited. They figured out how to recycle the material the shoes are made of, and they're encouraging people to donate their old worn-out pairs so the company can recycle them and manufacture them into new pairs for needy people around the world. Pretty cool, huh?

I don't see a downside here at all. I believe in giving to good causes, recycling, wearing shoes, and taking advantage of opportunities to do good things with minimal effort and cash outlay. This fits all that. You don't really have to do anything except toss your old Crocs into a bin at a shoe store instead of the trash, and you get to be part of charity and recycling at no cost. And someone in the world gets a pair of shoes, maybe for the first time. Nice. It's painless charity, people.

Me? I don't have any Crocs. I have a knock-off Wal-Mart pair. I'm guessing those aren't made of the same material as real Crocs. Mine are probably made of asbestos that gives off formaldahyde everytime I take a step. They're from Wal-Mart, after all. But all of you who ponied up for the real ones, you can do a good thing.

In the News

Lotsa crazy news today - some good, some not, some just plain weird.

On the good side, some scientists discovered that electrical impulse therapy could bring back memories. The thought is that this discovery could hold be a big step forward in learning how to help Alzheimer's patients. I find the idea that memories are literally locked in our brains somewhere, just waiting to be unlocked by the right electrical impulse absolutely fascinating. We know so little about the brain, and this is just one more step in understanding how it works. Memories aren't just erased or lost - they're there. You just need the right key to unlocking them. This makes me think that somewhere in our brains, every sensory input we receive is stored - every smell, every sight, every taste, every experience. We just don't know how to access all of it. Truly, truly fascinating.

On the bad side, poor Britney was hauled away yet again. That girl is just tragic.

And apparently, the Super Bowl could cause a spike in heart attacks. How do those football players live with themselves?

Mixed news for me: An analyst reports that one million iPhones were unlocked last year and used on networks other than AT&T's. On the downside, this has led to lost revenues for Apple, and I own Apple stock, so this is bad. On the other hand, I hate AT&T and love Apple, so I hate that in order to use the iPhone you have to use AT&T service (I refuse to give AT&T one unnecessary dime of my money, so that means I can't use an iPhone, which pisses me off - I don't like Big Corporate telling me who to get my service from and denying me use of a product I want), so a part of me is gleeful for all the folks who have found a way around the enforced use of the AT&T colossus. Go, you rebels!

And lastly is the weird: A beetle has been named for Roy Orbison. Seriously.

You're kidding, right?

Just when I thought all the troubles with my left eye were over, yesterday I got a stye. I'm not even joking. It's on the inner part of the upper lid, right by my tear duct. Can you believe it? I can't believe it.

Either there's some kind of bacteria swirling around that region of my face that just will not die or someone has a voodoo doll of me and keeps sticking the needle in my left eye.

Who would do that? Who did I piss off? It *must* be the voodoo thing, because I wash my face religiously, everynight carefully taking off all makeup, cleaning, moisturizing, using eye cream to keep the wrinkles away. I use sun-screened moisturizer in the mornings. I take care of my face people!

Oh, I guess it's *possible* that I touched something at some point that was unclean in some way, then rubbed my eye or something, setting off this chain of unpleasant eye ailments. But I think it's far more likely that someone is attacking me with voodoo.

If only I knew who so I could make amends...

I care. I just want you to stop.

Just sittin' here listening to a co-worker cough incessantly. She says it's the cedar, which for most people would be a reasonable explanation, except that she does it all the time - cedar or not. She's done it for months. I can't begin to tell you how distracting and annoying it is.

It's not a "coughing up a lung" cough. I used to work with a guy who had one of those. In fact, he did cough things up on occasion. And spit them out. Into the trash can next to his desk. Imagine trying to work while that's going on one cube wall over.

No, this is more of a hacking, dry cough. We've tried to get her to go to the doctor for it, but she won't. I personally think that may indicate a lack of interest in solving the issue, since there's a certain amount of attention that comes with something like that. Not to rip on her. I like this lady. I really do. But she's a very loud person in general. Her speaking volumn borders on yelling, and she has kind of a sad-sack personality that might feed on the attention of an ailment.

I want to be sympathetic, because she has legitimate reasons for being kind of down lately, and as I said, I DO like her. But damn. Suck on a lozenge.

You, too

So, I'm no longer hideous. No more zits or swelling, thangod. My return to normalcy was especially good news since I had the chance to go out in public this weekend and it would've been a shame if I'd missed out on fun things because of my elephant-man face.

Among the many entertaining things the weekend held, the coolest, hands-down, was boyfriend taking me to see the U2-3D show at the IMAX theater here in Austin. If you don't know what U2-3D is, it's a 3-D IMAX film of U2's Vertigo tour when they were in Buenas Aires. I kid you not, it was like being there!

I couldn't stop smiling or bouncing around in my chair - the other patrons were lucky I didn't jump up and just start dancing! Boyfriend said it was actually better than being there, because when the camera closes in on Bono, and he reaches out to you, it looks like you could just reach out and touch hands with him! It was fantastic. It made me want to go to a U2 show really badly! I love concerts.

If you have the chance, you should definitely check it out.

I'm hideous - look away!

I'm gonna be real for a minute. Okay, I'm always pretty real, but today I'm gonna be real in that, "Oh, wow, she's talking about that in public, but now that you mention it, I get that, too, so what's she saying?" way.

See, a few days ago, I felt this tender spot between my eyes - just to the side of my left eyebrow. I recognized the feeling. It was one of those deep, under-the-skin zits forming - the kind that feel giant and totally hurt and may or may not come to the surface enough for you to actually do anything about them. Instead of just a little white pimple on the surface, it's this little bomb that grows farther down, swelling out and creating a welt - a painful, tender welt.

You want to leave it alone. You know that messing with it won't help. But see, ONE time, somewhere along the line, you messed with one, and you DID accomplish something. You pushed and prodded and squeezed and actually managed to get the offending white stuff to push the surface - kapow! Immediately there was relief, and the blemish was gone like a day or two later. So now, even when you just keep making it worse, some part of your psyche says to press on (See what I did there? "Press" on? That was kind of accidental, but it's still a pun.). So you just keep harrassing it, creating a bigger and bigger problem, possibly scarring yourself and extending the time it's going to take for the blemish to heal.

Well, I tried to stop myself from making this zit worse, namely because it's in a spot on my face that can't be hidden by hair or something. It's RIGHT THERE between my eyes, by my eyebrow. Even if it were cold enough for a ski mask, I'm pretty sure you'd still be able to see it. And my co-workers would freak if I came to work in a ski mask. So, that's off the table.

So, yesterday on my lunch hour, I went to CVS and got some Clearasil (because that stuff really does work) and some antibacterial wipes. I had to wipe my makeup off so I could put the Clearasil on, and I read that most zits are caused by bacteria, so let's try and kill the bacteria, right? It seemed to help somewhat. But I gotta tell ya, even with a little bit of cosmetic improvement, I could still feel painful tenderness radiating down from this freakin Vesuvius into my nose and eye socket. Seriously!

So last night, I washed carefully, applied more Clearasil, and crossed my fingers. This morning I woke up, went to the mirror, focusing my sight with laser-like precision on the zit. Hmmm. Might be a little improvement - I'm not really sure. It's not any worse, so that's good. Touch around the permimeter. Still tender. Hmmm. I had hoped for more. sigh. (Pull gaze back a little bit to take in rest of face.) Oh my god. What the hell is wrong with my eye?

I have no idea what is going on, but the skin of my left eyelid has swollen up and sort of flopped over - not swollen like a balloon, but more like someone who was really fat and then lost weight and there's extra skin now. It's the inside corner, near where all the tenderness is. Fan-fucking-tastic. So now, not only do I have the zit still marring the landscape. Now my left eye looks like I'm mongoloid or something. What. The. Hell?

The only time I've ever had this kind of swelling in my eyelids was when I was having an allergic reaction to something. I don't know if I'm reacting to the Clearasil or to something in the air, and it's just coincidence that it's happening just as I'm fighting Mount Fuji on my face, or what, but *something* is going on, and Mama ain't happy.

So, I didn't put any Clearasil or anything else on the affected area this morning - just washed my face and left it be. I didn't even use any foundation when I put on my makeup this morning or use any concealer on the zit. I'm just leaving it the hell alone. I did put on eye makeup - I had to at least try and camouflage the eye swelling. The makeup helped, and I know my eye isn't allergic to any of that stuff since I use it everyday, so I'm not worried about that. But it is still swollen and freaky.

If anyone knows of a voodoo chant or witch's spell I can use to clear all of this up, it would be much appreciated. Without some kind of divine intervention, I could be positively deformed by the end of the weekend.

Round it up

Lots of things going on, so I think a round up is in order.

1. It's looking like the government is going to give us tax rebates to avoid a recession - $300 to $1200. I have an idea, Uncle Sam: don't take it from me in the first place.

2. MacBook Air.

As soon as I saw it, I had the same reaction as Robin Roberts on Good Morning America (for the record, as much as I don't like Diane Sawyer, I really like Robin Roberts): "I don't know what it is, but I want it." She said "want" like "won't" to be funny - and it was. See why I like her better than Diane Sawyer? But I digress. I actually did know what it was - another supercool Mac product! A super-thin laptop! I love Macs! I love laptops! And I love thin! But I've read a review, and they said it doesn't have a built in CD/DVD drive, it's got too few ports and the battery is sealed, so you can't replace it on your own. I need the ports and the CD/DVD drive, and I like to be able to buy a new battery on eBay and change it out myself if necessary, so the Air will not be for me...until they get that stuff changed and it's another PERFECT Mac product!!!

3. Paige Davis is returning to Trading Spaces.

This is report-worthy for two reasons. 1) I used to watch Trading Spaces when she was on it, and after she left, I thought it lost a lot of its zip and I haven't watched since. 2) When my hair was short, alot of people said I looked like Paige Davis (uh, hello - SHE looks ME!), and I think she's really cute, so I was all over that. Her husband kind of looks like that guy Liza Minnelli was married to, though - the last one who looks like he's made of plastic. Since I can do better (and currently am) that means Paige could. But whatevuh. Welcome back, Paige!

4. Had the best freakin' steak ever the other night at Eddie V's Edgewater Grille. It ain't cheap. It's definitely a special occasion or expense account kinda place, but damn, Gina - if you're ready to splurge and celebrate something (like the birth of someone special back in the days of disco), I highly recommend it. And just go ahead and tack on some bernaise sauce and dessert. What the hell. The ship on frugality sailed as soon as you walked through the doors.

5. Tom Brady may be hurt!!! No, he's not. He's fine. And he's going to win the Super Bowl. Because the Patriots are freakin' superhuman. They're a machine. They're awesome. And they're unstoppable. Just enjoy watching the greatness Sunday after next.

That's it. I gotta go eat some lunch.

Gone too soon.

Wow. 28. That really sucks.

Birthday shout out

Happy Birthday to Big J! You are the rock and the roll and the cereal bowl, baby!!

In Europe, they get 6 weeks of vacation.

I gotta tell ya - it really sucks having to go to work when most folks, or at least lots of folks, don't have to. I got up this morning, at the brutish hour of 6 a.m., as I do most Mondays, turned on the news and heard story after story about the MLK holiday.

There was an interview with a lady organizing a parade. There was the traffic report (It's really light out there! No one's on the road thanks to the holiday!). There was the weather report (Here's your holiday weather report!). It's like they wanted to rub it in to me personally.

It was bad enough that when I left my last job, I lost an entire week of vacation (they told me in my interview for my current job how much vacation I'd have, and it was the same as my previous job, but when I got here, it was a week less than that...grrrr). That was a hit. Because honestly, I'd rather have less money and more time off. And had my previous job not been killing me, bit by bit, day by day, I'd have been perfectly happy to remain at the salary I was making with all the cool government holidays and the vacation I was up to thanks to my tenure.

But it was, indeed, killing me. So, I had to make a change. And unfortunately, the change that presented itself was in the private sector which meant losing all of my tenure (if I'd gone to another state government agency, my tenure would have stayed intact) and the leave accruals that came with that tenure. As I said above, I was immediately miffed to discover I'd been misled about my vacation in my interview, then I found out that my sick leave would be half what it had been at my previous job. And I couldn't take any of it for 6 months. Welcome to the private sector.

I've adjusted for the most part to my lot. But there are days when it still gets to me. Like today. Right now, I'm toiling away at my desk, doing my work, trying not to let the dreary, rainy weather bring me down because I'd really rather be at home on my couch (no doubt pondering the contributions of MLK), and outside my window, there it is - the parade. Or rather, a march. I don't think you can call it a parade if all you've got is a drum followed by a bunch of people. That's a march.

Whatever it is, those people aren't at work - any of them. They're off today. Like I should be. F-ing private sector. I need to call my old co-workers and have them remind me how miserable it was at my old job (and still is from the reports of those still there)...

Peace be upon us.

Osama bin Laden's son wants to be a peace activist. An "ambassador for peace."

Well.

That should do it.

The Major is back!!!

Yes, sports fans, Major Applewhite is returning to the Texas sideline! He's been hired as the new running backs coach. I'm so happy I could...smile really big!!

I always new our boy would come home, but I must admit, I didn't think it would be this quick. I figured he'd have to roam around a bit more in the NCAA, working some more jobs at other schools, paying dues. But he made short work of those dues, and I couldn't be happier that he'll be back in Burnt Orange!

I've been checking the paper this morning to find out when the parade will be. The Statesman doesn't seem to have any information on that...

Don't run off the company.

The little Texas town of Stephenville is all abuzz - seems a several dozen folks have reported seeing a UFO in the area over the last few weeks. Shirley MacLaine must be positively quaking with glee! If I were a B&B owner in Stephenville, I'd go ahead and get a room ready for her. But I digress.

I have no problem with the idea of life outside our little green planet. And Lord knows that if you're an intelligent life form and you're traveling to Earth, you're going to pick Texas to hang out. It's only logical. So, if the folks in Stephenville say they've seen a UFO, then by golly, maybe they saw a UFO.

My real concern in that story I've linked to is that the guy says, with no apparent sarcasm, that "this is the Bible Belt." Excuse me? Texas. Is. Not. The. Bible. Belt.

I realize I live in Austin, which is hipper and more liberal (sometimes to my consternation) than pretty much everywhere else in Texas. I get that. But I grew up in Houston, and never once did I hear anyone there refer to it as part of the Bible Belt. And certainly no one in Austin would ever claim that.

The Bible Belt is Georgia, Mississippi, Alabama, South Carolina, North Carolina - those Deep South kinda places. I've been there, to the Deep South. A couple of times. And it's very different from Texas. I'm a Methodist, and I've been to several Methodist churches around the Texas, and they're all pretty close - laid back, inclusive, open. And then I went to one in Alabama. There's not a Southern Baptist church in Texas that could out fire-and-brimstone the Methodist church I went to in a small town in Alabama. I couldn't believe it could even be considered part of the same denomination. It was truly like I'd entered another world.

So, someone needs to set Smithville straight. If you'd like to live in the Bible Belt, you are free to move there. No passport necessary. But the state of Texas is not it, nor do most of us want it to be. And if you keep saying that it is out loud, the aliens are going to hear you, and they're going go to say, "Oh crap! The Bible Belt! I thought we steered clear of that - go! go! go!" and they're gonna be outta there. If you want them to stay, or you want Shirley MacLaine to visit, you'll just say, "This is Texas" and leave the Bible Belt stuff for people not half as cool as Texans.

Cat social graces

I'm babysitting cats this week. Actually, I'm just babysitting one - the other one is mine. But because mine terrorizes the one I'm babysitting, it means I end up having to wrangle them both.

The cat I'm babysitting is my mom's. He's actually very easy to take care of, because when he comes to my house, he spends the whole time under the guest bed or burrowed under the guest bed covers. I set his litter box and food up in the guest bathroom and try to just give him the run of that part of the house.

The problem is that Murphy stalks him. And because the guest room and bathroom are not connected, I can't close the guest room door to keep her out. I have to lock her up in my bedroom/bathroom suite while I'm at work and at night. That's not exactly a hardship. I have a big bedroom and a nice, big bed and windows to the backyard for her to watch the yard and entertain herself. But I don't want to keep her locked up when I'm there and awake, and it's a pain trying to keep on top of where she is at any given moment.

Lest you feel too bad for my mom's cat, when he first came on the scene, Murphy tried to be friends with him. He hissed at her and stalked her, so she tried to ignore him. He persisted until one day she'd had enough. She turned on him, and like most bullies, he wilted when confronted with someone who wasn't going to tolerate his b.s. But instead of defending herself, she's now become the aggressor, bullying him right back. So, in fairness, he did bring it on himself. But I could do without the literal cat-fighting.

I figure sooner or later he's bound to stand his ground and maybe they'll go to their neutral corners...right??

In my email...

Agostinho Eldrige is offering me "gymnast VIAgRA".

Is gymnast VIAgRA different from regular VIAgRA? Is it because gymnasts have a certain reputation to live up to, and, frankly, they need a little help meeting the unreasonable standard society puts on them?

I can see the problem. You're able to hold yourself in a prone position from rings. Plus, you can do the splits in mid-air, hold that position, then rotate your legs upward into a handstand. You're buff - you're cut - you're flexible - and you can land on your feet. That sets up expectations, doesn't it?

Then, there's the pommel horse incident. You're running, top-speed. You're focused. You know just where to plant your feet and grab the horse. But just as you approach the horse, you hear a voice in your head. It's that little Russian gymnast who is supposed to take the floor exercise competition. You hear some music and you recognize that it's for her routine. She must be starting her routine right now - just there, on the mat to the right. She's been flirting with you all week. Sure, she's stunted with the body of a 9-year-old, but she's got this way of looking at you...and there's the way she says your name, with that accent - yes, that's the voice you're hearing - it's her saying your name - WHAM!!!! You lost focus, pal. You didn't plant your feet in the right spot, and your hand just missed the horse. And no, that wasn't your chest that slammed into the side of the horse.

So, now...you're going to need a little help. A little pharmaceutical help. And not the garden variety stuff that Phil the accountant living over there on Maple Street needs. No. Phil just has to show up. You - you've got to perform. You're going to need the gymnast VIAgRA.

So, I say, thank god for the Agostinho Eldriges of the world - providing a service, he is. Helping all the gymnasts out there. Someone's got to do it.

Ringtones

Why do the ringtones that come with my Verizon phone suck so much, and why do the ones I want to download cost so much? What *could* be the marketing scheme??

Cows in the street should be the bigger concern.

The world's cheapest car has been unveiled (that is, it's the world's cheapest NEW car - you could hop on Craigslist and find cars for free if you're willing to haul them away):



Normally, this is precisely the kind of car I would rip on. It's hideous, and I'd rather shave my legs with a cheese grater than be seen driving around in it. I think my love of a cool car is well documented.

HOWEVER. This thing only costs $2,500. No air conditioning. No radio. And you're likely to be killed if you hit a pothole while driving faster than 15 mph. But it's only $2,500, and it gets 50 mpg, and you're probably lucky if you can get the thing above 15 mph anyway, so I figure the pothole danger is low.

It's being marketed in India - a cesspool of overpopulated urban humanity. So, the 50 mpg thing isn't winning over the environmentalists and transportation planners there. They think that more cars on the road there will be a nightmare. They're probably right.

But I still think this thing could be a real boon to people with low incomes. After experiencing the molasses-like pace of mass transit in Las Vegas, I have to admit that if I were living on a shoe-string budget and had to rely on the freakin' bus to get everywhere, I'd leap at the chance to drive that little death box. Imagine getting 5 miles down the road in less than an hour...

Whew!

Mr. Blackwell's "Worst-Dressed List" is out. I am not on it.

(i.e. NOT ME)
Another year, another fashion victory!!!

Oblivions

Mike Straka has a column on the Fox News Web site in which he rants about Oblivions - people who are totally f-ing obvlivious. I like his column, and I frequently nod my head when reading it. I ran into an Oblivion today at the grocery store, and while I wouldn't necessarily call this a rant, it's definitely a eye-roll at grocery store oblivions.

I ran to the store at lunch to pick up a few items. "A few items" turned into "quite a few items" and when I went to check out at the self-check-out aisle, because I firmly believe in limiting contact with other people in every instance possible, I was forced to get in the "20 items or less" aisle, instead of the "10 items or less" one. I think the grocery store assumes that if you're in the self-check-out, you're anti-social, and thus, you live alone and don't need more than 20 items from the grocery store. I'm not sure where they get that idea (says the single lady with less than 20 items avoiding the real, live checkers).

In any case, half a second before I rolled up to the open 20-item scanner, some woman with 3 items got to it first. Note: there was a 10-item scanner free and clear that she passed up to get to my 20-item scanner. Yes, MY scanner. I'm looking at her like, "What are you doing?" but she's oblivious. I considered asking her to go to the other scanner (I couldn't b/c the machine actually cashes you out after 10 items - it's truly a 10 item or less scanner, unlike the real live checkers...yet another advantage to the machine), but I decided to appear patient instead. Which I wasn't.

Then she starts slowing trying to figure out the machine. Amateur. And in the wrong aisle. Are you kidding me? You cock-block me from my machine, and you don't even know how to use it? Oh, it gets better. She had produce, and she hadn't bagged it and done the pre-scan thing in the produce section - where you weigh it and print out a sticker with the price on it. She had to stand there and weigh each item, slowly looking up the produce code on a reference sheet by the scanner for each one. I repeat - are you kidding me?

There's no question her transaction would have been faster through the regular check-out. And all the while, I'm staring at her - glaring really, and she never even notices. If ever there were an Oblivion, this chick was it. I felt like I was in a 2008 version of the Mr. Mom scene where Michael Keaton goes to the grocery store, and it's a fiasco because he doesn't know what he's doing. I found myself waiting for the loudspeaker to announce, "Cleanup on Aisle 4, Irv" and this woman to yell, "I was never IN Aisle 4, Irv!" Except that would indicate she was aware of her cluelessness, and she's clearly not.

So anyway, here are the grocery store rules that were violated today, so you won't make the same mistakes:

1. Bag your freakin' produce, and pre-price it if your store offers that option. If it doesn't, start patronizing a different store.

2. Go to the aisle that's actually appropriate to the number of items you're purchasing. If you go to an Express aisle with a full basket of groceries, the other patrons have the right to beat you with anything in their hands. The cashier really should be the one to do this, but they never do, so like most societal norms, it must be enforced by the masses. If you hold up a big aisle with a small purchase when an Express aisle is available, other patrons are allowed to glare, and you're required to apologize.

3. If you're new to the self-check-out, make sure you use a machine that no one else is waiting on your inaugural and time-consuming first try. We self-check-out folks have little patience with other people to begin with, so you're just asking to be ostracized.

I hope that helps clarify things.

I dropped the ball

Judy asked me what I thought about last night's Amazing Race, and I must confess, I have dropped the ball on this season!

With the holidays, and traveling, and football and social activities, I have just plain not been watching. There's been too much going on, people! Last night, I completely forgot about it, and I watched movies. I watched one romantic comedy, and it didn't have a happy ending, much to my dismay. So, in an attempt to get the happy ending I wanted, I watched another one with several love stories going on at once, and only about half of those had happy endings. Wuddup with Hollywood tryin' to bring me down???

So, I apologize for lettin' the world down on my Amazing Race commentary. I know my commentary is a vital part of the world entertainment complex. But if it makes you feel any better, my evening didn't have the happy quality I wanted it to have. In fact, I've had a couple of episodes in the last week where I got upset about something and had my evening colored as one giant bummer - movies aside. So, I think I need to burn some incense or something and get my energy workin' in a positive direction again! I've got a thorn or something in my mojo. I'm ready to pull it out so I can get back to the sweet-flowin' mojo I've had workin' the last couple of months!

Anyone have any suggestions on how to get back to the sweet spot with your mojo?

First roundup of 2008

Feeling a little better today - maybe the antihistamine is kicking in. Thangod. Oh, and my face doesn't hurt as bad. I've got a red mark, but it isn't a bruise (yet), so you don't really notice it if you don't know it's there. I think.

So Obama and Huckabee have won in Iowa. Only 11 more months to go! I'm sure nothing will change between now and the election, so thank heaven we've had non-stop coverage of the Iowa caucus! Election years...oy.

Britney was taken away for a psych evaluation. That girl really is in a bad way. I wonder if she's going to be the next Michael Jackson - permanently screwed up and permanently on display with her screwed-up-ness.

The stock market is tanking. Stupid oil prices. We've really got to get off our dependence on oil - stop putting ourselves at the mercy of unmerciful countries. Alternative fuels, people!!

Anyone make any New Year's resolutions? I didn't make any, per se, but I do want to recommit myself to a few things - finishing a project, getting back on track with my diet and exercise, maybe changing up a thing or two this year. Anyone make any *interesting* resolutions - something besides losing 10 pounds and cleaning their garage?

Big 12 is making a nice showing in their bowl games. 8 of 12 teams in bowls, which is mighty fine average. In the winner's column: Texas, Oklahoma State, Missouri, Texas Tech, Kansas. In the loser's column: A&M (LOL!), Oklahoma (ditto), and Colorado. Two more bowl games left and then no more college football until September. (sniff!)

That's it for now. Everyone have a great weekend!

The cedar...Dear God, the cedar...

I thought I'd escaped the pox of cedar by moving to east side of the county. Seriously. Austin straddles a geological fault, and the terrain is different from east to west - everything from soil to rocks to plants. And the east side is blissfully low on cedar trees.

But apparently, this year, that's irrelevant. The cedar pollen doesn't care. It's like freakin' mustard gas.

I thought at first that maybe it was a cold or a garden variety allergy thing - maybe a little oak or a little mold giving me some congestion. I don't *get* cedar fever anymore, after all. But I saw the allergy report, and the cedar is through the roof: 4,000+ grains per atomic measurement or something, and the news folk assure me that even people who aren't allergic are having symptoms. My symptoms - the ones I'm having and that are getting worse with each passing day.

So, I'm screwed. That's what they're saying. George Kanuck on KVUE may as well have said this morning, "Suzanne, you're screwed. Buckle in, because you're going to be on a misery sinus ride for the next several weeks. There's no escape. Take all the medications you like, but there's poison in the air, and if you breathe, you *will* suffer. Sucks to be you."

I'll do everything I can, because my God, you have to at least make an effort. If you're not throwing everything you've got at it, I think you literally die. Your sinuses just stop working, and your body says, "I can't work under these conditions," and you die. I'm taking antihistamine, decongestant, Tylenol, cough syrup. I'm flushing my sinuses with the Neti Pot (incidentally, I think I've gotten more hits on my blog from mentioning that bizarre little invention than on anything I've ever mentioned). I pulled out the humidifier (with inhalant) last night. I'm taking vitamin C, just because...well, it can't hurt. I'm keeping myself hydrated to keep all the gook loosened. It's a freakin' 24-hour job to fight this stuff. And it's going to go on for WEEKS people!

Oh, and on top of everything else, I bashed my face into a door frame this morning. I'm not joking. I had turned out all the lights to leave for work when it occurred to me that I should take my decongestant with me to work. So, I ran back to the bathroom - or to be accurate, I walked really fast - and somehow I got disoriented as to my position in the hall (which never happens because I've been blind since 3rd grade and I can usually maneuver in the dark with ease), and I slammed cheek-first into the bathroom door frame. Blinding pain, a shooting headache that started at the spot on my cheekbone that made contact and radiated into my temple, and the immediate thought of, "Are you kidding me?"

I had no time to ice the spot or do anything really, so I grabbed the decongestant and held my cold-ass fingers to my face halfway to work. I just hope I don't end up with a giant bruise plastered across my cheek. If I do, Jonathan, I'm going to tell people, "Oh that bruise? Well, I can tell you that it's not from Jonathan punching me in the face after I said his hair smelled yummy like a girl's. It wasn't from that."

Happy 2008!

Zowie, it's been a long time since my last posting! I had thought I might post during the holidays, but it just didn't happen. I hope everyone had a fab-o holiday and was able to start 2008 off on a good note!

I had Christmas with the fam in Houston, came home for a day, then went to Fabulous Las Vegas with a friend for several days. We gambled, ate, did a bunch of sight-seeing and spent a lot of time on the bus - a slow, but cheap form of transportation for the city that never sleeps...or is that New York? Our hotel was downtown, right by Freemont Street, so it was a trek for us to go to the Strip. Thus the bus. But I lodge no complaints, since a day pass for the bus was only $5, and we did go back and forth several times. You see some interesting folks on the bus. I'll leave it at that.

After returning from the desert, I got to ring in the new year with my wonderful friends and loved ones. It was one of the best New Year's Eves I've had in a very long time, and I hope it bodes well for a fantastic 2008. For now, I'm back to work, which is...work. I always adjust so easily to not working when I'm off. Surely I must be destined for a life of leisure. Maybe this will be the year I achieve that. Everyone needs a dream.

VICTORY!!!

Oh, the taste of sweet victory! It seems that Officer Friendly of the "I'll ticket you because wadda ya gonna do about it?" company had better things to do on the Thursday before Christmas than show up at traffic court, so that means Suzanne is freeeeee!

Okay, I wasn't actually in danger of being jailed, but I'm freeeeee of paying the fine and having the ticket on my record, so woo and hoo.

Shout out to Jonathan for accompanying me to the halls of justice. The whole affair took only half an hour, but it would have been a much longer half-hour without ya baby!

I actually thought at first that I might be screwed. The prosecutors came in, called out two names and told those guys right off that their cases had been dismissed. I figured that meant that the rest of us were going to have to dance. After a little roll call to see who had shown up, there were only 3 of us left who were there and ready to tango. The judge called a little recess for the prosecutors to see which cops and witnesses had shown up.

They called one guy out into the hall to talk to the arresting officer for his case. This kid was some kind of athlete from out of town who had gotten into trouble when he came to Austin for a game of whatever he plays. They pleaded down to something lesser and that guy was done. That left two of us.

The judge called the other guy up to the bench and told him his case had been dismissed. I saw hope!! Sure enough, he then called me to the bench and gave me my dismissal. Free at last! Free at last!

So, what have we learned from all this? Slow down - don't speed? Uh...right. Do you even know me? I believe the lesson here is: fight your ticket. Especially if you can get your court date close to a holiday.

Jingle bells and Batman don't smell

Finally did something last night that felt like Christmas. I haven't been into the season at all this year - I've only half-decorated; I've already blogged about the marginal satisfaction of shopping this year; I've done NO baking; I haven't seen any Christmas shows - it just feels like the whole season is slipping away.

But last night, after a fabulous dinner with My Girls at Fino, we went down to 37th Street and looked at the lights. We went to Starbucks, and I got a peppermint hot chocolate, and we walked the length of the street, oooing and ahhing and even singing some Christmas carols. It was really nice. :) First time all season that I've really felt like it was the season.

Of course, that's all gone this morning. Crazy day at work, temps in the upper 70s today, and tons of non-Christmas stuff to do today (including going to court on that b.s. speeding ticket tonight - power to the people!), but at least for a moment, it was Christmas.

She's a mysterious soul

In my email, Mercedes Masters wants to know, "Does it satisfy her?" I don't know, Mercedes. I haven't really talked to her about it, and if I did, I'm not sure she'd tell me. She's a people-pleaser, so she's likely to tell me it's wonderful and all she could ask for when in reality, she's left feeling wanting. I'd like to think it satisfies her. She's a nice person, and I want her to be happy. But there's just no way of knowing if she won't be open about her feelings.

Temps in fabulous Austin, Texas to hit 70-73 today (depending on which forecast you watch). I see all these stories about blizzard conditions up north, and I gotta say, it's good to live in Texas. Oh wait - no, it's not. It's awful to live here, so if you live somewhere else, you should stay there. Don't move here. You wouldn't like it.

Sharky is filthy and deserves better, so I'll have to consider going through a car wash. It's a little chilly to wash it myself (by the time I get home, the temps will no doubt be dropping back into the 60s, and that's a little cold to be getting wet washing a car), but I also don't feel like spending a bunch of money on a Genie-level car wash, so I may just run it through a gas station set-up for a few bucks just to knock the dirt off. It's much too soon to be neglecting Sharky this way.

Hope you're all having a fabulous pre-Christmas week!

One step closer

Christmas is almost here - as in, like, a week away. Or not even "like" a week away. It's an actual week away!

I sent out Christmas cards last week. That was step one. Then Saturday, I finished (or, you know, did all at once) my Christmas shopping. Step two. Then after the shopping, I decorated my house. That was step three. Though I must confess, I only decorated the inside. If I'm going to the trouble of putting up outside lights, which I usually do, they need to be up at least 3 weeks before Christmas. That's too much work for only a week or two's enjoyment. And I take them down right after New Year's. Since I was too far beyond the 3-week limit this year, it's inside-only decorating this year. But the inside looks very festive!

I didn't mind cranking out all my shopping in one day, but I must say that I've discovered a certain element of my shopping that's less fun than it used to be. There are not a huge number of people on my list, but the people who are there are, in many cases, hard to buy for. Either they buy themselves whatever they want when they want it, leaving you with no idea what to buy them that they don't already have, or they're likely to get what I buy them from more than one source. So, I found myself attaching the gift receipt to a record number of presents this year before I wrapped them.

That was kind of a damper on the joy of giving - this *expectation* that the recipient would probably return it. The fun of giving a gift is trying to think what someone wants and then the awesome feeling when they open it and you can tell they're genuinely excited - you nailed it. When you can't even make it out of the store without thinking, "Well, I guess they can take it back," it sort of leaves you with the feeling, "Why am I doing this?"

But it's done, so I can move on to the part of the season where I go to holiday dinners and parties (that's already started actually...) and then see my family. In other words, the good stuff. Just a few more days of work, and I'm off until January 2! Woo-hoo!

Had to do a second post,

because this is freakin' hilarious.

Now that's a headline. And don't leave me any comments telling me how it's wrong and makes light of domestic violence or any of that crap. It's damn funny, and you know you laughed when you read it. We all know Ike was a f-ing pig and a loser, but Miss Tina had the last laugh, so don't worry yourself about it.

Beat her to death (snicker) - good stuff.

Now, if you'd said 98%...

For a while there, my email was constantly littered with offers to buy replica watches. At another point, it was frequent notifications that my mortgage application had been approved. At still another, pharmaceutical snake charmers tried to entice me with Viagra.

Lately, the constant barrage is for a FU(K buddy. They ask if me if I want one. They promise me they'll get me one. They even make claims of success. They say that 65% of their clients find a fu(k buddy. 65%? Is that a good percentage?

I mean, if you're making an offer online, the presumption is you either are a willing participant or you have a willing participant waiting by the phone to get the call. And if you're a willing participant, trolling the Internet for a copulatory pal, you can't be particularly selective. So, even if you rightly assume that your likely new screw friend probably isn't very attractive (because if they were, they probably wouldn't need to send spam asking strangers to help them out), that's clearly not a problem, right?

So, if you've got two willing parties, neither selective, both very clear in their intention, taking action to close the deal, shouldn't the percentage be way higher than 65%?

I just don't think that's much to brag about. If a UT football coach only won 65% of his games, he probably wouldn't be around long. So, I have to assume that something is amiss in the business model here. And if I'm already suffering from the kind of self-loathing that propels me to answer spam emails offering fu(k buddies, I have to also assume that the rejection of being one of the 35% that *doesn't* get laid by the willing and unselective person on the other side of the offer could possibly send me right over the edge.

So, like the Viagra, mortgage and replica watch offers, I'm gonna turn this one down. Oh sure, I may kick myself one day for what I missed out on. But you've got to trust your gut.

But I don't have a sister...

I came across an old movie last night that I've never seen. There are lots of old movies I've never seen before, so that's not surprising, but the fact that I actually put it on and watched it kind of was.

See, I love old movies, and I run across them all the time on my satellite channels, but I always find myself "saving" them for when I can watch them on the big screen at the Paramount Theater's classic film festival in the summer. Thing is, the last few years, the Paramount is showing fewer and fewer of the really old movies and more movies from the 70s and 80s that they've deemed "classic." It's kind of disappointing.

So, last night, when I saw this movie come on, and it was only about 75 minutes long, I figured what the hell. It probably wouldn't show up at the film festival anyway. So, I watched it.

It starred Barbara Stanwyck and was from 1931. It was called "Night Nurse." And no, it wasn't dirty - get your mind out of the gutter. It was about a nurse who is caring for two children who are wasting away. Turns out there's a murder plot to starve the children so that the mother and her gangster boyfriend can get control of the children's trust fund, and the nurse (Stanwyck) saves the kids with the help of her bootlegger boyfriend. I guess in 1931, instead of hookers with hearts of gold, you had bootleggers with hearts of gold.

As frequently happens, I got the chance to see a star-before-they-were-a-star in one of the supporting roles. Clark Gable played the part of the gangster. That was pretty cool. I was actually looking down when he first came on screen, but as soon as I heard his voice, my head snapped up because I knew who it was! Distinctive voice, that Gable.

Anyway, it was a good little movie, and several parts of it brought home to me how some things never seem to change. People are people no matter what era they live in. And the more I see movies with Barbara Stanwyck in them, the more I like her. She was somethin'. I definitely need to feed my enjoyment of old movies more often by watching them when they come on my movie channels and not waiting for the Paramount to show them.

Favorite line of the movie: "In a big way, sister!" Stanwyck said it several times - I guess as a catch phrase. I like it. I think I'll start saying it.

Now, why you gotta go and make me be a beeotch?

Why do some people have to see how far they can push you?

I walk around being a nice person. I like to get along with people. I like to be nice and have people be nice to me. I like to ask for things, rather than demand them. I like to be someone you can come to if something isn't going the way it should and you can explain it to me, knowing I'm not going to bite your head off. I'm more interested in finding a solution than arguing about what's wrong. I like to work it out if there's a problem, with unraised voices and a reasonable attitude. If I'm wrong, I apologize. I like for everyone to walk away with no hard feelings, and I like to just get things done, right and on time. I like to be pleasant to work with, and I find that the less drama involved, the more efficient things are.

That's what I like.

But make no mistake. I can be a bitch with the best of them if that's how you want it. I can create new levels of tension you didn't know existed with tangible waves of hate streaming from my pores every time you're in the room...if that's how you want it. It's all up to you. And how you want it. One of my co-workers thought, just for a minute yesterday, that that's how he might want it.

He's changed his mind. That's a smart move. For everyone.

Some people just have to see if they can bully you. They just HAVE to know if you're someone they can run over. Doesn't matter how nice you are. It's not about you. It's about them. And if you let them...if the first time they try it, you don't take a f-ing lead pipe and slam it right up into their engine as they try to run you over...you'll fight it the rest of the time you're around that person. Once they know they can do it, they'll do it. Just because they can. Because some people just aren't very nice at their core.

In my case, I learned early on that this person was like that. I heard the stories. I saw the tendency. So, I prepared myself, knowing my time would come. I was as nice as I could be, right up to the moment when he pushed too far. And then I stood my ground and slammed my lead pipe up into his engine. It was unpleasant. It was unpleasant that he took things there, and it was unplesant to have to get all Alexis Carrington on his ass, to have to tap into my inner Leona Helmsley. I don't like to be angry or to have to slam my stiletto into someone's instep. But it was his choice.

I'm glad he's reconsidered his approach with me. It'll be so much nicer if we can go back to being pleasant, and amenable, and accommodating. I'd like to think we have a permanent understanding between us, but I'm going to guess he'll try it again at some point. I could be wrong. But I'll keep my pipe handy just in case.

New ride. So cool I gotta wear shades...

Well, folks, a frequent subject here at the blog has gone onto its just reward, and new era has begun. I have traded in the Cougar on a new ride. And it's sweet.

I know it's hard to imagine the silver bullet gone - take a moment to mourn.

Are you okay?

Okay, then. Meet the new car:



This is not my actual car - I don't have a photo yet of mine. But this is what it looks like. It's a 2007 Hyundai Tiburon GT Limited.

I bought it Friday, and I've already put 250 miles on it! But driving is what it's for, no? I need to spend some time with the owner's manual and see what tricks it's got up its sleeve, but I'm enjoying it immensely already.

Boyfriend educated me that "tiburon" means "shark" in Spanish, so the new car's nickname may be The Shark. We'll see if that sticks. Speaking of sticks, the new car is an automatic - first one I've owned in about 10 years. I'm adjusting nicely, though. We'll have to see if my left leg atrophies with no clutch to operate anymore.

Hopefully, I'll have no stories to tell for a long time about The Shark. That'll mean everything is going well. And if I'm going to have a car payment, I want everything to be going well.

So, congratulate me!

Austin - Tinsel Town South

They're filming a movie scene outside my office window today. I don't know who "they" are, but "they" seem to have a real budget for real equipment. It's not just some students from film school walking down the sidewalk with a handheld. Here's what I've seen twice so far:

I hear honking - insistent honking that says, "Hold up! Comin' thru!"

I look out the window, and there's a motorcycle cop. He stops traffic and keeps looking behind him.

After a few seconds, here comes a truck with a flatbed. On the flatbed is some kind of crane-camera rig. The camera is aimed at a car driving alongside the truck (on the first pass, the camera was looking right into the passenger window and the car stayed even with the truck; on the second pass, the camera was in front of the car, shooting through the window, and then the car sped up and passed the truck and the crane/camera swung around and ended up shooting through the passenger window).

Bringing up the rear is another motorcycle cop, and as the truck clears the intersection, traffic resumes.

They pass right by my office and then...I don't know, because I go back to work.

Pretty cool. At my last job, they spent an entire day filming a scene from a Tommy Lee Jones movie ("Man of the House") right outside my office window. He hung out, right outside my window all day...looking bored, if you really want to know. I took pictures. Because hey man - it's Tommy Lee Jones. I wonder what this movie is. Anyone know what major motion picture is filming in Austin right now?

It's a competition! I mean...charity.

A friend of mine sent me a link to a cool site today. Okay, it's not really cool. It's nerdy, but it's also do-goody, so you can indulge your inner wordsmith and do some good in the world at the same time. You don't have an inner wordsmith? Well, then, you sucketh.

The site is called freerice.com, and it's a vocabulary game. They give you a word and 4 definitions to choose from. If you get the definition right, the site donates 20 grains of rice to the UN World Food Program.

For all of you people good at "math" and "numbers" and "adding things," please go there, then report to me how many words you got wrong so that for once, I can feel superior. For everyone like me, word people, this is our world. Go live in it for a while and feel competent. Do it before you go to lunch today and are asked to calculate tax and tip on your lunch. You'll feel better.

Oh, yeah, and you're helping hunger...blah, blah, blah...feeding people...yadda, yadda.

Overheard at work...

"What the hell is wrong with people?"

What indeed?

BCS = Big Crock of Sh...

I hate the BCS. It's got to be the stupidest thing going right now in sports.

I know it's been a weird year for college football. Every single week the top 10 has gotten a shake-up. The only unbeaten team right now is Hawaii. It's crazy.

But come on. Ohio State and LSU in the national championship game? LSU was #7 last week in the BCS, and they have 2 losses, but as of yesterday they could win the whole thing? Give me a break. And Kansas in the Orange Bowl and Mizzou doesn't even get a BCS bowl - after Mizzou took Kansas to the woodshed and even the BCS ranks Mizzou higher than Kansas - by TWO places? What the frig?

This whole system needs to be trashed. I've said it before, and I'll say it again, we need a playoff system. Start with 8 teams. It would only take 3 weeks of play for the entire tournament. And non-championship tournament bowls would still be allowed, so everyone could continue making bowl money and cashing in. It's so simple that it's stupid we're not doing it.

For 4 teams, they'd play the same number of games they play now, because they'd be out in the first round - equivalent to playing one bowl game. For 2 teams, they'd play one extra game, and for the championship teams, they'd play two. And even that could be remedied by doing away with the extra throw-away game that was tossed in at the beginning of the season this year for most teams. That extra first game is pointless anyway, so toss it and that would mean that only 2 teams in the entire system would have to play an extra game from what they're playing now.

And you let HUMANS decide who'll be in the tournament. We do it for basketball, baseball and every other freakin' sport. Why not football? Why is a computer involved?

So, there ya go. Texas will be in the Holiday Bowl on the 27th. I will be in Fabulous Las Vegas that day, so I won't be around to go to it, but depending on the time and my traveling companion's interest, maybe I can catch it there. Seems like a good place to watch a sporting event!