What if?

Let's play the What If game...

What if I hadn't woken up early to study yesterday?
What if I had gone to church instead of being studious?
What if the light bulb in the living room hadn't gone out, forcing me to study at my desk?
What if I hadn't gotten up to answer the phone and tripped over my laptop power cord?
What if my laptop hadn't fallen to the floor?
And bounced?
Twice?
What if my laptop wasn't dead?
What if I would've actually saved all my important documents, pics, and mp3s last month when I got that fast new external burner for my birthday?

Back up important files - whaa?

Ah, that What If game... Isn't it fun to think about how my day could've turned out if I'd just done things a leeeetle bit differently?

Damn devil!

Angel: You can do it, Biscuit! Hang in there!

Devil: Hell, it's already 3:30am. Just go to bed.

Angel: You just have a few more pages to write, then you'll be all ready for tomorrow.

Devil: A FEW?! Bwaahahaha! You're only half way done with a 12-page assigment. You've been working on this thing since just after dinner and you are only half.way.done.

Angel: Not true. You've blogged, and watched American Idol, and went to Starbucks for coffee. Now that you are really applying yourself it won't take but a minute to finish.

Devil: You're getting sleeeeeeeepy.

Angel: Don't you keep telling yourself that you only have to make it through this one last semester of classes, then you'll be home free with a master's degree and racking in the big bucks. Just a couple more months, and once this paper is done, you...

Devil: Yeah, but if you don't go to bed now, you are going to be worthless tomorrow. Don't forget you still have to work 8-4, then go to class from 4-9. You can't stay up 36 hours straight - it ain't worth it.

Angel: Oh. He's right. Better get a couple hours of shut eye and you can struggle with the rest of your paper tomorrow from work. I'll be praying you don't have any emergencies that have to be dealt with at the courthouse.

Damn you, Devil! I'm off to bed. 3 hours of sleep will be okay. Of course I'd sleep a lot more peacefully if this moronic paper was finished. Oh well, screw it.

Wonderful

I have a favorite new commercial - 100x better than anything I saw during the superbowl. I know you've seen it by now, but indulge me.

Cut to an attractive woman in a walk-in closet. Holds up little black dress, frowns. Tries shiny pink top, tilts head as she looks in the mirror, hmmmm.

In the background we here Clapton singing:
it's late in the evening, she's
wonderin what clothes to wear...
wonderin what clothes to wear...
wonderin what clothes to wear...

The woman leans out of the closet and calmly tells her husband, "Honey, cut it out". He grins sheepishly and lets Wonderful Tonight play all the way through.

I freaking love this ad. I smile every time I see it. It's just so real, but not in a demeaning way, I guess because everybody is having a good time, and the girl keeps her cool, addresses the issue and goes back to her business of finding that perfect outfit (we should all learn to handle that situation so well!)

None of that "What am I, rich?!" bull shit like Applebees has been airing (as if the guy is the only one who pays these days!), or the degrading GoDaddy bouncing boobie ads (don't get me wrong, I love a provocative breast shot now and again, but I don't understand their need to appeal to my 14-year old nephew who doesn't have a credit card to purchase their service anyway).

But I digress. This little SBC Yahoo commercial is wonderful.

More AI goodness

Damn you Simon & Simon! ((That reminded me of the 80s TV show ... the blonde brother was so cute)) How could you tempt me to watch American Idol 3 nights a week when I have so much homework to do?!! Well in case you guys were too busy to watch, here's this shortest synopsis (of my personal opinion of course) that I could come up with.

Guys on Monday:

1. Nikko Smith - Part Time Lover - The first of many boring safe performances.
2. Scott Savol - You are My Lady- Good voice, but when does the makeover begin? Let me risk offending someone and say that he just isn't AI material!
3. Anthony Fedorov - Hold On to the Night - "Dull as dishwater" per Simon. I agree. *
   
4. Bo Bice - Drift Away - Don't like the rocker hair, but at least he's a good performer.
5. Travis Tucker - My Cherie Amore - I love Travis and love Stevie Wonder, but he could've done something so much more powerful.
6. Constantine Maroulis - Kiss From a Rose - Sorry but I just can't stand this song, even when Seal sings it - better luck next week.
7. David Brown - Never Can Say Goodbye - Healthy mix of slow and jam - well done.
8. Jared Yates - How Could I Say Goodbye - Never even heard of this song before, I had to google it, Marc Anthony I think - bleh! *
   
9. Anwar Robinson - Moon River - Why why WHY are the guys picking all these slow mellow songs?! Weren't they cute when they came out dancing, all upbeat and spunky?! The performances were such a disappointment. I still love Anwar though, he'll be back in full force next week.
   
10. Judd Harris - Traveling Band - I don't even remember this guy from the auditions - at least it was upbeat, but a little too Elvis-y for me - Unfortunately I think this guy may get the teeny-bopper vote this season.
11. Joseph Murena - How Am I Supposed to Live Without You - I don't remember this guy either - TBF said he sounded kinda like Cher. 'Nuff said. *
    
12. Mario Vasquez - Do I Do - Love it. Love him. Do I see the first Hispanic American Idol on the horizon?!

Girls on Tuesday:

1. Vonzell Solomon - Heatwave - Energetic, upbeat, very good.
2. Amanda Avila - How am I Supposed to Live Without You (again!) - She's gorgeous, but I wasn't terribly impressed with that performance.
3. Janay Castine - I'm Wanna Love You Forever - Sounded very nervous, shaky voice. *
4. Carrie Underwood - Could've Been - Great 80s cut, great voice, cute girl. But is she too much like Brittany and Jessica?
   
5. Sarah Mather - Get Ready - A little too throaty and nasally for my taste - Simon said she was "forgettable". *
6. Melinda Lira - Power of Love - Okay voice but her arm movements were distracting and I hate Celion Dion's songs.
7. Nadia Turner - ? - Excellent performance! I've never heard this song before, and couldn't google the lyrics. Doesn't matter though, she was fabulous! Go Nadia!
8. Celena Rae - I Will Love Again - Another song I've never heard of. Good voice, but not the best performance.
9. Mikalah Gordon - Young Hearts Run Free - What the hell was she trying to do with her voice? She was one of my faves during the auditions, but this was some crap. I'll give her another chance next week, at least she's original.
10. Lindsey Cardinale - Standing Right Next to Me - Very enjoyable performance, even for a slow song. I think she'll go far in the competition. Oh, did you know that I love the movie 8 seconds?!
11. Jessica Sierra - Against All Odds - She's pretty good, but this song was very meh. *
    
12. Aloha Mischeaux - Work it Out - Hot, sexy performance. Very well done!

* My votes for the bottom three girls and guys on Wednesday's your-outta-here show.

Next week, in honor of the Oscars, I think I'll critique the contestants outfits instead of performances. Fun!

And for those of you continuing to search for Sharon Galvez - she didn't make the top 24 - so stop coming to my blog to read about her! Shew! Scat!

Happy Prez Day

I hope that some of you are lucky enough to have a govt job that recognizes federal holidays, and that you are at home on the couch in your PJs like me!

*Giggling guiltily b/c TB knows you are at work right now*

In honor of the holiday (and really this has nothing to do with any past presidents or what they did for our country, but hey you already know I'm not a terribly political girl) - here's a little game I found. I apologize, but I neglected to copy down the loverly blog where I found it (if it's you, let me know, and I'll link ya!).

I know lots of my favorite bloggers are avid readers, so this might be fun. Here are the rules:

1. Grab the nearest book.
2. Open the book to page 123.
3. Find the fifth sentence.
4. Post the text of the next 3 sentences on your blog along with these instructions.
5. Don't you dare dig for that "cool" or "intellectual" book in your closet! I know you were thinking about it! Just pick up whatever is closest.

Sadly all my closest reads are textbooks, this one happens to be Family Therapy: History, Theory, and Practice by Samuel Gladding.

"When this goal is achieved, the results are usually manifested in changes that are described by the term differentiation. The idea behind differentiation is that individuals have reached a level of maturity in which they can balance their rational and emotional selves and in which they can separate themselves from others in a nonanxious way. When this dynamic occurs, family members can interact thoughtfully as persons."

A little Freudian, I know. Will you join me in this little game?

So much to do

How many projects do I need to be working on this very minute? Uh, at least half a dozen. A counseling session transcript, and 2 short papers due on Tuesday. And a 10-pager due on Thursday. And two re-dos due asap. Jeez, who's stupid idea was it to go to grad school anyway?!!


BUT instead of homework I'm taking some much needed time to catch up on the blog reading that I've missed out on the past several days. I found a great new blog that my fellow techno-geeks will appreciate: betapundit. Anybody into podcasting yet? Sounds like it might be the next new thing.

Cat-blogging Sunday

Low quality camera pic of my little Jezebel

Bored?

Nothing planned for your 3-day weekend? "I'm bored", you say? Well hop on over to your neighborhood video store and rent the Live Aid DVDs (box set of 4) for hours of weekend entertainment.

You remember Live Aid, don't you? It was in 1985, which I will be the first to admit was ages ago - OMG! - 20 years ago, really?! But I think my lovely readers are for the most part old enough to remember it.

You recall the footage of millions of starving children in Africa, children dying before our very eyes. I hate to bring you down on a Friday afternoon, but here are some notes written by Bob Geldolf when he travelled to Africa in 1985:

There is a child I think maybe it's four months old. The doctor says "No it's two years old." It squats on baked mud, a tattered dusty piece of cotton hangs from one shoulder onto its distended stomach. It's face is huge. A two year old face on a four month body.

So that was the reason for the concert. But now, I just want you to watch and enjoy the live performances of these fabulous 80s bands.

Two simultaneous concerts on two continents - one in London and the other in Philly. There are almost 60 performers, some of them performing up to 5 songs each. Here are just a few of the acts:

Bob Dylan, Queen, David Bowie, Madonna, Paul McCartney, Tom Petty, Hall & Oats, Tina Turner, Elton John, Run DMC, The Cars, Elvis Costello, Sting, Phil Collins, U2, George Michael, The Pretenders, REO Speedwagon, Duran Duran, Patti Labelle, Mick Jagger, BB King, INXS, and the list goes on.

Go get it now. You'll never have to buy another 80s concert DVD again. I promise, you'll absolutely love it.

And we have 24

First of all - I despise Paris and Nicole. I've boycotted Simple Life this year, but I accidentally caught the last few minutes while waiting for AI. It is so obviously scripted it is ridiculous. And the fact that the producers would dare to have these girls simulate vacuuming up spilled cremated remains, well, it really bothers me that people are still watching (and laughing at?) this show. Screw you Paris. I'm so over you and your stupid dog.

Now, as for American Idol, I haven't been doing my weekly update as planned b/c there have just been too many contestants to keep up with, and really most of 'em have kinda blurred together. Until now. This is serious!

The 12 men: David Brown, Nikko Smith, Anthony (the blonde Clay-eske kid), Judd Harris, Jospeh Moreno, Anwar Robinson (the cool music teacher w/ dreads), Mario Vasquez, Bo Bice (the crappy rocker), Jared, Constantine (the cool rocker), Scott (the one who talks like a G, but looks like a hick), and Travis Tucker.

The 12 ladies: Jessica, Aloha, Mikalah Gordon (the 16 yr old blabber mouth), Nadia Turner (big fro), Vonzell Solomon, Carrie Underwood (young blonde from the country), Sarah Mather, Celena Rae, Janay, Lindsey Cardinale, Melinda Lia, Amanda.

I felt bad for J.P. Koehler, the kid with the infectious smile - the crooner - he was really fun to watch, and I'm sorry that he had to go home. (Would you think me a wuss if I confessed I shed a tear for this guy?)

But as for Faith Gatewood, I'm thrilled she didn't make it to the next round. What a lousy attitude: "Why didn't I make it? This always happens to me - boys, money, jobs, everything. Nobody likes me." Give me a break. THAT is why you can't be the next American Idol. Loser.

ARGH - Mon, Tue, AND Wed starting next week?! C'mon Fox, I have other stuff to do besides watch AI. Bless you TiVo.

For the most part, I still don't know who's who. But here are my favorites from what I can remember from the past month: Travis, Nadia, Anwar, Mario and Mikala. Let the voting begin!

Famous, part II

Hooray for MooCow for guessing my secret celebrity kiss - just by knowing he was a musician about 20 years older than Bono?! This guy is gooood.

In 2000, just after TBF (yes, that's Texas Biscuit's Fiance, hope you like it, I just can't come up with anything more creative) and I started going out, he took me to my first Willie Nelson concert.

((Ian, since your from Argentina, I'll cut you some slack for not knowing this American legend - you click here))

Opening for Willie that night was some Texas fraternity band, can't remember who. We were there for Willie only, and TBF has always been one for chatting up some famous folks - particularly musicians and baseball players - and getting a couple autographs in the process. He's just that cool.

The two of us hung out at the back entrance of the coliseum. The only other people out there were the frat boys who were in charge of "security". It was cool and rainy that night, but in true Willie form, we had our flask of Jack Daniels to keep us warm.

We watched the sun go down, got drunk out in the rain, and gabbed for hours. We talked about our families and relationships and school. I laughed and cried and even peed behind the dumpsters (shut up - you know you'd do it in an emergency!). It would've been a great night if we ended right there ... but it gets better.

Over an hour late, we finally saw Willie's headlights pull up in the coliseum lot. The frat boys started going nuts, pushing us back, and forming a ring around the door to the bus - as if the two of us who'd been standing out in the rain for the past two hours suddenly posed some sort of threat to the band. I was afraid all our waiting would be in vain.

Ah, but Willie, good old Willie, after about 5 minutes of this nonsense he sauntered off the bus with his Sharpie in hand, pushed through the idiot frat boys and walked straight over to us. He signed TBF's baseball and a picture for me. He paused, kissed me on the cheek, gave TBF a wink, and hustled on inside with Trigger in hand.

And just to clear up any confusion:
1) no, Michael, Willie and I didn't make out
2) no, we didn't get high on his tour bus after the show *sigh*

I've always liked Willie's music - On the Road Again, Whiskey River, City of New Orleans, and his duets like Pancho & Lefty with Merle Haggard. Classics. But besides the music, he's just a really great genuine guy. I could go on, but will save some more Willie stories for another day.

Oh, and we did go in to watch the show afterwards, and yes, it was wonderful.

Liar

I'm a liar. 2 big papers due today - 1 finished just after midnight, 1 not even close to being done. No time to blog about my celebrity kiss today!

Happy V-Day!

Happy Valentine's Day to you all!
xxooxoxoxoox

Famous

Now I didn't meet anyone as famous as Catherine Zeta-Jones and Richard Gere, like PhoenixNYC did, but I did meet a semi-celebrity of sorts last week.

I know you saw Friday Night Lights, right? Well the hispanic kid played by Jay Hernandez, the real guy's name is Brian Chavez. And if you stuck around for the credits at the end you saw that after he graduated from Permian he went on to Harvard and then got his law degree from Texas Tech. He's now practicing law with his father in Odessa.

So you can guess who showed up in my courtroom on Friday. Nice guy. I didn't even know who he was until after he'd left the room and the DA pointed it out. Kinda cool.

And tomorrow... the most famous person I've ever met - and kissed!!!

Marathon reading

We read at this yesterday - a 24-hour reading marathon of Homer's the Iliad and Odyssey. Proceeds go to the local public library and literacy campaign. Very cool experience.

Friday Feast

Here's one of my favorite new finds: Sigmund, Carl, and Alfred. Anyone who studies psych or has ever been in therapy will get a kick out of this blog written by three of the most famous psychoanalytic theorists - you remember good ol' Siggy Freud and his Id & Ego, Defense Mechanisms, and Oedipal Complex from freshman psych, right? These guys are not afraid to speak their minds, and they never apologize. Check it out when you have a few minutes...


And now, time to feast on a few morsels of Texas Biscuit...

Appetizer - What do you want for Valentine's Day?
I'm easy this year. Since I just had a wonderful Christmas, engagement, and 30th birthday, all I really want is a nice dinner out with my fiance (yes, I do love saying it!), a few drinks, and some late night lovin'. Oh but wait, no dinner on Monday - lines are too long and service is too rushed. And no flowers. I much more appreciate them on any other day of the year "just because" (and when they don't cost an arm and a leg!).

Soup - If you could change the color of something you own, what would it be and which color would you make it?
Uh, a car is the first thing that comes to mind, but my new car is "metallic midnight green", and I loooove it. Change color ... OH! I'd have to go with the walls in our apartment. Boring bland egg-shell white. When I get a house, I can't wait to be super "trading spaces" and put some bold colors on those walls - eggplant, saffron, claret...

Salad - What's your favorite day of the week and why?
Saturday - isn't that a given? I mean is anyone really going to answer Monday?! On Saturdays - no work, sleep late, have the whole day to study, go to the movies, shop, do errands, return emails, blog, read, clean - or just lay on the couch and do NOTHING. Ah, my sweet lazy Saturday is less than 15 hours away...

Main Course - What excuse do you use most often?
I'm not really one for excuses anymore. I used to be big on "food poisoning" or "female problems" (male bosses never ask about this - they don't want to get into it) to get out of work, but now I'll just call in and say I need to take a day off. Of course I'm blessed with a boss who doesn't care as long as my work is taken care of. I'm usually very prompt, so don't have to use traffic excuses. I guess the only excuse I can come with - and it really isn't an excuse b/c it's true - is "Sorry _______ took so long, I've been busy".

Dessert - Name something or someone you feel sorry for.
I feel sorry for the children that were orphaned in the tsunami. Especially those that got swiped up by those horrendous child-sex-pimps. To lose your family and your home, and then have your body sold for sex at only 8 years old... Unimaginable.

Jeez, what a nice uplifting ending, eh? I hope you all have a fabulous weekend!

On a lighter note

You are a very naughty rabbit!

Depressing headlines

Here are the top headlines on CNN.com right now. It sounds so cliche, but really, what is this world coming to?!

• BBC producer shot dead in Somalia
• Car bomb injures 43 in Madrid
• Gunman at large after killing 1 deputy, wounding 2
• Iraqi TV journalist, toddler son killed
• Ex-NBA star in al Qaeda funding scandal
• Suspect in teen's scalping surrenders
• Police: Remains found buried in basement
• Teacher charged with having sex with pupil, 13

An 18-year old murdering and dismembering her mom and grandparents??? ... Our teachers continuing to have sex with their 13-year old students??? ... Journalists being murdered on the streets??? ... Scalping a girl because she was disrespectful???

My head hurts. I can't seem to put the words together. Maybe this is why I am happy to zone out and think/read/write about fluff like SuperBowl, American Idol, and anything on E!.

Wed diversity lesson

In my Diversity class last night, we had several speakers from the local chapter of PFLAG - Parents, Families, and Friends of Lesbians and Gays - visit our class.

It was a fascinating and moving presentation, no fancy overheads or handouts, just 5 people openly sharing their stories and experiences.

PFLAG's mission is to (1) support, (2) educate, and (3) advocate, so today I'm taking the opportunity to pass on some of the things I learned about last night - not to get into a hot religious or political debate - but just do my part to CELEBRATE DIVERSITY.

Did you know that...
* 10% of Americans are gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgendered, etc
* 37% of Americans have had a homosexual experience
* 95% of sexual abuse is committed by heterosexuals, not homosexuals
* 1 in 4 married men have affairs (what does this say about our morality?!)
* 50% of gays & lesbians report parental rejection after 'coming out'
* 25% of gays & lesbians drop out of school due to the hatred and prejudice in our schools
* Lesbians have very high rate of teen pregnancy (trying to prove their straigtness)
* Gays & lesbians have the highest rate of suicide of any group, even surpassing the elderly
* One's sexual orientation is NOT a choice*

One of our speakers, Ricky Waite, attempted to establish an organization for the support of gay and lesbian students in 2002 - the Gay-Straight Alliance. The group held their meetings off-campus, but requested to post their flyers at Lubbock High School. The school board denied their request, comparing them to "any group that might cause a disruption on campus" such as "the Ku Klux Klan, al-Qaida or skinheads".

The GSA sued the school board - and lost. Judge Cummings ruled that "such topics are inappropriate for school-age children." Well, that makes sense - God knows none of us dated, had sex, or fell in love while we were still in high-school. Inappropriate, my ass. The GSA felt very strongly that their civil rights had been violated, but decided not to appeal the case since all the members had already graduated by the time of the ruling.

I think one of the best points made at last night's presentation was that when most of us think of a gay relationship (particularly men), we immediately picture a graphic anal sex scene with the behr-chika-behr-behr porn music. HOWEVER, any successful relationship, gay or straight, isn't based solely on sex - and it's unfair of us to think that is all a gay relationship is about. Love, intimacy, trust, friendship, respect - these are the foundations of any successful relationship, gay or straight.

We all need and deserve to be loved, regardless of our sexual orientation or gender identity. Period. So let's continue to educate ourselves, be sensitive to each other's needs, stop the jokes and hate-speech ... let's celebrate our diversity.

*Stats are from various handouts from my presentation, sorry I'm not notating them all here, but will be glad to forward sources if you are interested.

Home Sweet Home

For anyone that's ever spent any time in West Texas, I know you'll get a good laugh out of this one. For those of you who haven't had the good fortune, consider yourself lucky, and here's 13 reasons why:

1. Lubbock has many houses of worship. The two biggest are Jones Stadium (football) and the United Spirit Arena (basketball).

2. Lubbock has an annual event called "A Taste of Lubbock". This is not to be confused with the event during dust storm season, which is called "A Taste of Lubbock Landscape".

3. Lubbock is tolerant of people of all sexes, temperaments, age, creed, color and sexual orientation, just as long as you are a good coach.

4. Lubbock's idea of prohibition is to put all of the package liquor stores just outside of city limits; 'cause, Lord knows, a fat guy wouldn't cross the room for a donut and a Tech student wouln't drive a mile for a beer!

5. Lubbock has some type of ten-year cycle of weirdness:
In the 70's, tornadoes hit.
In the 80's, the Virgin Mary was expected to appear.
In the 90's, an earthquake shook Lubbock.
In 2002, a Tech Professor lied about destroying viruses that could wipe out a big chunk of the population.

6. The two hardest things to find in Lubbock are bad barbecue and a parking space anywhere near Tech.

7. The Lubbock newspaper publishes a daily prayer on the front page. It's very appropriate because there isn't a prayer of finding anything interesting on the other pages.

8. Lubbock finally got the funds for an east-west freeway and promptly named it after a basketball coach. Evidently that shuttle mission commanded by a Texas Tech Alumnus wasn't quite as dangerous as facing the UT Longhorn's in an away game.

9. It's true all traffic directions start with "get on the loop" and end with "get off the loop". They don't mention the middle part of "if you survive the loop".

10. It took a full 30 years or more before Lubbock forgave Buddy Holly for being such a heathen rock and roller and honored him with a museum. It will be twice that long before we even claim The Dixie Chick's Natalie Maines.

11. Lubbock has a somewhat successful minor league hockey franchise and their popularity has nothing to do with the fact that it's the only sporting event in Lubbock where you can drink beer (really, we swear!).

12. After a Tech victory against A&M, the Aggies responded by beating EACH OTHER up.

13. Lubbock has the best, friendliest people in the world because, as you can tell from the above list, all we really have is each other.

Bloggers ethics survey

I've received two email requests this week asking for help in college research projects focusing on blogging.

The first guy was Christopher Schultz of Bremen, Germany and just wanted to know about the blogging community, asked how I knew other bloggers I linked to, etc. I emailed him a few paragraphs and asked for a copy of his thesis when it was completed.

I got another email tonight from Andy Koh, a student at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore, in the school of Communications and Information. I went ahead and took the survey - it focused on ethics, responsibility to the reader, anonymity of people we write about, citing of sources, etc. He asked for a plug, so here it is. If you have 20 minutes, you can take the survey here. It was very professional and well-done, and the only identifying info they asked for is age, years of education, country etc. The results of the study will be posted here.

What can I say, I'm a sucker for helping out a fellow grad student.

POOPerbowl

What a waste of an evening. Luckily I didn't spend hours slaving in the kitchen for a big party. It was just the two of us eating stuffed jalapenos and ribs and watching the game. I could care less about the Super Bowl XXXIX* or professional football in general, but figured I could at least get a half-dozen laughs and a good blog post out of the commercials. Not so much. Only two were even halfway memorable:

Funniest: Ameriquest's Surprise Dinner was hilarious - husband cooking dinner and gets into a bit of a predicament with the kitty about the time his wife arrives home.

Most moving: Anheuser-Busch's tribute to our armed forces showed people applauding our US troops as they walked through the airport upon return from the middle east. *tear*. Oh, and Cedric's spots were pretty funny.

The Cadillac and Mustang commercials were boring. Especially since neither will be released for months. Hmpf.

And that is about it. Maybe I missed a couple when I got up to grab a drink or some more queso. I hope so. Did you have a favorite from 2005? Or a previous year? I miss the days of the Bud clydesdales and the frogs in the swamp...

* The only reason I was rooting for the Pats was b/c my first boyfriend in 5th grade played Little League for The Patriots. He gave me a fabulous red & white mum for homecoming or whatever their big game of the season was. It had Patriots, his number 24, and both of our names in gold glittery letters on the streamers. I kept that thing until I graduated from high school. What a sap.

Perfectly purple

What is a day off for, if not to play with my blog? I've updated my colors (I have always loved purple and green together - do you think green is it too 'electric'?), added a few new friends (Jesster, Lexa, Tish, Serra, and Mr. K), and attempted to change fonts although they didn't really take. I would've liked something more scripty for the title, but I've recently determined that just b/c I can see the perfect font on my computer, everyone else just sees Times New Roman or something equally boring. I've also missed checking my stats since the site meter/firefox episode, but was hesitant to screw with it again, so I'm trying out Extreme Tracking now. We'll see how it goes... So watcha think?

Yipee Skippy!

I had to wake up at 8 today to take care of some car business. And now naturally I can't go back to sleep. I'm so used to waking up at 6:30 that my body thinks that staying in bed until 8 WAS sleeping late, and now it's time to get up. Hmph.

Surfed through the TV channels, hoping to find some mindless programming to put me back to sleep, cartoons specifically. But no such luck. Has anyone noticed how badly Saturday morning cartoons suck these days? I miss The Smurfs, Alvin & the Chipmunks, Richie Rich, Garfield, ... and my all time favorite Muppet Babies.


After all that ranting and raving about my school/work schedule on Thursday, I don't know what happened, but I felt the need to break free from the daily grind. Thursday night, went to drug court - as an observer, not a participant! will have to explain that another time - then skipped both classes. I felt better the moment I hit the "send" button to let my professors know I wouldn't be there.

Then we decided celebrate a night of freedom at the wine bar. Felt MUCH better after that... Wouldn't you know I ran into two of my classmates at the bar (of course they showed up at 9 after class was over). Oopsy. So since good wine, good buzz and good conversation was taken care of on Thu, that left my Fri night free for homemade hamburgers, a movie (Friday Night Lights - as if I won't get my share of football tomorrow) , some computer time, and asleep by 11. Aaah, so refreshed.

Nevertheless I've still decided to skip my Saturday morning comps review. Who ever heard of a study group on Saturday morning anyway?! Meh, I'll just pay extra-close attention in class the next couple months - if I make it to class that is.

Feb 3rd already?

ARGH! It's already the 3rd and I've forgotten to pay rent! Luckily the fiance has a much better grasp of time than I do, and he called to say he'd drop off the rent check before class.

There just doesn't seem to be any distinction between the days (or is it dates?) of the month for me anymore. There is no difference between the 1st, 8th, or 134th. I can't even remember which 1st and 3rd Thu is pay day anymore. All I know is all the crap I have to do this week, and every following week until May:

Mon: 8-5 work; 6-9 group counseling session for practicum hours
Tue: 8-4 work; 4:30-6 practicum class; 6-9 family counseling class
Wed: 8-5 work; 5-7 individual counseling sessions for practicum
Thu: 8-4 work; 4:30-6 practicum class; 6-9 diversity counseling class
Fri: 8-5 work; 5-?? get wasted, bond with fiance, catch up w/friends
Sat: 11-1 comps review; 1-?? study, sleep, visit g-ma, talk to 'rents
Sun: 11-1 church & lunch;
then prepare for another hellacious week of more of the same!

Aren't 13-hour days fabulous?! And in between all this shiznit, I have to make time for sleep, food, homework, 100 practicum hours, American Idol x2, blogging, cats, and my fiance. Oh lord, and I still have to plan a wedding!!!

So do you feel sorry for little ol' me yet? I hope not. I hate to be so negative, so let me end by saying that I'm blessed to have the opportunity to finish grad school and NOT be trying to juggle kids at the same time. And needless to say I'm thrilled to be getting married (and that all involved parties are happy to wait about 14 months for the big day!). I'm sure working parents feel even more overwhelmed, and they don't rub it in all the time like I just did. Nevertheless, I feel better now that you know.

NOW GO TAKE A NAP IN MY HONOR.

Hubble pics

Check out this fascinating presentation from the Hubble telescope. Absolutely gorgeous stuff.

Camera phone

I got a new cell phone last week. Didn't need one, but we'd been with Sprint for two years and we got a deal for staying with them for another year. I decided to pay $30 for a camera phone (after the "instant savings" which are anything but instant) - even though I certainly didn't need one, and initially said I would take anything but a camera phone.

But one afternoon I thought, "Hey Biscuit, wouldn't it be cool to be able to take pics for your blog when you are out and about?!"

So I got one. The phone is great - all the features I need (a phone that makes and receives calls, and an alarm clock), and a couple that are just nice perks (text messaging and internet). And of course, the camera.

It snowed today, probably an inch or so - nothing like what the rest of the country has experienced, but I realized on my way home from work: This is it! I'm going to take a magnificent picture of the snow. It will be artsy and dramatic, and when people see it they will say, "Oooo, this girl has some photo-taking talent!"

Well, out of about 10 pics, this is the best that I came up with. No artsy. No dramatic. No talent. Just a mysteriously shadowy entrance to my school, with some white stuff on the ground. Just like the reviewers on CNET said, don't buy the phone for the camera. I had to learn the hard way, so sue me.

Screen cleaner

Cat-lovers only:
How adorable is this screen cleaner?!

FW: Sipping Vodka

I know you've seen this one before, but it cracks me up every time...

A new priest at his first mass was so nervous he could hardly speak.

After mass he asked the monsignor how he had done.

The monsignor replied, "When I am worried about getting nervous on the pulpit, I put a glass of vodka next to the water glass. If I start to get nervous, I take a sip."

So next Sunday he took the monsignor's advice. At the beginning of the sermon, he got nervous and took a drink.

He proceeded to talk up a storm.

Upon his return to his office after the mass, he found the following note on the door:

1) Sip the vodka, don't gulp.
2) There are 10 commandments, not 12.
3) There are 12 disciples, not 10.
4) Jesus was consecrated, not constipated.
5) Jacob wagered his donkey, he did not bet his ass.
6) We do not refer to Jesus Christ as the late J.C.
7) The Father, Son, and Holy Ghost are not referred to as Daddy, Junior and the spook.
8) David slew Goliath, he did not kick the shit out of him.
9) When David was hit by a rock and was knocked off his donkey, don't say he was stoned off his ass.
10) We do not refer to the cross as the "Big T."
11) When Jesus broke the bread at the last supper he said, "take this and eat it for it is my body." He did not say "Eat me" .
12) The Virgin Mary is not called Mary with the Cherry,.
13) The recommended grace before a meal is not: Rub-A-Dub-Dub thanks for the grub, Yeah God.
14) Next Sunday there will be a taffy pulling contest at St.Peter's not a peter pulling contest at St. Taffy's.