TB's auto history

Boring personal-history post ahead, but I'm just so excited, I just have to share ALL the background with you. Oh, and thanks to eBay for making this post a bit more colorful!

I grew up in South Texas, middle-class family, only child, excellent school district. I wasn't a spoiled brat by any means, but I'm now aware that my parents definitely did without so I could wear my Guess and Z-Cavaricci jeans (tight-rolled of course!), Coca-Cola shirts, Liz Claibourne purses, Swatch watches, and Kaeppas to school. Of course my mom was kinda a fashion nut (not that you'd know it by the horrid clothes she allowed me to wear in the 80s!), but I think she enjoyed living vicariously through me.

However, the line of generousity was drawn at clothes and extracurricular activities. I was never one of those privileged kids who got a new car when they turned 16, or any car for that matter. I sported my mom's '84 gold Camry to school, football games, and parties. Not so stylish, but hey, it had 4 wheels and got me from here to there. Needless to say there were no sexy parties in the back seat of that car!

In 1993 I graduated and was moving 550 miles away for school. My dad's argument was that I was living in the dorms, could walk to class and the library, and what more did I need? HA! Luckily mom pulled through for me. Her mother (in her 80s at the time) lived about 20 miles away from my school, was convinced we needed each other, and that I needed a car to get out there. I can still remember the scortching hot summer day on the car lot when I fell in love with my dream car. It was an '90 Accord, 2 door, slate blue, just beautiful. I loved it and babied it.

And then ... an idiot ex-boyfriend decided it would be a good idea to race it a bit on a busy road. He lost control, drove into head-on traffic, hit a van with kids in it, spun around a few times, and ended up in a Black Eyed Pea parking lot. I'm getting angry just thinking about it. But you know what the worse part was? He never apologized to me or to my parents for wrecking my beautiful blue car. Yeah, I'm still bitter.

Well needless to say he wasn't supposed to be driving and I (and my parents!) got dropped by the insurance company. The car was totaled, but I did get a small check from State Farm, between that and school loans I was able to invest in another Accord. It was older and not as nice, and didn't have an A/C, but it still got me from here to there... for a while. That same ex lived in South Texas, and even after the wreck I drove over 1000 miles almost every other weekend to see him for a couple years. Hmm, who's the idiot now?! Okay, so I ragged out the black Honda pretty quick plus it had some catastrophic mechanic problem in 2001. I couldn't afford the repair, so just kept dodging the mechanic and eventually he took possession of it. Bye-bye black Honda.

Within a year my dad's mom had to move into a retirement home and could no longer drive. I got her very-well-cared-for, but very-grandmother-like '89 Mercury Grand Marquis. As a girl that was accustomed to driving little Accords, this thing was a dinosaur! It took a while to get used to, and I was blessed to have it, but I was pretty damn embarrassed to be driving this huge old relic to school and work. Maybe it shouldn't matter, but I just can't feel proud chatting and walking to the parking garage and having new friends see what I'm driving. I wouldn't even offer to pick friends up for dinner or drinks. It just wasn't a cool car, and in spite of my usual self-confidence, I just couldn't feel cool driving it.

So in December I was in a 7-car pileup. I don't think I had many readers back then, so here is the story and the picture. I was completely not at fault, and the driver's insurance covered all the damage to my car, plus some. I probably couldn't get more than $250-500 as a trade-in, but the other driver's company cut me a very generous check when I turned over the car to them last week. Excellent. Well, the big ol' boat turned out to be good for something, didn't it!

Okay, enough blah blah blah, here's the good news. With the insurance check and some money I'd been saving I purchased my new car last weekend. It isn't all that new, but is absolutely gorgeous. It's a black Maxima, leather interior, tinted windows, power everything, Bose CD system. I am absolutely thrilled to have a vehicle that can not only safely get us from Texas to [insert your city here], but also that I can be proud to drive. I mean, when a girl is 30 years old, the least she can ask for is for her home and vehicle to reflect that she's done something with her life, and can manage her finances, and has at least a tiny bit of style. Now I'm finally that girl.

This weekend I had the opportunity to thank my parents for NOT buying me a brand new car when I was 16. I've been blessed to always have transportation, even if it wasn't the most stylish on the block. But I keep thinking, what if I would've been given that BMW or Corvette when I was younger, without working for it, and without experiencing the alternative, what would I have ever had to look forward to?! And would I appreciate what I have now? I don't think so.

Coleman update

Got 15 minutes? Read this post first. No time? Here's the quick and dirty: This small-town undercover cop named Coleman is an incompetent, corrupt, racist liar. He arrested 46 people, 43 of which were black, on drug charges. But the cop was never able to turn over any drugs, he didn't use surveillance, and there was no fingerprint evidence. He scribbled notes on his knee. Yeah, I know.

Well, many of the cases were dismissed (some folks weren't even in town on the day they allegedly sold drugs to the cop!), and eventually many more were pardoned (after spending 2 years in prison!). And last week Coleman finally came to trial facing 3 perjury charges and up to 30 years in prison.

So here's the update. Coleman was given a 7-year sentence on PROBATION. No prison time whatsoever. I couldn't believe it. After sending 47 people to prison for a total of 750 years with no evidence other than his word (oh I did I mention a former employer also said he had "mental problems"), he only got probation. Ridiculous.

After the sentencing, Coleman summed up by telling the Judge, "I give you my word I'll be there," referring to the probation dept in the small town where the crap hit the fan.

His word, wow, that is just great coming from a 3x convicted perjurer.

It's fixed!

Hooray for MooCow!!!!!

Many many thanks to MooCow, Bathroom Reading, and Darth for letting me know that they were not able to view my blog in Firefox. Can you believe they actually made the effort to open internet explorer browser just to read my little ol' blog? MooCow offered to look at my code and found the pesky little error in the site meter code, so I was able to delete it, and now things seem to be working just fine. What a relief, thank you so so so much. Not only is MooCow a brainiac, he's hilarious. Check these guys out.

Friday Feast

I originally saw this on Jessica's blog, and I've had the prompts for several weeks without really feeling inspired to do it, but today seems like a good day to start. My other lazy option was Friday Catblogging. I lurve my kitties, but I'm sure you guys would grow bored with their whiskered faces pretty quickly. Maybe I'll alternate...

The truth though is that I'm still pretty ticked with the Firefox issue. I hate that people are having to use Explorer just to look at my blog. I know that is incredibly frustrating, I am so sorry guys. My fiance is going to try a few new things over the weekend too. If anyone thinks of anything, please please email me at texasbiscuit at gmail dot com.

Okay, back to the Friday Feast, 5 enticing courses for your mind to gobble up.

Appetizer: If you could have a free subscription to any online service, which would you like to have?

Uh, I am missing something? What exactly is an "online service"?! Pay porn sites maybe?! I googled and found lots of links to business organizations. Boring sites I wouldn't want to spend any more time with even if they were free! What a non-answer that was. I'm obviously not making up these questions.

Soup: Describe your bathroom (furnishings, colors, etc.).

I live in an apt, so am stuck with the wallpaper which is a horrid beige and navy plaid. Bleh. With a solid paint I would be happy with the other decor - purple butterflys on a sheer ivory shower curtain, and coordinating purple and ivory butterfly accessories. Can't wait to have a house to paint and wallpaper and carpet just the way I want!

Salad: What does the shape of a triangle make you think of?

My mom used to be into non-traditional metaphysical-healing-meditation stuff when I was little. I remember we used to listen to relaxation tapes together, and there was a large paper triangle with I think blues and yellows on it that we focused on. I think there was a pyramid in the middle. The tape directs you to "stare at the triangle"... "use your mind's eye" ... "find your center". I can still hear the guy's deep soothing voice, "reeeeeelax".

Main Course: Name 3 things or activities that you consider to be luxuries.

These are necessary luxuries of course: massages, an expensive pair of heels, snow days, anything leather, bubble baths, a good bottle of wine, hand written letters from loved ones - oh wait, did someone say three things?

Dessert: What was the last really great movie you watched?

The movie that made me laugh the hardest in the past few months was Meet the Fockers. I absolutely love the real-life relationships between spouses and parents and in-laws. You can't make that stuff up.

Firefox question

Yes, I recognize that I could/should go to Mozilla for help, but I figured I'd be lazy and put the request out there to you guys first. I'm only able to use Firefox at home on my laptop. I can see my blog just fine. At work I have to use Explorer. The only problem I have from work is that the links are the same color as the text so they can't be seen, but I was hoping that was just me and this crappy computer.

However, today I've been informed by two lovely readers that they can't view my blog in Firefox. Hmmm, why could this be?! And is this why I still can't manage to get to 1000 hits? Are people put off by my lack of tech knowledge and inability to test my own product before I put it out there for the public?

Oh dear. I need help.

Does anyone have an idea as to why this would happen, and more importantly, what code needs to be tweaked to fix it? I've been meaning to make some changes to the blog anyway (especially to update my blog list - I haven't forgotten about you guys that I've recently started reading!), but now I am officially motivated.

Besides the Firefox issue, this is also the time for any other suggestions or recommendations. Let me have it!

His Holiness

I asked my fiance last night (that still sounds so weird - how long does it take to get used to that new title: fiance?) if he had any ideas about what I should refer to him on my blog now that he is no longer "the boyfriend". My initial thought was "super stud", he recommended "his holiness". Nice.

Free of Garbage or Full of Garbage?

Tom Coleman is on trial for perjury this week at my courthouse. We were expecting a huge media turnout (17 national news agencies had reserved seats in the courtroom) and honestly I wouldn't have been shocked to see rioting, but it turns out there hasn't been too much drama - at least not today.

Here's his long but fascinating story dating back to 1999. If you have a few minutes, it'’ll be worth your time:

Tulia, Texas (about 75 miles north of Lubbock) is the site of what's been called one of the worst miscarriages of justice in recent memory. An undercover narcotics officer named Tom Coleman arrested 46 people - nearly all of them black - on charges of being cocaine dealers, sending many of them to prison for a total of 750 years.

You won't believe the investigator’s background:

So who is Tom Coleman? He's a former rodeo cowboy with a spotty record in law enforcement, and no experience as an undercover narcotics agent. Nevertheless, he was hired by the local sheriff in 1998 to rout out drug dealers in Tulia, a desolate farm town of some 5,000 people who have fallen on hard times.

Coleman posed as a menacing ex-convict with a taste for drugs, and infiltrated Tulia's small black community. He reported to his bosses that he had bought more than a half a pound of cocaine during his 18-month investigation.

"There was a drug problem in Tulia, and there still is. They're selling drugs right now and I guarantee you they are," says Coleman. "Why did I do it for 18 months? Because I hate dope dealers and I hate dope. Period. That's it."

Early one morning in 1999, Coleman's efforts culminated in the arrests of 13 percent of Tulia's adult black population. They were rousted out of bed, paraded in front of local television cameras in handcuffs - many of them half-dressed - and charged with selling cocaine to Coleman at various times over the course of his investigation.

The town newspaper declared: "Tulia's streets cleared of garbage."

And these statements from the people who were arrested and charged:

Freddie Brookins, Jr., 26, a former high school star athlete with no criminal record was sentenced to 20 years in prison. “"It wasn't an investigation,"” says Brookins. “"It was just a roundup, a West Texas roundup, that's all it was.”"

Yul Bryant, a 33-year-old sales clerk, was charged with selling $160 worth of cocaine. "“I was getting dressed, and when they knocked on the door, I was still in my boxers. They told me where I was going I didn't need no clothes.”"

Billy Wafer, a 45-year-old warehouse foreman, was charged with dealing 2.3 grams of cocaine to Coleman. "“I guess they wanted to be on the map,"” says Wafer. “"They wanted to be on the map by arresting so many and making this the biggest drug bust that they ever had. Whether it was done right or wrong.”"

Why was nearly everyone that Coleman arrested black? Did he intentionally target the black community? It may be no coincidence that the road led Coleman to the town's black community. It was well known that he had used racial slurs in front of his superior officers in Tulia.

Don't stop now, it gets much worse:

"Everybody's making a big deal. ‘Oh, God, he said the word 'nigger' - like, let's put him in the electric chair,'” says Coleman. “"Well, yeah, that word nigger was bad back in the '20s, '30s, '40s, and '50s and '60s and '70s, but now it's just a common slang, you know? I mean you can watch TV and hear that word, you know? It's a greeting.” "

Are you fucking kidding me??!

Coleman, who doesn’t consider himself a racist, said he used the "N" word to fit in with blacks during his investigation. He admits he also used it among his white friends: "“The word nigger, yes sir, I've used that word. I've used it a lot. Yeah, '‘What's up, nigger'".’”

In court:

They were all given harsh sentences, ranging from 20 to 341 years in prison, even though the arrests had turned up no cocaine, no drug paraphernalia, no weapons, no money, or any other signs of drug dealing.

The convictions were based solely on the uncorroborated word of Coleman, who had followed none of the standard procedures routinely used in undercover drug operations across the country.

Coleman acknowledges that he wore no wire, had no partner to corroborate his testimony, collected no fingerprint evidence and had no surveillance video or still images to prove guilt. “[Such evidence] would have helped, but that’s not how the operation went.” The only records he made of the supposed drug buys were notes of the names, dates and places - which he scrawled on his leg.

Ah, the kingpin's story:

One of the harshest sentences of all - 90 years - went to Joe Moore, a 60-year-old hog farmer who has lived much of his life in this one-room shack. Authorities described him as the drug kingpin of Tulia.

“"I didn't even know nothin' about a kingpin. I don't even know how a kingpin lives or nothing,"” says Moore. "“I don't know nothin' 'bout that. But I know they live 30 times better than this. No, a 100 times better than this.”"

The cases that were dismissed:

Defendant Billy Wafer, who had his case dismissed when he was able to show - with timecards - that he was at work at the local seed processing plant at the same time that Coleman testified Wafer was selling him cocaine. Case dismissed.

Bryant had witnesses who said he was at a fair 50 miles away at the time Coleman said he sold him drugs. And that's not all. “"In my police report he said I was a tall black man with bushy type hair,"” says Bryant. "“I'm 5 foot 7, I don't have, I haven't had any hair in like six, seven years. It wasn't me."” Case dismissed.

And then there's the case of Tonya White. Coleman says she sold him $190 worth of cocaine in Tulia on Oct. 9, 1998, at 10:15 a.m. “"That's not possible because I was at the bank in Oklahoma City at 9:45 a.m. withdrawing $8. And they got my signature on my withdrawal slip,”" says White.

Dr. Alan Bean said it best, "Poor drug dealers smoke tiny “rocks” of crack cocaine that can be purchased on the street for between $5 and $20. Powder cocaine is known as a “rich man's drug” because it costs well over a hundred dollars to buy a little baggie of powder the size of your thumb. Poor users turn to crack because they can't afford to buy powder cocaine. You can't sell what you can´t afford to buy."

What the jury never heard about Coleman:

Police officers he had formerly worked for said he needed constant supervision and had possible mental problems. They also said that he had abruptly walked off a previous job, leaving behind $7,000 in unpaid debts -- prompting the sheriff in that town to warn that, "Mr. Coleman should not be in law enforcement."

What's more, in the middle of Coleman's undercover investigation in Tulia, the man who hired him, the sheriff, arrested him on charges of stealing from a county where he had previously worked. He was permitted to continue his undercover operation in Tulia.

Why he was allowed to get away with this shoddy work:

The U.S. Justice Department has spent billions of dollars over the years funding drug task forces in small towns like Tulia. The more arrests and convictions a task force makes, the more money it receives the following year, which can be used in virtually any way it sees fit. In 1999, Coleman was rewarded for his efforts in Tulia.

The Attorney General of Texas named him outstanding officer of the year, but just six months ago, Coleman was called upon to defend his conduct before a state judge who was hearing appeals from some of those convicted in the Tulia sting.

The judge said Coleman’'s testimony was “absolutely riddled with perjury,” and that he was "the most devious, non-responsive law enforcement witness this court has witnessed in 25 years on the bench in Texas."

“"Yes sir. But that's his opinion. A lot of the juries during the trials, they spoke their verdict,"” says Coleman. “"And that was a lot of juries. And that's just one judge.”"

But that one judge set the Tulia defendants free this summer. Among them were Joe Moore, Kizzie White, and Freddie Brookins, Jr. Then 35 defendants were pardoned by Texas Gov. Rick Perry, after the judge accused Coleman of being a liar, thief and racist.

The Tulia defendants later settled a civil suit against the officials they say were responsible for their wrongful convictions. They will share a $6 million settlement. They'll never be able to get back the years they spent in prison, but the money will surely help ease some of their pain.

Tom Coleman is facing up to 10 years in prison and a $10,000 fine on each of three felony charges of aggravated perjury.

Today the court heard testimony related to Coleman's alleged theft of gasoline. I wasn't able to sit in on the testimony today, but evidently he's screwed because the prosecution is proving up the fact that Coleman lied on the stand. Perjury is a bitch, and 30 years in prison for a dishonest, incompetent, corrupt, irrational and racist cop will be just what he deserves.

I'm engaged!!

Okay, sorry to spill the beans so quickly, but you would've guessed before the end of the story anyway. So here's how it happened... Ladies, enjoy. Gentlemen, I'll try to have something a little more masculine for you to read about tomorrow.

My boyfriend (ak - fiance now!) told me Thursday he was planning a last-minute trip to Austin for us for the weekend. I guess he never really said so, but I just assumed it was for my birthday. He mentioned we were going to have a nice dinner on Friday, so I took the opportunity to go shopping for something nice. I found a fabulous black suit with some teeny tiny hot pick dots. Also picked up some great Cole Haan black strappy pumps with hot pink piping on sale - haven't bought nice shoes for myself in ages - it felt good. I don't know, I just felt the urge to splurge.

So Friday we drove up to Austin, nice road trip, about 7 hours with stops. We pulled up at the Omni downtown and the valet helped me out of the car. I figured we just had a regular room, but I was shocked to walk in to find a huge suite with 3 balconies, living and dining areas, full kitchen, and an amazing jacuzzi tub. Most gals mighta suspected something about this time, but he's just a generous guy and I'm still thinking it was a birthday treat. So we got fancied up for dinner and headed out on the town.

He took me to the Driskill, a historic landmark built in 1886. It is a magnificent hotel (special significance b/c he stayed in the hotel with his late-grandmother in the early 90's when his sister got married in Austin) with a five-star restaurant. I felt so fancy! We sat in a special booth where every president and first lady since LBJ & Ladybird sat, and every governor of Texas since the late 1800's. You can just feel the history in the place.

I ate the most delicious meal of my life on Friday. Check out Chef Bull's sample menu. How great does this food sound? I had a five course crustacean prix fixe ending with Santa Barbara Spiny Lobster Tail, Lobster Risotto, Pernod Braised Leeks, and Vanilla Apricot Gastrique. Oh man, talk about an orgy in my mouth - I've never had anything like it. So, the meal was extraordinary, but the next few moments were even more spectacular.

The dessert was served on large square plate. I think it was a butternut rum cake, but honestly, I kinda lost it about that time, because on the plate was a beautiful diamond and emerald engagement ring and the words "will you marry me?" written on the plate in chocolate. How romantic is that?! Of course, I said "yes!" So we're engaged!

We spent the rest of the weekend drinking it up on 6th street and in the plush hotel bar, eating more fabulous food, walking around UT, shopping, calling friends and family with the good news, and above all enjoying the bed and jacuzzi!!!

What a fantastic weekend! I'm so thrilled to be in love and engaged to such a wonderful and romantic fella. More on the wedding, the ring, and maybe even some pics in the coming weeks...

Oooooohh

I'll be posting all about my extended fun-filled weekend later tonight. Sorry for the huge delay - more details as soon as possible !

Mixing drinks

This is . : A : .'s blog and you should check it out.
. : A : . wrote this. Isn't it great?!

Mixing drinks

The drink mingled
With my thoughts
And my thoughts
Gave way
To my secrets

The clear drink
A perfect place
A hiding place
To create
New memories

My boyfriend and I are headed to Austin this weekend - an early celebration for my birthday.

I hope everyone has a fantabulous weekend!!

Does ANYONE like their job?

A friend stopped by my office yesterday, and amidst the normal chit-chat about new years, plans for this weekend, school and the like, he asked, "so do you like your new position?". Normally my answer would be yeah, it's a nice change of pace, and change the subject. But I got the idea that he really wanted to know... So I got to thinking...

No, in the grand scheme of things, I do not like my job.

Don't get me wrong, I don't hate it my any means. It has it's benefits. My supervisor is great. His office is in another building and I only run into him about once a week, if that. I have my own rather large private office in the courthouse (with a locking door and no window - great for lunch-time naps). I've met some great people who I expect will be indispensable contacts and references in the future. Oh, and I can't neglect to acknowledge unlimited and, as far as I know, unmonitored internet access.

But it comes down to this. my current position is completely un.ful.filling.

When I was a probation officer I actually helped people (or at least that is what I like to tell myself). I wasn't the type who screamed and threw pencil cups when an offender confessed to smoking a joint or being out past curfew. I was more the gal who listened to what was going with their spouse, the abuse they may have suffered as a child, the substance dependence they may (or may not be) fighting against, inability to find a stable job and out of control financial problems.

Now god knows I'm not the one to "fix" most of their issues, but as the vast majority of my probationers came from completely dysfunctional homes, and it is a rare occasion that they'd had someone who even took an interest in their story. So that was me. Of course I had a job to do too, to monitor compliance, and I did that as well, but I found that just listening and referring people to an outside resource when appropriate was a lot more effective than telling them what a fuck up they are, how I'm sending them to jail for non-compliance, and how they will never amount to anything if they stay on this path (a technique that is amazingly popular in the law-enforcement community).

Now I rarely meet with offenders, and never get a chance for repeated contact and rapport building. And I miss that. I am grateful for the promotion and the raise, but frankly anyone with enough common sense and respect to be able to handle themselves in a courtroom and with judges could do this job. When I'm not in court explaining probation to new offenders or visiting with the DAs about probationer's violations, I'm basically just pushing papers, getting signatures, and making sure legal documents are filed in a timely manner.

It's pretty discouraging to think that I'm wasting my days away doing this. I could be doing so much more. And will be ... soon. Only one more year of grad school until I can get back to doing what I love - counseling - working with people in need - in need of assistance - in need of encouragement - in need of emotional support - in need of skills to deal with the bull shit in their lives - in need of someone to listen. Just one more year...

Musical Honesty

I saw this here first.

Instructions:
1. Open up the music player on your computer.
2. Set it to play your entire music collection.
3. Hit the "shuffle" command.
4. Tell us the title of the next ten songs that show up (with their musicians), no matter how embarrassing. That's right, no skipping that Carpenters tune that will totally destroy your hip credibility. It's time for total musical honesty.

1. Easy -– Lionel Richie
2. Song of the South -– Alabama
3. Blowin' Me Up –- JC Chasez
4. Der Kommisar –- Falco
5. Summertime –- DJ Jazzy Jeff
6. Songs About Rain -– Gary Allen
7. Lust for Life –- Iggy Pop
8. Drunk in the Morning -– Kid Rock
9. Bad Girls -– Donna Summer
10. Leaving on a Jet Plane -– Jewel

Okay, I am fairly mortified by the JC Chasez song. Oh well. Otherwise it's a pretty accurate mix of oldies, country, and rock.

By the way, if you are using Firefox (and you should be!) and haven'’t downloaded this extension yet, you should do so asap. It adds a tiny little control bar to navigate your mp3's on your browser so you don'’t have to keep going back and forth to your iTunes window when you want to change songs. You'll love it!

Medium

Medium ... and that's just how I felt about it ... just kinda ho-hum. I'd been looking forward to this new show for a month or more. I've always been intrigued by this kind of program - mediums, psychics, ghosts, UFOs, the supernatural, and anything, well - weird. Do you remember Twin Peaks? Man, I really miss that show (the dancing midget, Laura Palmer, BOB - shit, I can still picture one of the last episodes when he was crouching by the couch - so freakin' scary!).

I know Medium is based on the work of a real person, so maybe they couldn't take too many liberties with her work, but I was a bit disappointed in her portrayal. Seems unrealistic that she can not only "talk" to dead folks, but also read the minds of the living, and pick up on clues from inanimate objects. Come on, doesn't she get any false or dead readings - people who just won't/can't communicate with her? Oh well, I know ACW doesn't buy it, but I WANT to believe. I'll give it another chance next week, but this show is no Twin Peaks or Pretender...

Besides, it portrays the Texas Rangers as cocky closed-minded asses. Maybe they are, I've never met one, but it just seems a tad stereotypical - I'm surprised they didn't show the Rangers riding in on their horses. Ugh.

HELP!!

Does anyone use Hello by Picasa to host their photos? I've been trying to upload pics the past 24 hours and it ain't working. Any thoughts? Who do you use to host photos?

Black eyed peas

Did you eat your black eyed peas for good luck in the new year? Why do southerners eat peas on Jan 1st?

Among the black-eyed pea hypotheses are that on Sherman’s crop-burning march through Georgia, black-eyed pea crops were left alone since Yankees thought they were weeds. Black-eyed peas and salt pork were all some Southerners had to keep themselves alive, so the tradition of associating these beans with good luck started there.

New Year w/ Brad Pitt

Thursday after work we went to the sports bar for wings, a "couple" beers, and to watch the Holiday Bowl - Tech vs [some college in California] - not even sure of the final score but Tech won ... you can tell I'm a huge football fan.

After the game we walked across the street to the irish pub for a "couple" whiskey and diet cokes. Drank there until last call then chowed down on the best brisket burritos in west Texas (has nothing to do with the drunk-factor - it really is the best - if you are ever in Lubbock, you must go see Ferlis, his BBQ will amaze your taste buds).

Then we stayed up until 4:30, well, um, you know.

After nursing that whiskey hangover the BF and I were less than thrilled about attending the New Years Eve party we'd been invited to on Friday. I wanted to go see my friends and meet their significant others, but sure didn't want to drink anymore. But, I made my dips, got dressed up and we headed to the party anyway.

45 minutes later, we were still looking for the house. I had a good map, but the house was out in the country. My map had street names like Indiana and Quaker. The street signs had names like CR 1770 and CR 1850. WTF? I am just not good with country roads, we were lost as hell, and it was way dark. So we gratefully took that as a sign that we weren't meant to spend this new year's eve getting sloshed and clinking champagne glasses.

We found a familiar road and headed back into town. We enjoyed a scrumptious mexican meal at Ruby Tequila's then watched Oceans Twelve. The movie kinda blew, but you can't beat ringing in the new year with Brad Pitt & Julia Roberts.

It wasn't the mind-blowing drunk hook-up fests I've been reading about on a lot of blogs today, but it was a really nice night. And overall, I think it's a good predictor of the year to come. Less drinking, more responsible choices for the future, more special time with my loved ones. Plus, just for kicks, let's aim for a little more studying and a little less fast food, more blogging and less sleeping in pjs, more reading and less TV watching, more saving for a car and less impulse shopping at Target, more hand written letters to my grandmothers and less ice cream.

2005 is going to be a spectacular year. Bring it on!

Happy New Year!

Sims 2

This is one of the reasons I've been slacking on my blog entries the past week. Oh, I lurrve Sims so much. The detail in the new game is astonishing - from designing your house (there are now multiple color/fabric choices for each peice of furniture) to designing you Sim (they now have DNA that is passed on to their kids, they age, and they have wants and fears (yesterday my sim wanted to "woo-hoo" with her boyfriend!). It is so addicting though - I tend to get lost for hours in my Sims lives. You can even make your sims do yoga now!

But for now, no more Sims... I've got to finish making my 7-layer and cucumber dips, take a little nap, figure out what in the world to wear, and head off to our New Years Eve party by 8. Hope everyone has a safe and fun evening!

3 generations

Mom, Grandmother (she looks pretty good for 95, huh?), and me - Christmas 2004.

Most cherished gift

Although I was blessed with numerous fun and thoughtful gifts this Christmas (more on that later), here's the story behind my most cherished present...

My grandmother is an incredibly skilled woodworker. For many years she and my grandfather owned the only furniture store in their town. She has always had a great appreciation for fine furnishing and woodwork. Then after she retired from the furniture business and my grandfather died in the 70s, she started building and finishing her own furniture. She has designed and crafted dozens of absolutely amazing pieces - works of art really - from curio cabinets and pie safes to bowls and butterflies.

So this Thanksgiving, as my 30th birthday and my grandmother's 96th birthday approached, she asked what I wanted for Christmas. After living off of retirement and social security benefits for longer than your average bear, she doesn't have a lot of money to spend on frivolous gifts, and this year I knew just the thing to ask for. I told her that I'd like one of the projects that she'd handmade.

Neither that conversation nor my possible gift crossed my mind again until we opened presents together on the 27th. She gave me 3 cutting boards that she not only made by hand (from scraps from other projects if you can believe that!), but has also used in her own kitchen for many years. I was so excited and overwhelmed that I started crying right there in the middle of a pile of holiday tissue paper.

I remember spending summers out in her woodshop as a child, reading Judy Blume novels on a nearby swing and enjoying the smell of the sawdust as she sawed and sanded. And now I own a special hierloom to remember our summers together.

I am so blessed to have my grandmother in my life. She is remarkably kind and thoughtful, not to mention amazingly talented, and thankfully the healthiest and most lively 95-year old I know! May she stay healthy, keep crafting, and spend ten more summers and Christmases with us.

Tsunami victims

Do what you can to help the victims of the devastating tsunami in southern Asia and eastern Africa. How we've helped so far primarily in the areas of water sanitation services, family linking and reunification, and relief supply distribution.

80,000 deaths and still counting...

You can even pick up a tee like this if you want to get something tangible in return for your financial support.

Back to work

Ugh - wasn't ready to come back to work today. Would much rather be back in the mountains - damn only getting paid when I actually show up to work! Sadly I have tons to finish up before the end of the year (end of the year?! How is that possible?!) Plus we still have family in town to attend to... SO all this is to say, no time to blog and post holiday pictures quite yet. Looking forward to catching up on everyone's holiday vacation / family drama / gift blogging over the next couple days...

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas!!

Hope you are having a wonderful
holiday with your friends and loved ones.

Sweeeet PJs

Busy busy with holiday preparations - wrapping presents, cleaning house, buying alcohol (uh, did you know Lubbock is a "dry" county - we have to drive 20 minutes each way to buy beer and wine - I will have to do an entire post on the stupidity of the theory behind this one day, but for now, suffice to say it really blows). With all this going on, not much time or inspiration to write...

However, I did get to open an early-early Christmas present tonight. BF got me some awesome pajamas. They are purple with a funky pony-tailed girl on them and say

I will not wear my pj's to class
I will not wear my pj's to class
I will not wear my pj's to class

How great is that?!

Fishtailing to work

3 inches of snow last night + temps in the 20s all day = sucky sucky roads. I know a good part of the nation is seeing this kinda weather this week, but we Texans are not used to this kind of cold (it's 19 now - brrrr!). I am a slow and cautious driver when the weather is inclimate, but I was still fishtailing all over the place this morning - as were most of the other cars on the roads. Scary. The local news said there were over 100 wrecks in Lubbock in the last 24 hours. Yikes. I hope this mess clears up so we can make it to Ruidoso for Christmas.

Traveling cat

We finished all our Christmas shopping on Thursday, got gifts wrapped, and even managed to get everything in the mail Friday morning. Would you believe family in Chicago already got their presents - that is a record (for me and USPS) - my gifts have be known to show up after the holiday on multiple occasions.

Anyway, during the packing process, Cajun decided he was tired of Texas and wanted to travel for the holidays. So he put a bow on his neck and hopped right into the box. He's telling me that he prefers Florida over Colorado as he isn't too keen on having cold wet paws due to the snow. I told him I'd see what I could do, but that it isn't cheap to mail a 15-pound cat these days, and he might just have to get a job and save up for a trip next year.

Enchanting

I had the pleasure of watching Finding Neverland at the theatre last night. I've never seen such a beautiful tale of believing and unlocking one's imagination as in this film. The fabulous Johnny Depp as James Barrie, stunning Kate Winslet as Sylvia Llewelyn Davies, and her boys took us on a journey through the inspiration behind the magical story of Peter Pan.

If you haven't seen Finding Neverland yet, add it to your holiday to-do list. It is a memorable and enchanting experience.

But NOT ME!

I was shocked to read that W. had been voted Time's person of the year - again. However, it is interesting that Stalin and Hitler have also been awarded the honor. I guess I would have to agree with Time's editor that Bush IS the person that "most affected the news and our lives, for good or for ill"...

I was saving this for the first major f*ck up of the new administration, but perhaps today is a good day to share this little tale:

The election is over, the voting is done.
My party lost, your party won.
Let's all pull together, let bitterness pass.
I'll hug your elephant, you kiss my ass.

Over 59 million Americans voted to retain a President who was quoted as saying that Osama bin Laden (the mastermind behind the deaths of over 3000 people) is "not important"...but NOT ME!

Over 59 million Americans voted to approve the slaughter of American soldiers and innocent Iraqi men, women, and children over nonexistent weapons of mass destruction...but NOT ME!

Over 59 million Americans voted to approve the second class citizenship of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Americans...but NOT ME!

Over 59 million Americans voted to re-elect a President with the worst job loss record since Herbert Hoover and the worst budget deficit in history...but NOT ME!

Want to read some really smart political commentary? Check out Michael and Sarah.

Smarty pants

I. am. pleased. (hear Tom Skerritt in River Runs Through It when he finds out his son - not Brad Bitt, the uglier one - was hired as a professor at a university) .

Grades posted today and I got a 4.0 again this semester. It really blows me away that I can earn a 4.0 in graduate school while working full time, but could barely muster a 2.8 in undergrad (and that was after grade replacements!).

I guess there is a lot to be said for some maturity and focus. Thank God for maturity and focus.

Filthy bastard

A 24-year old punk was placed on probation today for assaulting his girlfriend of 5 years. I witness dozens of these cases every week, but today was different. The abused and her family requested to read their victim impact statements before the court.

The victim spoke first. Tears were streaming down her face and her hands were trembling. She bravely told the judge her story explaining how her boyfriend beat, strangled and choked her, how he pulled her through the house by her hair, how he whipped and burned her, and how even though she still loved him, she could no longer allow him to treat her - or their infant son - in this way.

The victim's mother then read her letter telling the judge the pain and hurt she'd seen in her daughter's eyes, yet how loyal she'd been to her boyfriend, despite his constant physical and verbal abuse. The mother said that she realized early on that there was little she could do to protect her daughter, and that trying to separate the two only compelled her daughter to run further into the arms of the boy.

Finally the father, an ex-marine, attempted to explain to the court the rage he felt when he was finally forced to recognize that his young daughter wasn't just "bumping into a cabinet at work" or "taking an elbow in a basketball game". Like I suspect many fathers would, he wanted to kill the boy, and he admitted this to the court. Yet instead he called the police, and continued to file reports until something was done. He said in the final instance, the boy beat his daughter with a 2 inch wooden dowel, which was shamefully attached at the opposite end to an American flag.

Today I was sitting where I could see both the family and the abuser's faces. This kid was well dressed and clean cut - interestingly he looked a lot like the recent pictures of Scott Peterson. While the family spoke, the defendant showed absolutely no remorse, no sadness at all. Even my eyes welled up with tears, but not his. All I could see was an emptiness in his eyes, a deep empty hollow. I watched him repeatedly clench his jaw and his fists. He is so angry. He felt embarrassed and disrespected. I don't know how or when, but I have no doubt that this kid will go find this beautiful young woman and hurt her again. I am so afraid that I will read about her in the paper one day. And how lousy that even when working in "the system" I still feel completely helpless to do anything to help her.

Wonder Woman

I was thinking about wonder woman today. How perfect was she?! Beautiful crime fighter, the bullet deflecting bracelets, the invisible plane, and that truth-telling lasso. Man, what I wouldn't do now to borrow that lasso for a day...

When I was 5, I had a Wonder Woman birthday party. The cake of course, and mom even made party favors of gold crowns, bracelets, and the red ball earrings for everyone to take home. I was the coolest girl in kindergarten that week.

Oh, and of course I had the underoos. Just found out they are making them for adults now, sweet.

Yummy!

Made this fabulous recipe tonight. Put the carmel popcorn in mason jar and topped it with a square of plaid Christmasy fabric for family and co-workers. Very easy, fast, and cheap. Excellent idea if you feel the need to give to folks, but don't have the cash or time to shop. I truly believe that people appreciate homemade gifts more than some last minute crap you pick up at the dollar general, especially when it's edible! Found several yum recipes here, including this one.

Caramel Almond Popcorn Clusters

10 cups freshly popped popcorn (1 bag microwave)
2 cups firmly packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup butter or margarine
1/4 cup light corn syrup
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon baking soda

* Preheat oven to 225 degrees. Spray 15 x 10 baking sheet with non-stick spray. Mix popcorn and almonds in large bowl.
* Combine brown sugar, butter, and corn syrup in medium saucepan. Over low heat, stir mixture until sugar dissolves. Increase heat to high and boil 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Stir in vanilla, almond extract and baking soda.
* Pour over popcorn and almonds, immediately stirring gently to coat. Pour mixture onto prepared baking sheet, spreading evenly.
* Bake for 1 hour in preheated oven. Cool completely. Break into pieces and store in airtight container.

Okay, yeah, I never said it was healthy - but it sure is tasty!

Migraine

Ugh - migraine - flashy lights, no peripheral vision, seeing spots. Can't read, can't work, certainly can't drive home until it calms down. Already took some excedrin - shouldn't be much longer now. No pain though, what a blessing.

//Turning off lights and hiding under desk until it passes.

The day the elves won the lottery

GTA Soundtrack

BF finished his last final today so I gave him an early Christmas present - Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. He loved Vice City, and has been drooling over the new game for months. Anyway, he got it today, and I probably won't see him for a week. (Plenty of blogging time for me!)

I know, I know, violence, language, prostitutes, drugs... I've heard it. I wouldn't buy it for my 12 year old - no one should. But for the rest of us adults out there, it's pretty damn funny.

Anyway, the soundtrack on the game is incredible. Whenever you carjack someone, you can listen to any of about a dozen radio stations - lots of hip hop, but also rock, country, talk (the fabulous blogger Wil Weaton - c'mon, you remember Gordy from Stand by Me - is even featured on the talk radio station!)

Anyway, as for the soundtrack, here are a few of the tracks from the 1990's that I've missed:

It Takes Two - Rob Base
How I Could Kill a Man - Cypress Hill
Express Yourself - NWA
Nuthin' But a "G" Thang - Dr. Dre
It Was a Good Day - Ice Cube
Let It Whip - Dazz Band
Fantastic Voyage - Lakeside
I Love a Rainy Night - Eddie Rabbit
Crazy - Willie Nelson
Running Down a Dream - Tom Petty
White Wedding - Billy Idol
Pressure Drop - The Maytals
Poison - Bell Biv Devoe
Plush - Stone Temple Pilots
Personal Jesus - Depeche Mode

If you've got Limewire and iTunes (or any other way of stealing, uh, I mean sharing files), check out the GTA:SA playlist. Excellent variety of classic 90s jams.

Do you know your ethnicity?

Today I was reviewing an offender's data sheet before his plea (does he live in our neighborhood? work at my favorite restaurant?). Name, Address, Employment - nothing of interest. But then I get down to Ethnicity.

In the Ethnicity blank he wrote:

Christian (Methodist)

ahahahaha *cough* haha *gulp* hahahaha *spit*

Now usually this would just be a sad case of an under-educated offender. Not a problem for me - kids drop out of school to take care of their own families, when things are fucked up at home, for financial reasons, addictions, etc - sometimes school just isn't a priority and when you are a kid you are just too young to realize (or care) how it may affect you in the future...

But I digress. THIS particular dude is not an under-educated bum. He is a junior.in.college. A white upper-class male who's father is an attorney. In fact, he attends the same outstanding institution at which I'm completing my master's program.

I don't know, is this a negative reflection on me - that someone could get through three years of college, at my university, and not know the difference between ethnicity and religion?! I am not pleased.

Best/worst of 2004 - first installation

Jen and her Dad have a hilarious colaborative blog. Check out Jen's best/worst of 2004 list. Great idea - I hope to post something of this nature when/if I get through the holidays!

51 things you never knew about me

I've never about those this-or-that or favorites lists that everyone seems to be emailing these days. But Kicking Bitch (aka Rene) has been inspiring me with the boldness of her recent sex quizzes. I'll get to those another time, but first, here's a combination of a couple lists I found on Bum's blog. So here ya go, 51 things you never knew about Texas Biscuit:

----------------HAVE YOU EVER---------------
1) Been so drunk you blacked out: I've been known to forget conversations that take place after 1 a.m.
2) Been hurt emotionally: Sure, isn't that the only way we eventually learn what we really want in a relationship?
3) Kept a secret from everyone: No, eventually I'll tell someone.
4) Had an imaginary friend: I can't remember her name right now, but we played dress-up together.
5) Cried during a movie: What movie do I NOT cry through?
6) Had a crush on a teacher: Only my P.E. coach in junior high - back when “coach shorts” were sexy
7) Thought an animated character was hot: Uh, Pepe le Pew?
8) Had a New Kids on the Block tape: Honestly? Their Christmas CD was the first CD I ever bought - the year I got my first CD player - followed immediately by Tiffany, Debbie Gibson, and Huey Lewis and the News. Ah, the 80s.
9) Been on stage: Several school musicals, but best memories are from dancing in the Nutcracker as a child.
10) Cut your hair yourself: Seemed like a good idea at the time. Not so much.

----------------FAVORITES------------------------
11) Shampoo: Pantene
12) Color: Black, bright pink, icy pale blue
13) Day/Night: night = free time
14) Season: Spring's temperatures, Fall's foliage
15) Lace or Satin: Satin I guess - I've had a thing against lace since I was forced to wear dresses as a child
16) Cartoon Character: Ain't that many funny comic strips anymore. Cathy still cracks me up.
17) Food: Spinach enchiladas from Casa Ole, Orlando's fettuccini alfredo, Double Dave's pepperoni rolls, Rib Crib's ribs.
18) Movie: Immortal Beloved, Kill Bill 2, Charlie's Angels, Father of the Bride
19) Ice Cream: Rocky road and mint chocolate chip
20) School Subject: Psychology (or anything not involving math or athletics)
21) 'Normal' Drink: Iced tea w/ lemon (NO sweetener)
22) Alcohol Drink(s): Jack and diet coke
23) Person(s): Boyfriend, parents & 95-year old grandmother, Lisa, Cajun & Jezebel (and my cats are "persons" aren't they?)

----------------RIGHT NOW-------------------
24) Wearing: Jeans and pale blue turtleneck
25) Hair: Straight (thank you Chi iron!), below shoulders, blonde highlights
26) Drinking: Diet cherry coke
27) Eating: Just finished homemade chili with cheese, fritos, and an apple
28) Thinking about: Christmas list for family (oh God, it's only 2 weeks away!)
29) Listening to: iTunes - currently on "K"s - Kelly Clarkson, Kid Rock, the Kinks...
30) Talking to: Not talking - can't talk and type at the same time!

-----------IN THE LAST 24 HRS-------------
31) Cried: Yes, tonight when I watched the Sex in the City finale where Charlotte finds out they are getting their adopted baby
32) Met someone: No one new (I don't think bloggers count - although the ones I've been chatting with recently are fantastic!)
33) Done laundry: No, but have to wash my black pants before work tomorrow
34) Drove a car: Yes - see hunk of junk from yesterday's post

-----------DO YOU BELIEVE IN-------------
35) Yourself: Almost always
36) Your friends: A lot more than they believe in themselves at times
37) Santa Claus: Sure, who else would eat those cookies I leave on the mantle?
38) Tooth Fairy: Nah, haven't made contact in years - maybe once I get my wisdoms pulled
39) Destiny/Fate: Absolutely. There is a plan greater than myself.
40) Angels: Yes - I think they help out in the above mentioned plan
41) Ghosts: No direct experience, but I think there are spirits about
42) UFOs: Again, no direct experience, but I'’d be a fool to believe we were the only inhabitants in the galaxy

---------------OTHER RANDOMS------------------
43) What is your biggest fear? Disappointing people who are important to me
44) What is underneath your bed? Probably some dirty socks and my boyfriend's shotgun (yeah, we live in Texas)
45) Where do you want to get married? Mountains in Colorado
46) What color are your kitchen plates? White Lenox w/ off-white trees on them
47) What is your favorite TV show? Six Feet Under
48) What is your favorite game? Drinking game: 3-man; Family game: UNO
49) What is your favorite Christmas song? O Come All Ye Faithful
50) What is the first thing you think of in the morning? Coffee, STAT!
51) What would your dream job be? Today, I'd like to work at a zoo, in the nursery

New layout

The living-in-sin boyfriend (as the lovely Le Chat Noir would say) was incredibly patient and helpful tonight. He offered to help me change up my blog format just a tad so it isn't exactly like the black blogger template that so many people use. I also wanted to start a blogroll of all the people I read and those who have been nice enough to comment on my blog. Thanks friends for visiting and thanks BF for helping!

The big three-zero

Countdown to my thirtieth birthday: days.
I'm not ready...

Thanks State Farm!

I was in a car wreck a couple weeks ago, and although it was a rather horrifying experience, this was the extent of the damage to my old tank. Two different agents at my insurance company told me that since there were so many vehicles involved (7), and since I had the least damage of all of them, that the accident-causer's policy probably wouldn't have enough money left over to fix my car too. Drat. I would've been happy just to get $100 to repair the blinker. A couple friends told me to pursue it - if he caused it he should pay - that it wasn't my fault he fudged up seven cars instead of just a couple.

But before I even had a chance to get the police report and call his insurance company, State Farm called me with some incredible news. For a number of reasons, they were going to take care of my car first. Their estimators said the damage was about $1600 (seriously, it didn't look that bad to me!). However, due to the age of the car, it was still "totaled". So I had two options:

1) Take the book value ($2100) and surrender the car to the insurance company.
2) Take the book value minus the salvage value ($1600) and keep the car.

Where do I sign??! If I were advertising it in the paper, I don't think I could get more than $500. It's an 1989 Grand Marquis, relatively low mileage, leather seats, power everything - it was my grandmother's and she hardly ever drove it and it never spent a night out of the garage, until I inherited it 2 years ago. So that added to the value. But it has since had some mechanical probs (including 'losing' 4th gear, doors won't lock, automatic windows won't roll down, etc).

Anyhoo... I'll be picking up my check just after the new year and will be buying a new car! Of course, it won't be new-new, but something manufactured in the current decade will be nice! I'm going to put most of my student loan money on it too. Yeah, I know I still have to pay it back - but I'll tackle that obstacle when my forbearance expires.

Thanks State Farm for the new car! Knock-on-wood, but I think that seven-car pileup is the best Christmas present ever!

Missing tree...

Well I've really gone and done it this time.

I finally got around to pulling out the Christmas stuff today. The past two years we've had a live tree, but decided to use the artificial one this year to avoid the pine-needle aftermath (the cats love to drink out of the base, and the tree dries up way too quick, thus a million needles in the carpet). It took a while to dig all the stuff out of storage, but I found the lights, the ornaments, the garland, the advent calendar (oops, missed 11 days on that one!), the candy village ... Everything except the damn tree. I KNOW we had a 5 or 6 foot tree. Used it for several years, but not in this apartment. Did it not make the move? Did I at some point accidentally or purposely throw it away? Did someone swipe it from the storage shed? I mean, how does a full sized Christmas tree in it's box just up and disappear?!

I don't know where it is, but it is definitely not here. So I'm going to be making a midnight trip to Wal-Mart to get a new one. Maybe this one won't pull a Houdini on me.

By the way, this picture is of the christmas tree in Zilker Park in Austin. It is just strands spiraling multi colored lights. The tradition is to walk up underneath it, grab a partner (or two or three), look up, and start spinning. Sounds a little nuts, I know, but it's a ton of fun.

Christmas kitty

Ever heard of photographer Rachael Hale? I found her precious pet photos on Jessica's blog. DARLING!

No guilt here

I just read my last post, and it kinda makes me sound like some big square holy roller. Nopers. I've been living with my boyfriend for the past 4 years. One of my co-workers asked me at that conference if I felt guilty for living together before we got married. Uh, nooo. I'm 29 years old, and don't think I'm going to hell for living with my boyfriend for a few years before we tie the knot. I wouldn't let my teenager get away with it (thus, the previous post), but for me, it's just right.

Fragile Families

I attended a 6-hour "Healthy Marriage, Fragile Families, and Responsible Fatherhood" summit yesterday. We heard a lot about teen pregnancy, marriage and divorce rates (the one that continues to baffle me is that 50% of marriages today will end in divorce - horrid). They spoke on pre-marital education (a fabulous idea - I wish it was mandatory nationwide) and family violence (have to be careful not to push for marriage so hard that girls feel pressured to stay in abusive relationships). There were a couple of really boring presentations on gov't benefits (not that some people don't deserve benefits, but the speakers were dullsville).

Texas Atty General Greg Abbott spoke as well (would you believe that he was permanently paralyzed while jogging? A tree fell on him!). Interesting statistic: Texas collected 1.7 billion (with a B!) dollars in child support last year. Of course, the real tragedy is that these kids are growing up without their dads in their lives - a cavernous hole that no amount of money can fill - but at least some of these fathers are trying to help out financially.

The best speaker was a pastor from Chattanooga, Dr. Rozario Slack. He was fabulous - a complete inspiration. He is one of the head honchos in a program called First Things First, an organization dedicated to strengthening families: focusing on fathering, marriage, and sexual abstinence before marriage.

Okay, but I had intentions of writing about these panelists, 3 very young couples with kids. One girl had her first child at 14. Holy cow. Just to save you from doing the math, that is 9th grade. Man, the only thing I learned about sex in the 9th grade was what an orgasm was supposed to sound like from Meg Ryan in When Harry Met Sally! One of the girls waited until she was 18 - BUT she had twins with deformities in their hands and feet (some digits fused together). All 6 mommies & daddies are still together (all are participating in a community marriage education/counseling program), and said they want to get married. They were so immature though. When asked why they were waiting to get married one guy said b/c he wanted to have a big reception for his friends. Too bad they weren't as concerned about financial responsibility before having a child. Also, when asked the best part of having a baby, two of the guys had similar answers: "I made him, he's gonna be just like me". Yikes. Well I just hope things work out for those kids, (the big ones and the babies). Hopefully they have a strong support system and a lot of patience and love in their hearts...

Survivor & Apprentice

Bye Jules. I wish she could've stuck around another week or two, she seemed pretty genuine (rare in this game). I'm definitely putting my money on Chris for the big win. He's really playing the game. If he can make it to the final-2, he's in like flynn. The jury likes and respects him. I don't think he's made any enimies (so far). Scout is cool lady, but I don't think she deserves to win because of her knee problems - she's gotten killed on every single challenge. Twila is tough enough but she's been a overly bitchy the past couple shows. And as for Eliza - whaaah.

Now, as for The Apprentice, I am shocked that the Donald let Kevin and Sandy go. And he kept Jenn?! Maybe she is really bright and creative, and maybe the editors are just trying to push that "dumb blonde" thing to boost ratings for the final show, but I doubt it. I'm definitely rooting for Kelly.

Nut job psychic

I usually listen to Dallas’ Kidd Kraddick in the morning on my way to work. During a commercial break this morning I switched over to a local radio show, Z102 (have you ever seen a crappier website?), and heard the most asinine psychic ever. The caller just gave her name and age and this is what the psychic came up with:

Psychic Suzanna: Helloooo there, first of, are you pregnant?
Caller: No.
Psychic Suzanna: Are you trying to get pregnant?
Caller: No.
Psychic Suzanna: But don’t you want to be pregnant?
Caller: NO.
Psychic Suzanna: Well then don’t do anything with the lights off (laughs nervously)!
Caller: Um, okaaay...
Psychic Suzanna: And this is for like the next 20 years – really, don’t do anything in the bedroom if you don’t want to get pregnant - because I can see into your future, and you have kids!
Caller: Okay, sure, whatever (disgusted, hangs up).

First of all, I do believe some folks are just more in tune with those who have already passed into the next life (or are still here with us working through some unfinished business). Have you ever seen John Edward’s show where he “talks” to deceased family members of the audience? I guess some of that may be fake, but when it comes down to it, if his message gives the living some peace, isn’t that a good thing? If my father suddenly died in a fiery car crash, and John Edward later told me Dad died quickly and without pain, and that he remembers when we [insert some personal experience that no one else could know], then I think that would help me deal with my grief.

On occasion I’ve even gotten sucked into that pet psychic show on Animal Planet, but I think that lady is full of it. I mean how all-knowing do you have to be to tell me that my cat loves to sleep in the sun, he’s still kinda bitter that I cut off his parts, but other than that he loves me more than life itself and tries to show it by sleeping on my head at night?

John Edward – a fantastic medium, a blessing to those he’s able to reach out to; Pet Psychic – a bit shady, but at least she loves animals; Psychic Suzanna – a total faker, my cat could be a better fortune teller.

Comments

I just set up Halo Scan for comments.
Test-Test-1-2-3.

DONE!!

Well, at 2:30am I finished my last paper for my last class of the semester. It was kinda a bitch too - 10 pages on the effects of media advertisements on adolescents with eating disorders - pretty discouraging statistics really. But, the point here is that I am done with grad school ... for 34 days anyway (but who's counting?!). I have vowed not to set foot in the library, pick up a counseling-related book, or even think about next semester for at least a month. During those last few days before classes start I can try to figure out how the hell I'm going to squeeze in an extra 12 hours a week for practicum into my already hectic schedule. Man, thank God I don't have kids yet - I just don't know how people juggle a full time job, grad school, and a family. My heart goes out to anyone who has that kind of patience, and I wish I could learn a thing or two from you about time management (finishing a paper at 2am is getting a lot less cool the older I get).

Email our military

I received a forward this weekend inviting me to send a holiday greeting to our military overseas at Any Service Member.org. I checked out the website and was a tad turned off that instead of taking a moment to send out a heartfelt holiday message to our troops, I had to spend 5 minutes wading through a laundry list of "do nots": Do not curse. Do not get political. Do not post forwards. Do not use excessive punctuation or caps. Do not write poetry (no poetry?!). Oh, and you have to spell correctly! Jeez, I'm all about spelling and grammar, but are our soldiers really going to reject our "thanx" and "prayrs"? I was irritated with that site and decided to look for another outlet for my message.

I googled Operation Dear Abby and Email Our Military which look okay, but there are no dates and I can't tell if they are active sites, and there is no verification re if and when and how emails will be received and by whom...

SO, I'm curious, does anyone know a good website in which I can send our troops wishes and prayers for the holidays?

"hunks"

Ever googled "hunk" images? (Yes, these are the kind of things I do in order to procrastinate on those last few pages of my last paper of the entire semester!) This is one of the many tasty pics that show up. Sadly there was a bunch of crap too: several dogs (and a cat?) named hunk, a hunk of cheese, too many wieners in bikinis (nothing hunky about speedos if you ask me!), a hunk of the berlin wall, a diet book called From Chunk to Hunk, and most disturbing of all - a gif of Mr Bean in his tighty-whiteys with his wang doing a dance - make it stop, make it stop!

Well, maybe that disturbing image is enough to get me back to my paper. It'll just take a couple hours and I will be done with grad school for 5 weeks. I think I can... I think I can... I think I can...

Virtual bubblewrap

Freaking over finals? Got a jackass boss? Stinky relationship?
Relieve that stress and pop the bubblewrap!

Take me away!

No idea where this is, looks like it might be photoshopped, but that doesn't matter - I want to be there - lounging on the white sand after a hike, basking in the sun, admiring the mountains in the distance, drinking something fruity with an umbrella in it, and reading something mindless that is completely unrelated to school...

Christmas preparations

I read a funny Dave Barry column this morning about how men shop for Christmas presents, and how proof goes back to the three wise men showing up in Bethlehem with gold, frankincense and myrrh:

So the Wise Men showed up at the manger, handed their baby gifts to Mary, and headed for the eggnog. Mary looked at the gifts -- which were not wrapped, nor were they accompanied by cards -- rolled her eyes, tossed the gum resins to the goats (which ate them) and said: ''Next Christmas, we are going to have some gift-giving RULES.'' But the Wise Men didn't hear her, because by then they were over by the crib trying to teach the Baby Jesus to pull their finger.

However, I'll be the first to say that I am not super-prepared for Christmas this year. I've picked up a couple little gifts here and there while we're traveling, but certainly don't have anything wrapped and in the mail. In fact, I've handmade our Christmas cards the past couple years (and I must admit they were pretty impressive!), but just don't think I'm going to have time this season. Maybe next weekend I will finalize my gift list and hit the mall... Today, I have to write a paper for class...

Accident, part deux

Well, this pic from today's paper captures yesterday's drama a bit more accurately. That is my head floating over to the left of the melee. Please take note of the on-its-side truck that could've crushed me
........ dramatic pause ........

Thank God for my big old tank - who knew my lack of financial planning to get a new sporty fiberglass car would ever pay off like this?!

I'm going to a work Christmas party after work, so no doubt will not be up for posting when I get home tonight. Hopefully will have tons of fun pics worthy of sharing. Nothing says "fun" like a bunch of slobbering drunk probation officers gabbing about crime, horrible offenders, and "the system".

Ohhh, my neeeck

I took the morning off work to get my nails done and go to two dr's appts (got two cavities filled - painless, and had my annual gyn exam, um, as painless as possible?). I was headed back to work around 1pm and while waiting at a red light at 4th and Quaker, heard a crash, and looked up to see a green truck literally flying through the air. I am not kidding, I was looking at the bottom of the bitch, completely slow motion matrix style. This is what I saw:






I was scared to death. I was locked in at a red light and couldn't move even if I'd had time. I was pretty sure that it was going to land right on top of me. Luckily for me, unluckily for the girl in the white grand prix in front of me, it landed on her car. Either the truck's tires or her noggin shattered the windshield and she was covered in glass. Her car was totaled and she went to the emergency room. The flying truck bounced/slid/plowed into my front bumper/fender, and landed on it's side about 12 inches from my door. There is a rubber stripe from his tire running the length of my front panel. Holy shit. It took the cops and paramedics about half an hour to get the driver out of the flipped truck. 3 of the 6 drivers involved went to the hospital. One lady even had a 2-year old with her. I was very fortunate to be located in the melee where I was. If I'd been traveling just a tad faster I'd be in a hospital gown right now. Well, at least I managed to get out of work for the day.


Sadly, this is the best pic of the aftermath that our local news could come up with. I promise, it really doesn't do it justice.

And... Texas Biscuit is here

Okay, it's December 1st, and time for some changes.

1) New blog name. I've been thinking on this for a month now, and still can't decide on an appropriately clever title. And I don't like using my name, so I'm gonna give this a whirl: "texas", duh, + "biscuit", a nickname of mine for several years. Just for kicks, I looked it up on a urban dictionary, and found a variety of definitions:

* an object of affection
* a gun
* a really hot girl
* a flaky pastry
* a prison bitch

Hmm... I think I'll stick with the first one.

2) I know diets traditionally start on Jan 1st, but this year I'm getting a 30-day head start. I was on Atkins for 9 months, did great, then fell ass-backwards off the wagon in September. I've completely carbed out - pizza, burgers, fries, rice, pasta, ice cream - all of it, all the time. As always it tasted great at the time, but I felt like poop. Stopped drinking water and stopped exercising too. Thanksgiving completely put me over the edge. So today, after we pigged out on McRibs (it's a good thing those babies only come around every few years, they sure are tasty)and supersize fries, the diet begins. Ah, I feel better already, making the decision is the hardest part sometimes.

3) There are a couple other things too, but I'm just not ready to put those out there - not quite yet.