Nano nano

absurdly tiny.
ridiculously slim.
unbearably sexy.
and it's entirely mine.


i just knew that one last semester in grad school was going to have its advantages! :)

Hot air balloon festival

Our own little Lubbock sponsored the South Plains Balloon Roundup this weekend. It wasn't on the same scale as the festival in Albuquerque, but is was pretty wonderful nonetheless. It was a cool and calm morning - unusual for Lubbock - but we enjoyed a lovely sunrise, light winds, and about two dozen colorful balloons from around the area.

If you haven't ever been to a balloon fest, I'd highly recommend the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta this fall. It is absolutely mind blowing. You'll need to plan to show up before 6am for the Dawn Patrol (about a dozen balloons take off and fly until it gets light enough to find a landing spot), the Mass Ascention (literally hundreds of colorful balloon from around the globe - incredible), and if you can afford it, spring for a ride for you and your loved one. We haven't been up yet, but that is on my as yet unpublished top 50 things I want to do before I die. One more recommendation: check out Zinc wine bar in Albuquerque - now that is a dining experience. We've been raving about it for a year and can't wait to go back.

Here - enjoy a few pics from yesterday. My favorite is the last one - Tech's red & black double-T balloon.

Friday night

First of all, is this not one of the coolest pics ever?

1) I am drunk at 3:14am. Listening to the Boogie Nights Soundtrack. LOVE.IT. Currently: Beach Boys, God Only Knows. Sweeeeeett.

2) TBF is on the horn with his best friend in Dallas who is going through some bull shit with his wife. I mean, I thought we had some probs, but it is nothing like what they are going through. I love these guys, but really, I can't imagine dealing with the shit they are going through 24 hours a day for the next 70 years. Man. I love me some counseling...

3) Okay, why did I pick this pic and start writing tonight (besides the Sierra Vevada Pale Ale in my lap, the Cuervo shots, and the nth bourbon and diets in my tummy) is the thought of one of my newest offenders: a sweet-faced, pale-headed kid who told me that his drug of choice is OTC drugs. Upon further exploration I discovered that he loved him some Dramamine. He admitted that he kept upping his, uh, dosage to get high, but at his height, he swallowed TEN bottles of Dramamine (12 pills per bottle) in one night. He said he had some absolutely incredible hallucinations, which I'm sure he did ... up until he had a heart attack. At 22 years old. Holy shit. He said he hasn't used (except weed) since then. I hope that he can stay on my caseload, stay sober, work his recovery, avoid any more ODs, and if anything, get back to the pot to hold onto his shit once he gets off probation.

Funny, hearing this from me - the drunk one - talking about recovery, eh? Tommorow's plan (after changing the UA color at 7am - bleh) is to "sleep in" til 9, get my new car stereo installed at 10, go the Cowboy Symposium luncheon at noon (chuckwagon biscuits and gravy!), see any movie that serves popcorn with extra butter (my current recomendation is The Exorcism of Emily Rose - anyone seen it?), take a fat nap, eat some mega-mexian food (Rosas or Casa Ole) for dinner, do some internship hours at the shelter in the evening ... and just to completely rock my world, head out to the shelter where the Katrina survivors are staying for a big kick in the butt to get my priorities straight!

Well, quite a day ahead. Hope you are all doing well. Hugs! - (drunken) TB

Internship

Okay. So I'm graduating in December with my MA in counseling. I've completed almost all of my classes and coursework. I only have a couple of itsy bitsy little requirements remaining: my last 3-hour class, 300 hours of internship at the local women's shelter, and my "comps" - a comprehensive exam that covers the past two years of study. All this in addition to my regular 40-hour work week, the class I'm teaching for the drug court participants, couples counseling for us, and some hope for a social life!

In an effort to inform TBF and my parents when they might get a chance to see or talk to me during the next four months, this is what I came up with (*).

*Update: I had the dreadful details of my daily schedule listed here, but last night I had some stupid dream about a stalker, and thought, hmmm, maybe I don't need to tell the locals (my probationers?!) exactly where I'll be every hour of the day. So let's suffice it to say that I'll be out and about at work, school, and my internship site from 8am to 9pm almost every day of the week! Whew!

Bueller?

Welp, I'm officially a teacher now ... a "facilitator" to be more exact. I went to a 4-day training in Austin several months ago. The training was a little rough - I'm not really one for skits and role-play, of which we did loads. But I got certified. We finally got off our tushes and decided on class dates and got a full class of 10 registered. The first session was last Thursday. I was actually surprised (and hugely relieved!) at how well it went. I was fortunate enough to already know all of the participants, which made me a little more comfortable in front of the group. I'll be facilitating with a co-worker on Thursdays and with the director of the department on Sundays! As if I wasn't nervous enough already! So we'll be meeting twice a week for the next 11 weeks, and in the mean time I'll be getting about 60 internship hours out of the way. My last internship... ugh... a whole new story for tomorrow.

I just heard that the bussing from the Superdome to the Astrodome was suspended this morning because some dummass was shooting at one of the rescue helicopters! C'mon people! The baby above is only 4 days old. Can you imagine not only being homeless, having no transportation, very little food and water, perhaps no husband or family, and now a newborn with no diapers or formula?!! The conditions are just shocking. I can't even begin to imagine their despair.

I made my Red Cross donation this morning. And hopefully if I can get off work early tomorrow I'll be donating my loverly blood at UBS.

I'm up early this morning - 5:45! - as I will be every Mon-Fri in September. I'm the lucky winner of the month who gets to update the "UA* color line". Never heard of such a thing? Well a small percentage of the folks who are on felony probation - generally for drug and alcohol offenses or relapses after treastment - are supervised on a specialized caseload in which they have to submit random UAs (generally between once and three times per month). Each morning before 6am, an officer changes the pre-selected color on a voice mail. The offenders then call the color line at 6am, and if it's their assigned color, they have to report that morning between 8-8:30am for a UA. And walla - random drug testing!

At least being up super-early has some advantages. Today, blogging. Perhaps tomorrow, treatmill?

*UA = urinalysis = pee in a cup and we'll test it to see if you have any drugs or alcohol in your system.

Breakup (?) update

I can't believe it's been so long since I've posted. My apologies! And again, thank you soooo much for all your kind comments and emails. They have helped me through some tough days. :)

So here is what is new with me and TB"F": Neither of us moved out of the apartment the week of the breakup, which turned out to be a good thing. It didn't take long for the anger to pass and the sadness and regret to set in, and we started talking again - about the good and the bad things - about where we went wrong and what could be improved upon.

He suggested that we give couples counseling a whirl before just throwing away the past 6 years of our lives together (the 6-year anniversary of our first date was about a week after the break up - can you believe HE remembered the date?!). At the time I figured at the very least counseling would bring resolution to the relationship and maybe give us some pointers and skills for moving on. What could we lose?

So last night we attended our 3rd session with a pretty good marriage and family therapist. And... I'm completely amazed how far we've come.

During the past 3 weeks not only have we disected the conversation that led to the actual un-engagement (and how I "heard" something completely different than what he "said" that night), but we've also openly addressed our pattern of dysfunctional communication. We've developed a list of mutual "fighting rules", and were able to put them into practice this week (OMG - they worked! A pretty serious incident that normally would have sent us on an I'm-pretending-that-you-are-a-total-stranger spree for 3 days was resolved -happily!- in half an hour). And we are continuing to work on a list of expectations for the relationship (communication, home, employment, sex, children, finances, spiritual, leisure etc).

Again, I am just shocked at how much more optimistic I feel after only a few weeks. I'm not 100% re-committed to the relationship just yet - the engagement ring is still in the jewelry box, I've scouted out some new apartments, and am considering a new position that wouldn't have been available if we moved to Austin in December in planned - however, that being said, things are definitely looking up.

Thanks again for your support. And for all those incredible heartache songs. My iPod loves you all. And if anyone ever needs to wallow in some painful songs (and I hope that you don't!), boy, do I ever have the ultimate playlist.

I like you

Hi all. Thanks for your continued thoughts, concerns, and well wishes. It means the world to me. Basically, TBF and I called off the engagement last Monday, and we've been struggling with that for the past 10 days. But I'm doing pretty good now.
I'll write a longer post with a few more details later this weekend.

But for now, a little message for all you wonderfully supportive folks out there:

I LIKE YOU!

Top 5 heartache songs

In honor of John Cusak's High Fidelity, please give me your top 5 (or 3? or 1?) breakup / heart ache/ heart break songs of all time.

Please.

Darth, Vegusgustan, Arethusa, SaltWindFire, and Ian - my music muses - I'm looking at you guys for an immediate painful response. I've been listening to Azure Ray, Antony & the Johnsons, Jennifer Nettles, U2, Police, Barry Manilow, Nirvana, country shit all night. But I need a little bit more. A heartache mix from my friends. More background info on why soon, I promise.

Poor piggy

This is what my piggy bank looks like! Ha!

I stopped by the library and picked up Chamber of Secrets on my way home from work on Friday and finished it by 10pm on Saturday. Woohoo! I believe I liked it even better than the first one. Although it helped that I hadn't seen the movie, which left more of the character and possible plot development to the imagination! I tried to get Prisoner of Azkaban yesterday, and even though the library catalog said it was in, no one could find it. Boo.

So I choose a couple of 7-day books: Mitch Albom's The Five People You Meet in Heaven and Speak Softly, She Can Hear by Pam Lewis. I'm not overly impressed with the Albom book so far (just got through the first person), but it's so short I'm going to finish it anyway. People raved about Tuesday's with Morrie (I never read it), so hopefully this will be just as good.

Help Jayde

Yesterday I posted a heartbreaking story about a child who died in a hot car. This morning I watched a beautiful story on the Today show about a Seattle photographer who helps families of terminally ill children. So when I got an email from a co-worker about an infant who suffered a stroke at birth and needs physical therapy, well I felt like I needed to share her story with you.

This is 14 month old Makaylie Jayde Garcia. Jayde has a mutated gene called Factor V Leiden. This caused her to suffer a stroke at birth and she has limited use of her left hand and arm (left hemiparesis). She needs to go to therapy for 21 days in Birmingham. The cost of the therapy is $15,000 plus travel and expenses. Because their insurance company will not cover these costs, they are asking friends and family to help out with the expenses. I don't know Jayde or her family personally, but you can click here to learn more about Jayde's condition, her parents, to see more pics, or to donate funds for her treatment.

Forgotten baby dies in car

As reported in our daily paper today:

A mother's horror turned to a grave reality just before 6 p.m. Wednesday when she stopped to pick up her 1-year-old son from Madison's Place Day Care.

According to police, day care employees told the mother they had not seen Joseph Duemer - born July 15, 2004 - all day, and he had not been checked into the facility.

The mother returned to her vehicle to find Joseph dead in the back seat, said Lubbock police spokesman Lt. Roy Bassett. "He was in the back seat and had been back there all day," Bassett said.

It appears that the mom left the house at 8am, intending to take her son to daycare, but somehow forgot about the child and went straight to work. She went to pick the kid up at the daycare after work, but of course he'd never been dropped off. She went back to her car and found him - still strapped into his car seat - dead. He'd been in the windows-up car for 8 hours in 93 degree Lubbock heat.

The DAs office isn't sure if they are going to file charges yet. The police dept is saying it was unintentional, but does that make it forgivable?!!! I have no doubt she'll be on one of our probation caseloads in less than a year.

The death of any child is absolutely heartbreaking. Even more so in this situation when a loved one is to blame. I can't imagine the pain that either parent is undergoing tonight (or for the next 20 years). You always hear statistics that marriages rarely last after the death of a child. Can you imagine this couple's chances when the mother is actually responsible for her 1-year old's death??

Crackhead

I did an intake with an offender recently who has a drug problem. He's a white male in his 30's. He began drinking about 10 years ago to cope with the pain of a devestating divorce. He said he never really took to liquor or beer, and decided to give powder cocaine a whirl. He took to it. He said at his peak was snorting up to 1/4 oz per night. Then at the suggestion of a friend, he switched over to crack (sadly he was trying to get this friend to stop shooting up, so they agreed to compromise by smoking the shit). He totally and completely took to it. He admitted that he would smoke on average $200 worth of crack a night, and at his peak would spend up to $1000/night. Incredible. I just don't get it.

Oh Blogger, I've saved and published revisions on this post five times now. You keep reverting to the original draft. I'm getting tired of re-typing these changes!! What is going on?!!

Time travel

Last night I finally finished Audrey Nieffenegger's Time Traveler's Wife. One word: FANTASTIC! I started boo-hooing as soon as Henry went out to the front porch to start saying his good-byes. Oh man, I was crying so hard that I think TBF was wondering if someone in my own family had died! *

Anyway, I really enjoyed the sequencing of the story as Henry travels back and forth across the years, yet Clare manages to stay put - pleading with him not to leave yet patiently awaiting his return. Very well written and easy to follow. I also enjoyed the frequent change in voice to express both Henry and Clare's points of view. I'm not into sci fi at all, but this time travel book had a riveting plot and beautiful love story.

My only disappointment was that Clare was STILL waiting at the end. I mean, I get that he was the love of her life, but after Henry gave her his blessing to move on, I was hoping she'd continue her art career and have a bundle more kids (with anyone but dirty Gomez that is). I was sadened that at 82 she was still waiting... Nonetheless, I really enjoyed the story itself, and highly recommended it (for the two of you out there who haven't read it yet)!

*Speaking of death, first Nate, then Henry. And did you see the newest Real World (yeah, I usually don't watch, but it's an Austin-thing)? Danny's mother died. Jeez.

Alas! Ear wax!

This weekend I finished my first Harry Potter book - yep, just finished The Sorcerer's Stone in 2005. Yikes. After all the hubbub from the most recent release of the 6th book, and trying to avoid reading anything that spoiled who died, I decided to go ahead and give the series a whirl - from the beginning.

No, I can't really explain how or why I managed to go eight years without ever getting started on J.K.Rowling's series. I think more than anything else I was shocked by how many bloggers were reading it. Okay, I'll admit it, I'm a little late but I'm now a follower of Harry, Ron, and Hagrid!

I'll get Chamber of Secrets this week. I've heard a couple of folks say the 4th book (Goblet of Fire) isn't so great, and I only have a limited amount of time before classes start this fall and I have to re-commit to textbook reading. Should I skip that one? Any other Harry Potter knowledge I need to be aware of before continuing my Hogwarts journey?

Obituary

SIX FEET UNDER SPOILER AHEAD!!!

YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!!!




O.M.G. I can't believe he died.

Okay, so we know it is the last season of Six Feet Under. And especially since the last few weeks have been relatively bland, we guess that the show has got to end in a big mess of death and upheaval and confusion. So, I've been working on my own endings: Last night I was completely prepared for Ruth to get attacked by the cougar while she was camping. I've suspected all season that crazy Billy would come back and strangle Clare to death. I even considered that the oldest adopted boy would off Keith in a fit of rage. But this?! Oh, I never would've guessed. Poor Maggie... Well at least Nate died happy - I'm glad he told Brenda how he felt and that they weren't going to work out. I guess he really was "tired of fighting". Literally tired of fighting for his life...

How will the writers ever resolve this?! Pregnant Brenda. No mom OR dad for Maya. Clare is going to lose her mind, but at least she'll have the new stable boyfriend. And Ruth, oh poor Ruth - the one time she did anything crazy in her life and she didn't even get to see her son before he died. Oh, my stomach hurts just thinking about it.

FW: Mother of the bride dress

As my own wedding day fast approaches, I really appreciated this humorous little email forward:

Jennifer's wedding day was fast approaching. Nothing could dampen her excitement - not even her parents' nasty divorce. Her mother had
found the PERFECT dress to wear and would be the best dressed
mother-of-the-bride ever!

A week later, Jennifer was horrified to learn that her father's new, young
girlfriend had bought the exact same dress! Jennifer asked her future mother in law to exchange it, but she refused. "Absolutely not. I look like a million bucks in this dress, and I'm wearing it," she replied.

Jennifer told her mother who graciously responded, "Never mind sweetheart. I'll get another dress. After all, it's your special day." A few days later, they went shopping and did find another gorgeous dress. When they stopped for lunch, Jennifer asked her mother, "Aren't you going to return the other dress? You really don't have another occasion where you could wear it."

Her mother just smiled and replied, "Of course I do, dear. I'm wearing it to the rehearsal dinner the night before the wedding!"

How smart is your right foot?

THIS is weird. Try to outsmart your right foot.

1. While sitting at your desk, lift your right foot off the floor and make clockwise circles with it.

2. Now, while doing this, draw the number "6" in the air with your right hand. Your foot will change direction!!!

Here's to us!

I heard this toast on Jenny McCarthy's new show tonight - Party at the Palms. Yes, I watched it. Yes, she's hot. And hilarious. And yes, the majority of the show was devoted to girl on girl lap dances. Jealous much? Anyway, here's the toast:

Here's to the men that we love.
Here's to the men that love us.
But the men that we love will never love us,
So fuck all the men
Here's to us!

Anyone like to share a favorite toast?

Drunk girl eats kraut car

Pop quiz time!

Texas Biscuit holds which of the following Yahoo honors?
(A) #6 for "drunk girl stories"
(B) #4 for "man eats car"
(C) #1 for "how to can sour kraut"
(D) All of the above

Of course it's D. Wow, I'm really going places in the blogosphere. Right up the success ladder. Moving and shaking. Shaking my drunk sour kraut man loving booty all over the place. Woot.

Overdrafts and eBay

There are few things worse for me than eagerly awaiting a paycheck, only to find that once it is deposited, my bank account is still practically negative. Between the direct deposit advances and the overdraft fees from those bounced checks, about 80% of last week's paycheck was just eaten up. It's barely past payday and I'm still broke. Ugh. What a miserable feeling.

How could this happen?! Well, after paying for my summer tuition, and a couple of slightly irresponsible money decisions in the past couple months, things were not looking good. As you may or may not have experienced, every once in a blue moon it becomes necessary to bounce a check. It's a calculated bounce, and sometimes that is better than say, going without cable or internet for 2 weeks! Wha-- MY priorities are messed up? Bah!

Anyhoo, I wrote the check and 2 days later as expected it cleared the bank - along with the stupid overdraft fee. And then came a rogue check for an embroidered work shirt I'd written about a month ago, and another one from an out of town dinner, and a gas fill up charge up I'd forgotten about. And unfortunately the list goes on. Eight overdraft fees, EIGHT! At $33 bucks a pop, plus the actual check amount. Yeah, you do the math. Painful.

So I this week I decided to do a little housekeeping. eBay is my friend. I've made lots of great purchases on eBay, but more importantly, about once a year I'll clean out drawers and closets and make a little cash. This particular eBay adventure included a ton of books and DVDs, some exercise equipment, and some jewelry I seldom wear. So far I'm up about $140 bucks, and still have 4 days left on the books. Hooray for eBay and immediate payment through PayPal!

Jezebel

I guess this is what I get for leaving my underwear drawer open!
She's been sleeping there all day. Ah, a Saturday in the life of my Jezebel.

True friends

I received this forward today, its an oldie but a goodie. I especially love #8.

Are you tired of all those sissy "friendship" poems that always sound good but never actually come close to reality? Well, here is a series of promises that really speaks to true friendship:

1. When you are sad - I will help get you drunk and plot revenge against the sorry bastard who made you sad.

2. When you are blue - I will try to dislodge whatever is choking you.

3. When you smile - I will know you finally got laid.

4. When you are scared - I will rag on you about it every chance I get.

5. When you are worried - I will tell you horrible stories about how much worse it could be and to quit whining.

6. When you are confused - I will use little words.

7. When you are sick - Stay the hell away from me until you are well again. I don't want whatever you have.

8. When you fall - I will point and laugh at your clumsy ass.


Remember: A good friend will help you move. A really good friend will help you move a body. Let me know if I ever need to bring a shovel.

FW water gardens

The Fort Worth water gardens hold a special place in my childhood memories. My parents used to take me there every summer when we'd head up north to visit my grandparents in Arlington. I fondly remember throwing pennies into the pools for good luck and climbing around on the non-fountain concrete blocks surrounding the park.

When TBF and I were in the area last weekend we accidentally stumbled upon the water garden district and peeked in to reminisce.

It was a disappointing experience. The main gardens (shown in the picture above) were fenced off with a 7-foot chain link fence. There were no water falls or fountains, in fact the only water in sight was the murky sludge that had accumulated in the bottom pool.

I've since discovered that this main pool is where a 12-year old girl from Chicago, two of her friends, and their father drowned just over a year ago. They were in town for a church convention. The girl slipped and grabbed her friend and they both tumbled into the water. The boy and his father jumped in to save the girls, but all four were immediately sucked underneath the surface. The depth of the pool was over 11 feet. They were all dead by the time paramedics were able to pull their bodies from the pool.

The families of the victims have received a cash settlement, and studies have been commissioned to determine the problems in the gardens and how to remedy them. The city hopes that the water gardens can be renovated and reopened as early as this fall.

The Fort Worth water gardens of my memory are a architecturally spectacular display - layers of concrete blocks, rushing waterfalls and calm pools. They are a wonderful location for families to wade, splash, picnic, and cool off from the Texas heat.

I tossed a penny in the fountain and wished that Fort Worth is able to upgrade the safety features of the gardens and reopen them soon.

Willie, Dylan, and Kelly

Willie's 4th of July Picnic was fabulous as expected - in fact the whole weekend was a lot of fun. I took Friday off work and we headed up to Dallas. We stayed with TBF's best friend who greeted us with a ice chest full of beer, an enormous brisket that he'd been smoking for 24 hours, and buckets full of homemade potato salad - so you can guess how we spent the rest of the night. On Sunday we went to some friend's daughter's birthday party - she's 1 year old. They were one of those married couples who had successful careers and didn't want kids, but surprise! They have completely taken to parenting and are so happy - it was a happy day for all of us.

So Monday was the concert. We headed out to the Fort Worth stockyards around 4pm. My pics didn't turn out too well (unless you like to see the back of people's heads!). In the above you can see a teeny tiny portion of the people that were there. There were two stages and they alternated performances on each. It was hot as hell until the sun went down, but the evening was fantastic. Willie was great as always, but Bob Dylan stole the show. Hearing him perform Shooting Star in person ... absolutely incredible. I'll tell my kids about it one day. The show finished up around 1am with Willie, Los Lonely Boys, and a great fireworks show.

On Tuesday we all went out for mexican food, did some touristy stuff, and ended the afternoon with a tour of the Texas Rangers Ameriquest baseball field in Arlington. Here's a great pic from the press box. We also got to hang out in the Ranger's dug out, their batting practice area, work out gym, and owner's suite. It was a perfect day for a baseball game, but sadly had to get home for work.

Last night TBF took me to the Kelly Clarkson concert - her Behind These Hazel Eyes tour. Mock me if you must, but it was a damn fine concert. I just love this girl - she is so cute. She came off on stage exactly like you might've seen her on AI or on TV interviews - completely honest and fun loving.

The only disturbing part was the enormous number of tweens dressed in short flippy skirts and strappy tank tops. Don't get me wrong, they looked great - if they were 18. My parents would've beat the snot out of me if I tried walking out of the house showing that much leg when I was 13. Some of them wore more eye makeup than I do now!

However, everyone was having a great time and it was fun to be there. But more than anything I was happy to be 30 - out of high school, not worrying about cliques and having the newest cell phone or whatever the brand name jeans are these days. I was happy to sip a glass of wine in the lobby before the show and not worry if the bartender would ID me. And most of all I was happy to be in a committed relationship and not going through any of those idiot relationships that teenagers go through. Great concert, good reminder of the benefits of being older.

Happy 4th

TBF and I are headed to Dallas to spend the weekend with friends.
On Monday we're going to Willie Nelson's 32nd Annual Fourth of July Picnic at the Fort Worth stock yards. 20,000 folks expected.
Willie + Bob Dylan + Los Lonely Boys and about 30 other performers.
Not looking forward to the 100 degree temps, but it gave me an excuse to get that straw cowboy hat I've been wanting for years. Should be fun!
I hope you all have a fabulous Independence Day.
I'll drink a $6 beer for ya!

Wedding dream

Last night I dreamt that I was in dressing room preparing for my wedding when it suddenly occurred to me that I never arranged for a photographer or a videographer. A few moments later I heard them playing what I thought was my walk-down-the-aisle song, so I was rushing to get ready. I realized my hair was still wet but I didn't want to miss the song so I ran out into the church anyway (hell, I probably didn't have any makeup on either!). I saw tons of people flooding in, unfortunately 1/2 of them were old people that I didn't know, and the other 1/2 were coworkers whom I would never in a million years invite to my wedding. Kept scanning the crowd - not a single friend in site, no family (not even Dad walking me down the aisle), no attendants, and worst of all, no TBF. What a shitty wedding. And to top it all off, I looked down and was wearing a 70s-looking off the shoulder prom dress ... in RED.

Johnny vs. Bill

I love
Johnny
Depp. I love the fact that he is a different guy in every movie. Always different. Always interesting. Always unique.

Sexy. Intelligent. Funny. Beautiful. Simple. Magnificent.
love. love. love. him.

Until... this. I read the book eons ago and I'm sure Charlie & the Chocolate Factory is going to be a good flick, but I just can't stand Johnny's face in the trailers I've seen the past few weeks. I mean, doesn't he remind you of the old Fire Marshall Bill character from In Living Color? You remember don't you? Those teeth? That smile? Ugh, that "smile" kills me. I can't watch this movie. It hurts me. Let me know how it is.

Friday Feast

It's been a while since we've chowed down on a Friday Feast, so here ya go. Have a fantastic weekend!

Appetizer: What time do you usually wake up each day? If you could choose your wake-up time, when would it be?
During the week I usually wake up at 6:45. Earlier on the rare ocassion that I work out in the morning, later when I just can't drag my lazy butt out o bed. On the later days I have to weigh my options and choose one or more depending on how late I sleep: no shower, shower but don't wash hair, wash hair but don't dry and put in bun, no ironing, no makeup. Oh, the choices of womanhood.

Soup: When was the last time you bought groceries? What store did you go to? Name 3 things you purchased.
I used to buy groceries about once a week, especially when we were doing Atkins. Now, TBF goes a lot more shopping and cooking than me. The last time though I went to United and bought stuff for mini keylime cheese cakes for work: cream cheese, milk, limes.

Salad: How many books have you read so far this year? Which was your favorite and why?
Oh, due to school I'd say an average of about 1 per month. Not near enough personal reading, I know. I've said this 100 times before, ugh. Stupid school. Primarily on Darth's recommendation I bought Time Traveler's Wife this weekend, but oh, I haven't even cracked it. I picked up a bridal magazine too. Damn priorities.

Main Course: What is something you consider to be very elegant? In particular, what about that item/place/person conjures up the feeling of elegance?
Uh, disco saddles?! No really, the first thing that came to mind is chandeliers. We had one the house where I grew up in San Angelo. I'm sure it was very small and simple, but I remember it as a huge extravagant sparkling thing of beauty. Could it be because I was only 3 feet off the ground? Anyhoo, when we moved my mom took down the chandelier and saved all the dangly crystals. Now we decorate my grandmother's Christmas tree with them each year.

Dessert: Who taught you how to drive?
Love this question. My Uncle Jerry taught me to drive. He owned a driver's ed company in the Samoan Islands in the late 70s. So after they came back to the states he was the obvious choice to take me out for my lessons. I still remember my first few starts and stops and loops around an empty parking lot on a Sunday afternoon in College Station. Thanks Uncle Jerry!

I taste like bread?

I'm so close to being caught up with all my work responsibilities it is almost too good to believe. I've been busting my booty this week to get current. Two things happened at work recently to motivate me to action: 1) I spent 4 hours of my should-be-out-by-the-pool Saturday up here, and 2) a girl got fired for being ricidulously delinquent in her duties (I'm talking documentation that was months and months past due). So, not only do I want to spend my entire weekend avoiding work duties but I'd also like to avoid the gossip mill as to the numerous reasons why I might've gotten canned. So, by 6pm there is a pretty good chance that I could have little check marks on my entire must-be-done list. Hooray! Okay, that was a nice breather, now back to work.

But first, a little something I've had drafted for quite a while. Thanks Serra! But, BREAD, c'mon am I really THAT boring?!! Aww, I am... *mopes back to stupid to-do list*

I taste like Bread. I am a staple in almost everyone's diet. Friends like me are a complement to any other friends I get on with almost everyone, remaining mostly in the background, but providing substance when it would otherwise be lacking. What Flavour Are You?

Happy Father's Day

Happy Father's Day to all you daddies out there! Hope it was a good one!

Sued II

Thanks for all your concern over my law suit. No, it wasn't blogging-related - although that surely would've been more exciting!

The whole thing is pretty ridiculous (aren't most suits these days?!), and without saying too much, here are the basics:

In March I was in a car accident. I was ticketed for failure to yield right of way but the other driver nailed me on my back tire, so my insurance company refused to pay 100% since she was also at fault (she should've seen me already in the intersection). So she's suing.

I visited with my insurance agent last week, they are going to hire an atty, and even if this woman wins the suit, no money will come out of my pocket (what a blessing that I upgraded to full coverage when I got the Maxima; I used to only carry liability on my old car). So ACW was correct, all that this will take is my time. Unfortunately she filed the paperwork where she lives, about 120 miles from here, but even transportation costs will also be covered.

There are a couple screwy things about this case which will make it less likely for her to win, and as soon as it's all over I will be very pleased to tell you exactly what I think of this woman and her sue-happy tactics.

SUED!

I received a certified letter today.
It begins:

NOTICE TO TEXAS BISCUIT,
YOU HAVE BEEN SUED.

I wish I were kidding. I'm not. More to come as details develop.
If I can discuss it with making things worse, that is. Arrgh.

Be delicious!

A couple of weeks back I ran out of my old perfume and headed over to our only big department store (Dillards - yes, Lubbock is a sad sad town) for a new scent.

I ran around the counters spraying and sniffing and spritzing and sneezing ... and doing my best to avoid the pushy sales lady. But within minutes my nose was so messed up that I couldn't tell one from the next. The last time I went perfume shopping at a higher end store they had little bowls of coffee beans to clear your nose in between sniffs. Coffee beans! Who would've guessed?

Anyhoo, I found a great one. The moment I smelled it I knew it was perfect for me. Not too floral, not too heavy, and god knows not to old-ladyish! The winner? DKNY's Be Delicious. It's presented in a fabulous little metal and glass apple-shaped bottle. Unfortunately I have about as much skill in describing perfume undertones as I do wine notes. So although I would say it is fresh and fruity, you might get a better idea if I use DKNY's description: Amaerican Apple, Cucumber, Grapefruit, Magnolia. Mmmm, DELICIOUS INDEED!

Immortal Beloved

I enjoyed a huge movie marathon this weekend while TBF has been out of town visiting his mom. I think I've already watched 9 DVDs (well, I've at least had them on in the background), and it's only Saturday (oops, is now Sunday morning - 3:27am - I'm too old to be up this late!).

Some funny (Friday), some silly (Legally Blonde), some for the excellent soundtracks (Grosse Pointe Blank and Chicago), some to make me smile (Father of the Bride), some to make me cry (Finding Neverland), some for the fine boys (Footloose and Legends of the Fall ... old Brad Pitt in a pony tail *swoons*).

But for a good love story, few are as passionate and heart wrenching as the story of Beethoven and his Immortal Beloved. This movie has always held a special place in my heart.

First, a powerful quote about the way we are moved by music:

Beethoven says, "Music is a dreadful thing. What is it? I don't understand it. What does it do?" Shindler says, "it exalts the soul." Beethoven says, "Utter nonsense. If you hear a marching band, is your soul exalted? No, you march. If you hear a waltz, you dance. If you hear a mass, you take communion. It is the power of the music to carry one directly into the mental state of the composer. The listener has no choice. It is like hypnotism."

And another quote - more mushy, but beautifully poignant - a letter written to his lover:

My angel, my all, my other self... While still in my bed, my thoughts turn to you, my immortal beloved. Some of them happy, some sad. Waiting to see whether fate will hear us. I can live only completely with you or not at all. Yes, it must be... I must go to sleep now. Be calm, love today, yesterday, what longing with tears for you, you, you're my life, my everything. Farewell then, go on loving me. Ever yours. Ever mine. Forever.

Saturday naps

Cajun and I took a nap on the couch this afternoon. He wasn't quite ready to get up.

Quiz on the go

Another weekend on my own. TBF is away. No errands. No responsibilities. What to do, what to do? Welp, let's begin with a little quiz on the go. I found this one on brokenshard over a month ago, but I really liked it.

01. Take the book that is closest to you, open it in page 18, what does line 4 says?
..."old girls - Nancy and Cathy. They were beautiful. My mother didn't want me to"...

02. Extend your left arm all you can. Wha i’s the first thing you can touch?
An almost empty Taco Bell cup. Navy couch pillow is just past the cup.

03. What was the last thing you watched on TV?
NBC Nightly News is on now. They are talking about bad weather across the country, and actually showed some footage of a tornado that hit the county north of my home last night. No injuries.

04. Without looking, try to guess what time it is.
5:30 pm

05. Now look at the clock, what time is it?
5:34 pm

06. Besides your computer, what can you hear?
TV, Cajun enjoying dinner, water running in apt upstairs.

07. When was the last time you walked on the street?
Oh, it's been a while - when I walk it is usally on the treadmill.

08. Before coming to this page, what site were you visiting?
Gmail, Wells Fargo to see if I should go out tonight or not.

09. What are you wearing?
Jeans and a white tank top, barefoot.

10. Did you dream last night?
Something about going to a party at some incredible house and running into people I haven't seen since high school. All the while I knew I was supposed to pick up TBF but couldn't get a hold of him...

11. When was the last time you laughed?
Just before I left work. The girl across the hall is undiagnosed OCD - she has to watch her computer turn off before she'll leave the office. Once she gets to the elevator she'll usually go back to check and make sure it's still off. I don't usually laugh about mental stuff, but this just struck me.

12. What is on the walls on the room where you are?
Print of George Seurat's A Sunday on La Grande Jatte above the fireplace to my right, large mirror to my left, and a painting of the Colorado mountains that my grandmother painted behind me.

13. Have you seen something weird lately?
Uh, there are two men that look like twins working on a busted ass jeep in my apartment parking lot. They are white & pasty - albino almost. I guess that is kinda weird.

14. What do you think of this test?
Fun & easy. Not too much thinking involved! ;)

15. What was the last movie you saw?
Watched Signs for the bizillionth time on Wed. I was all worked up about aliens after we got back from Roswell, so it seemed appropriate.

16. If you became a multi-millionaire tonight, what would you buy first?
New cars for myself, TBF, and my parents.

17. Tell me something I don't know about you. Be sincere:
Now that I'm back at probation, I'm afraid that my kindness will be seen as weakness.

18. If you could change something in the world, that wasn't politics related, what would it be?
I would save the tigers.

19. Do you like to dance?
I used to love to dance - I took ballet, pointe, tap & jazz from 5 yrs old until junior high then I was on dance team all four years in high school. I don't like to dance at the club so that limits my options now.

20. George Bush:
"There's an old saying in Tennessee -— I know it's in Texas, probably in Tennessee - that says, fool me once, shame on - — shame on you. Fool me -— you can't get fooled again." -Nashville, TN, Sept 17, 2002

21.a. Imagine your first kid its a girl. What would you name her?
Lexa Leandra*

21.b. Imagine your first kid its a boy. What would you name him?
Blakely Ashton*

22. Have you ever thought of migrating to another country?
Nope. There are lots of destinations I'd like to travel to for a couple of weeks. But without actually experiencing the culture I couldn't say I'd move there permanently.

23. What language would you like to learn how to speak fluently?
Espanol. What ARE those probationers saying about me in the elevator?!

24. Name the top 3 TV shows you like the most right now:
Six Feet Under
House
24

25. Say something profound:
'Nothing is predestined: The obstacles of your past can become the gateways that lead to new beginnings.' -Ralph Blum

*Confession: These are not the names I would choose. These were the names of my first two cabbage patch kids. That whole name thing is too serious to come up with off the cuff, and I really haven't put a lot of thought into it.

How to guides

Need a good Thursday laugh? Read True Craig's guides to: Making Things Entertaining (For Yourself), and Avoiding Pushing Crack Dealers.

Roswell, NM

TBF and I had an absolutely perfect weekend. Around noon on Friday we decided to take a little trip up the road to Roswell. I had a friend ask me, "What in the world do you do in Roswell?" (Are you familiar with Roswell, New Mexico? It's the site of the 1947 UFO crash, or "weather balloon landing" if you are a non-believer). Anyway, you might think there isn't a lot to do there. There is a mediocre museum and a ton of crappy big-eyed green-headed alien gift shops on the main drag. Oh, but there is so much more to Roswell.

Here's the synopsis of our weekend. Short drive (compared to Texas standards) - got there in 3 hours (plus gaining an hour on the way!). Very cheap and perfectly adequate $29 motel room. Friday night we went to Farley's (horrible service, don't waste your time!), then on to a quaint little country dance bar with a fantastic disco saddle*. Ate lots of super tasty world-class Mexican food. We hung out at the pool and caught some rays on Saturday afternoon. Went to a charming wine tasting room with live band on Saturday night, and came home with delicious New Mexico wine. Watched a movie after lunch on Sunday. Leisurely drive home, stopping to take pics (got some great cactus flower shots, above).

*I know I will forever be viewed as white-trash for saying this, but what I wouldn't do to own a disco saddle! I don't know what I'd do with it, maybe put it up in the garage and spin around to some old George Strait tunes when no one is home? Oh well, judge me if you must, that thing was sweet.

The Fishers are back!

How much do I love Six Feet Under?!

I'm so excited that Season 5 started tonight. Incredible dream sequence where Lisa comes back to remind Brenda what a slut-bag she is and she even deserves to be miserable on her wedding day. Keith and David are going to have a baby. Poor Ruth, she was almost happy last season, and George had to go lose his marbles on her (okay, we all knew there was a reason he'd been married like 7 times). And I can't wait for Billy to lose it on Claire - you know he's going to.

We missed Season 1, but TBF's mom recorded the whole season and sent it to us. I've been addicted ever since. And it is the ONLY reason we subscribe to HBO (we spent 3 1/2 hours with Empire Falls this week, I love Ed Harris but this show was pretty disappointing). Anyway, HBO teases:

Everything.

Everyone.

Everywhere.

Ends.

Oooh, I'm not so fond of that whole "ends" thing. My favorite TV series of all time (second is Twin Peaks) is ending after only 5 years. Guess I better enjoy these last few months of funeral home bliss.

Back to work

Well, things are going well back at the office. I've successfully completed almost two weeks and haven't gotten fired, reprimanded or sued*. Good times! Let me give you just two of the weird things about my office versus a normal office:

1) We generally don't put up pics of family or kids in our offices. Think about it. Do you really want a convicted felon to know what your kids look like? How would you feel about a dangerous criminal recognizing your sister at the bar? You get the idea. No pictures.

2) We are told (although I don't follow this recommendation) not to keep any pens, pencils or other sharp objects on our desks. Same goes for heavy objects (like hole punchers). Could be used as weapons if an offender is high or just goes nuts on their officer. Yikes.

* Unlike a friend of mine who got a call this week from a woman who accused her ex (the guy on probation) of cooking & selling meth out of a motel room. Naturally the officer called narcotics to investigate. Well, a couple hours later the woman was calling the officer bitching because the cops were involved. She claims she's going to sue the officer and the department. Good luck with that lady.

Fave stories

Since I started working at probation 5 years ago, my friends always ask for two things: to see my badge and for funny stories. My badge has been lost for ages (if you ever see someone impersonating TB, please confiscate that badge!), so here are two of my all-time favorite drunk probationer offenses:

A girl was drinking with friends at a local bar. Her friends thought she was too drunk to drive home, so they called her a cab. The cabbie arrived and went inside to find the girl. Unfortunately the girl walked outside about the same time, got in the cab, and drove herself home! Her friends gave the cops the girl's address so they were able to find her and the stolen cab. She managed to get home in one piece, but unfortunately picked up an Unauthorized Use of Vehicle charge.

One of my other favorite stories is a girl who was drunk when she left Tom's daiquiri bar (and anyone who's ever been to Tom's knows there is no other way to leave there!). Within two blocks of the bar she rear-ended another vehicle at a stop light. This other vehicle just happened to be a police.officer.in.a.marked.cruiser. Oopsy!

More amusing, unfortunate, disturbing (and always anonymous) stories to come!

The book meme

Oh, Silly Serra - and no, "silly" was not really the adjective I originally thought of when she tagged me - but it is a holiday and I don't have to work and am in a swell mood, so here goes - The Book Meme!

1) What is the total number of books I've owned?
Yikes. Do people really count their books? I'd have to guesstimate in the hundreds. Between text books, fiction, and cook books ... yeah, hundreds. Luckily they aren't all under my roof right now though. As with our DVD collection, we've decided that we've got to start getting rid of "stuff". Although I thought it was really cool in the past to display collections of everything, more recently I've realized it's okay to rent DVDs and check out books from the library, and have less clutter to look at, and perhaps more importantly, less junk to move.

2) What is the last book I bought?
I purchased Another Chance: Hope and Health for the Alcoholic Family last week. My supervisor recommended that I read it for my internship, and I got it used on Amazon for - get this - 21 cents! Woot! Bargain of a lifetime! So it is sitting on the couch beside me at this moment. I was going to start reading when I woke up this morning, but damn you laptop, you evil temptress!

3) What is the last book I've read?
I'm going to take this one on a technicality. I've "read" but not finished reading Lonesome Dove. In fact, I've barely gotten started on this mammoth project, but am enjoying the writing immensely and want to make more time for it.

4) What are the 5 (plus) books that have meant a lot to me?
Okay, tough one. As I've been wrapped up in this whole higher-education thing for so long, I've pretty much forgotten what it is like to read for pleasure, i.e. I can't really say that I've read any life-changing or super-meaningful books recently. So here are some that I just flat enjoyed over the last few years. I Know This Much is True by Wally Lamb, Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris, Last Chance Saloon by Marian Keyes, The DaVinci Code by Dan Brown, Wine for Dummies by Ed McCarthy, I Love You, Ronnie by Nancy Reagan.

Extra credit question, 'What book would you wish to buy next?'
I've heard great things about The Time Traveler's Wife - I'd like to give it a whirl.

I won't be tagging today. Feel free to take this meme to your own blog if you'd like!

Cucumber dip

I noticed that I had hits for "cucumber dip" this week, which is odd since I never remember writing about my most favorite wonderful delicious dip in the world... BUT now that I've mentioned it, let me go ahead and share the recipe. Memorial Day weekend is upcoming, and I'm sure you have been asked to bring a little something to your family gatherings, parties, picnics, etc. So, if you've waited until the last minute and need a show-stopper, here ya go:

Cucumber Dip

16 oz cream cheese
16 oz sour cream
1 packet dry Hidden Valley Ranch mix
1 cucumber, peeled and diced

Mix together and chill. Serve with chips or veggies.

Sounds a little odd I know, but it is sooo easy, and I promise you and your friends will LOVE it!

Happy Memorial Day to you all!

Have you ever?

I have about half a dozen "tag, you're it" style posts drafted that I've been meaning to finish but just haven't had the energy for. As my mind is a bit fried from all the thought I've been putting into the new/old job this week, here's a simple little list I found on Miss Macy's lovely blog a couple weeks ago.

So have you ever...

(x) snuck out of the house - was challenging in high school, I had hurricane shutters on my bedroom windows!
(x) gotten lost in your city - I'm pretty bad with directions
(x) seen a shooting star
(x) been to any other countries besides the united states - Mexico, see below
( ) had a serious surgery
(x) gone out in public in your pajamas - almost every weekend - why get dressed up to go to WalMart?
(x) kissed a stranger
(x) hugged a stranger
( ) been in a fist fight - although I always thought it would be a cool thing to add to my resume!
( ) been arrested - but I was pulled over for DWI around 1am when I was 19 - the cop let me park the car and call a friend for a ride - I think I cried about how I'd never get into law school with a record (was true at the time - I really did want to go to law school!) - LUCKY!
( ) laughed and had milk/coke come out of your nose
(x) pushed all the buttons on an elevator
( ) swore at your parents - never to their faces, but I did call my teacher Ms. Dilmore "Ms. Dildo" once in front of them in 3rd grade - they were not pleased - but hey, what kind of 3rd grader knows what a dildo is?!
(x) been in love
( ) been close to love
(x) been to a casino - we used to go to Inn of the Mountain Gods in Ruidoso a lot, but they ditched the $2 and $5 tables - minimum $10 now and I'm not THAT good at black jack!
( ) been skydiving - but I'd like to - I'm terrified, but I wanna do it eventually
(x) skinny-dipped - argh, several times at our old apt ... with other people - we were NUTS!
(x) skipped school - it's a miracle I made it through undergrad
(x) seen a therapist - went for a while when I was in a really crappy relationship several years ago - my internship supervisor is recommending I start up again - she says I can't be a good counselor until I've spent some time on the couch!
(x) done the splits - lots - was in dance team all through high school
(x) played spin the bottle - yes but hated it - I was more about the non-contact group drinking card games
(x) gotten stitches - last time in my lower lip when I fell on a concrete bench - ouch
( ) drank a whole gallon of milk in one hour - uh, why?!
( ) bitten someone - but I DID talk to an offender this week who is getting charged for assault for biting his mom on the face!
( ) been to Niagara Falls
(x) gotten the chicken pox - don't remember the itching but I'll never forget the smell of that yucky pink lotion
(x) kissed a member of the opposite sex - yeah, glad no one is asking for a number here
( ) crashed into a friend's car - no, but have hit quite a few stranger's cars!
( ) been to Japan
(x) ridden in a taxi
(x) been dumped - Daniel S, you heart breaker!
(x) shoplifted - okay, only 1 person in the world knows this: in undergrad I stole a can of bean dip - I'm so morified ((Will, I think we passed the statute of limitations on this one!))
( ) been fired - can you hear me knocking on wood?
( ) had a crush on someone of the same sex
(x) had feelings for someone who didn't have them back
( ) gone on a blind date
(x) lied to a friend - sometimes it seems kinder to save people's feelings
(x) had a crush on a teacher - Coach Plott, you were sooo hot in those coach-shorts!
( ) celebrated Mardi-Gras in new Orleans
( ) been to Europe
(x) slept with a co-worker - did ya know TBF and I met at work? I was his supervisor!
( ) been married - 11 months away...
( ) gotten divorced
( ) had children - about 2 1/2 years away???
( ) seen someone die
(x) had a close friend die - my cousin committed suicide when I was in 5th grade
( ) been to Africa
(x) driven over 400 miles in one day - I dated a guy that lived in Corpus for quite a while - I was stupid enough to drive down there (550 miles!) a couple times a month - ugh!
( ) been to Canada
(x) been to Mexico - been to Matamoros, on the border across from Brownsville
(x) been on a plane
(x) seen the Rocky Horror Picture Show
(x) thrown up in a bar - oh god, I'm embarrassed that I can't count the number of times this has happened
( ) purposely set a part of myself on fire - WTF?!
(x) eaten sushi
( ) been skiing/snowboarding - I've been innertubing at Ski Apache though
( ) met someone in person from the internet
( ) lost a child
(x) gone to college - for.about.t.w.e.l.v.e.years
(x) graduated college - finally! Got another one coming up in December!
(x) fired a gun - TBF has a shotgun - we both want to get .22s one of these days
( ) purposely hurt yourself
(x) taken painkillers

Yikes, this turned out hugely long since I went back and added some details to make it all a little more interesting. Adios amigos!

Super new job

Well, not a super new job, it's more like a return to an old job. Last June I was promoted to a new position in a new building. And last month I requested a transfer back. It isn't that I didn't enjoy the new position - my new coworkers are a blast and the work is relatively simple - but due to school, my funky class hours (in the middle of the day - noon to 2!), and trying to get all these internship hours squeezed in, I couldn't work the inflexible 8-5 job AND finish grad school. My partner in crime in the district courts was promoted to supervisor, so they recently chose replacements for both of us. Here's last week's email from our director:

Congratulations are in order for E. and M. They've been selected to replace J. (who is now a supervisor) and TB (who is returning to the supervision of a caseload). [blah, blah, more wonderful details about our replacements.]

As part of this change, TB will now be taking on one of the CCF/Substance Abuse caseloads, and A. will be taking over M's SAFPF caseload. (A word of thanks and a round of applause goes to A. for assisting in this!) We will be trying to arrange things so TB can work with our new counselor, N., as TB pursues her studies to become a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC).

Sounds all well and good, but there is drama. I'm absolutely thrilled that upper management sees how my education and training can be of benefit to the department, and that they are being incredibly flexible with my requests.

However, a couple of others in the department are not so pleased. The word is that they feel that mngt is catering to me because I'm in school (ah, the benefits of higher education - all these $student loans$ better get me somewhere!). Some feel that mngt has an "agenda". I honestly don't know exactly what this so-called hidden agenda is, and maybe I am a part of it, but sobeit.

What may not be clear from the email is that when they thank A. for assisting, what they really mean is that she is being forced out of her old position... to make room for me. My director informed me that he wants to change the dynamics of treatment. He wants there to be more focus on internal issues and conflicts, investigation into offender's thoughts and feelings leading to use, and treatment of the primary cognitive dysfunction not just the presenting behavior. Walla - counseling!

Evidently he's aware that the tried and true ways of bitching and yelling at offenders, "stop smoking crack or you'll go to prison for 8 years!" just doesn't cut it. For habitual criminal offenders, the threat of incarceration doesn't work. That we know.

I start training my replacement tomorrow, we'll move into our new offices on Friday, and officially start our new positions on Monday. I'm a bit nervous. I haven't worked a caseload in over a year, and I'm not completely sure what is expected of me in this new position. And even more nerve wrecking, everyone is watching ... and expecting results.

Go Harold!

I realize not a lot of folks have stayed faithful to American Idol this season, but for those of you who have - we've finally got ourselves a show! It took way to long to get rid of the hangers on like Scott and Anthony, but now that they are gone, Carrie, Vonzelle and Bo are making these final two shows pretty exciting.

Two weeks ago I loved Carrie and last week I was rooting for Vonzelle, but tonight Bo Bice definitely won me over. I am so impressed that he decided to perform a song acapella. One of my big hangups with him has always been that he was just too "band-y" and that I didn't think he couldn't perform without that loud rock group backing him up. But he proved me wrong tonight. I think Carrie is great, and has a gorgeous voice, but I just don't see her making it in the big city. She's just so quiet and shy and well... country. I'm a little country myself, so I can say so.

My guess is that Vonzie is going home tomorrow. Carrie and Bo will take us to the Kodak theatre next week, but I think Bo is going to be the next AI. Hell, I might even pick up the phone and vote.

Better test taking

In class tonight we took a 90-question practice "comps" exam. I'll take the real thing in October - the big test that makes or breaks graduation. Not surprisingly I haven't started studying yet (c'mon, it's 5 months away!), so I was a tad nervous about this unannounced practice exam.

Turned out to be a great experience though. We got to play with this new testing system called PRS - Personal Response System. Each student has a mini TV remote that they use to answer questions from a power point presentation. Students answer each question anonymously and the program automatically calculates all the results on a bar graph. Instant feedback for each student. Very very cool.

Everyone gets the opportunity to participate, not just the vocal kids, and there is less pressure to perform since all the displayed results are anonymous (unless the professor has the remotes linked to each student to register responses for an actual testing situation). Imagine being able to give a legit "participation" grade using this method. Kids are less inhibited.

I don't know how expensive this system is, but I hope schools are able to afford the program. If nothing else, I see it as being a fantastic method to keep girls' confidence up in math and science. I don't know where the breakdown is occurring with our young women not performing up to their abilities in math and science, but I think this is a wonderful tool to assist in that issue.

Grade update

Email from my professor regarding my final grade:

Hi TB,
Your extra credit paper was really excellent and based on it I decided to give you an A even though we had planned on a B. With your paper you had the points for an A. Hope I will have you in another class. Have a great summer. Dr. W

Monks on a roller coaster?

10 days since my last post?! Oh my - I'm such a slacker!!

Well, it has been ages, so here is the quick update:

I finished my last semester of "real" classes this week. I got an A in Practicum, an A in Diversity, and am still in limbo waiting for my Family grade. Last time I talked to my prof I had a C (missed classes + weekly quizzes = C), but I did a load of extra credit (10 page paper on gay parenting), and I'm praying that brought me up to B. Tapping my fingers......

Classes ended on Tuesday and I started my internship on Wednesday. I have to complete 300 hours before July 19, and another 300 hours in the fall. I will be finished with graduate school in December! But for now, I'm thrilled about no more tests, quizzes, or papers - just intern hours - whee!

TBF is graduating with his masters this week and is on the job search. I have a rather excellent grad gift picked out for him.

I bought a new book this week - Lonesome Dove - I've been meaning to read it for years, and I think this is just the time to do it.

Wedding planning is going well. I think I found the perfect ceremony/reception site but am waiting to get back up there with TBF so he can check it out as well.

On my mom's recommendation, I am giving the Michael Thurman 6-week Body Makeover a whirl. After doing it for only 2 days I've found it is kinda exhausting to prepare and eat 5 or 6 mini-meals each day. I know diets are pretty much a lost cause, but I'm gonna give it a week and see how things go. I'm drinking lots of water and exercising too, so I'm expecting good things at least from that.

I'm still working on changing job positions. Several people interviewed for my position this week and admin has narrowed it down to three candidates. I should know something by the end of the week.

So that is that! Hope you are all well and I will be checking back in with my daily reads very soon! :)

Old family pic

I think this is about 1982 at a going away party for my family in San Angelo TX. I picked this pic up from my parents house when I was in Austin last week. Yes, Mom and I were wearing matching dresses. And Dad's glasses - awesome!