The Enhanced Vocabulary

Here are 6 words I love. I use them but they aren't in the dictionary and I actually made up a couple of them. I guess we all use made up words in some form...what made up words do you use?

Mancation - an adventurous vacation for just the guys, not to be confused with the gay resorts or gay cruises.

Manscrunchie - the "scrunchie" men use to pull back their long hair.

Celebutard - a celebrity with no real talent. For example, Paris Hilton or Jennifer Lopez.

Beaver Poison - a word my friends and I use to describe a man with a sexually transmitted disease.

B-Odorant - when a stinky person puts on layers of cologne and/or Right Guard instead of showering.

Salsa Pants - this word is only used when describing Mario Lopez or Mario Lopez wanna-bes.

The Superbowl for Girls

Ok, so I have to admit I'm a sucker for Black Friday. For those of you who are not female or gay, Black Friday is the shopping frenzy that occurs on the day after Thanksgiving. Companies can get their finances out of the "red" and into the "black" in just that one day if the sales are good enough. It's competitive shopping at its best - it's like the Superbowl for girls!

I usually get anxious for the newspaper on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving and on Thanksgiving day. Those sales flyers are like playbooks for me! What I usually do is map out the locations of the stores in the order of the best sales. Then I get up at the crack of dawn and hit the shopping full on.

I'm not one of those people who will camp out in front of the store in the cold. I try to get plenty of rest and fluids before the occasion. Then once I'm in the store, I beeline to the stuff I want and then beeline to the register. Truth be told, you'll wait FOREVER at the register but at least it's warm in the store and not freezing outside in a tent with no bathrooms. If you're fierce and quick, you'll get all the stuff you wanted with plenty of time for a victory brunch at La Madeleine.

Unfortunately, sometimes the things you really want are not on sale. You're pretty much at their mercy when it comes to specific items at bargain prices. Here are the weirdo things I wanted that we couldn't find on sale anywhere:

• Noise cancelling headphones
• Sterling Silver ring with a yellow topaz stone
• Electric warming throw blanket
• A large jar candle in Gardenia
• Cozy house socks

But I did find some other good bargains...even after Black Friday. All in all, I think I scored well in this year's Girl Superbowl. Let me know how you did!

The Pizza Challenge

Are you a deep dish or a thin slice? I asked a lot of people that before I went to NYC. It turns out that most of the people I know are thin slicers...and I'm a thin slicer as well. But the whole deep dish thing was intriguing to me so I decided to do a little taste test of my own.

The last time I flew to NYC with M, we had a looonnggg layover in Chicago. We had plenty of time to hop on a subway train, get into the downtown area, have some deep dish pizza and get back to the airport for our flight to NYC. Oh, and many thanks to the city of Chicago for understanding the true importance of having a train stop IN the airport. Genius.

Anyway, we decided to eat at Lou Malnati's in Chicago for the deep dish and Grimaldi's in Brooklyn for the thin slice. We broke down the categories with a possiblity of 20 points for the best score in each category. It was close and the service is what made a huge difference. Here's how they rated:

Deep Dish - Lou Malnati's in Chicago

1. Ambiance/Atmosphere 18
2. Service 7
3. Food 19
4. Price 20
   TOTAL - 64 out of 80

Thin Slice - Grimaldi's in Brooklyn

1. Ambiance/Atmosphere 20
2. Service 19
3. Food 20
4. Price 20
   TOTAL - 79 out of 80

The winner was GRIMALDI'S!!! Sorry to those of you who love deep dish pizza, it just doesn't compare with the gooey, flavorful goodness coming out of Brooklyn!

Timing Is Everything

Ok, so most of you know that I have some pretty crappy timing. It's safe to say that if my life would run 3 minutes late or 3 minutes early, I might be ruling my own country or working alongside Oprah by now. Believe me, I could tell you some stories about my terrible timing - some real doozies.

But on Saturday night I had good timing. Great timing. Allow me to explain... My day started at 6:00 a.m. and I didn't get home til around 10:00 p.m. and I was exhausted! I didn't want to go out so instead I decided to check on my TiVo and see what he'd been up to on Saturday. After about an hour, I was all caught up with TiVo and I switced over to live TV. My TV happened to be on HBO and I tuned in at the last 31 minutes of a movie called Roll Bounce. You know, it's that roller skating movie that's set in the 70s starring Nick Cannon and Bow Wow. Don't act like you don't know - we both know you have heard of that flick.

Anyway, my first instinct was to change the channel. But then I realized I was tuning in right at the grand finale. The big climax. The finals of the roller skating championship! It was awesome! There were several teams competing in the finals and I got to see all of their routines set to disco tunes. I know you think I'm crazy, but if you get the chance, watch the last 31 minutes of that movie. It's flippin' awesome...complete with groovy disco beats, old school roller skates and a bonafide SKATE OFF!

Whew, hope I didn't give too much away!

Random Thoughts

So, some stuff has recently been floating through my life. I haven't had a chance to post because I've been lazy. But here I am... posting, finally.

First of all, I'm way behind on my phone call returns. People that called me 2 weeks ago are just now getting a call back from me. I had a super busy couple of weeks and phone calls were the first sacrifice. So if I haven't called you back please don't think I'm being a bad friend - I'm spending all my free time on this posting.

If you know me then you know why I sometimes go to Corpus Christi. Lately, I have been paying very close attention to the Whataburger situation in Plano and CC. A compare/contrast, if you will. Here's what I know... The Plano phone book lists 4 Whataburger Restaurants. Sometimes I drive by the one close to my house and it's really busy at lunchtime - but not any other time. I discovered that Whataburger was founded in CC in 1950. The CC phone book lists 33 Whataburgers! As you drive around town, you'll spot one everywhere you go and they are always packed. In fact, the few McDonald's restaurants they do have are usually very empty. So, is it fair to say that Corpus is the Burger-Bizarro of Plano?

Oh, one last thing. I have totally gotten addicted to my new bike! That thing rocks. It's named Bonnie Blue and it's a sweet, sweet ride. I found a bike trail by my house and it's about a ten mile route. But I hope to take Bonnie Blue to Austin soon. That way if I see Lance Armstrong while I'm riding around, I can run right into him. I hate that dude.

Well, I better go. I have phone calls to return and a Whataburger to scope out. Take care friends!

August Got Good

Dudes...I totally ragged on August in my last blogpost. That was mean. Sorry, August. But in all fairness, I had been really ticked and with good reason. And things are better now...much better. Where to start???

• August brought back my friends, the Kedroski's. Minnesota has officially lost its most beautiful family and they are moving back to Texas where they belong! I am thrilled that they are just a 3 hour drive away now. That's flippin' sweet!
  
• August brought me news of an upcoming wedding. My oldest brother is marrying his girlfriend next year. She has 2 daughters from a previous marriage so that means I'm getting 2 more nieces! Cool, huh?
  
• Oh, and August delivered my sweet friend, Evelina, to Austin as well. She starts at UT this week. I met her when she was just 16 and I've watched her grow into such a beautiful woman. I can't wait to see what else life brings her.
  
• In case you didn't already know, August proved I have the most perfect boyfriend on the planet. He's not only the sweet guy who drove 3 hours to visit me in Austin, he's also the considerate guy who helped my friend Evelina get settled into her new apartment in Austin. And he's also the thoughtful guy who bought me a new bike!

Oh, August, thanks for reminding me that the heat is only temporary but the love is deep, wide and flowing.

Evelina and me at her new place!


My sweet man and my sweet ride!

Oh August, How You Anger Me

August is not off to a good start. We are only 8 days into this month and I'm already eager to toss it aside. I am convinced that these 100 degree days are getting the best of me. I could tell you many, many stories about the nasty heat. But instead, here are just 2 examples of how August is going for me. And oddly, both examples involve my nose.

• I was at work and stepped into the elevator after a women stepped out. Evidently, she bathed in tacky perfume so that it would "linger." But all it really did was "stink." It was so bad that my nose actually burned once the elevator doors closed. On my way up to the 3rd floor, the elevator stopped to pick up somebody on the 2nd floor. When that person got in, all he could smell was that tacky perfume. He thought it was me and he actually scooted over to the other side of the elevator. How humiliating... and it wasn't even my perfume!
  
• I had to spend the last few days out at schools since our new year just started. And, of course, I came home with a nasty cold. I took some Zycam and hoped that it would keep the cold from setting in. I use the Zycam nose gel. You squirt the gel in your nose but it is designed to stay in the lower part of your nostrils...it's not like a nose spray that gets snorted up. But I accidentally snorted a little of it while trying to swat a mosquito. This led to a long, painful night. My sinuses were in so much pain. It felt as if someone had poured acid in my nose. I felt like Helen Hunt in that after-school special she did about drugs... remember the one where she jumped out of a second story window? That's exactly what I felt like doing. Now I know why Helen jumped. It was so awful.

I promise to post something good soon... that is, if August decides to stop being so bossy and give a little happiness.

My Ex - Desperate Housewives

Blogger friends, it's official. I have broken up with Desperate Housewives. I even deleted it from my TiVo season pass lineup. Here's the scoop...

When I was first introduced to Desperate Housewives, I really wasn't interested. I felt that we didn't have anything in common as I am not a wife or desperate. So I basically blew it off even though it was asking me to hang out every Sunday night. Then one weekend, a group of friends were going to hang out and Desperate Housewives was there. So I gave it a chance. And to my surprise, I liked it! We started hanging out every Sunday night and I couldn't wait for our next meeting.

Then summer came and the season was over. I thought I would die... but then I remembered the re-runs. I had a lot of catching up to do with Desperate Housewives so I still kept watching on Sunday nights. Those re-runs are what made me fall in love with it and it's many characters.

Finally, fall came around and it was time to start a new, fresh season with my guilty pleasure. Each Sunday, I would gear up and get all ready for an exciting, thrilling ride. But each date was a let down. The magic was gone. Something in Desperate Housewives changed and I just couldn't get over it. I didn't even recognize it anymore... everything was wrong. I kept trying to watch because I just knew that it would come around. I didn't want to give up.

In order for a relationship to succeed, both sides have to work. And I felt as though I was the one doing all the work. I was the one having to forgive it everytime it was not living up to the expectations America had given it. I was the one having to defend it each time someone made fun of me for loving it. But the fight is over and I've moved on.

My TiVo will no longer be recording it and that means Sunday nights are free. We've been flirting with an Italian from New Jersey that wants that Sunday night spot. But he's a little shady and unpredictable and there are rumors that he's involved with the mob. So we'll see how that goes. Who knows, maybe something totally new will come in and sweep Sunday nights off its feet. I'll let you know how it goes.

Livia, The Eskimo Hut and Other Panhandle Goodies

Hi friends! Sorry it's taken me forever to post the stories about my Amarillo trip. There is a reason for it and it's mixed into this posting. So here goes...

Friday
On Friday, June 23, I voluntarily got into a car with my sister and her family. Why I agreed to ride for five hours with my 2 nephews, ages 7 and 9, is beyond me. The trip consisted of beef jerky smells, little boy snoring and the soundtrack of High School Musical. But it actually was fun because my nephews are now old enough for me to joke around with. It was a good time. I got to Amarillo and immediately went to Livia Woodburn's house. You gotta love Livia and her sweet family. They always let me crash at their Casa de Woodburn.

That night we met up with some old high school friends at a restaurant called Basil Doc's Pizza. Belinda, Micheal, Livia and I ate tons of food and drank tons of adult beverages. I drank a whole carafe of sangria. Well, Belinda did have a glass of it... but I pretty much polished off the whole thing. And it was only $10 for the whole carafe!! Can you believe that? Drinks in Amarillo are so cheap! After stuffing our faces, we went to Burberry's and met up with Chris, Chad, Betty and several other friends. We talked and drank and laughed about old times. Chris was getting fidgety and we knew he wanted to go to The Golden Light Cantina. So we packed up and hit the Golden Light - which is Chris' second home. There was a great band playing there and they even had a fiddle player! Livia busted out her Polaroid Camera... it's an old school Polaroid that actually works. She is famous for that camera and the interesting photos that she takes with it. So the band finished up their set and suddenly 2:00 a.m. was approaching. As we were finishing our beers, we noticed that Belinda had walked away. She had gone to the backstage area where the band was chilling out. When we found her, she was wearing a cowboy hat and playing the fiddle. After several photos, we left The Golden Light and went home.

Saturday
On Saturday, I had to meet up with my family at La Fiesta. It's a restaurant in Amarillo where my grandparents were celebrating their 60th Anniversary. My family planned a short and sweet lunch for them. I got to the restaurant with Livia and I had a sinking suspicion that my cousins would assume we were lesbians. That side of my family has not met my super hot fireman boyfriend, so I kinda think they got the wrong impression. Oh well, who cares? Livia is hot so even if I was a lesbian I would totally date her!

Anyway, I talked with my family; many of whom I had not seen in years. It was fun to catch up with them but I couldn't help but turn my gaze into the bar area of the restaurant where the TV was located. Mexico was playing Argentina that day and I really do enjoy a good dose of the World Cup. So I got in trouble for focusing more on the game than on my family. (Sorry, mom.) Luckily, the food arrived and distracted me. I ordered chicken flautas because I kinda wanted to stay on the safe side. However, I quickly realized I was nowhere near the safe side. I bit into my flauta and a puddle of grease came spurting out of the bottom end. Yuck! I didn't eat the rest of my food and left the restaurant hungry. Bummer.

We regrouped at Livia's house then made our way to Hereford. My family planned a little "after party" for my grandparents. Livia suggested that we stop by the Eskimo Hut and get a frosty beverage on the way. The Eskimo Hut is this little drive up joint that sells alcoholic snow cones. They put it in a styrofoam cup with a lid. Then they put the cup in a heat-sealed plastic bag. The side of the bag says some crap about Texas laws against driving with an open alcoholic container. Evidently, the heat-sealed plastic bag passes for a closed container. As we approached the Hut, I was confused at what to order as they have widely increased their flavor options since my days at WTAMU. Then, Livia reached into her car's console and pulled out a menu! She frequents the Hut and has a whole menu in her car. Gotta love Liv! I chose a Hot Mama which was a mixture of cherry, pineapple, cream and some sort of liquor. It was like biting into those Cherry Sour candies. Yummy. Livia got the Orange Dreamsicle and I almost fought her for it.

We got to Hereford and basically just sat around my grandparents' backyard while loud Spanish music was blaring. My grandfather came out of the house holding a CD as though it were gold. He handed it over to the guy by the CD player and said, "This song is for my sweetheart." He walked over to ask my grandmother to dance. She heard the song and said, "Oh, I hate this song. Pick another one!" We all laughed hysterically; even grandpa laughed. He finally found another song and they sweetly danced in the back yard under the apricot tree.

We left Hereford and went back to Amarillo. We met up with some friends at a piano bar which was a lot of fun. But I was so tired and I really wanted to curl up and sleep. We made it an early night and I was in bed by midnight.

Sunday
My mom called me on Saturday and said, "We'll stop by Livia's house to pick you up at 9:00 a.m. on Sunday" But in my mom's lingo, that means 8:30 a.m. So I got up early, showered and was packed by 8:15 when mom called and said, "Are you ready?" Like clockwork.

We rolled out of Amarillo by 8:45 a.m. and made it safely back home. But when I walked into my house it felt like a sauna. My house was 99 degrees and there was hot air blowing from the vents. The unit outside was sitting quietly - not moving a single blade. I spent the next 2 nights away from my house because I was arguing with my A/C repair company because the unit is under warranty and they didn't want to fix it. Long story short, I didn't have to pay for repairs and I now have time to write blogs at a comfy 79 degrees.

Micheal, Belinda, me, Betty and Chris hanging out


Livia and me after a long night


My cute nieces, Michelle and Elizabeth, at lunch


The land from whence we came


My grandparents dancing on their 60th anniversary


If you're from the Panhandle, you know exactly who this is

Junebug-less June

Wow, June passed me by. I looked at the calendar today and realized that I didn't post much in June. I actually made some funny observations in June and I really wanted to post them... I just didn't get around to it. There are many times in my day where I say, "Dude, that's so going into the blog." And yet, I just slack off. Sorry, friends. Here's the quick hit list:

Father's Day/Dad's Birthday
To celebrate my dad's two big days, I took him to Antares in Reunion Tower. For you non-Dallas people, that's the big building in downtown Dallas with the big ball at the top. The big ball is actually a restaurant that makes a full circle in about an hour. It moves rather slowly so you don't really feel as though you are moving. And if you've ever been in a car while my mom is driving then you kinda know what it feels like. We got to the restaurant and were starving. Dad ordered a big, fat steak and I ordered the seafood pasta. The waiter actually grinned after we placed our orders; he looked extraordinarily happy. Weird, right? Turns out the Reunion Hyatt (which it connected to Reunion Tower) was hosing a scout show for models. The restaurant was full of the models who only ordered hot tea and water. The waiter was so happy that us fatties ordered real food that he did a little Snoopy-Dance on his way back to the kitchen. I'm not even kidding.

Amarillo
I made a trip up to the Texas Panhandle. Yes, it's true... I grew up there in the plains of Texas. My roots came from the flat, plain soil that is Hereford, Texas. My roots now live on the east side of Plano, Texas and it seems odd that I still live in a "plain-o" part of Texas. Anyway... I have to make a whole new posting for my Amarillo trip because there is a lot to include. But to give you a little teaser, it involves my grandparents, a certain Livia Woodburn and her polaroid camera, The Eskimo Hut's frozen drinks and a flauta that spurted grease out of the bottom end when it was bitten. I'm sure the suspense is killing you. ;o)

No Junebugs!
Dudes, where are the Junebugs? How did we get all the way through June with none of those golden, flighty pests? Of course, I'm not necessarily fond of Junebugs... I'm more of a firefly type of girl. However, I noticed that I was able to leave my porch light on and not have to sweep out 5 Junebugs after opening my front door. I also didn't have my annual "Junebug Hair Freak Out" which involves a Junebug getting stuck in my hair and me flailing around and screaming. I think it's our oddball weather. We never really got a full-blown winter in this part of Texas and now it's wreaking havoc in the bug world. I miss you and your golden glory, Junebugs. Please come back next year!

California Love

Whew! What an exciting week! California proved to be the entertainment beast that I thought it was. I've broken down our days below and included some photos. In order to protect the innocent, I had to keep some stuff out of here. I hope you can understand... and if you were there, I know you will appreciate my silence. :)

Sunday, May 28
My brother, Leroy, my boyfriend, Marcos, and I flew to L.A. on an afternoon flight and it was soooo looonnng. It actually was 2 hours and 40 minutes in the air, but it felt like 8 hours. Lucky for me, I'm short and I laid across the seat so I was comfy. As soon as we landed we found my brother's high school buddy, Jason, who now lives in Cali. We picked up our rental car only to find out that we'd been given a free "upgrade." As we drove out of the lot in a PT Cruiser, we began to wonder how this was an upgrade. We got to the Omni downtown and it was fantastic. Again, we'd been given a free upgrade and this time it really was an upgrade to a huge, fancy room. We dropped off our stuff and headed out to Hollywood. We saw all those corny street performers and people dressed as SuperGirl, Freddy Kruger and Batman on Hollywood Blvd. Then we watched a movie at the Grauman's Chinese Theater. We walked up and down the sidewalk but the whole time we were looking down at the celebrity names in the stars. Did you know the Marilyn Monroe star on the Walk of Fame is right in front of the McDonalds? It was getting late and we went back to the hotel for a little sleep.

Monday, May 29 - Memorial Day
Jason, Leroy, Marcos and I got up and went straight to the Grand Central Market. It's a Mexican market in downtown L.A. with all kinds of food, produce, gifts, etc. It was one of the best places I've ever seen in California. After we pigged out on tacos, we met up with my friend, Britton. She is in law school in L.A. and so graciously let us stay with her for the remainder of our vacation. She had just returned from a little road trip to a wedding so she was tired, but she has stamina so she didn't think twice about heading to Venice Beach with us. The drive to Venice Beach was thick with traffic... but that's normal for L.A. on a holiday. Venice Beach didn't disappoint us. We saw all kinds of people wearing all kinds of things... and some not wearing anything at all. After a few cocktails and some fun in the sun, we packed up and went to a baseball game. Britton's friend, also named Jason, joined us. We had so much fun watching the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim beat the Minnesota Twins. It really was a good game and afterwards we stayed for a fireworks show. Ah, America!

Tuesday, May 30
This day started WAY too early. I was showered, dressed and ready to go at 5:45 a.m. We had to be at The Price is Right by 6:00 a.m. to get a place in line. And even though it was early, the excitement of seeing Bob made it all worth it! We got some food, got in line and were finally given an "Order of Arrival Number" by a page that works for CBS. Britton pointed out that the page is probably a legal intern and we began to wonder if that would become Britton's new job one day. After hours of waiting, they began to hand out "Priority Numbers." That is the golden ticket that gets you the trademark nametag and a seat in the audience. As we patiently waited we began to notice something... there were about 1,000 people waiting and only 335 people fit into 1 taping. I began to worry. Then we heard one of those pages say, "We have handed out all the Priority Numbers so anyone waiting in line is now on stand-by." We were given our stand-by numbers of 84, 85, 86, and 87 and were told to come back at 10:30 a.m. Things didn't look good. But we didn't give up. We walked over to The Grove which is a cool mall and the Farmer's Market which is nearby. We killed some time there and went back to TPIR.

When we got back we heard some good news and bad news. The bad news was that any group of 20 or more gets a guaranteed seat and there were 5 large groups reserved for that day. That's why we were put on stand-by so early. But the good news was that 2 of the groups didn't show and there was hope for those on stand-by. It was around 10:45 when we realized that many of those that were on stand-by had given up and didn't return... and they missed their chance because WE GOT IN! We got our cool name tags and waited some more. Finally they called our group into the interview process. Evidently, they choose the contestants based up on a very brief meeting in an "interview" with about 15 other people. They put all 15 people in a row and ask each one these 2 questions:
1. Where are you from?
2. What do you do for a living?
That's it... depending on what you say to those 2 questions will determine whether or not they like you and if you'll be on the show. A lady in our group sang a little song... something about "Plinko, Plinko little star." And she was chosen to come on down! Britton, Leroy, Marcos and I were not chosen to come on down but we had a GREAT time yelling in the audience. It was so much fun to see the small set that looks so large on TV. It was a a great day.

After that, we headed out to Universal Studios City Walk and enjoyed some junk food, corny gift shops, and even a long ride on a shuttle bus. But I hit a wall and could hardly keep my eyes open. We went back to Britton's place where she introduced us to the world of garlic knots and Johnnie's Pizza.

Wednesday, May 30
This was our last day in California. We laid low in the morning and took it easy. We ate lunch at Jaxx on Sunset Blvd. and then drove around Beverly Hills. We walked around Rodeo Drive and window shopped at Prada, Gucci, Dolce & Gabanna, Tiffany, etc. It was nice to look at all those incredible designer clothing... even if it was only through the window display. Britton introduced us to Sprinkles Cupcakes in Beverly Hills. WOW! Those things are like nothing I've ever tasted. There was a line waiting to get even 1 cupcake and now I see why people are willing to wait. I bit into my chocolate coconut cupcake and was surprised to find that something so small could make life so good. My tastebuds were confused and appreciative all at the same time. I can't wait to go there again. After our relaxing day, it was time to head home. We landed in Dallas around midnight so we were really tired... but it was so much fun.

Traveling with my brother was fun... even though my other siblings warned me not to travel with him. Traveling with my sweetie is always fun... and this time having Britton there made it even better. I was to happy to get some hang time with Britton on her new stomping grounds. It was nice to just hang out and laugh with her again. Of course, she'll be back in Texas next weekend and I'm sure I'll have even more stories to tell. But for now, enjoy the pics below!

Gas is expensive in Cali!


Jason (on left) and my brother at the Omni


Me at the Omni


Marcos and me in Hollywood


Marcos ordering lunch at the market


Britton and me at Venice Beach


Marcos and me at Venice Beach


My brother and me showing our family ties


Putting my toes in the Pacific


Britton and me at the baseball game


Britton is the only person in Cali who can properly pronounce Coors Light


Britton and me at The Grove - waiting for TPIR


Here we are after TPIR!

Five Things About May... so far

So it's halfway through May and I haven't posted at all this month. It's been a little crazy and there's a lot going on. But I have pulled a short list of events - just 5 things.

1. Cindo de Mayo
This year, Cinco de Mayo was more like Drunko de Mayo. I went to hang out with my family in Denton and the cocktails got WAY out of hand. The next morning my sister and her family were going to be in the Cinco de Mayo parade since they are Denton's Family of the Year. But I had the hardest time getting out of bed and I was mortified to find pina colada stuck in my hair. I did manage to get some pics... they're below.

2. The Perfect Storm
There's something wrong with the air in Dallas. I don't have allergies, but over the last 2 weeks I have come to understand the pain of those with allergies. I feel terrible. To make matters worse, I got a cold. My doctor told me I had an infection and had to treat BOTH the cold and the allergies. Getting a cold right in the middle of an allergy fit truly is The Perfect Storm.

3. Aurorica
My mom's name is Aurora and if you have met her you know that she's a bold presence. I sometimes refer to her as Aurorica because she could be her very own country and would probably demand to be its dictator. I know my mom is tough, but that's what makes her so perfect. On Mother's Day I always remind her that she is a rock star and I am blessed with a mom who taught me to be independent and to develop my own identity.

4. California Dreamin'
In 11 days I'm flying to California with my sweetie and my brother. We're going to see my friend B who is in law school out there. And to see my brother's friend J who has lived out there for years. AND TO SEE BOB BARKER! I have been watching The Price is Right for years, however over the last 2 months I have been studying it. If I get asked to 'come on down' I'll be ready.

5. Audrey Jane Miller
My friend Jenn and her husband had their third child, Audrey Jane. She is welcomed by two loving older brothers. Sweet Audrey was born with CDH, a birth defect in which the diaphragm does not close properly while in the womb. Therefore, the abdominal organs form in the chest area. Audrey is still in the NICU in Dallas and each day she's fighting for her life. Please keep her in your thoughts and send her some positive energy! And visit her blog if you have time.
http://spaces.msn.com/jennmillerblog

My nephew in his Guayabera shirt on Cinco de Mayo.
















The Havis Family - Denton's Family of the Year!

Names

A while back my sister sent me a link to a site that will tell you when your name was popular, the years in which the popularity rose and declined, etc. It's actually a very cool site and you can see it here.

My sister pointed out that my name was most popular in 1880. It was in the top ten names given to girls in the late 1800s in the U.S. As time went by it decreased in popularity. In fact, the year the name was given to me was its LOWEST point of popularity. Thanks, mom and dad!

Then, I remembered the many, many times people say things like, "My great-aunt is named Clara." Or, "Clara was my grandmother's name!" While that is slightly depressing, it doesn't upset me. (Call me Claire or Carla and then you'll see all kinds of angry!)

I've come to terms with my old lady name. When I meet people, I actually say, "My name is Clara, like an old lady." They think it's funny and I resist laughing with them. I usually just smile and hope my dentures don't fall out. :)

Do you like your name?

Lubbock And All Its Glory

As many of you know, I went to Lubbock this weekend for my friend Mike's senior art exhibit. He'll be graduating from Tech next month, but he invited all of us to his exhibit because he's not into the whole cap and gown thing. Anyway... here's the story about my weekend and there are photos below. Here goes...

I flew to Lubbock way too early on Friday morning. The flight ended up being delayed, but I finally got to the Panhandle. I sat next to the most bizaar man on the plane who kept reading my Cosmo over my shoulder. He even asked me about the Man Manual section of Cosmo. Eww! Anyway, the Lubbock airport only has FOUR entrances but I still had trouble finding Mike. Finally we found each other and headed off to do a million things. Lunch, shopping, a beer run, etc.

I was almost unable to buy my pineapple rum because the 22-year-old girls working at Doc's Liquor thought my ID was fake. In a way, I was flattered but I was really wanting that rum so I ended up getting huffy. Long story short - I got the goods and Mike got about 200 bucks worth of beer for his party! Then Mike took me out to Slaton, TX (where his exhibit was held) to see his artwork. I'd never seen it close up before. The photos below are a few of his cool sculptures. Mike is a rock star!

Liv drove into town while Mike and I were hogging down at Freebirds. We told Liv to meet us at the hotel where she and I were staying. When Mike and I pulled into the parking lot, Liv had already popped open a Lone Star beer from her big cooler that was fully stocked. There's something very "Panhandley" about drinking Lone Star in a hotel parking lot! We decided to save our beer for the party and we went to a local bar to drink.

On the way to the bar, Liv and I got mooned. This little mini-van pulled up next to us and began honking. We looked over and saw what looked like a large ham pressed against the windows. The mini-van had really dark tinting that I'm pretty sure is illegal in Texas. But we could still see the action. Typically, after a mooning, the driver pulls away or turns. But we were at a red light.... so we sat there in the most awkward moment. The girl in the front passenger side of the mini-van looked so humiliated.

On Saturday, Liv and I went to the Buddy Holly Center. There is an area with some of his memorabilia and there is also an art gallery in there. It was actually very cool. The glasses Buddy Holly was wearing at the time of his death are in the memorial area. And the story is that there is blood and flesh still in the frames. Yuck! Liv and I walked around then hit the gift shop. We scored some killer Buddy Holly glasses of our own... girly ones. Pictures below!

We went out to Mike's exhibit that evening and he had a FULL house. There was good food, tons of drinks, good music and fantastic art. We all had a great time. After the exhibit we went to a local bar, The Gas Light, and had drinks. (We actually went through Mike's two-hundy worth of beer and all of Liv's stash.) We ended our night at the bar and headed home.

I flew home way too early this morning and that's why I'm already here posting this. I couldn't wait to share the stories and photos. I am so very blessed with such amazing friends and I am grateful for weekends like this one. These people are gold.

Liv, Clara and Mike - check out our Buddy Holly glasses!


What WTAMU has brought together, let no man put asunder.


Two of Mike's sculptures


This is my favorite sculpture of Mike's


Mike and his beautiful sister, Christie


Mike and Chase


Liv and me at the exhibit rocking our Buddy Holly glasses. The Budapest t-shirt is an inside joke that very few people can know. ;o)


Here I am being goofy at The Buddy Holly Center.


This is my new tie-skirt that I finally got to wear!

Bedtimes, Baking, Books and Bob Barker

At the start of this year, I made my new year's resolutions. If you don't remember, they were:

• Finish my novel
• Attend a taping of The Price is Right
• Go to bed earlier
• Cook for myself more often

So here's an update on how I'm doing with those...

1. The Book
I'm still writing but I got really stuck on one part. This story being told in this book is directly from a brief period of my family's history. I need to do what I can to protect them but I also need the story to have some connectivity. So I'm working on getting over that hump. I still don't have a title for the book either.

2. Bob Barker
I AM DOING THIS ONE NEXT MONTH!!!!! I am going to California with my brother and my sweetie. We are meeting up with my girl friend, B, who lives out there. The 4 of us will be attending a taping of The Price is Right on Tuesday, May 30. It will air on CBS on June 6, 2006. The producers interview every single person in the audience and that is how they choose who will 'come on down.' To be honest, I don't want to go onstage. I just want to be that annoying person in the audience that yells prices to the contestants.

3. Bedtimes
This one didn't work for me. I really, really did try. I moved my cleaning times, I switched my evening rituals and even got my clothes ready a whole week in advance. But I still need time to watch the back up of programs on my TiVo and most importantly, I need talk time with my sweetie. Sometimes, our first long chat about our day doesn't start til 9:00 p.m. And nobody can convince me to hit the hay before having a long chat with my sweetie.

4. Baking
I do cook for myself more often. I'm very proud of myself, actually. I have found recipes that are more conducive to the single lifestyle... things that reheat well or can be made in smaller portions. I also have found that I can save some serious cash by not going out for meals. But my downfall is baking. I need a baker's course or something. Don't get me wrong, I have no intentions of entering a pastry bake-off or anything like that. I just need more baking education. Who teaches stuff like that?

So there's the update on my resolutions. Did you make any? How are they coming along?

Oh... I saw the guy who played Pedro in Napoleon Dynamite. Took a quick pic.

Yes, that is the Selena memorial statue behind me.

The Shout Out

Ok, there's a lot going on in the friend world these days. I thought I'd take a moment to send a quick howdy-ho to my buddies doing great things.

Mike - He is finally graduating from Texas Tech with an art degree! Instead of walking across the stage, he has decided to invite everyone to his senior art exhibit. His sculptures are fantastic! I will be flying to Lubbock for the exhibit... it's from April 21 - 23. Look for pics after that.

Michelle - She's finally graduating from the College of Santa Fe. She is also an artist, like Mike. Unfortunately, I cannot attend her graduation... but I'm so very proud of her! I'll ask her to send some pics for me to post.

Susie - She has started her first blog! Welcome to the blogger community, Suz! If you'd like to see her blog click here. It's funny... Suz will make you smile.

Meagan - She turned 30!! We had so much fun at her party. Most of the pics cannot be published, but I did post a few below.

Braden - My nephew is having a very important test this week with his doctors. Please send him your positive thoughts and prayers. Also, he is still raising money for his March of Dimes campaign. So far he's raised over $2,000! Check out his pic below.

Well, that's it for now. Enjoy the pics and talk to you after I get back from Lubbock.

Here's Meagan trying to decide if she should take her surprise birthday drink.













Julia and Phil at Meagan's party.














Braden and me at the arboretum.



















Just and extra pic I decided to add of my other nephews, Jackson and Jonathan.

Thank You For Smoking

Ok, so I went to the movies with my sweetie on Saturday. We had planned on going to the 8:40 showing but we dozed off and didn't wake up til 9. We thought we'd just skip the movies but there happened to be a 10:40 showing of Thank You For Smoking.

We got ready to go and jumped in the car... only to hit EVERY red light on the way to the theater. It was 10:35 and we still had about 3 miles to go. I panicked a little bit because I'm a sucker for movie trailers and I felt them slipping away. I was beginning to think this was the Universe's mean April Fool's Day trick on M and me. But I stood my ground and decided to miss the trailers. And man, that movie was SSOO worth it!

I predict that Thank You For Smoking will be nominated for some kind of Oscar. Not cinematography, not best actor, not even one of those weird technical ones either. But it is a the shining beacon for best screen adaptation so far. Dudes, that movie rocked. It was laugh-out-loud funny and so compelling!

Don't get me wrong, it had its bad points. I mean, Katie Holmes is in it. She plays a trampy newspaper reporter. But since I knew that going into the theater, I just imagined Claire Danes every time Katie was onscreen. (Dude, Katie Holmes needs to be de-hypnotized and de-Cruised big time.... but that's another blog posting.)

The movie is a satirical comedy about the tobacco industry and those who are hired to paint a happy face on it. It also ties in the alcohol and firearms industry. When those controversial industries are faced with a lawsuit or called out on a talk show, someone must defend them... and this is the movie about those defenders. I am not a cigarette smoker, but I surprisingly found myself rooting for this low, depressing man who defended the tobacco industry. Then, I found myself loathing the tobacco industry. I walked out of there wondering how anyone could ever light up again.

So my sweetie and I left the theater along with the tons of people that also enjoyed the movie. As soon as we stepped outside, I counted TEN people lighting up a ciggy. WTF?? Were they not paying attention? Didn't they get it? W. T. F. ??

Anyway, catch the flick if you can. And for the love of Pete, please don't smoke.

A Letter to St. Patty's Day

Dear St. Patty's Day,

Why do you hate me? What have I ever done to you? I mean, I'm Catholic. I totally understand the religious reasons behind this Catholic Feast Day. I get it. And yet, you punish me every year. Why won't you let me partake in the green beer and other festivities? Do you think I'm over-reacting? Well, allow me to walk you down memory lane.

• St. Patrick's Day - 2004 - Bennigan's in Plano, TX
  Two of my girlfriends and I went to the cliche Irish pub/restaurant and decided it would be corny but fun. We got to the door and they charged us 5 bucks each. That's right, 5 dollars to get into a restaurant where I would eventually pay to eat. WTF? Then, as if that wasn't insulting enough, we got a "special" menu made just for that night with a bunch of gross shit on it. We ended up leaving hungry after dropping 20 bucks total. Bummer.
• St. Patrick's Day - 2005 - The Down Under Pub in Frisco, TX
  Ok, I know you're judging me now. You're probably wondering why I went to an Australian place on the holy grail of Irish holidays. But it was the only place that didn't have lines wrapped around it to get in. Plus, there were a few hot guys in there. BUT, we never got a good table. We ended up standing by the bar all night right under a cold air vent and they didn't have green beer. Then, to our surprise, the place closed at midnight. I almost barfed up my brown beer when last call was made at 11:40. Double bummer!
• St. Patrick's Day - 2006 - Sherlocks in Addison, TX
  I picked up my friend, G, and we grabbed some sushi. Then we drove to Sherlocks and saw a loooong line. There were so many cars that we actually parked half a mile from the entrance. (I measured it!) Then as we were patiently waiting in the long line, a loud crack of thunder shook us and it started pouring. We decided to abort Mission St. Patty and head for the car. But we had half a mile to run in the pouring down rain. Everything on me was soaked through when I got into my car. It was so gross. As I type this, I'm home at 10:30 p.m. on St. Patty's Day in my pajamas with rain hair. Triple bummer!

After the last 2 years, you think I would have learned my lesson. But no. Obviously St. Patrick's Day is out to get me. So, third time was the charm. You win St. Patty's Day. I concede. I regreat not ever trying green beer, but the war is over and you are victorious. I will never try to partake in your spirited festivities again. It was nice knowing you.

Bye,
Clara
p.s. If you think I'm wearing green on March 17 next year, you're out of your mind. And if you try to pinch me, I'll give you a titty twister.

Next Blog

Have you ever just hit the "Next Blog" button to see what you get? It's kinda like channel surfing for a good blog. Can we call it blog surfing? Ok, deal.

So, I was blog surfing earlier today. Man, some people are totally out of their minds! I would list links to their blogs, but some of them looked satanic and I'd hate to have the spawn of satan chasing me. Others were totally pornographic and I can't post links to those because I'm almost certain I'd get cyber-arrested for it.

Anyway, something really creepy yet cool caught my eye. It was a rather morbid site that was written in the point of view of someone in "the afterlife." In one posting, the blogger wrote things she wished her "living friends" knew about her that day. I totally dug that one posting (the rest were creepy realizations about the human body as it decomposes - yuck) and I think I'm going to copy her on that one.

So here goes... here are 10 things I want my friends to know about me today:

• My life totally changed after the birth of my nephew, Braden
• I still watch reruns of "My So-Called Life" because I'm a total Gen X-er
• The Shins, The Beatles and Pearl Jam are all competing to be my favorite band
• I cannot sleep without my electric blanket
• Cantaloupe is always in my house because I love it that much
• I can tap dance and belly dance; but only my boyfriend has seen me do it
• My bird, Pedro, learned how to climb up his play ladder
• Catcher in the Rye is my favorite book and I've read it a dozen times
• My first novel will be about my family and I have been struggling with a title for months
• My favorite pic of M and me is this one:
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  What 10 things should I know about you? E-mail me and let me know.

Super Fine Valentine

Ahhh, February. Just the mention of this month sends some people screaming and others swooning. I guess it has to do with Valentine's Day. You know, I don't really mind Valentine's Day. I mean, if it weren't for Valentine's Day, men would never get boxer shorts with oversized hearts all over them. And women would never have an excuse to eat an entire box of chocolates.

Although, there is 1 thing I never really understood. Why do people hate it so much? Some say it's a "Hallmark" created holiday that just sucks more money out of your bank account right after the Christmas rush. But that is simply not true and it sometimes makes me angry to hear such ignorance. I was reading Vogue magazine and there was a one-page article about how some "fashionable" people were celebrating Valentine's Day. Most of them trashed it and dismissed it as a commercialized holiday. As if their $2,000 Prada tank top isn't just commercialized hype either.

I am the first to admit that I don't spend a lot of money on Valentine's Day. My sweetie gave me a nice gift and I gave him one. But we didn't go over the top. It was just a special day to spend together and reflect on how blessed our bond is. It's a day to celebrate love. If you are one of those maniacs who spends thousands on some corny gift then that's your own stupidity. If you buy into the hype of Valentine's Day, then maybe you should also buy into the hype of $2,000 tank tops.

The truth is this: Valentine's Day should actually be called St. Valentine's Day. It's a Catholic feast day for St. Valentine, the patron saint of love. If you are not Catholic, you probably should not be celebrating Valentine's Day anyway. If you are not Catholic, do you celebrate Ash Wednesday? How about St. Francis of Assisi Day with the Blessing of the Animals? I bet you don't.

People who are of varying religious backgrounds don't mind celebrating St. Patrick's Day. And yes, that is also a Catholic feast day for St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland. There are many Catholic holidays that were attacked by corporations in order to make a buck and that is a shame. But if you can see the true religious reasons for them, then it makes celebrating that holiday much more meaningful.

Please don't trash religious holidays because it just shows your ignorance, especially if you are not a practicing member of that faith. And if you happen to be a practicing Catholic, then Happy St. Valentine's Day to you!

January

This month is only 18 days old -this year is only 18 days old- but so far we're off to a good start. I hope this momentum continues.

5 Cool Things About January (so far):

• My mom won a kick ass award for her job as a Family Services Coordinator at an elementary school. She is the new Top Partnership Liaison for the state of Texas.
• My older sister and her family won Family of the Year for the town she lives in.
• My birds, Napoleon and Pedro, turned a year old this month.
• I perfected my Baked Chicken Parmesan recipe.
• My sweetie and I celebrate 6 months TODAY!

5 Crappy Things About January (so far):

• I thought I was eating a black jelly bean, but it was a mutant bean with multiple flavors and they were all bad.
• My Wonder Woman mouse pad had to be thrown away because of a freak accident involving a three hole punch.
• American Express withdrew the wrong amount out of my checking account for my last payment; thus making my car payment, phone bill and cable bill late.
• My neighbor's outdoor faucet broke and flooded his yard and mine.
• My other neighbor's daughter quit Girl Scouts and I have no link to the cookies this year.

All in all, the good outweighs the bad by a landslide. Here's hoping 2006 brings better things than 2005.

Did you hear about...

...the burning mouse that started a house fire in New Mexico? This mouse must be a descendant of Stuart Little. No shit, man! Get this... a dude in NM was burning leaves and found a live mouse. In order to "dispose" of it, he threw it into the pile of burning leaves. That mouse was clearly seeking revenge when it miraculously ran out of the fire -even though it was covered in flames itself- and went straight under the house near a window. Shortly, the whole house was on fire and the homeowner lost everything! Can you imagine what it was like to see a mouse engulfed in flames running across the yard and directly underneath a house? Good gravy.

There are so many lessons to learn from all this - so many metaphors - so much symbolism. But none of that matters when you stop think about what will happen when PETA gets a hold of that dude.

Happy New Year Ya'll!

Happy 2006! Wow, I can't believe it's 2006. The other day I was watching Good Morning America and they were talking about an actor who has not made a movie since 1997. And they were talking like that was FOREVER ago. Then I stopped and thought, holy crap that was 9 years ago! That is a long time for an actor not to make a movie. I was so thrown by how fast the last 9 years have gone by that I tuned out - I never got the name of the "disappearing" actor.

So then I started doing the math. I realized that my ten year high school reunion was TWO years ago! Man, I'm old! My ten year COLLEGE reunion is in TWO years. Damn, I'm really old! I'm not gonna lie, I got a little depressed. But then I remembered my grandma is 83. Guess I'm not so old after all.

Ok, so... resolution time. I actually have resolutions this year! I will need lots of luck and many blessings to get them done. And there's not even that many. Here they are in no particular order:

• Finish my novel
• Attend a taping of The Price is Right
• Go to bed earlier
• Cook for myself more often

I hope I can do it. I'll keep you posted. (ouch, no pun intended there.) If you guys have any resolutions let me know. I'd love to hear them.

The Wedding Story

Ok,

I apologize for taking forever to finish up this story...but here goes. So I'm in NY for my friend's wedding. We get there and everyone is super duper nice. I'm taking sugary sweet, man. The ceremony was positively beautiful. It was meaningful and deep - which was very different from the quickie weddings I've been to lately.

After the ceremony, the wedding party had to go up to the front of the church for pictures. My sweetie, M, was in the back taking photos with another friend of mine that was at the wedding. One of the ladies from the church walked over to them and said hello. We'd met her the night before at the rehearsal dinner. Let's just call her B for the sake of privacy. So, B walks over to M and starts talking about the lovely ceremony. M comments to her that the church itself was lovely. It's nestled in a wooded area full of large trees and hills. B looks right at him and says, "Yes, but this area is changing. People are forgetting about what happened on September 11 and they 're letting the Muslims into this area." She said it with a firey tone and almost metamorphosied into Hitler.

What made me mad was that we were in a church. No one should say crass comments like that in a church. Secondly, B is the pastor's WIFE. How could this "Christian" woman say such a nasty thing? Finally, she said that we are all forgetting what happened on September 11 to my sweetie.... who's a FIREFIGHTER! Of course he did not forget what happened. He almost cried at the World Trade Center Site. Firefighters are a brotherhood - he still aches for those that died that day. How dare she make such an insulting comment to my M. If that bitch were not pushing 60, I would have given her a titty twister on the spot!