How was your Christmas?

Mine was pretty good. Very quiet, which I didn't mind at all. Here are some pictures from this Christmas season. Hope you had a good one!

We made bananas foster for dessert on Christmas Eve. Yum!

Mom and dad show off their new fishing rods we got them.

Jay and I at dinner on Christmas Eve.

Jay's idea of decorating the yard with Christmas lights. What you don't see is Santa peeking out of the deer stand in the background.

Our tree this year.

Merry Christmas!

Ahh... the beach... What I wouldn't give to be here right now!!!! :)

I have a heavy heart this morning, thinking of many things and many people, but I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas. I hope Santa was good to you, and that you get to enjoy this day with family and friends. Please keep those serving our great country, who can't be with their family and friends, in your thoughts and prayers, and remember those who have come before us and are no longer with us. I know I will. Merry Christmas!

Who's tracking Santa????

ME ME!!!! I AM!!!! And you can, too, at www.noradsanta.org. I hope you've all been good so Santa will bring you lots of gifts this year! I got my present early - on July 4, to be exact - when we moved back into our house. Honestly, I don't need anything else this year. Have fun tracking Santa and don't forget to leave a few cookies, some milk, and carrots for the reindeer!!!

Christmas jingles

In honor of Christmas in two days, I thought I would give each of you something fun to do. Try this Web site. Type in any Christmas song, and see what the puppets do. Then, type in any non-Christmas song, and see what they do. It's cute. It's fun. It's all in the holiday spirit. Merry Christmas!!!

Jersey Shore

Yea, yea, yea... I know. I haven't posted anything since it snowed in Houston. Just lots going on, and nothing at the same time. At any rate, Jay has me hooked on the new MTV show Jersey Shore. It's like watching a train wreck, and I just can't stop. I'm hooked. And, as some of you know, I love Saturday Night Live... especially the Weekend Update. The writers on that show are amazing. So, when they brought on a "character" from Jersey Shore, I about died laughing. It's pretty funny (and it's all I could think to blog about). If you don't watch Jersey Shore, then you might not get this. If you do, then you will. Enjoy!

Update: Snookie

Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it...

Yea, that didn't last long. It's going to be back up in the 70's by Tuesday. That's Houston weather for ya!

Here are some pictures of our office staff taking a "break" from all of their important work.



The funniest part about these pictures? The ones you see throwing the snowballs are throwing them at the window of my boss's office... where she and I were sitting on a conference call about closing the college. Ha!

Hope those of you that got the snow enjoyed it. I also hope it's the last of the white stuff we see this winter!

Snowball's chance in He... er, Houston

Today is going to be a crazy weather day in Houston. We're under a Winter Storm Warning. Yes, you heard me correctly. Houston, Texas, is under a Winter Storm Warning. And what's even crazier? The coast (like on the beach) is supposed to get 3 to 5 inches, and inland is only supposed to get 1 to 3. SO CRAZY! Especially this early! We got snow last season, but it was in mid-December, not December 4. I'm not complaining. I think it's cool. It's not going to stick for very long, but it just makes for a crazy day at work for me, and let's be honest... people in Houston don't know how to drive in snow.

If you're in Houston, be careful out there today, but enjoy! For the rest of you, well, I don't really want to hear what you have to say, because I don't think it's snowing where you are.

Happy Thanksgiving

I hope each of you and your families have a wonderful Thanksgiving. This is my favorite holiday, and this year (like every year) I have so much to be thankful for. It's been a long, tough year, but we persevered, and made it through, and I am so thankful for that. I have the best family and friends in the world - I don't know what I would do without y'all. Everyday I get to wake up and go to sleep next to a man I adore and respect and love with all my heart. And we are so fortunate to live in a city that we love, in a house that we (literally) built, and we couldn't imagine being anywhere else. Most of all I am thankful for the men and women who are serving our great country overseas. The sacrifices they and their families make each and every day let us have the freedoms that we do, and for me, simply saying thank you doesn't seem like enough.

May you all eat lots of turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes and all the trimmings, and fall into a tryptophan coma later this afternoon. Happy Thanksgiving!!!!

San Jac volleyball at NJCAA national tournament

I've been in Council Bluffs, Iowa this week for the NJCAA volleyball national tournament. It was San Jac's fifth-straight trip to the tournament, and we finished 10th. Here are a few pics from the action. I have to say I'm either actually getting the hang of shooting volleyball, or it's just luck. Either way, congrats to the girls on another great season!

Hunting

Because it's hunting season, I had to share this "story." Happy hunting and camping!

Sleeping with Bob...

The guys were all at a deer camp No one wanted to room with Bob, because he snored so badly. They decided it wasn't fair to make one of them stay with him the whole time, so they voted to take turns.

The first guy slept with Bob and comes to breakfast the next morning with his hair a mess and his eyes all bloodshot. They said, "Man, what happened to you?" He said, "Bob snored so loudly, I just sat up and watched him all night."

The next night it was a different guy's turn. In the morning, same thing--hair all standing up, eyes all bloodshot. They said, "Man, what happened to you? You look awful!" He said, 'Man, that Bob shakes the roof with his snoring. I watched him all night."

The third night was Fred's turn. Fred was a tanned, older cowboy; a man’s man. The next morning he came to breakfast bright-eyed and bushy-tailed. "Good morning!" he said. They couldn't believe it. They said, "Man, what happened?" He said, "Well, we got ready for bed. I went and tucked Bob into bed, patted him on the butt, and kissed him good night... Bob sat up and watched me all night."

More wedding pictures

So here's a snippet of some photos from the wedding weekend in Ohio. My aunt and uncle held a pizza party at their house on Thursday night so we could meet Kyle and celebrate Lindsey's birthday. So much fun!

Thank you Veterans

I'm reminded today, on Veterans Day, of many Veterans in my life, and many men and women who are currently serving this great country. My grandfathers were Veterans. Jay's grandfather and father were Veterans. And we have many friends and family members who are currently serving our country. I thank them all for fighting for our freedoms so that we can have the things we have and live the lives we do. They are all heroes in my eyes. I respect and honor you and thank you from the bottom of my heart.

With the recent tragedy at Fort Hood, it reminds me of how precious life is, and at the same time it brings out a hatred in me for people who commit these types of crimes. I find it so appalling and so unbelievable, yet I know, as a country, we'll pull through this, just like we've pulled through other tragedies. My thoughts and prayers are with the Fort Hood community, with all the Veterans out there who have served, and for the men and women who continue to serve this great country.

Jay and I have decided (OK, mostly me, but when I mentioned it to him, he didn't really oppose) that we want to do something for our troops this holiday season and send them care packages. I have a friend from high school who is currently overseas in Iraq. I've contacted him on Facebook (what a great invention!) to see what they want / need, and we're going to send a bunch of boxes of just stuff (candy, body wash, etc.) to him. Last year at this time of the year, I was pouty and down and mopey because of the situation we were in and had gone through with Ike. This year, for me, it's about our troops. I feel a strong urge and need to support them however I can, and I thought I'd start by doing something so simple as sending a care package with little reminders of home.

Happy Veterans Day to all of the Veterans out there. Thank you for your service. You are not forgotten!

Lindsey & Kyle's wedding

My "little" cousin Lindsey got married today. I am so happy for her. She married a great guy, who is also doing a great service in serving our country in the Air Force. Lindsey looked gorgeous (as usual), but she could wear a potato sack and look gorgeous. Here are just a few photos from my grandma's camera. I'll post lots more (I promise!) when I get home.

Congrats Lindsey and Kyle!

Ceremony

Flower girls

Happy couple

Me and my cousins Grace Anne, Vivian and Gabby

Ft. Hood shooting

Just a quick note to say that my thoughts and prayers are with the victims and families of those affected by the Ft. Hood shooting that happened today. My heart is truly aching for them. It's hard to imagine that one of our own - one of our soldiers - could turn a gun on his own. I truly cannot fathom that. There are so many reports coming out about who he is, why he did it, and whether or not he's even dead. If he's not, he better watch out, because it might not be long before he is. People don't take this lightly, and we shouldn't. I have the utmost respect for our armed forces and everyone who fights, or has fought, for everything that we have today. You all are in my thoughts and prayers. Thank you for all you do!

Texans contest

So, one of my colleagues in the office is a WAY big time Texans fan. I mean, she has Houston Texans shoes (personalized with her name) and at least one piece of every type of clothing that has a Texans logo on it. So naturally, she wanted to enter the office in a contest at the beginning of the season to see which office in Houston is the most spirited. Here's the photo we submitted:



In no way, shape or form did I think we'd win. I mean, we've got spirit, but surely we're not THE most spirited office in Houston. Think about it, people. How many offices are there in Houston? That's what I thought. A lot. And I wouldn't be surprised if they have more spirit than we do.

NOT SO FAST my friend. Yep, wouldn't you know it. WE WON THE CONTEST! Our prize? An autograph session with running back Ryan Moats.



It's pretty crazy that we won. I honestly thought that there was a fat chance in you-know-what that we would win. But, we won. And it was fun. I don't get geeked out about meeting sports stars (although, put me in front of Joe Montana or Tiger Woods, and I might be speechless), so this wasn't a big deal for me, but the office had a great time. And, I had to get my picture with Ryan for proof that I was there.



Thanks, HF, for putting this together. You rock! And for those of you that want to see more of her crazy antics (and yes, they are crazy, but that's why we love her!), go to:

www.youtube.com/hollieamymelissa
www.facebook.com/hpinkf
www.facebook.com/melab427

Or check out their Facebook fan page H.A.M.M.

Go Texans!!!

Air Show

As has become tradition the last couple of years, Jay and I headed out today to the Wings Over Houston Air Show. It was an absolutely GORGEOUS day. Not a cloud in the sky. Temps in the low 70s. A nice breeze. Beautiful for an air show. The Blue Angels were the feature, and they didn't disappoint. They were really cool! I love the air show because I always wanted to be a fighter pilot in the Navy (thanks in part to my favorite movie of all time, Top Gun). And Jay loves the air show because it reminds him of his dad and all of the good times they spent together in the air (his dad was an Air Force pilot, and Jay got to go to a lot of different places with him). Maybe one day, before I die, I'll get to fly in a fighter plane. How cool would that be?!?!

Click on the collage for a better view of the pictures. Enjoy!

Mascots

So one of the more annoying things at work is that we have three mascots. Yes, we're one college, but we have three mascots. Don't ask. We have a running joke in the office that we should just combine the three mascots and make one. So one of my designers sent me this. I love it. It sums it up perfectly for me.

Slacking

I've been slacking in the blogging department lately, and for that, I apologize. My life has been a little boring lately. So, because I need to update my blog, that's what I'm doing. Updating my blog.

Furniture

So we're slowly finding furniture. OK, really, it's me. There's no "we" in finding furniture. Jay doesn't have much of an opinion about it, other than he wants it. So, here's what I've gotten so far. We've decided on a dining room table and chairs (and yes, that was a "we" decision... he actually had something to say about that one, and was quite vocal about it), we just haven't purchased it yet. Call us lazy. Maybe we'll get to it this weekend. We saved the bedroom bed, so we didn't have to purchase that new, and our friends at the townhouses purchased a new couch and chair, didn't like it, and instead of taking it back, gave it to us. It happens to fit in with our decor perfectly. We offered to pay for it, but they insisted on giving it to us. So sweet of them!

Anyway, it's probably not real exciting, but in case you're wondering what our house is being furnished with, here you go. Oh yea, and our fireplace decorated for Fall. I haven't seen these decorations in two years. Was pretty excited to pull them out of the box!

Entry table

Media center (52" TV is on the wall above)

Fireplace (with new door)

bedroom media stand (37" TV is on the wall above)

night stand

Office desk (excuse the mess)

Kitchen bistro set (another gift from friends... we refinished the top and I put on new cushions)

This is the table and chairs we're going to get.

The bedroom chest is ordered, but on back order (go figure... just my luck).

If you're in Texas, hope you're enjoying this nice Fall weather we're having. We've opened the windows. It's awesome! Think I'll go get a pumpkin spice latte...

Fall... oh how I love you. Where are you?

Really, Mother Nature? A Heat Index of 109? On October 6? REALLY?

I stepped out the door today to take out the trash, and the only word I can use is gross. The air is so thick that I wonder why I even did my hair in the first place. With weather like this, it's no use. These are the days that I am envious of my friends and family in the great Midwest who get to experience the seasons, especially fall, because it's my favorite. Now I won't lie, come Winter when y'all are digging yourselves out of 8 feet of snow, or Spring, when it's still cold up there, and I'm on the boat, I won't be so jealous, but for now, I wish fall in Houston were like the fall seasons I experienced in Indiana, Michigan and Ohio. Enjoy it while you can, guys, because Winter is just around the corner!

Happy fall!!

Fun sites

Yes, I know SB, you're right... I haven't blogged in awhile. Please forgive me. Lots of late nights at the office, and nothing really to blog about. Things at the house are going well. We're just doing "house" stuff these days. Trying to get through our to-do list, and enjoying life on the island. Which means lots of golf cart rides. That is one thing we have been doing. And I love it. We had some furniture delivered last weekend (entry table and media console), and I just spent the last of the insurance money on some more furniture, so we're getting there. That's really the only update I have on the house.

Some friends sent me some fun sites this week, so I thought I'd share them with you all.

The first had my entire office laughing hysterically and rather loudly to the point of crying because it's so funny. I'll let you judge for yourself. It is a collection of people that grace us with their presence at America's favorite store - Wal Mart. The captions are what really make the pictures, although some pictures just speak for themselves.

The second is a quiz (of which I scored 75% on, I might add, which I thought was pretty good). Celebrity baby name or computer virus? Let me know how you score.

Hope you all have a great weekend and week ahead!

End of an era

Today marks the end of one of the greatest soap operas ever. OK, maybe not really, but it does mark the end of an era for Guiding Light. After 72 years (the longest running soap opera ever), the show will no longer air after today. Kinda brings a tear to my eye. Not that I watched it every day (hardly... who has time to do that when they work 10 hours a day?), but I know that my grandma and many of my family members do, and I think my mom did at some point in time in her life as well.

Is it the greatest acting in the world? Nope. Is it life-changing? Nope again. Can you pick up in the middle of the week where you left it one year ago and get all the latest story lines and find out who's carrying who's baby, and who killed who, and who divorced who only to marry someone's friend? Absolutely. And that's what I love about soap operas. When I'm home sick, or just taking a day off of work (um, never mind... that doesn't happen), I can turn on my soap operas and find out what I've missed in the last year.

With that said, and Guiding Light now going off the air for good, I'll miss Josh and Reva, Philip and Beth, Alan Spaulding (the jerk that he is), the Bauer's 4th of July parties, and all of the drama that comes with a soap opera. Like I said, I didn't watch it on a regular basis (although, now that I'm thinking about it, maybe I scheduled my classes around it in college... I can't really remember), it is kind of odd to think that the light will no longer be lit on CBS at 2 p.m. in the afternoon.

To have been a fly on the wall

As Jay and I were taking our nightly golf cart ride this evening, we were reminiscing about this night one year ago. Jay took a nap on the floor in my parents living room. I went to bed and "slept" for a couple of hours before getting up at around 3 a.m. The eye of the storm moved over Galveston at around 2 a.m., which means water had already been in our house and receded by the time I got up.

As most of you know, we had two different, yet very distinct, water lines in our house, and from the stories we heard it's because the water came in once, went out with the eye, and then came back in when the back half of the storm moved inland. And as we were driving around tonight, we were amazed at just how much water that was. When you're diving the streets that people were riding in boats around following the storm, it kinda puts it into perspective, but it's still really hard to fathom. And all we kept saying was, "how cool would it have been to be a fly on the wall that night." Not because we wanted to go through hell, but because it really is hard to imagine that much water coming in your house, going out, and then coming back in - and not breaking a single window. It's like Santa Claus. How in the hell does he get down the chimney without making a word?!?! How in the world does 4 to 5 feet of water come in your house twice and not break a window? Amazing.

Thank goodness for football

Last year at this time I was a wreck as we really had no idea what was going to happen to our house. I remember blogging about it, and asking people to text me with Ohio State / USC score updates because that was the only other thing I had to think about. Ha! Text? During a hurricane? That's quite funny. Little did I know...

Anyway, that very exact game a year later is helping me get through this weekend. I can't wait to sit down in front of the TV tonight and watch some good football. That and all of the other football on TV this weekend. I mean really, THANK GOODNESS FOR FOOTBALL! For a number of reasons.

Enjoy the games this weekend. Go Bucks! Go Irish! Go Texans!

I shouldn't read old blog posts / Remembering Sept. 11

I really shouldn't read old blog posts, but I do, especially as they relate to Hurricane Ike, because like I said in my previous post, there are parts of days (and in some cases, entire days) that I can't remember. Reading old posts at least gives me an idea of what I was thinking at that particular moment.

However, one year ago today is one of those days I remember quite vividly. I remember seeing on the TV and getting the phone call from the City that we had to evacuate. This was the day that everyone realized Galveston was taking a direct hit from Ike, and we were pretty much screwed. Jay says this is also the day that we moved the stuff to the townhouse, but I don't see how that was possible if we had to be out of here by noon (note: neither of us can remember if we actually made it out by noon or not... somehow I don't think we did because we made two trips to The Woodlands with cars and stuff, but who knows).

Anyway, that's all I'm really going to say about Ike and today, because in the big scheme of things, me having to evacuate was not as big a deal as what happened to this country on this date in 2001. We all remember where we were on Sept. 11, 2001. I know I do. Like it was yesterday (funny, can't remember one year ago, but eight years? No problem... guess that explains a lot). It was horrible and still gives me chills when I think about it.

To all of our military, police, fire, EMS, first responders... thank you for what you do for us and this great country. We wouldn't be here if it weren't for you. You allow us to live the lives we do in the greatest country in the world. Thank you really isn't enough, but I don't know what else to say.

Hurricane Ike one year ago today

So, one year ago today, we really started to fear the worst from Hurricane Ike. We hadn't received our mandatory evacuation orders, but we were moving to higher ground at this point. This is one of the days that I remember bits and pieces of. I remember that it was crazy, trying to decide what to move (do we take the couch? what about the TVs? shit, don't forget the pictures... those were the conversations we were having), and then actually moving it (or not moving it). I think we were running on pure adrenaline all day. Picture albums, the bed, stereo equipment, and "important stuff"... it all got moved to the townhouse. And now that I'm thinking about it, I have no idea where we slept the night of Sept. 10, 2008. We hadn't received mandatory evacuation orders yet, so we weren't at my parents house in The Woodlands, but I know for a fact (ok, well, maybe not for a fact, but I'm pretty sure) that we moved the bed over to the townhouse on this day one year ago. Maybe I didn't sleep that night? I really have no idea.

At any rate, I'm not ready for the next three days or the weeks that follow. I don't like anniversaries of shitty events in my life. But I know that said shitty events have helped to shape my life, me as a person, my relationships, and who I am. And I know that I grew stronger from this experience, and that my relationship with Jay has grown and definitely gotten stronger through this, but I still don't like it. It brings back very vivid memories, and then some not so vivid memories (like not remembering where the hell I slept the night before I evacuated... how can I not remember this????).

Here's a picture of what Ike looked like on Sept. 10, 2008, as it was making its way towards the Texas coast. It brings back chills just looking at it. It was so massive. Once it got into the Gulf, it basically took up the entire Gulf of Mexico. Mother Nature can be a bitch sometimes, but at the same time She has an awesome power.

Remembering Ike

This week marks the one year anniversary of Hurricane Ike. Of course, the media is playing this up and making a big deal out of it (and yes, I admit, probably making a bigger deal out of it then need be), and I can't help but reminisce a little myself. After all, it was one of the most horrific - if not the most horrific - thing that has happened to me in my life.

I thought it might help me to try to recall the events of that week, and those after, as Sept. 13 approaches. As I was lying in bed last night trying to piece together the events of the week, I couldn't (and of course that made me mad). There are parts of the week that are still blurry. The day before we got our mandatory evacuation orders was crazy, I do remember that much. We were packing things up and moving stuff to the townhouse (that's where we thought we were going to evacuate to before we heard about the 15-22 feet tidal surges). I remember walking through the house before we left on Sept. 11 crying and praying. And as I'm typing this I'm crying again. It probably seems silly to those of you who don't live on the Gulf Coast or who have never experienced something like this, but it was the unknown factor that killed me the most. I am, for the most part, a planner. I like to know when things are happening what the possible outcome is going to be so that I can plan for that. And this was something I just had no control over and I couldn't plan for any of it. There we just too many unknowns. After all, we had gone through Rita, and at the last minute she hooked right and spared us. But a direct hit by Ike looked inevitable, and I had no idea what to expect.

I think it hurts still today because, while most of the area has recovered, there are still people who are living this hell. Everyday another house is demolished on the island. Every night when we drive around in the golf cart we see the houses that have gone untouched, or that the homeowners have gutted and haven't done anything else to it. Most likely that's because they didn't have insurance and don't have the money to fix it, or because they are still fighting with their insurance. We've heard numerous insurance horror stories, and feel very fortunate to have ended up in the situation we did.

So look for more posts this week as I remember Ike. I don't mean to be "Debbie Downer." Don't get me wrong, I know we're very fortunate to be alive and to have ended up with a house that is way better than anything we could have imagined, but it's still a little too fresh on my mind to move on completely. Especially when it's on every news cast and in every newspaper I read. I don't know that I will ever move on completely, but maybe this reminiscing will help.

Have a great week!

Swine Flu (a.k.a. H1N1)

First of all, I hope y'all are enjoying the Labor Day weekend. It's nice to know that I don't have to go to work tomorrow (really need an extra day off when I can get them these days) and I hope it's the same for most of you.

Speaking of work, we had a conversation this week with our safety director about the upcoming flu season, which made me remember this photo that I received last flu season when everyone was freaking out about the H1N1/swine flu.

This photo is classic. I absolutely love it. It's something that a kid would totally do, and it puts a little humor on a somewhat serious situation. And I say somewhat, because it's not as serious this season as everyone thought it was last season, or made it out to be. At any rate, I wouldn't be doing my due diligence if I didn't remind you to wash your hands thoroughly with warm, soapy water (sing "Happy Birthday" all the way through while washing your hands... that's usually about how long you should wash them), sneeze into your arm sleeve to help prevent spreading germs, and if you think you're sick, stay home... the people you're around on a daily basis probably don't want you to share your germs (no offense, of course). That's all the preaching I'm going to do for today. Man would my safety director at work be proud!

Have a great Labor Day weekend!

Baby cries when she hears the Michigan fight song

I can't say that I blame her. It makes me cringe just thinking about it. Thank God for college football! GO BUCKS!

Sunset

Jay and I went out on the boat last weekend right around sunset, and caught these beautiful picture. THIS is why I love living where we do!

Buh-bye!

We all know what I think about FEMA, and even after the events of today, I still feel the same way about FEMA. However, they did pull through on one thing... Tree Removal! Wahoo! We had pulled a permit to take down three trees in our front yard, but hadn't gotten around to it for a variety of reasons. Then we got an e-mail from the city that says FEMA is paying them to remove trees that were damaged by salt water. So we submitted the paper, and today, we have orange marks on our trees! Including two of the three we were going to take down, plus two more, and they're going to trim some. Did I say Wahoo!!!!!

I know it may not seem like a lot to you everyday readers out there, but it's exciting news for us (especially because even though FEMA isn't paying us directly, they still have to pay someone, and that makes us very happy).

Tree in the driveway that is going to get trimmed.

Poor apple tree in the back yard

Front yard tree getting trimmed.

Back yard trees that are either getting trimmed or cut down.

Front yard trees going buh-bye!

UGH!

I am SO OVER BRETT FAVRE!!!!!!! Who does this guy think he is and why does he think it's ok to retire, then say he might come back, only to decide he's really retired for good, to play for the J-E-T-S Jets, Jets, Jets, and then to retire for good again, only to meet with the Vikings, and decide he's not in good enough shape to play, and then sign a $10 to $12 million deal with Minnesota today. SERIOUSLY?!?!?!?!? How positively annoying and just plain unbelievable. I mean really, WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE BRETT FAVRE?

And the tropics heat up...

Well, today turned out to be an interesting day in the tropics. Excuse me if I'm a little more keenly aware of what's happening out there (yes, the National Hurricane Center's Web site is my new favorite site). I figure I have reason to be. Tropical Storms Ana (pronounced Ah-na, in case you're wondering) and Bill have formed, and there's another low not far behind. It is indeed the beginning of the peak of hurricane season.

Michael Vick

Ok, so I told myself I wasn't going to blog about this, but I can't help it. Sports is a passion and football is my favorite sport, and, well, you know me... I usually don't keep my mouth shut on most things.

Am I appalled at what he did? Absolutely, positively, no questions asked. It's incomprehensible. I'm not a self-proclaimed animal lover, but I also don't hate them. And I think what he did was wrong.

But I also think that the man paid his dues. That's what's so great about our justice system. (There's also plenty wrong with our justice system, ala Donte Stallworth, but that's a separate conversation.) I listen to sports talk radio in the morning, and Vick is pretty much all they were talking about this morning. And it'll be a good chunk of the conversation for the next few weeks, probably until he's fully reinstated. Plenty of people think he never should have been reinstated in the NFL in the first place, let alone for the Eagles to sign him. And I think I have to disagree. Like I said before, the man paid his dues. In more ways than one. But you know what... football is his job. What about people who commit crimes, do their time in prison, and are released? They find jobs in society and work, so why can't Vick? Just because he doesn't sit behind a desk or anything like that, doesn't mean he shouldn't get another opportunity at a job. He just happens to play football for a living. Am I wrong? Some people will say I am, and that's fine. I can understand why they would say that. But I really don't think it's that big of a deal that he's back playing in the NFL.

The job I wouldn't want is one in the Eagles PR office. No thank you. No way. No how. That has got to be a tough position right now. Even though Vick has reached out to the Humane Society (I don't know that I really believe him when he says he's learned his lesson, but again, another conversation entirely), there are still going to be organizations and individuals who feel strongly about what he did, and are going to make their voices heard. And again, that's fine. That's what's great about our country. We have that freedom and right. But I still wouldn't want an Eagles PR job right now.

The simple fact that I'm talking about Michael Vick means that football season is here. And I couldn't be more excited. The Texans have their first preseason game tomorrow night, and Ohio State opens against Navy on September 5. O-H!! I-O!!! Football season is here!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Furniture shopping

For someone who absolutely LOVES to shop (it's an addiction, really), furniture shopping has got to be one of the most FRUSTRATING things in the world. I mean, really! It's killing me. And I'm not sure why, exactly. I think part of it is because I have this idea in my head of what I want, and I either find it online in 20 different selections (all very similar, yet different, not sure of what the exact color is, it says hardwood, but is it really? etc.) or I can't find it in a store period. I'd prefer to buy it in a store so that I can actually see the product before I buy it, but I'm coming to the realization that that probably won't happen. So what is a girl to do?

Jay is famous!

Ok, maybe not really, but on our little island, our "little slice of paradise" he is.

I called him one day last week (or maybe the week before, I can't remember, but it's not really that important) and he said to me something along the lines of "I can't talk now. The female had baby ducks and they just fell down the drain. Tina and Denise are over here and we're trying to get them out. Denise is going to crawl in the drain and make them come out the other side and I've got a net." First of all, I was really excited to hear that we had baby ducks (''babies!!!"). We have a female and two male ducks (see picture below) that like to hang out in our yard (pretty much only because Jay gives them a tub of water to drink and bathe in, and scratch grain to munch on 24/7), and Jay had speculated that the female was nesting somewhere, so we were hoping for babies. Of course, I tell him to call me back with the outcome.

Tina and Denise are Clear Lake Shores police officers (the finest around, I might add!), and apparently Jay and the neighbors tried to flush water down the drain so that the baby ducks would swim out to the channel where Jay would catch them in the net. It turns out that they did that, but immediately swam right back in when they saw the net. So officer Denise literally crawled in the drain pipe to "usher" them to the other side and to the awaiting net that Jay was holding.

Baby ducks were ok, thanks to some great neighborhood teamwork (that's what we're all about here on the island) and there was an article in our newsletter, "The Islander," complete with a picture of Jay holding the net. He was rather embarrassed about it when the newsletter came today, but I was proud of him!

Check out the August issue of "The Islander" to read the story about "Nice Man Jay."

Way to go Jay, Sergeant Shelley and Officer Denise!

These are the ducks that Jay feeds and takes care of. The neighborhood is now affectionately calling Jay "Papa Duck"

Family time in Texas

It was so awesome to have my grandma and aunt in town last week from Ohio and my cousin Kim flew in from San Francisco. We had a great time! Didn't do a whole lot (except shop, which is what our family does best), but it was great just to hang out and spend some time with them. I haven't seen them in over a year, so it was nice. Here are a few photos from the visit (thanks Kim!).

Me and Jay in the golf cart after breakfast at our favorite Sunday morning spot

Me, my cousin Kim, and my grandma outside my parents townhouse

My aunt , mom and me in the park across from my house


After a golf cart ride around the island!

So Proud

My alma mater made the 2009 Princeton Review Top 20 Party Schools list. Wahoo! Indiana University (for those of you that didn't know what my alma mater is) is #14 on the list. And, there are four Big Ten schools on the list. How about that? Penn State tops the list. Way to lead the way Nittany Lions!!!

House pictures

A lot of you have been asking for pictures of the house now that we're back in, so here are a few. Still not a lot of furniture, but we're working on it. We haven't been able to find exactly what we want, so I figure there's no point in buying crap in the meantime. Might as well wait until we find what we want.

Kitchen

Kitchen

Living room

Living room

Living/dining room

bathroom (CK, this one is for you!)

Master bedroom

Master bedroom