The Crafty Blog

We just can't get enough!

2012-01-23T20:44:00.002-06:00

We got to spend Sunday with Scott, Amy, Ella, and Cheryl, celebrating Scott's birthday, and we had a really great time. It's always good to see them. We just can't get enough of our niece!! Every time we see her she has grown and is doing something different. She is crawling like crazy. She LOVES her momma and daddy. She's warming up to Uncle Jay. And she's getting into everything. We can't wait to see her grow up! She is absolutely adorable and we love her to pieces!

A-M-A-Z-I-N-G Day!!!

2012-01-21T20:55:00.002-06:00

What a great day we had today! It was all very spur-of-the-moment, but awesome nonetheless.

Yesterday afternoon, while sitting in my office working and listening to Sports Radio 610, I found out that Joe Montana was going to be at Reliant Arena today signing autographs. Anyone who knows me knows that I don't get geeked out about sports stars and autographs... unless it's Joe Montana. I've been a fan of his since I was a little girl (I met him once in an elevator in Cincinnati), and I've always wanted to own an autographed Joe Montana jersey to frame. So, when I got home last night, I did a little research as to what the event was that he was going to be at. Turns out it was a sports memorabilia show, and you have to pay for autographs. I'm not gonna lie, I was hesitant. The price for just a photo with him (no autograph) was $189. It was another $189 to have him sign something up to 11x14, and much more for a helmet or jersey. I decided that I would go and just have my picture taken with him. The opportunity doesn't come around very often.

Mom and dad went with us, as there was also a gun show and a gem show going on at Reliant, so we made a day out of it. Once I was there, I decided I couldn't not get a jersey to have him sign... as I said, the opportunity doesn't come around very often. I also had my picture taken with him, and I'm glad I did both. I hadn't expected to spend that much money, but to me, it was worth it. So I am now the proud owner of a Joe Montana autographed 49ers jersey, and I have a perma smile on my face!

This was me talking to Joe before our $189 photo opp.

Joe after taking photos with fans.

Joe and me after he signed the jersey. Too bad he's looking at my mom's camera and not mine! (Yes, I've seen the photo she took, and he's looking at my camera and me at hers, so there isn't a photo of both of us looking at the same camera.)

Signed jersey = perma smile!

In addition, Jay sold a gun and bought another one, and ended up with a large wad of cash in his pocket, so it was definitely a great day!

Go Niners! Beat the Giants!!!

Harvest time!

2012-01-14T21:06:00.000-06:00

Last year we planted fruit trees in our back yard to complete our spring planting. Today, we picked some of our harvest. So, so, SO excited about this! We had two lemons, a big orange, and a ton of little satsumas. The limes are just starting to sprout, so those will be next. We're going to use the orange and satsumas to make an orange sherbert in my new ice cream maker. Yum!

Jay makes the first harvest!

Lemons!

This will soon become sherbert.

Limes

Why do parents do this to their kids?

2012-01-08T10:34:00.001-06:00

Seriously? WHY?

Weird celeb baby names

Houston Texans. Enough said.

2012-01-07T21:28:00.000-06:00

Today was an awesome day for the City of Houston. We have been waiting almost 20 years for this day, and it was tremendous. The Houston Texans won their first playoff game in their first-ever playoff season... A 31-10 win over the Bengals. With our rookie third-string quarterback no less. Andre Johnson was back. Arian Foster had yet another amazing game. It was just awesome all around. I don't know what else to say. Oh wait, yes I do...

Tom Hammond (NBC announcer), WTF?!?!?! How do you not know how to pronounce Matt Shaub's name? Yes, I understand he's not playing. But REALLY?!?! Shoop? Shoob? ARE YOU KIDDING ME?????

In case you missed it, below is the video of how it went down. Finally, on his third try, he got it right. I'm guessing the producer in the truck was correcting him. As if not being able to play in a playoff game because you have a broken foot wasn't enough, NBC gets your name wrong. Sorry Shaub!!

Congrats to everyone in the Houston Texans organization, and to the fans in the city of Houston. GO TEXANS!!!

Texans Friday!!

2012-01-06T21:04:00.002-06:00

In case you've been living under a rock, the Houston Texans are in the playoffs for the first time in team history. We haven't had playoff football in Houston since 1993, so the city is jacked up to say the least. I can't wait until 3:30 tomorrow when kick off at Reliant Stadium happens.

In honor of the playoffs, we wore our Texans gear today at the office. Our safety specialist, Hollie Fulsom, @hollscupcake for those of you that do the Twitter thing, baked a gorgeous Texans cake for all of us to enjoy. But before she cut into it, she took a picture and posted it on our local ABC affiliate website. And, they posted it! Yay for Hollie!

Here's Hollie with the cake. And here's the cake. Plus, it was yummy, too!!

Here's to a Texans win tomorrow over the Bengals. GO TEXANS!!!!

Our new (kinda sorta) chariot

2012-01-02T14:27:00.000-06:00

Thanks to Jay's mom (thanks, Cheryl!) our "chariot" (a.k.a. golf cart) has a new look. We got new seats on it as our Christmas present from her. And boy, did it need it. The seats on it were original (from 1996), so you can imagine what kind of shape they were in. But now, it's like a new golf cart! And we absolutely love it. As a matter of fact, most everything on the golf cart is new... new wiring, new tires, new batteries, and now new seats... all within the last year! Now, all we need is a new paint job and we'll be set! But it's totally worth it... this is how we get around on most evenings, and pretty much every weekend (with the exception of the grocery store!). We always say that if we can't get there by golf cart, it's not worth going!

A special shout out to 5 Star Upholstery in League City for a job well done. We're very happy!

Happy New Year!

2012-01-01T12:37:00.000-06:00

Welcome to 2012! I don't know about you, but I'm kinda glad to see 2011 go. Especially the last half... not so great. But it's a new year, so that's supposed to mean a fresh start, right? I'm sure this is where I'm supposed to impart some sort of wisdom for the new year, or share my resolutions, but the honest truth is, I don't have any. Of either.

I've never been one to make new year's resolutions, because I know myself too well... I probably won't keep them. Instead, I try to reflect on the year past to see what I could have done better or different, and work on that for the upcoming year. I think I have a lot of things to work on! Especially at the office. So I made a a few notes, and will get back to it on Tuesday when I return to the office.

I do have a goal this year, and that is to run a 5K. I started last May on the Couch-to-5K program, and didn't quite make it. I am still working out three days a week, just not running like I was. So that, I suppose, could be considered a resolution, but I'm looking at it more as a goal. There is a 5K here in Kemah in late April that I'm shooting for. Wish me luck!

What about you? What are your goals / resolutions for 2012?

I hope you all had a safe and happy holiday season. Here's to a great 2012!

Merry Christmas!!!

2011-12-25T22:42:00.001-06:00

So the last 48 hours have been a bit of a whirlwind, but we survived. After a little miscommunication (we thought we were supposed to do Christmas Day with Jay's family, but it turns out they had planned for Christmas Eve, the same day that we do Christmas with my parents... awesome), but we made it work, and I think everyone came out unscathed. The good thing is that today, we had absolutely, positively, nothing to do but enjoy the day together, just the two of us. Here are a few pics from yesterday. I hope you all had as great of a Christmas as we did!

Ella in her pretty Christmas dress in front of the tree

Uncle Jay stuck the bow on her forehead and she kept looking up at it. We got a good laugh out of this one!

Me and my adorable niece!

mmmmm.... stuffed pork loin

My parents outside decorations... yes, that is an 18' tree

My mom thought the purple cauliflower would add nice color to Christmas dinner... and then she added the cheese...

Christmas dinner table

PRESENTS!!!

Some of my favorite recipes

2011-12-24T12:57:00.002-06:00

We're not hosting Christmas this year. We haven't, actually, for quite a few years. We usually end up hosting Thanksgiving, and then doing Christmas Eve with my parents, Christmas morning just us, and Christmas Day with Jay's family. So it works out OK. But I still wanted to share a few of my favorite holiday recipes with you. I don't know why I only make these during the holidays... they could really be for any day of the year, but they're just a couple of my favorites.

Breakfast

Overnight Tex-Mex Egg Bake (courtesy of Betty Crocker)

I usually half this recipe since it's just Jay and I, but if you're feeding a crowd, this one is sure to be a pleaser!

12 oz bulk spicy pork sausage

5 cups frozen southern-style hash brown potatoes (from 32-oz bag)

1 can (4.5 ounces) Old El Paso® chopped green chiles, undrained

3 cups shredded Colby-Monterey Jack cheese (12 oz)

6 eggs

1 1/2 cups milk

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup Old El Paso® Thick 'n Chunky salsa (or your favorite salsa... I usually use homemade)

1 Spray 13x9-inch glass baking dish with cooking spray. In 10-inch skillet, cook sausage over medium heat 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until no longer pink. Drain on paper towel.
2 Spread frozen potatoes in baking dish. Sprinkle with sausage, green chiles and 1 1/2 cups of the cheese. In medium bowl, beat eggs, milk and salt with fork or wire whisk until well blended. Pour over potato mixture. Sprinkle with remaining 1 1/2 cups cheese. Cover and refrigerate at least 8 hours but no longer than 12 hours.
3 Heat oven to 350°F. Bake uncovered 50 to 60 minutes or until knife inserted near center comes out clean. Let stand 10 minutes. Cut into squares. Serve with salsa.

Appetizer

Monterey Jack Salsa

4oz. can chopped green chilies

4oz. can chopped and drained black olives

1 large tomato (seeded and chopped)

¼cup cilantro

½cup Italian dressing

onebunch green onions, chopped

1cup shredded Montereyjack cheese

Combine all ingredients except thecheese. Add the cheese to the otheringredients before serving. You can also mix everything (except the cheese) and let it sit overnight in the fridge. The flavors really mesh and it's super yummy. Serve with tortilla chips.

Cookies

Mexican Wedding Cakes

I can't have a holiday party without these!

Preheatoven to 375°F

1cup powdered sugar

2cups butter

4cups flour

2teaspoons vanilla extract

1cup chopped walnuts or pecans

Cream butter and sugar. Add nuts, vanilla and flour gradually. Roll into finger size shapes. Bake at 375°F for 15 to 20 minutes. Dust baked cookies with more powdered sugarwhile warm.

Fudge

Five Minute Fudge Wreath

12ounce package semisweet chocolate chips

1cup butterscotch chips

14ounce can sweetened condensed milk (save the can)

1teaspoon pure vanilla extract

8ounce can walnuts, plus more for topping

½cup raisins or dried currants (a couple of handfuls)

Candiedred and green cherries to decorate top (like holly)

Softenedbutter to grease an 8-inch round cake pan

1. Greasean 8-inch round cake pan with softened butter. Pour the chocolate and butterscotch chips, condensed milk and vanillainto a medium saucepan. Put the pan onthe stove and turn the heat to low.
2. Coverthe empty condensed milk can with plastic wrap and put it in the center of theround cake pan.

3. Stirthe chips and milk until they melt together, about 3 minutes. Stir in nuts and raisins. Scoop the fudge into the cake pan all aroundthe plastic-covered can in the center to form a wreath or ring shape. Let it be all bumpy on top. Keep pushing the can back to the center ifthe fudge moves it away. Cut the redcherries in half with scissors and the green cherries into quarters. Use the green pieces to make leaves and thered to make holly berries. Decorate thefudge with several groups of holly berry sprigs made from the cherries andgarnish with walnuts between the sprigs.

4. Putthe fudge in the fridge and chill until firm. Remove the can from the center, then loosen the sides and bottom of thefudge with a spatula. Cut the fudge intothin slices to serve.

Variations

WhiteChocolate Wreath with Pistachio and Cranberry

Substitute thechocolate chips with white chocolate chips, 1½ ounce bag plus 1 cup.

Substitute 1 to 1 ½cups of shelled natural pistachio nuts for walnuts.

Substitute ½ cupdried sweetened cranberries for currants.

Enjoy! I hope you have a great Christmas or whatever holiday you are celebrating!

Wal Mart does it AGAIN!!

2011-12-16T20:37:00.001-06:00

We did it!!!!

2011-12-12T21:01:00.002-06:00

WE PLACED IN THE LIGHTING CONTEST!! YAY!!!!! I'll be honest... I'm a little excited. To say the least. That was my goal this year after we got the landscaping done... to get yard of the month and to place in the Christmas lighting contest, and we did both this year! Sweet!

It was a lot of work, but as I mentioned before, it's worth it to us, even if we didn't place. But placing is the icing on the cake. We placed third, and now have this sign in our yard. And we're more than happy to display it!

Christmas Lights

2011-12-11T19:46:00.001-06:00

Tonight is the annual judging of Christmas lights in our neighborhood. They award 1st, 2nd, and 3rde place, and one of these days, we will place. Mark my words. Everyone says it we should have own last year, but we didn't. And that's OK. While the judging is in the back of my mind when we do put up the lights, that's not the reason I do it. The guy that won last year had a sequencer set up to his lights and you could tune in to 91.1 to hear the music and see how it matched the lights. He did it again this year, so we'll see what happens. Others that have won have inflatables in their yard, and that's just not our style. So, we'll continue to keep it classy and add a few bits of our style here and there. We like it, so as far as I'm concerned, that's all that matters.

Here are a few pics I took tonight. Enjoy!

Outside:

Inside:

Happy Birthday August

2011-12-05T11:16:00.001-06:00

We went to our friend's little boy's 3rd birthday party this weekend, and had so much fun! It was a Cars theme, and let me tell you, I've never seen so much Cars stuff in one place in my life. CK, you sure do know how to throw a party! Thanks for having us!

The birthday boy getting ready to paint his car.

Showing off his "handy" work

Ooooohhhh... cake!!

The Problem with QR Codes

2011-12-01T19:35:00.000-06:00

As a marketer, I try to stay abreast of the latest trends. One of those is QR Codes. Don't know what a QR Code is? Ever see those little boxes that look like a scrambled bar code? Well, that's a QR Code. The idea is that you scan the QR Code with a QR Code reader on your smartphone, and it takes you to a website so you can learn more about the product or service. Essentially, it's a fancy web link.

This guy has a great take on the problem with QR Codes. It's pretty funny, but he makes some great points!

Winter planting

2011-11-26T17:16:00.000-06:00

Last weekend, Jay and I worked our asses off in our yard planting our winter plants. At the time we were thinking, "why in the world did we decide to do this landscaping?" But in the end, it's totally worth it. We were popping pills for about three days straight because we were so sore, but we think it looks great! And so do many of our neighbors that drive by. We did pansies again this year, but instead of just the purple and gold, we added white. We took out the dusty miller, and added really pretty snap dragons instead. And along the walkway I went with petunias.

We also replaced the two camellias that were on either side of the front windows (the other ones fried in the ridiculously hot summer we had here), and they are blooming now (thanks to two good soaking rains), and they are GORGEOUS!!!

In the back we pulled up the four camellias that died this summer, and replaced them with two hawthorns from the front, and two Mexican key lime bushes. Nice and pretty green!

This is the view we get to look at every time we sit on our patio. I LOVE IT!!!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-24T23:57:00.001-06:00

I hope you all had a very happy Thanksgiving. Today is my favorite holiday, mainly because it's always been about family. And to me, that is the most important thing in my life. I'm not gonna lie... I didn't really want to do Thanksgiving this year. It's hard for us because mine and Jay's mom don't get along so well, and we were trying to figure out how to see both sides of the family on the same day. So, reluctantly, we hosted. Of course, I was a mess. The table and the food turned out nice... I can't say that there wasn't any tension in the house, because there was - a lot of it - but we made it through. And as I'm sitting here typing this, I realized that I didn't even take a picture of the table. Dang it! Jay's brother had to take a picture of the turkey plate (I garnished it with cranberries) and said he was going to post it on Facebook with the caption "I'm at Thanksgiving dinner at Martha Stewart's house." I guess I could be called worse!

Unfortunately, today brought us some sad news as well. Jay's best friend, Bubba, lost his mom today. She had a long fight with cancer, and finally went to a better place today. Whether or not you know Bubba, I ask that you keep him and his family in your thoughts and prayers. It wasn't unexpected, but that doesn't make it any easier.

So... now on to the CHRISTMAS DECORATING!! I totally can't wait for that! We bought our tree yesterday (Jay is going to the lease this weekend, so he'll be out of town, and I wanted to be able to decorate it this weekend), and we brought it in the house tonight. It's perfect!!! I bought some new ornaments to put on it this year, and I have a new idea for the ribbon (I always struggle with the ribbon), so we'll see how it works out. Let the decorating begin!

Test Run

2011-11-20T21:34:00.000-06:00

A couple weeks ago at our neighborhood Thanksgiving party, we had fried turkey cooked in an oil-less fryer. Yes, you heard me correctly. Fried turkey cooked in an oil-less cooker. Although at the time we didn't know it was an oil-less cooker. But as soon as we found out, you guessed it. We had to go buy one for ourselves.

We always do a fried turkey on Thanksgiving, but the worst part is a) the price of the peanut oil; and b) what to do with the peanut oil after we're done. This product solves it all. I am not kidding. Awesome. Turkey.

We did a test run today just to make sure we knew what to do, and it turned out great! Here's a few pics from the experience. YUM!!

Gotta love live TV

2011-11-19T20:38:00.000-06:00

College Gameday was in town today at UH. Pretty big deal, if you ask me. I wanted to go, but then thought about all of the crazy college kids that would be there, and opted to watch from my bed instead. And man, what a treat those of us watching on TV got! Lee Corso DROPPED THE F-BOMB ON LIVE TV. Yes, you read that correctly. I had to rewind and ask some friends via text if I thought what just happened actually just happened. And they all confirmed that it did. As he was picking the winner of the UH / SMU game, he tried to fool everybody by pretending to pick SMU (he had an SMU cheerleader's megaphone), but then through that down, and as he did, said "f$%@ it" and put the Shasta head on. But it was too late. Holy crap, I love live TV! About 20 minutes later he issued an apology on all of the ESPN networks. Wonder what the FCC fine for this one is going to be?

In case you missed it, here you go (gotta love YouTube, too!)

Surprise visit!

2011-11-14T11:20:00.000-06:00

Scott, Amy, and Ella surprised us yesterday with a visit! Baby Ella is getting so big and she is absolutely adorable!!! (yes, I am a little biased because she is my niece). Thank you Scott, Amy, and Ella for coming to visit us. We love you!!!

PLEASE NO!

2011-11-11T18:14:00.002-06:00

I still don't understand why people want this man, pRick Perry, to be our next President. PLEASE, NO!

Spooky!

2011-11-01T01:22:00.001-05:00

I hope you all had a great Halloween with lots of little ghosts and goblins at your door. We had a lot of trick-or-treaters again this year, and they were absolutely adorable. My favorite was Dorothy from Wizard of Oz, and a little cowboy. So. Cute.

And speaking of cute, here is what our house looked like all decorated up for Halloween. I hope you don't get too scared!! :)

Halloween

2011-10-26T21:10:00.000-05:00

I love Halloween. It's not my favorite holiday, but I enjoy it. I love seeing all of the kiddos dressed up as cheerleaders, firemen, football players, ghosts, and goblins. And, it means I can decorate the house with fun stuff and make it look spooky. Like these, my latest creation...

Aren't they cool?!?! I saw the idea in a magazine, and I think I re-created them pretty good, if I do say so myself! It's just mason jars, spray painted in orange, draw on the faces with a permanent marker, seal with clear, and put a FLAMELESS candle in it. Voila! Instant Halloween decorations!

And then there's the Wal-Mart commercials. You know you can always count on them this time of year. Here's the latest. SO FUNNY!!

I hope you have a great Halloween!!

The 'perfect' day

2011-10-14T12:36:00.000-05:00

I'm a sucker for surprise military homecomings. Which is probably why (and I can't believe I'm about to admit this) I watched that new Billy Ray Cyrus show that chronicled surprise military homecomings. I just think they're awesome. As I've said on here before, military families sacrifice so much for the rest of us. They deserve a little positive PR. And little girls, like Skylar Johnson, deserve to have their daddy home. Grab a tissue... you might need it.

I hate this day

2011-09-11T12:04:00.000-05:00

I don't know about you, but I'll never like this day. Ever. I. Hate. This. Day. Hate it. Hate it. Hate it. And I don't use the word hate very often, because it is such a strong word. But I can't think of any other word to describe how I feel about today.

This day 10 years ago the worst thing to happen to this country during my lifetime so far happened. We all know what that is. But also, three years ago today, I had to evacuate the home that I had just bought 10 days earlier because Hurricane Ike was bearing down on it. Now I know, compared to the terrorist attacks, that's probably nothing. But to me, at that time, it was a big deal. I had no idea what I was going to come home to whenever I was able to come home. At that point in my life, it was hard to deal with. Three years later, I can almost talk about Hurricane Ike and the whole situation without tearing up. Almost.

Where were you 10 years ago today?
But talk about what happened on this day 10 years ago, I still get goosebumps. Actually, I'm crying a little right now. I remember that day like it was yesterday. I remember watching it unfold early on the Today Show. The first plane hit and I remember just being in shock. I think I thought the same thing that many people thought... something went terribly wrong, but it was an isolated incident. No way we were being attacked. We're the United States of America. That doesn't happen to us. I remember calling my mom at school, and they had no idea what happened. I remember not wanting to come unglued to the TV, but it was already kind of late, and I needed to get to work. I worked at Rice at the time, and was living downtown, so it wasn't that far of a drive. The drive in was a little weird. I just kept thinking, "What in the world just happened?"

I remember getting to the office, putting everything down in my office, saying hi to the boss, and going into our women's soccer coach's office because she had a TV on in there and I wanted to see if there was any new information. Sharon was in there, and I think Patty was, too, but I'm not entirely sure. And then the rest unfolded. We all know what happened after that. The second plane, the Pentagon, Pennsylvania, and the Towers coming down. I will never forget that image. People were jumping out of windows 30, 40, 50 stories high. That's just not an image you forget seeing. Ever.

At that point, it was pretty obvious this was a terrorist attack and I was more in shock, which turned to pissed, and then a feeling of helplessness came over me. My heart was aching, aching, for our country, for these people - we had no idea how many lost their lives. I remember just seeing pure chaos on the ground. I remember that we were allowed to go home if we wanted / needed to, and I did. It was just too much. I didn't know anyone directly affected by the incident, but I'm an American, and asshole Bin Laden had just attacked the very core of what our country stands for, and I was pissed, and I'm not gonna lie... I was a little scared. I went up to The Woodlands the next day and spent the day with my mom in her classroom. I needed to get away from watching the TV (I think I had had it on all day and all night), and I just needed to feel like I was doing something productive and good for someone else, since I couldn't be in New York doing something for them. And Pre-K kids were just what I needed. They kept my mind off of this horrific incident, if just for a few hours.

I've often thought that this day needs to be made a national holiday. But then I think that if we do that, they win. And by no means have they won. We are the United States of America. We are the greatest country in the world. We are the strongest country in the world. And they have not won. They may have caught us at a weak point, but no more. We proved that earlier this year when we got him, and killed him. That's the only silver lining in this whole thing. That bin Laden is dead. I don't wish death on many people, but he is definitely one of them. But we can't let our guard down now. And I don't think we will. We'll always be on guard. Some things will never, ever, be the same because of 9/11, but you know what? If I have to always take my shoes off when I go through security at the airport, so be it. It's for my safety. It's for your safety. It's for our safety. I don't know about you, but I'd rather be safe than sorry. It's our reality now, our new normal.

What will you do on this day?
I will reflect. I will pay tribute. I will thank God for my friends and family. I will pray for the families of those who lost their lives. I will pray for those who were injured or who suffered a disease because of their efforts to help in the days, weeks, and years following 9/11. I will thank law enforcement officials for their service. It's not an easy job, and it's often a thankless job. But these are the people that are keeping me and my property safe. I will thank our first responders. God forbid I ever need them. I will thank those that I know that have served, or currently serve, in the military, to keep us safe, and defend the freedoms that make our country so great. And I will celebrate a local family that has fallen on hard times. One of our neighbors has hit the bottom, so us Islanders are putting our differences aside (and we all know we've had some differences lately), and coming together for a benefit to raise some money to help them out. That's the shining light in this day that I hate. Oh, and I'll watch some football. That might help a lot of people get through this day. After all, football was one of the first major things to occur after 9/11 that resembled some sort of normalcy. Whatever normal was at that point.

I hope you'll remember and never forget.

New Yard Art

2011-08-12T17:17:00.000-05:00

It hasn't rained more than one inch in 200 days. 200 days! We need some rain like nobody's business. Unfortunately, there isn't any on the horizon for the next two weeks. Which means more hot weather (we've also set a record for consecutive days above 100 degrees), and more of this awful drought. We're now under water restrictions, which include no outdoor watering whatsoever, so I can kiss my beautiful landscaping (what's left of it) good bye.

But at least my new yard art is cute!!!

Enough said

2011-07-27T21:34:00.000-05:00

Random Thoughts

2011-07-13T22:56:00.000-05:00

Before I get to today's random thoughts, let me update you on the Couch-to-5K workout. I'm repeating week 7. I finished week 6 on a not-so-good note, and got really frustrated and wanted to quit, but I didn't. Week 6 day 3 was running straight for 2.5 miles, or 25 minutes. And I couldn't do it. I got frustrated and wanted to quit, but a friend sent me some encouragement (thanks PB!) and I'm back at it. I wouldn't recommend eating Tex Mex at a late hour on the eve of Week 6 day 3. Just sayin'.

So, now for those random thoughts...

The Roger Clemens trial. I have a little bit of interest in this for a couple reasons: 1) He played at San Jac, so our name is coming up a lot with his, so for work purposes, I kinda have to pay attention. 2) Just the absurdity of the whole thing. I get that lying under oath is probably not a good thing to do, but really? I think we have better fish to fry in the big scheme of things. 3) The jury selection. Have you been following this? They had a hard time seating a jury (see #2), but once they did... wow. That's about all I can say. Where do they find these people? Take for instance, juror #16: Female, lawyer for Federal Communications Commission involved in TV station licensing. Husband also is lawyer and they have one son. Says she looked up Clemens on Internet after husband told her she might be on Clemens jury. Has no trial or criminal law experience, but close friend is married to prominent defense lawyer. Once worked with personal trainer, but says they never discussed dietary supplements. Says she doesn’t know how to turn on TV at home. That last sentence is the one that gets me. Um... you work for the FCC in the TV station licensing department as an attorney, and you don't know how to turn on a TV? Who's lying under oath now? I just really have a hard time believing that. OK, enough about that.
Casey Anthony. I'm having a love / hate relationship with our justice system. I love it because it's better than any other in the world. I hate it because of situations like this. Not a reasonable doubt to convict her. We all know she did it, yet because they couldn't prove it beyond a reasonable doubt, she walks. She'd probably be better off in jail. There are a lot of people out there that hate her, and want her dead, too.
Small town politics. They're just as bad as big town politics. And we've got some small town politics going on here in Clear Lake Shores. All I have to say is karma is a bitch.
And finally, my niece, Ella. Isn't she adorable?!?!?! I just love her to pieces! We got to see her over the July 4th weekend, and I loved every second of it!

Week 5, Day 3

2011-06-23T06:06:00.001-05:00

This is the day on the Couch to 5K program that I had marked on my calendar. I was dreading it, yet looking forward to it, if that makes any sense. And today happened to be that day. The day that I had to run 20 minutes straight with no walking. I don't think I've done that since high school. I've worked out on the elliptical machine for way more time than that, but I haven't ran continuously for 20 minutes in quite some time.

Of course it was pouring this morning when I woke up for my run. Not that I'm complaining, because we need the rain, but it was just ironic.

So I went to the gym. Thank goodness for that gym membership that I've held on to for so long but barely used. Came in handy today.

And I ran 20 minutes on the treadmill. What's the big deal? I had definitely psyched myself out, and it honestly wasn't that big of a deal. So either I totally underestimated myself with this running thing, or the Couch to 5K program is working. We'll see in another four weeks when I should be running 3.1 miles.

Don't get me wrong. I still don't like to run. Quite frankly, I never have. But I like seeing the benefits (slowly but surely). So, I'll keep getting up at 5 a.m. to run.

Happy Thursday!

Stil miss my grandpa

2011-06-11T10:32:00.000-05:00

No matter how much time goes by, it doesn't get any easier.

I. Still. Miss. My. Grandpa.

We lost him four years ago today, and I remember it like it was yesterday. I blogged about it a couple years ago, and I don't know what else I can say today. That blog post pretty much sums it up. He was an awesome man and I love him very much! RIP grandpa!

Kids say the darnedest things

2011-06-02T20:54:00.000-05:00

I don't know what else to say, other than kids say (and do) the darnedest things. Enjoy!

This one has received more than 331 million views. Yes, I said that correctly. 331. Million.

And this one is just cute. Watch it all the way to the end (it's only 55 seconds)

And just like that...

2011-06-01T18:18:00.001-05:00

there's a disturbance heading toward the Gulf. And we're not even 24 hours into the 2011 hurricane season! Granted, if this hits us, or near us, I will not complain. I might actually go out and sit in the middle of it. As in the middle of the pouring rain. It won't be anything major that requires evacuation, and we.need.rain. Desperately. Desperately actually is an understatement. I think the last time it rained at our house - like a major rain - was in the days right after we had our landscaping put in. And that was Martin Luther King Day. In January. Yes, January. As in 4 1/2 months ago. So...

BRING IT ON!

Oh, and in case you were wondering... this is what I saw as I got out of my car this afternoon heading back into the office. Yes, that's 3:12 p.m. Awesome. Summer has arrived. And so, too, has hurricane season!

Happy Hurricane Season

2011-06-01T06:07:00.000-05:00

It's that time of year again. No, it's not Christmas. It's officially hurricane season. It started today and runs through Nov. 30. Not my favorite season, but one that I definitely pay special attention to. As has been the case in the last few years, the folks at NOAA are predicting a fairly active season. I'll leave it at that. I don't want to jinx anything.

In case you're wondering, here are the names for 2011.

Arlene
Bret
Cindy
Don
Emily
Franklin
Gert
Harvey
Irene
Jose
Katia
Lee
Maria
Nate
Ophelia
Philippe
Rina
Sean
Tammy
Vince
Whitney

Pretty darn good weekend

2011-05-30T20:10:00.000-05:00

I have to say that this was a pretty ~~darn~~ damn good weekend. Just short of amazing, actually. There are only a few things that could make a weekend amazing (in my opinion), and none of them happened this weekend, so I can't call the weekend amazing, but I can call it pretty damn good.

We're working summer hours at the office, so we're off Friday afternoons at noon. That makes for a pretty damn good weekend without everything else that went on! We were having friends over on Saturday afternoon, so Friday was spent at the grocery store and cleaning up the house. Let's just say it needed it!

Saturday was an early wine tasting outing to Haak Winery in Santa Fe. A friend won this in a silent auction and was so kind to invite Jay and I (thanks, PB!). We had never been to Haak before, so we were really looking forward to it. And, we weren't disappointed. Granted, it wasn't the wine country in California, but it was pretty good. I actually learned a few things about wine that I didn't know before. And, confirmed my taste for Tempranillo. LOVE. IT. Enough said.

Four bottles of wine, two bottles of cooking wine, and three wine glasses later, we were back at our house, along with a group of folks. We hung out and grilled up some burgers. CK brought chips, queso, and creamy jalapeno (just put an IV in me), and we munched and ate and drank some more wine and chatted. It's been awhile since we were all around a table doing that, so it was definitely good for the soul. We missed KK though! The rest of the day was spent riding around in the golf cart, as is custom for a weekend in Clear Lake Shores. We enjoyed watching the boats in the channel get pulled over by law enforcement for a variety of reasons... expired tags, drinking while driving, too many people on the boat, kids not in life jackets. Really, people? It's Memorial Day weekend. You have to know that the law is going to be out.

On Sunday, it started as all Sundays do with breakfast / lunch at our usual spot, and then it was all about the boat. I was able to work on my tan and it was just a nice day cruising around.

Today, Memorial Day, was a lazy day around the house. We took some time to remember what the day is REALLY about. We talked about our grandfathers who served, Jay's dad who served, and our many friends who are currently serving. Yes, it's nice to have the day off of work, but Memorial Day really is about those who have sacrificed so that we can have the freedom to do what we want on our days off. The coolest part of the day was heading over to Kemah (under the bridge) and buying fresh shrimp right off the boats as they came in. We decided to have shrimp Florentine and peel and eat shrimp for dinner, and it did not disappoint. Between purchasing shrimp and dinner we freshened up the mulch in the front yard. It looks really good now (if I do say so myself)!

All in all, I couldn't have asked for a much better weekend. It was great to see the Rice girls - love you all - and to spend some time outside. I hope you all had a pretty damn good weekend, too. Here's to a good (short) work week!

Training for a 5K

2011-05-27T06:00:00.000-05:00

Well, that got your attention, didn't it? I know what you're thinking... You, train for a 5K? HA! It's OK... I thought the same thing, too. A couple weeks ago I mentioned to a group of girlfriends that I've been wanting to start running, but I'm just not a big fan (yes, I know how to run, I just don't like to do it), and that I'd heard about this program called Couch to 5K, did they know anything about it? The next thing I knew, a spreadsheet was set up (thanks PB!) in Google docs to keep us accountable, and I was waking up at 5 a.m. to run. The program claims that after 9 weeks, you'll be ready to run a 5K.

And so training for a 5K began.

And, if I'm going to be honest, so far so good. It's really not bad at all. Check back with me in three or four more weeks and I might think something different, but it hasn't been horrible yet. Granted, I just finished week one, which consists of a brisk 5 minute warm up walk, then alternating running for 60 seconds, and walking for 90 seconds, for a total of 20 minutes. I live on an island that is exactly 2 miles around, so it makes it really easy. I really have no excuse. I've seen a couple people just drop / shed pounds from running, and that's what really motivated me to want to start running. It's easy. It doesn't cost a lot (although I do need to invest in a new pair of shoes... the ones I have now are not for running, which could explain why my legs are sore... or that could be because I haven't ever run before in my life... it's one of the two). I can do it no matter where I am (I'm thinking about upcoming vacations... you can run anywhere!). And doesn't take a lot of time. Plus, I feel a lot better throughout the day, and I go to sleep a lot easier, too. Don't get me wrong... I'm pretty confident you won't find me running a marathon anytime soon, but I think a 5 K is pretty do-able.

So, this is my plan for the next 9 weeks, and hopefully beyond. I'll keep you posted. If you have any tips for a rookie runner, I'm listening!

Farewell, Oprah!

2011-05-25T17:35:00.000-05:00

In my now 34 years on this earth, I truly never thought I would see this day come. Oprah's final show was today. Did I watch? No (not yet). Which is pretty typical... I work, therefore I DVR. So I will watch at some point in time tonight or later this week. But this woman, no matter how you feel about her personally, is a REAL icon. She has done so much good for so many people, and brought so many issues to light... she truly is an inspiration. I'll never be as rich as she is (and quite frankly I don't know that I would want to be!), but I can aspire to have a ~~big~~ huge heart like she does, and to do something good in this world in my lifetime.

So, farewell, Oprah. Thank you for gracing the airways all these years. Thank you for being an inspiration for women like me. Thank you for always speaking your mind and being a part of our lives.

And now, here are 20 strange facts you may not have known about Oprah (according to the Houston Chronicle).

New flowers!!

2011-05-24T21:57:00.000-05:00

I spent most of the day on Saturday planting new summer flowers. I took a tour of Houston Garden Center Saturday morning to see what they had in stock, and came home with vinca, impatients, silva, and verbena. Looks good, if I do say so myself!!

The budget situation in Texas

2011-05-04T20:27:00.002-05:00

It ain't pretty, folks. And being a state employee, I'm well aware of what's going on. It sucks, to put it plain and simple. But you know what? Educators are creative. And they'll do whatever it takes to keep educating our children - our future. Kinda like this guy:

For those of you out there who are educators and facing the same situation we are, thank you for sticking with it! It's a tough job, and hard to believe that education and health care are the first things to go when there's a budget situation. Personally I'd like to see our legislators - in particular pRick Perry, our governor - take a budget cut, but somehow, I don't think that's going to happen. So we'll continue doing what we're doing, so that one day we'll show them the mistakes they're making.

Whew! What a weekend!

2011-05-01T23:14:00.001-05:00

We haven't had a weekend like this in a really long time. For whatever reason, our social calendar was full! But we're not complaining. We had a blast and would do it again in a heart beat! Here's a pictorial recap. I hope you guys had a good weekend, too!

Friday - Drag Races
The O'Reilly Spring Nationals were this weekend at Royal Purple Raceway (I still want to call it Houston Raceway Park). We always try to go on Fridays because there are two rounds of qualifying, and it goes into the night, so it's cool to see the flames come off the cars as they leave the start line. It's just a fun day. The drag races are something Jay got me in to, and now I'm hooked. HUGE fan of the NHRA!

OK, so I'm an idiot, and didn't take any photos from this year's races. Duh! But this is from last year. John Force's car is in the far lane. He's pretty good. :) So cool!!

Saturday - Golf Cart Poker Run
The 3rd annual Golf Cart Poker Run benefiting the Clear Creek Environmental Foundation. Oh my! This was our first time to do this, and what an event this was! It started at our neighbor's bar, Jackie's Brickhouse, with more than 100 golf carts. I'd say probably closer to 150. We even had our own police escort as we proceeded to the Elk Lodge, Alan's Swampshack, the Monkey Bar, Palapa's, and back to Jackie's. And let me tell you... this was amazing people watching! The more bars we hit, the drunker everyone got and the louder the music on the carts got. It was definitely fun. We didn't win the grand prize (golf cart), but it was still worth it. Our poker hand ended up being 2 Jacks, a nine, five and seven.

Mom and dad riding in the back of our cart

Our escort for the day! Thanks, Denise!

All of the golf carts driving down FM 2094.

This is about half of the carts in the parking lot in Kemah outside of Monkey Bar.

That's me and Jay!

Sunday - Madeleine's 1st birthday

We had a blast celebrating our "niece" Madeleine's first birthday. It was a cowboy / cowgirl theme with lots of kiddos and tons of fun. Tons of food and laughs, and we were so happy to celebrate the day with the Kimmel crew! Thanks for having us! We love y'all!

The spread of food. Yum!!

CK and her mom made - yes made - all of these for the kiddos. They were so cute!!

T-R-O-U-B-L-E. He's the big brother!

Brady attempts the slide. He was a little weary at first...

The birthday girl!

A little help blowing out the candle from big brother. I absolutely love this picture!

Not so sure about the cake or what to do with it...

but she quickly figured it out!

Sugar high!

All in all it was a great weekend. And with the news tonight about Osama Bin Laden being dead, it just got to be a really great weekend. I have a lot of thoughts going through my head about that right now, so I'll get back to that later. God bless our great country and our troops and their families. So proud to be an American!!!!

What's your royal name?

2011-04-29T06:19:00.003-05:00

In honor of the big royal wedding today, it's time to get your royal name.

1) Use Lord or Lady

2) Use the first name of one of your grandparents

3) Your surname is your first pet's name double-barreled with the name of the street you grew up on

So here goes... my royal name is: Lady Mary Puddles-Clair Hill

What's yours?

The Darwins are out!

2011-04-28T22:02:00.000-05:00

The Darwins are out!!!!

Yes, it's that magical time of year again when the Darwin Awards are bestowed, honoring the least evolved among us.

Here is the glorious winner:

1. When his 38 caliber revolver failed to fire at his intended victim during a hold-up in Long Beach , California would-be robber James Elliot did something that can only inspire wonder. He peered down the barrel and tried the trigger again. This time it worked..

And now, the honorable mentions:

2. The chef at a hotel in Switzerland lost a finger in a meat cutting machine and after a little shopping around, submitted a claim to his insurance company.. The company expecting negligence sent out one of its men to have a look for himself. He tried the machine and he also lost a finger.. The chef's claim was approved.

3. A man who shoveled snow for an hour to clear a space for his car during a blizzard in Chicago returned with his vehicle to find a woman had taken the space. Understandably, he shot her.

4. After stopping for drinks at an illegal bar, a Zimbabwean bus driver found that the 20 mental patients he was supposed to be transporting from Harare to Bulawayo had escaped. Not wanting to admit his incompetence, the driver went to a nearby bus stop and offered everyone waiting there a free ride. He then delivered the passengers to the mental hospital, telling the staff that the patients were very excitable and prone to bizarre fantasies.. The deception wasn't discovered for 3 days.

5. An American teenager was in the hospital recovering from serious head wounds received from an oncoming train. When asked how he received the injuries, the lad told police that he was simply trying to see how close he could get his head to a moving train before he was hit.

6. A man walked into a Louisiana Circle-K, put a $20 bill on the counter, and asked for change. When the clerk opened the cash drawer, the man pulled a gun and asked for all the cash in the register, which the clerk promptly provided. The man took the cash from the clerk and fled, leaving the $20 bill on the counter. The total amount of cash he got from the drawer... $15. [If someone points a gun at you and gives you money, is a crime committed?]

7. Seems an Arkansas guy wanted some beer pretty badly.. He decided that he'd just throw a cinder block through a liquor store window, grab some booze, and run. So he lifted the cinder block and heaved it over his head at the window. The cinder block bounced back and hit the would-be thief on the head, knocking him unconscious. The liquor store window was made of Plexiglas. The whole event was caught on videotape...

8. As a female shopper exited a New York convenience store, a man grabbed her purse and ran. The clerk called 911 immediately, and the woman was able to give them a detailed description of the snatcher. Within minutes, the police apprehended the snatcher. They put him in the car and drove back to the store. The thief was then taken out of the car and told to stand there for a positive ID. To which he replied, "Yes, officer, that's her. That's the lady I stole the purse from."

9. The Ann Arbor News crime column reported that a man walked into a Burger King in Ypsilanti , Michigan at 5 A.M., flashed a gun, and demanded cash. The clerk turned him down because he said he couldn't open the cash register without a food order. When the man ordered onion rings, the clerk said they weren't available for breakfast... The man, frustrated, walked away. [*A 5-STAR STUPIDITY AWARD WINNER]

10. When a man attempted to siphon gasoline from a motor home parked on a Seattle street by sucking on a hose, he got much more than he bargained for.. Police arrived at the scene to find a very sick man curled up next to a motor home near spilled sewage. A police spokesman said that the man admitted to trying to steal gasoline, but he plugged his siphon hose into the motor home's sewage tank by mistake. The owner of the vehicle declined to press charges saying that it was the best laugh he'd ever had.

Happy Easter!

2011-04-24T22:04:00.004-05:00

Not sure who is doing Wal-Mart's advertising these days, but it's pretty good. Their Halloween commercial was hilarious, and they've returned with an equally as funny Easter commercial. Hope the Easter Bunny was good to you! Enjoy!

The latest addition

2011-04-10T15:17:00.000-05:00

Jay's mom surprised us this week with an addition to our yard (which, in case you're not aware, we are the April Yard of the Month for Clear Lake Shores). It's a fountain, and it's perfect! I love it! Jay and I were sitting out on our patio last night and it was calm and quiet and you could hear the trickle of the water. Very soothing.

Have a great week!!!

Final Four

2011-04-05T21:12:00.000-05:00

So as most of you know, I spent the last five days in the bowels of Reliant Stadium working the Final Four. And yes, I had a blast. I didn't get to see much of the games, but I did step out enough to say hi to mom and dad.

Here's me and Patty, my partner in crime. Thanks for helping me out, PB!

Great job by the NCAA and local media team! See you all again in '15 for the regional and '16 for the Final Four!

Yard of the Month!!!!!

2011-04-01T19:30:00.003-05:00

FINALLY!!! We got yard of the month! WAHOO!!!!! I secretly made it a goal of mine to get yard of the month on the island, and to win our holiday lighting contest. One down, one to go! I've got about eight months to think about the lights...

The yard of the month sign was delivered earlier this week. Here are some pics, and click here to read the article in the monthly newsletter, The Islander (see pg. 16) . Enjoy!!

We're an aunt and uncle again!!!

2011-03-26T10:57:00.000-05:00

Jay's brother and sister-in-law welcomed to the world, Ella Scott, on Thursday, March 24. She came in at 5 lbs., 15 oz., and was 19 in. long. And she's adorable! We're excited to be an aunt and uncle yet again! Congrats Scott and Amy!!! (These pics were taken with my cell phone, as my dumb ass forgot my camera when we went to the hospital, so please forgive the quality.)

Hard work pays off

2011-03-13T19:51:00.002-05:00

We are finally getting "there" with our yard - both the front and back! At the San Jacinto College Foundation golf tournament last November, we won landscaping in the silent auction. That landscaping was installed in the front yard in January. That really inspired Jay and I to keep up with it (right after is when we had the big freeze here, so we spent as much on sheets to cover the new landscaping as we did on the landscaping itself), and to work on the backyard. We're not totally there yet (we need new grass in the front, and some more work along the fence line in the back), but we're close

We've been working the last two days in the back digging up the old boxwoods that were next to the house, and replacing it with some color. We can't walk much right now, but I think it's worth it. It turned out well, if I do say so myself! Here are a few pics of the front and back... Hopefully that "Yard of the Month" sign is on its way to our house!!

Front yard

I can't wait to spend some time this week sitting right here!

Citrus trees in the back yard (they've been there for awhile, we just mulched them and cleaned everything up this weekend)

Yes, this smells as awesome as it looks!

The NEW back entrance to the house!!!!

We pulled this out of the ground... the last of the horse gate that used to be in our driveway. I totally did my happy dance when this came out!!!

Happy Mardi Gras!

2011-03-08T09:31:00.002-06:00

Diaper Cake

2011-03-06T11:14:00.000-06:00

I was invited to a baby shower this weekend for Jay's sister-in-law. Yes, Jay is going to be an uncle in April, but that's an entirely different post. I thought I would put my creative skills to the test and make a diaper cake. I've seen them at other showers that I've been to, and thought they were really cute, so I did some research on that there Internet thing, and off I went to Target to buy supplies.

It turned out to be really super easy to make, and for my first one, I have to say that I'm pretty proud of myself. It came out really cute! What I love about diaper cakes is that you can put whatever the hell you want on it. And considering the fact that Scott and Amy had requested diapers, and then had a bunch of little stuff on their registry, it made it quite easy to pick and choose the "ingredients."

Here are a few photos of the process and the finished product. I may have to go into business!!

Have a great week!

Mullet Mania, Part II

2011-02-24T18:31:00.002-06:00

For those of you that need a laugh, enjoy. These are pretty good!

Favorite Super Bowl commercials

2011-02-16T22:21:00.000-06:00

What was your favorite Super Bowl commercial? Here are a couple of mine.

I can't find the other one that I liked. It was the Kroger commercial with Nolan Ryan. If anyone has a link to it, please send it to me!r

Random thoughts from the last couple of weeks

2011-02-08T21:44:00.001-06:00

The weather. Seriously, Mother Nature? I'm over the cold. I promise when it's 100 degrees in June, I won't complain that it's too hot. I promise.
The weather. It was in the 30s on Friday, and the city of Houston was shut down because of 1/4" of ice. It's amazing how South Texas is not equipped to handle a little freezing rain. Although, to our credit, all of the weathermen said we were supposed to get snow, and that didn't happen. But that's an entirely different blog post altogether. And then our governor, pRick, sent all of our resources to Dallas to handle the weather there for the Super Bowl, so that left South Texas a little screwed.
The weather... in Indianapolis (where I am now). It's a high of 12 and a low of -2, not to mention a wind chill of -16. Really? Who's great idea was it to have a conference in Indianapolis in the middle of February? OK, enough about the weather. I think you get my point.
Indianapolis, Indiana. I love this place. LOVE it! And it's good to be back, albeit if it is just for a few days in the frigid arctic. I knew the minute I stepped foot on the IU campus that I was meant to be here. And I loved living in Indianapolis. If I didn't live where I live now, I would live here. Yes, despite the frigid arctic weather (there I go again with the weather...).
Conferences. I really enjoy attending them. It's always a learning experience and a challenge. This one especially. It's out of my realm of what I do on a daily basis. This conference is really focused more at faculty and administrators and our goal of student success, but what I like is attending the workshops to figure out how I, as a marketing and PR professional, fit in and can make a difference. I just hate being gone away from home for so long. It sucks.
Speaking of sucks, losing to Purdue. I hate it. IU lost tonight to Purdue. It's like Ohio State losing to Michigan. It sucks. But at least I got to watch the game. That doesn't happen back home very often.
I love a great work out. Enough said.
What I don't love is the women who show up at the gym in the hotel who clearly don't work out on a daily or even weekly or monthly basis. They have a full face of makeup, hair done, in their matching track suit with pristine tennis shoes, and they get on the treadmill, stand with legs straddled on either side, turn on the machine, look down to see that its going too fast, and then are confused as to how to make it go slower. Really? Go back to the bar.
Coconut M&Ms. I discovered these today. O M G
The Dallas airport... a shopper's heaven. Seriously. Who knew?

I guess that's it for now. Have a great week!

SNOW DAY!!!!!

2011-02-04T12:24:00.003-06:00

This is still really funny to me. A snow day in Houston, Texas. But yes, pretty much the whole city - hell, the whole state of Texas - is shut down today because of "Snowpocolypse." Ha! What that means for me is a three-day weekend, folding laundry, and catching up on work that I wouldn't have been able to get done in the office. So I kinda don't mind it. But it's still funny to me. Snow day.

The city and state just aren't used to this. I'm from the midwest, and went to school there, so I know what a snow day is like. And it ain't this. Turns out we didn't get any snow, but we got the ice. And people.tired.to.drive.in.it.this.morning. Seriously, Houston? Are you people that dumb? STAY HOME!!! The whole city is shut down. Schools are closed. Most of the businesses are closed. The county and city are closed. WHY do you need to be out on the roads? It's not worth it! The local media is having a field day with this. People who tried to drive and got stuck on the bridges and overpasses make for good entertainment. I'm not going to even call it news. It's entertainment. Dumb people make for good entertainment. Give it a couple hours, people, and it will warm up enough above freezing to melt and then you can get out.

It's amazing to me how dumb some people are. As one of my employees said to me earlier this week, "God takes care of dumb people." After today, he's got a lot of work to do.

Stay warm. Be careful out there. And don't go out if you don't have to.

Here are some pictures from around the city today.

From the Houston Chronicle

No cheerleaders at the Super Bowl?

2011-01-27T18:57:00.000-06:00

How can that be? I know, I asked the same thing. I mean, I was a cheerleader myself, and the thought of no cheerleaders at the Super Bowl is both horrific, and, quite honestly, a little ironic.

So here's the deal... There are six teams in the NFL that don't have cheerleaders. Again, how can that be? I mean, after all, it's the N . F . L . As in National Football League. How can you not have cheerleaders? That's just crazy to me, but whatever. Of those six cheerleader-less NFL teams, the Packers and Steelers are two. What are the chances that the two teams in the Super Bowl are two of six in the league without cheerleaders? I wonder if Vegas had odds on that one.

But I digress... What makes this ironic is the fact that this year's Super Bowl is in Dallas... as in Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders... as in, probably the most iconic cheerleaders in the league. Ever. Period. End of story. Not that I'm a Cowboys fan. Or a Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders fan. But I mean, really? No cheerleaders in the Super Bowl, and the big game happens to be in the home of the most revered NFL cheerleaders. What are the odds? Seriously?!?! What. Are. The. Odds???

So, who's your pick in the big game? I'm a Niners fan, so I have to say Go Steelers!

Silent Monks performing Hallelujah!

2010-12-20T21:05:00.000-06:00

If this doesn't get you in the Christmas spirit, I don't know what will. Hallelujah!!!

Stripper pole

2010-12-14T19:41:00.000-06:00

Somehow the staff in my office got on the topic of stripper poles last week during a staff meeting (apparently I wasn't in the office during said staff meeting... not sure where I was, but that's a different story). It again came up in yesterday's staff meeting. I'm not sure what it is with stripper poles and our staff, but whatever. So, based on that conversation, one of my staffers sent me the following video. I have two words for you. Hahaha and ouch!

Christmas decor 2010

2010-12-08T07:19:00.000-06:00

These pictures don't really do it justice, unfortunately, but it's fun. It was a lot of work. My goal is to at least place (1st, 2nd, or 3rd) in the lighting contest. If I don't, watch out. Someone might get hurt!

Patio time!!!!!!!!!!

2010-11-24T10:25:00.000-06:00

I've waited, oh, I don't know, three, four, five months for this? Finally, it's here! Our patio and walkway was installed last week, and I could not be happier. It's beautiful! Can't wait for the next step, which is the landscaping. Hopefully that comes in next week or so. Yippee!!!

Things I am thankful for

2010-11-22T12:09:00.000-06:00

This week is Thanksgiving, my #1, all-time, most favorite holiday. It's my favorite because it was a time when our family was always together. I remember big feasts at both of my grandparents houses as a child, and as I got older, it was always me, mom, dad, and whatever family was in town visiting. It was always someone - grandparents, cousins, aunts and uncles - and that's why I love Thanksgiving. For me, it represents family, and that is the most important thing in my life. My family. So, in honor of my favorite holiday this week, I thought I would post a few things that I am thankful for (in no particular order).

Family and friends. You know who you are. You all are my rock. I wouldn't have made it through my life, especially these last few years, without you. I love you.
Jay. The love of my life, my best friend, my soul mate. You know how to make me laugh. You always make me smile. I miss you every second I am away from you. You are my everything. I love you with all my heart.
Our military and their families. We wouldn't be here today if it weren't for you, and the sacrifices you all have made. You all are my heroes, and I thank God for you each and every day. Thank you.
My health and my family's health. For the most part, we are good. Except for a few back and knee tweaks here and there... knock on wood... nothing major. And that is a huge relief. I think about those who are sick all the time, and I pray for their recovery.
A truly rewarding job. I have a great team that I work with. They make my job so easy each and every day, and it is a blessing to have such a strong, diverse, and talented team. I love the PR profession, and telling stories about our students and employees. So rewarding and awe-inspiring.
Sports. OK, I know this probably sounds corny, but I am thankful for them. Football, baseball, volleyball, basketball, NASCAR... you name it, I'm thankful for it. They bring me a break from the every-day world every now and then, and allow me to just be me. I love talking sports, watching sports, writing about sports. That is me, and I am thankful that something so trivial can allow me to be me.
All of my "neices" and "nephews." You are a joy to be around. I look forward to watching you grow up to be the amazing people that I know you'll be.

What are you thankful for?

Halloween is gonna suck this year!

2010-10-29T19:40:00.000-05:00

I hope this isn't the case for you in your neighborhood!

Makes me giggle EVERY time!

2010-10-25T11:11:00.000-05:00

Here I go again with the marketing stuff... sorry... it's kinda what I do for a living these days. I can't get enough of this commercial. It makes me giggle every time I watch it. Leave it to Wal-Mart to have clever marketing. This is totally something a little kid would say! Happy Halloween!!!

Brett Favre

2010-10-24T22:55:00.001-05:00

I know some of you who read this blog are Brett Favre fans. I, however, am not. Look, the guy can play football. I'll give him that. But I get so sick and tired of all of the hype every off season as to whether or not he's coming back to play. But really, Brett? Just retire already. You're past the game. And now with all of the recent shenanigans that he's gotten himself into, I'm over him. Over it. So you can imagine my reaction when I saw the Saturday Night Live skit this past weekend for the latest Brett Favre jean commercial. Oh. My. Goodness. I love SNL! Enjoy!

Her daddy taught her good...

2010-10-14T18:12:00.007-05:00

WHERE in the world do news media find these people? I mean seriously! First, it's the "hide yo kids, hide yo wife" guy, and now this. I can't stop laughing!

And, of course, as they did with the guy who told you to hide yo wife and kids, some crafty, geeky person had to make a song out of this lady. Priceless

Aggie copy writer?

2010-10-01T06:47:00.000-05:00

This was posted for a short time on the Houston Chronicle's website last night. Gotta love it!

Words for women to live by

2010-09-21T20:53:00.000-05:00

Got this from a friend of mine (thanks SB)! Enjoy!

Words for Women to Live by

1. Aspire to be Barbie - the bitch has everything.
2. If the shoe fits - buy them in every color.
3. Take life with a pinch of salt... A wedge of lime, and a shot of tequila.
4. In need of a support group? Cocktail hour with the girls!
5. Go on the 30 day diet. (I'm on it and so far I've lost 15 days).
6. When life gets you down - just put on your big girl panties and deal with it.
7. Let your greatest fear be that there is no PMS and this is just your personality.
8. I know I'm in my own little world, but it's ok. They know me here.
9. Lead me not into temptation, I can find it myself.
10. Don't get your knickers in a knot; it solves nothing and makes you walk funny.
11. When life gives you lemons in 2010 - turn it into lemonade then mix it with vodka.
12. Remember where ever there is a good looking, sweet, single or married man there is some woman tired of his bullshit!
13. Keep your chin up, only the first 40 years of parenthood are the hardest.
14. If it has Tires or Testicles it's gonna give you trouble.
15. By the time a women realizes her mother was right, she has a daughter who thinks she's wrong.

Two years ago today

2010-09-13T12:35:00.000-05:00

I'm hoping that as each "anniversary" of Hurricane Ike comes and goes, it will get easier. It was two years ago today that Hurricane Ike slammed ashore in Galveston. Nothing like a direct hit by a strong Cat 2 hurricane!

I've used the term "nightmare" before to describe it, and I'll continue to use that word. I don't know how else to tell you what that was like for me. I went to bed last night thinking about it. Remembering what I was doing at what point in time in the day and night, not only when Hurricane Ike hit, but the days before and the many, many days after. The highs and lows. The wondering and worrying. The lack of sleep. Eating breakfast and dinners made on an electric skillet run off of a generator at mom and dad's house (thank God for that skillet!). Driving to and from The Woodlands to our house. And the list goes on and on and on and on.

Look, I know that there are a lot worse things in life than what we went through. I get that. Really, I do, but like I said in my previous post, at that point in my life, it was pretty horrible. I had never been through a hurricane like that. I thought I had prepared myself for what was going to happen to our house and neighborhood, but you can never truly prepare yourself. I still cry every now and then thinking about it. I've been wanting to scrapbook the whole experience, and do some photo collages for the house (before, during, and after), but I haven't quite been able to bring myself to do it just yet. We took over 600 pictures (or maybe even more!) and when I look at them, all those feelings come flooding back (no pun intended).

We had some great support from our family and friends during and after the Hurricane, and that truly helped. You know who you are. Thank you so much for being there for us when we needed you!

September 11

2010-09-11T20:27:00.000-05:00

This day has a couple different meanings for me. The first is the obvious. If you don't know what it means when someone says September 11, then I'm convinced you're not American. I remember where I was and what I was doing. I remember it like it was yesterday. I WILL NEVER FORGET. It was probably the most scariest thing I've ever witnessed. It still gives me chills to think about it. I'm not a hateful person, but just thinking about it makes my blood boil and brings about a hatred like nothing I've ever experienced. My heart aches for the families who grieve and mourn for their loved ones that they lost on that dreadful day. My heart aches for our country for what we went through and what we continue to go through.

But I am forever thankful - FOREVER - to the first responders, the police and fire men and women who risked their lives that day, and who continue to suffer. I am forever - FOREVER - thankful to the men and women of our armed forces who went to battle after this horrific incident, and continue to battle, so that we can have the freedoms that we have today. Thank you each and every one of you. You are my heroes!

Two years ago today I walked through my house (one that I had owned for just a week) with a video camera taking what I figured to be the last shots of the house as I knew it. It was on September 11, 2008, that we evacuated to The Woodlands for Hurricane Ike. What an emotional roller coaster that was. Even though the hurricane didn't hit until two days later, by the time we left here, our "Little Slice of Paradise" was already starting to flood. What a mess that was. Literally. But we made it through Hurricane Ike, and in comparison to 9/11, well, it doesn't really compare in reality. But in my world, it was hell.

Please say a prayer for those affected by September 11, 2001, and keep them in your thoughts always and forever. And please support our troops. You don't have to support our President or the wars that are going on overseas, but please, please, PLEASE support our troops. And their families. They've chosen to sacrifice a lot for us, so the least we can do is support them. I'd like to personally thank my friends Chris M., Brandon B., Jared B., Cameron B., and my cousin's husband Kyle for their service to our great country. I am forever in debt to you!