Wifi connection: $7.99, Being Amused: Priceless

I got to the airport and settled into a seat at my gate with two-and-a-half-hours before my flight. Yes, $7.99 for 24 hours of wifi access is a little steep, but I decided to splurge so I could fulfill my NaBloPoMo duties before the scheduled 11:00 PM Blogger outage tonight. The guy next to me was about to get his laptop out and asked me about the price for the wifi. When I told him it was $7.99, he pulled out a newspaper to pass the time instead of his laptop. To each their own. I'm getting caught up on my internet time, because it was limited at my mom's house. I enjoy starting to get back into my groove before I get home.

I can't wait to get home. I haven't seen my favorite husband for almost ten whole days. We were like ships passing in the night, except that we were airplanes passing in the afternoon. Chad was in New York City again last week for work. He was flying back to Austin Friday afternoon as I was flying out to Raleigh. My sister asked if we waved at each other mid-air. No.

There is an old saying that "absence makes the heart grow fonder," to which I respond: baloney! Absence makes the heart all kinds of cranky. The longer Chad and I are apart, the less shared experiences we have. We start trying to relay our days' experiences to each other and it's a bit boring. I feel like so much of life is a "you had to be there" situation. Add to this emotionally-disconnected feeling a few dropped calls or sketchy phone coverage and I start feeling very lonely and cranky. It's as if the absence makes my heart start to forget all the quirky, fabulous and good-chemistry reasons that add up to make me love Chad so much. In fact, I've told Chad in a half-joking tone that I don't like him when he's not around. It's not so much that I honestly don't like him when he's away from me, as it is that I start to forget his personality and many charming qualities when he is not physically present.

Whenever Chad and I reunite after a long absence from each other, I always need a few hours to get used to him again. I have to look at him and simply be around him for a bit before I can let my guard down. If you have pets, it's a similar situation to when one pet goes to the vet and the other pets stay home. The pet who gets home from the vet gets a full sniff-inspection from the homebodies. Sometimes the vet-goer is hissed at/barked at, or regarded with suspicion because they picked up a new slightly different scent. The pets have to get used to each other again. After a few hours it's all good again.

Of course if you have pets, you may also have experienced the post-trip pouting. Marigold and Kenji shun Chad and I when we get home from a trip. They walk around sniffing our luggage, but not letting us pet them. They semi-ignore us for a few hours. Usually by the time we wake up the next morning, our little cuddle-buddies have forgiven us, and we wake up with a face full of warm, furry purr-machines.

Just a few more hours and I'm back to my pouty cats, my unfamiliar husband, my car, my house and my bed! Yay!

Bless You, It Wasn't Me

My mom doesn't like to run the heater in her house. There are post-it notes on both thermostats that decree like two tiny yellow tyrants to "leave on this setting". Mom has sensitive sinuses. The heater smells like burnt dust and the dry heater air makes her sinuses itchy. Seriously, she'll sneeze four times in a row at the slightest inhalation of allergen or irritant. My mom's sneezes are scream-sneezes with loud, high-pitched vocalizations. If you're not accustomed to the sound, you might think someone is doing her harm. It's best for all parties to leave the thermostats alone, despite the chilly temperatures here. Wrap another blanket around yourself and have a mug of hot tea.

Mimi (my mom's mom) and Papa Roy (Mimi's husband) are here visiting too. Today, SOMEONE turned both thermostats up to 70 degrees while Mom was out running an errand. I bet that heater felt good, but I was at my sister's house when the thermostat-bandit struck, so I was unable to bask in its warmth. I did, however, receive an accusatory phone call from my mom while I was over at my sister's house. She wanted to know (ACHOO!!!) if I turned up the heat in her house. "Bless you, but I didn't touch it," I insisted.

I don't mean to point any fingers, but Mimi was the only known person in Mom's house when the thermostat-bandit struck, unless someone broke in and decided to warm the place up a bit before making off with the valuables. Mimi says with a pretty convincing poker-face that she didn't touch the thermostat. It's a mystery...

Technical Difficulties

I'm at my mom's house, and we're realizing just how many secrets my dad took to the grave with him.

1. No one knows the password to the wireless internet port. It's so secure, that we can't log on at all. (Luckily, I can get an internet connection on my mom's desktop computer. Her computer is a Windows platform and I'm a Mac girl, so I can't download all these super-cute photos of my niece and nephews yet!)

2. My dad didn't label any of the videotapes in this house. Total mystery as to what was on about twenty videotapes. Mom and I went through the tapes today to figure out the contents. There were only four tapes worth keeping, but we at least got them labeled.

3. None of us can figure out how to fix the grandfather clock. We got it set and it's keeping time, but it's still not chiming correctly. At 2:00 this afternoon, it rang twice. Yay! However, at 3:00 this afternoon, it rang five times. Booo... Dad was the clock-whisperer in the family, I guess.

4. We also can't find the remote control for the DVD player in my mom's room. There are approximately fifteen remote controls in this house. None of them work on that DVD player. Consequently, Mom can only watch the first episode on each DVD, because there is no way to go into the DVD menu and scroll around to select options such as the next episode.

Maybe I can consult one of those mystics who claims to communicate with spirits and ask them if they can get any answers on these technical difficulties for us.

What Is Death Cab for Cutie?

When I began this blog last year, I knew I wanted to keep it family-friendly. I decided not to post anything I wouldn't want my grandmother to read, because she's one of my few faithful readers. I don't want to alienate my fan-base. Initially, the blog was just to share photos and updates on the house projects. My parents thought that Chad and I were crazy for buying our old fixer-upper house. I wanted to demonstrate to them that we were not so much crazy as ambitious. At the start, I would email all of our family members whenever I posted an update. After about a month of posting, I sent a final blog-related email letting our family members know that they should check the blog once a week for updates, and that I would no longer email every time I posted something new. I wrote something snarky about how younger people check blogs almost as frequently as they brush their teeth, and that older people should get in the habit of checking the blog without an email notification. My dad emailed back that he checked my blog "twice a day. So haha." (Sadly, that was the last email I got from my dad. My mailbox was set to auto-delete messages every seven days, and I lost that email. I wish I still had it.)

My mom didn't check my blog for several months after my dad passed away. She was understandably busy and grieving. I got a little cavalier and made reference to her a few times in terms that were not absolutely glowing. Once my mom surfaced enough to read the blog again, I got a phone call from her. She said that I had written some not very nice things about her. (Really, it wasn't anything bad, just kinda sassy.) I told her that I'd written those things because I thought she wasn't reading, but now that I knew she was reading, I'd only say nice things.

I admit, there are times when I want to write something mean-spirited, or go off on a political rant, but I don't. I've thought many times of starting another blog where I could pour out my angry bile or mean observations. I always stop myself. There are plenty of political blogs without me starting another one. There are plenty of irreverent, mean-spirited blogs without me starting another one -- some of them very funny.

I maintain my decision to keep this blog safe for my grandma's and my mom's eyes. I thought I was sticking with this goal, until my mom clicked on my Amazon.com wish list icon in the sidebar of this blog last night and asked in an alarmed-sounding tone, "who is Death Cab for Cutie?!" Um, only like my fourth favorite band, Mom. I guess their band name isn't exactly parent-approved. I'm not going to edit my Amazon wish list. That's where I draw the self-censorship line. Plus I really want those CDs.

I Like the Journey... When It's a Direct Flight

I flew to Raleigh, NC today to see my family. Whoever said that it's all about the journey probably meant something about stopping to enjoy your surroundings along the way; not just at your destination. I must say that I'm a fan of the direct flight. I will pay a little more for the airfare or fly at odd times if it means that I don't have a layover or a connecting flight. I enjoy my time on the airplane reading or flipping through magazines. I do not so much enjoy the time sitting in weird airports waiting for the next leg of my trip, or worse, running through an unfamiliar airport while praying I am able to get to the gate on time for the next leg of my trip.

Today I had a direct flight. (Yay, and thanks to, American Airlines.) The other people in my row were a cute family with a 14 month old little girl. They were very considerate, telling me to let them know if the little girl was bothering me. She was a cutie, and no bother at all. I made an origami cootie catcher for her and she giggled. (The cootie catcher is a variation on the fortune teller four-part folded paper. I didn't have a pen to write fortunes on the paper. At the tender age of 14 months, she wouldn't have been able to read it anyway.)

My flight landed a bit early, which is a rarity these days, if recent media reports are to be believed. My mom picked me up at the airport and took me to the closest grocery store to indulge my need for vegetarian-friendly groceries. Then we went to a nice dinner at Cafe Capistrano, which serves healthy California-style Mexican food. My vegetarian burrito was delicious and the cafe had a cute atmosphere with a big fountain in the center of the dining room and lots of brightly-hued artwork on the walls. It's kind of weird that I would leave a Mexican food mecca like Austin, and seek out Mexican food in Raleigh - not known for its good Mexican food - but my mom wanted to try the place too. We both liked it.

I'm Down with BYOP, Yeah You Know Me

First, I have to credit the always witty Jamie M. with the title here. It was his response on the Evite.

I started hosting the (nearly annual) BYOP pumpkin-carving party in my tiny studio apartment back in 1995. My seven closest friends and I would squeeze ourselves and our pumpkins onto a plastic drop cloth on my floor and talk animatedly as we wielded sharp utensils, up to our elbows in pumpkin guts. Over the years, there have been some truly artistic pumpkin creations. However, my favorite thing about the pumpkin parties is not the pumpkins, but sharing the good company of my friends before the craziness of the winter holidays starts its annual snowball of scheduling conflicts.

Last year, I did not host a BYOP party. I was reeling from the sudden death of my dad on October 13, 2006. My husband and I had postponed our housewarming party which was supposed to be on October 21 of last year. We were still exhausted and frazzled after spending the summer of 2006 renovating our 1952 house. My friends, Kristen and Allen, hosted their own BYOP party last year that Chad and I were grateful to attend. I have to confess that I didn't remember even carving my pumpkin last year until I looked back at last year's blog post featuring a photo of my argyle creation. (Check out the archive.) Grief does strange things to one's memory. I'm glad I have this blog to help me recover the buried memories of much of the past year.

This year I was so excited to host the pumpkin party at our house with our big yard! I made the music play list back in August and started planning the menu in early September. (Yep, I'm a dork.) The pumpkin party has grown from its humble beginnings. This year, we hosted 47 guests over the course of the night, ranging in age from six months to about 75 years. We all had a great time. I can't wait for next year's pumpkin party.





Valuable Local Resources:
Austin's Pizza - The veggie rolls were a hit, and jive with my vegetarian ways.
Wing Zone - The carnivores loved the boneless buffalo wings.
Premiere Events - Marisela Cardona made it a breeze to get the tables, chairs, chafing dishes, linens and a huge ice chest that we needed to rent for the party.
Ken's Donuts provided the yummy apple fritters. Ken's Donuts is open 24 hours a day at 2820 Guadalupe Street.
HEB grocery store on Far West Boulevard for the drinks, candy and myriad of paper goods & cleaning supplies.
Central Market on North Lamar for the veggies, gourd decorations and pumpkins.

Happy Halloween!

Be safe out there tonight, especially if you're taking the kids trick-or-treating. We don't get any trick-or-treaters at our house, which makes me sad. We live on the corner of a busy street. I guess it's too dangerous even with the sidewalk. I'll be going to a costume party instead of handing out candy tonight.

Here are a few of my fave pumpkins from our BYOP (Bring Your Own Pumpkin) Party this year. More details about that tomorrow...

Coming in November

I've added a nifty badge to the sidebar that identifies me as a member of NaBloPoMo (short for National Blog Posting Month). The main objective of this organization is to challenge bloggers to post something to their blog each day during the month of November. Jensational (fellow blogger and good friend) invited me to do this. She's hip to all the latest, greatest news.

I'm saving my material for November. Come back Thursday, November 1.

If you want to read some really interesting stuff now, please check out the posts about my friends' (yes, punctuation snobs, two friends went together) trip to Turkey over at Planet Lu.

Tree Times Three

Ted's Trees in Austin rocks! We met Ted himself on Saturday and picked out these BIG trees. Ted gave us, "the deal of the century." The crew delivered and planted our trees today. Now we have a mini-forest instead of a big, empty backyard.

Folksy Wisdom from a Catalog

I've been sick the past two days with a half-dozen yucky symptoms. My head aches too much to read a real book. I did muster the energy to look at the mail after a dose of ibuprofen. The Country House catalog featured a delightful looking snowman on the cover. Normally I am not a fan of country decor, but since it was about 90 degrees out today, I decided to escape into the glossy, glittery, faux-snow pages of this catalog. Some of the products that caught my eye featured homespun, wry witticisms that I'd like to offer up for your pondering.

I have learned that being with those I love is enough.

I'll love you 'til the day after forever.

Live in such a way that if anyone should speak badly of you no one would believe it.

It doesn't matter where you go in life, it's who you have beside you.

Who are these children and why are they calling me Mom?

Live well, love much, laugh often.

Whatever you are, be a good one. - Abe Lincoln

It's never too late to live happily ever after.

Never get so busy making a living that you forget to have a life.

What happens at grandma's stays at grandma's.

Being happy doesn't mean everything is perfect. It means you decide to see beyond the imperfections.

Motto to live by: Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well-preserved body, but rather to skid sideways, chocolate in hand, latte in the other, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming "WOO HOO, what a ride!"

Maybe I have a fever. Maybe my stuffy sinuses are preventing enough oxygen from getting to my brain. Maybe I'm a little dehydrated. Or maybe these catalog people are onto something...

Knowing When to Say When

As a remedy to the 2 inch gap under the current interior doors, I thought I wanted to replace our yucky hollow-core doors with some nicer solid-core doors. I picked out the new doors and hardware. I kept the budget very reasonable. I met with the door installation contractor. The contractor, a polite man who was articulate and seemed sane, said that he couldn't just hang new doors with new hardware. Instead he would remove all the current door frames and trim with a crowbar and install new, pre-hung doors with new frames and new trim. He went on to explain (with a straight face) that it's easier for him and less costly for me, the customer, to just replace the whole door set-up. It made sense when he said it. I thanked him for his time and showed him out.

The more I thought about the project, the more I realized that neither Chad nor I want to paint the new doors and trim. Nor do either of us want to watch as the patch-jobs we did on these 55-year-old walls crumble to dust under the pressure of a crowbar. Nor do we want to have sheetrock replacement added to the project list. Nor do we want to come back through this freshly painted house with four different colors of paint for the touch-ups after the crowbars are applied to our walls. Nevermind. These doors are fine. I hardly notice that gap under the doors. My eye now breezes right over that spot where someone painted over stickers on the bedroom door rather than removing them.

My consolation prize of sorts was to replace the old doorknobs with new ones that match all the other hardware in our house. With my trusty electric screwdriver, I had all the old knobs out and all the new knobs in place in just over an hour. It was a nice surprise for Chad when he got home from his day trip for work.



________________Old Doorknob_________________





New Doorknobs

No Longer in that Desirable Demographic

As of Monday evening at 8:25 PM, I am no longer part of the coveted 18 - 34 year-old marketing demographic. I don't feel old. I don't think I look old, but people are increasingly referring to me as "Ma'am." I hate that. I was raised to say ma'am and sir to anyone older than I was, a very southern verbal affliction that was strictly enforced at my house. Now I hate, hate, hate it when a teenager or a 20-something-year-old says ma'am to me. Please stop.

It was a fun birthday weekend and a good birthday. Chad & I went on the Austin American Institute for Architects tour of homes. We both agreed that most of the houses were too huge, offered too much glass with too little privacy, seemed more like commercial showplaces than personal sanctuaries and that some of the houses were just plain ugly. We like our little, cozy 1952 house. Saturday night we walked around South Congress Avenue, stopping to share a yummy cupcake at Hey Cupcake. We also stopped in this new candy store called Big Top. The store was circus themed and offered all sorts of odd candy, flavored sodas, milk shakes, malts, popcorn and ice cream. I got clove candy canes and raspberry M&Ms. Chad got licorice bridge mix - ewww. On Sunday we had afternoon tea at the Four Seasons hotel. The view of Ladybird Lake was lovely and the Four Seasons lobby lounge was plush and posh. The bill was also posh. I think I can recreate the experience with a French press, fresh tea leaves and some mini dessert tarts from the Whole Foods bakery next time I want a fancy tea party.

Monday I went to lunch at Homeslice Pizza (my fave!) and went shopping for 2 hours at Emerald's. It was me-time. I loved it. I came home to find that Chad had taken off from work at 1:00. Chad cleaned the house, made my favorite ginger drink, ordered veggie Asian food (yum!) and invited some friends over. He also presented me with my gift, a comfortable reading chair in the office from IKEA. Sonic (our big, boy cat) had pooped on my old reading chair too many times. The old dish chair with the super-thick cushion was just too tempting and comfortable a place for Sonic to resist. Hopefully the new chair seems more like furniture, and Sonic will not poop on it. (He doesn't poop on any other furniture, only that old dish chair. Weird cat.) Chad put a plastic sheet over the new chair while he waited for me to get home, because he wanted to keep the cats off of it. Sonic decided that no silly, plastic sheet was going to stop him, and he found his way under to snuggle into the new chair. His newest nickname is "boy in the bubble." I think that this photo says it all. I love my new chair!

My birthday cake featured very bright, hot-pink frosting. The food dye was surely not from anything found in nature. We all had pink teeth, pink mouths and pink lips after eating it. Yep, Chad picked the color all by himself!

Mmmm... meat-like

I found a new, super-yummy meat substitute. Those of you who love the McRib (McDonalds processed rib-like sandwich) are nuts, but as a public service to cute little piggies everywhere, I am urging you to try these BBQ riblets by Gardenburger brand. The riblets come in a tangy sauce and have a meaty texture. Three and a half minutes in the microwave and dinner is done! Look for them in the freezer section at your grocery store near the other vegetarian products.

Jonesing for Some Chicken

I haven't eaten red meat for about three and a half years. Easy to do! Once in a while I'd smell barbecue brisket and salivate like Pavlov's dogs, but I could get my fix with some barbecue chicken or turkey.

I haven't eaten poultry since July 4 of this year. I'm still eating fish, but I don't really like fish. At all. So I only eat fish when I'm really craving protein, about once every two weeks.

I had salmon for dinner tonight. It just isn't the same. I want some chicken. Trying to picture cute, fuzzy baby chickens. Reminding myself about horrible conditions at poultry processing plants. Imagining the horrific secret chemicals, antibiotics and genetic engineering that go into raising poultry these days.

Mmmmmm... chicken. I mean, oh no, it's horrible. Ewww, it had a face and a momma.

Obviously I'm very conflicted at this time. I need to eat some beans maybe for a jolt of non-meaty protein.

TCB, Baby

The end of September typically marks that magical time of year when Chad and I find ourselves with some mad-money. Last year, we spent all of the moola on house projects and our big housewarming party. This year, we intend to make a big dent in the budget with more house projects and a couple of fun field trips. I've been researching projects, scheduling meetings, budgeting and generally organizing. Like Elvis (Presley, not Costello) was fond of saying, "taking care of business, Baby, TCB."

My husband ,Chad, kind of looks like young, hot Elvis. Chad also does the lip-grab gesture that Elvis is doing in this photo. Uncanny.

Anyway, my to-do list continues to grow. Here's a sample of what I've been working on:
• Hired electrician to install three outdoor power outlets. Paul Moreno from Fox Services did a great job and completed the work in one day!
• Took a trip to Lowe's to research and price supplies for outdoor lighting for the front of our house and had aforementioned electrical prep work done.
• Talked to a helpful Lowe's employee about having one new exterior door and four new interior doors installed.
• Scheduled and met with the "door project" contractor.
• Priced and chose all door hardware.
• Found a local shop that will make a new framed mirror for the bathroom.
• Discussed where we want more trees planted in the back yard and chose a nursery to plant the baby trees.
• Reserved ski boat and driver for a fun lake day! Wooo-hooo! Pray that I don't break a leg while trying to remember how to slalom. Should be like riding a bike, right? You never forget how to do it?
• Begged out of working on New Year's Eve this year. After acting in Murder Mystery Player shows or dealing black-jack for charity events for the past eight years at other people's New Year's Eve festivities, I'm ready to just attend a party this year.
• Cursed Evite.com for being down over the past two days as I try to plan a little shindig. Stupid Evite! It's almost frustrating enough to make me print paper invitations...

Chad has been busily (obsessively) researching his new flat screen TV purchase. Presently we're still kickin' it old school with a boxy TV. Of course, getting the High Definition flat screen TV means that we have to get a new DVD player, replace a few beloved movies that we had on VHS tape with DVDs, sign up for High Definition cable and figure out how to wall mount the new TV.

I'm so thankful to have a generous husband who works very hard to give us a nice house and a comfortable lifestyle. However, there are certain moments when I pine for the simpler, less materialistic days as the renter of a 650 square-foot apartment that had all bills paid and no storage space for extraneous possessions. In the future, if you hear me talking about wanting a bigger house or more materialistic stuff, please thrust a well-worn copy of Henry David Thoreau's Walden into my greedy, well-manicured hands. Then hope that I don't smack you on the forehead with the book. Make sure it's a paperback copy.

Halloween Costume?

Are you dressing up for Halloween this year? I have a few ideas:

1. Soccer Mom - my blond flip wig worn with a grey sweater set, pearls, khaki pants or "mom jeans". I'll carry a soccer ball, wear my phone on a hip holster with the hands-free cord in my ear, and my car keys on a cord around my neck.

2. Ugly Betty - I LOVE this TV show and its titular character. I can buy Betty's poncho online, which is kind of a cop-out in the creativity department. I have the wig and fake glasses somewhere in the costume box. I need to search online for fake braces for my teeth.



3. 1960s psychedelic hipster - again the blond flip wig with too much eyeliner, frosty lipstick and a swirly, trippy printed dress somewhere between Goldie Hawn circa Laugh-In and Mrs. Roper from Three's Company.



The cutest costume I've seen in the past ten years was when my friend, Jenny, dressed up as Harry Potter with Hedwig the owl on her shoulder. She had short hair, painted on the scar, wore the glasses, school robe and necktie. It totally worked. My second favorite costume was when Chad dressed as PeeWee Herman!

Submit your ideas or vote on what I should wear by emailing me or commenting here.

I Get Bored...

It's no secret, and a perhaps a personal flaw, that I have a short attention span for jobs. I average about 18 months at any job. I made it 26 months at my last regular job. That's the longest I've stayed in any employment position. (Working for Murder Mystery Players for the past five years doesn't really count since each show is different and I have played a wide variety of roles.)

My night-owl activity tonight was to take a free career test on the website projectcareer.com

Wooo... Whoever formulated this test is certifiably insane, high on crack or just plain mean! After answering 105 questions, I read over my exciting career recommendations. My #1 match for a career was (drum roll, please) manufacturing! Below is the sample of possible dream jobs for yours-truly in manufacturing.

In the United States, the manufacturing industry includes these major sectors:

Aerospace Products and Parts
Chemical Manufacturing (except medicine/pharmaceutical)
Computer and Electronic Products and Components
Food Manufacturing
Machinery Manufacturing
Motor Vehicle and Parts Manufacturing
Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing
Printing
Steel Manufacturing
Textile, Textile Product and Apparel Manufacturing

This info was followed by an advertisement for "National Heavy Equipment Operator School." Wow! I do like to sew and plant things in the yard, thus I must confess that I like to work with my hands, but manufacturing as a career? Um, no.

My #2 career match was sales & marketing with sample job titles:

Sales Representative
Market Research Analyst
Media Buyer/Planner
Promotions Manager
Public Relations Representative

Getting warmer. Lots of experience in these areas including retail management, communications / advertising technician at a major insurance company and marketing for a big, local theatre.

My #3 career match was visual arts with sample job titles:

Artist
Sculptor
Graphic Designer
Art Director
Illustrator
Sketch artist

I like to paint and draw. I've often said that if I win the lottery, I'll go back to school and take more art classes. I'd be an unpopular artist though, because I like to make things look pretty and I have a low tolerance for high-concept art that needs a lot of explanation (a.k.a. self-indulgent tripe.) My attitude is that a particular artwork either speaks to you or doesn't. If the art speaks to you then you decide if you want it in your house or you don't. Mine is not lofty reasoning, but it works. Try it the next time you're at an art museum or gallery.

#4 was creative / performing arts with sample job titles:

Actor
Producer
Choreographer
Dancer
Fashion Designer

The website offered the grim advisement: "Employment of actors, producers, and directors is expected to grow on par with all other occupations through 2014. Although a growing number of people will aspire to enter these professions, many will leave the field early because the work—when it is available—is hard, the hours are long, and the pay is inconsistent. Competition for jobs will be stiff, in part because the large number of highly trained and talented actors auditioning for roles generally exceeds the number of parts that become available. Only performers with the most stamina and talent will find regular employment."

Very oddly, the advertisement for this section was for "The ABC Dog Obedience Instructor Program is structured to offer you the convenience and cost of a Home Study program with the added benefit of working one on one with some of the most talented trainers in the industry."

Ding, ding, ding!!! We have a winner for the weirdest job list and advertisement pairing! We also have a winner with the sample job title of "actor." My absolute dream job is to land a part as a sitcom mom on a popular series. No joking, no sarcasm. I just need to lose more weight and get myself out to Los Angeles. And get discovered. And get cast in the right role. And have the show become a hit with viewers and critics alike. Yep...

Vancouver: Pretty and Polite

Chad and I just returned from five fun days in Vancouver. The city and surrounding areas are beautiful with tall trees, a backdrop of mountains and little harbors and inlets all over the place. The weather averaged 72F during the day and 55F at night -- a welcome respite even from this mild Austin summer.

The British Columbia residents are incredibly polite and friendly. We stopped in the local Urban Outfitters store to buy a light jacket for Chad, and the lovely lady behind the counter asked us how our day was going and wished us well, which is never likely to happen at an American location of Urban Outfitters, where you're more likely to be sneered at and tolerated during any transaction. A bus driver let us on the bus for FREE when we didn't have the exact fare, saying, "Hey, we're friends. Hop on and you can pay at the transport station when you catch the ferry back across." Wow. I'm inspired to be even nicer than usual. Pass it on, and all that.


If you venture to Vancouver, here are our top three picks:
1. Granville Island Public Market
2. Capilano Suspension Bridge
3. Stanley Park

For those foodies out there, we had great meals the whole time we were in Vancouver. My favorite two spots for atmosphere (because I'm all about the ambiance and less about the chow) were: Glowbal and Brix, both in the Yaletown neighborhood with lovely patios and twinkling lights. Chad really loved Tojo's sushi restaurant. Tojo's had a vegetarian omikase (which means the chef picks your meal and brings out different courses like a tasting menu) so I was in luck. The veggie meal was good, but honestly, this place is quite expensive, spare in decor / atmosphere and not really worth the price unless you're a major sushi fan. Chad is a major sushi fan, so he loved it. Tojo's restaurant was featured in the book (and also on the TV show) 1000 Places to See Before You Die.

When I go back to Vancouver, I hope that Chad and I can stay at the Wickaninnish Inn for even more nature exposure and more of a retreat feel; rather than spending so much time downtown like we did on this trip. Overall, this was a wonderful vacation! I can't wait to go back to Vancouver.

Helper Kitties

There is an episode of The Simpsons that features a helper monkey. Come to think of it, there is also an episode of Malcolm in the Middle that features a helper monkey. In both shows, the poor monkeys get corrupted, disgruntled and develop all sorts of bad habits and reproachable behaviors.

At our house, we have helper kitties. They help make the guest bed. Hope you're not allergic to cats if you're sleeping over here, because you know they left fur on those fresh sheets.

The kitties also help me wrap birthday gifts for Chad. Sonic liked the wrapping job so much, that he tried to eat one of the presents. Marigold is far more civilized and only eats the ribbon. She knows that eating the paper is way gauche.

Yep. Little beasties live in our house. We like them.

Siesta

Odd Bird

There is a blue and white parakeet that hangs out in our yard sometimes. I've tried in vain to take his photo, but he flies away too fast. I'm guessing he escaped from a cage, eschewing the domesticated life as a pet. The parakeet hangs out with the little brown birds that nest in our hedges. They eat bugs and seeds from our yard. I feel bad for the parakeet and worry about him. I hope he can migrate with the brown birds when it's time. I hope he finds enough food to stay healthy. I hope that the little brown birds make him feel welcome even though he's different.

As an adult who doesn't work full-time right now, and who has (so far) chosen not to have children, I feel left out of various peer social groups. It's hard to make friends when you're in your 30s and don't have regular work or kids to facilitate socializing with other people. I feel like an overeager, overbearing dork as the person who instigates social outings most of the time, and I feel like a pariah when I get stood-up for these social outings. Most other people my age are consumed with work and/or family right now. I feel like I got stuck in my self-obsessed 20s, while my peers moved on to bigger and (in most cases) more important ventures.

I'm projecting my odd-bird-out feeling onto the escaped parakeet that hangs out in my yard with the little brown birds. The parakeet makes me sad, when it might actually be a happy bird thankful to be out of the cage.

It's time for me to get a steady job and/or a new volunteer project when Chad and I get back from vacation. I've enjoyed having time to do house projects since I left my last steady job in January. I've stayed somewhat occupied with temporary work, freelance jobs and a few acting gigs. I needed time to heal after losing my dad and my grandpa this year. Grieving has been a solitary activity. I also needed time to rest, recover and get cozy after the great house fix-up of 2006. I'm getting restless now and starting to feel lonely, acknowledging the need for daily interaction. Soon it will be time to get out there and try to find my group of little brown birds.

Simply Finicky

I am not a foodie. I don't rhapsodize over gourmet flavors. I think fusion cuisine is silly. If you wouldn't feed it to a ten-year-old (vegetarian) kid, don't try to make me eat it. Ask my mom what happens when someone tries to force-feed me anything I don't like. I've got a strong gag reflex and a weak stomach.

I am also not a wine connoisseur. Blech - instant headache. When someone serves me wine, I smile and carry the glass around and even take a few sips in good faith that the host isn't trying to poison me, but I don't like wine and it doesn't like me. Champagne is an entirely different matter. I love some sweet Asti bubbly or a little sparkling prosecco, but even then I'm flirting with the afore-mentioned headache.

I like simple food. Order a cheese pizza. Stock the fruit bowl. Cut up some raw vegetables and serve them with a bowl of light ranch dressing, I'm a happy camper. Speaking of camping, I love s'mores, but hate any dessert with the words flourless, ganache, or heavy cream in the description.

In the ongoing effort to lose weight and develop healthier habits, I am enjoying smaller portions of the foods and drinks that I am so finicky about choosing. I'd rather savor a small portion than overindulge these days. Ingesting more than I need leaves me feeling bloated and listless.

The kind of people who show love with food are often frustrated by me. People need food to survive just like everyone needs love to make this life worth the struggle. Personally, I need simple, unconditional love in steady amounts over time. Don't make it too fancy with too many ingredients. Don't do the fusion thing with too many conditions that may or may not meld successfully. Don't force too much at once.

Eat Pizza Once a Week

Just a quick post to boast that I've lost 19 pounds now! I didn't believe the scale at the gym, but 3 different scales all say the same thing.

I hit the gym at least three times a week. Chad and I walk 3 miles together at night twice a week. I eat pizza once a week, because I love it, but I only have 1 or 2 slices with a salad.

Still have 15 pounds to lose, but I'm getting closer to my goal weight.

Dremel Rotary Rocks!

I'm refinishing our 55-year-old bathtub. Removing decades worth of caulk and grout from the edges of the tub was terribly tedious and tough on my hand muscles. This prep work was taking a much longer time than I thought it would.

In a bout of chivalry, Chad chauffeured me to Lowe's to purchase a few things for the tub project. Fate found me in the small hand tools section drooling over the Dremel rotary tool with tiny sanding and cutting attachments. Be still my beating heart. Once home, the Dremel removed most of the strata of grout and caulk, and my poor hands are spared.

Wish me luck as I refinish and re-caulk the tub!

Update: The tub project went well for the most part. I bought a $40 kit at Lowe's and did it myself instead of paying a pro $500+. All the scrubbing, sanding and straining to reach corners without touching wet epoxy left my shoulders and lower back very sore. Showering at the gym for a week was kind of weird and inconvenient as we waited for the new glaze to dry and cure. The tub looks all shiny and sparkly-white now. The new caulk made a huge difference too. Before the tub had permanent rust stains and weird drippy marks that would not scrub away with mildewy caulk that bleach could not tame. Overall, I'm glad I did it myself. Chad likes it too and gave me some yummy bath salts as a thank you gift.

Not Falling for Fall Marketing

Summer, with its 100+ degree days feels like it just started here in Austin. May, June and most of July were rainy and cool. The weather was, dare I say it, very pleasant. Normally by this time of year in Austin, I'm in the throws of a full-on "I hate summer in Texas" rant with a 44 ounce icy, diet drink in one hand and a water spritzer in the other hand while positioned squarely under an air-conditioning vent in a room with the curtains drawn and the blinds shut tight against the blazing Texas sun. This year, you'll find me with a 12 ounce diet drink in one hand while I sit out on the deck and marvel at how 90 degrees in the evening doesn't feel too bad if you sit still. I haven't even been for a dip in the cold, spring-fed pools of Deep Eddy or Barton Springs yet this summer. I haven't even had a Jim-Jim's water ice yet this summer.

I'm just now getting into the groove that is summer, and my August issue of Glamour magazine shows up. (That Glamour subscription is a guilty pleasure balanced out by reading the more cerebral Wired magazine.) This month's Glamour issue features all the fall fashions. Gross. It won't be cold enough here in Austin for fall fashion until at least mid-November. Why is it that every fall, fashion houses dish out plaid, tweed and blazers like it's something new? Been there, bought it, still in my closet, don't need this year's rehashed leftovers version of it. Except for maybe these cute
Delia's boots that were featured on page 169. OK, so maybe I need to know about SOME of the fall fashions, but the whole concept of being marketed to with fall fashion when my summer just got going is off-putting. I'll be sporting my flip-flops, knee-length skirts and 100% cotton t-shirts for several months still. Call the fashion police if you must.

Buying Back my Childhood: Priceless

Here are my recent treasures from three separate trips to Half Price Books. You'll notice many vintage Nancy Drew books to add to my collection! I now have 24 of the original 56 Nancy Drew books. Normally I'm not a fan of collecting things. I view collecting as less of a hobby; and more about consuming and blindly spending money. There is a Douglas Coupland quote about people "confusing buying things with creativity." In this case, however, I am making an exception to my "no collecting" rule. Nancy Drew was such a part of my childhood. I fully intend to re-read every one of the original 56 books, and hope to share them with my niece, Mary, someday (and any future nieces that might come along.)

My vintage Nancy Drew books are all from the same approximate publishing period. There are newer, shinier Nancy Drew books, but I don't want those, because they don't look, feel or smell the same as the ones from my childhood. My vintage Nancy Drew books from Half Price Books cost between $2.48 and $4.98 each. When I originally bought the books back in the day with my allowance, they were $2.95 each. That vintage status adds to the price tag, but also makes them exponentially cooler and more personally meaningful.

Happy National Underwear Day!

August 7, 2007 is National Underwear Day here in the states. Let's all celebrate by wearing some. (Under your clothes, of course!)

Halfway There - The Weight Loss Journey

I apologize that few of you will find this the least bit interesting, and that a lot of you will think I'm terribly vain, but here goes:

It took 159 days, but I've lost 17 pounds since I started adopting a new, healthier lifestyle. I'm halfway to my weight loss goal. (For you non-math-wizards, that means my total weight loss goal is 34 pounds.) I am so embarrassed by the all-time high number that displayed on the scale back in January and early February, that I'm not going to reveal that awful, awful weight. I will say that size 10 was getting snug and I really prefer to be a size 6 with plenty of breathing room. I will also reveal that the Body Mass Index calculator said I was borderline obese. Cringe!


What led to the weight gain? I gained a fast 15 pounds over the course of 10 months. Here are the top 3 reasons as I see them:
1. The stress of having our lovely, posh (rented) condo unceremoniously sold out from under us halfway through our lease, and then realizing that to live in the area of the town we liked, we'd have to buy a house that needed quite a bit of work -- about six months worth of hot, dusty, sweaty, sore-muscle manual labor.
2. The kitchen at our new house was a wreck and housed painting supplies and tools for the first four months that we lived here. Fast food was always on the menu during that time. I thought that with all the hard work I was doing on the house, that surely I was burning lots of calories. Not so.
3. My dad died suddenly and very unexpectedly in October. This sent me into a tailspin of depression. When my dad literally dropped dead on his treadmill while exercising, the last place I wanted to be was at the gym. The first few times I went to the gym after his death, I cried while on the elliptical machine and cried during yoga classes. It's hard to exercise when exercise gets associated with sadness.

There have been some major and minor stumbling blocks in my quest for a healthier lifestyle. I knew I needed to start eating healthier in general, and lose some of the new-homeowner bad habits I formed over the past year.

On February 27, I started the South Beach diet. I lost 6 pounds in the first two weeks, which is known as phase 1 of the diet. Phase 1 is highly restrictive and difficult. Pretty much the only things a person can eat are lean proteins, vegetables (excluding carrots and potatoes of any kind) and small amounts of reduced fat cheese. There are no baked goods of any kind, no cereals / grains, no fruit, no "real" cheese, nothing containing natural or refined sugars allowed during Phase 1. I hate fish. I don't eat red meat. I had a serious addiction to whole wheat toast. This two weeks of Phase 1 was absolutely awful.

I've heard of other people losing up to 15 pounds during Phase 1, so I was a bit disappointed to only lose 6 pounds, but consoled myself with the theory that slower weight loss is likely to be permanent weight loss. Since following the South Beach diet during Phase 1 and Phase 2, I've learned that Phase 1 is actually not good for a person like me. I have kidney problems and therefore need to limit my protein intake.

Here's some science stuff on that:
When following a high protein, low carbohydrate meal plan, both uric acid and calcium oxalate stones are more likely to form. In fact, one study found that consumption of a low carbohydrate, high protein diet for 6 weeks delivers a marked acid load to the kidney, increasing the risk for stone formation.-- Reddy, S.T, Wang, C.Y., Sakhaee, K., Brinkley, L., and CYC. Pak. Effect of low-carbohydrate high-protein diets on acid-base balance, stone-forming propensity, and calcium metabolism. Am. J. Kidney Dis. 40(2):265-74, 2002.

During the South Beach Diet early days, I was working through the stages of grieving due to losing my dad so unexpectedly. I was stuck in the depression stage for a few months. Quitting most carbs cold-turkey for Phase 1 of South Beach was probably not a good idea for me at that time. I felt not just tired and cranky on this diet, but physically shaky and angry.

Here's the science stuff:
Many who are testing low-carbohydrate approaches like Atkins and the South Beach Diet are reporting unusually elevated feelings of anger, tension and depression, enough so that a new term ‘Atkins attitude,’ has been adopted to describe it. Judith Wurtman, director of the Women’s Health Program at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the Adara Weight Loss Center, has conducted studies on rats showing a connection between low carbohydrate intake and low levels of serotonin – a neurotransmitter that promotes feelings of happiness and satisfaction. In her research, rats placed on a ketotic, or low-carbohydrate diet for three weeks were found to have lower levels of serotonin in their brains. Wurtman believes that same effect occurs in humans on low-carb diets, leading to pronounced feelings of depression and sadness, even rage. -- Wurtman, R.J., and J.J. Wurtman. Carbohydrates and depression. Sci Am. 260(1): 68-75, 1989.

In addition, Dr. Agatston, MD, author of The South Beach Diet advises patients to get about 20 minutes of exercise a day, such as walking. Um, yeah, I spend about 40 minutes on the elliptical machine and spend another 30 minutes doing stomach crunches, push-ups and lifting weights at least three times a week at the gym. This activity is in addition to daily chores like gardening, vacuuming, hauling laundry out to the washer, etc... and other "fun" exercise like hour-long walks with Chad, bike rides and occasional kayaking. I think I far surpass that "20 minutes of activity" advice most days. I need some carbs to make some energy, Doc!

That said, I think that Phase 2 of the South Beach Diet has great guidelines for losing weight, and I loved being able to eat some whole grains again! The recipes in the South Beach cookbooks are good, if a bit involved sometimes. If any of you are looking for some nutritional advice, skip Phase 1 of South Beach Diet and go straight to Phase 2. Your weight loss will be slower in Phase 2, but it is much less painful, more nutritionally sound and much more likely to lead to sustained / permanent weight loss.

I spent about two months at a weight loss plateau. I didn't gain any weight back, but I also wasn't losing weight from mid-May until mid-July. My dad's dad passed away on June 1, and I got physically sick with grief for a week. I had a cough, body aches and fatigue. My grandpa's passing was like a sequel to losing my dad just seven months earlier. While I didn't resort to any of my old unhealthy coping mechanisms such as mass doses of sugary baked goods or fried foods, I also wasn't getting as much exercise as usual. On July 4, I decided it was time to give up poultry as part of my slow transition to a vegetarian lifestyle. I don't mean to preach, but it is my personal preference not to eat food that once had a face. I still eat fish a few times a week (yuck), but eventually fish will go too. Not to worry, I am eating lots of soy, plenty of beans, egg-beaters, non-fat dairy and iron-rich veggies. There was an adjustment period to the new pesco-vegetarian diet which slowed the weight loss. Finally, in late-July, the weight started coming off again.

Which brings us up to last Friday when I stepped on the scales at the gym and found that I had maintained the halfway mark to my weight loss goal for a week! (I have this weird superstition that I can't really claim weight loss until is stays off for at least a week.) It feels great. Hopefully by February of 2008, I'll be in the maintenance phase of this health-kick-hullabaloo. And I'll being wearing a size 6 with breathing room.

Allergic to Mowing

I've been working very part-time (10 hours a week) for my friends' event planning company helping to decorate for weddings and doing some marketing writing for them. It's been fun. I also have a few dinner theater shows every month, and we're doing a script I already know, so it doesn't keep me too busy.

Given that I have much more free time than Chad does, and given that he makes a lot more money than I ever will, I try to hold up my end of the household duties by taking care of the chores. I do the laundry & iron, shop for the groceries & figure out meals, make the bed, manage the bill payments, take care of our three cats, etc... Chad is graciously happy to take care of the more manly chores of lawn care and grilling. However, sometimes if I'm feeling very generous, I will mow the lawn, so Chad can relax on the weekends and hang out with me, instead of worrying about the yard. I actually enjoy the meditative qualities of mowing the lawn, walking slowly behind the mower, making sure that the rows overlap just enough to get all the grassy stuff to an even length. We have a quiet, electric mower that gets the job done with minimal noise and without the noxious gasoline stink of most mowers.

Unfortunately, there's nothing I can do about my very strong allergies to most things associated with the yard: grass, all manner of pollens, dust and leaves. I suffer from sinus headache, runny noise, itchy eyes that border on blurry vision, low-grade fever and general malaise every time I mow the lawn despite my best efforts to avoid the allergic reactions by snorting Flonase and popping Claritin Ds. I generally am uselessly listless for hours after mowing the lawn. Next time I go to the doctor, I'm going to get a note excusing me from lawn mowing. And while I'm not officially allergic to bugs, I harbor a general dislike of any bug that isn't a ladybug. Yep, the ugly truth revealed, I'm bugist -- having an extreme prejudice and suspicion of all bugs that aren't ladybugs. Between the allergies and the bugism, there will be no more lawn mowing for me. Darnit.

Tag, I'm It!

Getting "tagged" on a blog is similar to a chain e-mail, but lots more fun. You read your friend's blog and find out that they got tagged. They answer a series of questions, and tag more people who then also answer the same questions, posting the answers on their blog. Then they tag a few more people, and on it goes. I'm one of the cool (okay, dorky) kids. I got tagged! In response to a delightfully jaded and funny blog that I frequent, here are my answers:

Four jobs I've had:
1. Professional petsitter with Furry Godmothers (Like how I make it sound all official with the word "professional"?)
2. Marketing Assistant with Zach Scott Theatre
3. SEC Licensed Mutual Fund Client Services Rep (Hated it, am so bored by money.)
4. Communications and Advertising Technician for Texas Medical Liability Trust (Was as painfully boring as it sounds.)

Four movies I can watch over and over again:
1. Singles
2. Groundhog Day
3. Spirited Away
4. Party Girl (starring my hero, Parker Posey)

Four places I have lived:
1. Alexandria, LA
2. Birmingham, AL
3. Cross Lanes, WV
4. Plano, TX

Four TV shows I watch:
1. Ugly Betty
2. Psych
3. Monk
4. The Office (Loved the BBC version. Love the American version.)

Four places I've been on vacation:
1. Quebec City
2. Tulum / Akumal, Mexico
3. New York City
4. Los Angeles

Four favorite foods:
1. migas taco from Taco Express on South Lamar
2. swedish fish (gummy candy)
3. Concord pears
4. lentil soup

Four websites I visit: (blogs)
1. Jensational
2. Planet Lu
3. The Holmes
4. BLaneyOG

Four people I'm tagging:
1. Kate D.
2. Chad (You can post your answers here.)
3. Christina Wilkins (Will give you a chance to finally update your blog!)
4. Ed Toutant (To see if you're reading, Ed.)

If you got tagged by me, you can post answers in your own blog, post answers in the comment section of this blog or email answers to me. Have fun!

Chad Poisoned Us!

Sunday night Chad offered to make dinner. He made salads with salmon fillets on top. I have to admit that I wasn't digging the salad, because it didn't taste good -- kind of bitter. I figured that I put the wrong dressing on the salad, or that I am too accustomed to restaurant cooking, and that's why it tasted weird to me. I ate the salad anyway because my nice husband went to the trouble to make a healthy dinner for the two of us.

Monday morning rolled around and I awoke feeling weird. I had a slight headache and felt hungry but also a little nauseous. I had a Luna Bar and a Diet Coke (breakfast of champions!) thinking that the combination would provide vitamins and caffeine without too much tummy trouble. By lunchtime, I felt weak and a bit shaky. I reached for a ready-made falafel wrap, and the sight of the lettuce on my intended lunch sent me running for the bathroom. I'll spare you the gory details, but suffice it to say that Chad and I were both ill. Both repulsed by the mere thought of lettuce or salad. Chad thinks that the food-poisoning culprit was lettuce that went a little long in crisper. I don't know for sure, but I won't be having any salads or salmon again for a while.

Chad continues to apologize profusely. I'm fairly confident that he wasn't trying to kill me since he got sick also. If he was up to no good, maybe he's learned his lesson that bad deeds typically backfire. Or maybe it was all an elaborate ruse to get me to cook more, fearing for our health and welfare.

My New Celebrity Crush

Hugh Dancy will be thrilled to know that he is my new celebrity crush. He ascended to the title after I saw him in the movie Evening. Isn't he dreamy? He's British, so you know he talks pretty. He looks a bit like my husband, which adds to the perceived attractiveness level (or PAL for short.) I'm looking forward to Mr. Dancy's next movie The Jane Austen Book Club.


My celebrity crush position has been vacant for several months now. Previous celebrity crush, Pete Wentz, fell from grace when he started dating Ashlee Simpson. They make a cute couple and I wish them much happiness. However, I feel that Pete's emo-rocker card should be revoked now that he dates a pop-tart like Ashlee. Pete also lost points when he got into a few highly publicized fist fights. I don't like men who resort to violence so quickly.

I think I've been watching too much television and seeing too many movies lately. When I met my friend, Tara, at the mall tonight to see Evening, I people-watched for a while as I waited for her. Members of the general public are not nearly as attractive looking as the stars of the small and large screens are. My perception is getting warped from looking at too many pretty people. I'm sure that every one of us would benefit from a professional hair and makeup crew, professional lighting, editing and a generous dose of film retouching!

Pretending to be Outdoorsy

I have terrible allergies, pale skin and a love of reading and watching movies. That's why I'm thankful for Claritin D with Flonase, Neutrogena oil-free sunblock, Book People and Regal Cinemas. Now that I have a house, there's a compulsion to take care of the house not just inside, but also outside. I'm not outdoorsy. I describe myself as "indoorsy." (My friend, Maggie, agrees with me that indoorsy should be a word, because it is quite descriptive of our shared interests.) Alas, sometimes one has to venture outside and make an effort to keep the yard looking nice.


There was a dead tree in our side yard that Good Morning Tree Service removed last Thursday. In its place, Chad helped me plant these Pride of Barbados plants. They're pretty with bright blooms and do very well in Austin.


The plants we put around the base of the deck back in June love all the rain we've had this summer.


I finally found a St. Francis statue that I like. It was 25% off at Shoal Creek Nursery. I love Shoal Creek Nursery. It's less than a mile from our house, has great native plant selections and friendly staff. Visit them at 2710 Hancock Drive in Austin.

An Insomniac's Revelations about the 10th Grade

Last night, I actually slept for six and a half hours. Tonight, I got up after trying for an hour (unsuccessfully) to go to sleep. And before you ask: I got up at a regular time this morning; I went to the gym today and did an extra strenuous workout thinking it would make me tired; and I didn't have any caffeine past 4:00 PM.

Here's a few random memories from 10th grade:

I dyed my hair from dirty blonde, or pool-blonde as my mom called it, to black for a theatre show in which I was supposed to look Italian. The black didn't take well over the blonde. After a few days, it faded to an army-green color. My Algebra II teacher sang "It's Not Easy Being Green" in her best Kermit the Frog voice to me each day when I entered her classroom.

Also in tenth grade I was awarded "thespian of the year" by my theatre teacher. If you go to Vines High School in Plano, Texas, there's a plaque with my name on it, along with about thirty other thespians. I'm fully aware of the nerd-factor.

I was a deacon's daughter and I dated the preacher's son for a while. The preacher's son was two years older than me. If we had ever actually kissed, it might have caused a major scandal.

I read "The Fountainhead" by Ayn Rand to impress a boy, but after reading it, I decided I didn't like the boy anymore. I decided that I wanted to marry an architect someday instead. Although I did date an architecture student in college, my husband is not an architect and that's fine.

I drove a few times without a license, and without a licensed driver in the car to help me. My dad said it was okay. Luckily, I never got pulled over by the police.

If I needed a mental-health day away from school, I'd plea my case to Mom, because she usually said yes.

I was allowed to start dating when I turned 16 in the tenth grade. Oddly, that was also the year that my parents decided I needed braces and got thee not to a nunnery, but to the orthodontist. Same thing.

I had big hair in the form of a double-piggy-back-spiral perm. I told everyone the curl was all natural. For the record, the wavy hair I have now is natural, you can ask my stylist, Monica at Maximum FX.

I ran with the drama kids (histrionic dorks) and some of the drill team babes. It made for a few awkward social outings before I realized that I should keep the two groups of friends separate. I like to think I'm the person who introduced the drill team girls to the music of New Order, but it was the brainchild of my drama class and drill tream pal, Jenny. She even did a choreographed routine to the song Bizarre Love Triangle. Very progressive, huh?

I tried to be a vegetarian, but after several months of not eating meat (no, not even fish) I broke down and ate half of a Monte Cristo sandwich from Bennigan's. Yuck.

Jet-lag Would Justify It

For numerous reasons, few of which I can remember now, because I'm so tired, I am having trouble sleeping lately. I envy my cats and their amazing ability to sleep for long stretches of time. When Sonic (pictured above) stretches out for his nap, he really stretches out. That's a long kitty.

Last night stretched fitfully into this morning with lots of stress dreams. You know what I mean, the dreams where you are working on something, or you are involved in a nerve-wracking task or some kind of stressful communication, or you are being chased, and sometimes you are simultaneously in your birthday suit. These stress dreams disrupt your sleep cycles when you jar awake trying to reorient yourself to the fact that it was only a dream, that you should be sleeping peacefully. You look at the clock and think, if I can fall asleep now, I'll get a good three hours of sleep. The pressure to get some quality sleep then gives you another stress dream and the whole night turns into one big toss and turn fest. I have a few nights like this every three or four months. I do not want to take sleep medication and develop a dependency on, then a resistance to, said sleep medication. I prefer to tough it out. I pretend I have jet-lag and get up at a usual time and stay up until a reasonable bedtime, but the past week has not been optimal snooze time. And I didn't earn the jet-lag by going anywhere fun.

Monk Marathon = Happy

A year ago today, Chad and I were working hard to whip this old house into shape. We had only two rooms painted and unpacked: the guest bedroom, which we lived / hid in the first six months here; and the living room / dining room, which we didn't spend much time in because we could see into the other rooms that weren't painted yet, full of unopened moving boxes. It was hot. We were, no doubt, covered in little speckles of paint and primer. I think we had hot water for showers and washing dishes at that point, but I can only really remember that the gas guy took several weeks to show up and actually turn on the gas for the gas hot water heater and gas stove after we moved into this house.

Last fourth of July, I distinctly recall begging Chad to take a break from painting and cool off with me. We positioned ourselves squarely under an air conditioning vent and sprawled out on the living room floor. I flipped on the TV for some brain candy, and found that the USA network was showing back-to-back episodes of Monk all day. Yay! I love this goofy mystery show about a detective who has obsessive compulsive disorder and a plethora of phobias. Chad and I watched an episode and half of Monk before we dragged ourselves back into whatever room we were working on at that time.

I set our digital recorder to record Monk anytime it came on TV. Whenever we took a break from working on the house for the rest of the summer, there was usually a recorded Monk to watch. I came to associate the theme song of Monk with happy times when I could set down the paintbrush or screwdriver for a while, temporarily ignoring the long list of chores. The Monk theme song would start. My eyes would glaze over slightly. My brain would bask in happy chemicals. My back would relax into the floor, for I was far too dirty to put my icky, paint-splattered self on the sofa. Watching episodes of Monk took me to my happy place.

This fourth of July holiday delivered another Monk marathon which our trusty digital recorder captured while we bustled around getting ready to have friends over for dinner -- a nice dinner in our completely painted, unpacked, cleaned and (for now) finished house. After a yummy dinner with good company, we headed out to watch fireworks. After the fireworks, it was time to come home to wash dishes and clean up the dinner debris. Before we started washing up, Chad asked if we could watch an episode of Monk. Heck, yeah! The Monk theme song started. My eyes glazed over slightly. My brain basked in happy chemicals. My back relaxed into the sofa, for I am no longer covered in last summer's constant layer of sweat, dust and paint. Happy times...

Summer Movies Under the Stars

There are a gazillion reasons to love living in Austin, and I just found one more: free Sunday night movies under the stars at The Belmont. Despite more predicted rain storms, the weather was perfect. The pesky mosquitoes stayed away. My dinner, a delicious Cedar Plank Salmon Salad, was great.

This week's showing was Stand by Me, based on Stephen King's novella "The Body" (from the book Different Seasons.) The story is about four friends and an adventure they shared when they were 12 years old.

Katie and Brian, two of the cutest newlyweds you've ever seen, joined me. Brian is a Stephen King fan who had never seen this flick, and he gave it a thumbs-up.