Reconnaissance on Myself

Look what comedic material fell into my lap

2010-11-15T14:34:00.001-06:00

Most of you know I work in the public relations industry. I did six-to-seven years in PR penitentiary, i.e. PR agency life. But now that I'm out on parole (i.e. the beautiful freedom of corporate life), it's interesting to see the industry through a different point-of-view and I'm really enjoying the experience. (In all seriousness, agency life isn't that bad...)

Anyways, in my inbox this morning was a cold-call e-mail from a boutique PR agency I've never heard of. I'm changing up the names/locations to protect the innocent (highlighted in red), but this was just so awful that I couldn't pass up the opportunity to share how not to pitch your PR agency to someone:

Subject: Quick question about your media coverage

Jenni,

I want to take a minute and introduce myself. My name is Jane Doe and I am the CFO of Loony Bin Public Relations, an agency with offices in places that don’t have a large media presence. Loony Bin PR has strong media and analyst contacts and a reputation of being proactive in securing publicity for our clients, which helps them gain recognition to surpass
their competition.

Our seasoned media relations specialists have many success stories and we know how to get you attention during these turbulent times. While companies are cutting back spending on marketing, savvy companies are finding inexpensive ways like media relations to grab market share. We know how to maximize your story and product announcement potential to get this type of coverage. We consistently get our clients featured in industry publications as well as in the Wall Street Journal, BusinessWeek, etc. If you would like this type of exposure, let me know and I can call you at your convenience.

Best Regards,

Jane

*******************************
Jane Doe
867-5309
Website with awful bios
Twitter Account with less than 200 followers

Listen, I know that it is rough out there right now and people are desperate for business. But don't let that desperation shine through!! Besides doing some basic research about what I do for the company I work for and the kind of coverage we're after, here are some basic pointers to take a cold-call pitch to the next level:

Make sure your subject line actually states the objective of the e-mail. In this e-mail, Ms. Doe does not even ask me a question. Yet because of the subject line, I kept reading hoping to figure out exactly what her question was about my media coverage. I was hoping she had some kind of analysis, 'cause that would have been nice.
Fix the salutation. I'm not saying use "Ms. B." in the e-mail, but a "Hi" or "Dear" would have been pleasant. Let's not be too casual here. I haven't even met you.
The person sending the e-mail is just as important as who it is being sent to. Why is the CFO of the company e-mailing me? I work for a manufacturing company with a speciality in technology, and doing a quick search of Ms. Doe online shows that her background is in finance... how is that relevant to the technology industry? Next time, have someone e-mailing potential clients that has relevant experience. Do you target media contacts this poorly? Because it makes me wonder.
Spell-check/format check. No, that wasn't a bad copy/paste job on my part. The first paragraph was formatted that way. If you're this sloppy when trying to drum up business, how do you treat media?
If you can't say something smart, don't say it at all. Yeah, we live in a global world and most work is done remotely now, but don't advertise the fact that your three locations are in markets where there is absolutely no media presence. Just leave it out of the pitch... P.S. -- especially leave out your locations when I have zero presence in those locations too.
Give relevant examples. Why should I take your word that you have great media relations skills? If your form letter e-mail with no personalization or insight into what I DO in PR is any indication, I can only imagine how disastrous your media pitches to try and garner coverage are. This is the opportunity to show me that you have relevant experience in the areas where I need the most help!!
Research your targets. Similar to the above, I work for a company who is doing quite well in "turbulent times." Next time, spend five minutes on finance.yahoo.com to figure that out, please.
Don't devalue your service. Media relations done properly is not cheap. But it provides potentially a higher value than other forms of traditional marketing/advertising.
Of course I want WSJ coverage, but don't make promises you can't keep. Again, what do you know about my products or my company that makes you think you can secure that caliber of publications? Better yet, do you even know who I would target? Of course you don't.
Your online footprint is an embarrassment. Unfortunately, I can't show you these without ruining my vow to protect the innocent, but make sure your Website, LinkedIn and Facebook profiles, and Twitter handles are up-to-date and reflect the quality of work you conduct.

So, my fellow PR professionals, have you had any similar experiences or tips and tricks you would like to add to this list?

By the way, Loony Bin PR: It took me less than 10 minutes to figure out who you were, the type of clients you have, your previous experience, the works. And that 10 minutes is invaluable when you can use the information you gather to develop a pitch that would have had me calling you back. Just saying...

(P.S. Mad props to my pal @brittneydanne who really got into the sluething portion of this post)

Whoops!

2010-11-14T17:16:00.000-06:00

I love how I counsel my colleagues (and former clients) that one shouldn't start a blog if you aren't committed to updating it at least once a month. And looking at my last post (dated July 26), I'm feeling a bit hypocritical right now.

I could tell you I've just been too busy (I have) or I haven't had anything to blog about (that's not true), but I think the truth is I'm in a bit of a social media rut. Between work, Fatroll (my lack of posts there coincide with a weight gain... sigh), Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn -- I'm worn out. I've been doing social media before it was cool, so I feel like where I'm at is where the rest of the world will be at in two years.

I'm not telling you to go and short Facebook stock (it's not even public, so it would be hard to do anyways), but I have an eerie feeling I'm not the only one who finds enjoying life and people face-to-face is way more fun that staying glued to my phone/laptop/Twitter feed/Facebook status updates/etc.

So now, I'm going to go back to bumming on my couch with my bum-partner-in-crime (Walter), listen to The Saint soundtrack from 1996 or something and re-read Harry Potter and avoid people until tomorrow.

Later ;)

And now, a quick commerical break

2010-07-26T10:41:00.000-05:00

So, I'm dog-sitting a fun-loving wolf-pack this week. It's a set of five dogs that Justin and I check on three times a day to let them out, give them love and make sure their bellies are full of yummy dry dog food goodness (remember, I'm never feeding a dog wet food ever again).

Notice the wrinkles on his tounge? It's funny. Trust me.

Problem is, they're -- with the exception of one -- various different breeds of terriers. We have Duncan, the alpha of the pack, who is a goregous Westie (and my personal fav). His tounge is also bigger than his mouth can support, so just the tip of it always hangs out. Then there is Jack, the Jack-Russell terrier; Kingsley, the Pomeranian; Elvis, the Yorkie; and, Bella, a dark-,coarse-haired terrier mix. Bella is the only female of the group, and also the one who randomly barks for no reason. Most of the time, the guys just ignore her after awhile because she won't shut up, and you could probably make some societal conclusions about the whole affair if you think about the interaction long enough.

As cute as they are, their breed type also means they shed horribly. And this morning, I decided to wear an all-black outfit to check in on them before heading to work. I looked like I had my own coat of hair by the time I got to work.

And so, I remembered that the 3M Half Marathon goodie bag at my desk had a spare Scotch Lint Roller in it. Funny story -- I've never used or owned one before. I guess I felt like I never "needed" it. After using it today, I'm totally going to the employee store at work and loading up. And giving them as gifts. And the best part is, they make a line of pet-hair removal rollers with a picture of Duncan on it! Okay, it's not Duncan really, but it could easily pass as his twin brother. And I wouldn't be buying the silly thing because of the dog on the packaging, but because the adhesive is specially designed to pick up pet hair!

Who knew that adhesive could be that vertisle? I didn't until working here ;) So with that said, check out this YouTube clip of a Post-It Sticky Note holding up a phone book. My favorite part is they make it look all scientific with the protective glasses and lab coat! Ha!

So let's see. How many obvious product placements did I put into this ridiculous post about my outfit having dog hair all over it? Post-It Sticky Notes, Scotch Lint Roller, the Scotch Pet-Hair Roller line of products, and then a subtle mention about the 3M Half Marathon, which I expect you guys to run/walk. So four. Not too shabby ;)

BURN!!

2010-07-25T16:56:00.000-05:00

I could be this chick, I suppose. Her skin looks like she is a pug.

Last week, I went tubing for the first time. You may have read about it and my #WTSDS. But it's been a week and a day, and while the redness has subsided from the resulting sunburn, my skin is itching non-stop. Like, I would be at work and would have to run to the bathroom just so I could scratch my skin for 5-10 minutes in peace and without feeling embarrassed. Or wake up in the middle of the night and sit in a warm bath just to make it stop.

Weird thing is, I'm not peeling. It just feels like I have ten million bug bites that won't go away.

Anyways, it turns out that there is a list of things you should and shouldn't do when you have itchy sunburn and I pretty much did all of it wrong. So in the interest of helping you all out in the heat of the summer, here's some tips and tricks courtesy of WikiAnswers to making sure you recover quickly.

Whatever you do, don't scratch the sunburn. Hahahaha. Try that telling to my sunburn.
If/when your skin starts to peel, don't help the process along. Apparently, the skin tissue under the peeling may not be ready to surface, and exposing it to the elements may result in even more irritated skin. Luckily, I never peeled, which was the result of tip number 3.
Use aloe and use it regularly. Literally the second I got out of the sun, I was applying some aloe cream I originally got my redheaded, pale husband. I put it on three times a day (even though it smells like men's cologne), and I swear this stuff kept me from getting the peels, which results in blotchy, disgusting looking skin. I also made sure I didn't wear pants and instead wore loose-fitting dresses for a few days to keep the burn from getting irritated. Embarrassing that my red dress matched my legs? Yes. But at least I didn't peel :)
Drink lots of water. Which I don't do enough. Apparently, if you are dehydrated, it keeps the sunburn from going away.
Limit your range of motion until the burn goes away. So my hard core workouts probably weren't the best idea this week...
When showering, keep it short and avoid soap on the burned areas. Guessing my warm baths in the middle of the night with bubbles were probably a bad idea ;)

All in all, I suppose it could have been a lot worse. I mean, I was out the sun for seven hours and any sunscreen I put on was immediately washed off by the river water. Anyways, I hope these tips help you get through the rest of the summer burn-free, or at least peel-free.

To Go or Not To Go... A Decision on Going to my 10-Year Reunion

2010-07-20T08:58:00.000-05:00

As some of you know, I've been toying with the idea of skipping my 10-year high school reunion. Justin is indifferent (we were in the same school, graduating class) and given the last year and a half, I don't really want to be asked about how my life is going. Because, news flash, it sort of sucks right now.

You know how it will go down, right? Something to the effect of, "Justin and Jenni! Never thought you two would date, let alone marry. ("Yeah, I'm pretty shocked sometimes too...") How's life treating you? You both were so bright in high school, I bet you have great jobs. So, how's it going? Started having a family yet?"

And then my answer will inevitably be something along the lines of, "I'm going to go cry in that corner now." In some ways, I want to pull a Romy and Michelle and say I invented the Post-Its. It's not that far fetched, really. I do work for the company that invented them. Hahaha. Unfortunately, I am not in R&D and I'm not an chemist specializing in adhesives, so that would be a short-lived discussion. Or it should be... I wonder how far I could take that discussion with people... :)

But at the end of the day and after talking with several people of various ages and high school experiences, I think I would regret not going. It's not like I have to stay for the full four hours. If I start feeling uncomfortable, I can just leave. It's not like high school, where I have to see anyone the following Monday in Calculus class. Well, except for Justin, who was in my Calculus class. But, more importantly, the DMB concert in Dallas is the following night, and so I'll most likely be in town anyways. So, why not?

And maybe I'll be a dork and wear my prom dress. I'm kidding. Someone borrowed that dress from me about six years ago and and never gave it back. Jerk. I loved that dress.

Why Power Suits Ruined Opportunities for Women in the Workplace

2010-07-14T12:43:00.002-05:00

Climbing up the proverbial work ladder in the last couple of years has introduced me to a wealth of information, expectations and stereotypes about women in the workplace.

And now I’m in a bit of a culture shock situation. The shift from a female dominated profession/workplace (like many PR agencies) to a male dominated one is making my head hurt.

Thanks to the 1980s Power Suit, women have struggled to be taken seriously in the workplace. Yes, the very style meant to prove that women were equal to a man (at least in the shoulders) is the very thing that has screwed us over in today’s society.

Maybe I’m over-dramatizing a bit. In fact, I know I am. But 20-30 years later, the only jobs that women make more money in than men in are related to cooking and cleaning. Seriously, I’m not making this up. That crap comes straight to us from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

And “The Man” tries to make it seem like the rationale behind such a wage gap is the result of women in lower-paying industries, but whose fault is that?! The Man. And why are we not in more engineering and computing roles, Mr. Man? Because you have instilled in us from a young age that those types of jobs are meant for men.

Who told me I couldn’t be a garbage man and should be a teacher?! The Man. Okay, maybe it was my Dad and I was five. And he did have a valid point. But even Dad – some 20 years later – said he wishes he had pushed me into pursuing more engineering-related passions (tinkering with a radio, assembling a computer – you know, traditionally “Manly” crap).

So, dear friends with children (specifically smarter than average young girls) – please force them to pursue fields that do not fall into these categories. In fact, if you live in Austin, force them to go a GirlStart Summer Camp.

That is all.

What Stopped Me Cold Turkey

2010-06-30T09:06:00.003-05:00

I’m not ashamed to admit it – I devoured the Twilight books series in the span of a week and a half; two weeks if you count the online portion of Midnight Sun (the half-completed book that tells the Twilight story from a different character’s point of view).

And I remember watching the first movie (with a friend who will remain nameless) on DVD and I thought it was a bit ridiculous, but whatever. I was still on the Twilight high. There is something about crappy writing about high school angst that moves me ;)

But what literally stopped me cold turkey was an incident that took place about a year ago with two friends (and who will remain nameless as well) on the opening day of New Moon – the second movie in the series.

I bought the tickets a month in advance. I stood in line to ensure I had a decent spot two hours before the movie started. I put up with tweens who thought I was 40 (grrr…) and 40-year-olds acting like tweens. I felt sorry for the overweight and acne-laced teenager who stood in line by herself, clutching the New Moon novel like it was her bible. I snickered at the dads who somehow got movie duty with the kiddos.

But most of all, I laughed my tail end off at the fact that I was even hear in the first place. I felt out of place with no book in hand and no “Team Edward” shirt on.

After settling into the movie theatre (which probably held close to 500 folks), the atmosphere was thick with kids’ cell phones texting their excitement to the friend next to them.

And then the previews began. First up, the Robert Pattinson movie that came out earlier this year called Remember Me. The screams were deafening. I was rolling on the floor laughing at the ridiculousness I was witnessing. My friends and I were looking at each thinking we’re about 20 years too old for this crap.

Once the movie started and two of the “hot characters” were on the screen, the screams began again. It was probably the equivalent of being at a Backstreet Boys concert in the 1990s. Except in a movie theater. And they weren’t in person.

But the best part went down when the film caught fire and melted towards the end of the movie. You would have thought someone stabbed the heart of every female in the dumb theater. Girls were running around screaming. Dads were trying to calm down said girls running around screaming. And my friends and I sunk lower into our chairs, ashamed at the future female population. And that was the precise moment where I stopped caring.

I remembered this event because this morning on the radio, some mother called in saying that the Twilight series was her “everything.” Seriously? A fictional series about vampires is your “everything?” I'm sorry that you live such a pathetic life.

So who wants my Twilight books and my DVD of the first movie? Because I’m done.

The New Job

2010-06-23T09:02:00.002-05:00

I’ve gotten a lot of e-mails from friends and family asking about my new job – if I like it, hate it, etc. So in the interest of not repeating stories 10 million times, I’ll just go ahead and blog about my experience so far. Granted, I’m only in my third week, but I’m starting to get an idea of the culture, the work and the expectations my co-workers have for me – and what I have for myself.

It’s not that I hated the PR agency routine (in fact, I still adore my old agency and the folks I work with – they set a standard in work that I can only hope to emulate at my new job), but coupled with Justin’s unemployment and a need to take my career to the next level, I decided it was time for a change. That said, after seven years at various agencies, I was tired. As much as I love carrots, you sort of hate chasing them after awhile because when you do get a carrot, it tastes a few days past its shelf life. I guess that’s the best analogy for working at a PR agency I can find.

Would I ever go back someday? Absolutely – if the right opportunity presented itself and if my future children were in school. One thing I’ve learned at all of the agencies I’ve worked at is that it is near impossible to be content as both a professional and as a mother. Some people have done it, but I know more that haven’t than I care to admit. I guess that was another sidebar reason why I decided to move on.

So, now I work for a large corporation with a large base here in Austin. They make a slew of products – some more recognizable than others. I do PR for two different business groups that are part of a larger subdivision of the company. One of them makes successful connectors and flex circuits for a variety of electronics; the other makes amazing multi-touch displays for a variety of professional markets. Did I just set your non-geek heart aflutter? I thought so…

I also get to do employee/retiree communications and I’m in charge of the volunteer coordination for the 3M Half Marathon. So if you’re reading that part, I’m so signing you up to help out. Especially you, Kim, because I saw your name on last year’s list. And don’t use the Houston Chevron Marathon as an excuse because we can always use help with stuffing bags. And if you are feeling like you need a challenge, sign up for the Half Marathon now!!

Clearly, I can’t turn off my PR brain… anyways, the point is I love it. And I love it for a few reasons. I get direct access to the marketing/business managers that make decisions versus at an agency you usually have a client blocking or being the conduit to your recommendations. That’s probably the most important difference. But there is also something about working with such a large company that inspires you, makes you strive to be the best you can be, just to be noticed and rise above the rest. And I like that challenge.

In some ways, it reminds me of going from high school to college. You go from a place where people know you or perhaps you’ve been pigeonholed into a certain group that maybe you didn’t want to be in. And going to a large corporation is like going off to college (especially one like UT with its 50k students). You are one of many, and if you want to make an impression and do great things, you better bring you’re A-game.

And the honeymoon will probably wear off at some point. But for now, I am totally enjoying this period of my career.

First Day of School!

2010-06-06T14:17:00.005-05:00

Okay, I'm not going back to school. But I feel like I am.

Tomorrow is my first day at a new job. And I feel like I'm starting the first day of high school. Seriously. It's like everything that I've done this weekend I'm pretty sure I did as an insecure 14-year-old. Let me break it down:

Lack of Sleep: Remember how nervous you were the day before school started? Nervous thinking about what people would think of you, how you looked, if you remembered to do those pesky summer assignments? It keeps you up at night! And I know for a fact that I'm going to end up thinking the same crap tonight.
Procrastination: Speaking of those summer assignments, every year in high school, I always had to read two or three books and write a comparative analysis on them. And like clockwork, I'd stave off that assignment until the last day and end up staying up until 3 or 4 in the morning trying to finish the bloody assignment (thank God for Cliff Notes). And then I'd wake up the whole dang house with the sound of the dot matrix printing off my paper. The last few nights, I've been cramming my brain with the history of the company, the products they sell, etc. All because I must meet with the VP tomorrow and sound intelligent on his business while also proving my value.
Proper Attire: I have spent the last three years of work keeping it pretty casual. As long as you wore a cute pair of jeans with adorable heels and maybe a cardigan set, you were good to go. I'm now going into stereotypical corporate America, where dressing up is a reflection of your work -- and where Casual Friday isn't a daily way of life. Rummaging through my closet has alerted me to the fact I only have a limited number of outfits for this type of atmosphere. CRAP. It's like in high school when that first outfit you wore was what people judged you by for the rest of the school week/month/year. First impressions are important, and I'm having a mild heart attack even as I write this because I can't afford to get new clothes. BAHHH!
Organization: I feel like a mother getting her kid's backpack ready for school, but it's my own dang backpack (in the form of a five-year-old purple Lodis computer bag). Do I have my lunch (check - Amy's brown rice and vegetables frozen dinner), forms of identification for HR (driver's license + social security card) plus bank routing number information, paper and pen to take notes (can't assume they'll have that stuff for me -- and need to look prepared for anything that rolls my way), and my gym bag (excellent news! they have running trails and a gym on-site to get my @fatroll on)?! This is like making sure my school binder has enough college-ruled paper, dividers and map pencils for when I randomly have to color crap when the teacher is feeling lazy....

But I will get through and own this day. And I will make sure Justin takes a picture of me next to the car, just like my mom did the first day of school when in 1998 and got to drive myself.

And yes, I'll say it. I don't know what the hell I was thinking wearing that outfit either. See, outfits make or break you that first day, dang it!! At least my hair looks better now. Seriously, those bangs are stupid-looking.

Wet Dog Food: Don't Fall For It!!

2010-04-28T09:44:00.006-05:00

In the past, I've always liked to treat Walter to a spoonful of wet dog food mixed with his dry food once or twice a year. Usually I did this when he got sick and his little tummy couldn't handle the dry food. And the food would be from the veterinarian's office, which means it's specially formulated to help him out more than for taste alone.

But I decided to get the Purina One wet dog food on a bit of a whim and I have regretted it ever since.

This apparently amazing tasting dog food (I'm having to take Walter's "word" for it) must have crack in it, because it's turned Walter into a total sloth. A pig. A chubby shell of his formerly cute self.

All this dog can think about now is food. He wakes me up an hour before we normally get up and doesn't run to the door to be let out. No, he runs to his bowl and starts whimpering.

At first, I thought this was cute. So I would feed him, and watch him snarf down his food. Then he would let out a loud belch (which he's never done before) and then start begging for more food (which I wouldn't give him -- I don't need a fat dog on top of all of this).

So now I've cut him off cold turkey and went right back to his regular Purina One dry food (for sensitive systems... highly recommend it). And I think he's on a mini hunger strike. He still wakes me up before our normal time to get up, still runs to his bowl instead of the door, and then practically trips me as I go about my day, hoping that I will drop his crack wet food into his bowl. And whimpers the whole time.

It's driving me insane. And I don't know how to stop it. I love my dog like he's my child, but seriously Walls, you are causing me to lose sleep over this -- literally. I want my cute, cuddly, non-belching dog back.

Suggestions?

A Change is in the Air...

2010-03-24T10:38:00.002-05:00

Ah, Spring. While today may not look like it (at least here in Austin where it is muggy and rainy), I'm already looking forward to the sunny days of late April and May. Swoon -- those are the months to live in Texas. June-early September, errr... not so much.

I've already started the Spring Cleaning of the house -- and first up to bat was the mess that became my closet. Using the Ashley-method of closet organization, my shirts and dresses are now organized by the color wheel from sleeveless to long-sleeved. Skirts are organized by length and pants are organized from lightest to darkest. My shoes (which aren't as many as I thought, though Justin would beg to differ) are organized first by color, then by heel size. Then to help with dirty clothing sorting (Justin has a bit of an issue with putting colors in the white bin and white attire in the colors bin), I put signage above each bin to aide with sorting. And I took out the power tools and installed hooks to hang PJs, workout bags, hats, etc. Finally, I'm hanging some of my favorite shopping bags as decoration.

I can't wait to have people over to show off my fabulous new closet. Amazing how cleaning up the clutter makes you feel like your life is actually put together as well. I highly recommend it!

Food and Exercise Log for February 9, 2010

2010-02-09T19:00:00.001-06:00

For those of you visiting from the @fatroll blog, welcome. :)

Those of you who don't read @fatroll, quick recap. I'm starting to get pudgy again. I've slacked off on working out and eating healthy the past two months and my body is rejecting what I'm throwing at it. Upset stomach, headaches, etc. No more! Back to eating healthy and getting my energy through working out, not through caffeine in three cans of Diet Sunkist (mmm).

At the end of each day, I will post a screen shot of my food and excerise intake from LoseIt.com. (I use and adore their iPhone app. It may be the best reason to own an iPhone.) Feel free to add me as a friend if you want on there. And if you are looking for a way to lose weight (It's how I originally lost close to 20 pounds in Round 1 of @fatroll!), I highly recommend it. Plus, it's free.

Here you go. Day 1! Ping me if you have questions!

Preparing for LOST... how to do a watching party right.

2010-01-19T12:34:00.005-06:00

February 2, 2010. If I have to take the day off from work (or the next day off to digest what occurred on this day), I will.

This quite possibly, is the most important day of the year for me, until a TBD date in May when the series finale of LOST will occur and my mind will be blown -- or I will be hella pissed off -- because of the awesomeness.

I take hosting LOST premieres and finales very seriously. There are general rules participants must follow, including:

You show up late, you sit at the back and everyone gives you evil stares for interrupting the first 10 minutes of the show. Any later than that and you risk us not answering the door for your late ass.
You do not talk during the episode -- the only allotted time for speculation occurs during the commercials breaks or immediately following the previews for the following week.
Research is allowed via Lostpedia.com during the episode, but once again, no sharing your findings until the commercial breaks.
No spoilers allowed. I define spoilers a little differently -- yes, we learned that Libby and Michael would be returning for this season via ABC's Press Tour. But we have NO IDEA how that is being set up. Is it in the future? Is it a flashback? We don't know. Your ass will get kicked out of my house if you say, "In episode three [insert spoiler] occurs, causing [insert spoiler]." I won't tolerate that crap. Mainly because I did that all the time with Alias and it wasn't as much fun to watch.

To make the show more enjoyable, I also encourage early arrivals to the party for theoretical discussion. This is one of my favorite aspects of having people over. I love hearing the ridiculous theories that people come up with -- how they map back to my ridiculous theories -- and usually in t he matter of an hour, watching said theories get proven that they were in fact ridiculous.

I also love getting into the Dharma theme. Case in point, some pictures from previous parties:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?id=7953919&aid=2459272

And one of my favorites (from the now out of business Sweet Tempered bakery... sadness):

A New Decade...

2010-01-13T09:36:00.004-06:00

January 13, 2000, 9 a.m.: If it was an "A" day, I am currently sitting in Coach Hall's Calculus class three seats behind the young man I would eventually marry, pretending to solve an anti-derivative while I secretly play Tetris on my TI-86 calculator. The thought of even kissing the boy would have most likely resulted in hysterical laughter. Hahaha.

If it was a "B" day, I am currently sitting in my English class discussing some Shakespearean play while also talking about our happy place and "the good ice." (some of you will get that reference)

Most importantly though, my mind is wondering if I will get accepted into the University of Texas (the only school I applied to... stupid move or genius, you decide) and if I will get enough scholarship money to afford to attend the school.

January 13, 2010, 9 a.m.: Playing my violin at work and mapping out my work and personal to-do list for the remainder of the week. Writing down "2010" on a piece of paper suddenly causes me to reminisce on what I was doing this time 10 years ago.

---------------------------------

First off, I'm amazed I even remember my class schedule from 10 years ago but don't recall what I did three days ago with exact certainty. Some days I still feel like I'm 18 -- soaking up as much knowledge as I can and adore going out with my friends. Other times, I've felt the weight of the world on my shoulders -- with more responsibility and decisions than I would care to have at 28.

What will the 10's bring? Is that even how you reference this decade? I have no clue :) I mean, most likely I'll have children (holy smokes...), my parents will retire and maybe my mom won't dye her hair anymore and be completely gray (oh no...), and maybe Justin will get into the doctorate program he applied for (which means he gets to relive the 00's all over again? who knows).

It's exciting and scary all at once. Not knowing what the future may hold for you. So far, I'm approaching everything -- both personal and professional -- as a unique learning opportunity to further my own brain, skill set and experience.

But it would be nice to have a cheat sheet, says the girl who reads the back of a book to make sure the ending is to her satisfaction before committing. ;)

Making the Most of Facebook's New Privacy Features

2009-12-11T07:27:00.005-06:00

I think we've all been in a situation on Facebook where we've learned to regret a comment posted to a broader group of so-called "friends." How do you even define the word "friend" now? Because I'm pretty sure Captain Sully may be awesome and listed as a friend on my Facebook list of friends, but I have never met him or spoken to him before :)

In a digital age where it is becoming increasingly more difficult to decipher between personal and professional personas, you're bound to have slip-ups, right? Oops, it turns out I don't use my company's product, or crap, if my mom sees this, I'm so getting a nasty phone call.

I know for several of my friends (my husband included), they flat out don't like the "intrusive" nature that digital components like Facebook and Twitter provide. I completely understand their issues, and to a large extent, agree with them. Unfortunately, in my line of work, I'm required to not only participate in these sites, but be active in them.

The trick is being active in the so-called "right" way.

Which is why I'm SO FREGGGIN excited about Facebook's new privacy settings. Some of you may have already gotten the screen asking if you wanted to keep your old settings or go to new settings.

Most of you probably stuck with your old settings -- why mess with what's working just fine for you, right? In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if I get an invitation to join some lame group about wanting to bring back the old privacy settings. But people, change is good, and here is why:

I only have to show you what I want you to see. See the name of my blog, "Reconnaissance on Myself?" Yes, part of the point of my blog is the act of "writing" things out to better understand myself. The other element is only letting you see and know what I want you to see and know about me -- nothing more. With the new settings, I have the ability to only let certain people and/or groups see the content I want them to read. Let's say I had a super bad day at work. Someone stole my lunch, crapped in my cube as a practical joke and took my computer and smashed it to the ground in an evil revenge plot. If I don't know who did it -- but don't want to air dirty laundry about my crazy co-workers, I could literally send a post out on Facebook asking who the heck crapped in my cube. OR...

Maybe I'm pregnant (I'm not), but I only want the closest of friends to know. I can set up a list of those friends and send a status update to only them. Yes, phone calls are still the preferred method for sharing that news, but I'm just giving an example.

Still confused? Let me walk you through it:

Step 1. Find the "create a list" link. A little bit harder than you think, because sometimes Facebook can be an asshole. Yet I still love it and use it daily. I know, crazy. Anyways, you just click on "More" in that section on the far left of your "home" page and then click on "Create a New List." Here's some screen shots if you are still confused.

Step 2. Name the list and select the people you want in it. So this pop-up screen will appear, and you literally name your list and then start clicking on people's names to add them to it. My list is called "close friends and family" which only consists of about 20% of my total friend count on here. For those of you who find Facebook intrusive and don't like the idea of sharing all of your information with co-workers, your mother's second cousin or your best friend from band camp, I highly recommend making a list so you can still "be friends" with all of these people online, but you don't have to worry about them seeing anything that is meant for only a close group of people. Example -- college kids. If you post your crazy ass photos on Facebook -- or a friend does -- set the privacy settings to a more selective list so future (or current) employers don't see it. You'd be surprised how many people don't think of that.

Step 3. Posting crap. Obviously, I want everyone to know my husband is the best husband ever. So that little lock icon right next to the share button allows me to do that. But let's say I want some of my friends to know that yesterday he was a total turd. I'd hit that custom button before I did that and conveniently omit all of his family members from viewing it :) Not that I would ever do that... but now only a few people will know.

I think these privacy settings are a step in the right direction to getting the division of our professional and personal lives back. In the "always on" environment we live in, you never know who is reading what and misconstruing your words in a way you maybe never intended. So save yourself the awkward calls, comments and Aunt Jane (no, not you, Justin's Aunt Jane... just using "Jane as an example!) randomly coming up to you at Christmas to ask about a status update from six months ago and start organizing your online life. I promise you won't regret it.

The New Way to Bargain Shop

2009-12-04T10:50:00.004-06:00

Boutiques? Too expensive and always full price.
The mall? Too crowded, picked over and half the time I leave disappointed.
Outlet mall? Fun, but only with friends and more than half the time I leave disappointed.
Solution? Online bargain shopping.

Holy crap, I've been in heaven the last week. With sites like RenttheRunway.com, Ruelala.com and Gilt, (the latter two also have iPhone apps for literal 24-7 shopping), I've been able to score some AMAZING bargains on classic designer staples for the cheap -- just in time for Christmas.

I encourage you to check them out. My favorite purchase so far has been a pair of Burberry rain boots that I've been searching for online and in the stores for what seems like years. I finally scored them at the price I wanted to pay. Yippee. They come next week :) I'm praying for rain.

And while I haven't used RenttheRunway.com yet, let me tell you that I am tempted to try it. I'm sick of spending money on dresses I only end up wearing once to events and weddings. For $50-200 (for the record, I'll only be renting the $50 ones), I get a dress that normally sells for $400-$2,000 (never spent that on a dress ever anyways, except my wedding gown), and you get to keep it for four days. If you want an invite for the site, I'll shoot it over to you. :)

Oh, Martha

2009-11-12T15:31:00.002-06:00

I like to think that I'm fairly decent at direction-taking. I learned at a very young age to read directions all the way through first THEN get started with the task. (In fifth grade, we were given a direction-related project and the last item in the directions was, don't do any of the directions listed above and turn it back in. I think only two people "followed" the rule of directions. I was not one of them.)

Which is why I enjoy cooking. It's pretty hard to screw something up if you are following the directions in the cookbook to a tee. Though, I usually find a way to -- especially if I'm feeling "lucky" and try something new.

Last night I was watching a Martha Stewart Thanksgiving Special with Justin so we could figure out how to cook a turkey, should the need ever arise. And she made it look SO EASY. I was thinking about all of the horror stories I have heard in the past and thinking -- this has to be harder than Martha is letting on. I think the only one I would be able to walk away from doing in this special was the White Table Setting.

Which is why I stuck around for the next segment, called "Whatever, Martha." Two women (one who is her daughter) do a Mystery Science Theatre on Martha's ass and make fun of her while insulting her ability to make everything look easy. Because let's face it. It takes longer than 5 minutes to prep a turkey. Definitely check it out ;)

Driving Tip #35

2009-10-30T09:21:00.003-05:00

Today's commute was weird. It started out fine: I got onto the highway, it was moving at a decent speed. Then I heard them. I looked in my rearview mirror and up the hill came two fire trucks, and ambulance and two cop cars, all in a row.

Motorists don't exactly know how to behave in this scenario. I'm sure that it was taught to us in Driver's Ed, but let's face it -- unless you are 16 and a newly minted driver, you don't remember. Some came to a complete stop in the middle of the roadway, casuing other cars to almost hit them. Others bailed out onto the grass and almost hit each other, some people didn't care and kept going, almost causing accidents themselves.

I was already in the far right hand lane, so I slowed to a crawl and tried to avoid getting hit myself and staring in horror at all the near misses I was witnessing.

And as the posse of emergency vehicles went by me, you sort of say a little prayer for whoever may be hurt on the road ahead. Because clearly, someone is seriously hurt and been in a car accident.

Or not. And with that, I bring you Driving Tip #35, especially for emergency personnel.

#35: When answering a call in rush hour traffic on a major highway, causing hundreds of people to veer off the roadway in an attempt at letting you pass, don't travel half a mile and then turn off your lights and give up trying to find the accident. You just screwed up the flow of traffic (and people's attempts to get to work on time) and pissed off a majority of the drivers. Instead, keep going with your lights on until the people you pissed off don't see you anymore, then turn off your lights. Yes, that would technically be lying, but everyone will still think you were going to save the day instead of possibly using your lights to get through bad traffic. Sincerely, a pissed-off motorist.

It's Called Duh, People

2009-10-28T17:24:00.000-05:00

I don't know what it is about people thinking their invincible online -- from continual trash-talking on popular Web sites to posting ridiculous crap on their Facebook and MySpace pages -- it's really gotten out of hand.

It's like a friend of mine said who works in Human Resources -- social networking has made their job a lot easier.

For those of you who still have a big "?" hanging over your head on what the heck I'm even talking about, let me break it down for you. What you post online WILL come back to haunt you.

Don't believe me? Here is the evidence:
Annoymous bloggers: Friends, if you offend the wrong person, you'll have to come out. And it isn't that hard to find you. Exhibit One: "The Coming-Out Stories of Annoymous Bloggers" from CNN.
Murder & MySpace: I can't tell you how many stories I've read about people getting murdered, assulted or someone commits a high profile crime, and the first place media turns to -- tour social media accounts. Exhibit Two: Law.com's article on "MySpace Entry Admitted as Murder Evidence."
Losing Your Job: Remember the Domino's Pizza YouTube video? Ick. They totally lost their job and will most likely have a tough time finding a new one. Any employer that takes two-seconds to Google their name will quickly realize they don't need that liability. Exhibit Three: NYT article on the fall-out from the YouTube video.

Despite all of this "evidence", I still see friends continue to post ridiculous crap online. That picture of you with the pipe? Yeah, bad move. You getting super wasted with your friends in Las Vegas when you called in sick that day? Kiss that job goodbye. Looking for a job, but in your profile you state your hobbies as "procrastinator", "ultimate slacker" and "love to hit on the ladies while at work" - uh, good luck with that.

But it even goes past the obvious, right? There is a reason why the slogan on my own blog says "My Life, How I Want You To See It." The fact of the matter is, your online persona paints a picture of you that may or may not be true. But most of the time, people see it as the truth. So play it safe.

The overarching lesson of this blog: before you upload a picture of yourself looking like a total tool (or doing something borderline illegal), stop and think to yourself -- do I plan on looking for a job in the next year, is my boss also a "friend" on Facebook, will this come back to haunt me in ANY way?

And if you pause before answering, consider the answer "yes" and avoid it.

This is Jenni's PSA to you.

Driving Tip #34

2009-10-26T09:57:00.002-05:00

Given today's foul weather, I think it is an important reminder to everyone that you should slow down and pay just a little extra attention to the roadways. And with that kind reminder, I give you driving tip number #34.

#34: Typically, the right side of the road is the first to puddle with excess water. So watch out for that water, or else you will hydroplane, look like a moron and possible pee your pants. Sincerely, the girl who didn't slow down and hydroplaned. (yes, that would be my idiocy providing today's tip)

I have a problem

2009-10-22T09:12:00.000-05:00

Hi, my name is Jenni, and I’m a romant-aholic.

Unlike some addicts, I know exactly when my love for all things romance began: unrealistic, fictional literary classics. The original purveyors of chic-lit, Jane Austen and Charlotte Bronte, are like Pop Sensation Madonna’s of the romantic novel/movie movement. Sigh. Let me break down just exactly how bad it’s gotten.

Stage One: Sixth Grade. As a child, I loved reading as an escape from my lowly existence as an adolescent trapped in the clutches of over-protective parents who wouldn’t let me go to Wet ‘n Wild in the summer for fear of ear infections. So instead of getting cancer-causing rays like the rest of my tan friends, I won the Mesquite Library Award for the girl who read the most hours that summer. And as a prize, I got an autographed book of Johnny Appleseed by Steven Kellogg (which I still have). That. Is. Dork.

And that winter holiday, Mom took my sister and me to Half-Price Books to get us through the holidays and we acquired a book which still sits on my bedside table today (seriously): Daddy Long Legs by Jean Webster. Thanks to Google, you can now actually read the book for free online (which I recommend), and this short novel was the start of my unrealistic dreams of marrying the perfect (and well-to-do, could sing and dance and look “dashing”) man. It also had a nice women’s lib angle to it, which was an added bonus.

Stage Two: Seventh Grade. Unfortunately, not much had changed by a year – just the reading challenge. In my reading class (which I’m sort of shocked still exists… I don’t exactly understand the difference between Reading and English, but I’m not the educational expert, so I’m sure someone will enlighten me), we had this competition where we had to take computer tests on the books we read – if we got enough points, we got to skip out on school and go to Six Flags. The more difficult the book, the more points you got. So my mom suggested one of her favorite books, Jane Eyre. Which is now my favorite book. And the beauty of Jane Eyre? Mr. Rochester was kind of a jerk. He kept to himself, had some stuff hidden in the closet (or in this case, the attic) and was not the perfect man. But I got my first taste of what love is between a man and a woman – loving despite flaws – and I was hooked. I ended up having to read the book again in high school and college, which made my addiction even worse.

Stage Three: High School. This is totally embarrassing, but the books were cheap, so why not, right? Cheap, trashy romance novels. What’s even more hilarious is that I’m such a prude that I skipped past the chapters that go into detail around the “love making.” LOL. Unfortunately, these books are so formulaic, predictable and unrealistic, that they are perfect when you’re feeling down in the dumps. Which is like, all of high school.

Stage Four: College. Because I was never allowed to watch Pretty Women – or really any decent romantic movie at my parents’ house, college provided the opportunity for me to watch whatever I wanted. Drug of choice? Movies like What Women Want, Miss Congeniality (1 and 2), Bridget Jones’ Diary, etc. (and then, of course, Sex and the City the TV series) And nothing beat watching them with other addicts, in PJ pants, with cheap wine coolers.

Stage Five: Post-College. Post college, I have diversified my portfolio to include any book written by Jane Austen, any movie that mentions Jane Austen, anything Twilight related, any book that mixes Jane Austen and the undead (think Pride and Prejudice and Zombies or Mr. Darcy, Vampyre… yeah, I’ve read both… twice). I still am a sucker for the related movies (BBC or Kiera Knightly versions of Pride and Prejudice do the trick quite nicely, as does the Bollywood version Bride and Prejudice) and I still watch with other addicts – except our food choices have luckily changed to wine and cheese, which is probably not @fatroll approved.

It’s a problem, but unlike other addictions, I have no plans to stop! You’ll have to pry Sense and Sensibility, New Moon and the Shopoholic series from my death grip. And it won’t be pretty. Ask Justin.

Ham vs. Hog -- Society Needs to Become a Vegetarian

2009-10-18T12:51:00.002-05:00

Growing up, I will be frank -- I was a total ham. I would see a camera, immediately try and get in front of it and then throw a fit when someone (my dad) would try and put the focus on someone else (my sister).

It's not to say I'm still not a ham (i.e. my front row action at the DMB taping... thank you again awesome Warehouse Fan Club!) -- but at what point does it go too far -- where you become a hog?

Jon Gosselin won't stop invading our televisions (my recommendation -- lay low and stop granting media interviews) and now we have Balloon Boy. The latest -- the whole family, from the six-year-old to the parents, where involved in pulling one over on us in the hopes that they would get a show on TV (innocent until proven guilty though, but it's looking like something wasn't right with this story).

Of course I blame the idiots trying to make a buck off of the media buy selling their selves (and kids) out. But shouldn't the blame also fall on us? We continue to watch reality shows (even Biggest Loser, which I adore) and it breeds this type of behavior. Are people are so desperate to make a buck, that they're willing to sacrifice their family to see their name in lights?! Really?!

I don't get it. Maybe when I have kids and I think they're the most awesome, gorgeous, talented kids in the world and EVERYONE must know them, I'll get it. But right now, I just don't.

My Twisted Web of Social Media

2009-10-16T10:13:00.001-05:00

Every so often, something occurs in one of my social media realms (Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, blogs) that causes me to step back and reassess exactly what (and more importantly, why) I’m posting content online. This time, it’s been a series of items over the course of the last two months that just leave me a little confused and wondering if I want to keep up this rat race.

I spend way too much time worrying about what people are saying on Twitter (and figuring out what I should be saying and how I should say it), wondering what I should be posting as my latest blog entry here or at OoCFR, browsing through the plethora of junk on Facebook to find out what my friend is doing this weekend; it’s just so tiring. And why do we do it?

Does it really matter that I let you know on Tuesday that I was tired? Did you care? And why should I feel a slight tinge of sadness if no one responds to something that I know was hilarious on Facebook (well, hilarious to me at least)?

And to be honest, I’m seriously debating whether or not to close my Facebook and Twitter accounts to just a few close, personal friends (like less than 20) just so I don’t feel this pressure to watch what I say to avoid offending others, be obligated to respond to messages from people I barely know, and to just save time. And don’t think you judge people who have less than 50 friends on Facebook and think people must be soooo cool if they have over 500 friends… you do. Or if you don’t, God, I really am pathetic. ;)

I see my husband, making a complete mockery of Facebook by adding every person he can as a friend (even though he has no idea who they are… and these people actually accept him), and he makes a complete mockery of social media. And I love him for it. He has so much free time because it isn’t spent browsing through photos or trying to insert myself into very public conversations/exchanges about whether or not blue or purple is the best color (purple is by the way), and simply enjoying life not in front of a computer screen 24/7.

When did social media become a chore, like opening up bills in the mailbox or screening your phone calls for telemarketers? Except no one is trying to sell you anything or make you pay for something – they just bombard you with the mundane-ness of everyday life in the hopes that social media will somehow make their life more exciting. I just want it to be fun again.

And I continue the trend by posting this rant (and hell, my weight) online. Sort of funny, and all kinds of ironic.

Car Driving Tip #33

2009-10-13T11:06:00.002-05:00

Let's all be honest. If you live in Texas (particularly the great city of Austin), the "wave" negates any road action you might "accidentally" do. For example, there are two lanes of traffic at Southwest Parkway and N. Mopac always trying to get on the highway during rush hour, but only one lane actually has the right-of-way. The lane that doesn't have the righ-of-way actually moves up to 2-5 minutes faster by simply "butting" (not cutting... too harsh of a word) in front of someone else. Yeah, it's technically wrong, but everyone does it (sigh), and the wave negates it -- particularly when someone waves back. One time, I even saw two people wave using the "hook 'em" sign -- it was an awesome day to be a Longhorn, and may have brought a tear to my eye.

However, when you don't wave, you're being an asshole. Thus brings you car driving tip #33.

#33: When cutting in front of someone, you must wave, or risk offending the person who kindly slammed their breaks (or motioned you over) to let you in. To the person in the Hyundai with a rosary hanging from mirror - you didn't wave, you gave driving Catholics a bad name and you waited until the last possible minute to make the maneuver. Bad form, ma'am. Bad form. Sincerely, an insulted Catholic, car-waving driver.

Fangirl

2009-09-29T09:07:00.002-05:00

I honestly don't know when this happened. In the mirror, I look the same, talk the same, even act the same. But at some point between college and now, I turned into... a Fanboy.

Growing up, I never watched Star Trek or Star Wars. In fact, I made fun of the freaks who were really into those movies. And then I'd really go to town on the freaks who would discuss the merits of Star Trek versus Star Wars and which one was better. Whatevs. They're both dumb.

Then right after Justin and I got married, we decided to rent the first Star Wars for me to watch. And uh, at about 2 a.m. in the morning, I forced the poor chap to return to Blockbuster to pick up the next two... and then we watched the newer versions. I was hooked.

To be fair, a true Fanboy knows all of the crazy trivia and has a deep-seeded hatred for Trekkies. I know none of the trivia, and kinda liked the remake of Star Trek JJ Abrams did (because I heart anything that man comes up with, Alias, LOST, MI:3 - yes, even that horrible movie).

And I REALLY liked the movie Fanboy. In fact, if you enjoy the Star Wars and Star Trek movies, you MUST rent this movie. If just for the fact that Seth Rogen plays three different characters (including a hard-core Trekkie). Trust me, you'll thank me later!

Car Driving Tips #31-32

2009-09-22T08:28:00.004-05:00

In Austin, you know if it's raining during rush hour you'll need to leave an extra 30 minutes to an hour before you normally do. But here are some not so obvious tips to keep your sanity during a wet commute into work.

#31: Don't swat at mosquitos while driving. You will only hurt yourself and still manage to get bit. Just roll down your window, brave the onslaught of rain coming through your now rolled-down window, and let the wind do the rest. Sincerely, your left hand (still throbbing from your failed attempt at mosquito death)

#32: Don't change lanes, a la Office Space. You will be Peter Gibbons and it will be frustrating. Sincerely, the Blue Hond Civic who cut you off, only to immediately want to turn left (with no turn lane available), sufficiently blocking traffic in your lane for five minutes while cars in the other lane speed by mocking your stupidity.

Car Driving Tips #28-30

2009-09-18T14:47:00.003-05:00

If you follow me on Twitter or Facebook, you'll see every once and awhile that I get fed up with drivers in this town. I've decided to switch these tips to my blog, just so I can describe the scenarios better. Today I bring to you Car Driving Tips #28-30:

#28: When on a highway, if a person changes lanes who is more than five seconds in front of you, at a rate of speed faster than what you are currently traveling, there is no need to slam on your breaks to assess the situation before returning to your regular speed. Sincerely, the person behind you.

#29: A yield sign is there for you to yield. Therefore, don't ignore my first horn blow as a mistake and give me a weird look they second time I honk. You have a yield sign. I don't. Right-of-way goes to me. Sincerely, the person who honked at you twice and still couldn't believe you were confused.

#30: Hot guys who drive Navy Range Rover's with lush brown leather seats should be banned from the roadways. Sincerely, the person who almost rear-ended the white Silverado while looking at said car/hot guy.

Dear God: What Hurts My Heart

2009-09-10T21:46:00.002-05:00

Hi God:
The last several months have been quite trying. For some reason, odd-years always seem to be my bad life cycle or something. It’s actually kind of funny. Even years included graduating from high school, my marriage to Justin and the purchase (cough, mortgage payments) of our own home. Odd years were just funks -- jobless, fatness, and now broke-ness? That’s not a word and we’re not quite broke (though the legal fees and Justin’s lack of a job are getting us there fast!), but You get the drift.
But none of that bothers me as much as the liars, cheats and fakes that have plagued my life for the past six months. People that claim Jesus is their Savior yet their multiple decisions prove their is no Light in their hearts; individuals who are too scared to stand by what they believe in and what is TRUE; outright liars who are more concerned with saving their own butts at the cost of others; greedy individuals (not just around money, but with the term “but it makes ME happy”). Sigh.
All of it just makes me question this rat race. It makes me wonder about Christianity and its dark side -- people that praise Your name on Sunday and when it suits them. It makes me cringe at the thought that I may have inflicted any of the above unintentionally on others in the past, because I’m seeing first hand the damage that it is causing in my life and those around me. But I don’t think I have, thank goodness. And if I have, I ask for Your forgiveness and that of the people I hurt.
You know I’m not one to normally wear my beliefs on my sleeve for a variety of reasons (it’s personal (between You and me), it has the potential to come off as less than genuine, I respect and value others’ beliefs and decisions, etc.), but golly, is it really that hard to be a nice person? Is it really that hard to stand behind truth and what is RIGHT? Because I am more than happy to fall on the sword of my own making -- especially if it saves others from the brunt force of it. I just wish others had that same courtesy.
So, if you could, continue to help me be the person that others don’t have the strength to be -- strong in Your way, upholding of truth, considerate of others and the ability to forgive. Because right now, I’m having serious difficulty with that last one.
Thanks in advance,
Jenni

This Week

2009-08-09T09:52:00.003-05:00

It's weird. I can't tell if I'm looking forward to this week or not. I mean it starts off amazing but then the middle scares the crap out of me, and by the end of the week, I'm going to be struggling to eat appropriately during happy hour. :) Here's the rundown:

Monday: Leave work early to stand in line at the CMB for the DMB ACL taping. Um, awesome. This is going to blow my mine, at least, I hope it does, because I'm skipping my weekly Pilates class for this.
Tuesday: Day trip to Houston for work. Sounds miserable, but I'm presenting on a topic that I'm growing pretty passionate about (Twitter), so it's worth the five hours in the car.
Wednesday: Mediation day. Many of you may or may not know that Justin has been without a job since late March and is being sued by his former employer. I'll leave it at that, because I can't really say more than that. But I will say that Wednesday it may be all over -- and God -- that would be really nice. Working from home that morning to spend time with Justin prior to the meeting, and depending on my nerves, may go into work or hang out the house scared and worried.
Thursday: Weigh-in day!! Given I'm blowing off Pilates Monday, traveling Tuesday and will be a worried ball of mess Wednesday, I don't really know how that's going to result on the scale, but I'll save that analysis for another blog.
Friday: Breakfast meeting, work lunch and happy hour. Eww. That screams of "eat too much." Good thing I work out with my trainer on Fridays.

Wish me luck!

Justin + DMB = True Love

2009-08-07T19:58:00.006-05:00

2000 was the year I was destined to experience love in a way I had only dreamed about in via cheesy romance novels or romantic comedies. I remember orchestra banquet that year, and Justin was my date -- I had asked him because, well, my first two choices wouldn't go with me. Ouch.

I remember walking up to Justin in the senior section of the school cafeteria (that was littered with underclassmen) and I was so nervous. I don't know why, because at the time, I didn't think I had a crush on him. Maybe it was because I didn't want to have yet another person turn me down.
And I remember his answer, "I'll have to check my calendar." Oh God, I remember thinking, that's it, I'm becoming a nun. Seriously, I looked into it and actually e-mailed a nun in Austin, where I'd be going to school that fall.

Later, Justin would tell me he had to clear it with his parents and actually make sure his schedule was clear. I'm sort of glad it was.

The night of the orchestra banquet was a total blast and I had an after party at my house that totally sucked because my mom had to work the next day and we had to be quiet. Sigh. But when Justin left that night from my house, it looked like he was going to kiss me. And I'm pretty sure I was like a deer in headlights because I was not expecting it. He chickened out, but luckily had the balls to ask me out about four weeks later.

And thus started our "summer fling" of no commitments, just enjoying each other's company. Look how that turned out:

Long-distance relationship between UT and Pepperdine with Justin and I running up thousands of dollars in phone bills
Long-distance relationship between UT and UNT until Justin could transfer into UT that fall with Justin sneaking down to visit me every once and awhile
Engaged by 2003
Married by 2004 (first dance -- and only dance -- was to DMB's Lover Lay Down); Walter joins the family
First home by 2006

But back to the summer of 2000 -- or as I like to call it, the Summer of DMB. Justin's car had a 12-disc CD player that had nothing but DMB in it. That's all he'd listen to, so by default, it's all I listened to in his car as well. I remember hearing Seek Up for the first time, and I simply fell in love. Over the years my favs changed from Seek Up to Satellite to the Stone to the Last Stop. But I have since settled on an oldie but a goodie -- Song that Jane Likes. The only time I've heard in it concert was in 2005, the first day of a two-day stint at the Woodlands in Houston (we had gotten Fifth Row seats the following night, which were amazing). Anywho, I think I cried. But I cry easily, so not a big deal. Ha.

It's so weird, because I feel like DMB's music has chronicled so many chapters of my life, good and bad (bad chapter is going on right now).

And today, I found out that I got tickets to see DMB at the ACL taping this Monday night on the UT campus -- the campus where Justin and I shared so many memories. It's just too much.

And it totally blows that he can't go. Like, I almost don't want to go (but I still am) because he won't be there. For me, seeing DMB without Justin is like attending your wedding sans groom. Luckily, I'll be going with Ashley -- but still. Totally blows. I hope he can get back from Dallas in time, but it's not looking likely. Breaks my heart.

So the plan is to sneak in my flip cam and then record the entire concert on my iPhone so he can listen to it. Hopefully I won't get kicked out, but Justin has been through so much this year, that he needs this. So I'm going to be the team player I am and deliver.

Because to me, DMB has a silent member and his name is Justin. Check out my Facebook page for some additional retro pictures.

I'm Back, Really... This Time for Real

2009-08-07T10:32:00.003-05:00

I'm seriously hanging my head in shame. I haven't updated this blog since some friends of mine and I started @fatroll.

Anywho, I've realized I do need an outlet for anything I do not related to freakin' losing weight OR exercise. So here is the random thought:

Is it wrong to still want to hang up a picture of Zach Morris...err, Mark Paul Gossellar in my cube at work? It's like a grown-up high school locker anyways. If you haven't checked out the latest version of People with the whole gang together again (except for loser Screech)

Freakin' yum.

Do you have an out of control fat roll?

2009-06-05T13:09:00.002-05:00

I do! I'm now a founding blogger/contributor to Out Of Control Fat Roll -- a blog/contest designed to help me lose weight through the fear of posting a picture of me in my bikini if I lose. My first posting is located here. Enjoy! And get motivated!

My New Love

2009-05-28T16:41:00.001-05:00

I’ve started dreaming about it, already spent way too much money on it, and over the past few months, my love for it has grown so much that I can’t hold it in anymore and have to share.

No, I’m not having a baby. And I wouldn’t announce it on my blog if I was. Actually I would. I’m already off topic though, which can’t fare well for this blog entry.

What I’m really talking about is my love of a game called golf. Back in fourth grade, my left-handed dad tried teaching me the basics of the game at the driving range at Town East and Belt Line. Given my hand-eye coordination had never truly been tested up until this point (I never played a sport in my life) and I’m right-handed, the lesson ended with me declaring golf to be the “stupidest game ever.” (I tend to speak in absolutes to this day)

In my early college years, wanting to woo the man of my dreams into a lifetime of blissful and uncomplicated marriage, I decided I should watch golf on TV and, on occasion, maybe even tap a ball or two in the general vicinity of a hole in the ground. I ended up having the hots for Phil Mickelson, the most adorable leftie on the PGA Tour, but still never got into the “swing” of things. Love me some puns.

Then about three years ago, I decided to get serious. We purchased some golf clubs for me and went to the Hank Haney golf range in North Austin (now a lovely shopping center with a Home Depot, a now-closed Circuit City and a Golf Galaxy) to get some one-on-one lessons with the best golfer I know, my husband… hehe.

Unfortunately, my hand-eye coordination was much the same as it was in fourth grade, and the majority of my swings made little to no contact with the ball in front of me. Aggravating sport!

But it all changed with the discovery of a little shindig called the Butler Park Pitch and Putt, conveniently located across the street from Peter Pan Putt-Putt and about 10 minutes from the house. It’s essentially a nine-hole, par-three course where BYOB is encouraged and may help your score. Once I was able to take what I learned on the range and apply it to a “real-life” setting, the lessons I was receiving suddenly made more sense. You can’t “play” on a range forever, right?

And now, my new favorite course to play is Lions Municipal Golf Course that is at Enfield and Exposition. A relatively flat course, it’s easy to walk and play and get a great understanding of the game. And shockingly, in the two times I’ve gone there, my score has dropped another seven shots! WHOA! The best part of the course? In the evenings, it’s less than $8 to walk and play nine holes. It’s like brining golf to the masses. Genius.

One side note, the University of Texas owns the land this golf course is on, and is currently trying to boot the golf course in favor of “development” – i.e. condos, apartments and retail. Because apparently this city needs more of that, right? A bunch of condos-turned-apartments and empty retail shells. Booo. Lion’s is the only centrally located municipal (or private) golf course that is reasonably priced enough for anyone and everyone to play. Plus, its unique history should solidify its place in Austin. For more information or to sign the petition, visit: http://www.savemuny.com/.

So move aside running, I’ve officially found a new hobby that I’m not too bad at (anymore).

Because it's fun to look back

2009-05-04T21:18:00.003-05:00

Since this reposts to my Facebook page, I'll just fill it out here :) Hope everyone is doing splendidly! May is turning out to be less drama. No resolution, but at least less drama...

Okay, here we go!

**** 15 YEARS AGO (1994)****
1) How old were you? 12
2) Who were you dating?: OMG, I think I was still dating Ben Hagan. I can't even believe I was technically dating someone at 12. I also think it lasted less than two months ;)
3) Where did you work? I was in sixth grade, so nowhere.
4) Where did you live? Mesquite, Texas
5) Where did you hang out? My front yard, slumber parties at friend's houses
6) Did you wear contacts and/or glasses? No
7) Who were your best friends? Brandi Fluent, and I believe there was some fallings outs with some other people. Oh, elementary school drama.
8) How many tattoos did you have? Err, zero.
9) How many piercings did you have? Just my ears
10) What kind of car did you drive? Well, I rode in an Izuzu Trooper and a Ford Taurus. The 90s owned.
11) Had you been to a real party? Definitely not
12) Had you had your heart broken? Probably. Crushing on boys is what you did in sixth grade
13) Were you Single/taken/married/divorced: Taken I suppose

14) Any kids? Considering I was one, no.

***10 YEARS AGO (1999)****
1) How old were you? 17
2) Who were you dating?: Kenny Dykes
3) Where did you work? Hmm, during the summer that year I worked at a photography studio
4) Where did you live? Sunnyvale, Texas
5) Where did you hang out? To be honest, I don't even remember... Kenny's place, my place, I believe there was a bowling alley. We would go shopping at North Park sometimes. See movies -- that kind of stuff.
6) Did you wear contacts? No
7) Who were your best friends? Orchestra girls
8) How many tattoos did you have? Zero
9) How many piercings did you have? Two! Look at me being a rebel!
10) What kind of car did you drive? Ironically, the same care I had ridden in back in 1994. A turd colored Ford Taurus with no air conditioning. It was awesome. I will be working three jobs to keep my kid from driving around in a car with no air conditioning during a Texas summer if I have to.
11) Had you been to a real party? Yeah, there were a few. Had to be careful around that orchestra crew ;)
12) Had you had your heart broken? Yes. But it's all good now. To be young and foolish, right?
13) Were you Single/taken/Married/Divorced? Taken
14) Any kids? Err, once again, no.

**NOW**
1) How old are you? 27
2) Who are you dating? Are you still dating when you're married? Justin Balthrop
3) Where do you work? Waggener Edstrom
4) Where do you live? Austin, Texas
5) Where do you hang out? My house, Pilates, Work, Town Lake, various happy hours, etc. I believe I have a better social life than I did in high school. Ha.
6) Do you wear contacts and/or glasses? Not really -- only when I'm stressed and my head starts hurting.
7) Who are your best friends? Ashley and Justin -- but I have so many awesome friends that I love dearly.
8) How many tattoos do you have? Still zero
9) How many piercings do you have? Back down to one
10) What car do you drive? Depends I suppose; Usually the Mazda Tribute, but if the husband is feeling generous, I drive the 2009 Lexus RX
11) Had your heart broken? Not in a long time.
12) Are you Single/Taken/Married/Divorced? Happily married for five years.
13) Any kids? Not yet :)

Amazing how much life changes. And I can't believe that my 10-year high school reunion is only one year away. I feel old.

In case you were wondering...

2009-04-23T11:10:00.002-05:00

I have gone a tad quiet over the past month. Without going into details, please pray for Justin and me, but more importantly for honesty, truth and integrity. 2009 is going to be a tough year, but we are all put through difficult situations for a reason. And while we haven't exactly figured out what this reason is, we're going through it with our heads held high and knowing that good things are just around the corner.

Jenni’s Getting Cut

2009-03-20T10:53:00.003-05:00

And by cut, I don’t mean ripped or super fit – although next week I begin my training for the Danskin Triathlon in June (technically it is a “sprint triathlon” – half-mile swim, 12 mile bike ride and 5K run), so maybe I’ll be “cut” in a few months.

Today, I’m cutting off about three years worth of hair growth, or roughly eight inches (my hair grows pretty slow, as the typical person’s hair grows about a half-an-inch a month).

Some of you may know that Justin’s mom was diagnosed with breast cancer back in October, and she just began chemo treatment this month, which causes your hair to fall out. So while I had planned to get a few inches cut off this year, part of the reason for the more drastic option is out of respect for Karen. I thought about shaving my head (seriously), but in the end, I just can’t go through it. I keep having visions of Britney with the umbrella. By the way, looking at that picture again makes me realize how far she’s come in the last year and a half. I can’t wait to see her in Dallas in less than two weeks! Wee!

Back on topic. For any of you looking to donate your hair at some point in your life, I recommend researching organizations thoroughly, because some organizations will actually just throw your hair out if you don’t meet certain requirements, like:
*Hair must be at a minimum between 8 to 12 inches
*In a ponytail when you donate (some people apparently send in swept-up hair off the ground, which is just gross)
*No hair dye, or certain types of dye only

That last requirement is what made the whole donation process tricky for me. For example, Wigs for Kids does NOT except any type of hair that’s been dyed, even if it was semi-permanent (washes out 4-6 weeks… used mainly if you’re coloring over grey hairs). Other organizations let you donate if you have colored, but not bleached (so any highlights during the past five years and you are out of luck). But whatever you decide, make sure you follow the directions carefully and researched the organization thoroughly. For example, Locks of Love WILL throw away or sell your hair if it is too grey, too short for their wigs, or is sent to them in a braid instead of a ponytail. Seriously.

For my purposes, I found an organization that lets you donate if you have colored your hair, thank goodness. If any of you have seen my hair in person, you know that it is incredibly thick, and I think would be great for a wig. Children with Hairloss is an organization based out of Michigan that caters to children who need a wig due to a medically-related condition.

And if you are strapped for cash – or just a greedy jerk, you can also grow your hair for money – and can sell it for upwards of $1,000 depending on the length and overall health of the hair.

I’ll post pictures this evening of the new hair style on Facebook over the weekend. Most likely it will be a picture with me and Perez Hilton, because I’m totally going to his book signing at BookPeople tomorrow. So look for my hot mug on Perez’s Web site next Friday. Haha.

Picking Yourself Up

2009-03-16T22:41:00.001-05:00

I’ve discovered I have a bit of a character flaw. Involving wheels. Stay with me here...

About three years ago, I had this brilliant idea to buy rollerblades. Back in the day, I loved rollerblading. Jumping off of curbs, spinning around until I was dizzy. To me, it didn’t really feel like it was that long ago. Apparently, my sense of time is a little whack.

So I get the rollerblades, and start doing my thing, going up the driveway, and immediately decide to jump the curb. Because, it was so easy only, I don’t know, 15 years ago. It didn’t seem like more than a decade. But as I saw my feet fly up, looking up at the sky, I realized ten years was a lot longer than I previously thought. And as my butt and back smashed into the concrete and my husband is yelling at me to see if I had a concussion, I had to laugh.

What the heck was I thinking, right? But like a good girl, I got back up and tried again. And fell three more times.

And after going home sick from work the following day because I was so sore, I swore to myself that I would put those stupid things back on and try again.

Three years later, they’re right where I left them, in plain view, inviting me to try again. But I don’t.

Apparently I have a limit to falling down and picking myself up again.

And it isn’t limited to rollerblades. About a month and a half ago I bought an awesome new road bike. And I fell -- about three times I think. And I haven’t been on it since, which is a bit of a problem, since I’m supposed to do a triathlon in June.

What on earth happened to my fearless sense of adventure that I had as a child? I never thought of the risks associated with riding a bike or rollerblading back then -- I just did it without reservation.

I want that ability back. But I don’t know how to find it. It’s so weird to know I felt that way at one point in my life and I can’t re-wire myself to think that way. Simply picking yourself up and trying again doesn’t work, and I have the scars and bruises (literally) from trying it.

And then, as I’m laying here in bed giving myself a headache from thinking too hard, how do these two events translate into how I approach other, less physical activities? Is it even the same thing? I’ve given up on a few people throughout my life, individuals who, despite my best intentions, were past the point of my time and efforts. Similar to the bike or the rollerblade, there is literally only so many times that you can get beat down before you flat give up.

Ah, “giving up.” The point where you stop picking yourself up. I looked the term up on Google to see what’s out there, and it’s pretty pathetic. Though, it was sort of funny that the second result pulled is on Bill O’Reilly giving up his syndicated talk show. Really random. It’s sort of funny his name is associated with that term on Google.

Okay, so the term “giving up” is apparently for losers. So I did another search for “Picking Yourself Up” and I was quite pleased with the results. We have a Zen result listed, some Hindu... and again, randomly, a Fox News story. Seriously. What the crap is up with that?

I choose to ignore the Fox News story and instead focus on the Zen angle. It’s a story on the Zen Habits Web site called, “Feeling Down? 7 Ways to Pick Yourself Back Up!” The exclamation point speaks to me (along with the feeling down... why yes, I’m feeling down... I’ve managed to literally fall down several times this year and it’s only March) so I continue reading.

Reading these seven pointers is interesting, because I’ve managed to realize I’m not in that bad of shape. Apparently, I should make lists (I do regularly); take action (I do until I fall down); exercise (ha, that’s funny... that got me into this mess in the first place); shower and groom yourself (err... I don’t need to be reminded of that anymore, I’m not five); get out of the house and do something (both events was actually right in front of the house...); play some lively music (what do you think Britney Spears is??); and, talk about it (this blog).

Sigh.

Let’s try another search result, Swing Time by Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire. Crap, I wish I could dance in heels like that... but I would fall. A lot. Oh wow, the way Ginger’s dress swings around in 0:52 is pretty clutch. Random factoid -- did you know that Fred Astaire choreographed one of Madonna’s first tours, but she fired him? I read it in her brother’s autobiography.

Okay, so onto the next link from Hindu.com -- which turns out to be India’s National Newspaper. I love Bollywood, so I keep reading.

It ends up being a poem of sorts, which I enjoyed reading. I’ve bolded the good stuff that spoke to me. I hope you enjoy reading it :)

Three times I tried,
Defeat took all pride,
But each time I lost,
Everyone was saying,
Try, Try, Try again
For this is a saying
That hard work never goes in vain.
And I am still trying
Hope I succeed someday
Before I start crying.
You can understand,
How I feel,
After putting a lot of effort
No one wants to kneel.
To restart from the beginning,
It always takes time
And I am scolded,
For no crime of mine.
Yet with the burden on my shoulders
I gather courage to start.
But all my hopes are mined
When the chapters before me nastily laugh.
Oh God! What should I do?
In such mayhem caused?
Alas! I got an answer
With the inner conscience aroused,
Do not allow the fear
To make yourself pause
`Cause nothing is easy to achieve
What you can do is just
Work hard to please.
Last but not the least
Always remember
Nothing is impossible.
For hope sees invisible
And feels intangible
Hope never lets you die
Until you reach an ultimate high.
So just try and try again
As I am trying
And I'm sure that one day
Success will be mine.

Reetika Bajaj, XII Arts
New Delhi: Dayanand Model S.S. School, Mandir Marg

Walter, the Hamburgler

2009-03-13T17:00:00.000-05:00

*Special shoutout to my pals Meredith and Angie, whose sweet Yorkies were kind enough to invite Walter to their fourth birthday party.

For any of you fortunate enough to meet Walter, you get the idea that he is a 75-year-old man trapped in the body of a 10-year-old dog. Seriously. He’s very particular, doesn’t particularly care for other dogs, actually enjoys going to the doctor’s office because it gives him something to do in his otherwise boring life, etc. And like old people, others tend to flock to him for sage advice or humor. Like my pal @kisngutz (Kim G.), who thinks I should go on vacation more often or get knocked up so she can watch Walter all the time (much like an old folks home).

With that background, Justin and I were slightly wary of bringing Walter to a birthday party for two Yorkies, Bella and Jackson. To be honest, we didn’t know what to expect – usually Walter does one of two things when he sees another dog: get excited too easily, which then causes the other dog to get mad at him; or, he pees on them accidently. Honestly, I don’t know if it is an accident or not. (Walter at the beginning of the birthday party)

So we took him anyways, and similar to a toddler birthday party, Walter is immediately swarmed by seven other dogs, sniffing, chatting via huffs and puffs, etc. I think Walter almost peed on one of them, but luckily the dog moved in time. After that, Walter went in search of places to pee, completely ignoring other dogs. Particularly when he stumbled across a rare, muddy find near the back of the property.

Most of you know, Walter has a fascination with tennis balls. In fact, his latest collection includes one the size of a basketball I found at Golfsmith in their tennis section, and a set of 48 I got him at Costco. (At some point, I’ll post the video of Walter playing with the huge tennis ball). But little known fact – he loves squeaky toys. I think because he hates the squeak and wants to kill it. Seriously. (Walter going to town on a fake hamburger)

So the hamburger toy squeaked. And it was Walter’s duty to the other dogs to de-squeak it. For about thirty minutes, he ignored everything going on around him and focused on this ridiculous toy. He entered the party beautiful and clean. Walter left it a muddy mess. Pretty cute, if we weren’t in a car with cream-colored leather. Whoops.

Anywho, the point of this story is that everyone needs to go to a dog birthday party once in their life. In fact, Justin and I (and Walter) had so much fun, we may have to throw one for Walter in June. (Walter after playing with the ball... clearly incredibly happy with himself. His parents, not so much)

Happy Fifth Anniversary, JB!

2009-03-13T00:01:00.001-05:00

It only seems like yesterday that the better half and I decided to embark on that special life-long journey called marriage. *Swoon* Because I love quoting random stats, I was going to provide you with some sort of information about how “50 percent of marriages end in divorce after five years.” Turns out, that frequently quoted stat is based on historically flawed math and based on trends from the 1970s when everyone was swinging and high as a kite. Us 2000’s kids are much more refined. (Justin doesn't look too happy in that photo. More annoyed I guess)

Marriage statistics today, according to a New York Times April 2005 article (yes, it’s more almost four years old, but I’m trying to work with what I can find here), state that there are huge differences between people with a college degree and those who don’t have one. Turns out, only 16% of women who have a degree divorce within 10 years, compared to the more than 35% who don’t have a degree. Of course, if you’ve ever read Freakanomics, you can get numbers to tell you anything you want – like the fact that based on both of our names our parents are white and poor without any formal education. And we’ll most likely be naming our first born Quinn (that would be a girl’s name… which is lame. It sounds like I would name my child after a fictional television character). So you can really get stats to say whatever you want them to.

My longwinded point is we’re still married. Horray! We’ll be having dinner at Jeffrey’s here in Austin and then head back home to hang with Walter. If you have any good recommendations on what to get at the restaurant, I’d love to hear them. Just DM me at @jennijewel. (Picture taken at our fourth-anniversary dinner at Finn and Porter)

And what cool things have we gotten each other? Well, I’m glad I asked on your behalf. Both of us had been struggling to figure out what to get each other (actually, I’m lying… Justin apparently knew this whole time). Fifth anniversaries are usually celebrated by giving something made of wood. Or if you want to go more “modern” instead of traditional, silverware is the gift of choice. I’d like to consider myself a mod kind-of-girl, but why on earth would you give a guy silverware?

Anywho, back in college, Justin had this fascination with a game called Go. I think he read somewhere that really smart people play the game, and he fancies himself a smart person. Plus, it is understood to be one of the most complex games in the world. It turns out that playing Go causes you to use the right side of your brain more and decreases your chance of Alzheimer’s. Justin never got a board in college, because they were too expensive and we were both poor. It was forgotten about, until about a month ago, when I remembered his love of a game he’s never played before, and more importantly, the fact that this game happens to have a wooden board.

And what did the swell boy get me? Well, about a year ago, as I was really starting to learn how to play golf, Justin made a deal with me. If I could score 60 on nine holes (pathetic, right?), he would get me a driver. On a fateful day about a month ago, I actually got a 47! Granted, it was at the Butler Park Pitch and Putt, but I’ll take what I can get! And so last week, he surprised me with a trip to Golfsmith to pick up not only a driver, but a hybrid as well! Woot! To understand my seriousness at this decision, my final choice was between a purple Ping driver and a TaylorMade. And while I loved the idea that I could have a purple driver, I went with the one that I hit better. And then we went to the golf range, where I hit that driver 200 yards! It’s my best friend now, displacing Ashley. Haha. Kidding. Sort of. As a quick history of the game – drivers are technically a 1-Wood. Hence the gift. (Picture taken out at Horseshoe Bay last summer... by my husband.)

So all in all, a very good five-year anniversary. And more importantly, an awesome five years! BTW -- if you ever want to experience our ridiculous relationship in-person, feel free to crash at our house anytime you're in Austin. Just give us a 24-hour heads up. :) We usually take guests to dinner AND pay. So it's really a win-win.

Nostalgic Gaming, a.k.a. Zach Morris died of Cholera

2009-03-12T09:27:00.000-05:00

So my last post was six months ago! Whoops. However, the more I think about it, the more I realize my life hasn’t been bloggable during that time. There have been plenty of things go down, but some events are better left unwritten.

But I’ve decided to break my dry spell with this awesomeness. I was reading my favorite blog, Gizmodo, yesterday, when I stumbled across this: Oregon Trail iPhone Game Hands On.

For the young-ins reading this blog (or those who did not grow up playing on Apple II’s during computer class at the school library): The Oregon Trail was an educational game developed back in 1971 by student teachers using a mainframe computer. Honestly, the fact that student teachers even knew how to use a mainframe computer is somewhat impressive – they’re hard to use now! Anywho, the game became so popular that it was sold on floppy disk in 1985 with another updated release in 1991 and again in 2001 (Thanks, Wikipedia!)

The premise of the game was to take you and the family (which you had the opportunity to name) along the Oregon Trail with limited supplies, money and food – which you then collected along the way to get to the final destination. Of course, random people would die off of various diseases or unfortunate accidents, and most likely if you ever played the game, you got to write on your own tombstone final words of wisdom that could be read by others. (Which most immature people would take that as an opportunity to show-off their newly learned vulgar vocabulary from an older sibling. Clearly, I went to a public school.)

It turns out that I shared a common theme with my husband (who went to the elementary school a few blocks down from mine) – we would name our Oregon Trail posse after Saved by the Bell characters. We would also kill too much buffalo – because let’s face it – we enjoyed shooting. Ironically, as much as the settlers did, since they almost wiped them out back in the mid-1800s. And history repeats itself in a school library. Fascinating.

And after reading the review of the Oregon Trail app for my iPhone, I knew it must be mine. My only hesitation was this – it was freakin’ $6. Up to this point, I had never paid for a single app on my iPhone. Maze Finger, Word Warp, Trace, iGolf, iBowl, Air Hockey, Whoppie Cushion (I will never forget eighth grade algebra and putting the whoppie cushion on the teacher’s seat, and it not working… LOL) – and my awesome metronome and tuner app for when I play violin – I grabbed them all for free.

But after discussing the potential purchase with my husband (which was most likely similar to talking with two seven-year-olds – we had reverted back 20 years), I bought it. And I couldn’t be more delighted. Both of us spent the next hour and a half choosing names for the family (Papa, Nana, Justin, Jenni and Walter) – which accidently got deleted when Ashley called to tell me about how awesome the LOST Season 4 finale was (I’m very excited she has blown through the whole series in the matter of a month, BTW) – we ended up sticking with the default names and went on our merry way.

I’ll say this – the hunting, picking fruit, floating the river – is way better than the Apple II version, yet stays true to the original game. While Indians are not narrowly picking off my family (which was apparently PC back in the 80s… but not in the 00’s), one of the children did get carried off by a bald eagle and was found two days later in a tree.

I’m still on the trail – and I’m doing this in easy mode until I get the hang of it – but all in all, I’d say this game is worth every penny – just because I can sit there and play it with my husband while we talk about the old version and reminisce about the olden days. We sound like we’re already 75 apparently ;)

So if you went to elementary school in MISD – or remember playing this game at school back in the day, grab the game on the iPhone. Better yet, if you are a true dork, download the original version for the Apple II here for free: http://classicgaming.gamespy.com/View.php?view=gmfiles.detail&id=128. Reading the comments even reminded me that it was a two-disk floppy game! Ah, the memories!

And if you were one of the punks that would leave the vulgar tombstones – now you’re free to do that in the comfort of your own living room without fear of a goodie two-shoes (i.e. ME) ratting you out to the school librarian.

“RIP Zack Morris. You were so hot and I wanted to marry you, even though I’m only 11.”

Preparing for Hurricane Ike

2008-09-10T16:24:00.002-05:00

And so it begins.

Texans hate bad weather. And by hate, I really mean, love to talk non-stop about it and get fake pissed off when the worst-case scenario that ratings-driven weathermen have predicted inevitably end up being quite less than expected.

Case in point. Hurricane Rita, 2005. First off let me say this, I'm not making fun of the individuals effected by hurricanes along the coast -- my own family was personally effected by Katrina. I'm merely making fun of the people that live 300 miles inland who think the end of the world is headed their way.

After dire predictions of tornadoes, power outages and lack of gasoline and food, the day before Hurricane Rita made landfall (and about 36 hours before it was "scheduled" to be in Austin), I filled my tank with gas and stopped at Target to get necessities (wired phone, batteries, bread and beans). The place was a madhouse. People buying hundreds of dollars worth of batteries, the bread isle wiped out with the exception of overpriced Pepperidge Farm sourdough bread (which I took -- it was the end of the world, expensive bread will work too), and TV radios were sold out.

As many Austinities and ACL Fest attendees will then recall, the storm ended up going over East Texas, and we were stuck with Dustbowl 2005. And the return lines at Target were ridiculous.

But that isn't to say we shouldn't be prepared anyways. Take for example, the "Hurricane Preparedness Checklist" I received from my office's building management (changed names to protect the innocent):
---------------------------------------
As you are aware, Hurricane Ike is currently on a path through the Gulf of Mexico and rapidly approaching the Texas gulf coast. Austin and surrounding areas are likely to experience heavy rains and severe wind this weekend. Please take any necessary precautions to keep yourselves, your families and your employees safe during this time of severe weather. It is wise to stay tuned to news broadcasts and reports from federal, state and local governments to keep apprised of the directives issued to residents.

Regarding [my building] be assured [management company] is working to be as prepared as possible for potential damage.

Please be advised that it is your company’s responsibility to back up all information and safely shut down equipment. In the event of power outage or property damage, building access may be restricted; please plan accordingly.

[Management company] Staff are on call 24 hours per day to respond to issues that might arise at the property. Should you experience an after hours emergency, please contact the [building at a phone number].

Attached is a suggested Hurricane Checklist. These lists may be utilized for your office as well as personal use. Also, for your reference, the local Austin Office of Emergency Management (AOEM) phone number is (512) 974-0450.

We appreciate your cooperation in this matter. Should you have further questions, please contact the Property Management office at [phone number].

Emergency Hurricane Checklist

When preparing for hurricanes, a detailed checklist should be developed indicating the order in which processes are to be shut down and the facility secured. The length of time needed (expressed in hours or days) to accomplish these tasks should be determined in advance so that appropriate actions can be initiated at the proper time. Then, as each task is completed during either a hurricane watch or hurricane warning, check it off and move on to the next one.

Action Time Needed Done

1. Shut down processes safely.
2. Inspect roof edging strips, gutters, flashing, covering, and drains.
3. Inspect sign and stack supports, guy wires, and anchorages.
Check for weak door and window latches or hardware or for insecure panel fastenings. Expedite repairs.
4. Protect vulnerable windows from flying debris.
5. Brace unsupported structural members at construction sites.
6. Protect important records from wind, debris, and rain.
7. Update important back up records and move them to a location not vulnerable to the same incident.
8. Fill above ground tanks to capacity with product or water to minimize wind damage.
9. Anchor structures in the yard that can be moved by high winds, such as trailers, lumber, or any loose yard storage. Move stored materials inside.
10. Assemble the following supplies and equipment at a central, secure location:
____ Emergency lighting _____ Caulking compound
____ Lumber and nails _____ Tarpaulins
____ Tape for windows _____ Power and manual tools
____ Sandbags _____ Shovels and axes
____ Roofing paper _____ Chain saws

12. Ensure that individuals remaining on the premises have the following:

_____ Non-perishable food _____ Battery-operated radio and receivers
_____ First aid equipment _____ Stored drinking water
_____ Lighting _____ Cellular phone with charged battery
--------------------------

So be prepared -- just don't go overboard... and be silly. Like I probably will ;)

I'm ashamed...

2008-07-18T10:29:00.002-05:00

I am a tad ashamed I haven't written on here in two months. My bad ;)

I'm more ashamed that the reason I'm blogging has something to do with the fact I need your money :)

Some of you might know that I'm planning to run my first half-marathon in December as part of the "Run the Rock" Marathon in Dallas. The run supports the Scottish Rite Hospital of Dallas, an organization that provides free medical treatment to children who cannot afford it.

If any of you have known me through the years (I'm talking about EARLY teens), you know that there are two things near and dear to my heart: children (particularly disabled children -- thanks Mrs. Bragg) and medical care (from my days at Zale Lipshy University Medical Center in Dallas).

Many of the children who I had the opportunity to work with over the course of five summers used the Scottish Rite's facilities because their parents could not afford the ridiculous medical expenses associated with multiple doctor visits, surgeries and treatments.

So I'm asking you – my fellow blog reader(s) – to donate what you can to an amazing cause. Even if it is just $5, I would greatly appreciate. I may even "attempt" to run faster because of it :) No guarantees though; just because I'm doing this thing doesn't mean I'm a terrific runner. I may be lucky to survive it!!

And actually – how about a little double or nothing proposition for you – I’m willing to double whatever I can raise (up to $1,000). So what you donate is more like twice the amount!! Now I’m not so ashamed to be asking people for money!

Here's the site you need to visit to donate, as it will help me figure out how much money I’ll need to give: https://www.active.com/donate/tsrh08/JBalthr

Anyways, thanks, and I may be pinging more people via MySpace, Facebook, Twitter, etc. just to spread the word.

My LOST "Mixed Tape"

2008-05-28T09:21:00.002-05:00

As some of you may know, Justin and I are throwing a huge "LOST" season finale party tomorrow, which should be loads of fun.

And a good hostess always should have party favors on hand. Check out my "Mixed Tape" of songs from the series:

LOST “Mixed Tape”
(No, this isn’t the “Best of Phil Collins” tape that Sawyer gives Kate in Season 3, but better)

Season 1
1. "Are You Sure?" By Willie Nelson
· Featured in the episode titled "House of the Rising Sun"
· Song was in Hurley's CD player
2. "Redemption Song" By Bob Marley
· Featured in the episode titled "Exodus, Part 2"
· Song was sung by Sawyer

Season 2
3. "Make Your Own Kind of Music" By "Mama" Cass Elliot (first appeared in Season 2)
· Featured in the episodes titled "Man of Science, Man of Faith", "Adrift", "Live Together, Die Alone", "Flashes Before Your Eyes"
· Song was one of the records in the Swan Station, the Listening Station and featured in Desmond’s bar in “Flashes Before Your Eyes”
4. "Stay (Wasting Time)" By Dave Matthews Band
· Featured in the episode titled "Abandoned"
· Song was playing in the background at Shannon's apartment
5. "Walkin' After Midnight" By Patsy Cline (first appeared in Season 2)
· Featured in the episodes titled "What Kate Did", "Two for the Road", "Left Behind"
· Song was one of the records in the Swan record player, played in the background on the radio in Christian Shephard's car and in the tow truck that picks up Kate
6. "The Right Girl for Me" By Frank Sinatra
· Featured in the episode titled "S.O.S."
· Played on violins at the restaurant when Bernard proposed to Rose

Season 3
7. "Downtown" By Petula Clark
· Featured in the episodes titled "A Tale of Two Cities", "One of Us"
· Song was playing on Juliet's CD player when she's preparing for the book club and on the car radio when Juliet and Rachel drive up to the guardhouse
8. "Building a Mystery" By Sarah McLachlan
· Featured in the episode titled "Flashes Before Your Eyes"
· Played in the background in Desmond's bedroom
9. "Wonderwall" By Oasis
· Featured in the episodes titled "Flashes Before Your Eyes", “Greatest Hits”
· Sung by Charlie on the street
10. "Shambala" By Three Dog Night
· Featured in the episodes titled "Tricia Tanaka Is Dead", "The Man Behind the Curtain"
· Played on young Hurley's radio and also played on the DHARMA van's stereo
11. Piano Sonata No. 11 in A major, K. 331 - "Andante grazioso" By Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
· Featured in the episode titled "Tricia Tanaka Is Dead"
· Played at Hurley's dinner
12. "Rump Shaker" By Wreckx-n-Effect
· Featured in the episode titled "Exposé"
· Nikki danced to this song
13. "Scentless Apprentice" By Nirvana
· Featured in the episode titled "Through the Looking Glass"
· Playing in Jack's car on his way to the memorial of someone close to him
14. "Good Vibrations" By The Beach Boys
· Featured in the episode "Through the Looking Glass"
· Charlie had to play "Good Vibrations" on the keypad inside The Looking Glass station to stop transmissions from being jammed

Season 4
15. "Prelude in C# Minor" By Sergei Rachmaninoff
· Featured in the episode titled "The Shape of Things to Come"
· Ben is playing this when Locke comes in to tell him that the phone rang

Walter -- Superstar

2008-05-08T08:33:00.003-05:00

This morning around 6 a.m., the PupNut decided to wake me up to go potty. I wish he could hold it another hour, but he gets so excited when he starts to see sunlight.

Anywho, I open the door to let him go tinkle, and I hear this loud noise, like a really loud lawn mower or water running, something odd of the ordinary. I don’t pay much attention to it, because let’s be honest, I’m exhausted, and craw back into bed for another hour.

I get ready, still not thinking about the sound that I heard earlier, give my pup a pat, my husband a hug, and head out the door. I open up the garage and what do I see (besides a well-manicured, green lawn… about time!):

Yes, a school bus, film trucks, motorcycle cops, and the sound of a large generator. (The picture doesn't do the mound of vehicles on my street justice) I walk out a bit further and see a table set up on the sidewalk of my front yard. Since it’s in my front yard, I feel like I have the right to ask what the hey is going on. “We’re filming a movie.” No shit, Sherlock.

So the 411 – they’re filming a kiddie movie called “Shorts” in my ‘hood for the next month and rented out some of the “for sale” homes in the area to store equipment and use for the movie as sets. They also thought that the whole neighborhood knew and signed release forms. Errr, no. But I totally hope the Home Owner's Association haggled with them for a park/pool or something.

My plan was to originally figure out how to inject myself into the movie as an extra. But then I realized I have something so much more awesome to try and get in the movie – Walter. I have the most photogenic, adorable, well-behaved dog ever. So my goal is to somehow make my dog the star he is destined to be. I’ll let you know how it goes :) I’ve got a month.

UPDATE: A co-worker who lives in my neighborhood looked up the movie on IMDB (see:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1100119/) and guess who the director is?! Robert Rodriguez! WOOT WOOT! This is going to be a fun month :)

Thoughts on a Sunday Night

2008-04-27T21:41:00.003-05:00

In the past when I’m bored, I tend to find an online survey someone has posted on MySpace, insert answers containing my information, repost on MySpace and fall to sleep. To be honest, it’s sort of fun, but all kinds of lame. No offense to the people I repost from, because obviously I enjoy doing it – but you have to admit, it's lame. Especially when I could be doing other, more practical things with my time – like writing, in my blog… ugh, I’m pretty sure this is still lame. Oh well, I’m bored, and procrastinating. I really should be doing my time entry for work. It’s like I’m in college again or something. But I’m rambling and completely missing the point of this blog entry.

I haven’t blogged in awhile, and a lot of things have been going on in my world, specifically regarding my home. In an effort to actually care about my homestead and increase its rapidly decreasing value due to the recession and flux of homes on the market, Justin and I have invested in several home improvements that will hopefully pay off when we sell the house in five to 10 years. (Or never, I really love this house).

Among the improvements:
Fixed the sprinkler system – It had been on the fritz for awhile, and it turns out the builder did a crappy job installing it – lesson learned, don’t ever have your builder install your sprinkler systems.
Hired a lawn service – The yard actually looks kept, and we got it because Justin wasn’t “cutting it” last summer… oh that was puntastic.
Donated my old furniture to The Salvation Army and bought new furniture at Ikea – I had this furniture suite since I was five, I’m 26 now… I’m not going to lie, I felt like I was giving away my teddy bear or something. It was hard.
Painted a bedroom and a bathroom by ourselves – It took almost four months. We are never doing that again. We both suck at painting and came a little too close to killing each other on a few occasions.
Got built-ins for the study and the living room – Dude, if you’ve been to my house before, it looks different. Amazing what wood and a ridiculous amount of money will get you.

You might be asking, why now? Or not. But I’m going to tell you anyways because like I said, it’s Sunday evening and I’m bored. When we bought the house, Justin and I had a vision – a vision that required money. After purchasing the house, we realized we had no money. Because we didn’t want to go into debt or be silly and frivolous just because we wanted stuff we didn’t really “need”, we devised a “Phased Home Improvement Plan” to slowly make our home perfect. Here are the phases and the current status of each:

Phase One – Furnish home with necessities, such as living, dining and master suite furniture, guest bed and blinds. Status: COMPLETE. For the sake of our neighbors, I’m very glad we got blinds right away. I wish our next door neighbor had the same courtesy when he moved in. YIKES!
Phase Two – Purchase outdoor furniture for our back patio. Status: COMPLETE.
Phase Three – Get curtains and matching bedspread for the master bedroom. Status: COMPLETE.
Phase Four – Acquire built-ins for living room and study. Status: COMPLETE. We’re still waiting for the paint to cure in the living room, but woot woot! It’s done!
Phase Five – Get new outdoor grill and outdoor television for back patio. Status: NOT COMPLETE. Estimated Completion Date: Summer 2009. Justin doesn’t like our current grill (probably because he takes absolute zero care of it) and when we built the house, we wired for cable on the patio. He gets to suck it up this year though. It’s his own dang fault. And hopefully the prices of outdoor televisions will fall. The outdoor TV I think I’m the most excited about because it’s my dream child. And people wonder why I love doing technology PR. Because I’m a dork, that’s why.
Phase Six – Middle bedroom decoration. Status: NOT COMPLETE. Estimated Completion Date: When I get knocked up. HA! What is the point of spending a couple G’s on a room for a bed and furniture when we plan to have a baby in a few years? No point. So it’s currently an homage to Dave Matthews Band (way too many posters), a blow-up bed and Justin’s entertainment center from high school. It’s functional, but ugly.
Phase Seven – Build pool. Status: NOT COMPLETE. Estimated Completion Date: When I can convince Justin we need one. Pale red head doesn’t want a pool. Easily tanable (and probably skin cancer-prone), burnette wife does.
Phase Eight – Hardwood floors. Status: NOT COMPLETE. Estimated Completion Date: Probably never. I want them, Justin doesn’t. Starting to see a pattern with these last few?
Phase Nine – Mini Cooper. Actually, that has nothing to do with the house, just a pipe dream of mine. That won’t happen either. Haha.

Anyways, here are a few pictures of the recent improvements. I’ll update with some more once we can put stuff on the living room built-ins, I install this shelf in the guest bathroom and the grass gets a little greener outside. Oh, and the following comment from Justin absolutely made my week regarding my decoration of the guest bedroom: “Shit, this looks like it’s something out of Pottery Barn.” Clearly, he doesn’t look at the Pottery Barn catalog that much, but the compliment was awesome, and more importantly, sincere.

Sneak Peak! Strategies for the College Graduate

2008-04-14T16:33:00.002-05:00

Last week, I was surprisingly asked by the Women in Communication's Austin chapter to speak to their counterparts at the UT chapter on my long path to getting a job in public relations.

I won't bore you with the details surrounding my long and tortured (and quite humorous at times) path, but I will share with you what I plan to tell these to-be college graduates. Welcome any feedback/gripes ;)

Strategies for the Recent College Graduate

1. Pimp yourself. Develop a portfolio that includes your resume, references and writing/planning samples. Do the hard work for the employer by providing this information before they ask you to – and while you’re at it, showcase your presentation skills by putting it in something other than a plain white folder. It speaks volumes about your preparation skills – key to any communications job. If you can’t sell yourself, the company won’t think you’ll be able to sell them.

2. Consider the dreaded “unpaid position.” Are you passionate about non-profit work? If you are, and have the monetary situation that affords this, work as an unpaid professional with a non-profit organization that needs assistance with their communication plans. These positions are ripe with experience you most likely wouldn’t be able to get at other jobs. Other options include doing freelance work and interning at government agencies, who usually pay zero to minimum wage.

3. Never sacrifice your morals for a job. There are plenty of jobs out there that prey on recent graduates. They’ll advertise that you’ll move up quickly into management positions, have the potential to make $120K a year – only to find out that it is a pyramid scheme or something more unethical. The wise saying that if it’s too good to be true, it definitely is. If you find yourself in a job or interview that makes you feel uncomfortable, don’t worry about burning bridges – save yourself the headache and potential fallout from the shady behavior of others by walking away.

4. If possible, be willing to move. Austin is an awesome town and full of opportunity – along with a strong workforce coming out of the University of Texas and surrounding universities. Unfortunately, there are only around three Fortune 500 companies based in Austin, which means the majority of communications support for corporations and the agencies that support these companies staff relatively small offices or are based in other areas. If you are willing to be flexible with your geographic location, do it. And remember, you can always move back after you get some experience under your belt.

5. Intern is the new entry level position. Unfortunately, many agencies rely on their internship programs as a source of recruiting. If you are looking to work at an agency, and don’t have experience under your belt, you aren’t going to get hired as an account coordinator. Be willing to accept that intern position, even if you’ve already graduated, because in the long run, it is a foot in the door.

6. Look at agency headquarters. If you are willing to move, first start out by looking where the bigger agencies are based out of, and where they have the largest number of their employees. WaggEd has substantial offices in the Pacific Northwest, Fleishman-Hillard has its headquarters in St. Louis, and GCI has much of its staff out of Austin. If you are in advertising or marketing, look at places that have large offices, as they hire more often.

7. Make yourself an expert. What are you passionate about? And can it correlate back to public relations – absolutely! Do you have a passion for medicine or healthcare, do you follow politics religiously, or are you constantly checking Engadget or Gizmodo for the latest technology news? Use your interests to position yourself as an expert with an agency.

8. Research! Look for companies and agencies that fit the direction you want to take in your career. If you are interested in technology PR – look at WaggEd or Porter Novelli. Are you fascinated by public affairs – there are multiple agencies with a presence in D.C. This will require some deep soul searching on your part, and some research on which companies bet fit your career goals.

9. Be an active participant in a professional organization. Many professional organizations, such as AWC, PRSA and AMA, offer reduced pricing for recent college grads. These professional organizations are a great way to meet people and network. But warning – don’t just show up with to a meeting expecting a job, you still have to earn it. (and many people avoid meetings just because they get bombarded with resumes) Take “card-carrying member” a step further by joining a committee within the organization where you have the ability to showcase your skills and talents. It gives people a reason to hire you and is a great resume builder.

10. Learn to accept failure. The hardest part about looking for a job, especially in economically uncertain times, is that you’re told “no” – a lot. And most likely, you’re not used to it. Have faith in yourself and your abilities and don’t give up, even when others (or parents) are telling you to. You may have to stray from your path to make ends meet at the beginning, but that perfect job will come soon enough.

Loving Elizabeth, Loathing Emma and Learning from Elinor

2008-04-02T14:33:00.001-05:00

About a week and a half ago during a shopping excursion to the Tyler, Texas, Target (don’t ask me how I ended up in East Texas!!!), I stumbled across the best find of my Target shopping career (far surpassing the time I bought three pairs of shoes for under $12). In fact, I squealed so much with excitement that a few people stared, and then I had to call my BFF to relay the news – a woman in England managed to tap her inner Jane Austen and write, “Mr. Darcy’s Diary” – a day by day account of how and why Mr. Darcy fell in love with Elizabeth Bennett in the literary classic, Pride and Prejudice.

While I think the author was writing at a fourth grade reading level, I didn’t care. And while I believe that the author mixed up Mr. Philips and Mr. Gardiner’s professions (I think she had Mr. Gardiner as an attorney, not in the trade business), I didn’t care. That was the best airplane, poolside reading I’ve had in years. If you want to borrow it, let me know, but I must warn you, I’ve already got a waiting list!

The Friday after we returned from our vacation to Las Vegas, I stayed up until 2 a.m. re-reading Pride and Prejudice. And the next day, I watched the A&E five-hour version of the book. AND THEN I went to Target again to purchase Sense and Sensibility, along with the semi-biographical movie, Becoming Jane. Due to a promise to my BFF, I’m not to watch that movie without her. So on Sunday evening, I watched Sense and Sensibility and Emma. Apparently that night, a redo of Sense and Sensibility was also on Masterpiece Theatre, but it didn’t come on until 10 p.m. The review of that version in Friday’s USA Today was quite glowing and I can wait to watch it when they show a repeat!

As I’m typing this, I’m re-reading Sense and Sensibility on the airplane to Seattle (well, not typing and reading at the same time… I’m taking a break) and I’m coming to a conclusion, a mission of sorts. I’ve got to read all of Jane Austen’s novels and watch all of the movie adaptations before the end of April. Why? Well, why not! But seriously, there are a few reasons – well, not as much reasons as they are an explanation as to why I like Austen’s writing (I don’t have reasons for being obsessive compulsive):

- Austen’s novels are an acceptable form of reading romance novels, without the dirty, white trash looks from strangers on planes and/or husbands. It’s like a modern day romance story, just without the “his rough, muscular hand gently caressed her porcelain smooth, apple-shaped buttocks” bull crap that makes me either cringe or laugh out loud (assuming I read that filth… yes…)
- Her prose is simple and flowing, yet I usually have to read the paragraph a few times to get the full meaning of a character’s witty remarks. And even then it doesn’t hit me until a few pages later.
- I enjoy reading about 18th century society women being utterly consumed with the concept of money first, and love second. It’s treated as if marrying up wasn’t a vanity issue, but more of a quality of life (food, shelter, rich husband) frame of mind. Was the idea of marrying for love alone (even if he was a poor farmer) so abhorrent to all of these women? As much as I love Elizabeth Bennett (Elinor Dashwood a close second), even she was the first to admit she fell in love with Mr. Darcy the second she saw his property (or failed to recognize that her witty banter in previous meetings with Darcy was a sign of unconscious love not acknowledged by my heroine…). The whole concept makes me wonder if I had lived back then, what I would have done.
- To piss Justin off. Haha. I don’t think he understands my love for fiction literature. He constantly is amazed at my ability to quickly read and comprehend books (i.e. my Friday read of Pride and Prejudice). He just wishes I applied that ability to something that would make me knowledgeable and smarter (i.e. to be like him). While my part of the bookshelf in the study is filled with literary classics and contemporary fiction novels, his is filled with history- or economic-based non-fiction novels, with more than the occasional conspiracy theory and poker strategy book. I guess the difference between our reading styles is he chooses to read to make himself smarter, and I read as a form of entertainment, to escape from reality into the lives of richly developed characters.

So there you have it. At some point I want to take a class on Jane Austen, but for the time being, I’m content with my own exploration into her literary works.

I'm still standing!

2008-03-25T23:10:00.001-05:00

My world has been rocked.

Tiny dancer

2008-03-25T22:39:00.001-05:00

Awesome!!!

Yes!!!

2008-03-25T21:44:00.000-05:00

Elton

2008-03-25T21:04:00.000-05:00

Turns out I'm fifth row, not seventh. I've already almost cried with excitement once!

Some time ago...

2008-03-13T15:24:00.002-05:00

In April 2000, I sat at a table during prom with a red-headed skinny boy who took my friend Jill to the prom. About a month later, that same red-headed skinny boy picked me up to go to orchestra banquet and was subjected to an unfortunate discussion on golf with my father. I’m quite surprised he didn’t turn around and leave right then. But he didn’t…

In August 2000, I cried with this same red-head (though not skinny at this point… dating packs the pounds) as he left for the West Coast. I’m pretty sure we both knew at that point where this relationship was headed.

And that same red-head proposed to me in my college apartment living room in January of 2003, which was a blast, even though we had purchased the ring together a few weeks before… and I may have worn it once or twice before it was “officially” given to me.

On March 13, 2004, that same red-head married me in a church full of close friends and family, smiling and crying like the secret sap he that he is (though not as bad as that time back in August!).

And now it’s four years later and I’m married to the best red-headed skinny boy (marriage apparently makes you lose weight) I could have ever dreamed of.

Happy Anniversary, BLonB.

My Plateau

2008-03-10T18:38:00.000-05:00

About year and a half ago I was fat. I’ll admit it. Between getting married, struggling to find a job, being in a stressful environment, I gained weight. I wasn’t happy with myself, and every time I would try and work out, it wouldn’t last for more than two months.

I don’t exactly know what the final motivator was (actually, now that I think about it, it was a former co-worker Lindsay – hi! – telling me that she didn’t think an account I was on was working out). I really liked that account, and knew that my shit-tay attitude was due, in part, to my low self-esteem and weight issue. So I decided to stop feeling sorry for myself and make a change.

Several months, a job change (but not before getting to a good place at the old job), and 25 pounds later, I’m at a plateau. I’ve made amazing changes in my workout habitsand *attempted* to eat better. I say attempted, because I truly believe that this is why I can’t lose the rest of my weight. I love food. I love good food. And I really love fine cuisine (I don’t even pig out on fast food or quick snacks… just good food).

Anyways, a co-worker of mine told me about this Web site called SparkPeople – think of it like a mix between Weight Watchers (except they aren’t just monitoring your caloric and fat and protein intake… but carbs, fiber, etc. and provide you with daily food planners) and Facebook. A place where you can lose weight, blog about it (which I know you know I love…. Haha), and be in an environment of people working just as hard as you.

So, if you are currently thinking about losing weight, wanting to maintain, or just want to check out my progress, I really encourage you to check out http://www.sparkpeople.com/jennijewel. And if you decide to sign up (the Web site is FREE), make sure you add me as a friend!

GOOD LUCK!

Goodbye, dear Trinitron

2008-03-03T16:30:00.003-06:00

Many of you know that I love me some consumer electronics. I don’t know why, I just know that a lot of you come to me for advice, which is awesome. My fondness for all things consumer electronics stems from my dad’s love of gadgets. Commodore 64 aside, one of my favorite memories is Dad teaching me to set up the VCR at the age of four so he didn’t have to. Of course I didn’t realize that my dad was lazy at that age, I just thought he thought I was really smart (which, of course, I am).

But see, this wasn’t just any VCR, this was a VCR/Camcorder combo VCR from Panasonic. Probably the coolest invention ever. Maybe. Probably not. And that bad boy lasted from when I was three until probably 16, which is quite impressive. The only thing that surpassed it was the TV it was attached to, a Sony Trinitron 27” with wood paneling. Oh yeah, wood paneling. It was heavy, ugly and oh so big (for a little kid). And that bad boy lasted from the early 80s until my freshman year in college. And my dad only got rid of it because my mom wouldn’t stop bitching about how long it would take to turn on (a long ass time is how long).

So nostalgia hit home during my daily read at Gizmodo today. I learned that Sony is finally killing the tube TV, lovingly known as the brand “Trinitron.” *Tear* Sigh, I feel like it was yesterday that I was watching my favorite Disney movies on my Trinitron… oh wait, I own one of the newer versions of the TV and have Beauty and the Beast, The Little Mermaid and Aladdin on DVD so it probably was yesterday. (I’m not kidding – my sister and I watched Aladdin on Friday)

But seriously, it was like I was 10 again, watching my favorite Disney movies my dad illegally dubbed (haha, dubbed) on the family Sony Trinitron and Panasonic VCR. Wow, the VCR is dead too. Man, I guess this is when you realize how old you are. Now kids have pink flat screen TVs in their room with their little Macs and iPhones. God, I didn’t even get my own landline phone in my room until seventh grade.

This post went depressing real fast. But I just got real happy when I saw Walter in my living room picture! Hi Walter!!

Side bar exciting news – the TV in the living room picture will be headed to the bedroom and replaced with a new Sony Bravia 46” LCD XBR! Happy day! We’re getting built-ins to finally rid ourselves of that blank wall that’s been plaguing our living room for the last two years. Woot woot! Can you tell? Sony has instilled customer loyalty in me since the tender age of four. Advertisers, you can’t buy this kind of loyalty.

He's on!

2008-02-27T21:08:00.001-06:00

And the stage colors were in purple... Swoon!!

Naturally 7

2008-02-27T20:11:00.000-06:00

Dang... An opening act... But they are actually pretty good. It's seven guys - think Boyz II Men - but they don't use any instruments. Pretty amazing. I'm going to download them this weekend!!

Waiting for Michael Buble!!

2008-02-27T20:01:00.001-06:00

We're pretty high up, but we have a good view!! Start crooning, Michael!!

Why you don't talk politics with family

2008-02-25T16:25:00.003-06:00

I thought my mom was bad when I told her who I'd be voting for... good grief:

http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/years/2008/0225081ortiz1.html
Meet Jose Antonio Ortiz. The Pennsylvania man allegedly stabbed his brother-in-law in the stomach after the pair quarreled about their respective support of Democratic presidential candidates Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton. According to cops, Ortiz, 28, stabbed Sean Shurelds last Thursday night in the kitchen of an Upper Providence Township home. According to a criminal complaint, a copy of which you'll find here, the 41-year-old Shurelds, an Obama supporter, told Ortiz that the Illinois senator was "trashing" Clinton (apparently in regard to recent primary and caucus results). Ortiz, a Clinton supporter, replied that "Obama was not a realist." While not exactly fighting words, the verbal political tiff led to some mutual choking and punching. And, allegedly, a stabbing in the abdomen. Ortiz, pictured in the mug shot below, was charged with a felony aggravated assault count and two misdemeanors and jailed in lieu of $20,000 bail. Shurelds was flown to Hahnemann University Hospital, where he was admitted in critical condition.

My back hurts...Final thoughts on Barack Obama

2008-02-23T20:17:00.004-06:00

After standing for a total of five and a half hours on Friday (the seat of my car never felt so wonderful), I was beat. And hungry. But also a little bit more excited about November 2008.

A little back story before I begin. My whole life I was raised as a conservative, a Republican. And I'm proud of that. I remember the signed autograph Gramps had in his office from Ronald Regan and thinking that was the coolest picture I've ever seen. I fondly remember being told by FBI agents in first grade that my dad needed to "move along now" after he discovered the somewhat secret motorcade route for Ronald Regan, as he was speaking at the Mesquite Rodeo in 1988. It was so cool that I got a wave back from Ronald Regan, even though he was probably wondering what these hillbillies were up to!!

I smile when I think about the letter from George Bush Senior I got in the mail that had a P.S. at the end of a ridiculous form letter mentioning something about my dog, Fefe. I’m pretty sure my parents have it saved somewhere in the closet. Or stupidly threw it away when we moved in middle school.

Essentially, I was taught to follow politics from a young age and how important it is to make your voice heard. I'm so proud my parents instilled that in me.

And I still hold a few beliefs on the Republican front, such as idea of limited government and some of the more libertarian-based economic beliefs.

But my issue is this– the current administration isn't limiting government (see Patriot Act as a prime example) and given the current mortgage crisis and pending (or currently existing in my opinion) recession, the root of the current state of economy lies in flawed legislation and the hope that our corporations can take care of themselves. It seems they can, at the cost of decent people's jobs and homes.

And I'm sorry, but "helping" people by giving them a month waiver on their mortgage or a $600 tax break in June isn't going to solve anything (and it kinda pisses me off because I can still pay my mortgage), just appeases the situation for awhile and gives a monetary spark to our economy that will fade as soon as the current administration rides into the sunset. And I'm also going to throw out the blame on the Democrat side as well for that stupidity... seriously guys, is that all you can come up with?!

I do like the idalistic view of corporate and personal decision making economics – but clearly, it's flawed to an extent. Many are not capable of personal decision making (cough, the large amount of individuals who fell for the sub-prime mortgages; COUGH – if it is too good to be true, it is people) and corporations like Exxon Mobil who make hand over fist in serious cash while charging me a crap load at the pump. Screw supply and demand economics here to explain their profits – something just isn't right.

Then last year I took this Washington Post-sponsored quiz on Facebook (stop laughing, I'm going somewhere) and realized that all the things I believe in (environmental responsibility, financially helping the needy through more government programs, even if that means I, as a higher tax bracket, have to pay more) speak more to my moral compass and Christian-based beliefs (except abortion, which I still am very much against) than the current state of the Republican party.

And I'm lucky and blessed to have a beautiful home and a decent amount of money in the bank. But many families don't have the opportunities I had growing up and they should – and we CAN fix that.

I'll say this – no party is perfect, right or accurate all of the time. If they were, we'd all be living in picket-fenced houses eating the same food, driving the same cars and all have X dollars in the bank. And living in 1984.

But we don't. And I'm sick and tired of the same crap coming out of politicians’ mouths and hearing the same arguments over and over again. And for once, someone wants to change that. And I hope he can. And after listening to him speak for an hour, he knows that it won't be easy and it may not be successful. But he's going to try. And I'm glad. Because even if he doesn't get elected, hopefully his campaign strategies are sending the right message to Washington.

And sidebar, I'm married to a libertarian, so it is a fun time in our house right now :)

Feel free to disagree with me, or agree – unlike some of the idiots I was standing next to at yesterday's rally (Not you Kristine... I'm talking about the guy that wouldn't shut up about "gay republican jenga." What on earth was that all about?!) – I don't judge, I don't make fun or insult individuals who share a differing political opinion than I do. Because when you do that, you continue to polarize this country and no one wins.

Oh and also, I don’t claim to know every and all aspects of politics – I’m just an average 26 year-old woman trying to make it in the world ;)

So, enjoy the pictures on my Facebook account from the rally with my witty descriptors. They're linked here (and there is also a link to Kristine's pictures that she took):

http://utexas.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2408618&l=78573&id=7953919
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2408358&id=7906728

Best line of the evening...

2008-02-22T21:48:00.000-06:00

"I'm black guy named Barack Obama, don't think I'm not tough."

The fierce urgency of now

2008-02-22T21:17:00.000-06:00

Obama finally hit the stage..adressing his reasons for his candidacy. Citing MLK..his message: we can not wait.

Fierce urgency of now

2008-02-22T21:13:00.000-06:00

He's a really good speaker... And he loves Austin!

He's speaking!

2008-02-22T21:05:00.001-06:00

This pic sux! But we're close!

Go vote!!!

2008-02-22T20:45:00.001-06:00

After tossing around some "obama balls" some speakers are discussing how to vote!! And they'll be opening offices in East Austin and the UT campus!

The obama wave

2008-02-22T20:22:00.001-06:00

45 more minutes..people are starting to entertain themselves. The fella next to me failed sneaking in his 6-pack,but sure was successful in generating an Obama wave from the crowded center. .talk about a throw back of a bad middle school pep rally

We're bored...

2008-02-22T20:01:00.001-06:00

And we still have another hour.

The mariachi band

2008-02-22T19:16:00.000-06:00

I'm not going to lie, the violinsts need to work on their pitch... And the horn players should too =) the singers were okay.

T-minus two hours...

2008-02-22T19:05:00.001-06:00

We're hungry. And I just realized it's going to take forever to leave.

Some more funny comments from the peanut gallery:
"It would be cool if Obama zip lined from the Capitol."
"It's Lindsay Lohan!!"
"Why aren't more people dancing?"
"Hilary needs to get off the Prozac."

And I've heard the term "gay Republican Jenga" one too many times.

Gotta run - the high school mariachi band is about to start.

"Does anyone know how to caucus?"

2008-02-22T18:23:00.002-06:00

-one of the many random things being said that could be taken the wrong way...

Is it bad that my feet are already hurting?

Get your Barack on..

2008-02-22T18:23:00.001-06:00

Finally made it through the line and standing in a crowd of people...t-minus 2.5 hours. We're about 30ft from the stage. . .bracing myself for the surge of body heat and odor..

Live: @ the Obama rally

2008-02-22T17:49:00.000-06:00

Standing in line next to jenni and eavesdropping on people's conversations. Not really about politics but entertaining all the same...someone buy me an obama shirt!

The line.

2008-02-22T17:47:00.000-06:00

Right now, Kristine and I are standing near 10th and Congress in a line that wraps around some buildings I don't know the name of. There are Obama volunteers, a man selling shirts, and a bunch of people handing out random fliers for random politians. Stay tuned!

T-Minus Four Hours...

2008-02-22T17:09:00.001-06:00

...Until the Rally for Change! Wee!

Both myself and Kristine in my office will be live-blogging from jennijewel.blogspot.com this evening. Should be fun. Gates open in an hour, so get ready for some blogging fun soon!

-J

Live from Austin...

2008-02-21T10:12:00.000-06:00

Today, I'm testing out Blogger's mobile features as I'll be live blogging from tomorrow's rally at the Capitol with Obama!! So stay posted!

Yay, Sarah!

2008-02-11T09:52:00.001-06:00

My sister found out last week that she got accepted into UT’s graduate art school – and is the top choice for their printmaking program! Yay! She’s still waiting to hear back from other schools, but she finds this such a validation of her work – rightfully so.

Anyways, when you get a chance, check out her work: http://www.sarahmsage.com/. Her main theme surrounds the concept of suppressed women through the ages, just in case you’re wondering why it’s a tad dark.

But then again, if you know my sister, she’s not exactly bright and cheery 24/7!

Some of you may think that my own artistic ability must be similar to hers, and you are quite wrong. I can draw, paint or create anything that resembles artwork. It’s quite hilarious actually. Next time you see me, try and get me to draw a stick figure ;)

Anywho, I just wanted to toot my sister's horn on her behalf, since she won't do it herself!

Who are the Oceanic Six?

2008-01-31T21:28:00.000-06:00

Spoiler Alert: If you haven't watched the season premiere of LOST yet, stop :) That's your only warning.

So, Justin and I watched the season premiere of LOST with a group of friends and we all gave each crazy looks everytime something insane happened. Which was a lot. Um, Jacob's House? Who on earth was the eye staring back at Hurley? Was it David -- his imaginary friend? Eh? I mean, obviously, the house is a figment of everyone's imagination -- which means Jacob isn't "real." Ohh - brain freeze. I'm thinking too hard.

I was going to write this huge long synopsis of the premiere and my take on it, but my laptop is a piece of poop, and wasn't working at the time the show started, so I didn't get to write :(

BUT, I did get to think long and hard about who the Oceanic Six are... and I think I know all of them! Maybe. Let's break it down:

Jack (Duh)
Hurley (Double Duh)
Claire (Desmond forsaw it, therefore it is)
Aaron (same as above)
Man in casket...
Kate?

So let's think about the casket bit for a moment -- we know that the person was a loner, had no family or friends, and now we know that the person was on the airplane, ruling out my original theory of Ben. Which, in my opinion, leaves Locke. This is the man that didn't want to leave the island, that Jack obviously hated (and tried to kill -- except for the no bullet thing) but at the same time felt so horrible/guilty over his death that he tried to kill himself.

So next question -- who is the "he" that Kate refers to at the end of Season Three when talking to Jack -- the guy who will start wondering where she is? What's Kate's story? I mean, the girl was being saught after for murdering her stepdad... I don't think being marooned on an island exactly qualifies as a pardon for murder and running from the cops.

So is she one of the Oceanic Six? Or did someone/company who found the Losties/freighter people supply her with a new identity. Because, no offense to Kate (I love her character), her ass should be in jail. I just don't know if she is one of the six. Which means, there is possibly another slot out there I'm not thinking about.

And regardless, if she is or isn't one of the "Six" -- mathmatically speaking, the "he" wouldn't be part of the "Six" either. It just doesn't make sense with the storyline -- the "He" (which some believe to be Sawyer -- if it was, his ass would be in jail too) couldn't be with Kate if she wasn't one of the "Six" because people know she was on the plane (assuming he is the sixth person) -- that would total seven. And if he wasn't one of the Oceanic Six and Kate was, we wouldn't know him, which wouldn't make sense from a plot perspective... I think.

Dear God, my head hurts from thinking this hard. The end ;)

E-mail memories and Friday’s Blog

2008-01-28T14:48:00.000-06:00

Over the last few days, I have had the opportunity to go through my old hotmail account (my main e-mail account from 2000-2001) and my current g-mail account (2006 to present) clearing out random e-mails from people, filing away important documents and general reminiscing.

I got about halfway through cleaning my g-mail account (1500 down to 750) and wondered if I should be clearing this stuff out. I guess because I stumbled across some adorable e-mails Justin sent me when we first started dating in the summer of 2000 (ah, the memories) and was so glad I kept them.

But do I really need google alerts, Pier 1 Imports sales fliers, random evites cluttering my inbox? Sigh – I just don’t know.

Luckily, the archive feature in g-mail gives me time to decide about some of them – and I’ve found a lot of good pics people sent me over the years I’ll be adding to Facebook, so look forward to those soon!

Oh – and I don’t know about you, but I’m about to pee my pants with anxious anticipation of Thursday night at 7 p.m. on ABC. I’ll be taking serious notes and recording the episode for a blow-by-blow blog breakdown of what happens in LOST, and some LOST theories Justin and I have been pondering for the last three years. Let’s just say, watching all of Season Three over the Christmas holidays will work in our favor. I’m sure of it!

Namaste!

Day Three, Part Two: I’ve forgotten most of my Paris trip already

2008-01-23T15:22:00.000-06:00

Sad isn’t it? I was so busy (or lazy) in December and January that I’ve already forgotten most of the trip. Regardless, here’s my attempt (and thank God I took good pictures to help remind me of everything).

After hitting up the good tasting coffee/awful bathroom French café, we ventured back to the subway and made our way to one of the more popular shopping districts in Paris.

Note: originally, I had asked Brandi if the Louvre was an option for today’s trip and learned that the lines are ridiculously long to get in and I really only wanted to see the Mona Lisa and apparently the painting is disappointing. By the time we would have gone through that, I would have had to go back to the train station bound for London. So my choices were culture or shopping. To those who know me well, I think it’s obvious the decision I made given the situation.

Apparently Champs-Elysées is something I should have known about/read up on prior to the trip… like in a history class, or in prepatory trip reading. Well, maybe not the street itself, but at least one of the most well-known monuments overlooking the street, the Arc de Triomphe, as some wonderful “friends” astutely pointed out in the picture section of my Facebook (cough, Kelly, Amy).

Sigh – to be honest, I don’t ever remember learning about either one in any history class in high school or college, which is a glorious testament to an American education ;) Or rather, my lack of long-term memory. I’ll admit it, anything I learned during school was placed in my short-term memory to regurgitate during a test and then quickly forget. I’m afraid the Arc de Triomphe and Champs-Elysées were two of these causalities.

My favorite parts of Champs-Elysées were as follows:
The Louis Vuitton store: I couldn’t afford crap there, to my dismay. I incorrectly assumed that due to import costs to the U.S., I could get an LV bag cheaper in France. I was quite wrong. In fact, someone could fly from France to the U.S., buy a buttload of dresses, couture, high-end purses and sell them in France for a huge profit. Stupid dollar.

The McDonalds practically next door to Cartier: what is the fascination with a Royale with Cheese in this town? I’m proud to say in the last two years, the only McDonalds I’ve eaten at was in Paris. Brandi asked if I wanted to take a picture next to the fast-food chain, I didn’t but she did!

Zara: Technically, it’s a Spanish designer, but I loved the clothing and it is relatively affordable (stupid Euros to Dollars). I’m looking forward to visiting Houston in October for the sole purpose of going to the Zara there. (And I love the coat I got at the store there – my French Coat!)
Sephora: I have never seen such an amazing collection of perfumes in one location. My allergies were in overdrive!

Italian Food: Brandi and I had lunch at this amazing Italian restaurant. The service sucked (which apparently is the norm) but my four cheese pasta dish was incredible. Especially after eating an egg mcmuffin for breakfast! Who loves Gouda, feta, Brie and bleu – me! (I take after my grandfather)

After that, we went to another part of Paris where two popular department stores are located. Printemps was one and to be honest, I don’t remember the name of the other (maybe Galaries Lafayette – they were both on the same street, I think). I do remember that the food at these locations (particularly the pastries) looked delectable (and tasted delectable… I’ve got a bit of a sweet tooth), and I got pissed off at seeing this BCBG dress I had been eyeing a Nordstrom’s back in the states for twice the cost. STUPID. But what was really breathtaking at both locations were the window displays – so intricate and ornate! Gorgeous! And seeing all of the people, particularly little children, happily gazing on made me quite happy myself.

After that, we headed back to the train station (I don’t think I mentioned that the train station had several lingerie stores… it was like Frederick’s of Hollywood but worse), and then I made my way back to London.

Quick sidebar -- I did not know this, but when I arrived in Paris, I didn't have to go through Customs, or rather, I couldn't find customs. I didn't realize this until I tried leaving the country. I tried explaining my problem to a French officer that I did not get a French stamp in my passport. I was a tad concerned about not being able to get back into London. Finally I found someone who spoke decent English and they informed me that the European Union countries don't have little in-and-out stamps like London/America does. Who knew? That tidbit of information would have been nice prior to departure from London and prevented me from experiencing a mild heart attack.

Overall, even though I can’t speak French, I loved Paris and being immersed in a culture I knew nothing about (my own fault, mind you). It almost forces your senses to become a little more attuned to what’s going on around you. I guess that’s a good excuse!

So, this past weekend, I was watching this movie called, “A Good Year” with Russell Crowe. He plays this Englishman who inherits his uncle’s vineyard in France. I’m watching it, and like the sap that I am, I start crying. Not because the movie is sad (it isn’t and I’d probably give it a B-/C+), but because I realized how much I enjoyed (and missed) London and France. In a way, I’m glad I waited almost two months to flesh out my day in Paris because it was almost like I was back, and it’s a good feeling.

At some point, I’ll post on our final day in London. Highlights of that story include this guy singing and dancing to Michael Jackson’s “Beat It” in front of the National Gallery. You won’t want to miss it.

Happy New Year!

2008-01-17T15:12:00.000-06:00

Happy New Year!

So it’s been awhile since I’ve last posted, and really, it’s because I’m lazy. Here’s the breakdown on what I haven’t accomplished since Jan. 1 due to this bout of laziness:
Laundry: I won’t tell you how long since I last did all my clothing instead of just one-offs of desperation
Indoor Christmas decorations: I did take down the outdoor lights and decorations on Jan. 2 – I don’t want to be THAT person in the neighborhood – cough – you know who you are on Othello Cove who not only has their lights up, but still has them on at night
Cleaning: I think those of you who know me well, know this is a constant battle for Justin and me.
Painting: I actually started painting our front bedroom and guest bathroom right after the New Year’s and quickly stopped after a regrettable incident that ended up with both Walter and me in the same bathtub rinsing blue paint off of ourselves. Neither of us was pleased. I also can’t figure out how to paint this corner of the bathroom without removing the toilet.
Working out: Actually, I remedied that on Sunday and have worked out every day since, so I think I’m un-lazy now in that category. And to make sure I stayed on track, I signed up for the Capitol 10K on March 30.

And then obviously blogging (Arnold, you probably think I’m dead and have stopped reading… *teardrop*).

So what better way to start back blogging then to discuss my joy and subsequent fear in attempting to killing a creature this morning.

The situation began last night. I had just gotten back from working out (i.e. ridding myself of the lazy bug I had been plagued with for the last three or four weeks), and I’m talking with Justin at the foot of the stairs inside the house. We heard this weird buzzing noise, but couldn’t find where it was coming from because it was dark, and well, we’re lazy so we didn’t try very hard.

Flash forward to this morning when I’m getting ready in my bathroom and Walter starts barking crazy-like. He’s not much of a barker, so I take his “I am dog and I will defend the JB-House honor” bark pretty seriously.

He’s over at the front door and so I check to see if anyone is at it – no one. In fact, not a single “person” was there.

What was there could only be described as the biggest flying roach I had ever seen perched on the window right above the front door.

After a slight shriek, I think quickly and grab the Raid under the sink, the three-step stair thingy from the bathroom where we are/were painting and make haste towards this evil flying demon of rodents.

I’ll admit it, I’m pretty sure Walter was weirded out by my odd laughter and profanity-filled threats towards this otherwise innocent rodent while I was spraying liquid death at it. But my laughter quickly ended and confusion and slight fear set in when I realized the thing wasn’t dying. Maybe it weakened him, but spraying a fourth can of the Raid didn’t kill him.

I didn’t know what to do. So I left the mess I had made (Raid dripping from the top window) and gathered my stuff to go to work. At one point, I went to check on it, thinking he had finally bit it. But as I approached it raised its head and looked right at me.

I quickly chalked it up to coincidence and continued gathering my stuff, but as I made my way to the coat closet that’s right next to the front door, the crazy roach lifted its head again from its deathbed and looked right at me. And then it telepathically informed me I’m next. (or at least, I fell like it was sending me some type of equally horrible death threat)

So I yelped and ran out of the house and haven’t gone back. I hope Walter is okay. If I don’t blog again, you’ll know why.

American in Paris, Part II.... not really

2007-12-14T08:38:00.000-06:00

I've been really busy at work and at home (Justin's been sick a lot lately) so I haven't had a chance to write much.

But I wanted to tell you about a horrible thing I witnessed yesterday.

I was sitting at the light at William Cannon/290, and I see a big 18-wheeler truck go by in the right hand lane. There is this big, old tree that hangs over part of the intersection, and I guess when he hit one of the limbs in the tree, it knocked this poor squirrel out of the tree and into oncoming traffic.

He's trying to get away, but part of his body is paralyzed from the fall, and a car is coming! I look away, because I've never killed an animal with my car before, and I just can't watch this poor little squirrel go like this.

I wait a few seconds -- and it turns out the car that was about to hit him stopped and waited for the poor squirrel to get to safety. YAY! That's why I love Austin -- any other stupid town, the person would have just run over the little guy.

The end. It ended up being a fairly non-horrible story.

Day Three, Part 1: My Cherie Amor

2007-12-06T20:49:00.000-06:00

(So technically, I don’t think this is French; in fact, I looked up the song on Wikipedia and it turns out Stevie Wonder wanted to call the song My Marcia after a girl he met at the School for the Blind in Lansing, Mich. I just really like this song a lot and the cab driver did a comical rendition of it)

I think this trip needs some back story before I go into the whole day.

So, in fourth grade my BFF Brandi was way cool – all the boys were in love with her, she had the greatest personality and more importantly for slumber party purposes, was the only kid in our class who had a subscription to Teen Magazine. (I couldn’t get one until I was 13 – an official teen – so having access to one at the age of ten was a big deal. And if you were a real rebel like me, you’d sneak some peaks at Seventeen Magazine while at the library.)

Flash forward 16 years (dear God, that is sobering), and Brandi is still way cool and living in Paris where she works as a marketing intern at a cosmetics/facial company while pursuing her master’s degree at the university there. I’ll admit it, I’m totally jealous. Paris is way better than Texas.

When I found out I was going to London way back in September, the first thing I did was e-mail Brandi to see if I could come and visit her in Paris. A few exchanges later (more like 24 e-mails, but we were also catching up!), I had bought my $170 round trip train ticket from London to Paris and eagerly awaiting a stamp in my passport.

But on Sunday night, an e-mail from Brandi had my dreams of sipping coffee (in my case, Diet Coke) overlooking the Eifel Tower crashing down.

That sentence is beyond overdramatic; I just freaked out because her subject line, in all caps said: “MINOR COMPLICATION – DON’T PANIC.” So of course I panicked.

Long story short, Brandi forgot about a class she had that morning, and was just going to be late picking me up at the train station, which was fine. I was to meet her at 10:30 a.m. (my train got in at 9:00 a.m.) at the McDonalds across the street from the train station (obviously, my Yankee self would have no trouble finding that), and then we could go sightseeing from there.

One line in that e-mail that perked my ears/eyes/whatever, was that the train station isn’t in the best part of town, so I am not to go wandering about. Knowing that I’m a wanderer, I’m really glad she told me that.

So Monday night, I stupidly decided to try another NyQuil to get some sleep (because I was so excited and I had to wake up at 3:45 a.m. that morning). Unfortunately, the same NyQuil affect I had on the plane (racing heart, no sleep) happened again, and I maybe got three hours of sleep before my wake-up call from the hotel rang… twice.

After a quick ten pound/$20 cab ride to St. Pancreas train station, waiting in line for awhile, I was finally on the train for departure at 5:21 a.m., traveling 186 mph to Paris.

The train ride, in the dark, wasn’t exactly the most pleasurable experience. At first, I thought I would be able to get some rest. I realized that wasn’t going to happen by the second train stop on the England side of the Channel (and the fact that every tunnel we went in, my ears were popping constantly). In a train where there were literally rows upon rows of empty seats, a family of four had to sit right behind me. And their three-year-old kid HAD to sit in the seat right behind me (I know this, because of all the kicking.)

It is my understanding that in London there are nearly 12 different dialects of English spoken. That’s just in the city. This family must have been from the same family that Audrey Hepburn’s character in My Fair Lady was from. At one point, the children decided to sing their alphabet and I thought I was going to shoot myself.

On top of that, they were going to Disneyland Paris, which means they wouldn’t shut up about “princesses” and randomly, “big hotels.”

Luckily, I had downloaded the musical White Christmas – quite possibly the best Christmas musical EVER – onto my iPod and tried drowning out the poorly spoken English with Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye. Sigh. I’m tearing up, singing along softly to “Count Your Blessings Instead of Sheep” (gets me every time). And then my stupid iPod dies (damn first generation video iPod and your crappy battery power). Once again, I’m stuck hearing yelling and screaming and feeling the kicks of two bratty children against my seat.

We finally get to Paris two and a half hours later (there is an hour time change if you’re doing the math) and I’m so excited. That gets quickly shot down when I see that practically everything is in French. I see the money exchange place, but it looks like they are only speaking French, and I don’t want to look like an idiot, so I decided to wander outside and see where the McDonalds is.

Well, apparently, the McDonalds is just north of the “Sex Shop” in case any of you are wondering. Oh, and all of the blue sleeping bags cuddled up outside of the train station aren’t there for looks either – they have people in them.

I go into the McDonalds, find the breakfast menu, and realize I have no way to pay for anything. So I trot back to the train station, walk around a few times before I get the courage to ask for Euros at the money exchange booth, then proudly, and confidently hand over my $200 American dollars and say, “Euros.”

And it appeared to work! Glorious! Then she asked me a question. I’m thinking, “Shit – I’m going to have to speak in stupid American, and then she’s going to say something rude in French and I won’t know it.” After a few tries, I realize she’s just confirming I gave her $200 and so I nod my head yes, and I’m on my merry way… back to McDonalds.

As I’m walking back, I look at the receipt the lady gave me – for $200 American dollars, I got 107 Euros! (I just noticed there is a Euro sign next to my “5” on my keyboard – but I’ve tried shift, control and alt with no luck.) Piss – this trip is already expensive.

Back at the McDonalds, I’m letting people get in front of me in line, because honestly, I can’t read the menu. Rather, I can read the menu, but can’t pronounce anything without giving away I can’t speak any French and I’m a dumb American. So, despite not wanting this item (but I haven’t eaten in 10+ hours), I order a bacon egg McMuffin because it’s the only thing I can pronounce. She asks me if I want one or two (I think) and I hold up one finger and say one (because apparently I’m three).

As I’m waiting for my food, a true dumb American orders egg McMuffins as well. I call him dumb because well, the lady is clearly asking him if he wants napkins, and he yells at her, “I can’t speak this, I speak English.” No wonder French think we’re stupid. I mouth “I’m Sorry” to the lady and give them man a dirty glare. And for some reason, I get two egg McMuffins.

At this point, it is only 9:20 a.m., and I still have another hour before Brandi arrives. So I proceed to eat the disgusting egg McMuffins as slowly as possible, making me realize that this tastes a lot better than in America. Odd.

At 9:45 a.m. I finally finish and out of the corner of my eye I see a squatter headed my way. Unfortunately, I not only see him, I smell him. Yuck. Luckily, he just sits next to me and doesn’t say anything so I continue looking out the window, watching people walk by – which was sort of fun.

At some point, this lady taps me on the shoulder and starts speaking to me in French. I have no clue what she’s saying, but she points to her palm. So I say, “Money?” and she nods. So I nod “no” back. And then she keeps pestering me. Seriously, have the French never heard of “No Loitering” signs before??

I give up, and finally gave her a Euro and some pounds (all of the change I had). And the stupid bitch asks for more. Seriously, more! And I say no and try to ignore her. I thought that it worked, and it did for about five minutes and she comes back to me and tries again. Then she starts yelling at me in French.

I’ll be honest, part of me is wondering where management is, because a paying customer is being harassed right now. The other part of me is wondering why the smelly squatter isn’t telling her to shut up, but I think he found it funny.

I finally got up and went back to the train station and just walked around aimlessly until about 10:25 a.m. and walked back, again, to the McDonalds. I’m not going to lie – in my head, I’m trying to figure out a way to get back to London without offending Brandi. Hehe… she doesn’t know this.

And I walk back into the McDonalds and that stupid evil beggar girl is still there! And she almost asked me for money, but I gave her a look of death and she didn’t. Shortly thereafter, Brandi arrived and we headed… back to the train station.

Turns out, the train station is multi-floored because it also serves as a subway stop. It also turns out that you can by lingerie in a train station – which is just funny. We got a day pass for the subway system (6 Euros/$12) and headed to the Eifel Tower.

Surprisingly, the subway was fairly clean, and smelled pleasant enough. I’ve heard in the past that Paris is really smelly, and the people sort of smell, but really the only person who stood out during my time there was the squatter at McDonalds.

The Eifel Tower isn’t all that impressive. I mean, it is – but it’s like going to the Statue of Liberty for the first time and being, “Huh. So that’s it.” Don’t get me wrong – it’s huge and I’m glad I got to see it. It just didn’t do anything for me.

After taking some obligatory photos (shown here), we headed to a café right across the street. I’ll admit – I’m not a fan of coffee. My whole life, people were always like, when you grow up, you’ll like coffee. Once you pull an all-nighter in college and you need something to keep you up, you’ll like it.

But I never grew up I suppose, or pulled a full all-nighter, so I never liked it. And when we got to the café, I did what anyone else would do, I ordered a Diet Coke. (mmm) FYI – Diet Coke, for whatever reason, is way better in Europe. Coke must use a different sugar substitute.

Brandi did let me try her coffee – and if coffee tasted that good in America – I’d be drinking it.

The weirdest part of the café – the parking meter-like device on the bathroom door handle. If I have to pay for the bathroom, it should look better than this pitiful mess. At least I didn’t have to pee in a hole in the ground, like some places have (Ewww.)

Okay – this is getting pretty long, and I’ve still got a few other things to discuss about this day. I’ll post Part II at some point.

Day Two: All By Myself, Don’t Want to Be

2007-12-03T16:22:00.000-06:00

(I’ve decided to try and name all of my blog entries after our memorable taxi driver music from the previous day… this particular song just happens to perfectly match my day)

Note: Obviously my effort to blog each day that evening was a lofty goal I wasn’t going to come close to reaching – seeing as it is exactly a week later. My bad.

Given the great weather in London (Sunny and highs in the lower 10 degrees Celsius, fools!), I was really excited about venturing out into the city in the broad daylight.

Originally, I was planning to go on an early morning run, but my ankle was still bothering me, and I wanted to exert my energy site seeing. Additionally, cough cough, my butt didn’t get out of bed until after 9 a.m.

I forced Justin out of bed via loud banging in the bathroom at roughly 10:30 a.m., mainly because I didn’t want to waste our day sleeping. You can sleep in America, you lazy American! (Granted, in the paragraph before, I also would be considered a lazy American, but that’s beside the point.)

After Justin got ready, we headed out down the same path we took the night before. Once we got over the Waterloo Bridge, Justin started feeling sickly, so unfortunately, we headed back to the hotel. Literally, at one point, I thought he was going to hurl. And given the fact that the one time I’ve seen him puke I almost followed suit, this was not a good sign for me either. After some room service for lunch (where Justin had the same food for EVERY meal while we were in London – poor guy and his food allergies), I headed back out without the better half. Because, let’s face it, I won’t be spoiled by a party pooper :) Plus, Justin really did need his rest and needed to get some work done.

I had two goals in mind on this particular excursion – must see Buckingham Palace, and have to go to Harrods. As an avid shopper, it’s my duty.

Seeing that this was a self-guided tour, with really no idea where I was going, I walked through St. James Park, where a lot of tourists are – oddly enough – looking at squirrels. Seriously, I have never seen so many people so excited about feeding dumb squirrels. I later found out that people in London and other parts of Europe don’t see squirrels that often and think they’re pretty awesome. Ugh – live in Texas for a minute and you’ll see more squirrels. Although I must say, London squirrels are big and grey. So slightly different than our poo poo brown ones here.

Buckingham Palace is just past St. James Park, and it wasn’t quite as regal as I was hoping for. I expected it to be bigger, I guess. The front gates were pretty spectacular, but really, there are nicer looking buildings in London (including our hotel). I stopped in the gift shop and bought a few items (including a spoon set for Justin’s grandmother), and kept walking.

At some point, I notice that the sun is setting, which is odd, because it’s only 3 p.m. After some interesting turns, and a few moments where I thought I was lost, I made it to Harrods at dusk. By now, my ankle is killing me (I had sprained it the week before) and it is pretty dark outside. It took me roughly two hours to walk there – whoops – so much for Harrods looking like it was relatively close to our hotel. Stupid tourist map.

Harrods is interesting, as it is HUGE. I walked in a side door, and went through a huge make up section, then through the food section, purse section then back into the food section to get a few things for my mom and Gran. After that, I headed upstairs where I saw bed linens, rugs, Christmas stuff and a pet department. And that wasn’t even all of it – I still had several more floors to go! My ankle was really killing me by now, so I headed back to the hotel via taxi.

Sidebar One: London is expensive. A bar of soap for my grandmother was the equivalent to $12. A small box of chocolates are $20. Conclusion: the dollar sucks. In fact, there were even travel agencies in London advertising “Shopping Excursion Trips” to NYC.

Sidebar Two: After I got back to the hotel, I needed to get ready for Paris – I was getting up at 3:45 a.m. to catch the 5:21 a.m. train. Lesson learned: never take NyQuil ever again, as it causes my heart to race and won’t let me fall asleep. And for anyone who knows me, me NOT falling asleep easily is quite impressive.

Sidebar Three: BBC owns. During the course of the trip I was able to hear more cussing, see more boobs (in a respectable fashion) and laugh louder than I ever had on regular American television. Conclusion: Americans are self-righteous prudes and/or British are vulgar whores. Kidding! (well, not about the American part)

London, Day 1: I can’t live, when living is without you.

2007-11-25T13:32:00.001-06:00

Today was our first day in London – and I think most of it was spent sleeping. I tried taking a nap on the plane (with the help of my friend Nyquil), but unfortunately, I just had a messed up 20-minute nap every hour.

We landed at London-Gatwick around 7 a.m. local time/1 a.m. Texas time. After going through immigration, we headed to the taxi stand, where we learned that the dollar does, in fact, suck. The countryside between Gatwick and London is gorgeous, with the greenest rolling pastures and adorable farm homes. But the most enjoyable experience of the trip to our hotel in Central London was our taxi cab driver. I have never met a man before who listened to only ballads – and then willingly sang these songs quite loudly in front of strangers. He also belted out some Michael Jackson, but for the most part, we got stuck with such classics as Bette Midler and quite possibly every single song from the Bridget Jones’ Diary soundtrack.

Once we arrived at our hotel (The Savoy, which backs up to the river and Strand Street), we were lucky enough to have a room ready for us. After collapsing and passing out for six hours (with a random interruption of room service trying to clean our rooms – I think Justin started yelling at them in his sleep, which was endearing), we woke up, grabbed some dinner and went for about an hour stroll around the hotel.

Overall, I love the architecture here in the town, because it just reminds me of so many fun movies I’ve seen that were based in London. (Cough cough, Harry Potter)

Tomorrow we’ll trek around in the daylight and see Buckingham Palace and I think there is a casino down the street too… haha. I laugh, yet I think I’m serious too.

In the meantime, I’m stuck in the room with Justin while he is watching football and managing his fantasy team. Some Sundays never change, no matter where you are.

Cell Phones, Pagers and Halloween Candy at Target

2007-10-28T16:15:00.000-05:00

I was at Target this morning, shopping for a wedding gift for a fellow friend of mine, when I overheard the following conversation between a mother and her eight-year-old son:

“Mom, I really need a cell phone.”

“Son, you know you can’t get a cell phone until you’re 13.”

“Ugh, I know, Mom. Will I get my own personal computer then too?”

“We’ll see.”

Obviously, my first thought was, “what a spoiled little brat!” (Granted, I was shopping at the "good part of town" Target). But then I thought about it. Yes, I didn’t get my own cell phone and computer until I went to college (after much begging and paying for the majority of both items myself), but God, how things have changed in seven years to where this conversation is somewhat of a commonplace.

As I’m walking towards the Halloween candy from electronics (seasonal section where the Christmas stuff usually is, or back-to-school items, Easter, Valentine’s Day, etc.), I’m wondering if a cell phone will be listed on my own child’s kindergarten school supply list. (Doing the math, that ends up being about seven or eight years from now, so that time table is somewhat realistic.)

The whole thing reminds me of when pagers were da’ bomb in middle school (might as well throw in some 1995 terminology to describe this). Those got banned from school because you were deemed a drug dealer, which was kind of funny. Gosh, I wanted one so bad too, even though I still don’t quite understand its point.

So, your mom pages you because she wants to know where you are. But what if you’re at Celebration Station or something (another 1995, Mesquite, Texas reference) and you can’t get to a phone? Seriously, what is the point? Cell phones are so much more ingenious really. Especially with the GPS technology built into practically every phone where you (or the government) can monitor your kid’s (innocent citizens’) every move without them realizing it. Sidebar: I'm reading this book Justin has called 60 Greatest Conspiracy Theories of All Time. It's awesome and at some point I'll blog about it.

So, that’s just my random thoughts for a Sunday afternoon and a look into my mind on just how quickly it processes information and seemingly goes off subject. I was already done thinking about all of this and I hadn’t even gotten to the linens section yet. (hope I didn’t give away what I got you, SPFL)

The Definition of Sharing

2007-10-10T13:18:00.000-05:00

After an incident this weekend, I decided to go to the source and figure out the exact definition of “share” or “sharing.” (Which, by the way, I find it highly amusing that when you type “Webster” into Google, the t.v. show isn’t event listed until the eighth entry… just thought you should know)

Inflected Form(s): shared; shar·ing
1 : to divide and distribute in shares : APPORTION -- usually used with out
2 a : to partake of, use, experience, occupy, or enjoy with others b : to have in common
3 : to grant or give a share in -- often used with with
4 : to tell (as thoughts, feelings, or experiences) to others -- often used with with

Synonyms: SHARE, PARTICIPATE, PARTAKE mean to have, get, or use in common with another or others. SHARE usually implies that one as the original holder grants to another the partial use, enjoyment, or possession of a thing . PARTICIPATE implies a having or taking part in an undertaking, activity, or discussion . PARTAKE implies accepting or acquiring a share especially of food or drink .

So here’s what I find the most interesting about the definition share, and may give insight into why it’s so difficult to do/practice: the usage scenario we as humans normally associate with the term “share” or “sharing” isn’t really an exact definition, rather it is implied, and typically implied poorly or flat out wrong.

Take for example the “incident” I’m referring to. So I’m inside of this small built-in cabinet (think a kitchen cabinet but within a living room) with a three-year-old, a five-year-old and an eight-year-old (shockingly I have the picture to prove it, which I will post at some point) and they are all arguing over who gets a nice flashlight versus the crappy wind-up flashlight.

(I swear, I’m going somewhere with this)

To keep the screaming down to a dull roar, I calmly ask the seemingly most logical of the three (eight-year-old) to share the flashlight with her two-year-old cousin. I get a resounding “no way.” Of course I ask why, and I don’t really get an answer (mainly because I feel at some level she realizes how stupid it is to be arguing over a flashlight in small cabinet with three other people in the first place).

I try rewording my ask a few different ways with no luck, trying logical reasoning techniques I’ve learned in very expensive work seminars. What I learned is that these techniques cannot be used against individuals under the age of 10. Sigh.

But after looking at the definition of sharing, particularly #3 and the bolded part in the synonym section, kids think of sharing as “giving up” something that they feel is rightfully theirs. And they don’t think, despite your desperate pleas, that they’ll get it back. Rather they associate “sharing” with giving away something for good.

So the next time you’re in a cramped space with multiple children and they start fighting, either remove yourself completely from the situation, or get earplugs. There is just no way out.

See. Jenni. Run

2007-10-06T17:00:00.000-05:00

Last Sunday I got to run! Wee! And despite the ridiculous heat and humidity that comes with running at 11:45 in the morning, I was able to go 3.5 miles under 38 minutes. Now while the guy that won the 12k portion ran that in 34 minutes, I'm not down. I can't wait to run it again next year and try and shave more time off.

Here's a link to the results from the race: http://www.doitsports.com/newresults3/client/100525_214360_2007.html I was in the WE are Family group -- or you can just do a search for my name.

Anyways, the next race I'll be running is the Jingle Bell 5K -- so if you want to join in on the fun, let me know.

And for anyone thinking about Birthday/Christmas gifts -- a gift card here would make my day! http://www.runtex.com/

Pics from the race are on Facebook!

Ask and You Shall Receive

2007-09-28T08:16:00.000-05:00

So after last night's quick post, apologizing for my lack of writing on here, I spent the evening and the better part of the morning trying to think of something to blog about.

Then this fell in my lap on the way to work this morning, and really, how could you not post something about this ridiculousness:

http://www.wescooppoop.com/

Yes, I passed a pick-up truck for the "We Scoop Poop" people, better known as "Dog Duty." For only $9 a week, you can rid your backyard of all of that poop your dog does.

Or you can save yourself $9 bucks and bag it up yourself. OR, do what Justin and I do, just leave it -- and in a few weeks it goes away on its own, and your grass is greener for it.

I think my favorite part of the Web site is the FAQ section. For example, the first question in my mind is, "What in the heck do you do with the poop after your scoop it? Do you have a manure pile somewhere?" And that just happens to be the first question! Their answer:

"We leave the bag at your house in the roll-away trash can. If you keep your trash can inside your garage, then we leave the bag next to your garage door farthest away from your front door."

Personally, that's just asking for some stupid 14-year-old to walk by and set it on fire, but that's just my opinion.

Another good question, "I have a scary dog. Will you still scoop my yard?"

My answer -- why would you make some poor individual pick up scary dog poop? Why do you have a scary dog in the first place? Anyways, their answer is pretty much yes.

Now, to be fair, after looking at their site, they also provide lawn service and pet sitting -- so they aren't exactly hanging their hat on trying to make a buck picking up just dog crap.

Well, hello there

2007-09-27T20:35:00.000-05:00

I guess it’s been awhile since I’ve last posted. It’s funny, because I’ve wrote a few posts, but ended up erasing them and/or not posting them. Guess it’s like calling an old friend you haven’t talked to in awhile. You think about it, and eventually you do it, but it takes a few tries.

So, hello. Long time no talk. ;)

Maybe this posting is more like an answering machine message.

Oh, bother Solved!

2007-08-22T14:46:00.000-05:00

Okay, after I calmed down, I went to the ever-wonderful Fitness Magazine Web site (love that magazine!) at found the following document: http://images.meredith.com/fitness/images/pdf/6WeeksTo30Minutes.pdf

It's a workout plan designed to get the beginner runner in shape and kickin' it in time for a 5k. They also had a section for preparing for a 10k, triathlons, marathons, etc. I doubt I'll get that far, but now that I have a plan and direction, my goal is to not look like a running idiot in front of my co-workers ;) I'll keep you guys posted on how I do.

Oh, Bother

2007-08-22T10:40:00.000-05:00

I’m freaking out – it’s a month before and I’m freaking out!!

Okay, so here’s the deal – my work is the sponsoring a group of employees for the annual Silicon Labs Relay Marathon. Relay marathon means that you split up the 23 miles for a marathon among five people (I think five people)… So something like, two people do a 10k, one person does a 12k and two people do a 5k. One of the 5k co-workers will be out of town this weekend and I stupidly raised my hand to replace her yesterday afternoon.

And less than 24 hours later, here I am, freaking out. To clarify, I did the 5K Bun Run back in April in about 36 minutes, which is great considering it was my first 5K ever and I’m not that great at running. The problem is, everyone on the team that I’m running with are seasoned pros at running (you know, the ones that are at Town Lake every day or that I see running in my neighborhood with her husband at seven in the morning). So essentially, I’m totally ruining their chances at winning because I suck.

So I have four weeks to prepare (it’s Sept. 29) starting today (I would have started last night, but my piano lesson went to two hours). I’m going to puke, and I haven’t even started running yet.

Why I Blog

2007-08-08T13:10:00.001-05:00

I was going through some old boxes my Mom had in a closet a few months back, and stumbled across journals and school projects dating back to elementary school. My favorite document was something my fourth grade teacher sent back to me a year or two ago as she was cleaning out some of her files. Apparently I created this personal dictionary and my own bound book. I’m not going to lie – the stuff was total crap. I mean, how did my parents allow me to turn in such blatant misuse of English for a grade?

Point being – I love writing. I enjoy expressing myself via words – even more so than playing my violin or piano (which honestly, is more like interpretation than expression [as you’re playing someone else’s music for the most part], so it probably isn’t an apples to apples comparison). I remember going to creative writing classes, submitting poems and stories growing up for local contests, and sadly, writing the worst lyrics to songs that I never put music to ;)

That love of writing (and incorrect English usage) got tested my senior year of high school, when a requirement in one of my classes was to write in a journal every other day and submitting the stupid thing for a grade (1-5 scale).

Before we began this year-long assignment, I remember the teacher saying that she rarely gave out 5s. Once that tidbit was revealed, my personal goal for this class (a.k.a. competitive side) suddenly became how many 5s I could get.

I tried everything – sad, happy, wit, humor, insight, death, one page, three pages – to no avail. I never got a single 5, and usually hovered around the 2-3 range, with the occasional 4. Most of the time, the teacher would just complain what a poor writer I was, which I now find slightly ironic since I write for a living. (So, odd thank you for nearly train-wrecking my career path – you made me work that much harder.)

But thinking back, I do think it’s a little wrong to rate a student’s (or anyone else for that matter) equivalent to a forced-personal journal. It’s almost like judging this person’s thoughts, emotions and experiences based on your own set agenda. Now, if she had given us assignments (I want you to write about your thoughts of Chapter 8 from “Cry the Beloved Country”), I could see justification for such grades. But really, it should just be a simple completion grade more than anything. Especially if this perfect score was so subjective. I could probably go into a longer discussion about how most grades are subjective, but I don’t feel like talking about it right now.

Tying it to my present writing, it’s different than a blog – writing that I choose to share and fully expect you to judge how poorly or well-written and insightful each post is based on your own internal criteria that I may or may not be fully aware of. (Talk about a run-on…) Part of me will always care what others think, but at the end of the day, I write this blog for me – to allow the free movement of creative juices, let off steam, express the randomness in my head, voice my latest triumph (or failure) and share who I am and who I want to be.

The End

Right out of a sitcom

2007-08-05T18:20:00.000-05:00

This weekend, Justin spent the whole weekend studying and writing for his graduate paper that’s due Tuesday, which meant I was free to go and party! (Note: I would have been free to do that no matter what Justin was doing, it just sounds better that way for storytelling purposes)

After some discussion earlier in the week, Ashley and I decided to go to Hamilton Pool – it is this natural watering hole about 40 minutes West of Austin (between Bee Caves and Dripping Springs). You hike about a quarter of a mile down a fairly steep hill and can either go to the left – where you can continue hiking to the Pernadales River – or take a right towards the watering hole.

I’m not going to lie (my new catch phrase if you’ve been around me the last few weeks), it’s gorgeous. Literally, this amazing, God-created goodness for city folk like myself.

We got there super early, and stayed for about an hour – once people start coming, the area gets a tad crowded and kids are yelling, ruining the serenity of it all.

So, um, we decided to spend the next three hours laying out the country club. Total 180 right? About three weeks ago, one of my friend’s, Kim, told Ashley and me that we look iridescent. So we stayed out about an hour too long at the pool and our backs are red as some random metaphor I can’t think of at the moment.

To make our backs a little worse, today we decided to go hike the Greenbelt and then layout (only on our backs) at Barton Springs. We’re really asking for it. And apparently this 10-year-old walking by us thought we were too.

I’m laying there with my eyes closed, and I hear this voice from in front of me say, “You know doin’ that causes skin cancer, right?”

I open one of my eyes, look around, find the girl through my squinting, and respond, “The key is moderation – if you don’t do this all of the time and use sun screen, you’ll be fine.”

I thought, honestly, that would shut the kid up. I mean, how hypocritical of her – standing there, in the same sun as I am – telling me I’m going to get skin cancer.

And then she’s like, “I’m serious. You’re going to get skin cancer.” At this point, I’m looking around for her parents so she can leave me to my sun/skin cancer.

I politely smile at her and lower my head back onto the towel, hoping the gesture will signal her to try the next group of sunbathers to my right.

“Maybe this will cool you off!” And the kid, out of nowhere, pulls a water gun and sprays me. Then she turns and sprays Ashley, walks to the sunbathers next to me, and sprays them too.

I have to admit, the whole thing was funny, except for the fact I would never allow my child to do spray random people while lecturing them on skin cancer.

At the same time, that water sure felt good on my sunburn.

Drugs=Love

2007-08-01T11:07:00.001-05:00

I think I was in ninth grade when I told a fellow friend of mine, “If I ever act like that when I’m dating someone, slap me.” I think girls notice it more than guys do – once your girlfriend starts dating someone, you take the back seat, and honestly, they act like idiots.

And I can say this, because the latter half of high school, I’m pretty sure I was one of those idiots. I had a few friends verbally slap me, but it didn’t do me any good.

Looking back at this period of my life, sometimes I wonder why I was such a dipstick. I’m sure my parents think that too. And apparently, now we know why. According to this study I saw on the Today Show this morning (no link is up yet, but I’ll post it once it’s available), researchers took the brain of someone who is spaced out on drugs, and compared it with someone who is in love. Apparently the brain shared many of the same characteristics as someone who does lots of drugs.

The whole thing makes sense, because breakups suck – it’s like you’re going through detox, or you end up with the guy again (can’t break the habit). In fact the more I think about it, the more love is exactly like some type of mind hallucinogen.

That said, I’m quite content with the state of things in my relationship. And I’m pretty sure I don’t act like an idiot or drive my parents bonkers. Of course, it could be that I’m not 17.

Change

2007-07-30T15:15:00.000-05:00

I love going to weddings with my husband – he’s a great date – but sometimes I get so embarrassed. Not by him surprisingly – he actually looks pretty sharp when he tries – but by myself.

Take this past weekend for example. We attended the wedding of a friend of ours – I’ve known her since about seventh grade, and Justin knew her ever since elementary Quest days (where the smart kids went during elementary school while the stupid ones got left behind – obviously I’m bitter).

So we’re sitting there looking at the program, and Justin’s holding my hand, and I’m already crying. I don’t even think the grandmothers’ had been escorted down the aisle yet. I just remember looking over at Justin, saying, “She’s going to have a different last name now!! Wahhhh!”

Thinking about this a few days after the fact, I’m still trying to comprehend exactly why the name change upset me. I mean, more than three years ago I changed my name and I didn’t cry over it (though I should have – my former last name ruled).

I guess what it boils down to is the idea of change. I hate change. But, at the end of the day, I’m getting older, parents are getting older, and the decisions and changes we make affect our lives far beyond the decisions we made even seven years ago as college freshman.

And I was going to finish this blog with a really good quote from someone knowledgeable and wax eloquent on change like no other. One of my favorite sites for digging for these types of quotes is www.quotationspage.com and I’ve used it ever since high school debate (see – I don’t change much).

So, I set the search button to only search “classic quotes”; that is, people that are smart and old (Plato, Shakespeare, Margaret Thatcher, etc.). And I come across this quote: “I won't change anything because I think the most important thing is being yourself and that's what I'm going to continue to do.”

Stupid Avril Lavigne. Who the heck told her she is a classic quoter?! And what kind of insight on change is that? Bullcrap. That is one change I would embrace and look forward to – her music and idiocy dropping off the face of the earth.

When marketers go too far...

2007-07-23T14:03:00.000-05:00

As if the song wasn't annoying enough already.

My favorite moments from Seattle...

2007-07-20T15:32:00.001-05:00

Here are two of my most favorite moments from Seattle:

We're crossing the street and I'm in my beloved Doc Marten sandals from college (rather, running across the street because cars were coming and we were jay walking), and the sole of my shoe comes completely off and I have no time to collect it because cars are coming. Luckily it wasn't run over by the 7-10 cars that went by, and I was able to go fetch it, and take a picture in the process. Yes, I know I'm in need of a pedicure.

Phuket Thai Cuisine. HAHAHA! It's like that South Park episode and the Chinese restaurant called City Wok -- but it's pronounced Shitty Wok. Okay, I'm amused easily and I know that.

Yikes! It's Been Awhile

2007-07-18T23:41:00.000-05:00

You know when your uncle asks if you're still blogging, it's been awhile ;)

So I guess that honeymoon period at work is over, because I've been quite busy the last few weeks, which is why my last post is from almost a month ago! As we speak, it's about 9:43 p.m. in Seattle and I've had quite a long day, starting with a great wake-up call from my boss at 6:30 a.m. telling me there was a mini-crisis with the client. Sigh. Glad that got straightened out -- unfortunately, I had to wake up my co-worker who is also in Seattle so we could get the whole situation fixed. Blah. Luckily, it wasn't our fault and we had tons of e-mails to prove it.

After that, I raced to get ready so I could be at an account training down the street for work. Busted out of there after about nine hours, came back to the room to check e-mails, and then ate at Chanantee Family Thai -- apparently one of the best Thai places in Seattle. And dang, it was a solid effort, that Phad Thai was. Yum.

We leave tomorrow, and I can't wait to come back to Seattle honestly. I like the people, the environment here, and the downtown owns.

Best part about the trip? I'm rereading the sixth Harry Potter book on the plane ride. I'm halfway after the flight here, so it's realistic to think I can knock out the rest on the way back. Clutch.

Here's a link to some of the places we went downtown (like Rite-Aid... they need these in Texas), and some people flinging fish. Because that's what they do here. Oh, and best part about them flinging the fish? We got all girl giggly when they threw it, started to walk away, and they threw a fake stuffed fish at us. Except we thought it was real at first. We screamed. It was funny. But you probably had to be there. :)

http://www.flickr.com/gp/23677584@N00/R969Vv

You'll note I also took a picture of the ferry area where the scene from Grey's Anatomy was shot. You know, the one where the series jumped the shark with the whole life/death/ghost bullcrap.

Okay, I'm sleepy. My clock here says 9:50, but my computer says 11:50.

People are idiots.

2007-06-21T10:34:00.000-05:00

Someone told me about an incident that happened a few months ago with the Washington Post and violinist Joshua Bell. Watch both clips.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z0KdAXLSO0Y
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hnOPu0_YWhw

Sigh... only one person recognized him. It's not even like the violinish (term loosely used) that sits at the corner between 6th and 7th on Congress that attempts to play.

Today in History

2007-06-13T13:06:00.000-05:00

1942: The Office of War Information was created, with the intent of disseminating timely information of American’s war effort through film, texts, photos, radio and posters to its citizens – you know, those super cool-looking “We can do it” posters of women, presumably “doing it.” “It”, I suppose, is subject to interpretation – but I say whatever those women were doing, they were doing “it” better than men.

1966: The Supreme Court ruled on the landmark case – Miranda vs. Arizona – and the “Miranda Right” was created. Personally, I think everyone knows by now that you should have an attorney present before answering any questions, but people somehow still forget. Oh, and you freakin’ idiot cops that don’t read Miranda Rights because you “forget” – I’m onto your game. I’ve seen enough Law and Order to know what you’re trying to pull.

1988: The world didn’t know it, but it was about to witness overuse of the word “Dude” by four-year-old twins – MK and Ashley turn 20 today. I don’t know – I thought they were at least 21… Oh, and fellow former network pal Tim Allen turns 53 today (she types as she sings the Home Improvement theme song).

1994: A jury found Exxon Corp. and the captain of the boat that leaked a ridiculous amount of oil in Alaska, guilty of being idiots with oil and killing some adorable wildlife (I’m pretty sure I sent part of my allowance to help clean up the poor birds that got oil all over them).

2000: Two 18-year-olds decide that their summer is going to be boring as hell if they didn’t have someone to hang out while having make out privileges.

2004: After a pregnancy scare, two 22-year-olds decide that a dog is a much better option. Especially one that comes to your house and immediately passes out on the couch, and who has the coolest old-man name ever.

I Hate MySpace

2007-06-11T17:05:00.000-05:00

And yet I continue to log on daily. I can’t stand the fact that half of their features work less than half the time. If I was the Facebook founder, I was be seriously miffed. Facebook is a superior service, yet more people use an inferior product. I suppose it’s the Web 2.0 version of the Microsoft/Apple tale.

I’ve often thought of deleting both accounts all together, just because I’m sick of the time suck each provide, but I correspond with some individuals solely through these two web communities. *Sigh*, why can’t people go back to e-mailing? *Bigger sigh*, why can’t people go back to calling on the phone??*HUGE SIGH*, why are we suddenly confined to devices for interpersonal communication instead of more 1:1 interaction in person???

I guess I understand now why my parents “just didn’t understand” things. I barely understand things now, especially when it comes to teenage interactions – like through MySpace and Facebook. For example, I was watching “High School Musical” for the first time on Saturday (that is a blog entry in itself… good Lord), and at the beginning of the movie when the two leads are exchanging phone numbers, I thought they were just going to write their numbers on a piece of paper. I was seriously thinking to myself, “Why on earth is he taking a picture of her?” Followed by, “Why on earth is she taking a picture of him?” Conclusion: I need to get a camera phone so I can partake in this activity.

Okay, so at the end of the day (or blog), I’m not going to delete either one of these accounts. Maybe it’s because I enjoy both on some level, or I care enough to right a blog rant about it but not actually go through with it. Hmmm.