Better off without them...

As I mentioned in a previous poost, we don't need you anyway, Clemens and Pettite.

The Salty Tooth

Weeks ago during a morning run, I proposed to The Husband the possibility of starting our own business. You see, we are of the opinion that there are way too many dining paradises for people with a "sweet tooth," and not enough for those of us who would strongly prefer a salty pretzel over a piece of gourmet chocolate. Where we live, if you have a "sweet tooth," you have your choice of The Dessert Gallery, House of Pies, The Chocolate Bar, Amy's, The Teahouse, Ben & Jerry's, Baskin Robbins, and almost any restaurant will serve a slice of cake or pie, etc etc. We do not dislike sweets- on the contrary, we very much enjoy them... but we must be in the right mood, and they must be served in moderate amounts. I cannot remember many times when The Husband has asked for seconds on dessert (unless it's a freshly baked fruit pie or a special-occassion treat). On the other hand, we could gobble down salty snacks in flash. I am convinced that I could easily eat an entire bag of Doritos chips in one sitting. I crave salty, zesty, spicy, taste-bud-popping snacks at almost all times of the day. Both The Husband and I have been known to eat pickles for breakfast, and we are constantly snacking on something salty. If there existed a business that had a "salty bar," I think we'd visit it often. But since none exist, we will open the following snack bar:

The Salty Tooth

Served on the bar for a unit price per pound, including but not excluding:

Pickles of all types and sizes

Chips of every kind and flavor

Pretzels

Peanuts and other nuts

Popcorn

Chex Mix

Goldfish and Cheese-Its

Beef Jerkey

Salsa, Guacamole, Queso, and other chip dips (for a unit price per cup)

Jalepenos

Very tasty. My mouth is watering. Time to eat my goldfish.

Pet-peeves on the road

I came across this article this morning on CNN.com about annoying driving habits which made me laugh. If it's not enough to live in a high-traffic city, drivers exacerbate the daily commute here (and everywhere) with habits of their own. The writer specifies the following:

1. Tailgating
2. Road rage
3. Grooming while driving
4. No turn signals
5. Slowpokes in the fast lane
6. Driving greedy
7. The multi-lane dash
8. The staggering merge
9. Meals on Wheels
10. Cell phone users

I have frequently harped on habits #1, 4, and 10. Not only are the above driving habits annoying, but they compromise the safety of the driver and others around him. I wish traffic laws would be more strict, and, that they would actually be enforced.

Things that make you go "hm?" #2

People who abuse their car horns.

I was driving to school this morning and I was the first car in line to make a left turn at an intersection. The light turned green, and the driver behind me immediately began honking. I ignored him (though entirely annoyed), and at the next intersection where I needed to make a right turn, he was in the left lane for a left turn, about four cars back. The light turned green, and again, he immediately began honking. From four cars back. The nerve.

Proverbs 27:14

He who blesses his friend with a loud

voice, rising early in the morning,

It will be counted a curse to him.

Can someone explain this?

My teeth are turning brown

I'm on a quest to reduce my coffee intake. Instead of quitting cold turkey (where did that silly phrase come from, anyway?), the plan is to slowly reduce the amount I drink in the mornings (I'm down to a half mug instead of a full mug). This is not to say that I'm completely giving up coffee... I'll still have it on occasion, but not habitually.

hm. Check back with me later...

Countdown to the Olympics

I can't wait for the summer olympics!

...especially gymnastics!

Happy Fall!

The seasons have changed from summer to fall, and the year has (suddenly!) progressed into October. But, the temperatures in Houston remain in the 90s and the humidity is as present as ever.

I propose that Houston begins an all-swimsuit dresscode, and all indoor businesses and institutions should also provide overcoats and blankets at the door (buildings in Houston are always freezing cold, I guess to offset the heat outside).

Go Team...

Apparently -- from all the screaming and breath-holding from The Sister (REA) and constant updates from The Husband--, it's time to fix my eyes on The Rockies in the Wild Card race. And so...



...and, to avoid being called a double-traitor...
Go Astros (sniffle... I'm going to miss B-G-O)! Go Brewers (I still want them to win the NL Central)!

Laughing Matters #1 and #2

-Watching people frantically but futilely press crosswalk or elevator buttons repeatedly over a short time interval, as if it will make the light change or doors close faster.

-http://houstonist.com/2007/08/07/found_on_youtub_6.php

Things that make you go "hm?" #1

Unflushed toilets in public restrooms. Especially at a university where there are no children.

17 and still going

Where does the money come from to support such a gigantic family?
http://www.cnn.com/2007/LIVING/personal/08/03/17.kids.ap/index.html

I'm not a traitor... I just need another team to cheer for

While I remain a devoted Astros fan, they have struggled with injuries, a recent manager change, etc., and it is clear that there is no way they will be able to advance this season. Thus, I must pick another team to cheer for in their division for the remainder of the season.

Drumroll please...



Clearly, I can't cheer for the same team as The Husband (The Cubbies). And plus, The Brewers have the most spirited, down-to-earth fans I've seen... I get tired of seeing prim and proper fans "dressed to impress" sitting in the front row, and there is none of that at Miller Park. In addition, their mascot, Bernie Brewer, slides down a slide for every homerun. The important points, you know ;).

I don't even know what to call this one.

Hilarious. And Ridiculous.

Clearly, we need to give more maps to the needy. Especially to The Iraqs of America. ???!!!!

Kudos to the host for not busting out laughing.

Love it.

The King's Singers: Deconstructing Johann

Five Unique Ways to Identify The Husband

1. He has a blue mole on his left arm.

2. He has a raised mole near his left armpit.

3. He is a frequent sniffler.

4. He doesn't show his teeth when he smiles.

5. He has a nerve exposed in his belly button.

If we were young and carefree...

The Char Car:

The Nate Car:

Hi. My name is @.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/oukoe_uk_china_language

Storm phobia

As Tropical Storm Erin creeps up on the coast, I can't help but feel a small sense of panic after surviving Allison in 2001 and needlessly trying to flee Rita in 2005. Even though Erin isn't "supposed" to come near Houston, I know how unpredictable these storms can be, and how miserable too.

Allison was an erratic storm system... not predicted to hit Houston as hard as it did. But she came anyway, with full force, and sat right on top of us for an extended period of time. I will never be able to erase the images of submerged vehicles, flooded streets, and doctors/researchers standing outside of their labs crying like babies because flood waters had destroyed their many years of experiments and work. Thankfully I had a place to go, but I still remember calling my parents from a crowded payphone (which was hard to find) to tell them I was ok. Looking back at pictures of areas that I now frequent almost daily is surreal.

A bridge above Highway 59, one of Houston's main highways:


Texas Medical Center. I walk this route weekly:


I-10. The interstate from Houston to San Antonio:


An aerial shot of downtown and the highway system:


Rita brought us some tame rain and a few fallen branches despite the hefty predictions. The Husband and I tried to flee to Dallas but made it only something like 13 miles in 11 hours in the baking sun before turning around and praying that we would be protected from the storm. Obviously, there was really no need to leave in the first place.

After two miserable experiences, Erin, I forbid you to come near us.

You've got to be kidding me!!

http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/asiapcf/08/14/japan.biker.reut/

Small Talk

I’ve never really been a natural conversationalist. Most people who know me would be quick to describe me as a good listener, and one who doesn’t speak unless I have a very strong opinion about something (at which point everyone jumps from the sound of my voice because they forgot I was even there). And that’s around people I’m comfortable with. If I’m speaking to someone for the first time, or someone who I have met on only a few occasions, I tend to find more things to say, to break the silence, or, to insure that the other person doesn’t think that I’m mute. Inevitably, “small talk” ensues. I dislike talking small, especially when forced to talk about myself. I can almost recite a segment of the exact conversation that happens 95% of the time after introductions (persons involved in the medical field usually fall under that other 5%):

Other person: So, what do you do?
Me: I’m a graduate student.
Other: Oh, what are you studying?
Me: Statistics- specifically Biostatistics.
Other: Oh (with confused expression).

And the remainder of the conversation proceeds with one of the following responses:
Other: 1. What IS that?
2. What did you say?
3. So, what exactly do you DO with, um, Bio… statistics?
4. Oh, man. I took a statistics class once. I failed it (cringe).
5. Well, I guess SOMEBODY’s gotta do it!

Or, the best one is this very simple response which ends the conversation completely:
Other: Wow.

Of course, I always willingly answer questions or respond appropriately to comments, but I am constantly dreaming about the day when I can respond to “What do you do?” with “I’m a mommy. I have x beautiful children and a wonderful husband.” And then there would be no confused faces or cringing.

A Sixth Sense?

I always like to browse the health section of cnn.com, and today I came across this interesting story about a cat who senses death. Hard to believe, but having been featured in the New England Journal of Medicine (which I consider to be a very difficult medical journal to publish to), it must be somehow legitimate.

Harry Pootter

I'm feeling a little left out of the Harry Potter craze. The Husband and I were at Borders Friday night for an innocent evening of reading, perusing, working, and sipping. Neither of us were very aware that that was the same night the newest Harry Potter book was being released. But the moment we walked in, it became very clear from the costumed employees and customers milling around waiting for the clock to hit midnight, and Harry Potter music playing in the background, that this was the "big night". I had no idea that people were this fanatical about the books. Don't ask me what rock I've been under. I don't know why I missed the extremity of the craze. Anyway, the experience sparked a curiosity in the books that I didn't have before.

Do I really need to know about Harry's adventures? Or am I better off reading other things?

The sniffles

I have a cold even though it's not cold. If cold doesn't cause colds, then why are there more people with colds when cold?

Like two peas in a pood

Sitting around the dinner table, The Husband and I recently had a discussion about food, a favorite topic of discussion in our household. We discovered that if we were ever limited to one food item per food group, we would both be content eating the same ones.

Our top preferences in each food group (excluding grains, which we forgot to discuss) were as follows:

Fruits

The Husband: Banana, Apple, Mango

The Wife: Banana, Blueberry, Watermelon

Vegetables

The Husband: Spinach, Avocado, Potato

The Wife: Spinach, Cucumber, Lettuce

Meats

The Husband: Chicken, Fish

The Wife: Chicken, Fish

Dairy

The Husband: Yogurt

The Wife: Yogurt

And there you have it. Give us some chicken, spinach, bananas, yogurt, and some bread/rice, and all would be well. To spice things up, however, some jalepenos would be a nice addition.

#1 in the U.S.

MDA has done it again!

Home, Sweet Home

I came home from a fun-filled girls' weekend in Florida Monday evening to a handmade "Welcome Home" sign on the front door- each letter carefully cut from different colored construction paper, a living room filled with balloons, and The Cat dressed in ribbons and bows. As much fun as I had lying around on the beach with some of my favorite gals ever, it never felt so good to be back home with my best friend.

3,000!

Way to go, Biggio! Now if only the Astros were doing better as a team...

No Cell Phones, please*.

The Husband and I were picking up a couple sandwiches from Subway in Colorado Springs to lunch on at Garden of the Gods and I was surprised to see that the woman in front of us was being refused service because she was trying to order a sandwich while talking on her cell phone. Smiling, I noticed a posted sign stating something like "No cell phones while ordering." Eureka!

I never understood excessive cell phone users. I am pretty sure that, driving home from work, 95% of the drivers around me are on their phones. At least half of the students that I pass walking from one building to another are on their phones. Last summer in Aspen The Husband and I saw someone on their trotting horse yakking away on their phone! It seems that everyone always has something to say, to someone, at all times. Is there something so important to discuss that it cannot wait until you are home? I still remember the days before cell phones even existed. I seem to remember that we all survived without them. Now, it would be easy to believe that the human race would perish without this cherished source of communication!

Cell phones are good, as long as they are used in a safe and polite manner. I am glad to have one myself, although I view it more as a tool for emergency situations, "touching base," getting directions, finding someone, etc. Of course, I'm not much of a phone chatter so that plays into my biased view on cell phones. I guess it's just amusing to me the way people get into their vehicles for their commute to where-ever and immediately dial someone's number. As if 30 minutes in the car alone is so unbearable!

Anyway, before I get carried away I will terminate this poost. For the sake of safety and some social etiquette, please use your head before picking up your cell phone. And Thank You, Subway, for imposing cell phone rules.

*this poost prompted by loud cell phone user in middle of University library. I thought libraries were supposed to be quiet places to study?!

Disclaimer

This bloog exists for entertainment purposes only. Here you will find mindless banter. For philosophical, theological, or thought-provoking blogs, refer to The Husband's blog and the Most Excellent Web Logs linked to his own.

Just say it

I have discovered Heaven on Earth. Moorhead's Blueberry Farm in Conroe, Texas (www.sayblueberry.com). 20 acres of bliss. Blueberries galore, waiting to be picked and devoured by salivating blueberry fanatics like myself. It takes a good while to pick a generous amount of berries, especially when irresistibly eating while picking, and especially in the Texas heat, but it's definitely worth it. The Husband had the advantage of his height... all of the ripe, unpicked blueberries that no one else could reach were at his fingertips. No wonder he picked the most out of all of us.

(frolicking with our buckets of freshly picked blueberries)

We have now happily enjoyed a homemade blueberry pie, blueberry pancakes, blueberry cookies, and blueberry smoothie. Next: blueberry bread. I can never get enough.

Biggio, I feel the same way about the Astros right now

A Half-Dozen Miracles

I've always heard that one infant at a time is enough joy to make you lose sleep. Imagine sextuplets! Becoming a mom to six all at once. Seems awfully difficult to me but I could almost say that I foster some envy at the joy and miracle of it all. Imagining six little Nate-lottes and Char-ates- one crying, one spitting up, one that needs his diaper changed, one that's hungry, one that's cold and one that's actually being good- though it would be tough, it actually makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside! But I think the most troublesome part for me would be the six-way division of attention among the children. Someday, I will be thankful for the blessing of one little miracle-- and then, I'll probably be thankful that God blessed me with one at a time and not six at once! But, I'm getting ahead of myself. Who knows what the future holds?!

A Professional Organizer??!!

It was recently brought to my attention that there exists an occupation called "Professional Organizer."

I assure you, it's real. According to the National Association of Professional Organizers,

"A professional organizer enhances the lives of clients by designing systems and processes using organizing principles and through transferring organizing skills. A professional organizer also educates the public on organizing solutions and the resulting benefits."

One must become licensed in the field, so it's not merely a self-proclaimed profession.

Go ahead- Google it. You'll find thousands of hits, from organizations to professional organizing businesses to personal websites of professional organizers. You can call me crazy, but the whole idea is outrageous and entirely appealing!

I am having a difficult time restraining myself from quitting school, having some babies, and becoming a so-called Professional Organizer for life. I could start my own professional organizing business out of the home and stay at home with the kids. So tempting. ;)

On second thought, I guess I better finish school and stick to re-organizing the contents of our refrigerator in my spare time.

Bye Bye

See ya, Roger Clemens and Andy Pettitte.

We don't need you anyway...

Dancing Matt

There's this guy that is traveling around the world taking videos of himself dancing in each place he visits. It's amazing... check out some of the videos if you can. They're really fun to watch and some clips are hilarious. :) I like to imagine what the people (and animals!) around him are thinking. He's even been to Dubai.

Dubai

I would like to visit Dubai.Lots of SUN and sand and ocean.

The Palm.

They are also building islands in the shape of The World.

Can we keep the visiting professor?

I took one course this semester from a visiting professor from Berlin, Germany: Raul Rojas. I don't intend to discount the department's faculty here, but Dr. Rojas was a breath of fresh air in comparison. His genuine love of his research and teaching, and concern for his students was apparent both inside and outside of the classroom. In my personal experience as a graduate student, I would say that the student-faculty interaction at the personal level could use some tutoring from Dr. Rojas. He will be missed when he returns to Germany!

Dr. Rojas is currently working on designing an autonomous car which I find incredibly fascinating. It will be entered in a competition here in the states in November.

Schmoozing

I attended a dinner event last evening with The Husband and colleagues plus clients. It's a treat to see The Husband in his work element. Aside from the good food and conversation, I was impressed by one very important fact: The Husband is in a league of his own. His maturity (most notably), presence, charm, integrity, conversational skills, and intelligence distinctly separate him from the rest. That includes the Bosses. I have no expectations, but I have absolutely no doubt in my mind that if he continues in this business, he will be very, very successful, even moreso than any of the others I interacted with last night. It's plain and simple, and crystal clear.

Unfortunately, I'm not sure if I'm as confident about the 4.5 pound steak... Sorry, Bud. ;)

God bless Texas (and Texas Bob)

In search of more information about the Texas wildflowers and where to find them, I discovered this website:

http://www.texasbob.com/

The entire website is dedicated to Texas: places to visit, things to do, places to eat, Texas music, sports in Texas, books about Texas, tidbits on Texas history, and just in general, quotations and statements on Texas pride.

"Texas is a state of mind. Texas is an obsession. Above all, Texas is a nation in every sense of the word." -John Steinbeck

Now, as much as I do love Texas, I have never been a huge Texas enthusiast, in the sense that I never did hang a gigantic Texas flag in my college dorm room, and I don't believe that Texas is the greatest place on earth. But this website certainly represents somewhat of an obsession with the state...

The website is managed by a 5th generation self-proclaimed "old" Texan who answers all questions about Texas even if he has to "make up the answer." He even includes a link to a personal blog.

Indeed, I emailed him a question regarding suggestions on routes to take for wildflower viewing this weekend and received a prompt response with a link to a suggested detailed driving route. That Texas Bob- I like him!

Next stop: The Big Texan- Amarillo, TX where The Husband can attempt to devour a 4.5 pound steak and all the fixin's in less than 1 hour. If someone can eat the entire dinner in 9.5 minutes, The Husband can do it in 60, right? If a 69 year old grandmother can do it, so can The Husband, right?

Anyway, a very interesting website and resource.

What has this world come to? (Or has it always been like this?)

Utterly horrified by yesterday's Virginia Tech shootings.

I can't decide if there really are increasingly more tragedies as time passes, or if it's just that I am older and more aware of the existing evil in this world.

"Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good." Romans 12:21.

Old Extra Credit Essay Photo