Browntastic!

Things Found in My Purse

2009-09-29T20:21:00.002-04:00

Duct tape
Scotch tape
Electrical cables
Roll-on anti-perspirant (from Days Inn)
Batteries
Padlock
Sunglasses
Advil
Red pen
Tire pressure gauge
Exacto knife
Picture of a baby
Post-it notes

Cheap Decorating Idea

2009-09-29T14:58:00.004-04:00

Jeremy and I are fairly settled in the apartment but one wall remained to be decorated. We were feeling adventurous and decided to buy some wall decals online. They were pretty cheap and claimed to be completely removable, leaving no residue or damage.

They arrived yesterday and I LOVE them! They are easy to use, really don't leave any marks on the wall, and within an hour the living room looked much cooler. The trees were in honor of Jeremy's work with phylogenies and the birds echo a bird/nature theme we have going elsewhere.

Here are a few pictures:

BEFORE

AFTER

From Mischa, With Love Pt. 2

2009-09-27T16:26:00.002-04:00

We were awakened in the middle of the night by Mischa's barfing. Unfortunately, when we got up this morning, we were not able to locate his creation.

I'll keep you posted on the whereabouts.

Consequently, Mischa has earned some new letters after his name. Mischa, S.V.U. (Stealth Vomiting Unit)

From Mischa, With Love

2009-09-27T16:02:00.003-04:00

Our apartment is great and we enjoy living here. Our only complaint is the street noise when the windows are open. The passing cars I can handle, but the INSANELY loud stereos are hard to deal with. Country, rap, 80s, 90s, disco - you name it, and drivers blast it. I am not vindictive, generally speaking, but there is something so rude about loud stereos I just can't resist fantasizing about retaliation.

I have decided to post a warning, and begin enforcing my own noise ordinance. Trunk rattlers will now risk being on the receiving end of a catapult filled with feline waste. Being on the second floor, I can get some speed going and fling a steaming bag of poo right into the open windows. Perhaps I will attach a note? (Pardon my French.) "Please keep your crap to yourself and I'll do the same." :)

This would make a good watercolor painting

2009-09-25T18:31:00.003-04:00

Yesterday was postdoc appreciation day, so I posed as a postdoc and went with Jeremy to a lovely wine and cheese reception near campus. I have discovered that the secret to posing as a biologist is to ask other people "What system do you work on?" Also, wear Chacos.

En route to campus I saw a sign that read:

Lost Blue Parakeet
Answers to the Name Ellen or Randy
Please Call If Found

I found this funny. Lost pets make me sad, but a parakeet named Ellen OR Randy makes me giggle.

And then, speaking of giggling, I came across protestors who had organized a rally in response to the proposed 33% hike in college tuition. (This was not the funny part.) There were five news trucks filming. However, in the midst of the protest circle was a huge sign that said something about Solidarity in or with Malaysia. I'm not sure if this protest within the protest was related to or just parasitizing the initial march. I feel as though I should have something prepared for the future in case I have an opportunity for good media coverage!

In the background of this scene was (or course) a shirtless man hula-hooping and a young woman with a bow and quiver full of arrows.

New Observations

2009-09-18T17:49:00.002-04:00

1. Womankind has reached a new low: I saw a girl wearing a shirt reading "Breakfast Included". (Perhaps she did not understand what this implies? Maybe English was not her first language??)

2. We have a neighborhood medical marijuana lounge.

That's all for now.

How I know I'm not in Alabama, Indiana, or Texas

2009-09-16T18:31:00.003-04:00

1. While strolling through the Ghirardelli Chocolate Festival, we saw a young man in his early 20s wearing an enormous fake mustache and a neon green trucker hat.

2. There was a "Clean Needle Exchange" truck parked on our street yesterday.

3. I saw a man wearing saddle shoes, purple tube socks, capri pants, a woman's blouse, and a Naval officer's hat walking into Office Max.

4. There is a city-sponsored FOOD WASTE recycling program. ?? (Where does it go? I didn't think you could compost juice boxes or meat?)

5. I can buy a t-shirt with a hammer and sickle from street vendors.

6. There is a car parked across from our house with a bumper sticker that reads, "Don't Burn Out, Burn On".

7. The Pacific Ocean and the mountains are each within 10 minutes of our apartment.

8. We live in a "Nuclear Free Zone" according to the signs.

9. We don't have air conditioning and don't really need it.

10. Gas is $3.20/gallon!

Pray Before You Scratch

2009-09-15T02:16:00.003-04:00

Jeremy and I traveled to a wedding in Iowa not too long ago. In addition to ourselves, Jeremy's parents, sister and brother-in-law made the trip. While stopped at an Exxon station on the way out of town we picked up scratch-off lottery tickets. Huddled together around the door to the minivan, we all scratched in search of small fortunes.

While we were immersed in this task, a woman with a shirt reading BRANSON walked up to us and inquired rather kindly, "Are y'all having a morning prayer meeting?"

Aha! So THAT'S where we went wrong! You've got to pray BEFORE you scratch!

We are an honest bunch, so we admitted that no, we were only engaged in a morning gambling meeting.

At least we did it as a family though, right?

Busy Spring!

2009-05-23T15:00:00.002-04:00

Well, I've been on hiatus from blogging because life has seemed far too chaotic. My apologies!

Anyone who knows us (or is a facebook friend) has probably seen that Jeremy successfully defended his PhD, and we are moving to Berkeley, CA. Jeremy will do a two-year postdoc. We are thrilled about this opportunity, and as is usually the case when moving to a new city, I began checking out the church communities in the area. When everything else seems new and scary, I know we always have a home at the Church.

I was reading this week's Cal Newman Center bulletin, and read a quote that really resonated with me. I hope it does for you, too.

"I have the greatest admiration for atheists, because by definition they have rejected a false 'God.' The true God, if you have the privilege of knowing Him, you cannot reject....There are no lapsed Catholics, no lapsed Christians, but there are very many, far too many, who thought they were Catholics, or Christians, but did not have the good fortune to be taught the truth about God. They looked at their hideous image and said that if it was true, they refused to believe." -Sr. Wendy Beckett

Faith education coupled with faith in action is so critical. I'm interested in doing a Master's in theology, and if I ever get the chance, I think a thesis would revolve around this insight that Sr. Wendy has so eloquently shared.

Grammys

2009-02-08T21:36:00.002-05:00

I would like to say that I just saw some woman win the Grammy for best new artist. She was chomping on her gum all the way from her seat up to the stage to accept her award. SO TACKY! If I was her mother, I'd smack her.

Marathon 2009

2009-01-19T17:10:00.005-05:00

Hooray!

The Disney Marathon was a success. Never one to shy away from long stretches of painful and ill-advised activity, I finished the race. Much to my surprise, things went more smoothly than expected. I was not fighting off any sort of infection this year, nor did I barf during the run. My IT band gave me no trouble, and though my pes tendonitis seems to have migrated from my knee to the middle of my calf, it didn't bother me until we got back to Austin.

Having family cheer me on again was wonderful! I was apprehensive about running by myself this year, but I saw Jeremy, my parents, and a few familiar Disney characters so often I always had something to look forward to. I was actually stunned how quickly the marathon was over. I never thought I'd say, "it went by so quickly!" but it did.

The support Disney provides runners was unbelievable. Compared to last year, I think there were a lot more water/powerade/food/medical stations along the course. There were even volunteers available to massage your legs with Biofreeze (still not sure what that is, but I had a stranger massage me with it) mid-race! I could run confidently knowing that I was never more than a few minutes from a port-o-let or a water stop. This is a big deal. (Tip to future Disney runners: Take advantage of nicely equipped theme-park restrooms!) It is a bit jarring to see so many people peeing in the bushes and on trees in Walt Disney World, especially when there are all sorts of port-o-potties, but oh well.

I really like the starting line arrangement for the marathon. All runners are assigned a corral based on their estimated finishing time. Since my time exceeded 5 hours last year, I had to begin in Corral D, which is the first corral of the "slow" runner course. This was AWESOME. It meant I could cross the start line within 20 seconds of the official race start time. (Note: You run about 1/3 of the race pre-dawn.) All of the faster runners start running on an entirely different course, thus lessening start line congestion.

Running by myself meant that once the race began, I had no one to point out that I was running way too fast. (We deliberately avoid spending time in the parks pre-race because it is SO MUCH COOLER to visit the parks first as a part of the race. This can also encourage you to run full speed AT the parks, if you get as excited as I do about being in WDW.) Because I was at the very front of the slow people course, I had a (very unfounded) sense that I was "winning". This fed my competitive nature, and I continued to run faster and faster. As I ran towards Epcot's famous sphere, I really felt awesome because I was in the lead pack and people were cheering like crazy! When the slow and fast courses finally converged around mile 3, I was startled to see that I was running ahead of the 4:00 pace group. Did I mention that it took me more than 5:00 to finish last year's race??! Needless to say, I slowed down a bit after that.

Running into the Magic Kingdom is pretty cool because you run through a couple tunnels of fans (my wonderful hubby was at mile 8 cheering). Just as I began to tire after passing mile 10, I turned a corner onto Main Street in the Magic Kingdom, and began running towards Cinderella's castle. It is a little overwhelming because there are so many people lining the street cheering. You eventually run thru the castle and out of the MK which begins a boring stretch. Thankfully, I did get to see Jeremy around mile 13. When I saw him I yelled, "I need a kiss!" Not realizing my scream was directed to someone specific,the man running to my left was visibly alarmed.

The Disney Magical Trash/Sewage Center is really the only highlight on this stretch until you reach Animal Kingdom which you smell long before it comes into view.

Animal Kingdom was a nice place to run thru because it is pretty shady, a little bit downhill, and there are drummers in a couple of places. In all honestly, I don't remember much about Animal Kingdom, or MGM because you run thru these parks for miles 16-18 and 22-24 respectively.

Throughout the race people will cheer you on by name because your first name is printed on your number. That is pretty helpful, actually, because I'm not sure I'd remember my name by the end if it wasn't pre-printed and pinned to my clothes.

By far the WORST stretch of the race is between miles 19 - 22, since you are running on the highway, have some uphill action, begin to feel the day's sun, and have to watch faster runners pass you since you go out and back around a corner. Fortunately, my wonderful Mom and Dad were waiting for me on top of an overpass. It was awesome! I was feeling pretty yucky, so it was just the boost I needed.

Not long after this, I actually saw a bus driver (who drove a marching band to the race to play for the runners) mock an older man who had slowed to an exhausted walk at mile 21. She said, "whoa! not so fast!" and had I not just run for four hours and remembered to bring my lead pipe, would have responded generously on his behalf.

Once you leave MGM (or Hollywood Studios) you are golden. The rest of the run mostly lined with fans and is through the Board Walk resort & Epcot's World Showcase. The last part of the race was really hard for me because there are SO MANY PEOPLE cheering for you. It is breathtaking. There is a gospel choir and mile 26, and adrenaline carries you the rest of the way.

I finished the race as they played "Sweet Home Alabama"; they actually announced my full name and hometown as I locked in a time of 4:36:14. :)

I'm so excited!

2009-01-06T17:48:00.004-05:00

We are packing our bags for our trip to Florida this coming weekend. Highlights will include seeing my parents, hanging with one of my best good friends from ELEMENTARY school, running the marathon thru Disneyworld, and quite excitingly (is that a word?), meeting the brand new baby of some of our closest friends from college (who are also to blame for our marriage).

Someone slap me!!! I can hardly stand it!!!!

I couldn't make this stuff up if I wanted to

2008-11-29T22:01:00.003-05:00

In the past week, the following things were either fried as a result of bad wiring in our rental house, or have stopped working of their own accord.

-Television
-Bose Wave Radio
-Stereo Tuner
-Telephone
-Refrigerator
-Heat/AC Unit
-2 surge protectors
-Volkswagen Passat

At this point, all we can do is laugh. And hope our renter's insurance covers the replacement costs!

When the VW died in the middle of the street today, we were lucky that Jeremy's family was with us. We had taken two cars on our weekend outings, so when the Passat broke down everybody just hopped out of the Honda and we pushed the VW into a nearby lot. It probably looked as though we do this often, everyone was so matter of fact about things.

Oh, by the way. Is anyone looking to buy a car? We might have one for sale... I'd characterize it as a really exciting vehicle to drive.

Remembering Archbishop Oscar Romero

2008-11-23T22:45:00.005-05:00

I love this prayer. This week I give thanks for all those who work for peace and justice.

It helps now and then to step back and take a long view.
The Kingdom is not only beyond our efforts, it is beyond our vision.

We accomplish in our lifetime only a fraction
of the magnificent enterprise that is God's work.
Nothing we do is complete, which is another way of
saying that the kingdom always lies beyond us.

No statement says all that could be said.
No prayer fully expresses our faith.
No confession brings perfection, no pastoral visit brings wholeness.
No program accomplishes the Church's mission.
No set of goals and objectives include everything.

This is what we are about.
We plant the seeds that one day will grow.
We water the seeds already planted knowing that they hold future promise.
We lay foundations that will need further development.
We provide yeast that produces effects
far beyond our capabilities.

We cannot do everything, and there is a sense of liberation in realizing this.
This enables us to do something, and to do it very well.
It may be incomplete, but it is a beginning, a step along the way,
an opportunity for the Lord's grace to enter and do the rest.
We may never see the end results, but that is the
difference between the master builder and the worker.

We are workers, not master builders, ministers, not
messiahs. We are prophets of a future not our own.

-Bishop Ken Untener

Blurg

2008-11-01T19:33:00.002-04:00

The knee is on the mend, thank goodness. If I can just keep myself healthy I'll be on the right track.

This year I can't seem to break the 12 mile training run barrier. I should have been running a lot farther by now, but with the bum knee which halted my running for a few weeks, and then with this past week's cold, I have been so frustrated! I've been functioning with the support of Sudafed, but that dehydrates you in a big way. Jeremy made me stop running today when he noticed I had goosebumps and it was in the mid-upper 80s. I was only 11 miles into a 16 miler. :( I needed to stop, and I'm glad he made me. The last time I felt like that and finished a run anyway, I couldn't keep anything down for 3 days and my temps stayed over 100.

On a brighter note, we enjoyed getting dressed up for Halloween last night. Jeremy was Tim(id) Simmons, Richard's introverted younger brother. I went as Sarah Palin. I'll post pictures as soon as I get them from other party-goers. I had the distinct honor of being awarded "Scariest Costume".

We are lucky

2008-10-31T19:00:00.002-04:00

Jeremy and I are incredibly fortunate. We have wonderful family and friends. More than anything else (i.e. the piles of cash we have on hand, our 3 Hummers, and my ability to find parking spots downtown), we have been blessed with people who love us.

That's all. I just wanted everyone to know that. :)

I'm Converting!

2008-10-21T21:47:00.002-04:00

That's right! I'm converting from Brooks running shoes to Mizunos!

My right knee has been incredibly sore, stiff, and angry since my weekly running mileage increased. Trips to the doctor are rare for me, but I went last Tuesday. Based on the location of my pain, the doctor thought I might have a meniscus tear. To determine the source of the pain, I had an MRI done. I put the marathon training on hold until the doc told me what was happening.

At this morning's follow-up appointment I got the green light to continue training. My meniscus is healthy and there is no sign of arthritis! Hooray! Apparently, I've got PES tendonitis. My tendons looked really inflamed on the MRI, so I can expect more discomfort, but the injury won't lead to permanent damage.

After work I got some new running shoes, which I'd been meaning to get for awhile. As it turns out, I was wearing the wrong running shoes; Brooks are for people with flat feet which, according to the guy who initially fitted me for the shoes, I had. My feet actually have pretty high arches and the woman who helped me at the shoe store today put some Mizunos on me. They felt so much more supportive and should contribute to a more stable healthy stride.

So, onward I go. I've lost some training time, but at least I can keep at it.

Telemarketers

2008-10-07T22:47:00.002-04:00

This evening I returned from a failed attempt at a run (topic of next post) and started cooking dinner. A telemarketer called to inform us of our selection as recipients of a free vacation. Keeping her on the phone long enough to google the business she named as the prize's sponsor, I stumbled across a slew of Trip Advisor reviews for this "travel club". I guess one of the strategies employed by the telemarketers is relentless phone calls (shocking, I know) while they try to lure you into attending a membership presentation. Not surprisingly, the whole thing is a high-pressure scam, but one of the reviews made me laugh aloud. I felt compelled to share part of it here:

Well, they called to remind me of my appointment today. I could hardly contain my excitement. They were going to have refreshments and everything: different kinds of cookies and the choice of juice, coffee, or tea. I picked juice, then I thought about it for a while then changed it to coffee. It took me at least 5 minutes to decide but the lady on the phone was very patent and waited while I weighed the pros and cons of each choice. I finally decided on cookies and coffee. Too bad I had no intention of showing up.

About eight tonight I got a call from that all too familiar toll free number. As soon as I answered the phone, I asked them what happened and why were they so hard to find. I told them I could make it tomorrow night and they needed to make sure to call me and remind me. I spent the next 15 minutes reconfirming the free travel package and the free gas. I told her I would only except cash since I don't trust banks cause they help fund terrorism and I wanted the $300 to be paid in $20 bills. Apparently I can only get coupons but that won't stop me from insisting on cash. About 10 minutes later after going over the entire package again, I thanked her for her time, promised to be on time, and told her I would be bringing the kids! heh heh. As she was frantically saying, "No No, you can't bring......" I casually hung up. I'm actually looking forward to talking to her tomorrow. My wife thinks it's a sickness and that I need to get a hobby. Opinions vary.

Our First Date

2008-09-24T00:44:00.004-04:00

It was eight years ago Sunday night that Jeremy and I went out on our first "kinda sorta semi quasi no pressure date sorta thing." Unfortunately for Jeremy, I am a lot like a cockroach. While I no longer hide in dark corners of rooms or feast on Mischa's cat food, I am pretty persistent. He's still stuck with me after several years.

Our first date was on a Thursday night. I remember that evening being afraid he would forget our date, so I lurked on Instant Messenger hoping to remind him that I was around. Apparently, we eventually met up because I know we went to Soma, a B-ton coffee shop. Jeremy told me his major was "pre-life" and I remember talking for a long time. We then went to the IU Union to see a free (or nearly free) showing of Gladiator. You'd think the movie title would have tipped me off, but I believed Jeremy when he told me it was a romance. Because the movie was free, the projector broke every 30 - 40 seconds, creating lots of opportunities for discussion one doesn't normally get during a film.

I don't know if it was the pre-date online stalking, the blood and guts, or the awkward pauses during the film, but something got us moving in the right direction!

The first date gave way to a second even more romantic outing (thought I am certain Jeremy only invited me along to be polite). Jeremy took me and three of his closest friends caving. Having recently completed a stint as a ballerina and southern belle, the phrase "drop to your belly and crawl army style through the mud until you can lift your head" is the one I most remember from this night. Jeremy's friend Dave also initiated a fun game called What's the Meanest Thing You've Ever Done? on the drive home.

I didn't realize it at the time, but Jeremy created a brilliant dating obstacle course full of awkwardness, gore, mud, and intense interviews with close friends.

And I'm extremely glad I fooled him enough to pass!

ACL Festival & Cheap Living

2008-09-21T13:41:00.004-04:00

For what I think is the fourth (or possibly fifth) time, Jeremy and I are headed to the Austin City Limits Music Festival. We are really excited that Chris is joining us from Indy again. Last year, we established a routine that enabled us to enjoy the music we wanted to hear while not killing ourselves. It should be a little bit cooler, and if I insist on getting heat exhaustion and hurling in the port-o-let (again), Chris is a doctor (mostly). Have I mentioned that I barf a lot? I can be a difficult person with whom to travel.

The ACL Festival entertains me on a number of levels. Primarily, I enjoy music. Also, I like to make fun of people. Not openly, and not in a cruel way, but I make fun (in my head, and sometimes to Jeremy) of people who take themselves WAY too seriously. Austin, for good or bad, seems to be the Garden of Eden for the self-important. Hooray for next weekend!

One thing I do take VERY seriously is free meals. The new student welcome party for Jeremy's department was Friday night. I am not ashamed to say that I brought 3 gallon sized plastic bags to the catered party so we could load up on "take out"after everyone finished eating. While no one else came prepared to "take out" dinner, I think we inspired others to follow suit next year.

I am so classy. ;)

Icing on the Cake

2008-09-17T22:35:00.000-04:00

And finally, The New York Times.

WOW

2008-09-16T21:12:00.002-04:00

For a little ant, this guy moves FAST!

When I searched for stories about it yesterday morning at 8am, there were 53 hits, and all of them in languages other than English. This evening, there are more than 21,000!!!!!

Even Dave Barry, the humor writer, mentioned the paper Jeremy co-authored. http://blogs.herald.com/dave_barrys_blog/2008/09/science-lunges.html

That is pretty dang cool.

Congratulations Jeremy!

2008-09-15T22:22:00.003-04:00

My wonderful smart hubby co-authored a paper that came out today in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science (PNAS). He won't say it, but it's kind of a big deal.

Christian, another UT grad student, found a most unusual ant on the floor of the Amazon. Jeremy provided the phylogenetic (in English: family tree) analysis of the ant which revealed its enormous significance. The ant is an entirely new subfamily, and the most ancient species ever found.

Keep an eye on the NY Times, as we think they've picked up the story, too.

You can see more at any of these links. If you google "martialis heureka" you can see all the stories! They keep piling up! Jeremy was interviewed for the one on Wired.com and gets mentioned occasionally in some of the others.

http://blog.wired.com/wiredscience/2008/09/living-fossil-a.html

http://www.nature.com/news/2008/080915/full/news.2008.1107.html

http://sciencenow.sciencemag.org/science-shots/

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/science/article4760982.ece

http://www.physorg.com/news140716045.html

http://www.livescience.com/animals/080915-new-ant.html

http://myrmecos.wordpress.com/2008/09/15/eureka-heureka-an-astonishing-new-ant/

http://mattdowling.blogspot.com/

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080915174538.htm

http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/36455/title/Ant_from_Mars

http://www.sciencecodex.com/new_ant_species_discovered_in_the_amazon_likely_represents_oldest_living_lineage_of_ants

http://news.yahoo.com/s/livescience/20080915/sc_livescience/strangeantfrommarsdiscovered

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2008-09/uota-nas091008.php

Maybe he stole a secret recipe?

2008-09-09T01:46:00.002-04:00

From cnn.com:

FRESNO, California (AP) -- Authorities say they've arrested a man who broke into the home of two California farmworkers, stole money, rubbed one with spices and whacked the other with a sausage before fleeing.

Fresno County sheriff's Lt. Ian Burrimond says 22-year-old Antonio Vasquez was found hiding in a field wearing only a T-shirt, boxers and socks after the Saturday morning attack.

He says deputies arrested Vasquez after finding a wallet containing his ID in the ransacked house.

The farmworkers told deputies the suspect woke them Saturday morning by rubbing spices on one of them and smacking the other with an 8-inch sausage.

Burrimond says money allegedly stolen was recovered.

Why Biologists are Necessary

2008-09-09T01:41:00.001-04:00

Book Recommendation

2008-09-03T22:50:00.002-04:00

If you want to understand how to end "Islamic terrorism" (in the words of Rudy Giuliani) read Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson. Now. Don't wait - go get the book before your next trip to the bathroom.

I haven't even finished it yet, but so far the book has reinforced what anyone with a scrap of sense knows already. When people are poor and lack access to a balanced education, very bad things happen. Three Cups of Tea is about the amazing efforts undertaken by one man to educate the children of Pakistan, especially the girls. The schools created by Greg Mortenson were constructed with the local community, for the local community, staffed by the local community. It is a completely uplifting read and should be compulsory for presidents, lawmakers, and the general public.

This man's efforts to support local communities' wishes for a balanced education will probably do more to promote peace than anything else.

More intestinal distress

2008-09-03T22:27:00.003-04:00

I'm now watching the RNC. Not to be entirely negative, but Rudy Giuliani irritates (and embarrasses me) in much the same way as Joe Biden. I would like to reiterate my support for Joe Schriner, an independent presidential candidate.

This election has indeed been an exciting one, though! I can't believe how quickly election day is approaching!

Make it stop!

2008-08-27T22:40:00.002-04:00

I've got the DNC on right now while I prepare a grocery list and I have to share something urgent with the Democratic VP nominee.

JOE BIDEN: PLEASE STOP TALKING! NOW! MERCY! HELP! AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!!

Your rambling is causing me intestinal distress. (For the record, I am not a Republican or a Democrat.)

Vegas

2008-08-26T23:46:00.003-04:00

Wow. Having just returned from a trip to Las Vegas, the possibilities for a blog post are mind boggling.

For now, this is all I'll say: the Gigolo/Engineer totals were extremely lopsided.

Read This Article!!!

2008-08-22T08:48:00.002-04:00

http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2008/08/22/men_banned_from_national_parks_after_vandalism/

You are probably familiar with my enjoyment of rearranging letters on signs. While most often I do not rearrange anything myself, I totally enjoy the fruits of others' labor.

For example:

Free Firewood ---> Free THE Firewood
Try Our New Big N Tasty ----> Try Our Big Nasty
Now Hiring 15 Year Olds ---> Now Hiring 5 Year Olds

And on, and on... My mom is actually more accomplished at this than I am. She invested in a step stool so that she might reach those letters way high up more safely. ;)

Anyway, my cousin Katie sent me the link to this article. The freaky thing is that Jeremy and I ate last night IN THE SAME DINER as the men responsible for these shennanigans.

From the people who brought you, well, nothing

2008-08-20T00:17:00.008-04:00

Jeremy and I recently traveled to New England. Like most folks who fly, we arrived at the airport really early so we could sit around and wait for our flight to be delayed (we flew American Airlines). In order to pass the time, we created and then played a few games. I'd like to share them with you.

For each person who walks past you, do one of the following:

1. label individuals as either Gigolo or Engineer;

Pictured Above: Engineer (center, wearing blouse) with Architect and Contractor

2. guess and then shout the occupation of everyone you see (i.e. teacher, senator, arsonist).

These are fantastic ways to pass the time and inadvertantly miss your flight(s).

Example of Speciation/New Technique for Bouncers

2008-07-28T00:44:00.002-04:00

When we initially moved to Texas in 2003, Jeremy shared a house with two fellow incoming biology grad students. These guys were total strangers to one another, and it could have turned out like an episode of the Big Bang Theory. Fortunately, it worked out pretty well. Jeremy eventually married me and moved out but the other guys remained.

Despite the fact that Jeremy and his roommates held "nerd-off" competitions, possessed fuzzy stuffed "animals" shaped to resemble viruses and bacteria (influenza, e-coli, HIV), and have been known to visit sewage treatment plants in pursuit of lab samples, they are all well rounded and personable. Their domicile became known as the "House of Science" and hosted lots of fun parties. Sadly, after five years of fun times, the House of Science is no more. The dwellers are moving on and out and they hosted a big farewell party last night.

The theme for the party was "Lab Formal". What that means, I don't really know.

At about 1:30 am, four very intoxicated fraternity boys showed up and invited themselves into the house. It was at this point I realized how COMPLETELY distinct these young men were from the other party attendees. Their jazzercise shirts and ridiculously loud stupid behavior pretty much stopped everyone in their tracks. Little did they know, they'd just crashed a party full of folks who will be their professors and TAs during the coming school year.

The best part for me was when two of the young men stumbled into the kitchen and asked what we were doing. Party attendees wearing an assortment of lab coats, safety glasses, latex gloves, hazmat suits, a tux, and other formal wear yelled "SCIENCE EXPERIMENTS!" The fraternity boys looked utterly bewildered.

They departed shortly thereafter.

Disney Marathon 2009 - Here I Come!

2008-07-06T19:22:00.003-04:00

I registered for the 2009 Disney Marathon today.

The full marathon is at 70% capacity, and the half is already closed. Jeremy won't be running with me this year - any takers? I would LOVE to have some company - even if it is just someone to start the race with, and catch up to at the finish line!

I'm shooting for a 4:30 time this year. Really, I'm just delighted to finish, though.

Think about it!!! It is the most fun you can have while burning 2620 calories.

With Age Comes Wisdom

2008-07-03T00:15:00.002-04:00

Tip #1:
When watching So You Think You Can Dance? imagine your father on stage performing the choreography.

Tip #2:
When you have a co-worker and pet with the same name, you can never be specific enough. For example:

"Mischa always follows me into the bathroom, sits on the sink, and stares at me while I use the restroom."

"Mischa would not stop licking me!"

"Mischa slept on your side of the bed every night you were gone."

"Mischa loves it when you rub his belly!"

"When I was gone, Mischa really missed the wrestling."

Summer Happenings

2008-07-01T20:23:00.006-04:00

Mom told me to post more blog entries, but I'm presently at a loss for topics.

I guess a regular update on our lives will have to suffice! J and I went to London in April/May along with our good buddy, Mary B. We had a terrific time in London, saw all the good stuff, and enjoyed performances of the Royal Ballet's The Sleeping Beauty , in addition to catching Spamalot on the West End. I am absolutely convinced that if I make it to Heaven, it will resemble a performance of Spamalot, complete with the confetti and Monty Python sing along.

After a few days in London, we went up to the Lake District and stayed in the booming metroplis that is Great Strickland. The place we rented was AMAZING. I would STRONGLY recommend this self-catering option to anyone interested in staying in a teeny tiny village a little off the beaten path. Jeremy and I did a hike that was supposed to last six hours, but we got lost and hiked to the wrong village. We finished in half the expected time.

My beautiful sister and her husband got married in June and we were thrilled to celebrate with them. Here are a few pics from the joyful occasion:

My sister is pretty much the most beautiful human being on the planet:

Their kids will be ridiculously good looking, in addition to being ridiculously tall.

For those of you who couldn't make it to the wedding, here is the toast I gave. I'm not posting this because I think I'm a great toast-giver, rather, I would like the entire world to know how highly I think of Mary Kate and Brien. They are pretty darn awesome. I love my family.

I am thrilled to take part in the celebration of this joyful union and am surprised you trust me with a microphone.

Brien, I want to share with you a secret about your new wife. Having been fairly well-acquainted with her for the past 23 years, I can say with complete confidence that her internal beauty far surpasses her radiant external beauty. Even on a day like today.

Growing up with Mary Kate, it was clear that she possessed a grace and spiritual grounding far beyond her years. * Always sensitive to the needs of others, Mary Kate embodies what it means to love unconditionally. She is generous and kind, intensely thoughtful and always welcoming.

In all honesty, I could not imagine any man ever being worthy of such a gift as my little sister.

And then we met you, Brien.

At the risk of embarrassing you, I want to say that you and Mary Kate are two peas in a pod. I’m not sure two more compassionate and loving people exist. Brien, you are a remarkable young man and I could not be happier that you are a part of our family. You and Mary Kate have created a relationship that nourishes not only yourselves, but those around you.

For me, you embody the words of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount: blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven, blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied, blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy, blessed are the pure of heart, for they shall see God, blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons and daughters of God.

And now, on this most special occasion, I invite you all to raise your glasses in honor of Mary Kate and Brien.

I love you both.

*Mary Kate did bite/pinch me on occasion, but I was willing to overlook that.

I'm baaaaack

2008-06-22T00:10:00.002-04:00

At the present moment I am home alone. Jeremy won't be back until mid-week, so Mischa (the kitty) and I are holding down the fort.

As of five minutes ago, my fascination with old historic homes ended. While getting ready for bed I had to first sterilize my toothbrush because it was covered in tiny ants. We've been waging a battle against them for several weeks now. Mid-brushing, I heard some bumping and scraping coming from the adjacent room (our bedroom). I moved into the bedroom to scold Mischa for chewing on the wire to the radio, when I realized Mischa was nowhere to be found. There was some OTHER large mammal rooting around IN the wall and under the floor in the master bedroom. While pounding on the wall to frighten the vermin away, I startled a large wood roach. The large wood roach chose to flee the safety of the ceiling and seek refuge in the sheets on the bed. I finally got it out of the bed, only to chase it into my chest of drawers.

Every light in the house is now on, and I'm positive the neighbors have heard me screaming EEEEEWWWW EEEEEWWWWW EEEEEEWWWWWW over and over again. Despite the bug spray, roach motels, and constant bug smashing, I just can't seem to conquer the bugs. I'm no sissy, but this is ridiculous!

A Currently Untapped Market?

2008-03-30T16:08:00.005-04:00

Jeremy and I were driving around Austin yesterday. While at a stop light in our old neighborhood, I looked to my right. Jeremy and I both strained to read the sign on a building nearby. This is what we saw:

A U S T I N C A N * * * * E N T * *

Jeremy and I both gawked. "Does that sign say AUSTIN CANNON RENTAL!!?"

Unfortunately, it was just the Austin Canine Center.

Why did I even get out of bed?

2008-03-30T15:50:00.005-04:00

In a 15 minute span of time yesterday, our cat escaped from the house (and we may or may not have screamed some nice words at the top of our lungs to the entire street), a hornet flew into Jeremy's pants and stung him twice, and my e-mail program decided to send all unsent messages from my draft box (since 2005).

I'll bet that prof of mine from the first semester of grad school was happy to know I won't be able to TA for his spring '06 course.

I am getting old.

2008-03-24T23:45:00.002-04:00

Dave Matthews just reappeared in the CD player and reminded me that I really enjoy familiar things, including his music.

(Living in Austin, Jeremy and I are always being trendy and edgy. (Stop laughing.) We've actually been discussing how we've come to crave a dinner at Applebee's or Red Lobster because frankly, it is EXHAUSTING being so cool all the time. We never eat the same stuff at the same restaurants. We are always at festivals, co-ops, farmers markets, and hipster places. Yes, yes, I know that we inspire everyone with our ability to stay ahead of the latest organic food trends, but cut us some slack! Sometimes I really want a bloomin' onion.)

I checked out Dave's website and saw that he and his posse will be in Houston this August. "Whooo!" I thought to myself. I clicked on info about the venue and saw that his show is at an outdoor amphitheatre. A video started to play showing about a BILLION sweaty young people jumping up and down and singing along with whoever was performing. The film was supposed to show me, random website visitor and prospective concert attendee, what a great time I'd have at this venue.

After watching the promotional video, I was left with one impression: there is NO WAY we are driving to Houston to get trapped in a parking lot with THAT many people.

Cats don't like baths, anyway.

2008-03-16T19:37:00.003-04:00

Easter is quickly approaching and I am reminded of a story.

Jeremy and I help coordinate the RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults) program at our parish. RCIA is the process through which people become Catholic Christians. The celebration of the Easter Vigil is the pinnacle of the liturgical year and the time adults who choose to be received into the Church are baptized, confirmed and take Communion. The liturgy is very beautiful and the church pulls out all the stops: incense, bells, phenomenal music, etc.

Unlike many of our Protestant brothers and sisters and newer Catholic churches, our church lacks a cool baptismal font that would enable the immersion of adults. In order to baptize adults at the Easter Vigil, we had to get creative.

To get the job done two of the other RCIA coordinators went to Toys 'R Us to purchase either a baby pool or a sandbox. They opted for the sandbox because it was neutral in color rather than hideously blue with hippos and elephants. (not that Jesus would care)

At checkout the two RCIA folks told the cashier they would not need the sandbox cover. The cashier responded by saying "well, don't you want the cover to keep the cats out?"

Our friends reassured her that they planned to use the sandbox to perform baptisms, to which the woman responded, "oh, well then you REALLY want to keep the cats out."

Happy Holy Week!

The Onion, Southpark, and now...

2008-03-08T01:32:00.003-05:00

This is dead on. Be forewarned, as this blog cuts close to the bone: Stuff White People Like

Thanks, Sarah :)

IMPORTANT NEWSFLASH!

2008-03-06T21:22:00.002-05:00

I just received this critical message from the creators of facebook...

Erin, you are more desired than 30% of all people.

In total, you were reviewed for dating 1 time and no people expressed interest in you. You are more desirable than 30% of 23,341,397 people.

I'm no MBA, but it seems that e-mailing customers to let them know how UNdesirable they are is not the most effective PR/marketing strategy? Funny, yes, but sound business strategy, no.

Until next time...

Erin, the Undesirable
;)

How Did I Get Here?

2008-03-04T00:47:00.002-05:00

You might have googled one of these phrases. (This is only a partial list of googled phrases that result in hits on this page.)

election 2008 update

browntastic

peanuts in poop

kiwish

big person eating

the dignity of work and the rights of workers

seamless garment tea
(what on earth is this? I am a fan of both the seamless garment viewpoint and tea, but what's with the combination?)

time for a song, a dance, and a little seltzer down your pants....

march 7 holidays in foreign countries

butterbeer alamo drafthouse recipe

analyze the song god bless texas by little texas
(quelle horreur?! not on MY blog!)

person eating photo

poop with peanuts in it

how to combine dna
(?!? - I did NOT blog about this at ANY point)

alittle song, alittle dance, alittle seltzer down your pants

we don't have white christmas in texas

peanuts in my poop

Ok people, I don't know what to do about peanuts in your poop and I'm not sure why I've earned a reputation as the go-to person for such difficulties. Maybe you should switch to cashews.

My Day

2008-03-03T23:47:00.004-05:00

Sooo, I think I have a strong artistic streak in me. Why would I say such a thing? Because I only do things when the spirit moves me (i.e. blogging, washing sheets, smiling). Apparently, others have taken notice of my potential for artistry.

I went to Central Market today. I bought some pecan crusted salmon, smooth peanut butter, vegetable broth, peppers, apples, whole wheat buns, Sweet Leaf tea (it is my crack), pie crusts and an amazingly sharp knife. As the items are being scanned, my cashier initiated the following conversation.

"So...what have you been up to today?"

"Just working... I escaped a little early."

"So...what do you do for a living?"

"Well, I'm the assistant director for an agency that provides transitional housing for homeless women with children."

--Long Period of Awkward Silence--

"So...I'll bet you're good at comedy!"

(To myself: WHAT????!!!!)

"Why yes, I am hilarious all the time."

--In response, cashier dude twirls conveyer belt divider like baton--

Perhaps I'm funny looking? I didn't even have on one of my fun t-shirts today (Cereal Killer, I See Your Pants are On Fire, etc.) I suppose there are worse things to be accused of...

I Sure Hope I'm Flame Retardant...

2008-03-03T23:29:00.002-05:00

We Did It!

2008-01-19T23:07:00.000-05:00

Hooray!

Jeremy and I both crossed the finish line of the '08 Disney Marathon. We'd done two half-marathons before, but this was the first full. The experience was awesome and we're really happy we did it. It was as enjoyable as that much physical discomfort could be. We are fortunate to have wonderful friends and family who came and offered support or sent words of encouragement from different parts of the country. That truly made the event endurable!

From start to finish the race was well organized and the conditions were great. We stayed at the Wilderness Lodge the night before the run. Transport to the start of the race was very simple; at 3:45 am on Sunday we walked right onto a big fancy bus that took us from the hotel to the race's start. We both felt pretty well rested, having slept at least 8 hours every night the week leading up to the big run. On Saturday night we fell asleep by 9 pm with no problem since we were up REALLY early that morning to catch a flight. The bus ride over to the start was pretty quiet as most folks were sleepy. The significance of what we were about to do really hit me when I got on the bus and saw the other runners. They were all so athletic looking. Nobody on the bus looked like a casual runner. That freaked me out a teensy bit. I'm not really all that athletic or serious about running.

Once we got off the bus at Epcot I calmed down a bit as I saw more people who looked like me and less like Olympians. They kept us in a holding area for about an hour and played loud music. To keep warm we bought some throw away sweats. It was so warm and humid - even at 4:30 am - that we just checked our stuff. Here's a few photos of us pre-race. Notice my AWESOME sweatshirt. And no, I have no idea who she is.

We managed to get assigned to Corral D, which was at the very front of the slower runner start. (There were two starts - one for the people on our bus, the fast runners, and a second for the slow pokes.) After watching some middle-aged white dude perform his rendition of the "Soulja Boy" dance to the pre-race warm up music, the race kicked off at 6. It was so dark!

The first few miles were really quiet. Very few spectators could get to the start of the marathon because it is largely on back roads. When we hit Epcot we saw a few folks as we ran next to the giant sphere. (That is also an excellent place to use the theme-park restrooms.)

We were going strong when we saw my Mom, Dad, and sister at mile 9. It was great to see them!

We ran into the Magic Kingdom shortly afterwards. I felt great until about mile 13 when my arches started to get really sore. This was a pain I hadn't anticipated at all - I have never had arch discomfort on training runs so I think that the asphalt we ran on did it. John and Melissa cheered for us at miles 9 and 13 which was so cool! They screamed for us so loudly that the people around us asked if they too could join "Team Brown". It was awesome.

This post is getting really long. I"ll take a break for now and post some more pictures soon.

And we're off...

2008-01-11T23:02:00.000-05:00

Jeremy and I fly to Orlando in a few hours. The marathon is Sunday morning at 6am (but we have to be there at 4!!)

I think we are ready for the race. We've been really good about getting enough rest and Jeremy has a new brace for his knee since his IT band has been giving him grief.

I'm planning to run with either a disposable or video camera. We'll see what is feasible.

Here goes nothing!

Say prayers for us :)

Happy New Year!

2008-01-01T22:18:00.000-05:00

We just returned from a wonderful visit to Indiana during which time we got to see both sets of parents, both sisters, one brutha-in-law, and many friends. It was an outstanding week! We are both sad to be back in Austin. :(

Here are a few pictures from our trip to the North. Better late than never, right? Enjoy!

Context is everything

2007-12-09T17:37:00.000-05:00

Friday afternoon Jeremy and I got pizza with a bunch of people from the biology department. The dinner was a celebration as our dear friends and former biology grad students, Emily & Alan, are in town visiting for a few weeks. They are staying with us and we are delighted to host them. (They are real troopers. Our guest room only has a twin bed and they've had to use our cots/sleeping bags/air mattress with a slow leak.)

As everyone enjoyed the pizzas, I got to catch up with some of our friends I hadn't seen in a while. One of these friends has been a great donor to my workplace, as we often need household items to furnish apartments for the homeless women with children we house and support. She brings us nice sheets and blankets, televisions, and kitchen wares. As can happen with a large group, multiple conversations were taking place concurrently. I'd like to share a slice of the dialogue.

Beckie: Erin, do you need some twin-sized flannel sheets? I'm hanging on to them but don't have a twin-sized bed anymore.

Erin: Sure! We really need some twin-sized sheets right now. We only have twin-sized beds because that discourages sleepovers and overnight visitors, if you know what I mean.

Emily: What do you mean?

Erin: Frankly, we don't think overnight guests are appropriate.

Emily: (After period of awkward silence accompanied by apologetic expression) I guess we can stay with the Morales family...

Christmas in Texas

2007-12-09T16:54:00.000-05:00

Praise the Lord! It's finally cool enough to open some windows!

We got our Christmas tree yesterday. We had to go to Home Depot because the closest farm is a kajillion miles away in Elgin, Texas. It is also difficult to know where to buy trees if you aren't native to the area. The lucky tree is a 6' Frasier Fir. I'm pretty confident that due to its 'C' shaped trunk, its initial occupation was that of Christmas wreath branch donor. It's ok though, they sold us some christmas tree rogaine so we can fill in those bald spots in no time! Also, its unique 'C' shape meant a hefty discount for us!

Weirdly enough, we are only the second people on our street to decorate the outside of our house for Christmas. Growing up, I was accustomed to living on a street visible from space during the holidays, although my family always created sedate displays with white lights and tasteful decor. By comparison to our Austin neighbors, though, we now look like we're operating Santa's workshop. Admittedly the competition isn't too stiff as our across-the-street neighbor is a self-proclaimed "born again pagan". (According to his bumper sticker.)

Tragically, I've seen no life size nativities yet. Jeremy and I were really hoping to get into the spirit of the season by capturing a few group snapshots with 8 lb 6 oz baby Jesus himself, but no such luck.

The Seamless Garment

2007-12-03T00:52:00.000-05:00

Jeremy and I are members of the RCIA team at our parish. We are really fortunate to be a part of the process. Today's speaker was absolutely outstanding and did a great job explaining how and why opposition to embryonic stem cell research, promoting access to a quality education and job opportunities, and supporting environmental efforts stem from a common origin - the dignity of the human person. I love how beautifully consistent Catholic Social Teaching is, and wanted to share its major themes.

Themes of Catholic Social Teaching
( Copyright 2005, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Washington, D.C. )

The Church’s social teaching is a rich treasure of wisdom about building a just society and living lives of holiness amidst the challenges of modern society. Modern Catholic social teaching has been articulated through a tradition of papal, conciliar, and episcopal documents. The depth and richness of this tradition can be understood best through a direct reading of these documents. In these brief reflections, we highlight several of the key themes that are at the heart of our Catholic social tradition.

Life and Dignity of the Human Person
The Catholic Church proclaims that human life is sacred and that the dignity of the human person is the foundation of a moral vision for society. This belief is the foundation of all the principles of our social teaching. In our society, human life is under direct attack from abortion and euthanasia. The value of human life is being threatened by cloning, embryonic stem cell research, and the use of the death penalty. Catholic teaching also calls on us to work to avoid war. Nations must protect the right to life by finding increasingly effective ways to prevent conflicts and resolve them by peaceful means. We believe that every person is precious, that people are more important than things, and that the measure of every institution is whether it threatens or enhances the life and dignity of the human person.

Call to Family, Community, and Participation
The person is not only sacred but also social. How we organize our societyin economics and politics, in law and policy directly affects human dignity and the capacity of individuals to grow in community. Marriage and the family are the central social institutions that must be supported and strengthened, not undermined. We believe people have a right and a duty to participate in society, seeking together the common good and well-being of all, especially the poor and vulnerable.

Rights and Responsibilities
The Catholic tradition teaches that human dignity can be protected and a healthy community can be achieved only if human rights are protected and responsibilities are met. Therefore, every person has a fundamental right to life and a right to those things required for human decency. Corresponding to these rights are duties and responsibilities--to one another, to our families, and to the larger society.

Option for the Poor and Vulnerable
A basic moral test is how our most vulnerable members are faring. In a society marred by deepening divisions between rich and poor, our tradition recalls the story of the Last Judgment (Mt 25:31-46) and instructs us to put the needs of the poor and vulnerable first.

The Dignity of Work and the Rights of Workers
The economy must serve people, not the other way around. Work is more than a way to make a living; it is a form of continuing participation in God’s creation. If the dignity of work is to be protected, then the basic rights of workers must be respected--the right to productive work, to decent and fair wages, to the organization and joining of unions, to private property, and to economic initiative.

Solidarity
We are one human family whatever our national, racial, ethnic, economic, and ideological differences. We are our brothers’ and sisters’ keepers, wherever they may be. Loving our neighbor has global dimensions in a shrinking world. At the core of the virtue of solidarity is the pursuit of justice and peace. Pope Paul VI taught that “if you want peace, work for justice.”1 The Gospel calls us to be peacemakers. Our love for all our sisters and brothers demands that we promote peace in a world surrounded by violence and conflict.

Care for God’s Creation
We show our respect for the Creator by our stewardship of creation. Care for the earth is not just an Earth Day slogan, it is a requirement of our faith. We are called to protect people and the planet, living our faith in relationship with all of God’s creation. This environmental challenge has fundamental moral and ethical dimensions that cannot be ignored.

Maybe I'm Optimistic in Posting This

2007-11-20T00:03:00.000-05:00

For anyone who cares, you can track our marathon progress by going to the above link (embedded in the post's title).

We've both passed the 18-mile benchmark with our training runs, so that's exciting. Mine hurt a lot. The power gels worked really well for me, though. As did the new iPod Nano!

Funny Dude

2007-10-28T21:32:00.000-04:00

This is hysterical. PG-13 language, but extremely funny. Watch it. NOW! :)

Ladies. hahahahaha

We love visitors! :)

2007-10-28T21:10:00.000-04:00

What a wonderful weekend in Austin, Texas!

Jeremy and I just spend the most delightful time with his Mom, Dad and cousins. The stars aligned for us and we had beautiful cool weather in addition to good luck finding lovely places to eat and visit. We hung out at one of the UT Field Stations on Thursday night for its 40th anniversary celebration. We pilfered some BBQ from the reception and listened to a really fun Austin band. Friday came along and we hit the Alamo Drafthouse and saw the Darjeeling Ltd. Saturday morning brought more beautiful weather and a chance for our visitors to explore more than 5 miles of the Town Lake Trail, the Texas State Capitol, and a couple of yummy restaurants (County Line & Shady Grove for those of you who are familiar). After feeling ridiculously old from simply walking down 6th St. (lots of college freshman with fake ids frequent its bars), we plopped ourselves down at the Elephant Room on Congress for some jazz. And this morning's brunch at the East Side was excellent, as expected.

In between the eating, walking, and sight-seeing, Jeremy's parents also changed the headlight on my car, added transmission fluid to Jeremy's vehicle, tuned our piano and picked 18 pounds of pecans. I'm tired from typing all that!!!

We will post pics when we can.

Since we've been fortunate to have a ton of visitors this Summer and Fall, its our turn to reciprocate. So you can track us on your map: next weekend I'm headed to Boston to visit my Grandpa Ed, cousin Katie, and any other family members I can scare up. :) I'll travel on down to DC mid-week and hope to return home on the 10th. We will be in Mobile for T-giving, and then in Indy for Christmas week. Our season of travel wraps up in Mid-January after we return from the marathon in Orlando. We would love to see anyone we can on our travels.

2007-10-20T11:48:00.000-04:00

Good morning, all.

We've had a busy few weeks here. After slogging through a 14-mile training run on the 7th, I spent the next day getting my temperature back below 100 degrees while trying very hard to keep any liquid or food down. Sounds like fun, eh? Don't run outside in Central Texas if you can help it.

The incident made me realize I'm not invincible and need to pay more attention to, as my Grandma would say, "not over-doing it". Now I've been making a pointed effort to cut back on other volunteer activities and prioritize my own sanity and physical health.

Jeremy and I both had some big applications/funding requests due this week, so we are both relieved it is the weekend. Rocky and Lizz are visiting us from Indy today and we are hoping to catch a concert at Stubb's BBQ tonight. I'll be doing a bit of traveling to Boston and other parts of the Northeast very shortly. The organization I work for was awarded a scholarship to attend a fundraising workshop for Catholic organizations facilitated by the Fundraising School at IUPUI. How cool is that??? We get to stay at a fancy hotel right next to the Capitol! I think it will be awesome.

It is finally expected to drop below 80 on Monday! The supposed high is 69 degrees. YAHOO!

Ok, gotta go find some clean running shorts. We are scheduled for 18 miles today but that won't happen unless I morph into the bionic woman. Or someone chases me with a dog. The dog thing might happen, actually. Part of our Town Lake trail takes us right through the dog park (which I hate running through). Somebody always thinks it is a good idea to let their un-neutered pit bull "play" with the other animals and people. I take that chance to practice sprints and toss out the raw meat I normally keep in my pockets.

Fun with the Family

2007-10-02T23:52:00.000-04:00

Memories of my trip to New Orleans

Karma

2007-10-02T23:26:00.000-04:00

I just returned from a great trip to New Orleans to help my sister pick out her wedding gown. Whoo!! She looks gorgeous and should have photographers paying HER to take photos at the wedding. I, on the other hand, just eat a bunch of beignets and have bangs.

A few posts ago, I made fun of my mom for being an amateur in the burglary-of-one's-own-home department. When I returned from New Orleans Jeremy warned me that the deadbolt on the front door broke off in the locked position, rendering that door totally unusable. As we tried to get in through the back door, we realized the asymmetrical door frame was preventing us from unlocking it. Sadly, we only had a AAA Plus membership. Were we to upgrade to premium, we could call a locksmith. (we didn't. we are cheap) We tried and tried and tried to force the key and got blisters and probably yellow fever from all the mosquitoes while the fish, meat, and ice cream I'd just bought stewed in the trunk.

Then, after 20+ minutes of trying to unlock our door with the key, some really smart person (me) suggested we get some WD-40. I have to say, after the rust, moisture, and one spider shot out of the lock, we were in! Before you invite me to teach a shop class or give lectures on home remodeling, know that I do charge quite a lot of money. ($1-$5) I also require my own dressing room/trailer.

We always assumed that it was really easy to break in here - I guess the quirks due to the home's age are more of an asset than a liability! I'm still REALLY glad we don't own the place.

My Presidential Endorsement

2007-09-04T23:29:00.000-04:00

I know you've been waiting breathlessly for my endorsement, so here it is:

Joe Schriner for President!

Thanks to my brother and sister-in-law, we were introduced to this man's campaign for the White House. I can honestly say I'd feel GREAT voting for him. His views are consistent and rooted in something deeper than his donors' pockets. If, like me, you've been fretting about who to support in the 2008 election, Joe's your man!

What a breath of fresh air! Somebody get this man on the Daily Show.

You say goodbye, I say hello

2007-08-26T15:55:00.000-04:00

It's that time of year again. College students are back in Austin and the Target parking lot looks like the mall at Christmastime. With the arrival of new students we must say goodbye to those who have graduated and are moving on to exciting new adventures. We seem to be saying LOTS of goodbyes to friends though. I guess that comes with the territory when you've been part of a PhD program. The point is for people to finish and leave, and eventually they do. Sadly, this happens in canon. It's always a bummer when you are the only voice left singing "row, row, row your boat" though, isn't it?

Our first friends to move on this summer actually left in June. We got to know Paul and Ana through one of Jeremy's fellowships (scholarship). Paul and Ana went to Oxford, and they are some of the most interesting and delightful people you'll ever meet. They introduced us to the benefits of supporting local agriculture (I love the goat cheese lady at the farmer's market -a lot), buying organic, and gardening. They did a beautiful job sharing their enthusiasm for all things environmental in an instructive and faith-filled way. I learned a lot about what it means to be a Christian steward of God's creation by caring for the men and women who are a part of the farming and agriculture industry, as well as the land itself. We do hope to visit them in Germany or Slovenia or wherever their studies/family and work eventually lead them!

Emily and Alan just hit the road last week. They were part of Jeremy's lab at school and in addition to being evolutionary biologists, are also fellow Catholics. They have always been unwavering in their faith and good scientists, too. It's nice to spend time with other folks who like making the point that faith and reason are not mutually exclusive. They have been welcoming loyal friends. We wish them much success in their post-docs.

It is weird to think that our time in Austin is coming to a close. We've probably got a year and half to go. It is exciting to imagine what adventure we'll go on next. For the time being, we are just enjoying our friends here and the offerings of this weird place.

PSA for Fellow Gym Go-ers

2007-08-09T00:57:00.000-04:00

To the gentleman who does the jiggle stretches and insists on running in tiny boxer shorts: please stop.

Marathon Update

2007-08-05T12:51:00.000-04:00

I am so excited about getting to run through Walt Disney World I could throw up. In fact, I probably will! Our training is going well. Jeremy trains a lot more diligently than I do - he does weights on his off days and runs much faster miles. Given that I've fought injuries for so long I'm really content to ease into the weekly mileage. I haven't done any serious running for two years so I'm actually proud of myself for sticking to the schedule we've got.

I've been investigating the course, adjacent hotels, likely temperatures, water stops and potty situation for the race. It really does look like a lot of fun. I think I'll make some Disney-themed playlists for the training runs.

In case you've decided to join us, here's the schedule we are starting with (we are on week 9):

After we get thru this, we transition to this one:

(Schedules came from marathontraining.com.)

Gonna go drink some water. Later!

I Need Your Help

2007-08-05T11:52:00.000-04:00

Alright folks, I know my blog readership isn't high, but those of you who do read it are marvelously funny and quite literate. I need you to stretch your haiku writing skills for me. Well, not for me but for the clients at my place of work.

A grant-making foundation is offering several thousand dollars for the best haiku written by a health and human service agency. Aside from being the most fantastically short grant application ever, this could be a wonderful departure from what I normally write. In exchange for my eternal gratitude and knowing that you've provided months of safe supportive housing for women and children, won't you consider writing a housing/homelessness related haiku for me?

In case you are rusty, it's 5-7-5. I do reserve the right to submit your haiku to the contest, should I like it. :) I will be sure to nofity you if you are the winner of my contest.

Pants

2007-07-19T00:52:00.000-04:00

Me, Jesus "Light of the World" Christ, and Jeremy drinking something

Jeremy and I are officially crazy. (But not as crazy as our friends who are currently camping in the Serengeti.)

We registered for a marathon. Fortunately, we've given ourselves 6 months to prepare for it. We started our training last week and bought some fancy running shoes yesterday. I think the shoes really do make a difference. I got some Brooks running shoes that are lighter than air and support my foot and ankle so well I can run without pain in my ankle/tendon/knee. Sometimes it pays not to be cheap, I guess.

We were a little bummed because we intentionally shopped at a specialty running store called Run-Tex, and the service I got was underwhelming. We sort of figured that part of what you pay for at a specialty shop is a helpful salesperson. The guy who worked with Jeremy was fine, but the person who helped me out just looked bored and barely said anything apart from "you are flat-footed and have wide feet." I actually left feeling a little worse about myself than when I went in. He found some good shoes for my fat flat feet though, so that's what's most important I guess.

This past weekend was spent in Katy, Texas with some of our favorite people. We had a great time - except I DO NOT RECOMMEND RUNNING/WALKING/GOING OUTSIDE IN HOUSTON. It is so darn hot and humid! I'm still a little sweaty. We got to see Harry Potter 5 at the Alamo, which was fantastic. As you can see in the photo, I also found Jesus.

All In A Day's Work

2007-07-12T00:10:00.000-04:00

If a slightly sweaty, dirty, and red-faced woman holding a brick knocked on your door yesterday, it was probably my mother.

Apparently she got locked out of the house after both my dad and my sister went to work/school. (That's what you get for doing yard work, I suppose.) Mom didn't initially panic because she was wearing pants and had access to the outside hose. After digging for metal like an odd person at the beach, she found nothing in the flowerbeds that could be used as a file to force the door open. I think it was at this point she wandered the 'hood seeking access to a telephone, but either no one was home to answer her knocks or she looked too crazy. :)

Given that plans A & B failed, Mom moved on to plan C. She grabbed a brick and tried smashing the windows. She smashed and she whacked but after a half hour, the windows refused to give. Having enjoyed whacking stuff with the brick, she decided to smash the doorknob until it fell off. Which it did. 45 minutes later. While still locked. :)

Don't worry folks, my mom managed to get in after jimmying the lock. She is a resourceful lady and a Class A burglar!!!

I love you Mom! Glad you got back in the house and thank you for making me laugh harder than I have in a long time!

1:52 am Haiku

2007-07-10T02:47:00.000-04:00

Jet lag keeps me up
Maybe I'll re-mow the lawn
Need Benadryl now

Our Triumphant Return to Texas

2007-07-06T23:56:00.000-04:00

Well, not really triumphant, but we did indeed return.

Since we are now home please note: if you were planning to break into our house and take stuff (you would be disappointed unless you are into cat hair and books on prison reform), go with your plan B and take a nap or a shower instead.

We are happy to be back in the land of wireless internet, wash cloths, watermelons (the fruit) and water parks. The trip to New Zealand was terrific. Our time there was not long enough because the longer we spent exploring, the more we wanted to do. We returned with some good pictures, a few souvenirs, one cold, and one less cell phone than when we left Austin last month. I have NO IDEA where my cell phone is but I am certain it fell out somewhere in New Zealand. If you've tried to call, I'm so sorry I haven't gotten back to you. Shoot me an e-mail because I'd love to hear from you.

The contrasts between the U.S. and New Zealand were both subtle and stark. Based on the Customs inspections, it is clear that Kiwis prioritize environmental contamination prevention FAR more than counterterrorism. We didn't even have to show IDs on our domestic flights. The security screening we went through didn't require the removal of shoes, pants, or my gold grill, etc. Hooray!

Another political/cultural difference between N.Z. and the U.S. is that there were very few people living in extreme poverty or sub-standard housing. In fact, on our return flight I overheard an Air New Zealand flight attendant warning fellow New Zealanders (and first-time visitors to the U.S.) that there are "about ten homeless people on every block" in San Francisco and that "they can been seen in the clear light of day!" The flight attendant then went on to recommend the visitors seek out a "really smart" store called "WAL-MART" for its great selection of jeans and athletic socks at really cheap prices. I pretty much had to sit in my seat with two hands over my mouth in order to prevent some sort of outburst. Perhaps there is a connection between copious amounts of cheaply produced stuff we don't need and widespread poverty? One of the reasons New Zealand was such a delightful place to visit was because it did not have "really smart" stores like Wal-Mart or the same culture of stuff.

Now for some pictures!

The Southern Alps

Mom, me, and Jeremy at the Arts Centre in Christchurch

Christchurch had a very British feel to it

Three doctors, one nurse, a dolphin trainer and a penguin walk into a bar...

Travel Update

2007-06-24T05:35:00.000-04:00

Greetings from Queenstown, New Zealand!

After an arduous journey from Christchurch that included a snowstorm, several closed mountain passes, snow chains, and two nights in a tiny place that sounded like “Obama-rama” (or Omarama if you are looking for it on a map), we were thrilled to get here this afternoon.

The trip thus far has been a wonderful one - blizzard conditions and all. Christchurch was a terrific place to hang out with lots of cool eateries and bars, arts centers and museums. We were able to catch the Tranzalpine Railway from the city to Greymouth via the Southern Alps. The views were jaw-dropping the entire way. Aside from an all too short stop for lunch that required Mom, Dad, and myself to practically run down the street, shovel as much as we could down our throats, and haul it back to the train, it was a leisurely way to spend the day. Back in Christchurch we also checked out the International Antarctic Centre. It was awesome. While we were at the Centre, Dad, Jeremy and I put on some boots and jackets and spent time in the Antarctic conditions tank. It was full of snow and an ice slide and the temps actually dipped to -24 C. The Centre also had a great penguin exhibit! Visiting the Centre also helped us realize how close we really are to Antarctica. What a welcome change from Texas in the summer.

Our hotel here in Queenstown is really nice. It’s a pretty new ski lodge about 1 minute from the middle of the city. We walked to a bird conservation park today and got to see real Kiwis and a tuatara or two. Very cool.

A few things we’ve noticed about New Zealand are that they have very well stocked tea and coffee supplies in every hotel room, and everyone who lives here is incredibly fit. Since leaving Texas we’ve not seen a single out-of-shape person. When in San Francisco we noticed the hills trimmed the love handles off of everyone, and all the Kiwis seem to jog up mountains with regularity. Apparently, folks here can tell Jeremy and I are Americans as they keep giving us hotel rooms for the disabled. Also, all of the toilets give the option of choosing a full or half flush.

We are hoping to check out some Lord of the Rings scenery in the next day or so, although we are certain we’ve seen a few places already. This place is indescribably beautiful.

I'll post pics as soon as I can. For some reason blogger won't let me right now. Grr..

Learning to Speak Kiwish

2007-06-17T22:36:00.000-04:00

Hello reader!

For those of you who are unaware, we are in New Zealand. Despite the fact that it is winter, and quite chilly, we are having a wonderful time. Jeremy and I are both attending the Evolution 2007 meetings. Only one of us understands (and attends) any of the presentations but the other member of this duo understands how to procure a free lunch and wireless internet. :) Jeremy's talk took place this morning and was outstanding. He is a natural speaker and presented some data that is fairly significant to folks in his field. I had never seen him deliver an academic talk before and was most impressed.

It was great to celebrate Father's Day with my dad yesterday since Mom and Dad are with us. We send our love across the Pacific to Jeremy's dad and look forward to celebrating with a phone call at an appropriate time. We also celebrated Jeremy's birthday - but only for a moment - on the flight over here. His birthday got lost when we crossed the International Date Line. Before returning to the U.S. we will also celebrate our anniversary and my birthday. Basically, we are one nonstop party.

Prior to arriving in NZ we got to hang out in San Francisco for a few days. It was great! We actually stayed in the rectory of an old cathedral with our friend. He used to be the Associate Pastor at our home parish but has since moved out to CA. We had a great visit and only spent a grand total of $186 for lodging, food, transportation, and toursity stuff for all three days in the city. How awesome is that??

A few quick highlights of our NZ adventure include the plethora of women walking the street adjacent to our accomodations (that "feature" was not included in the rental property's online description), the beautiful scenery, and the copious amounts of high quality tea served WITH MILK. Whoo!!!!!! I love these people. For the milk in the tea, that is.

For those of you expecting souvenirs, be forewarned: possum fur is all the rage down here. Who wants a possum toothbrush?? what about a beach towel? pillowcase, anyone???

I Wish Alcohol Tasted Good

2007-05-30T23:50:00.000-04:00

I have no idea what to do with myself. Thank God for work, or else Jeremy would probably leave me. Right now my non-work time (or free time, as some might refer to it) basically consists of me asking Jeremy, "whatcha doin'?" or "hey, whatcha doin' now?" while he tries to read and work on his research. I have also found myself tap dancing through the living room, trying to walk as loudly as I can across the hardwood floor while not wearing shoes, and rearranging bedroom furniture. Just for fun I mowed the lawn and got an eye exam.

I've done a few constructive things since retiring from public policy school. The fridge has a lot more room in it since I cleaned out the fuzzy/runny/brown/mustard items. (I just nearly barfed. Even typing that word makes me ill.) The entire ninth season of Frasier just came out on DVD and you can let the DVD people know that every disk in the collection works really well. I checked out every episode to be sure. We've also been pretty good about regular workouts in case we decide to enter the marathon.

Rather than add on a back porch or second level to the rental house, I'm hoping to redirect the rest of my energy somewhere practical and useful. Finally free from the scourge of busy-ness (but not business?), I'm just not sure how to do this. Perhaps I'll immerse myself in "Spanish for Dummies" so I can expand my phrases from "please stay away from the doors" and "104.9" to something helpful like "I do not speak Spanish".

My Birthday is Coming Up

2007-05-25T19:20:00.000-04:00

Everyone and their mother wears those colored bracelets now. ( I don't.) If I were to become trendy, I'd wear this one:

Also, The Onion now has apparel for babies. I think this is hysterical. Consider buying a baby you know one of these hip shirts. :) Because if you don't, I will.

My Apologies for the Rant...

2007-05-25T17:26:00.000-04:00

Since I’ve decided to begin cooking again now that I’ve finished school, I went to the grocery store today. I was pretty proud of myself for getting everything we needed rather quickly. I wound up standing at the checkout for 20 minutes, though. Rather than become fixated (the way I normally do) on trashy tabloids featuring Kate Hudson’s bizarre looking “Summer’s WORST bikini bod”, I started looking at what the people in front of me were buying. It was sadder than a celebrity’s botched liposuction.

The pregnant mother at the checkout had two shopping carts worth of garbage. I certainly purchase my fair share of junk food, but I try to mix in a salad or a gallon of organic milk to ease my conscience. Growing up my mom took great care to feed us whole grain, low-fat, unsaturated meals. At that time I’d have preferred a “Lunchable” or a gallon of whole chocolate milk, but I’ve come to appreciate and emulate her food selections since then. Looking at the expectant mom unload Cookie Crisp, Frosted Flakes, Coke, Mountain Dew, Fanta, Chocolate Pop-Tarts, a huge case of Raman Noodles, Kool-Aid, breading for fried pork, Doritos, etc. almost prompted me to say something. I didn’t, of course, but watching her pile that junk in her cart made me realize we truly are what we eat. My point is not to sound judgmental (I do love chocolate cereal), but to prompt contemplation about the consequences of decisions we make, and what public policies we might initiate for society’s benefit.

How can we shift people’s purchasing habits? I don’t know, but I do have some ideas. For starters, I’ll bet documentaries like Supersize Me make an impact. Much of the junk available for purchase is cheap and takes less time to prepare than healthier options. (Obvious, I know.) However, maybe we should mandate everyone participate in an anatomy class in order to see the effects of a poor diet ? That would be popular, eh? Maybe we should tax junk food? Junk food taxes would probably be similar to tobacco and alcohol taxes in that demand for the product is pretty inelastic (thanks, MSG!), and would simply reduce the money available for a family’s other necessities. Perhaps we need tighter FDA regulation on processed foods? I acknowledge that people do have the right to eat garbage all day, everyday, but can’t we make it somehow less appealing?

Personally, I think that removing candy and coke from school cafeterias is an important step towards improving the country’s health. Starting children on healthy diets from the very beginning is even more important, however, and something we can’t necessarily legislate. Aside from paying higher wages so parents can afford better quality food and more time at home, I don’t know how to help people prioritize their own health and well-being. We are creatures of habit, though. (Have I mentioned how much I like chocolate cereal?) Starting a child off on a healthy diet may be one of the most important things we can do to ensure the overall wellbeing of the country.

For the sake of the unborn little one in line with me at the grocery store today, I hope his mom figures this out soon.

Maybe we should get cable now?

2007-05-21T23:16:00.000-04:00

I came a long way to get to graduation.

After an eventful few weeks, and a full 25+ years, I’m experiencing a weird new thing called “free time”. While sitting on the couch watching Frasier without an ounce of guilt, it occurred to me that this is the first time in my life I’ve not had some enormous event looming on the horizon. After graduating from college I spent my days commuting a few hours to work and doing long-distance wedding planning. The following year was consumed with GRE prep and graduate school applications. Then came the grad program.

So here I idly sit, a little unnerved but quite content. (It is a little like the feeling I get after a migraine has passed.) I’m grateful for the opportunity to attempt Spanish conversation classes, a full marathon, and ballet for old fogeys in the coming year. But for now, I’m happy to sit with my hubby, post some pictures on the blog, and go to bed before 1am. :)

Jeremy may be more relieved than I am that I'm finished:

It was wonderful to share commencement with my mom and dad, little sissy and my future bro-in-law.

Done and done.

God Bless Texas

2007-05-01T21:35:00.000-04:00

While scanning for bill movement in the Texas Legislature, I came across important legislation that's received virtually no attention! For all you public policy buffs, you can check out the bill analysis right here.

Let it be known that Friona is THE cheeseburger capital of Texas.

At last!!

(The small red dot in the panhandle is the object of burger lovers' affection.)

I should be doing homework

2007-03-08T00:42:00.000-05:00

Hello. Blogging after such a long absence is a little uncomfortable. Sorry about that.

Only seven more weeks of classes. Whoo! The hubby and I will be headed to New Zealand for part of the summer.

Mischa has been knocking all kinds of stuff off of dressers in the middle of the night. Knocked items include, but are not limited to: tic tacs, my (now broken) curling iron, phones, hairbrushes, keys, coins, and elves. His newest hobby is reading. So far he has pulled a number of books ranging from The Secret Life of Bees to Tonal Harmony off of the shelves.

Going to bed now. I know that was a lame post. Spring break is upcoming and we will be sleeping outside. After camping I will more than likely have something to say.

Could you pass the TP? Oh, are you seeing anyone?

2007-01-29T00:00:00.000-05:00

The following story made me laugh hysterically. Unfortunately, I cannot take any credit for instigating it, experiencing it, or writing it. It first appeared in the NY Times in January of 2006.

I was barely sitting down when I heard a voice from the other stall saying,
"Hi, how are you?"

I'm not the type to start a conversation in the restroom but I don't know
what got into me, so I answered, somewhat embarrassed, "Doin' just fine!"

And the other person says, "So what are you up to?"

What kind of question is that? At that point, I'm thinking this is too bizarre so I say, "Uhhh, I'm like you, just traveling!"

At this point I am just trying to get out as fast as I can when I hear another question. "Can I come over?"

Ok, this question is just too weird for me but I figured I could just be polite and end the conversation. I said "No.......I'm a little busy right now!!!"

Then I hear the person say nervously...

"Listen, I'll have to call you back. There's an idiot in the other stall who keeps answering all my questions."

Election 2008 Update

2007-01-28T00:29:00.000-05:00

Ha ha. Hillary really stinks.

Interesting Interview

2007-01-16T00:10:00.000-05:00

For those of you interested in the story of the football team and community featured in "We Are Marshall" I suggest you check out this interview.

The feature highlights one of our parish priests. He was the team chaplain for Marshall during the tragedy depicted in the film. He shares personal reflections on the events and his opinion of the film. According to the interview, his voice can be heard in several scenes.

If Jeremy and I were to combine DNA...

2007-01-14T23:55:00.000-05:00

...this is who we would probably end up with.

Funny doesn't even begin to describe this video. I love watching the adults try to maintain their composure.

Merry Christmas!

2006-12-26T01:04:00.000-05:00

We are very blessed with wonderful, thoughtful, and funny relatives and friends. Jeremy and I had a great Christmas. Today's highlights included:

A hook and metal tongs

Piles of gold and riches

(Just kidding. Do not rob us. We will use the aforementioned hooks to defend ourselves.)

I also have the best in-laws EVER. Hands down. This particular gift wins the 2006 prize for creativity/usefulness:

You may be asking, "why the &*^$$ is that useful?" Because I've got a debutante luncheon to attend on Wednesday and this is Alabama!

True Story

2006-12-17T00:46:00.000-05:00

There was once a girl who was forced to compete in a pageant. Did I say pageant? I meant scholarship program.

This girl mistakenly believed that contestants were selected to compete based on the content of their applications. You cannot begin to imagine her embarassment when, during the course of the actual county-wide competition, she was asked to elaborate on her selection of Osama Bin Laden as one of the three most influential people in her life.

We go together like Paris and Britney

2006-12-06T13:23:00.000-05:00

This is how I feel right now:

This is my friend who brings me comfort, happiness, and a new lease on life:

One more semester...just one more semester...

Add These To Your Amazon.com Wishlist!

2006-12-04T21:31:00.000-05:00

My pick for the most concerning title: Population and Other Problems - by none other than CHINA.

Thanks, Dad!

Traveling for the holidays? Why not get your hip replaced while you sightsee?

2006-11-29T20:39:00.000-05:00

The need for healthcare reform is a hot topic nationwide. I'm pretty certain Bush will charge the new Democrat leadership with sorting out both healthcare and Social Security (in under two years) as penance for ousting the Republicans. I sure hope somebody gets the job done.

Today I was introduced to the concept of "medical tourism". Medical tourism refers to the increasing numbers of Americans who, seeking cheap/new procedures, travel to foreign countries to have surgery. Originally popular with people desiring cosmetic procedures, it's becoming much more common for a broad range of medical necessities. Health insurance has become so expensive for employers, three different Fortune 500 companies and THE STATE OF WEST VIRGINIA are experimenting with medical tourism for heart bypasses, valve replacements, hysterectomies, and angioplasties. A heart-valve replacement costs insurers in the U.S. $71,401 versus $9,500 for the same procedure in India, travel and lodging included. Concerning? Yes, for lots of reasons.

For more information about medical travel agencies, you can check this out. I'm in no way endorsing the service, I just think it makes for an interesting read.

Barriers to Enjoyment

2006-11-27T19:02:00.000-05:00

The following are the remaining projects that separate me from freedom/happiness/sleep/friends/outside communication/sanity/Christmas:

NOTHING!!!!

I AM FREE! :) :) :) :)

Person Eating Tasty Animals

2006-11-25T22:57:00.000-05:00

I like turkey. Yummy. Speaking of eating animals...

I'll wouldn't be surprised if my academic cohort was behind this mishap. I particularly enjoyed the line about the cow costume. Poor minister!

Gobble Gobble Moo.

Holy cow. It is November 18!

2006-11-18T18:33:00.000-05:00

Long time no blog. Sorry about that.

Not to be irreverent, or to knock Scientology weddings (just Scientology), but the betting has begun. How long will Katie last as Mrs. Crazy Cruise?

All I know is that she will get a killer book/magazine/movie deal out of their divorce.

Happy Birthday Mary Kate!

2006-10-12T16:27:00.000-04:00

I love you Mary Kate! I hope you have a wonderful birthday celebration! A more wonderful "little" sister doesn't exist anywhere :)

In honor of your birthday, and to help you guess what your present is, I've put together a mini-photo album of some back tattoos I saw at the Austin City Limits Music Festival.

Had these people known I was (1) photographing them and (2) capturing them as a gift to you, they would no doubt join me in singing,

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU,
HERE'S LOTS OF TATTOOS,
HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEAR MARY KATE,
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!"

Everything You Ever Wanted To Ask...

2006-09-11T02:30:00.000-04:00

A little song, a little dance, a little seltzer down your pants

2006-09-11T02:11:00.000-04:00

Mom, I love you and got 50 (pronounced FI-tee) Cent to write this for you:

Happy Birthday to you!
I just stepped in poo!

Happy Birthday dear Mom!
Let's go to the prom!

XOXOXOXOOXXOOXXOXOXOXOOXOXXOXOXOXOXOXO

Happy Labor Day!

2006-09-04T00:07:00.000-04:00

Howdy.

I do hope everyone is enjoying Labor Day weekend. I'm immensely grateful for the additional day without class as I have a billion pages to read for three of my seminars. The fourth is a Monday course and we've not yet met.

Jeremy and I just returned from Houston. We enjoyed watching Tom Glavine pitch for the Mets in Friday's game against the Astros, courtesy my Grandpa Ed. :) :) :) We celebrated the wedding of our friends Dave and Averill on Saturday evening, also in Houston, but I have no photos to share.

I've been experiencing cell phone issues recently. The phone was lost for about three weeks before I got a replacement, and this weekend I forgot my phone charger. Errrrrr. At least I won't use too many minutes? I have now lost just about everyone's phone number since they were all stored in my old phone. My sister and I must share the "I lose cell phones often" gene. She flushed her phone down the toilet. I still don't have a clue where mine ended up. I did drop an entire set of xylophone bars down the toilet once. Then my mom made me fish all of them out.

Dinner anyone?

Does this photo need a caption?

2006-08-27T23:39:00.000-04:00

The Three Ps: Parents - Poop - Peanuts

2006-08-23T14:24:00.000-04:00

My parents just visited. It was so wonderful to have company! We got to salsa dance at the Oasis, see a scorpion, learn about the long and proud history of the State of Texas, and visit Fredricksburg. Here are a few pictures taken at the Altdorf Restaurant and Biergarten:

On an entirely different note, I just brought the cat home from his annual trip to the vet. He HATES the vet. He had to be given three different sedatives: one solid, one liquid, and one gas - none of which knocked him out. Once I got him home he was totally fine and stopped machine-gunning poop.

Now that you are hungry I thought I'd post a recipe given to me by a friend from church. Jeremy and I are trying to make large quantities of food on weekends so that we have more free time during the week. It has proven to be cost effective and easy. I made this soup and it is awesome, but not recommended for those of you with peanut allergies. You can eat this stuff for days and it only gets better with time.

Peanut Soup:

Ingredients:
2/3 cup smooth peanut butter (no sugar/no salt variety-low fat is also good)
1/2 cup uncooked brown rice
2 onions
6 garlic cloves
8 cups vegetable broth
1 (28 oz) can of whole, peeled tomatoes - to be used diced
1 red, yellow, or orange bell pepper
1 green bell pepper
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper
1/2 tsp. crushed black pepper

Directions:
Saute chopped onion and minced garlic in peanut oil until clear. Add broth, tomatoes, and all other ingredients EXCEPT brown rice. Simmer for 30 mins or more. Add rice and simmer for an additional 15 minutes (at very least).

Enjoy!

Memories

2006-08-13T15:20:00.000-04:00

While packing for our recent move we came across two binders from our engaged retreat weekend. Having gone on a few retreats in college and high school we were anticipating something more rigorous than the "Encounter", a weekend low on theology and spirituality but saturated with fascinating conversations involving lift kits for monster trucks and what it's like to date your step-brother.

Many of the retreat exercises involved writing letters to your spouse-to-be. I came across a letter Jeremy wrote me that seemed a bit foreboding and demonstrated clearly how serious we were about the weekend's purpose:

"Erin, frankly I'm not sure that we will be able to overcome our difference in preferred brand of cigarettes. I mean, I've always been a Marlboro man and always will be. I know that you prefer the Newports, but I just can't handle them. After all, if you're going to have a smoke, make it worth the effort of lighting up."

Whew, harsh words. It's a good thing we've both switched from smoking to chewing tobacco.

The following excerpt from another of Jeremy's entries sums up our highly effective non-verbal communication plan:

"I think we should use more non-verbal communication. Like the middle finger... or the ear lobe... or maybe just punching. Next time you're really mad at me just sock me in the stomach. Once I get my wind back, I'll be happy to discuss with you how I can be more life-giving. Or we could do more of this fun journaling- that's non-verbal."

On the one hand you should read these entries and be horrified that such juvenile people were allowed to marry. On the other hand, you could be happy we found each other. :)

My new career

2006-07-27T21:19:00.000-04:00

Let it be known to all that I am awesome. And forgetful. I locked us out of the townhouse today BUT I was able to successfully break in with a credit card. In under 5 seconds. Thank you Price family for teaching me useful life skills (belching and burglary)!

Thanks to Andrea for this hilarious list of really bad websites. Please note that some of them are a bit crude - my apologies in advance.

On a random note, one of the little girls at St. Louise House CANNOT remember my name, even though I've told her what it is about 10,005 times. She decided to simply call me "ballerina" today. How weird is that? I swear I don't wear leotards to work.

Moving!

2006-07-23T23:38:00.000-04:00

Jeremy and I are getting ready to move. Mischa is helping!

Here's a few evening shots of the new place. We think it's quite cute.

A view from the front door:

Mischa is really excited about the new place.

It's Gettin' Hot in Here...

2006-07-10T23:40:00.000-04:00

The car I'm driving has a broken fan. Running the heater at max capacity prevents the engine from overheating. The heat index reached 100 outside the car this afternoon.

Anybody want a ride? :)

Wedding Time!

2006-07-04T20:02:00.000-04:00

Happy 4th of July!

I just returned to Austin after trips to Boston, Mobile, and Indianapolis. It has been a wild few weeks. Due to the circumstances of our travels, we've seen almost every relative and close friend in the past two weeks . On Sunday I also (without realizing it) hung out with either Michael or Ralf Shumacher (think Formula-1 racing) in the Indy airport and was nearly squashed by Taylor Hicks (American Idol) in O'Hare.

Now for the fun part. Pictures! Congrats to Sarah & Nick and Susanna & Nolan!

The new Rev. & Mrs. Nolan Donald:

Three of Susanna's bridesmaids (me, burkie, and lynne):

The new Mr. & Mrs. Klingler:

Lots of Hoosiers in attendance to celebrate with the happy couple - Go IU!

My cute husband:

We fought the law...

2006-06-17T23:11:00.000-04:00

We had some trouble with the law this evening. Yes, Jeremy is experimenting with a life of crime. I've advised him against it based on my experiences in jail but he insisted on driving 30 miles per hour. Before you judge him for driving at such an excessive speed, know that UT's campus (scene of the crime) was completely deserted as it was 7:15 on a Saturday night, so he really wasn't endangering anyone.

Given that we are a shifty looking pair, it took two police cars to subdue the Browns. One officer guarded the passenger door (lest I bolt) while the other interviewed the suspect. Due to the utter ridiculousness of the situation we escaped with but a warning. Luckily my incessant giggling didn't irritate the officers. It was also a stroke of luck that Jeremy wasn't wanted for anything.

Happy Birthday, Jeremy, my handsome outlaw!

Oh yeah, it's almost our anniversary....

2006-06-16T19:56:00.000-04:00

This made the news a few days ago. I thought it was timely given that the wedding season is now heavily underway.

Recipe for a good blog post

2006-05-27T23:19:00.000-04:00

Movable letters on a church sign + you = funny blog post

We currently live next to a small church. They always have inspirational sayings on the sign in the parking lot and I want to share the messages with you. Not for your benefit, but because I want you to rearrange the letters. :) Now, I'm sure no one reading this has ever done such a thing, but for those of you (MOM!) who have the desire to rearrange letters but lack the nerve, height, or blood alcohol level, this post's for you.

Come on people. Make me laugh. I know you are all funny. :)