Back In Action

On Thanksgiving Day, All Over America, Families Sit Down To Dinner At The Same Moment - Halftime.

I love Thanksgiving. Not just the food, but everything. It's like Christmas with lower stress levels. Granted there are no gifts, but there is also no church. That sounds bad, I realize, but church is just one of those things that you have to work into your schedule. Stress. People come home for Thanksgiving too, which is nice. And when you're in school you get this nice break. Maybe I enjoy it because I haven't had one in 4 years. Last year, I was in Hell, or Florida for those not in the know, so I was working. It was the worst. At least when I worked in Austin, the 2 previous years, I could grab a bite of turkey, then head to work. In Florida, I was stuck, alone, in a place that doesn't respect tradition. Gross. I was also harassed via text messages. Nice little reminders that I wasn't sprawled on a couch watching The Game.

But all that is behind me now. This year, dinner is at our house, so more cooking falls to me. Generally I make one dish, but this year, I'm making one dish, then assisting with all the other ones. I have also been taken off green beans and given the dressing. The dressing is much more time consuming, so my busy aunt took the easier recipe. Only one problem. When I make the green beans, which I've been doing for years, I don't follow the recipe exactly. I had a couple of different secret ingredients. I also add some not so secret ingredients. Double the fried onions. Sounds simple, but it makes all the difference. Also, it sounds fat, but I'm telling you that the amount that is called for is way too little. So maybe not double, but extra.

Football should be good this year too. Last year I sat in an empty hotel room and watched the victory, but it was not the same being alone. Nathan will be at the game this year, so I will not be able to taunt him, so the Momma will be receiving most of it. Lucky her. I'm predicting a nap at one point, or at least a comatose state on the couch. Yup, that's the plan. To you and yours, Happy Thanksgiving!

Turkey Day Approaches

Missing Kitty, Or Not

Now, I realize that many of you are not what you would call, "cat lovers". So, with that in mind, this post is not technically about a cat, it is more about the ridiculousness that is Timber Cove.

Earlier this morning, I received an email regarding a missing cat. A family down the street just got a new kitten, to replace their recently deceased one, and of course, the cat ran away. Now, I have never had an animal that ran away. Darcy, for instance, always stayed in or around the yard. She occasionally refused to come inside, but she had the smarts to realize where her food was. I digress. The first email came at 9:35a.m. Then, 3 minutes later, the exact same email was forwarded to me. Apparently, the first one went to one list serve, so the head of the Garden Club decided to forward it to her list serve. Nice to know that in case of an emergency, they will be able to reach me by many methods. Anyways, people were alerted.

1:23. This email contained the last known sighting of the feline. Interestingly enough, it was sent by a woman, who lives nowhere near the owner's house (relatively speaking, for Timber Cove standards), but she herself did not see the cat. She was just reporting, to the whole neighborhood, that a woman named Denise had seen the cat "last night in a driveway 3 houses towards Shorewood". Huh. Well, since the owners live on Shorewood, how could it be 3 houses towards Shorewood. Obviously she means on another street. What street? Who knows. Nice tip ladies.

At 2:22 this afternoon, I received an email, from the Garden Club announcing the safety of "The Fugitive". He had in fact, not run away, but had been in the house the whole time. Genius, right under the noses! So, I of course breathe a sigh of relief, no more need to get a group together for the night watch.(I would like to point out that Denise's helpful tip was once again null and void, due to the fact that the cat was in the house, quite some disinformation circling about. )

Oh Wait. At 4:15, I was alerted yet one more time that the cat, previously thought to be lost, then found, had in fact actually gotten out. Who loses a cat they know is trying to escape. You'd think the cat would have to lull them into a sense of security, "No, I'm not going anywhere, you don't have to watch me". No, apparently, that would be unnecessary.

4:18. Last and hopefully final email. The previous email must have had a delay, because between it and the last one, signs had been posted, emails sent, phone calls placed, kitty found. That's right! No more worries from TLV. No need to alert the Mayor, oh wait, I'm sure she received all the same emails I did. 

Let me summarize. I have received 6 emails throughout the course of the day. Now, if it had been my pet that was lost, I would appreciate all the helpfulness, so I would like to congratulate, and thank, the Cove for the promptness in assisting a neighbor in need. On the other hand, when I left for work this morning, the kitty was in the house. When I get back from work this evening, the kitty will be in the house. No change. So really, it's like it never even happened. But don't worry, I have the documentation to prove that it did. Huh.

Lonesome Dove

I know I talk about Lonesome Dove more than necessary, but if I can convince just one person how great it is, it'll be worth it. For those who are more into reading, the book is great, obviously. It's slow in the beginning, but necessary to form the characters. So if you ever attempt, just try and get through the beginning. The mini series is so well down however, that it substitutes for the book if need be. Robert Duvall and Tommy Lee Jones are fan freaking tastic. I mean really, couldn't have been better cast. I was going to fill this page with quotes, but they just aren't the same out of context, or for those who don't really know the plot. I think I'm gonna watch it again this week or next, probably both since its 6 hours long. Summary: watch it or read it.

My Top People

As you can tell, I have figured Html out somewhat, due to the addition of a third column. I am not a fan of lopsided things, and this layout had a huge black blank section. Must be fixed. But then I was left with what to fill said blank spot with. Beautiful people. Immediately I knew. I have created a list, of what I believe are my top 10 lists. Now, the list is 20 people long, which fills the left side completely, so you will find that I continued it in the right hand column. They appear in order, ladies first, of course.

HTML, I Hate You

As you can tell from my blog, I'm not trying to get too fancy or complicated. I have started switching up the font color, big deal, I know. I would love to find some cute template, but no. The ones I like are so convoluted, there is no inserting them. I need a black background, I just like it better with the color scheme I chose. All of them suck. So what do I do, I go and try and find a difficult one. Place it on my blog. The whole thing goes to hell. So now, I have to revert my blog to its original form. Which of course means all the crap I added is gone. AAARGH. I just wish their was an easier way. Because of my frustration, I was absent from the blogging world for a couple of days, so I apologize. I just needed some time to regroup. All in all, the blog is now different, not sure if that is better, but It's all I can do for now. Whew.

To Drink Or Not To Drink, At Lunch

Everyday, my boss takes the office out to lunch. It's a nice way to talk to my coworkers, about real estate, or the day to day, since we all sit at our separate desks, and have no idea what is going on around the building. Every once in a while however, I have conflicting lunch plans. Yesterday for example, was Kay Ann's birthday lunch. For those of you who don't know, we drink at birthday lunches. This was lunch at a house, so we didn't get the usual mango margaritas, but we did have an assortment of wine.

I started this post before I went to lunch, but got busy and couldn't finish it. I was going to throw out the question of drinking during lunch. See what people thought, but seeing as how the lunch already occurred, and I'm sure you all know what conclusion I came to on my own, this survey is moot. None the less, happy birthday Kay Ann, I had fun.

Jennifer Aniston

I'm just saying...

Football, A Glass Case of Emotion

I love the fall for many reasons, but football has to be one of the big ones. For 5 months, you never have to wonder what you'll be doing that weekend. Saturdays, great. Sundays, even better. College football, speaks to my heart. I love it, love it. I can wake up on Saturday, and besides the drive time between bars, and not stopping watching for hours on end. Granted, part of this has to do with the Longhorns being back on top. Those in between years were hard, no doubt, but we never lost hope. It also helps that for the last 4 seasons, I have been eligible to drink in public. Being 21 never gets old. Like turning 16, it changed your life, for the better, and you never take it for granted.

Then there are Sundays, hangovers and all. I generally find myself glued to the couch on Sundays, water in one hand, Aleve in the other. It is frustrating however, to have to wait for the noon game. I manage to always wake up hours before, and sit and watch highlights from yesterday. Which is fairly pointless, because I watched it all in real time. This is generally when I catch up on golf, I don't know why, but I have watched more golf this year. I actually know a little bit now. Weird.

All in all it was a good weekend for football. Granted, the Texans lost, and that was upsetting. K Brown and his clutch kicks, not so much this week. Poor Guy. Cowboys win, which affects me in no way. I used to think that Cowboy's wins were a detriment because I had to listen to the fans all week whoop and holler about the greatness that is "that team from up North", but now, I'm not so sure. When they lose, they cry more than anyone. But not only do they cry, they bitch about their team. Makes my insults a little less affective. So basically, its a lose lose, so well done. Horned frogs comin' up, which I would generally say is a good thing, minus the fact that previous supporters of UT or hoping for a defeat. But again, I am not worried. We will prevail.

Hook 'Em Horns!!!

Cause I Like To Party.

So this was a short weekend for me. Or a long one, depending on how you look at it. I got back from Chicago on Saturday. It was cold as balls there, got home and it was beautiful. Perfect trick or treating weather. Granted, I don' do that anymore, but I would imagine it was nice for those who did.

Made it into town for game watching festivities. Nothing like watching UT stomp someone, but the fact that it was our "toughest" opponent, def made it sweeter. We went and got into costume. My ability to make Nascar suits is actually pretty impressive if I do say so myself. At this point, I was ready to be drunk, just not quite there yet. Made it to the bar, and proceeded to forget large chunks of the night. I know there was Vodka, and I know that I stayed out until 3:00, thank you day light savings. Got back to the cousins, I'm assuming, because I woke up about 10 hours later in the extra bed.

Phone died. Sweet deal. Noticed that I was now number one in the college football league, way to go me. Started to mentally prep for Sunday football. Got Linden, made it to the bar. It was around this point that I realized I was still drunk, so that's good. Couple of buckets of beer, and I was on my way to another black out night. Smart for me, I stopped around 3:00, when I reached an appropriate buzz.

They conned me into watching a scary movie, anxiety levels were high to say the least. And at some point after 9:00, I made the trek home. It was one of those weekends that was more about who you're with than what you're doing or where. Great time all around, no drama, just drunk drunk drunk.

Suck On That Oklahoma

Another weekend well spent. Football games were won, drinks were had, and Texas was able to prove its superiority once again.
Friday started in the car, or should I say sweet ass van. Picked up the girls and the dog, and headed up that long ass road to Dallas. We showed up sometime around 5:00 and started making our way to the Goose for the world's strongest margaritas. Delicious. I managed to not get too hammered, unlike some people. Let's just say, my night didn't end at 10:30. Made it to uptown for the second round of strong ass drinks. Not sure what exactly was going on, but some body upstairs decided I wasn't going to remember the evening. Good thing for pictures, or that night would be gone completely. Taxi ride home, no Blayne, we did not go to Ft. Worth, despite your screams to the contrary. Got home, managed to get up the stairs, only to find "a couple of skanks" in my bed. Made a slight scene, if for no other purpose than to disrupt them slightly. Proceeded to let Joe in on the atrocities being committed, and passed out on the couch while watching Jurassic Park. That part was actually pretty sweet.

Woke up for football. Saturday was sober for me, and in the spirit of this blog, uneventful. Had a great time at the fair, got my corny dog and all. Tried to make sure all my people made it around safely. Almost killed myself by trusting the carnies and there movable rides. Hey bozo. Texas win was good though. Well that's not true, the win was all well and good, but the game was just sloppy. Thank goodness they were just as sloppy. Man I hate Oklahoma. Greenville for the night. Nice. Made it home, made a sandwich, thank you Laura. Then proceeded to kick before mentioned skanks from before mentioned bed. Caitlin victorious.

Woke up around 5:00 for the alarm. Not mine mind you. No, this was for the girl who had to work that day. I knew she had a flight, so for an hour I was yelling at her to wake up. at 6:00 I reminded her for the last time, that the reason the alarm was going off was for her. She seemed shocked it was so late. So at 7:00, I was shocked to find her shocked that she had overslept. She made her flight, but whatever, I tried.

Watched football all day. Was pleased with a Houston win. Lost at fantasy, but a real one by a team is slightly more important than my own imaginary one. And, Peyton was out, so what did I really expect.

Now my week is consisting of dog sitting and work. Pretty eventful. Now if I could only find time to make costumes, who knew Halloween was a week away?!?!

It's Tuesday And I'm Sick

For those of you not in the know, God has blessed me with one hell of an immune system. Or, what was one hell of an immune system. I never got sick, ever. People would get hit with the flu and be out for a week. I could live with them, and all I would get is a scratchy throat one morning. It was great. People are always sooo careful this time of year, never bothered me.

That was until of course, I started abusing my body with alcohol. Who knew. My body held up the first couple of years of college. Actually it held up until the last semester of college. My roommates would go to the doctors, be on medication, not and drink. It all seemed odd to me. I mean, just drink more water, maybe some vitamins, how serious could it be? Then I got a scratchy throat, that lasted all the way into the afternoon, and I thought, well that's odd. I took this as evidence that I was of course dying, so off to the pharmacy I went. Grabbed some Nyquil, Emergen-C, and believed myself cured. It worked pretty well actually. I never actually got that sick, made it to work, and school. The cough stayed in the throat, no fever, excellent. So, I kept up my regiment of vitamin C, just to make sure. One glass a day. Which leads me to the point of this story. One evening, I realized I hadn't made my drink for the day. This was around 8:00 at night. I was already in the process of making my 70-30 V&T. I really didn't want to just chug a glass of water and powder. Light bulb! Why not put the Emegen-c into the vodka tonic, kill two birds with one stone. I'll tell you why not, it gets you fucked up. I mean really. The berry flavor masks the vodka, so you end up making a really strong drink. And the fizz makes it even worse. It was awesome. Next night, we did the experiment on Linden. It was her turn to stumble to bed that night. Did I mention this was a Tuesday and Wednesday? And we couldn't even walk to our beds. Ahh college.

Right now, I am sitting at my desk, with cough drops, Dayquil, and Emergen-C. I have a big weekend planned, and I refuse, refuse, to be sick. Not gonna do it.

In honor of Linden's "Cocktail of the Month", I would like to introduce ya'll to the C.V.T. (Vitamin C Vodka Tonic, but you should have been able to figure that out on your own.)

Fill glass (or large Rudy's cup), halfway with ice
Fill with Vodka until ice is submerged
Top off with Tonic
Add One Packet Emergen-C

Ta-da! Enjoy!

Cedric, You're Not So Bad Yourself

I have previously thanked my QB, Mr. Manning, but feel its necessary to thank, another player, who has come from behind, at least in public opinion, and made a real difference on my team. Cedric Benson was an odd choice some thought. He wasn't supposed to be anything special, and yet, he has consistently brought me points, well beyond what was expected of him. So this is my thank you, and my request, to keep up the good work.

Beer, Football, Margaritas, More Football, More Beer

Ya know the feeling on Monday mornings, when it feels like the weekend never even happened. I'm there right now. Haven't been to work in 2 days, but it doesn't feel like it. Nope. And I know I had a good time this weekend, used my time wisely and all, but it's definitely a haze. Friday, was supposed to be chill. Went to Boondoggle's early, for dinner and drinks. Which of course, turned into more drinks and less food. An eclectic group of friends for sure, but all in all, a great time. That was until, we headed to good 'ol Webster. Nothing like getting kicked out of a bar for harassing the DJ. Apparently or song requests were misconstrued as threats and verbally abusive. I, of course, disagreed. None the less, we were escorted out at 1:45. Really put a damper on our evening. A whole 15 minutes. Wow. Made it home safely, and I assume went straight to bed, but at this point, the night got fuzzy.

When I woke up the next morning, it was due to my mother's request that I try and make my room look less like a 13 year old's, and more like the 24 year old I am. Apparently, being messy is something she thinks you grow out of. I am proof, that it is not. I managed to roll out of bed and started the process of curing myself. Headaches and dehydration. I knew I was in for a day of drinking, so I had to start off on the right foot. As I was getting ready, my Dad asked how good my memory was. I was confused at first. Until he explained that he wondered how long it would take before I forgot how bad I felt when I woke up, and therefore started drinking again. Zinger. Apparently, he finds powering through to be funny. In answer to his question, about 3 hours. Ended up with $1 margaritas. And between the 3 of us, ended up with a $16 tab. The waiter kept cutting us off. He would inform us that we had already had so many margaritas, and our answer was always,"Uno mas!". So after we had our fill of tequila, it was time to switch to beer. We of course had to make a stop for the two babies with heart burn. Tums, they're like candy. Went to Molly's, not exactly my scene, but whatever, they had a lot of screens showing the various games, so it served its purpose. Convinced Kate that the night was nowhere near over, and proceeded to get stupid drunk. Found a ride to a friends, where we started playing catch in the street. I had no glove, so I was the loser. But some might argue that Kate was the loser, due to how many times she fell down. I also think Kate will never throw another foam finger out of a moving car window. Immediate regret. Apparently, when people have foam fingers in their car, they value them more than you would think, or at least more than Kate would think. She honestly couldn't understand why Adam was so upset. Oh well. Passed out on the couch, the short one, thanks a lot Chet.

Woke up, made it to the car. Which we had parked safely in the bar's parking lot. We arrive at said parking lot, only to find the car chained it. Seeing as it was I who parked the car, I was about to be in slight trouble, because it was in fact, Kate's car. But, no worries, the chain wasn't locked, so it was quickly removed, and we were free. As we debated where to eat, one voice kept saying "Hooters, hooters", over and over. That voice was of course Chet, and so we gave in And arrived at the place, just in time to join the most obnoxious people, ever. Had a couple of beers, and a few too many wings, and I couldn't take it anymore. I can't explain it, but these grown men were making this horrible sound, over, and over, and over. We of course, proceeded to make our own comments, directed to the idiots, not the screen. Before I met these guys, I was hoping for Dallas to win, I mean, why not, I have a lot of Cowboy fans as friends. But once again, I give Dallas a break, and I am instantly reminded why I can't root for them. Total tool. I'm just thankful we left before OT was over, or I really would have tried to remove my own ears. There are no words.

So ya, that was another weekend for the books. I don't believe I was ever fully sober. And I'm gonna go ahead and put that in the W column.

Also, I won my fantasy football game, so it ended on a high note. Wasn't about to let the trashy bikers at hooters be the way I ended my weekend.

Austin City Limits or Another Weekend Proving I'm Not As Young As I Used To Be

Austin, it beats the hell out of me every time. It has only been a year since graduation, and yet, my ability to drink all day and into the night has diminished atrociously. It's embarrassing really. Headed up to Austin on Thursday night, chatted with the cousin for a bit, then shot up to Round Rock for some Jordan time. Watched Something's Gotta Give, love that movie. Jordan made stew, twas good. Talked until way to late, then passed out.

I woke up in the morning and tried to prep for the days festivities. Got some breakfast tacos, because why not. Waited for Blayne. Met Blayne and Eric, and since we were by Doc's, why not stop and have a few pitchers. Btw, Doc's fried mushrooms, awesome, just saying. Started the trek to Zilker. Half way there, stopped to use the restroom at Taco C, got a beer while I waited. Kept walking, stopped at a free Shiner stand. Got beer, koozies, kept walking. No wonder it took us forever, beer was every where. Got to the festival. Beautiful day, grass was still in tact. Music, music, music. Then walked the 2 miles to the car. End of Day 1.

Day 2, rain, rain, rain. Woke up, decided I would get a late start. Michael and I waited it out. By 4, it wasn't happening. I just couldn't justify 2 hours of walking for 1 show, in the rain, I'm just not that dedicated. Watched TV and Movies all day. Red wine and beer at the house, not too shabby. Chalk it up as a win.

Day 3. Obviously, had to make the trip worth it, so day 3 was happening. Michael and I headed that way after noon sometime. Trekked, again, about 2 miles to Zilker, not a fan of walking apparently. Started drinking, met up with friends, slowly got a group together. Ran into the Foleys for a bit. Danced my ass off to Girl Talk, in about 3 inches of standing mud water. Did I mention the mud?? Had to walk around barefoot all day. Quite impressive, I mean, it was a lot of mud. Got a free cone from Hudson's, delicious. Mud, mud, mud. All the way up my legs, not sure how I wasn't totally covered, or how I managed not to fall, but I made it. Started the 2 mile hike UP the hill. Made it home, showered, thank god. Then decided there was no way I was driving home, I would have passed out somewhere on I-10, not good.Proceeded to pass out in a bed instead.

Woke up, made the drive straight to work the next morning. Work was hard, I mean, I just can't do these all day, 4 day weekends. I was beat. Managed to make it through. Went home for dinner, thanks Momma, it was delicious. Met up with Kate for red wine and movies. All in all, a good weekend.

But seriously, I want a nap.

For Those Who Need A Laugh

There are no words

A Weekend Totally Dominated by Football, Again

And Baseball too...

It's Monday, and I couldn't be more tired. Friday, I left work a bit early, had some errands to run before I went to The Stros game with one, Michael D. Topping. He was running 3 minutes late, so I of course filled that time by going to the bar and getting a beer. Ran into some friends. I mean, in all of Houston, why can I go into any bar, and see people from Clear Lake, its getting to be ri-god-damn-diculous. So Mike shows, go to the suite, where I tried to act polite, as to not offend his parents who were kind enough to let me join. Watched the Astros play yet another frustrating game. Got enough free beer to fill my quota, and headed home to Boon's. I was meeting Kate. Now, she was coming from a restaurant 7 minutes away. I was coming from Minute Maid, which is 30 minutes away. Who do you think got there first? Pathetic Kathryn, pathetic. Ran into MORE Clear Lake people. Then proceeded to get hammered, hammered drunk.

Saturday, woke up earlier than necessary. Well it was early, but Nancy didn't find it unnecessary. What is it about older people, that sleep pisses them off. I mean, ya, if my friends over sleep and we were supposed to meet up, annoying. If I am minding my own business however, it doesn't bother me to know others are sleeping. Anyways, so I woke up, did some more nothing around the house, went into town to watch the game, blowout, nice. Watched the Tech vs. UH, game, go coogs. Still pretty hungover from Friday, it's like I'm old or something, stupid liver.

Woke up early on Sunday, to my father saying "what time you getting up?" Me: "When are we leaving?". Gregg: "10 Minutes". What the hell, who waits until 10 minutes before the train pulls out. 30 minutes would have been nice. I mean, ya I sleep in, but 8:45 on Sunday, not weird for me to be sleeping. I'm gonna have to figure out this sleep thing. Maybe if I had any time, I could have had a glass of water before we left. As it happened, I didn't have water, so when it got hot as shit at the tailgate, I blacked out. Nice. I know I fell, and I know my dad caught me, otherwise, I'm a little fuzzy. Fantastic. Went into the game. Got a free hat, nice. Watched the Texans embarrass themselves, I mean c'mon, pass interference, I think not.

And again, one Peyton Williams Manning came to my rescue. All day I was down in fantasy football, then number 18 comes and pulls a miracle 49 points. Love, love is in the air.

Kate, And The Reason I Love Her

Now, many people know me well, and many people are able to provide me with birthday gifts that fit me perfectly. My mother for one, made my favorite chocolate cake, with blue bell, yum. But Kate wins. I mean, it is a true friend who goes out of her way, and stops at a hole in the wall pizza place, 2 hours from home, just to bring me pizza rolls. Love, that's what it is.

A Love Letter To Peyton Manning...

Peyton,
I believe at this point in our relationship, it is time to get our true feelings out there, no more messing around. I was moved to see your effort in helping win my fantasy game last night. I mean, way to be there for me. And when I only needed 29 points, you gave me 33. In my opinion, actions speak louder than words, so don't worry about verbalizing how you feel, I already know. I, on the other hand, have felt this way for some time. Before the Super Bowl win, ya know, when you only had 2 MVPs, I had already fallen. So of course, the Super Bowl didn't hurt your standing with me, not like you could do anything to change how I feel about you, you'll just make me love you more. I drafted you this year, not only out of my faith in your ability to help me win games, but because I love you, and I believed that you would take that into consideration. But who wouldn't love you, I mean, you're pretty good. If you like... six-five, 230-pound quarterbacks with a... laser rocket arm.
Love, Caitlin

I'm Sure This Weekend Will be Just Like Any Other Weekend, Right?

Wrong. So, I leave for Vegas in like 6 hours. In 6 hours I will be on a plane, with 4 other alcoholics, hopefully already on my way to drunken ridiculousness. I mean, that's the plan anyway. For 2 more hours, I am going to sit at my desk, and be the "hardworking employee" they think, they know, I am. And then, who knows. I mean who really knows what is going to happen. I've been excited for awhile, but it is really starting to sink in, the pre-trip awesomeness. I'm not gonna try and predict/plan my weekend, that would take some of the fun out of it. I mean, lets not get carried away, this weekend would probably be a hell of a lot safer if some of the fun was taken out of it, but who needs safe. So, in case I don't make it back, or just lose my mind completely, here's to Vegas, friends, and drunken debauchery!
P.S. Hook 'Em Horns!!! and Tech, you can suck it.

How Does Football (Good) + Beer (Good) = Hangover (Bad)?

The last weekend before Vegas, you would think I would rest up, but no. It's like Thanksgiving, there are those who believe you shouldn't eat all day so that you have more room. Then there are those who believe you need to stretch out your stomach. It's like practice for your stomach. I'm in the latter group, obviously. I mean, in college I had totally trained by body for drinking too heavily. I didn't get hangovers, no matter what. Just didn't happen, Linden can attest to this. So I figured, drink heavy all day and night, seems like that would be a good test run for Vegas. Let's hope the hangovers were worth it. Only this weekend will start at 3:00pm on Thursday, because that's when I get to the airport. And we all know that airport bars are where it is at. Also, I won't be driving for 72 hours, so that pesky drinking and driving situation won't rear its ugly head

Anyways, back to the weekend at hand. Friday, went shopping, blew a good amount of money, but ended up with enough to supplement my wardrobe. Then went to the neighbors for Tapas. It was good to say the least. It was a good bye party for a friend moving to Spain, so they were fairly Texas based tapas. Who new T Cove was filled with such inventive chefs. My plan was to wait until the party died, then head out to a birthday thing for a bit. Little did I know that they were going to bust out the drunken guitar playing and singing. I ended up leaving at 12:30, which was way earlier than the party actually died. Did I mention that these were all 45-65 year olds? Nothing like seeing all the dads I grew up with hammered drunk singing ""You Don't Have to Call Me Darlin, Darlin". So, made it down to Kemah, and was greeted with a shot of Patron. To recap, I had white wine sangria at the party, followed by Lone Star and Shiner. So this was gonna by an all types of liquor kinda night, fantastic. Ended up hammered and back at home at 2:30, good night in all.

Woke up way to late, showered, got dressed and tried to find a TV showing the Texas game. Stupid Comcast. Found the TV and proceeded to sit on that couch all day/ night. Took a 2 hour break to go eat dinner, buy more beer, and red wine, because the guys are just that classy. Before the game had ended, and we had run out of beer, Chet decided to open the bottle of wine he was gonna drink at dinner. Kate was out of beer, so he poured her a glass. 30 minutes later, the bottle was gone, and it wasn't a small bottle. Drunks. Went to Angelo's for pizza, first time I'd eaten all day(8:00 pm). Went back to Chet's, somewhere in hear is where I lost my phone the first time, nicely done. Didn't even know it was gone. Watched the USC game, which of course sucked to be rooting for the Trojans, but man do I hate the Buckeyes, so they were the lesser of two evils. Somehow, my hangover kicked in around midnight, so I slowed my roll. Realized my phone was missing, found said phone, for all of what seemed like 15 minutes, managed to lose it yet again. Made a couple more interesting decisions, headed home around 5:00 am, at least my parents are heavy sleepers.

Woke up when my parents returned from church, they don't even try to make me go. Started the search for the phone yet again, how it got in Kate's car I do not know. Watched the Texans embarrass their city. Watched the Giants embarrass Campbell. Watched my Fantasy team embarrass the league. Headed to the pool around 5:45 for some Sunday Funday. Thought about not drinking, then proceeded to ignore that random thought. Watched Kanye embarrass himself. Watched Beyonce make it all better. Read HP, passed out. Nothing special, just a good ol' drunken weekend, nicely done.

Back To The Issue At Hand...

End of a four day week, and I'm just thankful it was only four days. Something about knowing it was short made me unable to cope with work at all. I mean, it was still short, but I was ready for it to be over Wednesday afternoon.


I went to the TCGC meeting/party last night. Now for those not in the know, that stands for Timber Cove Garden Club. The garden club is in charge of throwing the annual parties. I mean, we have parties every week it seems like, but there are a few parties that have been happening for decades. The meetings are during the day, so sad I'll miss them because of work. That just leaves the parties and dinners, it's like I planned it. So I am officially the youngest member ever, and my mother and I are the only two "ladies" who share an address. I mean, we aren't the first mother-daughter pair, but most of the daughters have moved out of the nest. Oh well, first time for everything.

Tonight is one of those non-annual parties. Missy G is leaving for Spain in a week so tonight is her goodbye party, should be good. Tapas, awesome. Mine will be a fusion Texas/Mexican/Spanish thing. Gotta nail down the details. I'm sure it'll all work out. So that's the pre-party plan. Then maybe we'll hit up the local brew house, because sometimes, 4 hours of drinking isn't enough.

But I have to be careful, because tomorrow is another day of college football, and we all know, the fact that you drank heavily on Friday, is no excuse when it comes to being a puss while watching football. And then Sunday, oh Sunday. NFL, all day long. I mean, last night was good and all, but one game? Not nearly enough. I'm sure like all my other planned weekends, this one will end up being totally different than expected., but as long as I end up hungover on Sunday, I'll chalk it up as a win*.

* Let me clarify, hangovers are not a win. I'm just assuming that what got me to that hungover state will have been fun and drunken. Ok, just wanted to clear that up.

Matt Damon, You're Good People

So, I sat down to write my usual, it's Friday, I'll be drunk later entry, but then I came across some videos of one Matthew Paige Damon(Side Note: Paige?, whatever, he's still hot). We all know the man is attractive, there's no denying it, but his comedic skills are quite good too. Not just like one liners, but jokes, stories, and impersonations. Anyway, to hold myself over until I can write a real blog entry, here's to you Mr. Damon!

Now this first one includes Mr. Clooney, so I of course, truly enjoyed it.

This one shows Matt using his skill at southern accents.



Now these last three are retaliations of each other, I'm sure you've seen them, but I enjoyed them none the less and felt the need to include them.







I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did. Thanks Matt Damon.

FLIP CUP!!!, or, Labor Day Part:3

So Sunday came along, and I did something quite out of the ordinary. I woke up at like 8:00. Now, I realize this is not a huge accomplishment, but it was odd to say the least. My uncle made me breakfast, it was delicious, and we talked for a couple of hours, while I retold some of my Saturday. What felt like 4:00 rolled around and I figured we should probably head home. It was like noon. Ridiculous. Waking up early really lengthens the day. It's kind of amazing actually. Got on the road, and awaited the bliss that was a down and dirty burger, so pumped. We got to Ellinger, and ordered. Now, you know when you have heard tales of burgers or some other food that a place is famous for, it is not a surprise if that something is a let down. People always talk to much. But I am a fan of the "it's just a really good burger" burger. Nothing special, just good. I would say this burger is better than that though. I was not disappointed. They toast the bun on the grill so it tastes like melted heaven. Anyways, two thumbs up.

Got home, got dressed, headed into town, I believe it was about 7:00, but I'm not sure. The Ole Miss game had just ended, congrats to the Ole Miss fans, and we set off in search of food. I wasn't really that hungry, but I of course helped out on the Kenneally's Pizza. Watched a couple of games of darts, then headed to the house party, where we were told, the beer runneth over. Needless to say, I called for more beer around 10:45, we'd already finished the first 72, which sounds like a lot, but isn't. Especially not when flip cup is involved. I love flip cup, love it. I'm also not too bad at it either. Which isn't a big surprise, because I typically don't love doing things I'm not good at, something about being slightly competitive or something. I swear we played 50 games, sometimes, just one on one. Hammered, hammered drunk. Gonna cut that night short, because that's all I remember. Passed out(on a couch, again).

Monday, woke up and headed to brunch. Wasn't really brunch but I got breakfast, and some people got lunch. I would have maybe gotten lunch, but it wasn't being served for another 30 minutes, and I was not waiting, ludicrous. At this point, I was still drunk. I wasn't hungover, and I wasn't hurting, but my head felt all funny and I was definitely dizzy/light headed. Had like 8 glasses of iced tea, went back to the house, laid on the couch, and waited until I felt physically able to drive for 40 minutes. Took me about 5 hours to get to that point. Made it home. Read HP. All in all, the weekend was much more eventful than expected. Some might give it a 9.5, but

Austin Is, And Will Continue To Be, The Birthplace And Final Resting Place Of All That Is Cool, or, Labor Day Part: 2

So, I love the drive to Austin. I know a lot of people really hate any distance longer than 15 miles, but they need to get over it. Going to Austin, all you think about is the awesome time you are about to have. The food you'll eat, the beer you'll drink. Add a football game on top of that, I'm in heaven.

In Texas Monthly last month, they showcased the 50 best burgers in Texas. Talk about setting a new goal for myself. I had actually had a good number on the list, but have since decided that that number is minuscule and must be changed. On 71, some of you may have stopped at Hruska's. It is a Chevron station in Ellinger. It is also the only place between Columbus and Bastrop where you are required to brake, lame ass 55mph. Whatever. But Hruska's makes this up to me by serving delectable food. They have kolaches (see below, for that love affair), a grill, a deli, and for those of you who don't know, I have a Chevron credit card, so this smorgasbord of awesomeness is basically free to me, jealous? So their burger made the list which means, even if it was 8:00 in the morning, I was gonna be eating one on this trip, suck it healthy living. I did however put off the feast until the trip back due to the time crunch that is pre-gaming. And their are few others who enjoy food like myself, but it just so happens that Nancy Sue(Momma) is one of them. Needless to say, we got pretty excited.

Then the hardest rain I've ever driven through, let me tell you. Straight white out. And of course, all I can think is how much it'll suck if it's raining at the game, but that's selfish. I mean, the Hill Country is only in one of the worst droughts ever, but hey, I need to enjoy my Saturday. Get to Austin, try to give Foley ample time to call me back, still a fail. Get a hold of Foley, go to Abel's. Foley thinks I need to catch up, so I am given a Texas Iced Tea, which is a Long Island, with more alcohol. I didn't know there could BE more alcohol, but I'm not complaining. Ran into high school friends. Now I'm all for combining groups of friends, but when they try to find a point of commonality, and that point is making fun of you, it's time to go. I'm sure most of you are aware of this, but I have to point something out. At UT football games, the lack of beer inside the stadium means you need to get drunk enough to walk, but not drunk enough to sober up before half time. Of course there is the flask option, but some of us are forgetful, so there ya go. Game was awesome. Accidentally cock blocked Mr. Foley. Total accident, but hey, who lies about being a junior in college at the age of 24. I mean, at least say a senior. Foley, do you realize you were 20, when you started junior year, dumb. Went back to Abel's, got hammered, watched OU get embarrassed, and proceeded to house party. Left so called house party, called my mom.

I know, awesome right. You know when you are in high school, and your mom says, "no matter what, you can call me, no questions asked, I won't be mad". We've all heard it. It took me until I was almost 24 to pull that, hopefully she wasn't mad, but for once I wanted to spend a Saturday night in a bed, and not on the floor or couch. Walked through West Campus with my beer, because, there is no open container law in Austin. Hmm, somehow that doesn't sound right. Nancy picked me up while I was wandering down 24th St, classy. Went home and slept the sleep of the innocent, which of course means, party clothes and makeup on, passed out, mouth open. Saturday: Mission Complete.

We've Been Coming To The Same Party For Twelve Years Now, And In No Way Is That Depressing, or, Labor Day Weekend: Part 1

As a person new to this whole 9-5, Monday through Friday thing, 3 day weekends are definitely NOT taken for granted. When I returned from the office after lunch, the lights were off, the door was locked. It was 1:30, and everyone was gone. Done. Nice way to start the weekend. I stayed a bit, checked me email and such, and awaited H1. She was supposed to be arriving around 4:00, so I had a bit of time. Went and got my haircut. It was just a trim but everyone I saw commented on it. Now, this kind of reaction would make sense if it was now blue or boy-short, but no. I'm not sure, but I think I'm gonna have to start putting more effort into my hair. But then again, I am extremely lazy, so we'll see. Hayley arrived. Went shopping for Vegas. Started drinking about 5:00. Started drinking heavily around 7:30. Went to the pool, First Friday and all. Tried to keep up with the adults and then ditched the party 45 seconds before clean up began. After party at the Chateau Stansfield, shots of JD are NOT a good idea, btw. James came in and asked to play Apples to Apples. For those who are unaware, James is 11, and it was 1:00am. To me this sounded like a great idea. I think James one, he always does. Passed the eff out, woke up to Hayley having to leave. I proceeded to sleep until 11:55. As I walked into the kitchen, my father commented that I was getting up to early, I mean what 23 year old gets up before noon, he think he's hilarious. As I started the search for fellow football watchers, A sinking suspicion that I was the only person left in the Greater Houston area fell over me. Between Possum Kingdom, Fort Worth, a Cruise, Nashville, College Station(don't really understand that one), and Austin(totally understand that one), I had some how managed to not solidify my football watching plans. Shame on me I know. So what do I do, I get crackin' on the phone calls. I lucked out however. First phone call, JR Foley. Jackpot. Me: "Hey, so I'm gonna come to Austin, but I don't have a ticket to the game". Foley:"It just so happens that I have an extra, get your ass to Austin". I love him. 30 minutes after I got up, I was in the car with my momma going to Austin for opening day, things sure can turn around quickly. To be continued...

Texas On My Mind, or, Varsity Blues: Another Reason To Love Texas

This blog entry is in honor of, well Texas obviously, but also, to Jacqueline because she has totally got me thinking about Texas and its greatness for a couple of days now. Being in Thailand, you would expect the homesickness to create a need for more Texas. But I'm here, why do I crave it so? Because it is awesome is why.

I just got back from lunch, which was BBQ. Mondays and Thursdays is Mexican. This new work schedule is great for fulfilling those cravings. But what else do I crave? What else is there to appreciate about Texas and the food that is ours and ours alone?

1) Blue Bell. Now I know they sell it in other states but c'mon, its Texas through and through. When people here ask if you want ice cream, they don't say "ice cream". They ask "do you want some Blue Bell". It's like pop vs. soda vs. coke. Brand recognition. Ya know what, you should have yourself a Blue Bell Country day.

2) Speaking of ice cream, lets DQ something different. Now I know most of you only eat their ice cream, and that is totally legit. But Dairy Queen also makes a mean chicken finger basket. The Hunger Buster isn't bad either. I recommend branching out and trying these delectable items.

3) Which of course brings about DQ's rival on chicken baskets, What-a-burger! I know its not spelled like that, but that's how the ads say it so I wanted to give you the true experience. With their awesome ketchup containers and Taquitos, truly, a Texas original.

4) Shiner anyone? We all know that other states pale in comparison to our greatness, but some of them redeem themselves by transplanting some of our treasures to their own boundaries. Living in Florida, I had Blue Bell so that was a life saver but no Shiner to be found. 6 months. That's how long I went without it. No wonder I was depressed.

5) To round out the top 5, I bow to the all mighty queso! With your golden color and spicy flavor you put me in a trance and make all the bad parts of life melt away. How I love thee, let me count the ways. Ya know what, I can't even begin to describe the love affair, so I will leave it at that.

At this point in the countdown, I am realizing this list is gonna be longer than I thought.

6) Kolaches. I'm not sure if ya'll understand that these are ours and ours alone. You go to the other coasts, they look at you like you're crazy. Better than a donut. Better than pig in a blanket. They're just great, great, great.

7) I realize that Mexican food is technically "Mexican", but we in Texas believe that ours is better. So rather than take the credit, I pay homage to our southern neighbors for giving us the inspiration and basis for our favorite staple food.

8) BBQ. All I have to say is that Memphis, Kansas City, and any other yahoo city who thinks that they are " The BBQ Capital", can suck it.

9) Some might consider this item to fall into some of the above categories, but I believe it stands alone. Breakfast tacos. From the gargantuanness of the Don Juan, to the sublimeness of Taco C at 4 in the morning, I salute you, creator of breakfast nirvana.

10) Another item that is found outside our state but we totally have claim over, Dr. Pepper. DP and DDP are such Texas staples that I have had cousins with Dr. Pepper themed decorations for there home coming parties. DP is home. Glorious with its syrupy awesomness. I'm a pepper, he's a pepper, she's a pepper, we're a pepper, wouldn't you like to be a pepper too?

Honorable Mentions

A) Now I know this belongs to our neighbor more than us, but I would like to thank our eastern neighbor for: crawfish. It wouldn't be spring without a Saturday filled with ripping open shellfish while my fingers were on fire and dirty with spice and chugging beer to save my life.

B) Lonestar Beer. I had to mention it.

That was the food section, shall I continue...

Here goes... The Hill Country, Tubing on the Guadalupe, Friday Night Lights, "G"uadalupe and not "huadalupé", Gruene, 6th Street, Fredricksburg, Timber Cove, Pecan Pie, George Strait, Houston, The Czech Stop, Juan in a Million, Pecan Trees, Taylor Lake Village, Hruska's, Boating, Luminarios, Possum Kingdom, Ranches, Football: High School, College, NFL, Amy's Ice Cream, Bluebonnets, Boondoggle's, Reckless Kelly, Lake Travis, My Line of Trees, Max's Cafe, Horny Toads, Seabrook Classic Cafe, Astros, Austin, Varsity Blues, Nolan Ryan, Small ass Texas towns with college sized football stadiums, The Alamo, Walter Cronkite narrated "We are Texas"/ "What Starts Here Changes the World" ads,NASA, Dallas, Longhorns, Kay's Lounge, Maggie Mae's, Fort Worth, First Friday, Tilden, Shipley's, Big Bend, Frenchie's, Town Lake, Darcy, Trudy's, Enchanted Rock, Christmas on the Bridge, Tito's, Country accents, Pickup trucks, Ghostland Observatory, Lonesome Dove, and THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS.