OUR STUFF

how did i miss this?

2010-01-30T22:23:00.004-06:00

i realize that i am super late to this party. ok, so the party's over and all that's left are empty solo cups and dried queso, but spending the latter part of my evening searching for "nitrogen cycle" videos, led to more exciting ventures....

which brings me to the greatness of jason bateman and michael cera. arrested development, cancelled after 3 seasons. remind me again who's making these decisions?
arrested development
chuck
eli stone

but the simpsons is still around?

nevermind, i'm off to watch juno.

a house divided

2010-01-02T20:51:00.006-06:00

just last summer, i was so *sniff* so proud.......

where, oh where did i go wrong?

a) i am a proud fightin' texas aggie class of '96. well, ok, '98.

b) since moving back to lubbock, my children have turned their backs on me and choose to wreck 'em rather than gig 'em

c) today is the alamo bowl that is being played after much mike leach controversy
and they still sport the red & black
so yes,

e. king gill is rolling over in his grave.
i do fear ol' army lou will be showing up on my doorstep soon to ask for my 12th man towel. tortillas anyone?

2010

2010-01-01T20:05:00.010-06:00

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

in the event that anyone still checks in on bigdwilsons......

bigdwilsons have become hubcitywilsons. well, in name anyways. much like my 214 phone number, i'm reluctant to change the name of the blog.......after all,
home is where the blog is.

resolution: keep up blog!

raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens.....

2009-04-17T22:29:00.024-05:00

oh that skyline. not to sound too lisa douglas, but
over the past 10 years, this has been home. we'll be leaving soon, and before this
(cue theme to green acres)
becomes my new skyline, let me leave you with a few of MY favorite things that i will miss........
(besides the family and friends that will hold down the fort until we return!)

1. sportsradio 1310. so much more than sports talk!

2. howdy folks! welcome to the great state fair of texas!

3. nothing beats running white rock lake. does this mean i'll need to run the marathon every year to get my fix? yikes!

4. i am NOT a shopper, but this place has the best gear.....and clothes.

5. where will i buy my shoes now? academy?

6. speaking of shopping, have you seen the shoe selection here?

7. ah, the KC pool. this was going to be my summer to leave the kiddie pool. oh i'll be back. i'll be back.

8. bishop arts district in oak cliff. somehow south lubbock just isn't the same as south dallas.

9. while the kids have put a pause on our visits, they don't do a lot of pixar here, i do love the theatre.

10. central market! the olive bar. the salsa bar. the cheese. the tortillas! argh!

but, that is a great segway to my next list.....my top 10 favorite places to eat in big D. that list will take a while to make. or at least, pare down.

i'm a sellout

2009-04-01T10:11:00.011-05:00

if you know me, you may have noticed that i have put on a few extra pounds. oh, and it isn't from being pregnant, it's more from a diet rich of MY OWN WORDS.

note to self, "never say never......"

never say, "i am NOT having any more kids."

never say, "i am NOT moving to the suburbs."

and whatever you do,

never say, "i am NOT moving back home"

well, while i had this dream of taking over and changing the inner-city, one kid at a time:
you know, i come in, the kids are tough, hard, jaded and complicated. but with my tough love and street smarts, i win them over and they all go on to be the next venus or serena williams.

i also had this dream:
you know, the dream of my kids going to one of those eclectically diverse and multiculturally rich schools in the middle of that big city, where they're exposed to sooooooo much richness, diversity and muliculture. (yes, i know i repeated, that's the point, they are exposed to a lot, but it ain't as pretty as that mural!)

after 10 years of still not looking like michelle pfieffer, much less reaching kids like she did, and after 10 years of FREAKING OUT about the sad situation our public schools are in, not just in bigD, but in the state of texas........i've sold out.

a) we are expecting our 3rd.

and

b) not only am i moving to the 'burbs, but i'm moving to the 'burbs of my hometown! argh! no, double argh!

i have decided that the safe, homogeneous bubble that i grew up in and wanted so desperately to get away from, is really not a bad place to raise a family. don't get me wrong, after 18 years have passed, when the last one has walked across that stage, my kids will be visiting me in one of those sweet high rise condos in the middle of this big ol' city, but for now.......looks like wisteria lane for me.

the force is stronger than this one....

2009-03-12T15:48:00.007-05:00

i finally caved. the boy is getting to watch the genius that is lucas and spielberg. he's had a great week at school, he's been hit with strep throat right before spring break......he needs something, so here you go bud.
a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away..........

if you follow this blog, or if you know me at all, you know this is HUGE.

up until today, his viewing pleasure has been limited to the following:

backyardigans-the music is AWESOME!

mickey mouse clubhouse-how can you not know mickey as a kid

and

the upside down show-i may have a slight crush on shane and david, they're like a silly russell crowe.

we have just recently introduced duck dodgers and phineas and ferb, and mainly, because i love their theme songs.

why have i held out? i mean, there are some 6 year olds who are intimately familiar with darth maul, the joker, and the transporter.......i just want to keep my kids......kids.......as long as possible. they don't need to be introduced to death, destruction, and the dark side. i mean arms chopped off, carbon freezing.....wait, i'm getting ahead of myself.

then a few weeks ago dave and i watched it. seriously, it was probably the first time i had seen it since the early 80's. ummmm, i think i may have more issues with duck dodgers than lucas and speilberg. honestly, if crockett could even understand the storyline, then i have way underestimated him. i mean there were things that i just now understood. like the whole "help me obiwan, you're my only hope...." i had no idea what her message was saying. solo and his renegade self, only just now understanding that, and darth vader is the dad?! whoa!? i never saw that coming! not only that, despite han solo and all his hunkiness, there is no blood, the creatures don't even look scarym and the explosions? c'mon.......so i caved.

needless to say, we only made it to the bar scene on luke's planet and he's out......totally bored.

see, he's not ready.

score one for mom!

ladies, he's mine, all mine

2009-03-04T09:09:00.004-06:00

while this is typically me.

no really, it is.

these days i'm more a combo of

and

i can't help it, you try having a first trimester that basically lasts as long as most pregnancies and we'll see how you come out. oops. see, there's that green lady coming out.

but face it ladies, all those hormones, all those hunger pains, all those emotions, make some gals a little crazy. of course, the craziest ones don't admit they're crazy.......

i'm crazy.

the good news is, not many people see this side of me.
the bad news is, not many people see this side of me.
i save it all for the one i love..........

so, this is a tribute to him.
i didn't do a valentine's day post, an anniversary post, or even a birthday post.
mainly because if i go on and on about his greatness, you would all show up on my porch wanting a piece!

but these days, he deserves so much more.
D-DUB, thank you for not leaving me to find someone more.....stable.

the 2 willys

2009-02-28T20:43:00.003-06:00

what did you think i was talking about?

okay, so we know who i prefer.....even if he is prettier than me, especially in that purple suit........

but, we thought we'd put it to the real test.......thing 1 and thing 2.

for our weekly movie night, we thought we'd do a comparative cinematic analysis....you know try to be educational?

okay, really we just wanted to watch the willy wonkas and see what the kids thought.

now, if you know me, you know i'm relatively conservative when it comes to what my kids watch, which is why this is the first time either one of them have seen either one of these movies.

although my boy asks for transformers, star wars-clone wars, and pirates of the caribbean, he's only getting noggin. no commercials and they are limited to things like olivia, backyardigans and little einsteins.

oh wait, we have started them on some scooby-doo and my new favorite, phineas and ferb. mainly because the music to both is super sweet!

i know, i know, call me a hypocrite. my tv is my lifeline. but enough about me.

night 1: johnny depp's willy (okay, now that is kinda funny)

while johnny depp is a little um, eclectic? the special effects are amazing!
the oompa loompa who is the same guy throughout the whole movie? crazy!

and how can you not like helena bonham carter?

and, charlie bucket has a dad. good call. a 2 parent household. you knew this wasn't a disney flick. sorry walt.

i also like that this version followed the book so much more closely.

except for maybe willy wonka's creepy dentist dad and child willy wonka's crazy head gear, this movie? sooooo not scary.

2 thumbs up.

the best part of this movie? you see augustus gloop, veruca salt, violet beauregard, and mike teevee walk out of the factory, a little worse for wear, but totally alive.

this is important.

night 2: gene wilder's willy (again, i made my self giggle)

the songs, especially the oompa loompa songs in this version cannot be beat!

okay, okay, so the special effects leave a little bit to be desired.....i mean it looks like it was put together in my gym. but c'mon folks it was 1971. we hadn't even gotten star wars yet.

of course, we all remember the LSD boat ride they take after augustus gloop falls into the chocolate river. again, great for children.

sadly, this did unnerve my babies, and while covering their eyes, i contemplated turning it off.
but no, i remembered, it gets better.

okay, so maybe i should have turned it off. parker still asks about "why that girl turned into a blueberry" and when charlie and granpa drink the fizzy soda? she began to cry and wanted to go to bed.

way to go mom of the year!

1 thumbs up, i middle finger up.

my boy? not phased. he loved them both, but actually like gene wilder better!

its just funny. i remember having a conversation with my friend michelle about how her daughter who was about 3 or 4 at the time and the things that scared her. things like little mermaid and some of the other princess movies. not having a girl at the time, i couldn't understand it. from the time he was 2, my boy has asked to watch the craziest of things, and on the off chance i gave in, no problems! now that i have a sensitive little girl, i can totally understand. of course, sadly for my boy this just makes me hold more stuff back.

you know those tv ratings? i usually add about 2 years to them, you know Y7 in my world becomes Y9. i may just add 2 more.

"food" for thought

2009-02-27T11:17:00.005-06:00

there was an article in our paper(yes i still read it) about how food is the new sex.
HUH?
yep, that's what i said. i've attached the link, but in case you showed up late(like i always do) and the link is gone, let me give you some excerpts.....
george will commented on mary eberstadt's policy review essay "is food the new sex?"
yeah, even after i wikipedia'd her, i still don't know who she is or what the policy review is. but i think i would like to read more of her stuff.

Imagine, says Eberstadt, a 30-year-old Betty in 1958, and her 30-year-old granddaughter Jennifer today. Betty's kitchen is replete with things – red meat, dairy products, refined sugars, etc. – that nutritionists now instruct us to minimize. She serves meat from her freezer,
accompanied by this and that from jars. If she thinks about food, she thinks
only about what she enjoys, not what she, and everyone else, ought to eat.

Jennifer pays close attention to food, about which she has strong opinions.
She eats neither red meat nor endangered fish, buys "organic" meat and produce,
fresh fruits and vegetables, and has only ice in her freezer. These choices are,
for her, matters of right and wrong.

Betty would be baffled by draping moral abstractions over food, a mere matter of personal taste. Regarding sex, however, she had her Categorical Imperative – the 1950s' encompassing sexual ethic that proscribed almost all sex outside of marriage. Jennifer is a Whole Foods Woman; she bristles with judgments about eating, but is essentially laissez-faire about sex. Today "the all-you-can-eat buffet" is stigmatized, and the "sexual smorgasbord" is not.

i know right! a very interesting commentary on our society.

talk amongst yourselves........

sweet salvation

2009-02-26T11:00:00.002-06:00

okay, salvation may be a strong word here, i mean there is only one way to salvation and that is of course through the grace of my very sweet savior jesus christ, but that's another post for another day.

have you seen these? i know, i know as always, i'm late to the party, these have been around for a while, but since i'm not into having someone hold me underwater while at the ocean, or the dead sea, shooting salt water up my nose just didn't sound like fun.

i have battled allergies all my life, took shots, took prescription meds, i have done it all! here's the fun part, when you're pregnant, most of that stuff you just don't want to mess with.

i know, things are safer now, yada, yada, yada. but its like with the whole "can you have a glass of wine" controversy.......regardless of what the facts say about moderation, i deal with enough, how do i say this delicately.......crack-babies, fetal alcohol babies, and babies of babies, that i do not want to take that chance. there are already so many factors OUT of my control that can do in-utero harm, that the factors i CAN control? oh i'm controlling!

so, i gave in to the neti pot, and despite almost drowning twice while standing at my bathroom sink, i have to say i am pleased. now i find out they have a whole line, like a "no back wash" design, a "kids mist"......you think my kids hated the booger patrol before, wait until i come at them with this.

so, neti pot, you get a thumbs up and my full endorsement.
the checks should be rolling in anytime.

monica needs.....

2009-02-20T20:30:00.002-06:00

okay, this is straight from FACEBOOK.
yes, i've been there again.
but the latest thing is tagging. i'm running out of people to tag, so instead, i'll post here.

RULES:
Go to Google, type in your first name and the word "needs" after it. Then tell us - what are the top ten things Google says you "need"?

1. monica needs a job.

tell me something i don't know. i'm still waiting for the fame and fortune that comes with my current job.....
2. monica needs new holes in her skin.

like i need a hole in my head. are they talking piercings? acupuncture? this one is just scary!
3. monica needs a bicycle master plan.

clearly someone spilled the beans that i'm off my running master plan.
4. monica needs another dressed washed.

really? can we not forget about THAT monica?

5. monica needs a haircut

i'm trying! i'm really, really trying! but the pony is soooooo convenient.
6. monica needs to rent a room.

i have been trying for 6 years to get my own oprah space. last year i was told "my room" could be the kitchen. the kitchen!?! yes, the kitchen.
7. monica needs some highlights.

see #5
8. monica needs some volunteers.

now that's what i'm talking about! man, have i got a "to do" list for those volunteers.
9. monica needs to take the simplest measure.

okay now that's just creepy. google, you know me. you really know me.
10. monica needs to be promoted more on the east coast.

i see talk show circuit, letterman, jimmy kimmel, craig ferguson.....too bad gordon keith is off.

do you think i can get double billed with mark wahlberg?

my own scarlet letter

2009-02-16T20:05:00.004-06:00

i have a confession to make.....
i have been unfaithful.
i have found a, well, as a female, can i have a "mistress"? a mister?
while i love the blogspot, i have found myself straying...
of course, by looking at my blogroll, i realize i am not the only one...

i originally resurrected this blog as a means for me to spare my husband all the random thoughts that go through my head.....you know, take home only about 10,000 words as opposed to all 50,000 that my x chromosomes use.
but alas, i have been absent, is it because he listens to me more, or i've just repressed more?
hmmm, that is the million dollar question.
the million dollar answer?

here's what i discovered. i love blogs because they give me a look into other people's worlds......so why not start my own. i have a pretty fun world, right?

enter FACEBOOK stage right.

the more i confirmed and the less i ignored, the more i realized i was way more interested in other people's lives than i was divulging about my own.
not only that, but just as i got used to thinking in blog posts, i quickly adapted to thinking in status updates. which of course was easy, one sentence as opposed to a few paragraphs.

and don't get me wrong, i love talking about myself, but this.....its like a giant party and everyone i know is there! a little like what i imagine heaven is like.
now that's what i'm talking about.

just call me debbie downer

2009-01-11T21:02:00.003-06:00

okay, so if you haven't seen this movie i just spoiled it for you.
but really, how could you not see that coming?

honestly, that is probably the least depressing part of the movie.

backstory: i love movies! i mean if i could sit at a theatre all day and watch back to backs, i would. if i could have an endless supply of dvd's and not develop bedsores, i don't know that i'd get off my couch.
i love movies.

a few weeks ago, some friends and i got into a discussion of top 5/top 10 movies. we quickly realized, i was trying to cram about 40 movies into my top 5. i love movies.

i love movies because they are an escape from reality. i guess they are my drug. i could have worse vices. but really, does my life consist of high speed car chases through the narrow cobblestone streets of venice? no.
am i trying to commandeer a airplane full of ex-convicts to get home to see my daughter? no.
does my car send me back to 1985 when i hit 88mph? sadly. no.
have i ever lost my car? no.
am i engaged to a ny senator, but realize i still haven't gotten a divorce from my high school sweetheart back home? again. no.
my life is......normal.

so when i go to movies, show me something i won't see in my everyday. show me something i can't see in my everyday.

enter marley and me .
as my marlee says, this was like watching my life unfold except these people were prettier and had nicer houses.
SERIOUSLY!

save your money for beverly hills chihuahua.

photography

2008-12-28T16:27:00.000-06:00

so my newest sister-in-law is living the dream.
she's starting her own photography business, so i'm promoting her...
am photography
give her a shot!

the road goes on forever.........

2008-12-27T16:31:00.004-06:00

and the party never ends!
literally.
the west texas highway never ends, but the trip to and from is like no party you've ever been to.
no disrespect mister robert earl.

i have just returned from "the exchange".
about 2 or 3 times a year, i drive 3 hours to meet my parents in abilene to hand off the kids. i then turn right around and drive the 3 hours back to the metroplex. by. myself.

if you know anything about me, you know i am not a musical person. i love music, but it isn't one of my gifts. i barely have enough of a library to fill 1 ipod shuffle. and that's with some borrowed tunes from dave and crockett's library. yes, there are some pixar and beastie boys tunes mixed in as fillers.
not only that, but anything that is on my ipod is there because i stole it from someone.
i don't "find" great music.
but the 3 hours i am alone in my car, i get to listen to my music.
as loud as i want.
the best part? i get to sing. as loud. as. i. want.

all this to say that with the sweetest itunes library around, and nothing but the open road ahead of me, i took a trip down memory lane. so, sit back, pour yourself a pitcher and line up those bones.....

disclaimer:
a) there will be lots of name dropping and i have not changed names to protect the innocent. there are no innocents.
b)there is no order to these memories, chronologically, or by order of importance. just how they came out on my shuffle.
and
c) this post may open itself up to self-diclosure and reflection on my part. in which case, i will claim being drunk and deny any and all references.
enjoy.

alanis morisette-jagged little pill/air supply-greatest hits combo:
don't judge. just appreciate.
the summer i lived in the wayland house with kris and jenni. i learned to love running that summer. i purchased my first cell phone that summer. the summer i realized i am the girl boys love to hang out with, play sega with, take on road trips, shoot rats with, but never date. (i have decided my good looks intimidated them)

madonna's "true blue"& "borderline":
always takes me back to lunch sophmore year. the pinocchio's across the street was always playing that on the jukebox. thank you becca for getting your license before all of us to save us from only having to endure that for a week!

jim croce/eagles:
will always remind me of my dad. i don't really remember the time we lived in colorado, but i must have really loved it and being in the car with him because anytime i hear these 2 bands, i feel good and i think of him. he gave me a love for 70's music and the open road.

rick springfield:
209.
enough said.

randy travis:
my freshman roommate in all her basketball player hugeness (she was like 6 ft.+) dancing around in our ca-ramped dorm room with a bowl full of broccoli and hot sauce......on a daily basis.

life is a highway-tom cochrane, not rascal flatts:
the summer arch and bobby taught me to water ski. they had no patience and i had no skill. a great combination! i have never heard such words from 2 good baptist boys. how we stayed friends for so long after that, i'll never know.
the rascal flatts version gives me happy thoughts of my son.

lyle lovett-road to ensanada:
maurie rae! i loved hearing him every morning, so much so out of the dozen cd's i have purchased in my lifetime, 3 are his. see, i stole him.

indigo girls:
any and all high school younglife trips with scott, michelle, ginger, terri and the crew-polar bear weekend, zombie weekend, making cookies at terri's apt.

cutting edge-"i just died in your arms tonight":
kaki's birthday party in the 7th grade. that played all night long!

steve wariner/cranberries combo:
mary lee's "getting ready to" music. which always makes me think of our 2am giggle fests that were quickly followed by our 5am workouts.

jewel:
the ill fated "camel red's" trip to kansas with paul and myles. did i mention we did it in one day? again, how dr. mcC remained our friend after that trip is a mystery. then again, when was the last time i heard from him?

dave matthews-"crash":
thank you jay and albert for putting me on the cutting edge with dmb before he got big. i'll also thank you for letting me guest on your radio show as well.....somehow my broadcast career never took off....boy how much money would i pay to hear recordings of that show?

the outfield-"your love":
the one that made me drop to 9 hours one semester. (sorry mom and dad). made us miss weezer. (sorry albert). made me consider transferring to that place. (sorry 12th man). made me quote more movie lines than anyone cared to hear. (sorry marlee and kelly). made me laugh. and of course made me cry.
word on the streets is he's in seminary somewhere about to become a minister or something, in the midwest.....yeah, so would not have worked out. whew!

kenny loggins-danny's song:
crockett james. i had just quit my job with the illusion of being a stay at home mom. we were living in 2 rooms of our house as dave worked to renovate. we were poor, wait, were? but this song played on the radio all summer long and made me cry every time....i blame the hormones.

dixie chicks-"wide open spaces":
parker ann. she truly is her mother's daughter. she has a wild, crazy streak. she is the bull in the china shop. and, just as i'm sure i broke my mother's heart when i left for college and never turned back, i'm sure she'll do the same. i cry every time i hear this song. while i want my children to gain their independence and become theri own person, i and so do not look forward to that day. probably a lot like my mom.

steve miller band-"space cowboy":
do i really need to tell you who this song makes me think of? and why?

and most recently:
jason mraz-"i'm yours":
i found this song on my xm, thinking i had discovered greatness. much to my chagrin, my brother had just bought the cd. fast forward to their rehearsal dinner and this song shows up on their vido montage. now, everytime i hear it i cry. it makes me think of mike and amy and how much he loves her. i couldn't even look at him as i walked down the aisle! as hard of a time as i give her, i love her too and again......start the waterworks!

i need my counseling classes to start again, so i have other folks' psyches to work on. introspection is for the birds.

my million dollar baby

2008-12-01T19:27:00.003-06:00

1 stray boot

+ 1 metal bed frame
______________________

1 911 call and 2 bags of ice.

the paramedics assured us it looks worse than it is.
i guess we'll be using old pictures for our christmas cards.

2008-11-30T10:09:00.002-06:00

dear sweet family at the movie theater,

isn't this adventure called parenting fun? i can see that you are a lot like me in that you love spending time with your kids. I can see that you also take every opportunity to share life experiences and find teachable moments in the small things. and, what better place than a saturday afternoon family matinee?

can i just say how cute you 4 looked? your 2 small children were adorable. i loved their matching t-shirts. i also loved how you purchased those sweet little movie pacs, one for each of them, so there would be no fighting during the movie. i appreciate that more than the silencing of cell phones. also, isn't it cool how they have those booster seats so their little heads can see over the seats in front of them? that way they don't miss one pices of the action! sitting in the back corner was a smart move too. you probably didn't want to bother us with potty trips, or knock us in the back of the head with your diaper bag. thank you.

and while i will admit that i am more homer simpson than ned flanders, and i am never one to question a fellow soldier (we're all in this parenting fight together), i do question if a matinee of THE DARK KNIGHT was an appropriate choice for your 2 children under the age of 5.
but that's just me.

your friend,
WTF?!?

soooooooo not done!

2008-11-23T19:46:00.003-06:00

has it been a week already?
well here's my san antonio update. okay, i really just stole it from marlee, but she tells a good story.

Sunday was the big race. We were really jazzed about running. Seriously. So excited. Couldn't wait to get up at 5:30 and wait for the shuttle in 34 degree weather for an hour. So fun. I was hoping to wait our there longer but the shuttle arrived and we had to go.
Met a NCSU grad on the bus (go Wolfpack!).
Got dropped off and walked, um, half a mile to the start line. Finally, we were off.
Folks, I hate to knock SA but it is so not that pretty. I'm assuming the route planners took us through the best of what SA has to offer in the hopes that some of the 30,000 runners may want to come back. I think they missed the enchilada on that one. Anyhoo, we were running and it was fine, lots of angry bands along the way to keep us going.
We got to mile 8 when Monica began to feel the effects of her delicate condition. (i would give details here, but you guys just need to know that wilson3 did NOT enjoy the run) Instead of push our luck, we decided to walk the rest of the race. It ended up being great - gave us more time to hang out!
We crossed the finish line, snagged all the free food we (ok, I think it was just me) could and then started the 2 mile walk back to the hotel. We finally got to a point
where traffic could get through and called Dad to come get us. Yea Dad! We
decided that our next trip to see each other would:
(1) not involve running 13.1 miles
(2) would be girls only
(3) not be in SA and
(4) involve more wine.
Can't wait! me either mary lee!

we had such a great time, i forgot to take pictures. actually, i have one picture on my phone, and since it took me 3 tries to take the picture, and its taken me a week to find the picture, i'll have to get one of my students show me how to get it from my phone to the computer.
ahhhh technology.

oh, and sooo not done referes to the fact that 2009 will be the year of the race. i gotta get my mojo back.

jobs

2008-11-13T13:11:00.002-06:00

since disd is letting so many people go, i think i'll apply for a new job.

you know, somewhere where i'm appreciated. like the department of education.

'Plum Book' Lists 7,000+ Jobs If You Want To Work For Obama

Last Edited: Thursday, 13 Nov 2008, 5:26 PM GMT
Created: Thursday, 13 Nov 2008, 5:26 PM GMT

Released this week was the 2008 edition of "The Plum Book," a listing of more than 7,000 government jobs.
By JOHN P. WISE
MyFox National

NEW YORK -- Pay attention, job seekers, because this could be right up your alley.

The Broadcasting Board of Governors needs a Senior Advisor for the Voice of America in its International Bureau. You would report to ... Barack Obama.

Other current vacancies in the new administration include: Deputy Associate Administrator for Homeland Security, Executive Vice President of the Overseas Private Investment Corporation and even a White House architect.

You can see these listings and thousands more in the new "Plum Book," just out Wednesday.

An updated version comes out every four years, shortly after each presidential election. It lists available jobs, and in the 2008 edition, you'll find more than 7,000 of them. Four thousand of the positions require presidential appointments.

According to a joint statement from Governmental Affairs Committee chairman Joe Lieberman and ranking member Susan Collins, the book is "essential reading for anyone interested in pursuing public service in the Executive Branch of government."

community quickhits

2008-11-13T08:57:00.003-06:00

my two amys have given updates on their lives.....so since i haven't jumped on enough bandwagons yet, i'll add this one in to the rotation.

TOP 10 REASONS WHY I DON'T COMPLETELY SUCK.

10. FACEBOOK.
c'mon, we all know we're hooked. and since my initial facebook post, it seems like EVERYONE is on. of course, when my mom learns to confirm folks, then we know its over!

9. HOMEWORK.
not even mine. i'm all about literacy and all that that implies, but whatever happened to coloring, cutting and pasting, and nap time? oh, and keeping that at school?
and, yep, i'm that mom, we find ourselves doing homework at the breakfast table.
okay, that might mean i suck just a little bit.

8. SMARTPHONE ENVY.
i keep going back and forth between those stupid phones. i want an iphone. but have you seen the new blackberry storm? oooooooo.
but, its really a mute point since i have to go 6 months without breaking or losing my old phone, or having a ginormous bill before my accountant will let me upgrade. we keep having to reset every couple of months. at this rate, when i get a chance to finally upgrade, we'll all have little phones implanted in our brains.
in the meantime, i just envy. envy may equal suck. of course, since i can't keep up with my old phone, also, suck.

7. GOING CRAZY.
discussing/thinking/obsessing about schools/jobs/life/future.
hmmmm obsessing definitely = suck.

6. FRUGAL GOURMET.
the wilson's are becoming healthier (less chik-fil-a runs), wealthier (less chik-fil-a runs) and wise (the kids are getting very creative in their excuses for not being hungry. but, i am trying to cook more. i have stolen several recipes from cafe molina (that didn't quite turn out the same), but stolen and tried nonetheless. cooking ability = definite suck

5. WEDDING.
while not my own, i will breathe easier once nov 29th comes and goes. stress? i can't imagine why?

4. TEXAS TECH FOOTBALL AND BCS STANDINGS. getting rid of r.c. (the winningest coach in our history) really angered the football gods. we have entered bizarro world where my fightin' texas aggies aren't even discussed, but texas tech is #2? potentially a bigXII championship. hopes of playing for the nat'l championship? i may bleed maroon, but my roots are red and black.

3. MADAME PRESIDENT-ELECT.
that's right, i am the change you can believe in. or the hope you can change? or the belief that i'm hope? whatever.
but you are looking at the new president of our neighborhood parents group! okay, so there was no campaign, there was no election, there wasn't even a scandal. and there really is nothing to change, our neighborhood group is awesom. but the torch has been passed to me for the 2009 year, along with a super stud co-president, so let's hope this sweet little neighborhood doesn't go to hell in a you-know-what.

2. SAN ANTONIO ROCK-N-ROLL.it's finally here. my next marathon. excited to run. excited to eat yummy food. and more excited to see old friends. real ones, not just the facebook kind!
now, i will only be running the half, along with my friends, it turns out there's a good reason for that decision too.......

1. CREATING LIFE.
i'll just let that one sink in.

warning: controversy ahead

2008-11-08T21:20:00.006-06:00

as a maroon bleeding aggie, this post may make ol' army lou roll over in his pot, but c'mon
this kid could make sarge get his guns up!

stats?
we don't need no stinkin' stats!

those eyes.

that hair.

almost makes you forget he's from ennis.

and now....

2008-11-07T19:47:00.004-06:00

back to our regularly scheduled programming.

the election is over.

i have tired head.

back to real life!

posts that tackle the real issues. kids, fall tv, the music choices of my husband.

gobama!

2008-11-06T14:40:00.000-06:00

***just a reminder to all those that think the world is coming to an end because obama won. ***

how can you question that?

post game wrap-up

2008-11-05T09:59:00.003-06:00

**UPDATE**
regardless of how you voted......

mccain's speech

says it best.
if i could youtube at school, i would post him.
but, i think reading it gives more of a punch.

then, when you finish that, read this wall street journal article from shapiro.
i've said it once and i'll say it again. whomever takes office is our leader. we're not asking him to be our best friend, or our neighbor. we are called to honor and respect those that are called to lead.

The Treatment of Bush Has Been a Disgrace
What must our enemies be thinking?
By JEFFREY SCOTT SHAPIRO

Earlier this year, 12,000 people in San Francisco signed a petition in support of a proposition on a local ballot to rename an Oceanside sewage plant after George W. Bush. The proposition is only one example of the classless disrespect many Americans have shown the president.

According to recent Gallup polls, the president's average approval rating is below 30% -- down from his 90% approval in the wake of 9/11. Mr. Bush has endured relentless attacks from the left while facing abandonment from the right.
This is the price Mr. Bush is paying for trying to work with
both Democrats and Republicans. During his 2004 victory speech, the president
reached out to voters who supported his opponent, John Kerry, and said, "Today,
I want to speak to every person who voted for my opponent. To make this nation
stronger and better, I will need your support, and I will work to earn it. I
will do all I can do to deserve your trust."
Those bipartisan efforts have been met with crushing resistance from both political parties.
The president's original Supreme Court choice of Harriet Miers alarmed Republicans, while his final nomination of Samuel Alito angered Democrats. His solutions to
reform the immigration system alienated traditional conservatives, while his
refusal to retreat in Iraq has enraged liberals who have unrealistic expectations about the challenges we face there.
It seems that no matter what Mr. Bush does, he is blamed for everything. He remains despised by the left while continuously disappointing the right.
Yet it should seem obvious that many of our country's current problems either existed long before Mr. Bush ever came to office, or are beyond his control. Perhaps if Americans stopped being so divisive, and congressional leaders came together to work with the president on some of these problems, he would actually have had a fighting chance of solving them.
Like the president said in his 2004 victory speech, "We have one
country, one Constitution and one future that binds us. And when we come
together and work together, there is no limit to the greatness of America."
To be sure, Mr. Bush is not completely alone. His low approval ratings put him in the good company of former Democratic President Harry S. Truman, whose own approval rating sank to 22% shortly before he left office. Despite Mr. Truman's low numbers, a 2005 Wall Street Journal poll found that he was ranked the seventh most popular president in history.
Just as Americans have gained perspective on how challenging Truman's presidency was in the wake of World War II, our country will recognize the hardship President Bush faced these past eight years -- and how extraordinary it was that he accomplished what he did in the wake of the September 11 attacks.
The treatment President Bush has received from this country is nothing less than a disgrace. The attacks launched against him have been cruel and slanderous, proving to the world what little character and resolve we have. The president is not to blame for all these problems. He never lost faith in America or her people, and has tried his hardest to continue leading our nation during a very difficult time.
Our failure to stand by the one person who continued to stand by us has not gone unnoticed by our enemies.
It has shown to the world how disloyal we can be when our president needed
loyalty -- a shameful display of arrogance and weakness that will haunt this
nation long after Mr. Bush has left the White House.

the time has come,

2008-11-03T17:34:00.002-06:00

the walrus said.
so don't forget to vote today!

happy halloween and all that jazz!

2008-11-03T17:30:00.005-06:00

2 parts cute kids
1 part trick or treat
3 parts scooby doo cartoons
1,000,000 parts sugar

yields halloween 2008!
see you next year!

one of these things

2008-10-22T10:51:00.005-05:00

is not like the other.
one of these things just isn't the same. (insert singing muppets here)

you know when you have a little angel on one shoulder and a little devil on the other?
you are previewing the 2 flower girls in my brother's november wedding.
guess which one is mine?

oh wait? why isn't parker in the dress too....oh yeah that.
won't. even. let. me. get. it. near. her.
something about "i want my red raider dress and orange shoes" (those would be her crocs)

gentlemen, place your bets!
i hear vegas has some pretty good odds going.

this may be considered inside information, but here's a picture of her at one of the bridal showers....

i'm just saying.

early voting

2008-10-20T20:41:00.005-05:00

began today.

i'm an early voter. not because i'm that "on top of things", i just have to get it out of the way before i have a chance to over think. and c'mon, haven't we been overthinking this whole thing since february!

so go ahead,

**message to repeat november 4th.

if my job were more like survivor

2008-10-16T19:35:00.006-05:00

and my boss was jeff probst, this problem could have been solved in a week.

google "disd".

google "rif-reduction in force".

google "complete idiocy".

and more than likely you'll get all kinds of information on a financial debacle that makes the stock market plunge look like fuzzy math. it makes ike look like a may shower. it makes, okay, you get the picture. but it really is amazing what has been going on in my school district.

i direct you to the unofficial blog because they are pretty accurate 99.9% of the time.

today was d-day. while the michael scotts were making decisions and telling principals who to lay-off, we were to be business as usual. more dwight schrute and less stanley. but i digress.

i got to thinking....those reality shows may be on to something.

my pitch:
not mainstream enough for a major network. or edgy enough
for cable.
could make the cw.
man, where is tina fey when you need
her?
each school is a tribe. granted, we don't need to see
teachers in ripped clothing or bikinis, so we won't go too exotic. maybe
wilmer-hutchins, or ennis.

the host? modano's got the looks. dirk's got the
accent. cuban's got the personality (?) ultimately, i vote jerry. he's always
got his hand in something good around here.

various competitions and elimination games are set up
for us to compete in.
granted, the secondary schools will rule at the
physical feats (we have coaches, and what better athletes are there than former
high school sport stars that couldn't make it in the big time). and, we have
perfected the art of the high five.

but, of course the elementary schools would totally
dominate at the thinking stuff because they are usually a little more meticulous
and pay attention to detail.

besides, they know all about being quiet and staying in
line and holding bubbles in their mouths. while we're too busy being the
make-out police.

okay, so all loser schools would simply vote off their
own teachers. trust me, we can weed out our own.

you hog the copy machine, so i spend my entire planning
period waiting in line?
vote.
you take the last of the lounge coffee and don't start
a new pot?
vote.
although my lunch clearly has my name on the front
(monogrammed and everything), you still "just want to taste."?
vote.
you show up for every lunch potluck, but never bring a
thing?
vote.
you send me your worst kids, because "i know how to
handle them."?
vote.
you want a copy of all my lesson plans, but offer
nothing in return?
vote.

see how easy that is? trust me, those of us on the inside know what's important. oh wait, immunity? sure, totally up for grabs.

take over one of classes so i can leave
early.
take over one of my classes so i can have a longer
lunch.
take over one of my classes because happy hour went
long last night.
take over one of my classes because i have a paper to
read.
immunity granted!

oh, i hear the execs knocking now.........wait, that may just be my pink slip.

public endorsement

2008-10-09T09:21:00.003-05:00

this here may have cinched my vote.

of course, it just may be the teacher in me.

girls' night

2008-10-06T17:41:00.008-05:00

little sis gets carted around to all things big brother. karate. soccer. friend's houses. you name it.

i won't say she's always a good sport about it, but she definitely could be worse.

saturday night daddy worked late.

big brother had a sleep-over.

i decided to treat her to her own girls' night, or as she calls it. the girl party!

she picked out the decor, the spread, and the activities.

"light" and "dark" grape juice, pizza, strawberries with chocolate dipping sauce and of course, pink princess sprinkles

she loved the juice......

but loved the chocolate and strawberries more......

and what girls' night is not complete without the mani-pedi........

or the chick-flick....

rickrolled!

2008-10-03T11:05:00.002-05:00

is nothing sacred? even at the debates..... look over his right shoulder.

i'm calling it right now

RICK ASTLEY '12

and the award goes to......

2008-09-30T11:23:00.010-05:00

okay, so these guys haven't shown up yet, but i am keeping my legs crossed and nixing the miniskirts just in case. i certainly wouldn't want to britney anyone.

but, i really have won an award! yay self-esteem!
it appears that i actually waste the time of more than just 2 people.

here's the skinny

Characteristics for the Smile Award:
1. Must display a cheerful attitude.
2. Must love one another.
3. Must make mistakes.
4. Must learn from others.
5. Must be a positive contributor to blog world.
6. Must love life.
7. Must love kids.

Rule of The Smile Award
1. The recipient must link back the the award’s creator
2. You must post these rules if you receive the award.
3. You must choose 5 people to receive the award after receiving it yourself.
4. You must fit the characteristics of the recipient of the award, as posted.
5. You must post the characteristics of a recipient.
6. You must create a post sharing your win with others.
7. You must thank your giver.

diana b. and your tub full of boys, and fun, and sweetness, and love and all things good... THANK YOU!!!

now for the fun part. i get to give this to 5 other folks.
there's lots of good blogs out there. in my world, we're bff's that i check up on everyday. of course, in their world, it's probably more like stalking.

now for the hard part. i get to give this to 5 other folks.
it's like my mom told me i can have a sleepover but can only invite 5 friends instead of everyone i know. oh the anguish.

girls weekend 101

2008-09-26T09:34:00.002-05:00

yay! its that time of year again!
just to be clear, there are *rules....

1. I will not break up any arguments over who has whose stuff.
2. I will not tell anyone to get down from standing on the couch.
3. I will not prevent anyone from standing on a stool trying to get something off the counter that they shouldn't have or touch something hot.
4. I will not sign anyone's folder if they have a RED day.
5. I will not sing Poor, Unfortunate Souls to anyone.
6. If you sit down and say you're not coming with us, I will not wait for you or count. I'm just leavin'.
7. I will not change anyone's diaper.
8. I will not fix anyone "dark" apple juice.

*works cited shannon temple

yep...

2008-09-22T20:48:00.001-05:00

i'm at it again.

"on the backside of 30...."

2008-09-22T11:55:00.000-05:00

to quote john conlee.

okay, i'm not on the backside, yet, but i have acknowledged the fact that i am getting old.
clue #1
the presets on my xm have gone from anything consisting of hip cool tunes to things like sports talk, cnn headline news, potus '08, bbc world and freakin' bloomberg.

oh and the couple of music presets i have left play cool jams from those hip new bands like the cranberries, corey hart, and journey.

clue #2
start my day without reading the newspaper?!?! heresy! and i'm talking "physically turning paper pages where my fingers get all black and there's so much awakwardness in turning those giant pages that you dare not read it without a table in front of you" newspaper not any of this new age interweb newspaper.

third and final clue?
as i'm watching 90210, my concerns for he characters have well, shifted.
travel back in time with me to a place i like to call ol' army.

some of my concerns-circa 1990-2000
1. the peach pit is awesome.
2. valerie! what a skank!
3. such a sweet condo on the beach.
4. who will dylan choose?
and of course:
5. donna martin graduates!

but in this dawning of new army,

i find myself following these story lines:
1. it is difficult for kelly to date when she has a child-who will babysit?
2. isn't there a dress code at west beverly?
3. i am so glad silver is okay after almost drowning as a 4 yr. old.
4. all the wilson's want is a family night-is that so hard to have?
and finally:
5. i truly hope debbie can find them a house in this market, and move out from under her mother-in-law.

i know. i'm old.

bring it on!

2008-09-16T10:15:00.004-05:00

in a world where being a high school cheerleader is the definition of self fullfillment....
oh wait, it doesn't just happen in texas.
first we had this:
the positively true adventures of the alleged texas cheerleading mom. just rolls off the tongue doesn't it?
then this:
willing to kill, the texas cheerleading story
and who can forget this:
fab five: the texas cheerleader scandal
but the ultimate cheerleading story.
score one for wisconsin!
really? some people just don't need to bring it.

the cult of personality

2008-09-15T17:57:00.007-05:00

during one of my cheap therapy sessions. i mean grad school classes, we took the meyers-briggs. ever hear of it?
yeah, yeah, your typical personality test. like in seventeen, or vogue where in an effort to understand yourself and others, you answer all these questions to help you understand your:
a) contextual self
who you are in a given environment
b) developed self
your choices, free will and habitual contextual self become your developed self
and finally,
c) true self
your dna

so, we took this survey and my therapist, i mean professor, scored us and labeled us.
nothing like being labeled, discussing that label with a group of people and then finding out how people feel about that label. awesome!
so i am labeled as the most sociable of all personalities (duh). i base all decisions on how they will affect people (duh). i am a helper, a facilitator, and a apparently my main objective in life is to assure the happiness of others. (hmmm) most of this was not news to me. nor was the fact that i am very concrete and must have things planned out.....
which is where the story takes an ugly turn.
see, we have been in school for 3 weeks now and today was basically a "do-over" of the first day of school. we started the year out with a new principal and when the old one principal left, he took the master schedule with him, allegedly. so, the counselors and "scheduling experts" (hmmm, is that where the $64 million went?) have been working on said schedule for 3 weeks. this is exactly how i feel. and probably look too. yikes!

apparently the new atom smasher is a lot less complicated than making sure 7th graders get their required credits of gym, math, or lunch scheduled correctly.

the thing is i can respect a good cluster______. however when every friday you tell me that on monday the situation is resolved and come monday that situation is still not resolved and that happens not only once, not only twice, but three times....trust issues begin to surface. i'm only taking one class this semester, so not enough therapy to include multiple issues, you know?

so, in reference to aforementioned personality test that so obviously pointed out my concrete sequential-ness and need for order, i can't funtion! my home life has suffered. i cannot get a routine going at school, which means i cannot get a routine going at home. i can't eat. i can't sleep. i got sick! fall premieres are still a week away!
i know! right?
okay, things got ironed out today and the space time continuum should cease its unraveling.(insert huge sigh of relief here).
all that to say that regular blog posts?...should be coming back as order is being restored. besides, i think i was wearing dave out by talking to him instead of posting to both my readers.

September 11, 2001

2008-09-11T09:06:00.007-05:00

do you remember where you were? what you were doing?
where are you now?

its always sunny in philadelphia

2008-09-08T20:55:00.007-05:00

...and that is why i'm not blogging tonight.
my head is swimming. i'm super discombobulated. and don't deal well with stress.
therefore the night is comprised of triple P's and the gang....
oh season 4 is nigh upon us.

warning: uncomfortable, politically incorrect humor ahead! but hulu you must!

the outback

2008-09-02T11:02:00.015-05:00

or as the locals call it, grandma and rudy granpa's house.

labor day weekend had a LOT going on.

bridal shower for mike and amy.
so not possible with out my posse!
way to go girls!
amy, i expect to see pictures posted soon.

an early birthday celebration for crockett at main event.
oh, and i think there was a football game or something?

grandma and her angel

STRIKE!

oh, we're in trouble!

get your guns up!
et tu david?
when in rome? i guess?

and we're done!

my little rachel ray

2008-08-26T09:07:00.008-05:00

you know, it's difficult being a working mom to 2 small children.
grad school.
keeping a home, yada, yada, yada,
i have to find my "me" time anywhere i can get it.
lately its been on my 5 am runs.

fortunately, i have a little help around the house. this morning, upon returning, i walk in to breakfast.....pancakes, oatmeal, eggs.
wait, let me show you instead.......

yes, that is her bed

fortunately, no eggs were harmed in the process

i guess the cereal mountain, not so bad huh? but who doesn't love a good breakfast in bed?

back to school

2008-08-20T09:45:00.010-05:00

yep, that time of year again!
as always, you can learn all about the inner workings of my illustrious career via the greatness of the blog. that's usually where i learn stuff.

summer is officially over, as we all head back this fall.
i'd like to say i learned some things this summer....but i would be lying.
we did a lot of playing.
a lot of swimming.
a lot of tv watching.
and a lot of doing nothing!
it was sweet!

my little man started his first day of kindergarten this morning. and for all of you who have ridden the "where will i send him to school?" roller coaster with me, whew! lift the bar and check your seat for any loose items. exit to the left. the ride is over. oh, and don't forget your souvenir picture!

thank you grandma & grandpa for the back to school accessories.
of course, let's hope this private school pays off. get your guns up!

oops. someone was a little upset that this day was not all about her

lindsay lohan? the L-word?

2008-08-12T21:26:00.003-05:00

no, seriously. i feel like rip van winkle.
i mean, i fall asleep to this
and wake up to this

when did this happen?

first clay aiken,
now lindsay lohan,
sweet!
next up george michael. . . .oh i'll be waiting

"i have given a name to my pain...

2008-08-09T23:39:00.014-05:00

...and his name is batman."

okay, so the last time i saw batman was 1990~ish. it came out in '89, my brother, a big superhero fan and my dad, a big batman/michael keaton fan watched it over and over. . .

"and bob, remember.... you are my number one guy!"
-that's for you mike.

and i will admit....i kinda liked it.

it was dark, but entertaining.

i'm sorry. did i say dark?

fast forward 2008 and this guy.

okay, so that picture isn't so dark, but isn't it nicer to look at than this guy?
i even made the picture really small so you wouldn't be scared.

here's my point(s).
a) i loved the michael keaton/jack nicholson duo, even though it was forced upon me to watch over and over and over. and when it wasn't on, he who shall remain nameless acted it out (as he did many a movie back in the day) over and over and over. how can you argue against mr. mom and r.p. mcmurphy (for all you born pre-1980, imdb, imdb)

b) i had read all about the heath ledger death and his amazing performance as the joker, "he's so tortured"....yada, yada, yada no one could have done better, so tragic. . . .

c) i love christian bale newsies, the prestige, american psycho etc. . . .
enough said.

and
d) i do think maggie gyllenhal is cute in a pre-scientoligist katie holmes kind of way.

but sooooo not enough to pay for a batman movie?
i mean what's next?
fantastic four?
ironman?
where will the madness end?

tonight brother! two thumbs up for the dark knight. . . .i mean it was awesome! i freakin' loved it!

mamma mia will have to wait another day.

huh?

2008-08-09T14:10:00.002-05:00

clay aiken? a dad? but i thought?
i've been up here in arkansas too long. . . .
someone has messed with the space time continuum

nerdfest

2008-08-04T13:40:00.016-05:00

every year i get to enjoy a weekend away with friends from college.
there are no children, no husbands and a lot of doing nothing.
i pretty much live for this time.
dave has dubbed this weekend "nerdfest" because according to him, we sit around and do nothing but talk about our feelings. . . .

and, we'll continue to let him think that.

my trip is not until september this year, but dave was able to enjoy a little nerdfest himself a couple of weeks ago.

while i admit the scenery is beautiful, this trip looks like a lotta work. . . .

the boys

while i enjoy the concept of outdoor living, i prefer my queen size bed, egyptian cotton sheets, a roof, running water

i'm no jessica simpson, but couldn't all this be seen from a balcony suite at the broadmoor? i'm just asking.

how to beat the heat

2008-07-30T15:35:00.002-05:00

ROCK-PAPER-SCISSORS-BAM.

i taught the kids how to play this game. you would be amazed at how entertained they are by it!
it sure does give us something new to do in the triple digit heat we've been getting.
hint: when you play crockett, i suggest standing back to back
hint 2: when you play parker, i suggest always going scissors

scattergories

2008-07-24T12:10:00.005-05:00

thanks for the fun game ang! i'll play this time.

rules: Use the first letter of your first name to answer each of the following. They have to be real places, names, things - nothing made up. You cannot use your own name for the boy/girl names.

oh, and i'm posting ang's answers because i think she's funny.

1. What is your name? Angela
2. A Four letter word: Ache...like my neck all the time
3. A vehicle: Acura
4.A city: Austin, AUSome, ATX, A-town
5.A boy's name: Ashtunn
6.A girl's name: Andie
7. Alcoholic drink: Absinthe...yeeeah boooooy
8.An occupation: Anthropologist
9.Something you wear: Argyle...I wear it all the time...well, I want to wear it all the time
10. A celebrity: Adam West...What?
11. A Food: Asparagross
12. Something found in a bathroom: Anti-bacterial soap
13. Reason for being late: A line of ducks were crossing the street And A car tire blew out in front of me And I went to help And An old lady was driving slow in front of me And I couldn't find A parking spot And the elevator was out of order...what? Beat that, folks
14. Something you shout: AAAHHHHHH!!!!!!

15. An animal: Aardvark

16. A body part: Too easy...but I'll go with arm

17. Word to describe yourself: Awesome...really? C'mon now, is there any other word?

my answers

1. What is your name? monica
2. A Four letter word: mold-gross
3. A vehicle: minivan-pardon me while i weep the loss of the 2nd greatest vehicle ever driven-and only to the bug
4.A city: midland-is that really a city? a town maybe.
5.A boy's name: michael, of course.
6.A girl's name: melissa-i get called this all the time!
7. Alcoholic drink: meretti's, mojitos, margaritas, martinis, mixed drinks, oh wait, only one right?

8.An occupation: meteorologist
9.Something you wear: my fighting texas aggie ring
10. A celebrity: c'mon, marky mark!
11. A Food: macaroni and cheese
12. Something found in a bathroom: mold-again, gross
13. Reason for being late: my children
14. Something you shout: mother. . . .
15. An animal: mickey mouse
16. A body part: metacarpals-huh, 3 semesters of anatomy finally paid off
17. Word to describe yourself: mexican

on deck: denise, kassi, katy and marlee

true greatness-i mean it

2008-07-23T16:44:00.021-05:00

last night we watched ocean's eleven. a great flick.
ever notice how brad pitt is always eating in that movie?
seriously. check it out.

well, it got me thinking.
this:

(and i know you remember the growing pains episodes)

turned into this:

from carol seaver dream boyfriend, to super dad trying to save the entire third world. crazy!
then i really got me thinking (insert dave's "uh-oh" along with a heavy sigh)

look at these guys:

this:

turned into this:

this:

turned into this:

and of course,

this:

became this:

but my all time favorite transformation is this:

turning into this:

and this:
and that my friends is true greatness!
you know you can still feel those good vibrations.
and how many of us would like to take a walk on the wild side?
but, lyrical greatness and rock hard abs aside, this guy has made some great movies and you can't help but love him!

top marky mark movies of all time:
15. the substitute-a bit part, but cast as "marky mark".
14. basketball diaries-such a sad story.
13. rock star-okay, i never saw it, so it should be #15, but he is the
headliner, but come on, the hair?
12. 4 brothers-lots of character development and dialogue, and shoot 'em
ups.
11. perfect storm-i could honestly take it or leave it, but it is
really sad that he doesn't come home.
10. fear-ooooooh, the bad guy.
9. planet of the apes-weird, but i really liked it.
8. boogie nights-come on. dirk diggler?
7. three kings-great dialogue and character development....and of
course some shoot 'em ups.
6. the happening-creepy, but he is so lovable in his "save the world"
role
5. we own the night-it was petty hard to get past joaquin
phoenix(blech), but marky mark being the good guy helps you look past scarface.
4. invincible-talk about being lovable. you can't help but love
this guy
3. shooter-bless his heart, he just wants to live his life, but the
bad guys won't leave him alone (a common thread throughout most marky
marks)
2. departed-again, the common thread
1. italian job-the dude is awesome!

i'm sure some of these are up for debate, but let me tell you what isn't up for debate, the spot he holds in my top 5. and that, my friends, is another blog for another day.

oops

2008-07-21T12:30:00.004-05:00

system server down.

programmer error.

user error.

whatever. as i tried to be all bloggerrific, something happened.

so, while we try to reconfigure over here, let me know if i've left any good links off, or if i've left you off.

well, except you know who. and we all know about you know who.

my little tammy faye

2008-07-20T13:52:00.006-05:00

our weekends are usually spent at the pool with friends.

i would post pictures, but i'm like freakin' jason bourne around the pool. you know, always ready to spring into action.

well, jason bourne, minus the gun and the uh, 6-pack. (mom, that means abs, not beer.)

i guess there are some real hotties at that kiddie pool that i'm missing out on, because this weekend, my little one needed more than sunscreen on her face.

you will notice her face is two different shades. that would be some sparkly powder. . . oh, and its on her chest too. good thing i keep all lipsticks in my purse. can you imagine?

more greatness

2008-07-20T13:30:00.007-05:00

usually,

but at joe t garcia's, all is good.

unless of course your mommy refuses to let you pour an entire salt shaker on your chips, or let you roam free and graze under the table.

yep, i'm that mean!

thanks for a fun evening grandma and pa-pa!

facebook update

2008-07-16T22:24:00.004-05:00

ummm, still trying to figure out the kinks in this facebook thing.
wouldn't it be easier just to email people directly?

just wondering.

i have added a few friends, i think. like i said i'm working on it.
i didn't realize that as i'm clicking on people to look at them, i've somehow sent out friend requests. actually, a good thing, because i don't think i would have known how to do it on purpose. mike? katy? help!

i kind of feel bad, because this may be checked as often as my myspace. i feel like i'm just throwing cyberjunk out there, you know taking up valuable cyber space that i'm sure could be filled with more important things, like Big Brother updates, Texags postings, or IMDB updates.

facebook

2008-07-16T16:51:00.003-05:00

i have just joined the new generation!
whoa, not to be confused with the pepsi generation.
what up 1986!
oops, did i just date myself?

anyway, last year, my brother totally set me up with a myspace page.
and ummm, i actually do not know how that's going over there.
mike, could you check it out, you know update me?

meanwhile, back at the ranch.
today, after hearing about a tragic story (too sad, can't share, maybe later, still too sad) about a former bff that became less of a bff after graduation....you know the drill, she stayed a tech, i went on to live the fightin' texas aggie dream etc. . . anyway, after hearing that story followed by a series of emails and text messages later, i became intrigued in this whole facebook thing.

amazing! sure enough, you just type in your school and year of graduation, and all these people pop up and you're like wow! i haven't seen you since '92. or, i haven't seen you since your wedding! etc. . .
this whole time i'm thinking "hmmm, as cool as this is, if i haven't talked to you since all those years ago, how weird is it to pop up on your radar now? i mean we probably lost touch for a reason, and as much fun as catching up is (no one loves that game more than i do), i kinda felt like a stalker.

then i found this. and i couldn't stop laughing.

stalker validation.

the greatness continues. . .

2008-07-14T17:33:00.004-05:00

fill up your gas tanks, because flashing this baby in ft worth gets you a free chipotle tomorrow!

seriously? seriously!

2008-07-13T19:21:00.003-05:00

saw this at lunch today:
2:32 pm

yep, waiting for their i-phone.
does this really need to happen?

pre-berlin wall=toilet paper
africa=food
garland=jobs
knox/henderson=i-phone

community quick hits

2008-07-13T18:20:00.012-05:00

some highlights from the past weeks:
crockett went from a little dragon white belt to a little dragon gold belt.

kobra kai here we come. . .

when they get their belts, its so cute, they break them over their knee and the paper band breaks like confetti. . .

crockett and his class.
the adults behind him are his sen-sai's, or teachers, for you non-karate kids.

spent the 4th in fredricksburg
had some great sausage!!

a rare cleaver moment in la casa de wilson

a sweet father son moment

and this guy tonight. . . .

and if you missed him,

october 19

november 21

now that's bringing sexy back!

my addiction

2008-07-09T18:02:00.013-05:00

is there a 12 step program for me?
i have been "training" for my next marathon, and have even tried to change my eating habits.
sodas?
gone.
sweets?
going.
alcohol?
going.
but, i have found one thing i cannot give up.
cheese fries

if these are on your menu, i'm ordering.
unlike my post about the greatness of ceviche, and where you could find some good dishes, there is no such thing as bad cheese fries, so i can't make a list of my favorite places. i mean if its there, i'm eating them.
but, we can dj lance it. you know, break it down.

the foundation:
the french fry. ideally, you have a thick cut fry that is crunchy on the outside, and soft on the inside. a skinny mcdonald-like fry will do also as long as it meets the first criteria. not a big fan of the cottage fry, which is what a place like snuffer's, hut's and koppe bridge all have. it's a fry with the skin left on. while on a baked potato yummy! and as its own appetizer, delectable, on a cheese fry platter. . . .it can be a deal breaker!
and, as in the case of sonic, weinerschnitzel, or any fast food establishment who tends to have a chewy greasy fry, a tator tot substitute is perfectly fine, and highly recommended!

the topping(s):

of course, your basic cheddar cheese is all that is needed, however, to make it truly great you may add any or all of the following:
bacon
chives
jalapenos

and. . . .
chili
keep in mind that adding chili now makes your dish an official "chili" cheese fry dish which is way more complex than just the cheese fry.

and finally, the piece de resitance:
the ranch dressing. . . .and lots of it.
word of advice, you've already ordered a dish that, on average, contains 1,500 calories. don't skimp on the ranch. and by all means, don't order fat free!

school's out!

2008-07-03T11:43:00.003-05:00

for summer!!

last class today!

woo hoo!

i am joining the summer of dave and will not be going second summer session.

besides, i need to feel good about myself for a little while before i embark on more self-exploration, intropection, and self-disclosure.

detox

2008-06-30T17:22:00.004-05:00

is for the birds!
we're working on breaking through this addiction.
this has been a permanent fixture on my girl's face since day 1.
i admit, i am partly to blame as her supplier and dealer.
but, it has saved us through church services, weddings, movies, and late nights. but now is the time to pull the plug.
i contemplated going cold turkey, but that's cruel.
she's not interested in sending "papi" on a "journey", or even in the "papi fairy".
so, we are scaling back to only two hits a day, nap time and bed time.

here's the problem, it used to be attached to her blankie. my thinking was "who would want to carry around a blanket everywhere?" well, she did.
but, late nights, when papi slipped out, we just searched the edges of blankie.
now that we have detached it, this is what we hear at night.
"PAPI!"
"I WANT PAPI!"
"I WANT PAPI!"
"I LOVE PAPI!"
as she roams through the house searching.
now, put this on a continual loop and play it for about 2 hours. . . . at 2 in the morning. last night, i held her as she finally fell asleep quietly saying "i want papi, i love papi, papi...."
sounding a lot like gollum searching for "his precious"

PSA

2008-06-27T09:25:00.006-05:00

just a friendly public service announcement:

and
don't mix.

friends don't let friends text drunk.

especially when it wakes me up at 2am. . . . you know who you are.

when you text, text responsibly.

coffee talk

2008-06-25T12:48:00.004-05:00

i have had strep throat since friday, dave is away breaking bones on dirt bikes, i had a major test yesterday, so really nothing fun and exciting has been happening. i haven't even read a paper in 3 weeks to bring up some controversial topic. so, i will leave you with these questions to answer either as i would, or answer for yourself.
yep, i'm even too lazy to answer them.

1. What is in the back seat of your car right now?
2. When was the last time you threw up?
3. What's your favorite curse word?
4. Name 3 people who made you smile today?
5. What were you doing at 8 am this morning?
6. What were you doing 30 minutes ago?
7. What will you be doing 3 hours from now?
8. Have you ever been to a strip club?
9. What is the last thing you said aloud?
10. What is the best ice cream flavor?
11. What was the last thing you had to drink?
13. What was the last thing you ate?
14. Have you bought any new clothing items this week?
15. When was the last time you ran?
16. What's the last sporting event you watched?
18. Who is the last person you emailed?
19. Ever go camping?
20. Do you have a tan?
24. Do you drink your soda from a straw?
25. What did your last IM say?
26. Are you someone's best friend?
27. What are you doing tomorrow?
28. Where is your mom right now?
29. Look to your left, what do you see?
30. What color is your watch?
31. What do you think of when you think of Australia ?
32. Would you consider plastic surgery?
33. What is your birthstone?
34. Do you go in at a fast food place or just hit the drive thru?
35. How many kids do you want?
36. Do you have a dog?
37. Last person you talked to on the phone?
38. Have you met anyone famous?
39. Any plans today?
40. How many states have you lived in?
41. Ever go to college?
42. Where are you right now?
43. Biggest annoyance in your life right now?
44. Last song listened to?
46. Are you allergic to anything?
47. Favorite pair of shoes you wear all the time?
48. Are you jealous of anyone?
50. Is anyone jealous of you?
51. What time is it?
52. Do any of your friends have children?
53. Do you eat healthy?
54. What do you usually do during the day?
55. Do you hate anyone right now?
56. Do you use the word 'hello' daily?
58. How old will you be turning on your next birthday?
59. Have you ever been to Six Flags?
60. How did you get one of your scars?

yes, i know some numbers are missing. huh? i'm just the messenger.
now, tawlk amonsgst youwrselves

cj

2008-06-23T18:56:00.007-05:00

this blog was so not suppose to be all about my kids. i mean i know they're cute and sweet and adorable and well advanced in their development, but they're my kids. other people are interested in other things.
but, i just have to brag. . .
this guy, last night we're reading bed time stories,

cj: can i get some more books so i can read to myself.
m: sure. hurry
cj: i'll just read my bible.
m: great
cj: that way, when i fall asleep i'll have all of the bible stories in my head.
did you get that?
cj: that way, when i fall asleep i'll have all of the bible stories in my head.

now, this family is definitely more simpsons than flanders, we don't do family reading, prayer, worship, or act out plays in our backyard. don't get me wrong, we love jesus. dave and i both grew up in great homes with ginormous christian foundations that we want to pass on to our kids. . . . but we tend to live out our faith more than talk about it, and want the kids to be open to it, rather than be one more thing mom and dad make them do. realize, we came to this conclusion when we discovered the strongwill and stubborness they inherited from dave. it is already very clear that crockett is only open to things when it is his idea. lots of creative spinning on our part usually gets him to belieive that everything is his idea.
plus, i feel their salvation is ultimately not up to me. we can plant the seeds, water and grow that seed and even try to groom it a bit, but their decision to accept christ is up to them. oh, and a lot of prayer on our part.
anyway, it brought a sweet little tear to my eye to know that despite us, christ is working in that heart!

now for the racoon. . . .when we do say prayers, she doesn't end with "amen", but with "come in". which technically, i still see as an invitation, so i think she's safe.

sex and the city

2008-06-20T16:56:00.005-05:00

i realize i may be opening myself up to a lot of backlash, but here goes.

i saw the movie last week. loved it. very cute, despite the neckedness that i'm not accustomed to seeing on the big screen.
i mean big screen necked hasn't been a big player in the pixar film series.

so, since i thoroughly enjoyed carrie and the gang on the big screen. i thought why not get to know them a little bit more on the small screen. i mean there is nothing on these days and you can only read so much right? so my sweet friend lent me her dvd set season 1, you know, to get me started. . . . .

seriously?
no, seriously!
granted, i only watched the first two episodes, but to quote dave, "it was terrible. it was like a. . . .a terrible show." and, i concur. the cheesy music? the grainy screen? the bad voice overs and camera talking?
it was like a bad lifetime show. i was waiting for the domestic violence, sexual assault and eating disorder story line next.
like i said, i'm only 2 episodes in, but i'm not sure what i'll commit to.

please tell me it gets better!

stop calling me!

2008-06-18T15:17:00.003-05:00

here's the dealio:
if i can keep my phone bill at its minimum. you know, no extra minutes, no new dialtones, no new games, etc. . .
for 6 whole months. . . .
this baby is mine!

although, this is my first and true love .....

point? text people! text!
i mean OMG, if i can learn?!
WTF, if my mom can learn?!
so, until then. TTYL.

i'll leave you with some new text speaks to keep you LOL-ing.

GGROTL – gotta go, raccon on the loose.
HS4R44UN?-hitting sonic for a route 44, are you in?
BK-before kids
IOBHPM – if only Beyonce had picked me as a back-up dancer, life would be much more (fill in the blank)
IFO – i feel old

father's day weekend

2008-06-16T13:58:00.034-05:00

a busy father's day weekend.

we started friday am with a little card making. . .
the first (and possibly last) painting project attempted with parker. parker gladly stripped down, crockett told me it was "inappropriate."
next year, temple art camp can do all the painting.

next, we headed out to the lake to catch a father's day lunch. . . .
i only got hooked twice.

then saturday the wedding . . . in typical racoon fashion, she found leftovers.
but this. . . .

she found tulle and fell in love!. . . .i saw a side of parker i didn't know was there. could there be a sweet princess in there after all?

and finally, dave and crockett (that sentence would have been funny in spanish. . .get it? dave y crockett, davy crockett?) hit the links sunday morning. . . sorry, there are no pictures, girls were not invited.

d-dub, you are loved more than you know and could i have chosen a better partner for this craziness? "i don't think so!"
love, m

poll visual-drum roll. . . . . .

2008-06-11T20:31:00.003-05:00

the poll is still open, you can vote if you want, but i'm telling you what this is. . . . . . . .
the "world famous" argentinian soccer team jersey. we were watching them play usa the other night and i merely asked, "are we the white team or the blue team?"
which of course was not received with any sarcasm at all, but with a gentle yet thorough explanation to make sure i understood.
which of course i followed up with "where's david beckam?"

i think it was at this point david turned off the tv and walked out of the room.

use this picture to answer poll on right

what do we study here?

2008-06-11T17:43:00.005-05:00

THE WAY OF THE FIST SIR!

we, okay crockett, began karate 3 weeks ago.
ahem, my little danielson is ready for the next level!

dj lance, break it down for us.
crockett began as a white belt, no stripes, no nothing.
today was his first stripe test.
1 black stripe = "great job, but needs improvement"
2 black stripes = "great job, will move up next time"
1 red stripe = "ready for the next level". . . .gold belt, here we come!

skipping straight to the red? clearly the magallanes athletic genes are prevailing.
(hey, when dave gets his own blog, he can lay claim)

STRIKE FIRST! STRIKE HARD! NO MERCY SIR!

me=annette benning

2008-06-11T13:25:00.003-05:00

MyHeritage: Family tree - Genealogy - Celebrity

go ahead, call cps

2008-06-10T18:04:00.005-05:00

up until this week, have you ever heard of dry drowning?
here's a synopsis:

According to the Centers for Disease Control, some 3,600 people drowned in 2005, the most recent year for which there are statistics. Some 10 to 15 percent of those deaths was classified as “dry drowning,” which can occur up to 24 hours after a small amount of water gets into the lungs. In children, that can happen during a bath.
Today
Pediatrician Dr. Daniel Rauch
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dr. Daniel Rauch, a pediatrician from New York University Langone Medical Center, told TODAY’s Meredith Vieira that there are warning signs that every parent should be aware of.
The three important signs, he said, are difficulty breathing, extreme tiredness and changes in behavior. All are the result of reduced oxygen flow to the brain.

Delayed reaction
Rauch said that the phenomenon of dry drowning is not completely understood. But medical researchers say that in some people, a small amount of inhaled water can have a delayed-reaction effect.
“It can take a while for the process to occur and to set in and cause difficulties,” Rauch said. “Because it is a lung process, difficulty breathing is the first sign that you would be worried about.”

The second sign is extreme fatigue, which isn’t always easy to spot. “It’s very difficult to tell when your child is abnormally tired versus normal tired after a hot day and running around in the pool,” Rauch said. “The job of the lungs is to get oxygen into the blood and your brain needs oxygen to keep working, so when your brain isn’t getting oxygen, it can start doing funny things. One of them is becoming excessively tired, losing consciousness and the inability to be aroused appropriately.”

Finally, there are changes in behavior, Rauch said — another tough call when dealing with very small children, whose moods and behavior can change from one minute to the next.
“Another response of the brain to not getting oxygen is to do different things,” Rauch explained, saying parents should be concerned “if your child’s abnormally cranky, abnormally combative — any dramatic change from their normal pattern.”
He admitted, “It is very difficult to pick this up sometimes.” But spotting the warning signs and getting a suspected victim to an emergency room can save a life, he added.

Victims of dry drowning are treated by having a breathing tube inserted so that oxygen can be supplied under pressure to the lungs. “Then we just wait for the lung to heal itself,” he said.

yeah, me either. and, since i don't worry enough about regular drowning, it was great to get this article twice before summer starts. ahhh, modern technology and the world wide web!

so, in honor of dr. daniel rauch, we start our summer off with a bang, at the pool.
sorry there are no pictures to post, but i was busy keeping an eye on all types of drowning. . . .you know, in case a third type popped up.

so, we're having a good time, and yes my child is the one out there with a life jacket. . . don't judge. when i say i fear drowning, i fear drowning!
we take the appropriate amount of breaks for water and shade time.
sunscreen? oh yeah, here's where you can begin dialing:

here's the thing. see, while i was constantly on the watch to make sure no child ended up at the bottom of the pool, or no water was ingested, i overlooked one tiny detail. . . sunscreen application!
i mean really, how many things am i suppose to be doing at once!?!?!? i'm really starting to give brittany the benefit of the doubt.
see, i bought this new stuff: spray on sunscreen.

hmmmmm. sounds nice. you just spray it on, ala ross gellar and his spray on tan, easy enough.
apparently there are some tricks to using this stuff and apparently i am not privy to them.
my boy, who is browner than brown, no problem. just got browner, which yes i realize could still lead to some cancer, but i'm working on it. my girl on the other hand, who inherited more from her daddy than his stubborness and blonde curls apparently inherited his need for a higher spf. oops.

here's where it gets good. in us grown folk, you get sunburned, you get a little red, you get a little pain, you peel, bam! you tan.
well, apparently not when you're two.
it ain't that simple marge.

something about not real good temperature regulation, leads to 3 days of temperatures ranging from 102-105 degrees. and the fun part is when you combine that with a little diarrhea and vomiting, you have to watch for dehydration.
i know right?
so, for all you rookies out there, learn from my mistakes.
there ain't nothing wrong with spending your entire summer indoors watching tv and playing video games.

WWDD?

2008-06-05T21:04:00.005-05:00

i feel a little doogie howser tonight.
after every class, i'm suppose to journal about what i've learned today and how it affects my life. since today was so interesting, i had to blog about it too.

remember how he would journal at the end of every episode on his sweet computer?
he was so cutting edge.
he may have been the first blogger.

so the class i'm in now is about developmental theories. if you've ever wanted a "parenting freshie(or do-over, for those of you not familiar with martinez-speak)", or feel guilty sometimes that makes you want that "freshie", do not take a class on child development.
you go from feeling like lisa whelchel to brittany spears.

backstory:
today we talked about bonding and attachment. you know, that critical period between birth and 3 years old when an infant's innate need for survival is met through bonding with his mother/caretaker. oh, did i mention that if this is not met adequately, it can lead to intimacy issues, lack of empathy, poor impulse control, developmental delays, eating disorders, abuse, aggression, and a multitude of insecurites? uplifting stuff huh?
now before we go around blaming mom for everything, you as an infant are wired a certain way too. so, if you are wired in a way that makes you a difficult baby, your mom could have had a difficult time bonding and attaching in the first place, so then its kinda your own fault. or, your environment could be at fault. did you grow up in a place of war, or domestic, or community violence? are you a refugee?
do you see where i'm going with this?

the point:
forget about no child left behind. let's work on no baby left behind. which is really hard for me to admit because i love preteens so much, but i think my friend hillary would agree with me here. we are spending so much money on tests and tests and tests and college readiness programs, but did you see all the problems i listed that come from getting nothing between birth and 3 years of age?
those are my students!!! the kids i work with every day.
sheesh, those are every problem student in every classroom in every district, in every town.
by the time they hit kindergarten, if they haven't had any bonding/attachment/developmental programs, anything by 5, forget about leaving them behind,they've already been left behind!

answer? again, education. but the right kind of education. i have a brother who has a business degree. he's an educated dude.
mike, did you have to take any psych classes? any developmental classes?
probably not.
yes education is key, but the right kind of education.
parenting education.
this stuff should be taught in schools before people even have babies (and don't get me started on sex education). i seriously began to rethink my purpose for taking these classes. i mean i may go into early intervention education.
no, no, no, i do not want to teach preschool or younger, but someone needs to take this on.
no way am i the first person in america to realize that stuff needs to happen sooner than kinnygarden if we want to truly help kids succeed?
if so, then doogie watch out!

by the way, if you see the doogie icon, beware. it will probably be followed by rantings similar to those above.

we dodged a bullet

2008-06-04T21:25:00.010-05:00

well figuratively. and probably literally too.

(not my school, merely a depiction)
school's out! last day! woo hoo!

but you see, last year on the last day of school, i'm sorry, the last two days of school, the teachers were not allowed to leave until around 5 pm. sucks. i know.
why couldn't we leave?
well, some of the children we worked so hard to not leave behind wanted to thank us. . .

with a drive-by.

yep, straight outta colors, 187, stand and deliver, or dangerous minds. man, michelle pheiffer, samuel l and edward james olmos really made it look easy. walk into an inner city school, be a little edgy, a little controversial, yada, yada, yada, everyone's schooled and happy.

oops.

anyway, none of that this year although someone did pull a fire alarm 1 hour before dismissal. . . .in the middle of finals. ugh!

that being said, i am posting some pictures of my students. we had a yearbook signing day and i took some random shots. i'm sure there's rules and stuff about posting kids on the internet, but if disd isn't blocking them, then they must be okay.
they were taken with my phone, so not the best quality.

so..........much........

2008-06-04T12:28:00.002-05:00

to..fellow grad students...obama....training...last day of school.....professors...friends....tv watching.....blog.....my issues....boys and girls club......hillary...blogging..star wars....cultural identities.....testimony...about...mom's night out...indiana jones..schools....2nd grad class....the man.....rod dreher...head...disappointments....wellness....family trips....summer....primaries......ymca......vacations....new patio......could...jobs....little sister....books.....self-disclosure....speed racer......nhl playoffs.....state mandated testing..swimsuit shopping....no child left behind......sports illustrated....athletes...explode......people with too much time on their hands.....appropriateness....poverty....limewire...

the original karate kid!

2008-06-02T21:30:00.010-05:00

Fear does not exist in this dojo, does it?
NO, SENSEI!
Pain does not exist in this dojo, does it?
NO, SENSEI!
Defeat does not exist in this dojo, does it?
NO, SENSEI!

crockett has begun his karate. . . .there will be no sweeping of the leg here!
ready position sir!

the mean face!

i know the daisy painted on his face really makes him look tough.
its an intimidation technique.

high kick!

why i could never be a photographer

2008-06-02T10:54:00.016-05:00

i get too caught up in the moment.
it is really the reason i retired from coaching. i would get too into watching the game and cheering my girls on rather than coaching them to a win. do you think r.c ever had that same problem? how about billy clyde?
hmmm, that could answer some questions, but i digress. . . .

this weekend we had a party for dave's graduation. just invited a few friends over.
i meant to have tons of partypics to post.
i really did. you know, for the society pages and my upcoming reality show.
but i didn't. i got too caught up in the moment.

i did go out and take pictures sunday morning.
so, imagine if you will. . . .
people sitting in these chairs. . . .
(cue wavy lines and goofy piano flashback music)

*disclaimer*
mom, these are the drinks i bought and authorized.

these are the drinks that "those people" must have smuggled in when i wasn't looking

kid's space. minimal damage. i mean thing 2, by herself, has done way worse!

i do wish i had gotten pictures of the kids with the glow sticks. they were fun. not to mention i have new landscape lighting in my trees now.

this patio is really nice. dave finished it about 10 minutes before people started arriving. i'll take some pictures once i've cleaned it up.

extra tables.
again, mom, i don't know where all those bottles and boxes came from.

crockett made me giggle when he walked out sunday morning and said, " look mom,all those people came to our house, and LITTERED!"

and yes mr. enviroment, i went through the trash and pulled out all cans and bottles to be recycled. my conscience did get the best of me.
we only 1 bag of trash!
our recycle bin is pretty full though.
and finally, some items were left behind, as happens at all good parties. . .so if you see something you recognize, call, text or email and i'll return it to its rightful owner.
funny though, the items that were left behind after this party sure have changed from *BC parties.

*Before Children

the bilay family

2008-05-30T22:12:00.004-05:00

remember this story?
well here's an update.

this family received over $50,000, including clothes, toys, food, etc...
they have located family in salt lake city and will be moving up there with them. while i will miss seeing these sweet girls at school, i am so glad they have found a true home. i am also very happy to see how our small community rallied together to help out this family. it really warms my heart.

"I leave Dallas happy because so many people have helped me. I was lonely and grieving, and they came here to visit me," she said through a translator.

Her family are members of the Kunama people, who speak a language unrelated to that of other Eritreans in Dallas. She and her children speak no other Eritrean language and either limited English or no English at all.

People have contributed $50,000 to a fund established for the family at the Wells Fargo bank, besides giving money, people have donated food, clothing, toys for the children, even sleeping bags. Mr. Dago said a steady stream of strangers has come to the family's apartment to bring donations.

Some have come just to pray with the family.

Honoring another tradition, family members welcome the visitors with a nod and a proffered plate containing a gift – usually a bottle of water.

To the end, volunteers showed up with offers to help.

"There was something so precious, standing there holding hands with people who had come from across the world," Ms. Hall said.

The family, meanwhile, took pains to express their gratitude to the people of North Texas before they left town.

"We are blessed for what so many people have given us here," Mr. Addas said. "The people here are so generous. We will always remember and pray for Dallas and all of America."

does anyone read the sidebar?

2008-05-29T11:40:00.007-05:00

in case you don't, i had to post this educational piece by rod dreher because i'm intrigued.
read and learn!
Wednesday May 28, 2008

Your summer drink list
James Poulos is a sophisticated tippler, and helpfully provides his summer drink list here. I was pleased to discover that he's also an aficionado of gin and grapefruit juice, which I've been a seasonal fan of for many years. I add a splash of club soda to mine, though, to give it a little lift.

My summer drink do's:

1. Vodka and club soda, on the rocks, with lots of lemons smashed in the bottom. I don't like sweet drinks, as a rule, and there's nothing quite so refreshing as a vodka and soda. This summer, I'm going to try infusing some Tito's with hot peppers, and various herbs from our garden. I'm curious also to try lemon grass-infused Tito's. A couple of summers ago I infused some Tito's with kaffir lime leaves, and let me tell you that stuff was terrific. Mixed with a little cranberry juice, grapefruit juice and soda, it transports you to the Long Bar at Raffles. Or what I imagine that must feel like.

2. Rose' wine. No, seriously. If your idea of rose' is Lancers, think again. There are some excellent, bone-dry roses available now, and for not much money. I bought a pale pink one from Touraine for Memorial Day sipping, and it was spectacular (and only $10).

3. The non-girly caipirinha. I don't make this at home, because it's too labor-intensive, but when I go to La Duni in Dallas, I always order their caipirinha, without sugar. Just fresh-squeezed lime juice, crushed limes, pinga and ice. Sour. Strong. Cool. Refreshing.

Summer drink don'ts:

1. Frozen margaritas and frozen daiquiris. Being anti-margarita is heresy in Dallas, but I'm sorry, they're just Slurpees for dipsos. Ditto on daiquiris. Go ahead, hate me.

2. Beer. I find it hard to drink beer when it's hot. Makes me feel like I've eaten a loaf of bread. Though I will say when you're eating chips and hot salsa, there's nothing quite as good as an icy Tecate in a can, with lime and salt. If you must drink beer in the summer, drink wheat beer with a slice of lemon (not Hoegaarden, though; it's the PBR of its class).

3. Brown liquor. This is idiosyncratic to me. I love whisky, especially (in the summer) Scotch and soda. But it gives me a headache. Pray for me, in your charity.

Summer can't decides:

1. Campari and soda. Love the bitterness and the effervescence. But it's very light.

2. Dirty vodka martinis. Delicious stuff, especially with Grey Goose. But they go down too fast, and always lead to regrets.

3. A real mint julep. I have a recipe Walker Percy wrote down, the secret ingredient of which is a dusting of fresh nutmeg. Seriously, this is a major sit-down-on-the-front-porch summer drink, and I can't recommend it highly enough, provided you use lots of mint, really good Bourbon, and pack the ice in pretty hard. Unfortunately, it's liquid hangover for me these days. Still, the occasion will present itself about once a year, usually in a situation involving a rocking chair, and I'll through caution to the wind. That's why the good Lord made Advil.

posted by Rod Dreher @ 7:39pm

top 10 reasons

2008-05-27T21:23:00.006-05:00

that prove i'm a bad parent:

10. i don't always dilute their juice
9. i use bubble bath so i only have to rinse them after a good soak
8. i serve pop tarts for breakfast
7. i bribe my children
6. i will consume alcohol on a weeknight
5. i use the tv as a babysitter
4. i leave them at daycare so i can go home and watch tv uninterrupted
3. i yell
2. i spank
1. i work and i like it

memorial day

2008-05-26T20:47:00.007-05:00

today should have marked the first day of summer. but, we still have 2 weeks of school left! oh well, rather than beat you down with "good ol' days syndrome", i'll just leave you with these from our day. . . .the fake first day of summer.

who's the einstein now?

2008-05-23T15:03:00.004-05:00

i do have issues. i have deep insecurites. i have come to terms with 46% of those issues. . . . and that's without the upcoming therapy.

issue #16: must not appear stupid
issue #12: must fit in with the cool kids
issue #9: must never be last
issue #3: must appear aloof and nonchalant at all times

so i've started taking grad classes right? now mind you, this is grad school. in mesquite. so far i'm 2-0 in the cool dept right?
no offense rob.
well, don't think so fast. apparently, some people took the "i graduated undergrad in 4 years, taught the required 3 years while taking grad classes, so i'm 1 day away from becoming an administrator. . .all before i turn 30" route.
#16, #9

last night
so the "cool kids", head off to the library to begin our take home final. as i watch them walk out the room ala t-birds and pink ladies style, i turn to my friends (the over ~35 crowd) coach, mom and home-ec (as i lovingly have nicknamed them in my head) and we follow. it does take us a little longer to get out of those desks you know.
#12, #9, #3
so we're in the library, going through each question and we hear the cool group just whizzing through. they have some heated discussions trying to land on some answers, but they are beating us!
#12, #16, #9
we power through, but the witching hour hits(9pm) and we are beat. calling it a day. we exchange emails and cells, promising to finish together tomorrow.
#3
today's emails

coach: Ladies
I thought I would initiate the email so that we all had each other’s contact information. It was great working with you all. Wish I did not have to worry about this test today. I did not get much done last night when I got home. Getting the boys ready for today took much of my attention.
Anyway, let’s be in touch.

mom: I stayed with the other group until the library closed - they literally kicked us out
The other group was so helpful and I am happy to share their strategies with you
There are so many ideas to share that I hate to have to write them all in email.
I would like to suggest that one person call me at 555-123-4567 after 12:30 then a friend can call a friend and so on like the old shampoo commercial. (what commercial?)

mom: Hi
Just wanted to make sure everyone got this sent earlier
I did not mention that with what I learned from the others that I was able to finish

so how much more do i hate the cool kids now? no big deal, i have 2 and a half hours before my first class, i'm relatively intelligent. i can finish.......3 hours later, i call coach, we compare answers. he did not finish the test, but got answers from mom, who got answers from the cool kids, who's answers differed from mine.
#16, #3

as coach and i went through and compared answers i showed him where i found them in the book, verbatim, the answers that matched my test, not the cool kids' tests.
booyah! #12
insert cabbage patch dance here! #12
oh yeah, what else surfaced? issue #1: must never be wrong

must. . . .beat. . . . oprah

2008-05-22T15:06:00.013-05:00

and i'm not the only one with this goal.
yes, i have begun training for another marathon, much to the chagrin of my knees.
but this time its different.

1. i have real live running partners. which, makes getting up at 5am a little easier. . . .it seems to validate the craziness of it all. plus, if a coyote attacks, there is someone there to take pictures for the blog.
2. i built in some non-running time in case i get knocked out by a large metal bar again and am sidelined, or go to colorado. lord knows i can't handle that elevation!
and
3. i am actually going to eat like i'm in training. last year, i kind of gave myself carte blanche in my diet. i would justify eating an entire keller's special by myself because i had run 12 miles that day. well this year, if i'm going to beat oprah, i gotta get serious.

so you'll notice on my sidebar i'm listing my daily exercise and food intake. like i said, this is nothing more than an effort to keep myself honest about my training.
i have already had to cut out dairy. . . .for personal reasons
i'm trying to cut out that sweet nectar of the god's. . .that will hurt. and yes denise, when i order from menus, i may be looking only at the items with the little heart next to them.
so here goes.

if i'm out to eat with you, make sure i've run that day before you call me out. that can ensure i'm too weak or sore to punch you out.

**anything made by my children, given to me for free, or made by my grandma doesn't count.

the racoon

2008-05-21T21:41:00.004-05:00

this morning was the first day back running.
time: 5:45 am
with my kids, this is about the only time of day i get to be by myself.
i mean i can be sitting in a chair with the kids all over me, while dave lounges on the couch. i can surrender the chair to them, incorrectly assuming its the chair they want, move to another chair and bam! i'm back to jungle gym status. did i mention dave is all alone on a 4 person couch stretched out with drink in hand?
anyway, returning from this morning's run, i come home to a quiet house and this:

let me zoom in on a, and i quote:
"mommy, i made a cereal mountain!"

i need therapy

2008-05-21T09:04:00.005-05:00

no really, i do.
apparently somewhere around 90% of people that pursue counseling as a profession do so because they seek answers to something within themselves.
interesting.
our professors strongly encourage (which we all know is code for mandatory) that those of us walking the counselor path need to do so with a partner. and we all know how good i am at being introspective, opening up myself to feelings and makeing myself vulnerable.
oh wait, there i go with the sarcasm and attempt at humor.
well, at least we know i'll ace defense mechanisms 101.

i guess they really want to make sure we aren't going to become the thelma to someone's louise.

so, that being said . . . .i'm off to google a therapist.

whew!

2008-05-19T13:11:00.006-05:00

see, i have these friends. they stop by once a week. different night, different friends. here's the thing, i really miss them when they don't stop by. or when their visits are interrupted by weather warnings, presidential speeches, or ugh! the playoffs!
sometimes, i don't always pick the right friends. the friends i pick, aren't liked by the majority, so they don't come around again. sometimes there are friends that i think, "really? other people like you"? so i give them a second chance. sometimes it takes, sometimes i just chalk it up to a personality disconnect.
let's face it, i was never any good at hanging with the popular kids.

here's what i hate. waiting all summer to see who will get to come back to visit. . .
wait no more!
tv lineups!!
summer and fall!

while i hate to say goodbye to the
cashmere mafia, miss freely
and the gang from the ridge, i know summer is froth(?) frought(?) full of reality fun and hijinx!
and c'mon you can't tell me swingtown doesn't intrigue you just a bit. is this real? gross.

i will be happy to see samantha, christine, eli and chuck return.
they were kind of iffy. of course, all the walkers, the oceanic 6 and the staff of both seattle grace and dunder mifflin will return. duh! and don't forget the Crime Stuff In-locale shows will return, and who can say no to science?

oh, did i mention the return of 90210?!?!?!?!

An edgy, contemporary spin-off of the iconic drama "Beverly Hills, 90210," the new 90210 looks at life through the eyes of Annie Mills and her brother Dixon, whose first day at West Beverly Hills High School leaves no doubt they're not in Kansas anymore. For Annie and Dixon, the awkwardness of being the new kids is made worse by the fact that their dad has taken a job as the high school principal. The school is one big culture shock for Annie, a sweet and friendly girl with a passion for the theater, and Dixon, a star athlete and scholar who was adopted by the Mills family after they took him in as a foster child. Annie and Dixon have a close sibling relationship, which they'll need to help them cope with all the new cliques and classmates, including Naomi, a hot, spoiled, rich girl; Ethan, a popular jock whose abilities rival Dixon's; Navid, an aspiring reporter who heads up the school's daily newscast; and Silver, a rebel who produces and stars in a YouTube-type video series. Even the faculty seems hip and sophisticated at WBHHS, such as smart and funny teacher and beautiful guidance counselor Kelly Taylor (guest star Jennie Garth, the original "Beverly Hills, 90210"). The Mills family has just begun to realize how much their lives are about to change.

i may cry.

safety tats

2008-05-16T14:51:00.003-05:00

oh. and i just found these.
safety tats.

they're tattoos for the kids so if they're too young to know they're phone number and you get separated, bam! someone can help them.
they have different designs and you personalize them with your number, not the child's name, just a contact number for you.

totally eases greatest fear #2.
ordered!

ceviche

2008-05-16T08:26:00.006-05:00

denise started a summer salad share.
well one of my favorite dishes is
ceviche

and i am not a seafood lover, but this little mixture of fish, scallops, crab, squid (sometimes) that's been sitting for days in a lime juice marinade. that's how its cooked, the acids. crazy!
it is so yummy and refreshing and you don't even realize you've eaten a whole basket of chips with it!
here's the thing, i don't cook, so i really couldn't tell you how to make it. i could find a recipe and cut and paste it here, but then someone would ask me how to make it, or ask me to make it and then my cover's blown. so instead, i am including a list of some places that i have had some yummy ceviche.
enjoy.
gloria's
uncle julio's
la calle doce
machu picchu

i hear stephan pyles makes a mean ceviche and la ciudad is pretty good too. i'll have to check those next.

i'm sure there are more out there, and i intend to find them!

got a story for you ags.....

2008-05-14T09:03:00.008-05:00

april 29th.
the big announcement.
may 2
marlee emails me to say that she and "the kaz" are in!
i email maurie and she's in!

sweet!

wait, who? well, let me introduce you to some of the raddest chicks in the world. . . my college roommates.

marlee jordan helbig, kelly pipher kazakauskas, maurie duderstadt gray.

good times!

san antonio will be the first time in years that all 4 of us have been together. various combinations of this aggie greatness have seen each other throughout the years.
but all 4? together?
you can almost feel the spirit of aggieland burning through your computer screen.
i know!

by the way, thanks for calling me out on the movie lines marlee. i think that photo session was so traumatic, i blocked it out. as i'm typing, i realize i should have posted that pic. . . .no, only good army. no bad army.

top 10 moments of greatness:
10. couch covering 101
9. miller lite carboard cutout girl
8. working out at 5 am
7. silly boys
6. the higland house
5. sweet eugenes
4. the cranberries
3. wolf pen creek
2. late night laughs
1. the bench

honestly, that could be top 1,000,000 moments of greatness, so i tried to be as general as possible to include as much as possible.
thank you girls for giving me the best 6 years of my life!
i am so looking forward to san antonio!

speaking of chris parnell. . .

2008-05-12T21:36:00.004-05:00

have you seen miss guided?
well, in about 18 months this will be me....the school counselor.
sure i probably look more like
but i digress. . . .
tonight was my first official night of grad school. he let us out 2 and a half hours early.
i can work with that.
granted i have a 9 page paper due in a week. . . .did i mention it has been over 10 years since i did any type of research?

why counseling? yes, i had a dream to go to nursing school. . . oh, that's next!
but, as stated earlier i enjoy the my unique teaching position in that it allows me to be on a personal level with my students. now i want to be able to connect on a deeper level. we'll see how this goes.

mr. pibb + red vines = CRAZY DELICIOUS!

2008-05-12T16:05:00.002-05:00

d-dub did it!!

2008-05-11T21:12:00.015-05:00

he did it! dave is finished with school!
did i mention?. . . . with honors!!
he won't brag, so i will!!
magna cum laude thank you very much!

the proud parents and grandparents
yay! daddy!

and a great celebration afterwards.
mr. wilson, i am so proud of you.
love, mrs. wilson

my house is clean

2008-05-10T09:00:00.009-05:00

it only took two days. its a process.
day one: pick up everything and put it in its proper place.
day two: clean! clean! clean!
(keep in mind everything is done at full speed, it has to be done before thing 1 and thing 2 come home and return it to its natural state.)

how clean?

hospital clean?
nope.

military clean?
nope.
grandma clean!

i am about to clome clean. . . . no pun intended.
in every effort to better the world we live in, our family does certain things.
we recycle

we use these:

but there is one area i will not cave. . . .i use chemicals to clean. my product of shoice?

there is a certain smell associated with clean, and fragrance free, dye free, earth friendly products just don't cut it. i can go natural, i can go earthy, but have you seen pictures from the earthiest time ever. . . .the 70's. . . . . . . .they just don't look clean to me.

quotes, mantras and mottos

2008-05-08T15:11:00.003-05:00

as i've been cruising al gore's internet, i notice lots of blogs with these.
i'm not real good at remembering things.
i'm not a good movie quoter.
but you'll notice i've added something that makes me laugh everytime i say it.

this feature may change, i don't know.
i don't have a motto, other than the whole party thing. (thanks pam beasley) i don't quote people and i don't have a mantra.

so i figure when i hear funny, or inspirational, words. . . .i'll throw them at you, my public.

i love-love being a teacher

2008-05-08T12:59:00.007-05:00

part one
today, to finish out teacher appreciation week,we recieved

a) a logo embroidered messenger bag

b) a 15 minute chair massage

and the piece de resistance(not said with a french accent)

c) an invitation to an "unofficial" staff booze cruise

now, don't get me wrong. as much as i love being a teacher.
a massage? a booze cruise? totally necessary!
which got me to thinking.
back in the days of
hardwick elementary,
mackenzie jr high,
and
coronado high school,
i loved school.
8 solid hours of social networking!
problem is, my teachers wanted to interrupt all that socializing with learning.
despite graduating in the top 10%, i fell under that "she is so bright and has so much potential, if we could only get her to focus more on school than her friends." category.
without further ado, this is a shoutout to all those teachers that after a day with me, i know yearned for that chair massage, that skinny margarita, and yes, that booze cruise.
cue "boyzIImen" and the photo montage. . . .
THANK YOU,
mrs. harrison. . . . . . .mrs. babcock. . . . . . .mrs. fore. . . . . . .mrs. bodden. . . . . . .mean dean. . . . . . .mrs. pirkle. . . . . . .coach rapstine. . . . . . .coach elrod. . . . . . .mr. cordero. . . . . . .mrs. abbe. . . . . . .senora hairston. . . . . . .coach omdahl. . . . . . .coach keener. . . . . . .mrs. barnett. . . . . . .mr. curbo. . . . . . .mr. ryan. . . . . and countless others that have taught, inspired, tolerated, loved, and sacrificed.

skinny margaritas

2008-05-08T10:48:00.003-05:00

the real houosewives of nyc?
ever hear of it? i'm a reality tv junkie, but hmmmm, this one slipped by me.
of course, thing 1 and thing 2's late night escapades are really pushing the limits on the hourage of my tivo.
point being, some "real" housewife, because you know that ain't me! has created a "skinny margarita."

2 ounces of Silver Patron
the juice of 4 limes
a splash of Triple Sec
this recipe leaves out any high calorie, sugary, mix thus making you skinny!
its so obvious!

hmmmm, big weekend coming up. . . . .will update monday, if possible (wink, wink)

our troops-part two

2008-05-07T08:42:00.000-05:00

in case you are just joining me, here is part one.
it seems mr huckaby was so moved by the aggie spirit, here is part two!
thanks marlee.
4/27/2008 12:01:00 AM
Darrell Huckaby - Aggies come out in force for school and country
I tell you what. Those Aggies are really something!

I related a simple little story in this space last week about a young family I encountered at Jekyll Island. The husband/father - a Texas A&M graduate, was just back from a 15-month deployment in Iraq, you might recall, and was enjoying a day on Jekyll with his wife and two young daughters and I wrote about the sacrifice that family - and untold thousands of others - have made on behalf of our country.

Now this is where the magic of the Internet takes over. A friend of mine from high school - one Jimbo Allen, high school quarterback extraordinaire - who now lives, I believe, in Houston, Texas - saw the column online. It seems that Jimbo - who probably goes by James now - has a daughter who matriculated at Texas A&M and he has become a follower of all things Aggie. He decided to link my column to an A&M message board - and that's when things got interesting.

Now let me say this. I didn't know an awful lot about the school in College Station before last weekend. I knew that a friend of mine who is now a retired Baptist preacher was dumb enough, when he was a college student at Baylor University, to let his then girlfriend, Doris, attend an A&M homecoming game with an Aggie student. I learned from him that the Texas A&M cadets kiss their dates every time the team scores and that the day Doris went to a game in College Station A&M won 70-0, or something like that. That's a lot of kissing. It turned out OK. My friend and Doris have been married for about a gazillion years.

I knew that Bear Bryant coached at Texas A&M before coming home to Alabama and that he took his first Aggie team to a quasi-death camp in a place called Junction and ran off most of the team before turning those who were left into champions. And I knew that the student body still stands en masse throughout their football games - creating a rather intimidating "Twelfth Man" effect.

That was about as far as my knowledge went.

Well, I know a whole lot more now, believe you me.

It seems that Jim Allen's post coincided with a special occasion at A&M - "Muster Day" - which occurs on April 21 every year. April 21 is Texas Independence Day and marks the anniversary of Sam Houston's victory over Mexican dictator Santa Anna at the Battle of San Jacinto.

Muster Day is a big deal at Texas A&M - marked with games and activities and a solemn evening ceremony at which speeches are given and the names of Texas A&M alumni who have died since the last muster are read. Those who knew the departed answer the roll call on their behalf. But it doesn't end there. Musters are also held all over the world - and I mean that literally. Wherever two or more Aggies are gathered, a ceremony is held and fallen heroes are remembered. This year, the names of five people were called who died defending freedom since the last muster.

And make no mistake about it. Texas A&M takes Muster seriously - and she takes the sacrifices of her sons and daughters seriously, too.

I received hundreds of responses to my column. Hundreds. Every time I turned on my computer, dozens of new e-mails popped up on my screen. Some were short and to the point. "Thank you." "Well done." "We appreciate the kind words."

But others! Others were long epistles in which men and women poured out their hearts and bared their souls in an effort to explain how much they love and appreciate their school - and their country.

I heard from mothers and fathers who had lost sons in Iraq and Vietnam and other places around the globe. I heard from Aggies who had landed on beaches with names like Utah and Omaha - and Aggies who had served on Iwo Jima and Okinawa and, well - you get the picture. I heard from men who are stationed in Baghdad right this minute; men who drove 20 miles through potentially deadly streets to be at Muster with their fellow Aggies. I heard from wives whose husbands are deployed, thanking me for putting their husband's service and their own sacrifice in perspective.

Wives of deployed soldiers were thanking me. That is so backward!

All week, the e-mails came in from proud Aggies, each and every one full of heart-felt thanks for mentioning their Alma Mater. Hearing from all those wonderful folks made me want to get in my car and head for Texas and the A&M campus - one of the few places in this great land that I have never visited. Makes me wonder what a fellow has to do to become an honorary Aggie.

Well, I don't know about that, but I know this. If the entire nation was as full of patriotism and pride and esprit de corps as the Texas A&M family, well - all of our country's problems wouldn't be solved - but we'd be a hell of a lot closer to solving them.

God bless America - and God bless Aggies everywhere.

Gig 'em!

Darrell Huckaby is a local author and educator. He can be reached at dHuck08@bellsouth.net

i love being a teacher

2008-05-06T09:55:00.000-05:00

today is teacher day at chipotle!
all i have to do is show up with my school ID and bam! free chipotle!
now, they're no freebird's, but i don't see freebird's handing me a free burrito.
so for one day, i will switch my loyalties.

oh, and i got a free pass for the movies! yay! free stuff rules!

UPDATE

for the record, my burrito was yummy and it was free.
however, the only thing chipotle has on freebirds is the addition of sweet corn and the price.
FREEBIRDS>CHIPOTLE

an interesting read

2008-05-06T09:25:00.001-05:00

if you saw these guys on the street, what is your reaction?
be honest.

what about this guy?

as a "generically ethnic"-(cite jenni hudson-melton) hispanic female, i can honestly say that i have not experienced high levels of racism. maybe a joke or too,
which was usually made by me.
chs is my noble alma mater. from there, texas a&m. this is how i grew up. it wasn't until i began working in disd that i realized i wasn't the only mexican in the world.
i came across this article.
read it as white 30-something male, read it as a young african -american 20-something male, read it as a teenage hispanic girl.
however you read it, it is an interesting read.

White Privilege:

1. I can if I wish arrange to be in the company of people of my race most of the time.

2. I can avoid spending time with people whom I was trained to mistrust and who have learned to mistrust my kind or me.

3. If I should need to move, I can be pretty sure of renting or purchasing housing in an area which I can afford and in which I would want to live.

4. I can be pretty sure that my neighbors in such a location will be neutral or pleasant to me.

5. I can go shopping alone most of the time, pretty well assured that I will not be followed or harassed.

6. I can turn on the television or open to the front page of the paper and see people of my race widely represented.

7. When I am told about our national heritage or about "civilization," I am shown that people of my color made it what it is.

8. I can be sure that my children will be given curricular materials that testify to the existence of their race.

9. If I want to, I can be pretty sure of finding a publisher for this piece on white privilege.

10. I can be pretty sure of having my voice heard in a group in which I am the only member of my race.

11. I can be casual about whether or not to listen to another person's voice in a group in which s/he is the only member of his/her race.

12. I can go into a music shop and count on finding the music of my race represented, into a supermarket and find the staple foods which fit with my cultural traditions, into a hairdresser's shop and find someone who can cut my hair.

13. Whether I use checks, credit cards or cash, I can count on my skin color not to work against the appearance of financial reliability.

14. I can arrange to protect my children most of the time from people who might not like them.

15. I do not have to educate my children to be aware of systemic racism for their own daily physical protection.

16. I can be pretty sure that my children's teachers and employers will tolerate them if they fit school and workplace norms; my chief worries about them do not concern others' attitudes toward their race.

17. I can talk with my mouth full and not have people put this down to my color.

18. I can swear, or dress in second hand clothes, or not answer letters, without having people attribute these choices to the bad morals, the poverty or the illiteracy of my race.

19. I can speak in public to a powerful male group without putting my race on trial.

20. I can do well in a challenging situation without being called a credit to my race.

21. I am never asked to speak for all the people of my racial group.

22. I can remain oblivious of the language and customs of persons of color who constitute the world's majority without feeling in my culture any penalty for such oblivion.

23. I can criticize our government and talk about how much I fear its policies and behavior without being seen as a cultural outsider.

24. I can be pretty sure that if I ask to talk to the "person in charge", I will be facing a person of my race.

25. If a traffic cop pulls me over or if the IRS audits my tax return, I can be sure I haven't been singled out because of my race.

26. I can easily buy posters, post-cards, picture books, greeting cards, dolls, toys and children's magazines featuring people of my race.

27. I can go home from most meetings of organizations I belong to feeling somewhat tied in, rather than isolated, out-of-place, outnumbered, unheard, held at a distance or feared.

28. I can be pretty sure that an argument with a colleague of another race is more likely to jeopardize her/his chances for advancement than to jeopardize mine.

29. I can be pretty sure that if I argue for the promotion of a person of another race, or a program centering on race, this is not likely to cost me heavily within my present setting, even if my colleagues disagree with me.

30. If I declare there is a racial issue at hand, or there isn't a racial issue at hand, my race will lend me more credibility for either position than a person of color will have.

31. I can choose to ignore developments in minority writing and minority activist programs, or disparage them, or learn from them, but in any case, I can find ways to be more or less protected from negative consequences of any of these choices.

32. My culture gives me little fear about ignoring the perspectives and powers of people of other races.

33. I am not made acutely aware that my shape, bearing or body odor will be taken as a reflection on my race.

34. I can worry about racism without being seen as self-interested or self-seeking.

35. I can take a job with an affirmative action employer without having my co-workers on the job suspect that I got it because of my race.

36. If my day, week or year is going badly, I need not ask of each negative episode or situation whether it had racial overtones.

37. I can be pretty sure of finding people who would be willing to talk with me and advise me about my next steps, professionally.

38. I can think over many options, social, political, imaginative or professional, without asking whether a person of my race would be accepted or allowed to do what I want to do.

39. I can be late to a meeting without having the lateness reflect on my race.

40. I can choose public accommodation without fearing that people of my race cannot get in or will be mistreated in the places I have chosen.

41. I can be sure that if I need legal or medical help, my race will not work against me.

42. I can arrange my activities so that I will never have to experience feelings of rejection owing to my race.

43. If I have low credibility as a leader I can be sure that my race is not the problem.

44. I can easily find academic courses and institutions which give attention only to people of my race.

45. I can expect figurative language and imagery in all of the arts to testify to experiences of my race.

46. I can chose blemish cover or bandages in "flesh" color and have them more or less match my skin.

47. I can travel alone or with my spouse without expecting embarrassment or hostility in those who deal with us.

48. I have no difficulty finding neighborhoods where people approve of our household.

49. My children are given texts and classes which implicitly support our kind of family unit and do not turn them against my choice of domestic partnership.

50. I will feel welcomed and "normal" in the usual walks of public life, institutional and social.

a little perspective

2008-05-05T10:58:00.001-05:00

maslow's hierarchy

this is one of the only things i remember from the 2 education courses i took at a&m. the theory basically states that we prioritize our lives based on what needs are being met and that those basice needs at the bottom of the pyramid need to be met before we can focus fully on the the ascending levels.
makes sense.
most of us can probably honestly say that the only place we "struggle" would be in the belonging, esteem and self-actulization levels. . . .that's where jesus comes in, but that's a whole other post for a whole other day.

this article was in the dallas morning news sunday, may 4.
African man's instincts led to death
on Dallas freeway

this man was the father of some students of mine. there is a picture of them in the paper, i wish it had been online. here are some cliff notes to the article that i would like to point out:

But a confluence of cultural misunderstandings, linguistic isolation and simple bad luck led to the death of a man whose widow and 10 children are now struggling to survive in a country that is both unfamiliar and, often, incomprehensible.

His wife, Signe Kallafo, still lives in the apartment with nine of the couple's 10 children. Beds and couches line the walls, there is no television, and a small coffee table and a fan serve as furniture.
The air conditioning and lights are kept off to conserve money. Only one picture adorns the walls – a photo of Mr. Bilay. Two crosses made of palm fronds are wedged in the frame.
"With my husband dead, there is no money. I am sick, and I have a 3-month-old daughter, so I cannot work," Ms. Kallafo, who speaks no English, said through a relative who acted as an interpreter.
"I don't know what to do. Everywhere, darkness is around us."
Two of the older children, who are in high school, work part time and are the family's sole wage earners.

"But obviously no orientation course could possibly prepare a family from rural Eritrea for a life in a big American city," he said.
To Mr. Bilay, a man who was virtually illiterate in his native language, Dallas was a bewildering place, family members said.
"He didn't know how to live in a city. At first he didn't know how to ride in a car," said Mr. Kallafo. "People at home ask me if they should come here. I tell them that America is a very hard country to live in."
"His only dream was to find a job," Mr. Kallafo said. "He wasn't happy because he didn't speak the language, but he was happy for his kids, that they would get an education.
"He said he hoped someday that his kids would grow up and they would have an education and get good jobs, and then he could rest."

Staff writer Holly Yan contributed to this story.

honestly, this story could have been written about any one of my students. i teach in a very unique area of dallas commonly referred to as "five points". this is a mostly unknown area of dallas, where over sixty thousand people are crammed into three and a half square miles. dwelling in apartment complexes, the majority of the population is hispanic, which together with international refuges makes the area 25% non-english speaking. In fact there are over twenty different languages spoken in this area.

in addition to all the issues stated above, you have your typical inner city woes: poverty, drugs, crime, prostituition. you can imagine the volatility of this area...

85-90% of my students struggle with the physiological and safety level of maslow's hierarchy.
they aren't concerned about the taks test.
they aren't concerned about college.
they are merely trying to survive.
this is why i love my job. if for only 45 minutes out of their day, they can put all that aside and enjoy being a kid.
they play.
they talk.
they forget.
my sphere of influence is tiny. i know that. and honestly, i don't know where most of these kids will end up. but as i get to know them, and as i listen, it really changes my perspective. they challenge me. they challenge my faith, they challenge my priorities, they challenge my views. . . . they don't know this, but they do.

HOW TO HELP
Anyone wishing to help the Musa Bilay family may send a check to the "Bilay Ebbit Family Fund" at Wells Fargo Bank, P.O. Box 3488, Portland, Ore. 97208-3488. Or call Mr. Bilay's cousin Stefano Dago at 763-443-3954.

if you haven't yet, go see this

my birthday

2008-05-03T08:11:00.000-05:00

is today.
do i want these?

or these?

i may have both.

i got these

and

these will also double as my mother's day gifts.

i love my family!!