Representation and Misconception

My good friend, Carriecake, is probably my most emotionally inuitive friends that I have, not that I don't love you all the same. She's someone I seek out when I need intense emotional advice since I usually act more like a robot than a human. I have my friend Kim for no-nonsense approaches to life that most mirror my own. There's Amy, whose calming demeanor and approach at work are exactly what I need most days to keep me sane. Not to mention Rosa when I need a bit of crazy, Dahnya when I need a bit whimsy (and a good book chat), Catherine when boys are dumb, there's coffee to be had and Scrabble to be played, and Chrissie when I want to expound upon the wonders (and ridiculousness) of societal norms and activities.

First excursion to RenFest with Carriecake and it was glorious.



So young...no clue we'd become such ne'er-do-wells. Love ya, KimBoodram!



Best birthday'splosion ever, Ames!



Nice rack, Rosa. Oooooh, Amy's ice cream, we do love you!



The most stunning bride ever...who wouldn't want to marry that face? You're the best, D!



Bitter beer face for the old lady, Catherine.



Why does this feel so long ago?

All my faithful blog readers, all my good friends, all befriended for their own unique reason.

Carrie put it so succinctly the other night when I finally coralled her onto the phone. Imagine herding cats, if you will...

"If only men could see us as our best girlfriends do."

What a sublime statement. So astute. So cut and dry. If a man could see me as all these ladies (and many more) do, he would see loyalty, kindness, hilarity, insanity, cleverness and a huge heart. He would also see neurosies unbeknownst to most men and would know far too much about a woman's body. But in all, he'd know exactly what he could be spending his time with and what he would be buying whenever he decided to put a ring on it.

He'd also know when the words coming out of my mouth are meant to be ignored and when to be taken seriously. He'd know that not everything I say has something hidden behind it though, let's be honest, sometimes it slips out. "What's wrong?"..."Nothing," I reply, petulantly, when in fact, I'm really annoyed that you didn't do, say or claim X, Y or Z.

Our girlfriends see us at our best and our worst and love us all the same. We can open up to them and be accepted, not rejected. They know us. I realize that to have a strong relationship with a counterpart, eventually they will also see and know you as your girlfriends do. It's just the getting there that's tough...

Life just can't be that easy, now can it? Shucks.

All-American Pasttime

Baseball season has arrived! I have impatiently waited for this day to come for months!

Not only do I associate baseball with complaining in the field, a coach with an awful lisp that I was confused as to how he had a daughter (this was waaaaaay before thinking something like this was common or even spoken about), and running around the bleachers while my brother roamed the field in uniform. I remember hot dogs, nachos, candycandycandy and best of all the juice and snack post-game that a different team mom brought each week. It was always so much more fun when it wasn't your own mom because then it was a complete surprise! Quelle bonne surprise!

I remember field lights and bugs, blazing sunshine and sweat. I was given the motto, "Drop and drive", by the aforementioned brother and I remember playing an exhilerating short-stop and a frightened first base. Heaven forbid you put me in the outfield though, and the coach learned that real quick. I was a real danger with the bat...no catcher escaped my wrath when I hit the ball. I send out the sincerest of apologies to all those girls I smacked in the face mask with my very excited bat as I jetted off to first base without a second thought.

Baseball is in my blood. I love having it on in the background on a lazy Sunday and I love sitting in the stands and cheering with the fans around me. It's a leisurely sport that you can sit and enjoy a conversation without having to worry about jumping up and spilling your beer over that jumpshot, or that wide pass, or that scripted fight where the guys just end up hugging each other for a few seconds before going to the penalty box.

Here's to a new and hopefully great season, L'Astros!

Abundant use

A few months back, I hosted a fantastic housewarming/birthday party and with it came a lovely gift from my friend, Dahnya (who has a most adorable blog you should be reading).

How fitting is this cup?

That string right there was tied securely around the gift and I saved it. Why? I don't know. I guess it's my father's mentality. He still lives, to this day, as if he has no money. We always tell him he has ones and ones of dollars, he can afford shirts without air-conditioning (i.e. holes) and Yaga-man went out of style two decades past. I love my dad.

But I digress. I kept this string. It was muted in color, rough in texture and long in length; whatever could I find to do with it?

A week ago, I didn't feel like pinning my hair back with bobbypins.

Hipster alert.

A few days later, I wore a dress that needed a defining waistline.

What more can I use it for now? I am so in love with this random treat that has proven quite handy!

Oh, how about a neck adornment? What about around the wrist?


I think I need to buy more string.

Future baseball king

My nephew was born on the side of a softball field, was raised around bats, gloves and helmets and has finally, finally, made it to the pitch. And it's adorable he looks like a pro.

Don't mess with Texas.

Watching a group of 4-year old's play baseball has got to be one of the funniest things I've seen in awhile. Not quite so hilarious as football at this age, but entertaining nonetheless.

Before the start of the game, I asked my sister if Evie had had an audience before today's game and she said, "Nope!" He was very conscientious of all of us (his Grammy, his Grandpa, his aunt, his uncle, other aunt and baby cousin) but played a good game! He's absolutely all about baseball so it's great to get to watch him play!

Guess who learned the word "cheese" this week?

The weather was hot but breezy with scattered clouds to earn a sigh out of all of us when they passed across the blazing sun. I got my first sun of the summer and it felt great despite the numerous trickles of sweat and small, irritating bugs surrounding me.

Of course, with my adorable little boo in tow, we all got to be wowed by her newly discovered gifts. We learned that "elbow" can sound an awful lot like "Elmo" and that her name is meant to be said like a song.

Ear?

That's right!

One more, just because...

Back to the game: I look forward to watching this little man grow up in his own right on the baseball field. Irrelevant of age, though, I will probably always call him adorable in his uniform. *pinches cheeks*

Let's play the Repeat Game

Not to disappoint and yes to give me an idea for a blog post, I will happily answer the best work buddy in the world's 11 questions:

1. If you had a month off of work - what would you do with that time? -->; Move to Ireland. I am a dragon when it comes to hoarding my money but I would gladly spend frivolously if I could return to my full-time job, no issue.

2. What's a life goal of yours that most people may not know? --> Write a novel, but I think most folks know this about me.

3. What's your biggest guilty pleasure? --> Singing extremely loud. I realize I let out a few lyrics here and there during a workday but nothing makes me happier than getting in my car and singing/humming every word/note. Nothing. I don't have to hit the MUTE button. It's an unbeatable feeling.

4. What's your favorite quote? --> This is far too difficult considering I had a phase where I went on a far and wide search for quotes and was collecting them to add to my previously mentioned hoard. But, ironically, I did stumble across one via an unexpected route:

"Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and life to everything. ~Plato"

5. If you got Gilligan's Island-ed (layman's terms: stranded on a deserted island), how long do you think you could survive? --> To be perfectly frank, not very long at all. I could potentially get a fire going, I could possibly stomach a coconut and could definitely consume most things out of the ocean. But I'd only give myself 4 days, maximum, before I banged my head against a tree due to lack of human interaction. I can only talk to myself for so long before even I get annoyed.

6. Biggest celeb crush - past or present (earmuffs, sig others!) and WHY? --> This most assuredly changes nearly daily, but I have always found Sean Connery very attractive, even as an older man. That accent, that mountain man ruggedness, those piercing eyes. And, to boot, he's a fabulously entrancing actor.

7. What's next on your travel to-do list? --> Ideally, Ireland (see above & the other answer to #1) but most likely somewhere domestic. Maybe Seattle, Washington, D.C. or even Phoenix. The world is my oyster once I complete the CPA.

8. What's your most embarrassing moment? --> Most embarrassing? Gosh, I don't know. I'm pretty good at embarrassing myself and because of this I've developed quite the tolerance level for it to where I hardly react a'tall anymore. For example: I false Bingo'd last week and was bombarded with "Boo!"'s and yet, was practically unphased. I sing aloud wherever I am, I dance in the car whenever I can, and I am unflinchingly honest. All of these equate to numerous embarassing situations, so don't hang around with this kid if you can't dig!

9. What was your favorite childhood TV show? --> Hmm, probably The Simpsons.

10. If you could only eat at one restaurant the rest of your life- which would you choose?  --> Luby's. It has everything so I could be good AND bad with my diet.

11. If you had to partner with one Jersey Shore cast member to go on Jeopardy- who would you choose? --> Gah, I don't know these people very well! Probably JWoww because I think what I've seen of her I'm okay with. Though her knockers are so big I would easily get sucked into their orbit if I stood too closely (read: gravitational pull).

Happy Monday!

Do you want to see my monkey?

Yes, I was asked this question as a phone was flashed in my face. Heavens to Betsy, if it hadn't been a picture of an actual monkey I might have decked the guy.

Eight boys and fourteen twelve girls ventured forth in five-minute conversations filled with inane details and snap judgment based on physical presence, vocal intonations and eye contact.

Logic:
"I don't want to be first!"
"We're all going to be first."

I was mostly impressed with all the boyz abilities to converse except for one (read: monkey lover). But other than that, the Hollywood movies over-glamoratization of speed dating was just that and unrealistic.

The time moved quickly and each five-minute "date" was supposed to help you establish a connection with the person sitting across from you. Now, I'm good with conversation; I can talk to a wall. I was able to ask questions and keep a running report with each date and, I have to say, most of the boys were good at that too. They asked me a question, got an answer, I said, "Et tois?" [I didn't really, I said "And you?"] and they answered in turn. Except for one, they didn't speak over me and I tried not to speak over them unless I had a gem of a joke to share and they absolutely had to hear it or their life wouldn't be the same.

The card and pens they gave us were not conducive to note-taking, merely notching (see below), so I devised a strategic solution...

Classy picture taken courtesy of Judea and Vicky  utilizing an iPhone and an Android Flashlight app. Success!

My notes. Mostly legible. Let's do a breakdown, shall we?

Grant: An Engineer working in Oil & Gas originally born in Cambodia who loves his family and could never move far from them. Nice guy though the pseudo-vapid pauses and zoned-out eyes were distracting occasionally.

Erick: An Engineer working in, you guessed it, Oil & Gas, that only comes to the Galleria when he needs to buy jeans. Lisp included. This chick doesn't play metro.

Nick: A lawyer, nice change of pace, from UT, with furtive eyes and an intensity that struck a strange chord with me. Next...

Joey: His cologne preceeded his taking a seat in front of me and I moved back an inch. Calm, slightly cocky and arrogant, but willing to have a fun conversation involving his future life as a rap artist wearing a do'rag. His future life is that of a Registered Nurse.

Michael: A real-life nearly life-size Leprechaun sat hisself down right in front of me! Adorable, pretty Irish eyes, a slight ginger twist to his coloring and daywalking tendencies of burning under the sun. He was funny and the rolled sleeves of his workshirt were enticing with nice forearms peeking through. Another lawyer, who said that my friend, Catherine (who was next to me), had dragged her there and I immediately scoffed and looked at her, her face of innocence looking back. "We're having words later."

Cory: Survey says: Engineer! Originally from Ohio and a newly transplanted Texan. He was kind and goofy and nerdy and definitely awkward. He hung around afterwards as my friend and I chowed down on semi-tasty pizza while chatting up the Bartender.

John: My monkey friend that looked like a tool and that he would fit better swaying slightly side to side at a House/Trance concert. Oh, you're a physician? Dealing with dermatological cancer? ....and people take you seriously?

Scott: Solid finish to the night with a Geophysicist working for...Oil & Gas. He was the most relaxed of dressers and we talked about his love of NOLA, his origination in Kansas and our enjoyment of crawfish boils. The boy loves crawfish boils. Skinny, dark hair and light eyes, the kid was blessed. He was somewhat awkward but I got him to laugh with a comment regarding a dislike for sucking heads. Of crawfish. Solid finish, indeed.

My top 5: Leprechaun, Ohio, Crawfish, Doesn't Matter, Who Cares

And I gots none of them! Wanna know who did get two of mine though? ...My "friend". Who wouldn't want a beautiful, sophisticated asian woman with long, luxurious dark locks and a slammin' bod? Love you, C!

In all seriousness, this was an interesting social experience I'm glad to have partaken in. But it won't be repeated.

Ever.

Sweet 16!

That's how old a CD currently in my car is.

For my 11th birthday, a very precocious Becca requested the album Tragic Kingdom by No Doubt. I was far, far, far too young to truly understand all the lyrics but, by Jove, I listened to it for hours on end. I brought my Sony Walkman disc player to school and sat in my Debate class jamming to Excuse Me Mr.

Mostly just this one part with a really sweet breakdown with the brass band. Couldn't get enough of it.

I was elated to open my gift that birthday. It was a mini-backpack and tucked inside the drawstring bag was the album. Had my parents actually heard any of the songs, I doubt I would have been given this gift, but I was in heaven.

All the trend in the mid-90's

Most recently, on my jaunt to the ok city of Dallas, I decided to mix my music up a bit and brought this album into the shuffle. Here's what I learned...

I still love this album today as much, if not more, than I did when I was eleven. I consume Sunday Morning on repeat as if it's my only source of oxygen in a drowning sea.

And yes, this entire blogpost I have rotated these two songs over and over and over again as I typed...