Friday Five: Better Late Than Never

Wow! I'm horrible at blogging these days. I didn't realize how much blog writing I did at work until I got a new job with actual work to keep me busy. I don't know how many people still check my blog for updates, but I'm making a spring resolution to blog once a week. Starting today

1. Overall, I was pleased with the Oscars. Loved Hugh Jackman as host, especially his opening song-and-dance number. Last time I blogged, I recommended you see Slumdog Millionare, so I'm glad it won Best Picture. I wish Kate Winslet had won for Revolutionary Road instead of the Reader, but she is incredible in everything she does, so I'm glad she finally won an Oscar.
   
   
2. I've given up caffeine for Lent. I did this last year, and liked the results. This year, my goal is to stay off caffeine after Lent. I might have to make an exception when I am required to stay up all night two Fridays in a row for Relay For Life events. Justified exception. I've been drinking caffeine-free Dr. Diet Pepper and Fresca as I slowly eliminate all carbonated beverages from my diet.
   
   
3. Quote of the Day: "Others take notice of your radiance; share your happiness."
   
   
4. Terrell Owens is no longer a Dallas Cowboy. I'm a fan of this decision. He was the biggest voice in the locker room and more often than not, a divisive presence. I don't have statistics in front of me, but it seemed like Romo threw more interceptions in Owens' direction than any other receiver. This doesn't fix the problems the offense had last season, but at least the quarterback and offensive coordinator's number one priority doesn't have to be Owen's happiness.
   
   
5. Here are a few things that have made me happy lately:
   
   • on-demand channels
   • buying a bridesmaid dress for $25
   • getting back in touch with a friend
   • Nadal beat Federer to win the Australian Open
   • watching the Super Bowl with friends
   • sleeping with the windows open
   • Love Potion #31 ice cream at Baskin Robbins (Rachel, I think this is our favorite flavor from college!)
   • Starbucks Sour Jellybeans (and seasonal candy in general)
   • artichokes
   • being silly with Rachel
   • ringing in the new year with old friends
   
   

Friday Five

1. Here is a picture of me and Eileen from the Cowboys game a few weeks ago. We had a blast!
   
   
   
2. I spent last weekend in the DFW area. On Saturday, I participated in the Dallas Race for the Cure. So much bigger than the one in my town. Here is a picture of my team - the Pirates.
   
   
3. I can't believe the month of October is almost over! It was 38 degrees when I headed out of the house this morning. I loved it! Today it's chilly with blue skies and sunshine. Those conditions create the perfect Fall day.
   
   
4. I'll be at ACU Homecoming this weekend. Hope to see you there! Next weekend I'll be in the DFW area again. I always seem to be traveling in October.
   
   
5. I haven't read the book "The Shack" since I wrote about my lack of interest in recent post. I probably need to give it up so I can start a book I want to finish. I can't read more than one book at once. Usually that is not a problem because I finish them so quickly.
   
   

Friday Five: Fall Break Edition

1. Oh the joys of working at a university. I have Thursday and Friday off for Fall Break.
   
   
2. Fall makes me happy. I love the seasonal food offerings, specifically pumpkin and eggnog. I've been eating pumpkin bread for breakfast this week. It's store bought and not super, so I've been searching for recipes online and have found a few to try. I'll let you know what's worth making. Not worth it: pumpkin pie blizzard from Dairy Queen.
   
   
3. I tried four new recipes this week: acorn squash quesadillas, chicken apple chili, salmon soft tacos and ginger & cilantro tilapia. How did they fare? Acorn squash is delicious all by itself. These quesadillas took an hour to make and about five pots and pans. Too much work. I could eat acorn squash all by itself. The chicken apple chili was interesting, but not something I'll make again. I like the salmon soft tacos; the cilantro crema had a unique flavor. I'll probably make those again. No report on the tilapia. Jaime took the router with her to Seattle and I haven't set mine up yet.
   
   
4. My poor Cowboys. First, they play poorly and lose. Then, injuries force their starting quarterback, explosive running back and Awesome-Aussie punter off the field. To top it off, the NFL suspended cornerback Adam Jones indefinitely (minimum four games). It's his own fault, but the timing couldn't be worse. At least the Redskins and Giants (!!!!) lost this week. They did sign receiver Roy Williams, which should help, but I worry T.O.'s response could be negative.
   
   
5. My landlords are awesome! Even though I'm losing a roommate and even though they know I'm looking to move out of the city, they are not making me pay Jaime's half of the rent for the rest of the year. It pays to be a good tenant.
   

Let it Snow!

We hit our high at 8 a.m. this morning, and the temperature keeps dropping. We have a 40 percent chance of snow this afternoon and could accumulate 1-3 inches. I don't know if this will actually happen, but just the possibility is exciting. I love the cold weather and I love snow! If it's a dry snow and not windy, and I like to walk to work in the snow. People think I'm crazy, but it makes me happy. With the low being in the teens tonight, I should probably turn my heater on.

I am in charge of organizing my company's float entry in our local Christmas parade. I know absolutely nothing about float building, so it should be an experience. All the major components are taken care of, but I think we have to get a generator or battery on our float to power the minimum of 1000 lights we will have. Not sure how that works. Also don't know how to outline a carriage in lights without damaging it. I guess I'll find out.

I lost half a pound over the Thanksgiving break. I only exercised twice, so I consider that pretty good. Especially since I made five pies, and there ended up only being five people at our Thanksgiving meal this year. Oops.

Saw Casino Royale and Stranger than Fiction over the Thanksgiving break. I like Daniel Craig as James Bond. I liked that most of the cheesy dialogue was mission from the movie. The action seemed more realistic. It's a prequel movie about James Bond becoming a 007, and they set up the character well. It was far too long, though. Stranger than Fiction I liked, but it's harder to describe and not as mainstream. It's like watching a book, but because the mediums are different, some of the more bookish elements didn't' quite work. It's why I think The Producers the movie didn't work. The Producers is made for the stage, and they essentially made the stage production into a movie without adapting it to fit the new medium. Stranger than Fiction works much better than the Producers though. I'm glad I saw it, but it was different.

I love the Dallas Cowboys and Tony Romo is my hero! He has energized not just the team, but the entire city of Dallas and the Cowboys faithful. I also think Romo is adorable. Here is a picture of his cute, smiling face. He's on 26 and he's the quarterback of America's Team! Crazy!