Friday Five: Random Thoughts

1. I went to men's and women's college basketball games last night, and more people attended the women's game. This made me happy because they are the better team. I appreciate that I live in a town where people show up for the better girls and not the guys just because they are guys. The next best thing about this evening was that it was totally free. I walked to the games, so I didn't use any gas. I tried to buy a coke and hot dog, but they didn't take cards, so the guy behind the counter gave them to me for free (it pays to know the right people) and then I had a free slice of pizza and a pretzel as part of the promo to get people to the game. Free fun evenings are the best!
   
   
2. I thought Grey's Anatomy pulled off the conclusion to it's three-episode arc. I think two episodes would have made it better, but I think overall it still worked. Obviously they weren't going to kill off the title character, but this episode in particular, made the payoff worth it. I'm used to watching Jack Bauer escape impossible situations and that show still works. This episode was effective mainly because we saw how all the characters dealt with Meredith's possible death. In general though, I wish they hadn't gone this direction with the show. Too ER-y for me.
   
   
3. I have a friend living in Ireland right now and someone else that will be attending grad school in Scotland in the fall. Thinking about them always makes me think about my experiences in London in Ireland. I specifically remember the first time it hit me that I lived in London, that for the rest of my life I would always consider London one of my homes. It was somewhere in the second half of my trip. I had gotten off work, grabbed some cheap dinner in Leicester Square, and was eating in Trafalgar Square, just killing time before a play started. I looked around me, and realized everyone around me was a tourist, everyone but me. And it him me: London is my home. Most people would only spend a few days in the city, maybe a week, but even if you spent a month, it wasn't the same as living there. I had a neighborhood grocery store. I had a library membership. I bought a morning bagel from a lady that confirmed my order as I walked in the door. I had a job. I never went anywhere without a book in my purse so I could read on the Tube. I knew a foreign city, a top tourist destination, intimately, in a way most people never would. And the longer I was in London, the more this sunk in, like when a tourist stopped and asked me for directions near the Tate Modern because I looked like I belonged. Or when, on my last full day in London, a cab driver asked me directions to a playhouse in my neighborhood and I told him how to get there. I thought about all that this morning, and how I was excited that my friend would go through something similar.
   
   
4. The Oscars are Sunday! I've seen all the best picture nominees except Letters from Iwo Jima. I still want to see it, but it is a long shot to win. If you want to say you've seen the Best Picture, rent Babel or the Departed. My affection for LMS is well known, but I don't think it should be best picture. It has won a lot of guild awards, so it could still win. I liked the Departed, but it had obvious flaws. Babel was better than I expected, but some of it's connected story lines were a little too contrived and didn't make sense in the bigger picture. Let's hope there are a few deserved upsets, just to make the ceremony exciting.
   
   
5. I have a celebrity crush on Mark Whalberg. I always forget about him though. And I'm totally OK with Marky Mark being nominated for an Oscar, and I would love for him to be one of the deserving upsets in the supporting actor category. He stole every scene he was in. Not likely, but you never know. I'd be happy if Ryan Gosling won best actor, but that won't happen either.

Addendum: I don't want to spoil anything for anyone, but word on the net is that ABC is making a Grey's spin-off staring Kate Walsh, aka Addison. New rumors suggest Taye Diggs might also be in the spin-off. I'm totally for that casting decision if it holds up. Interesting spin-off decision because most viewers like the character of Addision on Grey's. But with it being apparent that Derek and Addison are over, over, over, I guess it's logical that she would leave the hospital. Does that mean McSteamy is that far behind? That's just Jamie talking and is not based on anything I've read.

Friday Five: Why I Didn't Blog This Week

I'm sure the entire blog world is waiting anxiously for my Friday Five post. Today I thought I'd give you five reasons why I haven't blogged all week.

1. Monday was so long ago, I have no idea what happened that day. I missed both my lunch workout and my backup evening workout due to work-related activities.
2. I woke up at 5:45 Tuesday morning and drove seven students to Abilene in a 15-passenger van, where we met up with students from four other universities and loaded a charter bus and headed to Austin.
3. Wednesday I woke up at 6 a.m. and spent the morning helping students lobby legislators to increase grant funding at private colleges and universities and then headed back to Abilene. Wednesday evening I drove from Abilene to Lubbock with a van full of college students in the dark while it was snowing. Can't think of the last time I was so stressed.
4. Thursday flew by before I knew what was happening. I was in meetings from 11:45-4:30 and then collecting money for the Children's Miracle Network until the work day was over.
5. The Children's Miracle Network took over my work life this morning and I collected and counted money until I couldn't count anymore. It was all worth it when I received a call informing me that my business won the Change Bandits contest and I get to be a guest coach at a women's basketball game tomorrow. Whoo-hoo!

This is of me looking official at the Capitol. We were hanging out in the Speaker's Committee Room waiting to take a picture with one of our representatives when this picture was taken. I'd post more pictures, but they all have students in them. Except one.


Yeah, that's a man in a grapefruit costume on the floor of the House chamber. And yes, that is the Speaker of the House and the representatives from Mission conducting official House business by eating grapefruit pie. Doesn't it make you feel good to know our tax dollars are funding things like this. Mr. Grapefruit also made an appearance in the Senate gallery.

My dad is passing through town tonight, and I have to pick a fancy restaurant for him to take me for dinner.

Friday Five: Weekend

This is what I'm doing this weekend.

1. Attend/work a Sing Song-like performance Friday at noon.
2. Attend/work a Sing Song-like performance Friday evening.
3. Got to TGI Friday's, a tradition after these Sing Song-like performances.
4. Attend/work a Sing Song-like performance Saturday afternoon.
5. Attend/work a Sing Song-like performance Saturday evening.

A little redundant don't you think?

I learned some interesting stuff about the postal system in my area. I don't live in a sprawling metropolis, but I don't live in a city with only one traffic light either. In fact, I live in one of the larger cities in my region. I just recently moved, within the same zip code and about five blocks away, or two traffic lights. I found out yesterday that when, say, my Texas Monthly magazine arrives with my previous address on it magazines take 3-4 months to change your address), it it shipped to the nearest distribution center in Fort Worth to be labeled with my forwarding address and then mailed to me. Crazy! I also found out that if I put a letter in the mail to a friend in the same city as me on the weekend, it it shipped to Amarillo and mailed from there. Do we live in the dark ages of the United States Post Office? This can't be the most efficient way to do business.

In other news, last night I ate homemade ice cream outside in the cold evening air and listened to a band play "I Like Sex and Candy" at a student event at a christian university. The Dean and I were walking away when that song came on, and we just kept walking. Quite a different response than our friends at Harding experienced recently. My campus is abuzz with that story. The admissions office received a call from a mother specifically asking about dancing policy.

Have a good weekend.

Happy Monday

I went shopping over the weekend, and it was a good experience. Everything I bought was on sale, and I had to keep going back for a smaller size. That hasn't happened in forever! Hopefully I can keep it up. The class I went to today during lunch was a mix of cardio and toning. It used one of those bosu things, the half exercise ball that is flat on one end. I'm not so good with the balancing.

On to other subjects. Enjoy the getting-to-know-you thing, courtesy of Wendy and Rachel.

1. I’ve come to realize that my ex-(boyfriend) --- was a good guy.
2. I am listening to --- the TV.
3. I talk --- easily among friends.
4. I love --- tennis season.
5. My best friends --- are all goofy and silly.
6. I lost --- a black shirt.
7. I hate it when people ---are rude or disrespectful.
8. Love is --- like a box of chocolates (I know it's cheesy).
9. Marriage is --- nothing I know anything about.
10. Somewhere, someone is thinking --- about the Super Bowl.
11. I’ll always be --- a happy list writer.
12. I have a crush on --- Jack Bauer.
13. The last time I cried was because --- I can't remember the last time I cried real tears. I usually tear up during Ugly Betty though.
14. My cell phone --- turns off when I close it - annoying!
15. When I wake up in the morning --- I put on chapstick and then roll out of bed.
16. Before I go to sleep at night --- I put on chapstick.
17. Right now I am thinking about --- CSI.
18. Babies are --- adorable, but I'm glad I don't have one.
19. I get on MySpace --- to read Janie's blog.
20. Today I --- went to work, collected money for the Children's Miracle Network, exercised during lunch, tried to buy water guns at Wal-Mart only to find out they aren't in stock yet, walked around campus delivering supplies until my feet almost fell off, came home, planned a menu for the week, ate dinner and got online.
21. Tonight I will --- watch How I Met Your Mother and 24, buy groceries and try to get some reading in.

Friday Five: Happy List

Here are five things that made me happy this week.

1. Free lunch three out of four work days.
2. Working out during lunch.
3. SNOW!!!
4. Seasonal candy, specifically cherry-filled Hershey Kisses
5. Running into someone you went to college with, even if you can't place exactly how you know them.

We got snow last night! I awoke to a white world. Every since the weathermen forecast 11 inches of snow and we got two, I've ignored everything they've said. And the last two times they predicted snow, we've got a dusting or nothing at all, so I didn't think it would actually snow. It's pure snow, too. The best kind. It started snowing again this morning. Love it!

Does anyone out there work out during lunch? A colleague and I went to an aerobics class on Wednesday. We were nervous about the whole experience. Will we like it? Will we feel rushed? Will we take too long? It's almost the perfect time to exercise, if you work in a laid-back environment where taking an almost two-hour lunch is acceptable. You don't have to worry about heading to the gym when you get off work, but you don't have to get up early either. Also, it's a nice break in the middle of the day and energizes you. On the downside, I didn't eat lunch until 2 p.m. and was starving. And showering in a locker room isn't ideal. It reminded me of showering in the dorm. We are going to try it again next Monday and Wednesday and then decide if it's something we want to continue. Another great thing about working out during lunch instead of after work is not having to fight traffic on game nights during basketball season. The Rec Center is adjacent to the sports arena.

Sorry my blog has been so boring lately. I got out of the habit of writing around the holidays and the movie and haven't got back into the groove again. Oh, yeah, I also live a boring life. No trips or old men asking me out to keep you entertained.