ET Phone Home

Happy Birthday, Mom!

2012-01-31T09:35:00.000-08:00

My mom's birthday was Sunday.

I have a pretty fantastic mother. I give her a hard time and act exasperated by her at times. But all in all, she's pretty great.

We had dinner with her sisters and their daughters Saturday. My mom had kind of a crumb of a grandmother, and her sister brought up something awful her grandmother did to her at the dinner. I could tell how much it still hurt my mom. But the neat part about it, to me, was no matter her feelings toward her grandmother she didn't let that cloud my relationship with my great-grandmother. I had no idea she didn't like her until long after she had passed away.

I'm feeling lucky because I was out with a friend last night whose mother called to say she was in the hospital. She fell after having too many drinks and split her head open. Another friend told me the other day about how her mother started drinking again, and it got to the point she had to go to rehab for the third time. She went into rehab a month before she was supposed to watch my friend's sons for a week while she and her husband went on vacation. Yikes. Talk about rough mothers to grow up with.

And I'm not saying my mom is great simply because she's not an alcoholic, sometimes it takes hearing those stories to realize how great she is. So Happy Birthday, Mom! I won't say how old you are.

It's that time of year. I can't help it. It gets me every time.

2012-01-31T07:59:00.001-08:00

OMG

2012-01-30T07:18:00.000-08:00

Want a laugh out loud way to start your day?

Holy crap. Wiping tears from my eyes from laughing. This may replace the Missouri "One Shining Moment" for when I need a good laugh.

This made me choke up a bit.

2012-01-26T11:00:00.001-08:00

2012-01-26T09:25:00.000-08:00

Somebody made this comment on Gawker today, "Anybody you know who isn't crazy is just someone you don't know well enough."

I love it. I've long said, "We're all crazy. You just need to find somebody whose crazy is the same as yours," in reference to dating.

Something to remember while I'm sitting on the edge of the dating pool too scared to dive in.

2012-01-23T12:25:00.000-08:00

Since I am trying to be more frugal this year, I thought it was silly I was spending $25 on mascara. I decided I would try one of the drugstore brands. I asked my friends and decided to try Cover Girl's Lash Blast and save $20.

Turns out I just wasted $5 instead. I can't wear that stuff. My eyes flamed up, itched, dried out and did I mentioned itched? I am clearly allergic to that stuff. I am still feeling the effects a few days later.

I'll stick with my $25 stuff if that's the alternative. Anybody have any other favorite mascaras?

2012-01-22T13:59:00.000-08:00

This article made me laugh. And crave In 'n' Out:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2090229/David-Beckham-indulges-fast-food-feast-In-N-Out-Burger.html

I just like how it attempts to describe what In 'n' Out is. "In addition to hamburgers, cheeseburgers and the famous Double-Double (two pieces of meat), the company sells French fries and three flavours of milkshakes.

The burgers come with lettuce, tomato and fresh or grilled onions, as well as a sauce called 'spread.'

I am going to get something off my chest. I feel like all anybody does anymore is talk about themselves. And, yes, I appreciate the delicious irony of that coming from someone who has a blog about her life. But you don't have to read my blog. It's hard to just walk off in the middle of somebody going on and on about themselves.

Maybe it's the company I'm keeping lately. I don't have many friends where we discuss books, movies, politics, events of the day. Maybe that's my fault. I don't know. I don't have much to say about myself lately, I have the same job, the same dog, the same house and no dates. The end. So maybe because I don't have much to say about myself I'm noticing the droning on and on about themselves others are doing. Perhaps it's facebook, twitter and blogs' faults. There are all these forums to tell everybody what you're doing every second of the day that it's seeping over into face to face life.

Anyway, hopefully you just walked away and didn't read that. I've been a bit sour lately in my postings. This week I'll work on being sweet.

Baseball

2012-01-21T19:26:00.000-08:00

I watched Moneyball the other day. It's a good movie, and it made me ready for baseball season. So in honor, here are some of my favorite moments:

This one comes at four minutes in:

And the best one:

Warning to Helicopter Parents

2012-01-19T12:15:00.001-08:00

This is what you end up with:

I think I'm OK with no wikipedia

2012-01-18T14:16:00.000-08:00

Read some of the idiot masses' tweets here, and you may be too:

http://gawker.com/5877192/stupid-high-school-kids-and-teachers-freak-out-over-wikipedia-blackout

Plus wikipedia steals people's intellectual property, which isn't cool. Theft of intellectual property is also why you shouldn't buy knock-off purses, other than the reeking desperation statement it makes that you can't afford to keep up the front of a fashionista you think you are. Try buying a vintage statement bag or save up for one nice purse.

OK, that was an unexpected rant I didn't think this post was going to take. I think I am just exceptionally irritated by those tweets in the gawker article. Seriously, go to the library. Read a book. Or maybe I'm just bitter that I'm so old I had to do those things throughout college. The worst part was finding enough change to make copies of all the articles you needed. These kids.

I don't actually know anything about SOPA, I just know Wikipedia is blacked out today in protest of it. I'll read up on SOPA and report back later. Until then, read a book. Even if it is on your hand-held tablet. Because those things are super cool.

2012-01-17T08:27:00.000-08:00

How good did the Jayhawks look last night? If Tyshawn Taylor plays like he has the past two games all season, it's starting to look like a whole new season.

It's the Jayhawks so I never want to get my hopes up, but if we barely lose to Duke when TT has 11 turnovers, think how we would destroy them if he has 28 points and plays like last night. I'll just enjoy the season.

On another note, hooray. We don't have to hear about Timmy Tebow for a whole year. Or at least nine months.

Tim Tebow Rap

2012-01-12T19:01:00.001-08:00

Campaign 2012 Update

2012-01-12T18:50:00.000-08:00

Perhaps Campaign 2012 should be suspended. So far all I've gotten to show for it is one quarter-sized blister on the bottom of my foot. I don't do well when I focus on finding dates. Then I feel desperate and grabby. I don't like to feel like that. And nobody is exactly lining up to be a candidate. So if you know any single 30-something smart, funny, kind dudes tell them to sign up for the campaign.

But actually I think Campaign 2012 should instead be focused on having fun. If I meet somebody, I meet somebody. If not, it's OK because I already have a pretty kick-ass full life as it is. Somebody to share it with would just be icing on the cake.

In the meantime, I've got too much to do to be bothered. And hopefully tonight is not windy. I did not know why Daisy kept waking me up last night. I would stumble to the backdoor to let her out, and she would run away scared. After three or four times of her waking me up, I finally figured out the back storm door was blowing open and slamming shut. Apparently that drives Ms. Daisy as nuts as thunder. Oh Daisy.

January Gym Tales

2012-01-11T07:31:00.000-08:00

Last night's trip to the gym was a comedy of errors of sorts.

First, with all the warm weather I forgot that it was in fact January. Which means, it's January at the Gym. That month where every New Year Resolver packs the gym for three weeks and then magically disappears as February begins. Generally I have much more annoyance for these twinks that have no idea what they're doing and clog up the machines for the rest of us. However, I have not exactly been a regular at the gym either of late so who am I to judge.

Then as I unpacked my gym bag that I packed the night before I realized I did not pack socks. I decided to go ahead and run. I've done this before with varying results. By the way, socks are the item I most commonly forget to pack. I headed out to the gym to scout out a treadmill. My favorite row of treadmills was full so I headed to the other row with TVs in front of them. There was one open treadmill. I headed over and discovered the treadmill next to it had one very tall, very cute man on it.

I began my run. After 10 minutes or so, I began to feel blisters forming on my feet. The prudent thing to do would have been to stop, do some weights, maybe ride the bike. But I didn't want Mr. Tall Dark and Handsome to think I was some January Johnny Come Lately so I fought through the pain. It got to the point where I thought maybe if I sped up, I would change my stride and put pressure on different parts of my foot. I sped up. It seemed to work, but soon I realized it just managed to pop said blisters. The pain was excruciating. Not to be deterred I sped up even more to finish my three miles as quickly as possible. As I sped up so did said cute stranger.

I finished the three miles. Usually I jog the remaining minutes to do a full 30 minutes. Not tonight. I slowed to a walk and walked (hobbled) my cool down. I slunk off my machine and limped over to the shelf to get the cleaning spray to wipe down my machine. When I turned around Mr. Tall Dark and Handsome had begun to walk himself. Now it was probably just a coincidence, but I hope that perhaps he was also trying to impress me and is feeling it a bit today.

The whole thing is just silly because I didn't even talk to him and now I have huge blisters, which is somewhat ironic considering that every family trip we took I was reminded that Calvin Coolidge's son died of blood poisoning after he played tennis without socks and got blisters. This usually came up as I tried to wear jellys or Birkenstocks or whatever fashion fad fell betwixt the two. I would reluctantly put on my tennis shoes and socks for a day of sight seeing. Well, at 34 I get it and my kids will also learn of Calvin Coolidge's son. These kids however will obviously not be with the cute stranger I ran next to last night.

BCS BS

2012-01-10T10:14:00.000-08:00

Last night's game was, um, interesting? But not so interesting that I watched very closely. Yes, those guys on defense hit hard. And, yes, LSU's quarterback laid a harder hit than anybody on KU's defense did all year. But I thought the game was boring.

I would love to see Oklahoma State play either of those teams. I know LSU beat Oregon so I guess big defense beats big offense. But who knows. It's hard when teams don't play similar style teams. I mean, SEC is all smash mouth football. And apparently this year the Big 12 and Pac 12 (well it always is) were big offense not a lot of defense. But when they don't play against each other very often, it's hard to say conclusively who is better.

Basically I'm just saying what everybody else is. The current bowl system is dumb. Premier League naming a champion without a playoff works because every team plays each other, and they play so many games that it become evident who the best team is. Even baseball could really declare a winner at the end of the season with the number of games they play. And this year it could be argued the Phillies with a .630 record was a far-better team than the World Series Champion Cardinals, who barely managed to eek into the playoffs. But 11 games is not enough games to have a clearly best team sift its way to the top.

I guess it all comes down to Oklahoma State shouldn't have lost to Iowa State. But hopefully they'll come up with a better system soon.

2012-01-08T18:43:00.000-08:00

That Tim Tebow sure is exciting to watch. Good thing I've always been a fan and am not just a Johnny Come Lately.

I can't see him beating the Patriots. I think Tom Brady gets personally offended at all the commotion around Timmy Tebow and likes to pound him into the ground while giving him a lesson on how NFL quarterbacks really throw a football. But with this Tebow kid it seems like anything is possible.

(I still think he's a little shit.)

2012-01-06T08:21:00.001-08:00

2012-01-04T07:47:00.001-08:00

Things I do that give people pause about my intelligence:
1. Look for price tags at the "Everything's a dollar" store.
2. Read the label to see how many "One a Day" vitamins I'm supposed to take a day.
3. Think that the cross walk is speaking braille.

You can add others if you think of them. Ha.

Happy 2012

2012-01-02T06:32:00.000-08:00

It's a new year, and Tim Tebow still stinks.

Daisy says her new year's resolution is to be a better mouse hunter. She's terrible. Although in the ongoing bid to prove I'm capable, God left a dead mouse on my guestroom floor. I got a bag, picked it up and threw it away. Yea me. This after fixing my shower head all by myself yesterday.

I'm totally wrapped up in the Hunger Games trilogy and have spent the weekend reading all three books. I wish it were a snow storm so I wouldn't feel so guilty spending the weekend on the couch. But I have made it to dog park, for some runs and for some walks so I haven't completely missed the nice weather.

Here's to a great 2012.

2011: A pretty good year

2011-12-30T13:32:00.000-08:00

I'm sure you've been waiting with baited breath to hear what ET is doing for New Year's Eve (somebody really must develop that sarcasm font), well here it is: I'm staying in and eating junk. I'm eating junk and drinking crap, watching a Sex and the City marathon and enjoying every minute of it. Because after that, I'm training for the half marathon on my something something birthday with the goal of breaking two hours.

I'll probably have to lose a few pounds to break two hours, which means watching what I eat and drink and actually doing all of my training runs. There's a 5k that day too so train and join me for either race. Then we'll go to a big brunch after.

The end of the year inevitably leads us to look back on the year and take measure of it. As far as years go, I'd say 2011 was pretty spectacular. I got to travel a lot. I met with the head of the criminal section of the department of justice and convinced him not to appeal a decision a court made in our favor. I got to go to Austin, which is always a good time, with my two besties making it an even better time. And I took two spectacular, yet divergent, vacations.

This summer I spent a week and a half in Haiti working with some of the poorest people in the world. The kids didn't even have pants. I don't know why that stuck out to me so much, but this is now my standard for how bad things are: Do you have pants? Do you have a home that's not a tent? Then shut up. It was an incredible chance to really experience a culture dissimilar to one I'd ever seen. It was a chance to do something on my own. And it was a chance to realize how incredibly lucky and blessed I am.

For Thanksgiving I got to experience the other end of the spectrum and stay in a multi-million dollar beach-front home in Paia, HI. It was beautiful, restful, amazing and one of the best vacations I've ever had. I got to spend it with my family and enjoy a wonderful Thanksgiving. It was a million miles from the experience in Haiti but a reminder in its own way of how blessed I am.

In fact, I would say that was the theme of the year: realizing my blessings. Whenever something would come up, I would be reminded of the amazing friends I am surrounded by and what a supportive family I have. Sure sometimes I get frustrated that I don't have "steady" as the old people say, or don't have as much money as some of my friends, but really I have an amazing full life that I wouldn't trade for anything in the world. Except for maybe being Kate Middleton.

2011-12-28T19:41:00.000-08:00

I am not sure why the video I tried to load of Christmas Day never loaded but it clearly never did. It was a simple video of Drew, Cameron and Dominic playing with sharks. That sounds like a potentially exciting video. Alas, it was but mere plastic sharks.

I remember little of Christmas this year. I got a Kindle Fire, which is magnificent. I went for a run and marveled at Daisy's lost career as a trainer. If only she weren't a dog. She could have had an outstanding career as a personal trainer. She is a firm believer in the negative split and somehow knew that I had not run a full 30 minutes as I neared my parents house on the bike path. At the bench that marks the turn up the hill to the back gate we gone but a measly 25 minutes. She had no use for stopping and pulled me another five finally content to return home after the full 30 minutes.

After the run, I showered, set the table and dove into the full Christmas spread concluded with a fantastic chocolate pie, of which I shall never partake again. After lunch I watched the boys play a few video games and then went to sleep off the midday meal. Somehow during the two-hour nap (which should have signaled something beyond a little tryptophane was at work) all hell broke out lose in my tummy. It was like somebody yelled fire and all contents made a break for the nearest exit. You know the routine. Sometimes one lucks out and the fire drill comes in the middle of the night after a light dinner and but a few trips to the restroom are required to allow all the contents to exits. This was not my luck on Christmas Day 2011. I had stuffed that belly full to the brink the past few days. The rest of the day and night was spent catering to the fire drill.

Boxing Day was spent sleeping in an attempt to recover from the violence. Yesterday I still felt a little queasy until about 8:30 last night when I decided I was ravenous.

Tonight was spent in splendid fashion making a budget for 2012. I'm entirely too old and make too much to be as poor as I am. Thus, the budget is in order. But don't worry. I plan to still have fun in 2012. After all, I've already declared for the campaign, "2012: The campaign to find Erin a date." If that's not fun, I don't know what is.

2011-12-26T17:10:00.000-08:00

I didn't take many pictures on Christmas. Here's some video I took before the stomach flu hit me. It wasn't a very fun Christmas for me, but it does seem an effective way to not spend the weekend eating candy and such.

Merry Christmas

2011-12-24T19:22:00.000-08:00

Here are some videos from Christmas Eve:

Happy Festivus

2011-12-23T09:28:00.000-08:00

1. I finally think the Missouri Tigers might be for real after beating Illinois last night. I do not think they would be undefeated if they had played KU's schedule, but I do think they are a good team.

2. Can you believe that Congressman Sensenbrenner said Michelle Obama had a big butt? Look at his.

3. Apparently Tank 7 has a 9 percent alcohol content compared to the 5 percent most beers have. Noted.

4. Why do people think they need to know what happened to Aisha Khan, the woman who disappeared from Johnson County Community College? Hasn't anybody else ever just wanted to disappear for a while? No? Just me? Ok. Noted.

I'm going to sleep right here in the middle of all your clean clothes

2011-12-21T19:29:00.001-08:00

Sun's Out! Hooray

2011-12-21T10:31:00.000-08:00

In the holiday spirit, I'd like to return to the gratuities for a while.

1. The sun is out! It's amazing how much of a difference in my disposition a little sunshine can make. I have a friend whose email signature says, " Wherever you go, no matter what the weather, always bring your own sunshine." And she does. She is the sunniest person I know. She always inspires me to be a little sunnier. However, sometimes when it's rainy and dreary and I'm sad about no dates this holiday season I get a little down. Then the sun breaks through the clouds and everything is so much easier to deal with.

2. Dinner with Stacie. I had dinner with one of my besties last night. She is such a neat person. She is so accomplished in her career and so thoughtful of others. Before the sun even came out this morning, dinner with her broke me out of my funk last night.

3. Running. I love to run. If I don't run I go a little nutso. I had a triple whammy after I got back from Hawaii: (1) I wasn't in Maui anymore; (2) it was cold and dreary and rainy; and (3) I re-sprained me knee one day after I got back so I couldn't run. Well I took it out for a test spin today, and we did alright. Nothing too long nor fast, but I got some light jogging in. Hooray! Daisy and I will both be much better behaved now. It is only appropriate to cite one of my favorite Modern Family exchanges between Clair and Phil here:

Phil: She's like a border collie. She goes a little crazy if she doesn't run every day.
Claire: Did you just compare me to a dog?
Phil: The smartest dog in the world!

Have a sun-filled day!

2011-12-20T18:14:00.000-08:00

It finally stopped raining today. It's always a good day when it stops raining. And I got to have dinner with one of my besties. I always feel better after catching up with a good girlfriend.

And I started a website for an event planning business. It's what I've wanted to do for the past 10 years. For some reason I went to lawschool, then I practiced law and now I go over board on planning parties for my friends. It's their win for sure, but hopefully I can turn it into something for me beyond just the personal fulfillment I get from doing what I love. The plan for the moment is to just do it on the side.

If you're in the Kansas City and want me to plan your next party or event, email me!

2011-12-19T18:52:00.000-08:00

I saw Young Adult yesterday. It hit a little too close to home. I don't think I'm as mean as Charlize Theron's character, but I did relate to her a little too much.

I don't want to give it away in case you want to see it, but she goes to her home town and can't figure out why people she graduated from high school with stayed in town and how they could possibly be happy there. That's what I always thought about the people who stayed home, went to college there, married somebody and never went to see anything else or do anything else. I always thought, "Don't these morons know there is a whole world out there to go see? Why are they still here? How can they know this is what they want if they never try anything else?" I was so full of judgment. And incomprehension. I literally didn't understand how they could be happy.

At one point in the movie Theron's character says, "I have a really hard time being happy. And these people are so happy with so little." That was the first time I'd heard somebody describe so succinctly what I've always thought. But the thing is . . . I think the joke's on me. I think the others knew something I didn't know. I think all we can hope for in life is to find somebody nice who maybe makes you laugh and you enjoy talking to. Maybe have a few kids and then you die. I think that's life. I would still like to think I'd change the world. But at this point I'm just bearing down on 35 with nothing to show for it all. I have a lot of shoes, a lot of purses and a shit-ton of dresses. But I don't think that's going to get me very far. I'm certainly not living some glamorous life in some big city. Most nights I sit on my couch in my sweats with my dog in Kansas effing City.

So maybe I should learn to be happy with less. Or maybe I should move to New York and actually change the world. I'll keep you updated on what I decide and what I find.

Happy birthday Jesus

2011-12-18T06:42:00.001-08:00

Nine days

2011-12-16T13:35:00.000-08:00

Christmas is nine days away. It's been an interesting Christmas season. I don't even know what that means.

I do know that I have missed the Jayhawks this week. A whole week with no KU basketball and it leaves me sad. It was a long week after a full day of amazing games last Saturday.

Monday the 'Hawks take on Davidson. Then it's on to USC Thursday.

Rock Chalk!

Things I'm obsessed with

2011-12-13T10:37:00.000-08:00

1. The Man Repeller blog. I am personally bringing arm parties to Kansas City.
2. Jacquie Aiche. I've already drooled all over her finger bracelets here, but check out this ring, or this quainter one. When I start my boutique, she will be the first one I will stock.
3. Finding local Christmas gifts. I am trying to buy everybody's gifts from local people this year, ideally they would be made locally, but at least in a local store. It's quite fun.
4. Made in Chelsea. This Hills rip off/spin off is set in Chelsea with all kinds of "posh" British kids. One dated Princess Eugenie for a second or maybe Beatrice. But I love it. And I'm sad the season is over.
5. The library. Books are free there. Who knew?

Trying to take a Christmas Card picture

2011-12-12T15:06:00.000-08:00

No, you don't get the treat until you turn around. Snap!

At least this time I'll smile. Snap!

Daisy, you will turn around or I'll make you stay outside until-- snap!

I guess this is as good as it's going to get.

by yourself, with a timer, a dog and limited treats does not get the greatest results.

I wish I were there

2011-12-11T12:55:00.001-08:00

My personal gift list

2011-12-08T19:41:00.000-08:00

The previous ones were what I would suggest you get your girlfriends/wives/sisters/mothers. Whomever you are buying a special gift for this season. So what do I want you ask?

1. Photo albums
2. Pots with lids that fit. (I currently use plates on pots to make rice)
3. And the hand chain I posted a few days ago. I love it. Sadness. I went to link it, and it's sold out. This one would work.
4. A kindle fire.

Oh, and Colin Firth.

KU's new coach

2011-12-08T18:36:00.000-08:00

Good thing my mother kept her "Our coach is Phat" t-shirt.

Gift Guide continued

2011-12-07T16:40:00.000-08:00

Cardigan from Anthropologie

Frye Harness Boots

Some classics from LL Bean

Wool Tweed Hacking Jacket

Shetland Sweater

Cute vases from Anthropologie

Or a donation to your favorite charity.

Sports are dangerous for the brain

2011-12-06T20:10:00.000-08:00

The New York Times had a great three-part series about hockey player Derek Boogaard the past few days. I will admit Outside of the Olympics, I don't watch hockey. It always seemed to be too violent of a sport to me, and I didn't even know there was such a position as "an enforcer".

Apparently there is, and if you don't know what it is it's basically a huge player who may not be that great at hockey but is paid to fight the other teams. This is perfectly legal in the NHL. They think it keeps the sport clean because players won't play dirty if they know some big guy is going to beat them up.

Boogaard was one of these 'enforcers'. He was one of the "most feared" according to the Times but he died at 28 from a drug overdose. His family donated his brain to be studied, and it was determined that Boogaard had chronic traumatic encephalopathy, commonly known as C.T.E., a close relative of Alzheimer’s disease. It is believed to be caused by repeated blows to the head. Apparently Boogaard's brain had incredible damage for somebody so young.

The damage to the brain causes personality changes, depression. During the first stage of the disease, it manifests as affective disturbances and psychotic symptoms. As the disease progresses to stage two, individuals may suffer from social social instability, erratic behavior, memory loss, and the initial symptoms of Parkinson's disease. From there it just gets worse.

CTE was found in the brain of 21-year-old Penn football Owen Thomas after he committed suicide last fall.

I don't know if I'll have kids, but I'm certainly not letting them play football, box or play hockey if I do. The mother of one of my friends who played college soccer thinks he should quit playing because all of the heading the ball could cause brain damage. She might be on to something.

All of this to say that if I were Ndamukong Suh's parents I would tell him to take his millions and get the eff off the football field. He seemed like such a good kid at Nebraska. I don't like the Cornhuskers. In fact I might say I hate them. Maybe. But I liked Suh. I thought he was amazing at Nebraska. He wasn't dirty, he just dominated. This season for Detroit he's falling apart. He's stomping on players, ripping their helmets off, getting in car crashes and generally being an odd character. It just sounds like the early symptoms Boogaard displayed according to the Times.

Erin's Holiday Gift List

2011-12-06T14:54:00.001-08:00

Looking for something for the fasnionista on your list? Here are some suggestions:

I'm obsessed with hand chains this winter, like this one on manrepeller.com It's a Jacquie Aiche piece and can be found on shopbop. I love it because it's dainty yet edgy.

If I were as tall and slim as my friend Stacie I'd buy these orange AG jeans from Anthropologie in a New York minute.

More to come.

Collin Firth. How'd he get on here?

College Football or Farceball?

2011-12-05T08:56:00.000-08:00

I know Oklahoma State should have just taken care of business and beaten Iowa State. Hell, KU almost beat Iowa State. Then there would be no doubt that the Cowboys would be playing LSU in the Bowl Championship Series National Championship.

However, I have no interest in watching an Alabama-LSU rematch. The first game was as boring as watching paint dry. Actually, I didn't watch that much of it because it was so boring, and the Oklahoma State-K-State game being played at the same time was fantastic.

I was already anti-rematch but then I read this article on scout.com. And now not only am I not watching the BCS National Championship, I'm trying to wean myself off of ESPN. It has simply gotten too powerful. ESPN recently paid $2.25 billion, yes B-illion, for the broadcasting rights to the SEC for 15 years, and ESPN now owns the broadcasting rights for the BCS Championship game as well.

I'm not naive. I know college sports is big money. I know it hasn't been amateur in a very long time, if ever. I know Wilt Chamberlain got a shiny new convertible to play at KU in the '50s. But with all the conference shuffling as teams go for the money grab and throw away centuries old rivalries, it just is all feeling so unseemly lately.

I don't have a lot of ways to change the system, but I'm going to do my part by not watching the BCS Championship game. And now you can officially call me a grouchy old curmudgeon.

Mad Men Party

2011-12-04T11:20:00.000-08:00

I thought Mad Men would be a fun theme for my holiday cocktail party this year. Everybody got into it and looked great. My grandmother let me raid her house for period dishes. I got some great high ball glasses, serving dishes and individual plates.

The bar was stocked and ready to go.

Heineken of course

Mini pineapple upside down cakes.

My grandfather's typewriter added a great touch.

I made some Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce stationary for extra fun.

Of course we had to have a chip and dip.

I didn't get pictures of everybody who came but here are some of the great costumes.

Emily and Tyrel look just like Betty and Don.

Don't we look festive.

Stacie got this great dress at a vintage store when we were in Austin.

I thought it was great most of the guys wore suits.

I love Suz's touch of the pen.

Jason brought his own cigarette.

At the end of the night Andy was trying to type. He kept catching me take the picture though.

I tried to get a picture of my hair and makeup before everybody got there. This is as good as I got.

2011-12-02T15:25:00.000-08:00

My poor brother Chris. I'm convinced every redheaded man looks like him. He did admit he and Mike McQueary did bear a resemblance.

I love my house at Christmas Time

2011-11-30T19:42:00.000-08:00

2011-11-29T07:44:00.000-08:00

I'm in an abusive relationship with soccer. Every time I think I can trust it again, it hurts me. Last night I tried to play and jacked up my knee again. I'm trying to just ignore it, but it really hurts so it's hard. I think I'm going to have to break up with soccer. It's a sad, sad day. Nothing makes you feel old like having to give up your favorite sport in the world.

Maui Video

2011-11-28T17:26:00.000-08:00

Some photos from Maui

2011-11-26T18:06:00.000-08:00

Dom and Cameron running up the back steps.

There were so many rainbows Cameron said at one point, "Oh no. Not another rainbow."

The dining room table was a little too big for Cameron.

Blue, the Macaw, that came every day to see us.

Drew hiking down the volcano.

A nene goose. There were only 30 of them in 1952, now there are 800 wild ones and Drew and I saw one.

The back of our villa.

The boys swimming behind our villa.

Drew, Dom and Cam playing in the sand.

I'll post more tomorrow.

Happy Thanksgiving

2011-11-24T11:54:00.000-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving from Maui. It's been a fabulous vacation so far. We never got tickets to see the Jayhawks, but that's because we were busy snorkeling, hiking, swimming, and laying out. So all in all that seems like a fair trade.

The Jayhawks played Duke in great championship game last night. Unfortunately, the Hawks came up short and lost 68-61. But what a fun game. It was so exciting and cheer for a tournament game with the feel of a March tournament game but without the fear of the season being over with a loss. One could just enjoy the intensity and excitement.

Here's what we'll be looking at while eating Thanksgiving dinner. Minus Drew. We'll let him come in to eat with us.

Happy Thanksgiving and Mele Kalikimaka.

Rock Chalk?

2011-11-16T06:55:00.000-08:00

I think last night we learned that the Jayhawks are not as good as they were last year. But we'll still probably end up the same as we did last year: not national champions.

We also learned Dick Vitale might be senile. Or even more self absorbed than he used to be. It seems he used to at least kind of talk about the game and teams in front of him. Last night there was nary a mention of Kansas. In his defense, his favoritest-most-favorite coach of all time just broke the all-time wins record and he didn't get to call the game. Let's hope Coach K's week goes better than Joe Paterno's week after he broke the all-time football wins record. (By the way, how coincidental is it that the attorney general waited until he broke the record to charge Sandusky?)

My favorite moment of last night's game was when Dick Vitale said look, "There's Mario Chalmers." I was only half paying attention and thought, "Boy does Mario look funny." Then a few minutes later, realizing their mistake, ESPN put up the actual Mario Chalmers and identified him. The camera man then scanned over to the previously identified Mario Chalmers and Vitale said, "And that's Mario Chalmers' friend." Um, that's Russell Robinson. Jebus. How many games did you guys call with him at the point? Wasn't he the starting point guard on a National Championship team? It's hard times indeed when RusRob is merely "Mario Chalmers' friend." The analysts did realize their mistake but not before both Russell Robinson and Mario Chalmers were trending on twitter.

The good news is I'm going to Maui tomorrow so who cares. The Jayhawks will be there too. Although I know lots of people going, I only know one family with tickets. We may not get to see the Jayhawks play in person, but we'll be in Maui. So who cares?

In honor of the Chiefs playing Tim Tebow today:

2011-11-13T08:03:00.000-08:00

I know. I didn't fully commit and go all the way down on one knee. But I got embarrassed. That blue kind of sticks out in a sea of burnt orange.

Boulevard Beer Appreciation

2011-11-10T09:23:00.000-08:00

If you ever get a chance to take Boulevard Beer Appreciation 101 through UMKC's communiversity, I highly recommend it.

What a great time. Lauren's date couldn't make the second-part of the class so I won and got to go in his place. His loss.

The Boulevard brewers and scientists opened by talking about the different ways beer can get off-flavors and what those different off-flavors taste like. They include samples of the different off flavors. Some are skunky, some are kind of good. If it has too much esther it tastes like bananas. It actually wasn't bad. I just expecting my throat to swell closed, but it didn't since it wasn't actually banana.

After learning about beers, we got to taste different beer with different pairings. Amazing. Who knew beer could go as well with cheese as wine does? Apparently the people at Boulevard that's who.

Hee Hee

2011-11-09T14:45:00.001-08:00

Watch Kirk Herbstreit's face when the earthquake hits.

Exercise Delays Aging

2011-11-09T06:46:00.000-08:00

This is good news: if you exercise your muscles don't break down and turn to fat as you get older. That seems pretty conspicuous to me. Use your muscles, they don't go away. So keep moving, folks.

Team in Training had its Alumni Happy Hour last night, and now I'm trying to decide what event to do next. I think I will aim for a triathlon. I am thinking about doing the Nation's Triathlon and give my knees a bit of reprieve from the super-long runs. It means I will have to make friends with my bike. We don't really get along so it will be a long road to friends, but I'm sure we can get there.

Maui is a week from tomorrow! Hooray!

2011-11-07T17:48:00.000-08:00

I don't know if I wasn't living up to Roeland Park standards or if my neighbor was trying to be nice. Either way he took it upon himself to mow my backyard. Weird. I would think one might say, "Do you need help with the backyard?" before doing it. But it is what it is. I should be thankful for it. I do kind of like the leaves keeping my yard warm during the winter, and my grass looks a billion times better than his. But it is what it is.

It was a bad weekend for Kansas City football. KU, MU and K-State all lost. The Chiefs lost. Sporting Kansas City lost. My co-ed soccer team lost, but it had to play a man down because I was still out with a bum knee.

Alas, it's a new week. Who knows what it will hold. Maybe my neighbor will clean out my gutters, which is what I would have really asked him to do. Had he asked. Ha!

Saturday

2011-11-05T12:26:00.000-07:00

What a great Saturday. Carla, Millie and I went antiquing in the West Bottoms. You have to check it out the next first weekend of the month. A bunch of old warehouses are converted to antique stores, but are only open the first weekend of the month.

Some buttons

I got these tumblers for my upcoming retro cocktail party.

Millie loses interest.

And she's awake to figure out what is on her mother's head.

After antiquing I raked my front yard. All the leaves fell off my tree while I was gone and, thus, I got a good hour and a half work out today raking the yard.

Mid-way through. That's a lot of leaves.

The culprit

Good enough for me.

2011-11-04T06:59:00.000-07:00

It was nice of the Star to give Jayhawk football the same half-page coverage it gave to K-State and Mizzou. But seriously? I think we can put this season down in the history books as one of the worst and call it good. Some of the writers even picked them to beat Iowa State. That would be nice, but let's just say I'm not holding my breath.

I got home Wednesday night, and it appears as though every leaf fell off my tree this week. There was a carpet of leaves on my front walk. It's pretty. But I suppose it means I need to rake this weekend. I've yet to figure out how we know when the leaf-picking-up truck is coming down our street. Everybody else seems to know because they all rake at the same time just before he comes. I guess I could just watch everybody and rake when they do. I'll probably do it this weekend either way. It will give me something to do, and it's good exercise.

Austin Trip

2011-10-31T13:32:00.000-07:00

I have never had a bad time in Austin, Texas. In fact, I've never had less than a spectacular time in Austin. That continued this weekend when Stacie and I went to see Lyndsey.

Big Top Candy Shop. So cute and had every kind of candy you could imagine including all the good kinds from when you were a kid. I stocked up on candy cigarettes for my Mad Men party.

A selection of the Austin food trucks. We were starving Saturday, and it was crazy busy because it was game day. We selected a little guy tucked away in a corner. He didn't have much business. We quickly found out why. His food was amazing, which we finally got to find out after waiting a half an hour to get it.

Me, Lyndsey and Stacie with a stuffed Jayhawk at the alumni tailgate before the game.

In front of the Texas tower on the way to the game.

The pre-game show.

Us at the game. Apparently Longhorn fans don't think it's very funny when you turn the horns upside down. I did that jokingly before this picture, and the whole section behind me about jumped me. I had it for a half-a-second before I said, "I'm just kidding." But that was too long.

Bevo is in there somewhere.

The closest the Jayhawks got to the end zone. Too bad it was their own, and they gave up a safety shortly after. I've seen a lot of bad Jayhawk football, but I think this season is the worst. KU had 10 total yards of offense in the entire first half. The first possession of the second half, the 'Hawks lost eight yards. That's right they had two total yards in the third quarter, and ended with 46 total yards of offense: 48 passing yards and negative two rushing yards. You're terrible, Gill. That's all I said the entire game.

A yummy bloody mary.

Lyndsey and Stacie at brunch.

After brunch we went to Saks to find the perfect shade of red lipstick. Which left a mark on the Starbucks we were at.

We're sad we're leaving.

Tebow

2011-10-27T16:33:00.000-07:00

If you know me at all, you know I hate Tim Tebow. I won't repeat all the reasons here. Suffice it to say there are a myriad. If you do too, you'll enjoy this:

tebowing.com

If not, sorry.

2011-10-26T17:02:00.000-07:00

Oh Mizzou. You're going to screw us again. The Tigers are holding up the whole Big 12. I say screw 'em. They can be left out, the Big 12 will take West Virginia Louisville and let Mizzou fall where it may.

I am sure the Tigers will end up in the SEC. I just won't believe it until I see them take the football field with an SEC badge on their uniforms. I don't mean to speak ill of my neighbors, but this is the Missouri of the fifth down, the Nebraska kick, Tyus Edney. I'm sure I could go on but I have other things to do tonight.

The Tigers started last year's Big 12 meltdown when they said they were going to the Big 10. Except their invitation got lost in the mail. Realistically, that should not have started the Big 12 meltdown it did. Whatever. I'm over Missouri. Go to the SEC see how many conference championships you win then. Oh, that's right. You haven't won any Big 12 titles, oh ok you've won baseball and softball. Cheers.

Beak 'em

2011-10-25T17:45:00.000-07:00

I finally got started on my fall to do list and carved a pumpkin. In honor of basketball starting soon, I went with a Jayhawk. It turned out better than I thought it would.

Weird

2011-10-25T14:10:00.000-07:00

HBO is making a new drama about the life of Dr. T. I don't think I'll watch. It hits a little close to home. However, if I get to be a character I want Emma Stone to play me.

Dr. T's murder is something in my life that I think I've moved past and then it comes back up. It keeps popping up lately. I guess it's not something one just moves past. It's part of who I am. I can only imagine what his kids think of it.

I'm sure it will be a good show. It sounds like it will be focused more on the clinic aspect. So there you have medical drama, socially charged issues and plenty of things going on. The legal aspect that led up to his trial was stranger than fiction as well.

I'm sure Wichita will be excited to have a show named after it based on abortion. It never goes away. All things equal, I could do without 2009. But then I wouldn't be who I am. And I don't even know if that's true. A lot happened that year, including some good things. Just like every year I guess. Just more seminal things seemed to happen that year.

Not in my neighborhood

2011-10-24T14:45:00.001-07:00

Very cool, but how annoying would that be if you lived across the street. "Why is there water all over the floor, Todd?" "I don't know Margot!"

2011-10-24T11:25:00.000-07:00

It's a gorgeous fall day. I need to remember to take my camera next time I walk Daisy. There are some beautiful trees in my 'hood. And some wacky Halloween decorations. Poor blind Daisy. She can't see. Every time we come upon one of those decorations made to look like something climbing out of a grave, she sneaks up on it, gets ready to pounce and then realizes it's made of plastic or some such material. Poor girl.

KU v. OU

2011-10-20T18:47:00.000-07:00

Travis putting the food on the barby.

I'm a little slow in posting these photos. And please don't compare them to the photos I linked in the next blog because those are beautiful. And these, well these document a day of fun.

Daisy didn't want to carry my beers so she laid down.

Gross. Tried to do a self portrait. It didn't work. Travis barely made the picture.

Beer for Gingers?

Ha! We're tied with OU in the second quarter. That's a win for KU football this season.

Beautiful

2011-10-20T18:29:00.001-07:00

Check it:

http://ohjoy.blogs.com/my_weblog/2011/10/guest-post-with-jamie-of-from-me-to-you.html

Beautiful pictures from Kansas City. I love my town and wish I could photograph like this. And I'm sad I don't live down the street from Happy Gillis anymore. But I do live a tres short drive from Oklahoma Joe's now.

Anxiety Dreams

2011-10-20T13:15:00.000-07:00

Terry Gross, probably the best interviewer in America in my humble opinion, had Colson Whitehead on Fresh Air yesterday to talk about his new book, 'A Zone Full of Zombies.'

Whitehead described his parents taking him to see Dawn of the Dead when he was much to young to see such a gory movie. From that point on his anxiety dreams took the form of zombies chasing him. It worked out alright because in the end that's where he got his book idea.

It got me thinking about anxiety dreams and how our anxiety manifests in dreams in such individual ways. My sister said my 5-year-old nephew has anxiety dreams about a robot dog from a Scooby Doo episode that scared the bejesus out of him.

My anxiety dreams are always that I'm going to miss my flight, or the team bus because I have too many clothes and I can't get them all packed in my luggage. Maybe it means I have too much baggage. Maybe it means I have an unhealthy obsession with clothing. Sometimes I've lost my hotel room key. I run around the hotel looking for other members of my soccer team to get into my room. When I do get in, there are too many clothes to fit in my suitcase. I don't see any book ideas coming out of those dreams.

Halloween Fun

2011-10-18T17:34:00.000-07:00

I'm not really one for pumpkin stencils. I think you should have to go at carving the pumpkin with a dull steak knife like I had to growing up. All this fancy schmacy pumpkin carving takes away from the home-made love you can tell goes into a carved-up crooked grinned Jack-o-Lantern.

But if there ever were a stencil I would use, this is it:

http://funstuff.ku.edu/ui/printables/BeakumHawks_Pumpkin.pdf

Oh Crazy Football

2011-10-17T13:51:00.000-07:00

Jim Harbaugh got a little overexcited Sunday after beating the Lions.

Some fat drunk guy at the OU/KU game acted the same way. He was an OU fan, but I'm putting money on he hasn't attending any college classes anywhere. He wasn't cheering to support OU as much to pick a fight with KU people. He actually got in a fight with the other OU people who told him to shut up. I wish I took a picture of him to show you.

2011-10-12T20:25:00.000-07:00

Well it finally happened. Those of you who know me probably thought it never would. But it finally did. I've run out of things to say.

I'll think about it this weekend and report back. Hopefully with a fully developed opinion or memory or story of some point. Until then I'm off to muddle in my thoughts.

All the Single Ladies

2011-10-11T09:05:00.000-07:00

Kate Bolick says all that I want to say much more intelligently and with more support than I'd be able to find in this amazing article from The Atlantic.

I have been dubious about marriage since I realized it was rooted in the buying and selling of property, that property being women. And apparently I'm not the only one. Don't worry, Mom. That doesn't mean I've decided I don't want kids or don't want to find a man to have a significant commitment with. It just means that those things might come about differently than they did for women in past generations.

Anyway, check out the article here: http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2011/11/all-the-single-ladies/8654/

2011-10-09T17:37:00.000-07:00

I know all of you, all five of you, have been waiting to hear what I think about this Missouri leaving for the SEC. Well, I'll comment on that when it happens. Just don't hold your breath waiting.

It is rather hard to make fun of any team these days when the Jayhawks gave up 70 points to Oklahoma State and likely will give up 100 to OU this Saturday. So I wish Missouri the best. I hope K-State keeps winning. And . . . neither of those things are true.

Ginger-itis

2011-10-05T06:28:00.000-07:00

There seems to be quite the fascination with redheads these days. First the sperm bank said it wasn't accepting redhead donations anymore. Then a friend sent me this link: http://jumponaginger.com/ It's actually pretty funny.

Apparently last night Glee was about redheads. I didn't watch it because I'm the one person who doesn't watch Glee. Yesterday Ginger Supremacists was trending on twitter. I can only guess it's because of Glee?

I am sure I just notice these things because I am a ginger, and I have friends who notify me every time redheads show up in popular culture.

But this whole redheads will be extinct in 15 years in nonsense. I'll still be here, and I saw a baby ginger at the KU game Saturday. So I think we'll be just fine.

2011-10-04T15:21:00.001-07:00

I went to the doctor today and she said she thinks I just sprained my knee. We'll see. It hurts like a mo-fo. That's a technical term. Whatever it is, I don't think there will be much running or soccer for a while. My doctor also told me that as I get older it might be better to do more sports like yoga and swimming than soccer and running. And now I feel old.

Dumb. The tour of half marathons may be on hold for a while.

Until next time, friends.

2011-10-03T19:14:00.001-07:00

I think I blew my knee out tonight. That's dumb. At least I already had a doctor's appointment for tomorrow scheduled.

Happy Weekend

2011-10-02T19:17:00.000-07:00

What a great weekend. The weather was perfect, there were fun times to be had. Good times all around.

Friday night I hit up the Royal. It was perfect outside, and I had a fun party to go to. The band kept saying, "Are there any rednecks in the crowd?" The first time the dude said it, I thought he said, "Are there any redheads in the crowd." I said, "Why is he asking if there are redheads?" "Red-NECKS, red-NECKS," my friend corrected. Op. Guess I should put my hand down.

Saturday was KU's homecoming. The weather was beautiful. The football was good. For a half. The Jayhawks have the first half figured out. Now they just need to extend it into the second half. Unfortunately, the rest of the schedule doesn't inspire much hope.

The weather was so beautiful I got a sunburn on the back of my neck, thus becoming an actual redneck and not just a redhead. I also managed to burn the tops of my feet. I wore cute little ballet flats and having been hid all summer in my running shoes the tops of my poor lily white feet turned a lovely shade of red.

The sunburn on my feet became an interesting twist to my soccer game today. It didn't hurt too much except for the two times I got my foot stepped on. Now they are red, black and blue. We won our game 4-3. I didn't score, but then I was playing defense. However, giving up three goals does not speak wonders about my defensive skills. I'm the first to admit my defensive skills are lacking, but one of the women that usually plays defense wasn't there so I took one for the team.

Some day I'll make to Grinders to see the Sunday night movie outside and finish the weekend perfectly.

ET's 2011-2012 Tour Dates

2011-09-29T07:27:00.000-07:00

Last night I could tell I was still feeling the effects of Monday night's game so I decided to run without a watch. I should do that more. Instead of worrying about not going fast enough, or going out too fast, you just listen to your body and do whatever speed feels good.

I always wonder if I end up doing my watchless runs faster or slower than my usual runs. But knowing would somewhat defeat the purpose.

Last night I not only went out without a watch, I went out without my ipod. I had nothing but time to think. One thing I realized is the bike path in Wichita behind my folks house is terribly sloped. My hips were hurting from running at an angle. The other thought I had was a great idea. I realized I'd already told two friends I'd do half marathons with them in their town, so I thought I'd make this the year of half marathons. I'm going to do 10.

So far my tour dates are:
1. KC Half
2. Austin
3. Rock the Parkway
4. Indy Mini
5. Hospital Hill

So if you're a friend who lives out of town and wants motivation to do a half, I'll add you to my tour and come run with you. I'm sure Seattle has one I'll have to do. Hopefully by the end of the year, I'll have broken two hours at least once.

2011-09-28T09:58:00.000-07:00

I will always remember Mike Miller yelling at me in the middle of a party in college, "Do you know what your problem is? I'll tell you what your problem is." What actually was my problem is not as clear as that line. So in honor of Mike Miller, Do you know what my problem is? I'll tell you what my problem is.

My problem is I think there is some guy out there who looks like JFK Jr., does triathlons, is an investment banker or an architect, loves to read, has a dog, is socially active, loves finding new local restaurants, going to indy movies, talking about philosophy and loves college sports. I don't think that guy actually exists. If he does, he's not in Kansas City. Or he married a Jacqueline Bisset years ago and isn't looking for a Joan Harris.

What I guess I'm trying to say is I should lower my expectations. It's not like the guys I've dated in the past were like that. Whatever. It's all silly.

But if you know that guy, send him my way. Ha!

2011-09-27T19:46:00.001-07:00

I think my Monday night soccer team's promotion out of mom's league will be short lived. I do believe after one session we will be relegated back to Mom's League. We have not fared so well against teens and early 20-somethings. I suppose if we get relegated I'll get to feel fast and like I'm a super star again. Currently I just feel old and slow after games. I did get two goals last night. So there's that.

Fall To Do List

2011-09-26T12:05:00.000-07:00

I got this from somebody on facebook, and it was so full of good ideas I'm borrowing it for myself:

1. Go apple picking
2. Make leaf art
3. Go on a hay-ride
4. Enjoy a bonfire with s'mores
5. Make caramel apples
6. Corn maze
7. Go to a pumpkin patch
8. Make fall cookies
9. Take a nature walk
10. Trick-or-treat
11. Bake pies
12. Decorate/carve/paint a pumpkin
13. Drink fancy coffee drinks
14. Picnic

Poor Daisy

2011-09-26T08:10:00.000-07:00

Had to have a bath yesterday. Here she is still pouting about it late at night:

Dammit

2011-09-24T17:51:00.000-07:00

I think Mizzou is good this year. KU is not. The end.

Although I was amazed at the number of NBA players there were at today's Legend Game. We must be good at something. Oh right. Basketball. The end. Again.

Oops, guess Mizzou isn't that good. I am sure the Tigers still played OU closer than the Jayhawks will.

Happy Fall

2011-09-23T07:29:00.000-07:00

It's the first day of fall. The weather cooperated and became quite fall-like for the occasion. Last night I celebrated by making a bowl of curry and one of my favorite fall candy combinations.

I was a little disappointed in the curry. I thought it would be so good with bok choy, shitake mushrooms and jasmine rice. Yet it was bland. How can something with three tablespoons of curry paste be bland? But it was. I clearly did something wrong.

I love candy corn mixed with peanuts. It tastes like a Baby Ruth but looks like fall.

Alanis Morissette is speaking to me

2011-09-22T13:18:00.000-07:00

All I Really Want by Alanis Morissette

Do I stress you out
My sweater is on backwards and inside out
And you say how appropriate
I don't want to dissect everything today
I don't mean to pick you apart you see
But I can't help it
There I go jumping before the gunshot has gone off
Slap me with a splintered ruler
And it would knock me to the floor if I wasn't there already
If only I could hunt the hunter
And all I really want is some patience
a way to calm the angry voice
And all I really want is deliverance
Do I wear you out
You must wonder why I'm relentless and all strung out
I'm consumed by the chill of solitary
I'm like Estella
I like to reel it in and then spit it out
I'm frustrated by your apathy
And I am frightened by the corrupted ways of this land
If only I could meet the maker
And I am fascinated by the spiritual man
I am humbled by his humble nature
What I wouldn't give to find a soulmate
Someone else to catch this drift
And what I wouldn't give to meet a kindred
Enough about me, let's talk about you for a minute
Enough about you, let's talk about life for a while
The conflicts, the craziness and the sound of pretenses
Falling all around.... all around
Why are you so petrified of silence
Here can you handle this?
Did you think about you bills, your ex, your deadlines
Or when you think you're going to die
Or did you long for the next distraction
And all I need now is the intellectual intercourse
A soul to dig the hole much deeper
And I have no concept of time other than it is flying
If only I could kill the killer
All I really want is some peace man
A place to find a common ground
And all I really want is a wavelength
All I really want is some comfort
A way to get my hands untied
And all I really want is some justice....

Don't be a Debbie Downer

2011-09-22T07:35:00.000-07:00

It seems like a hard time not to be a little down. The country executed two men last night, one who was quite possibly innocent. The economy continues to bomb. Everybody is getting divorced. It's just kind of a downer time.

Last night the Junior League had its annual fall meeting downtown at the Convention Center. After spending Saturday in the River Market as I was pulling into downtown last night I realized again how much I miss living down there. There was just so much more going on. The odds of meeting new people was exponentially higher. Being within walking distance or a cheap cab ride to so many good restaurants and bars was something I took for granted. I mean now I'm right around the corner from an Arby's but that doesn't seem to make up for it.

As I was walking toward the Convention Center I met up with another Junior League member. I said, "It's so nice they put all these signs up for us. The Convention Center is so big I didn't know where to go."

"I guess. I just hate downtown," she grumbled. I tried to be diplomatic and not say anything like you idiot. But she said "I hate downtown" about five more times before we got across the street. I finally said, "I love downtown," and ditched that Debbie Downer.

Then the whole meeting was about how not to be afraid of downtown, how many great things are going on downtown. I thought, "Who doesn't love downtown?" Then I looked around and saw a sea of shiny white faces with ginormous engagement/wedding rings and thought, "I guess these women?" Then I felt a little left out. Sometimes it would be nice to have a huge rock, or a little one, and not have to take care of everything yourself and have somebody to talk to over dinner. Then I was down again. Silly Junior League.

The good thing is as I was leaving the convention center I stopped at the crosswalk, and it spoke braille too! There is a crosswalk on the Plaza that sounds like a machine gun when it is time to walk. I had this internal theory that it is sounding out "You can walk now" in braille. It made perfect sense in my internal dialogue. However, my internal dialogue has been known to convince myself of some pretty nutty stuff.

A few weeks ago I was with my brother on the Plaza. He said, "What is that?" I told him it was speaking braille. Apparently once you say that out loud, it doesn't make so much sense. "Seriously Erin? It's speaking braille? Why wouldn't it just say, 'Walk.' They're blind not idiots." I realized the idiocy of it.

As I stood outside the convention center pouting and feeling bad for myself the crosswalk started speaking braille. I got a good internal chuckle. At least I tried to keep it internal lest the Leaguers think I'm even odder than I am for being a single gal who loves downtown. And just like that I was in a good mood again.

Nothing like this to make me feel wanted

2011-09-20T16:59:00.000-07:00

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/on-parenting/post/redhead-sperm-need-not-apply/2011/09/19/gIQAqXCSiK_blog.html?hpid=z8

I guess a sperm bank doesn't want any more redheaded sperm donors. I thought we were making a comeback with all the starlets dying their hair red these days.

I don't know what's wrong today. I played soccer last night and felt fine. Well I felt tired but I haven't played in two weeks so that's not surprising. Then I woke up when Daisy wanted out early this morning at 5 or 6 and felt like hell. Then I got sick several times and have slept all day. I have terrible heartburn. Anybody have any ideas? Or general practitioners they would recommend? I am clearly past time to see a doctor for a general check up.

2011-09-19T11:57:00.000-07:00

I feel like my summer has been my own version of that movie, "What's Your Number?" coming out this week. I've run into or heard from just about everybody I've dated. It's been an odd trip down memory lane.

I heard from two of them as I sat on the runway leaving for Haiti saying have fun in Haiti and asking how Haiti was. I ran into one at the zoo a few weeks ago, one the day before I left from Haiti. It's been an interesting trip down memory lane.

I should see the movie to see how it turns out. I think she ends up with a new guy. I'll see it and report back.

I don't know what any of that means, but I do know I won't be watching much football this fall. The Jayhawks and the Chiefs both stink. They gave up a combined 100-plus points this weekend and scored a combined 20. Not good. Not good. Even my favorite English football team is crap this year. Arsenal only has four points through five games. Egads. When does basketball start?

Waiting waiting waiting

2011-09-14T13:17:00.000-07:00

I'm just waiting today. Waiting for people to call me back. Waiting for people to email me back. Waiting for the state to have an eta on when they're going to skype in my witnesses. Waiting, waiting, waiting.

Sometimes the jokes just tell themselves. Sarah Palin slept with Glen Rice in the '80s? Sarah Palin did lines of coke in the snow? What more do you need to say about that. It's pretty funny on its face.

More coloring

2011-09-13T10:16:00.000-07:00

The summer of 2011 was the summer with I colored with kids. I went from coloring with some of the poorest kids in the world to coloring with some pretty privileged kids.

Earlier this summer I colored with the kids of Haiti. Saturday I colored with the Pembroke Hills set at the zoo. The Junior League sponsored a kids Jazzoo event, and I volunteered to help. I ended up at the Monster Mural station. There were four big pages with animals printed on them that the kids could color.

I kept thinking about coloring in Haiti while I was there and how all kids color the same. The kids Saturday spoke English instead of French, with the exception of one pretentious mother who spoke to her kids in French even though the clearly didn't want to and answered in English. Saturday's kids had madras shorts instead of no pants. But other than that it was the same. There were lots of rainbow colored animals just like the Haitians did. There were lots of animals colored in precisely just like the Haitians did. And the littlest ones just liked to scribble all over. Just like the littlest Haitians liked to.

Somehow the mural I was "overseeing" ended up a KU mural. This, shockingly, wasn't my doing. It just happened. Well, I colored one bird blue with a red head and yellow beak. Then a little boy said, "That looks like a Jayhawk." I said, "Hmmm. Weird. It does." He then decided all the animals on that one should be red and blue. We had a blue polar bear with a red head and yellow feet, a red and blue monkey and everything in between. The boy's sister figured out what we were doing and went through and wrote "KU" on all the animals. I tried to get them to do one of the other murals in black and gold to even it out. But they weren't going for it. I guess that is one difference between the kids at the zoo and the kids in Haiti. I don't know that the Haitians would know what a Jayhawk is.

It's always good to be reminded that in the end people are people no matter where they live.

Egads

2011-09-11T17:17:00.000-07:00

I can't breathe. I remember why the song "Wake me up when September ends" sticks in my head for the whole month. I cannot wait for September to end so I can breathe, smell, see. All of those things.

We were short a dude during our soccer game today. We still tied 0-0. I got new boots. They have pink in them. They're pretty. However, my play wasn't pretty. The ball kept sticking to my shoes. I didn't score for the first time in a lot of games. Oh well. Some days you do. Some days you don't.

Emanuel Cleaver preached at my church today for the tenth anniversary of September 11. It was very moving, and I'm glad I got to be a part of it. I did have a moment of panic before the service. There were people coming in I didn't recognize who weren't dressed in church attire. They were dressed in Chiefs gear, and I had to ask several people what our security is. That's not a result of 9/11. That's a result of 5/31/09. But we all made it through safely and home in time to see that I will not be watching any more Chiefs game this year.

Saturday

2011-09-10T17:19:00.000-07:00

It was a beautiful day today. I felt like I was cruising through my 10-miler this morning. When I finished my watch said an hour and 45 minutes. I thought, "I guess I wasn't that fast." When I got home I mapped the route on gmap's pedometer and it was almost 11 miles. So I was cruising.

I'm so excited there is just another month of early Saturday training runs before the marathon. Then in another month I'll be in Maui. I cannot wait. I said to my dad a few days ago, "I don't think I'll go to the Border War this year." He said, "I think you'll be in Maui." Yes, yes I will.

I have lots of things to do there: learn to surf (or at least take a surfing lesson), sit on the beach, drink drinks on the beach, sit on the beach some more, and hopefully watch some Jayhawk basketball. Too bad things didn't pan out with Tyler the Texter. He was friends with Nick Collison's best friend. And I know this because the buddy dropped Collison's name about 100 times in an hour. Apparently it was legit and they were best men in each other's weddings. Whatever, I finally asked him if Collison's name was slippery. "Why?" "Because you keep dropping it." I bet he could have gotten us tickets. Oh well.

Even without Jayhawk basketball Thanksgiving in Maui sounds fantastic. The countdown is on.

10 Years Later

2011-09-08T12:31:00.000-07:00

All this talk about September 11th makes my tummy hurt. That was such a scary time. I was 24 living an idyllic life. As somebody who came of age in the '90s our challenges were fighting AIDS, protecting the environment, worrying about who the president was sleeping with. The economy was gang busters. Graduating from college in the late '90s you had your pick of four or five job offers.

There'd been no war for us. Except the brief six-month First Gulf War, wars were things we learned about in history. They didn't exist. Not really. And they certainly didn't exist in the collective consciousness of the nation.

Now I understand why my mother never wanted to see Forrest Gump. She'd always say, "I don't want to see it. I lived it." I didn't really get it. But now I don't want to see the towers exploding every time I go to the Kansas City Star's homepage. I remember the fear of that day and the weeks and months that followed. I'm not going to see the movies made in 20-years where the protagonist's significant other says in the first few minutes of the movie, "Guess what! I got that job at Cantor Fitzgerald. I start September 11!" I remember watching the towers fall as the commentator said, "Sixty thousand people work in those buildings," and thinking Holy Shit.

September 11, 2001 I got up at 6:30 for my morning run. I went out to get the paper while my coffee brewed. It was raining. It never rained in Stockton. I looked out the kitchen window, watching the rain, debating whether or not to run. I opened the paper, sat down at the kitchen table and started to read the latest in the Gary Condit/Chandra Levy saga. The phone ran.

"Do you have the television on? Turn the television on!" my roommate's mother shrieked into the phone.

I thought there was an earthquake in Southern California where she lived. "Are you alright?" That's all I remember about the conversation; that I thought there was an earthquake and that she was the one that told me about the attack. Then I sat and watched it unfold. We all remember exactly where we were when it happened. I understood the conversation adults had about where they were when Kennedy got shot.

In the 10 years since September 11th, I graduated from law school. I traveled to Europe and Haiti and lots of places in between. I had a client killed in his church. I fell in love and had my heart broken. A couple of times. I moved back to Kansas. I bought a house.

But I think the biggest thing is I've learned that you have to live for each day. If something is making you unhappy either change it, or find a way to live with it. You can't spend your life waiting until you lose 10 pounds, you make more money, you get married, you buy the perfect house, you have kids. If you do that you miss all that is great about today. Yesterday I was driving home from Wichita. The prairie was gorgeous and full of fall color. The weather was perfect. I was listening to Dave Matthew's Crash (still one of my all-time favorite albums. That hasn't changed since September 11.) I thought this is a great moment. Daisy didn't think so. I don't think she likes my singing. But you have to be conscious of those moments to enjoy them.

I bet if you asked people who lost loved ones on September 11 they would tell you to take each day and celebrate its blessings because you just never know what the future holds.

2011-09-07T13:32:00.000-07:00

There is the cutest story in the Washington Post today:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/magazine/first-love-high-school-sweethearts-and-the-daughter-they-gave-up-decades-ago-find-their-lives-intertwined-once-more/2011/05/16/gIQAKnpg9J_story.html?hpid=z2

Doesn't it just give you the warm fuzzies?

College Football Season

2011-09-06T08:55:00.000-07:00

It's college football season. Hooray. The Jayhawks are still undefeated. I guess we couldn't say the same this time last year. So there's that. They definitely looked better than they did in the season opener last year. And they looked better in their opener than Mizzou or K-State did. Next week against Northern Illinois I guess we'll learn more about where the Jayhawks stand.

I think this whole conference thing is a mess. So we'll end up with three huge conferences in the whole country? And we'll be in divisions that are made up of the teams we used to be in conferences with? Seems silly to me. Whatever. I'm trying not resist it just because it's different. And I chuckle because I'm sure Missouri is still waiting for its invitation to join the Big 10.

2011-09-02T11:59:00.000-07:00

I heard the best saying the other day, "If you stand with one foot in yesterday and one foot in tomorrow, you piss all over today." OK, so it's a little crass but what a great sentiment.

If you worry about what happened in the past, worry about what's going to happen you miss what's happening today. I don't know what the future holds. I know what the past held but that doesn't have to shape the future. I have what I have today so I might as well make the most of it. And it's a pretty good plate as it is.

2011-08-31T10:10:00.000-07:00

Clearly I extolled the virtues of Claritin too soon. Last night after gardening I spent the night on the couch a great big ball of sniffley, wheezy mess. My run today was slow and now I'm wheezy again. The good part of not being able to breathe for two months is I usually lose about 10 pounds. It's hard to eat when you can't breathe.

2011-08-30T17:15:00.000-07:00

Clearly I've watched too many Mad Men episodes the past few days. Last night I dreamed I was in charge of a lipstick photo shoot.

On to the dailies:

1. Claratin. It's that time of year that I can't go outside without some allergic reaction. At least since the invention of Claratin I can go outside for a half an hour with just a few sniffles. It used to be this time of year I'd spend the month sniffling, wheezing and generally miserable. I always hated it because I wanted to make a good impression on the first day of school but by the time I got to class, I'd be one big ball of snot. Not impressing anybody like that. Now with the lovely invention of Claritin, I'm a little less miserable. It's still no barrel of laughs, but I just spent a half hour weeding and I can still breath.

2. My house. This week is my one-year anniversary of being a home owner. I love my little house. Last week I got home from Wichita, and I was so happy to be home. This is the first place that has felt as much like home as the house I grew up in. I moved so much between undergrad and my loft downtown I never settled in. I loved my loft, I loved the neighborhood, but it wasn't mine. It was one of the few times I lived somewhere I rented and there's always that feeling of "Oh. I can't do that. It's not my home." Now I have my very own home. I can paint it, wall paper it, plant plants, and make it in to whatever I want. I love it.

3. A good book. I love getting lost in a good book. I'm reading The Tigers' Wife. It is excellent.

2011-08-29T18:14:00.000-07:00

Holy Moly. I'm tired of feeling old and tired. And slow. We played a team of 15-year-old girls tonight. I'm too old for that nonsense. We tied 2-2. I guess I scored both goals. In the first 10 minutes of the game. Then we ran out of gas. And they came back and tied it.

But on to the good things today:

1. The weather. It was an absolutely gorgeous day. It felt like spring in California. Not too warm, not too humid. Perfect.

2. Chocolate chip cookies. Yummy. I'm spacing them out so they last.

3. My Haitian vanilla. I used it to make my chocolate chip cookies and it added a special zing to them.

2011-08-28T15:31:00.000-07:00

I need to be proactive about finding cheap/free things to do while I'm on my budget/caloric diets. There's always dog park. Daisy and I should be more social and head out there.

And co-ed soccer started back up so I have that on Sundays. We won 5-0 today. Hooray. I got a goal and no fouls. The woman marking me got a yellow card though.

Not a lot else going on.

2011-08-25T10:48:00.000-07:00

Good thing I moved out of the 'hood last summer. Guess there was a gun fight last night:

http://www.kansascity.com/2011/08/24/3096863/police-think-drug-deal-led-to.html#storylink=misearch

With my luck I would have been walking Daisy. We would have had to hide in the woods.

2011-08-22T18:38:00.000-07:00

My mom's league team was welcomed to the women's league with a hearty brawl. OK, brawl might be an exaggeration, but it was a hard fight game that unfortunately ended 3-3.

My team got a two-minute penalty. Not me. Although the woman on my team who got the two-minute penalty said to me, "Not even you've gotten a two-minute penalty." I laughed because I admit that when I foul I do so with purpose. But tonight I wasn't feeling a fight. My team was fired up. I scored, we went up 3-1, then one woman on the other team started diving like there was no tomorrow, all hell broke loose and I lost interest.

The other team scored in the final minute to tie it. I didn't see what happened but our goalie was mad that there was some interference and there was quite the discussion at the front desk after the game. I left.

I did enjoy the better competition though.

Yummm

2011-08-22T06:39:00.000-07:00

I had some friends over for dinner last night and had the brilliant idea to put a scoop of ice cream between two cookies and voila:

Heaven on a plate.

I also had fresh flowers from my yard. That's the first time I've ever cut flowers from my own yard and put them on the table. How cheap and chic.

TGIF

2011-08-19T13:01:00.000-07:00

1. It's Friday. Thank goodness. This seemed a less than stellar week.

2. I only have two more Malaria Wednesdays. Every Wednesday I have to take my anti-malaria pills. They make me feel yucky all day Wednesday and Thursday. I feel exhausted and get the worst headaches from them. However they do keep the malaria at bay and I only have two more weeks of them.

3. Getting what you ask for. The day I was traveling back from Haiti, I felt like I kept getting texts from wacky dudes. I said I wish they would all just leave me alone. I felt like Mary in Something about Mary. She has all these weird dudes flitting around her, acting crazy and yet none of them really ask her out. That's what I felt like was going on. I kept thinking I wanted them all to just go away. Well, they did. Now I'm like, "Hey! Where is everybody?" I have no dudes to talk to about the Mizzou/Haith mess, the Georgetown melee and other things going on. But it's good. This way I can start from scratch with quality. No more wackadoos.