Ok. I love the Peter Gabriel song "In Your Eyes". That's no secret....neither is my intention to marry John Cusack the second he shows up outside my home, raising a boombox above his head, blasting that song for me..................oh, sorry - lost my train of thought there. I'm back now, fully present.
Anyway, was sitting over at Ben's house on Saturday night - - watching the first game of the World Series. I have to admit this - I didn't even show up until the seventh inning. Sorry. I had other things to do...and I am just not a fan of the Red Sox...and definitely not a Cards fan, either. I was cleaning my house. It needed it.
Well....I watched the last two innings at casa de Ben-ha-meanie. At the end of the game, when things were being wrapped up, Ben said, "Hey, do you hear that?" and we all got quiet and turned to the tube. Sure enough. There was my song. At least, the lyrics....and I could somewhat recognize the melody. BUT, there was something seriously wrong with my song. Unless Peter Gabriel has decided to revisit his old standard.
Nope. Turns out it is SR-71. I finally went and downloaded it (legally, thank you very much) and listened to it a few times....trying to see if the new version is simply an acquired taste. Not so much. I tried...I really did. I mean...two rounds of Korn's cover of Cameo's 'Word Up' and I was mouthing the words and bobbing my head while driving down the road (yeah....that was me, I am not too proud to admit it.)
But, no matter how much I try, I can't seem to develop a liking for SR-71's version of 'In Your Eyes'. That's one that I just don't think you CAN improve on.
But, I will have to say this...and I am embarassed to have to admit it. I wasn't familiar with the 'Tessie' tradition until Saturday night. My friends introduced me to the Dropkick Murphys' version that night......and I learned the lore behind it. And, I just rolled on the floor when they started playing it after the game.
Man...I just love the World Series...if only for the entertainment on the fringe.
Monday, October 25, 2004
Friday, October 15, 2004
The world has lost a great man.....
I haven't blogged on this yet.....but I was truly shocked and saddened when I learned of the death of Dr. Charles Trevathan. Dr. Trevathan.....or 'Dr. T'.....was a wonderful professor and a great Christian man.
He was hard, but fair.....brilliant, but extremely grounded.
To Phyllis and the girls, all I can say is...
My life has forever been altered in the most wonderful way because of Dr. Trevathan.
And, for anyone who might read this and either remember him or want to learn of this man's wonderful life and how he affected so many in such a way, please visit the page created to honor his memory by ACU.
Blessings to the Trevathan family, and the extended family of faculty, staff and students at Abilene Christian University.
He was hard, but fair.....brilliant, but extremely grounded.
To Phyllis and the girls, all I can say is...
My life has forever been altered in the most wonderful way because of Dr. Trevathan.
And, for anyone who might read this and either remember him or want to learn of this man's wonderful life and how he affected so many in such a way, please visit the page created to honor his memory by ACU.
Blessings to the Trevathan family, and the extended family of faculty, staff and students at Abilene Christian University.
Just call me crash......
I knew it was coming...yep. You know how it is....you get a new car. You love it. You just can't get enough of the 'new-ness' of it.
Then you get your first little ding. The honeymoon's over.
Except, in my case....this isn't just a 'ding'. It's a whopping crack in the right side of the front bumper. How did I do this, you ask? Why, it was simple.
Take one frazzled girl, running a little late for work.
Add one mocha frappuchino (for the extra caffeine 'jitters')
and..while you're at it....a dash of a nice, yellow barricade-type pole.
Score?
Yellow pole - 1
Avalanche - 0
Ok, not so much of a big deal...I didn't hit it as much as I gave it a little 'kiss' while pulling into my parking spot at work. But, the manager of the North Texas Region was out there, and saw it happen. I think I fulfilled my job duties for the day by being a dose of comic relief. My work here is done, I thought. I can go home now.
For those of you who have driven an Avalanche - you understand what I am talking about. They don't exactly corner like they are on rails. I THOUGHT I had enough clearance to whip it into the open space.....but I guess I was still in Chrysler Sebring mode. (Must remind self what vehicle I am driving...to compensate for manueverability.)
I called my dad, who made the appropriate sympathetic noises and asked the dad-standard questions?
'How much is your deductible?'
'Have you gotten an estimate?'
'How bad is it?'
'Does it really need to be replaced, or can it be fixed?'
All the while, I can see the little fluffy bubble above his head....thoughts of relief....because he is no longer financially responsible for my auto escapades.
Anyway - DO YOU KNOW HOW EXPENSIVE IT IS TO REPLACE THAT STUPID PLASTIC BUMPER? Try about $600.00.......yes.....six HUNDRED dollars. I kinda felt like the estimator was pulling a Dr. Evil on me...I was just waiting for the obligatory pinkie flip and the 'Muah ha ha ha!' that I KNEW was coming. No luck.
So, no more mocha frappuchinos for this chick. Well, not in the morning. Well, not on work mornings. Um, not on work mornings when I might be cutting it close because I stopped for a mocha frappuchino. Hmmm, let's just forget it. I'm still gonna get 'em.
While I grouse about this, there are bigger and more important things going on around this little rock we call Earth.
Roscoe's Homecoming is this weekend. Headed home to catch up...and work. Catering with the fam. Quality time, you know. Headed to the airport to pick someone up in a few...who is going to take the Sebring home for mom to drive for a while. You know you have finally come full circle when you give your mom your extra car to drive...instead of vice versa. Ponder that for a moment. I am handing over a 2004 Chrysler Sebring LXi convertible....to my mother. I mean, mom and dad gave me my first car back in 1993...a 1989 Beretta GT.......
I think I am doing 'em one better. What a good child I am!
Actually, let's not say that. We won't go into my Andretti-style driving or the numerous cars I went through between the ages of 14 (yes, I was driving at 14) and the glorious day when I finally bought my first car, on my own...with no financial backing from the padre and madre.
Hey...mom and dad? Let's call it even.
Then you get your first little ding. The honeymoon's over.
Except, in my case....this isn't just a 'ding'. It's a whopping crack in the right side of the front bumper. How did I do this, you ask? Why, it was simple.
Take one frazzled girl, running a little late for work.
Add one mocha frappuchino (for the extra caffeine 'jitters')
and..while you're at it....a dash of a nice, yellow barricade-type pole.
Score?
Yellow pole - 1
Avalanche - 0
Ok, not so much of a big deal...I didn't hit it as much as I gave it a little 'kiss' while pulling into my parking spot at work. But, the manager of the North Texas Region was out there, and saw it happen. I think I fulfilled my job duties for the day by being a dose of comic relief. My work here is done, I thought. I can go home now.
For those of you who have driven an Avalanche - you understand what I am talking about. They don't exactly corner like they are on rails. I THOUGHT I had enough clearance to whip it into the open space.....but I guess I was still in Chrysler Sebring mode. (Must remind self what vehicle I am driving...to compensate for manueverability.)
I called my dad, who made the appropriate sympathetic noises and asked the dad-standard questions?
'How much is your deductible?'
'Have you gotten an estimate?'
'How bad is it?'
'Does it really need to be replaced, or can it be fixed?'
All the while, I can see the little fluffy bubble above his head....thoughts of relief....because he is no longer financially responsible for my auto escapades.
Anyway - DO YOU KNOW HOW EXPENSIVE IT IS TO REPLACE THAT STUPID PLASTIC BUMPER? Try about $600.00.......yes.....six HUNDRED dollars. I kinda felt like the estimator was pulling a Dr. Evil on me...I was just waiting for the obligatory pinkie flip and the 'Muah ha ha ha!' that I KNEW was coming. No luck.
So, no more mocha frappuchinos for this chick. Well, not in the morning. Well, not on work mornings. Um, not on work mornings when I might be cutting it close because I stopped for a mocha frappuchino. Hmmm, let's just forget it. I'm still gonna get 'em.
While I grouse about this, there are bigger and more important things going on around this little rock we call Earth.
Roscoe's Homecoming is this weekend. Headed home to catch up...and work. Catering with the fam. Quality time, you know. Headed to the airport to pick someone up in a few...who is going to take the Sebring home for mom to drive for a while. You know you have finally come full circle when you give your mom your extra car to drive...instead of vice versa. Ponder that for a moment. I am handing over a 2004 Chrysler Sebring LXi convertible....to my mother. I mean, mom and dad gave me my first car back in 1993...a 1989 Beretta GT.......
I think I am doing 'em one better. What a good child I am!
Actually, let's not say that. We won't go into my Andretti-style driving or the numerous cars I went through between the ages of 14 (yes, I was driving at 14) and the glorious day when I finally bought my first car, on my own...with no financial backing from the padre and madre.
Hey...mom and dad? Let's call it even.
Monday, October 04, 2004
Won't You Be My Neighbor?
Well, my move is finally done! I decided to settle in Irving. It satisfied my basic requirements for housing, which were - in order of importance:
- Proximity to a Chipotle or Freebirds (I got the Chipotle....there are more of them around than Freebirds...though Freebirds will always be my favorite).
- Commute of under 30 minutes. My old commute was about an hour and twenty minutes on a GOOD morning.....and I can make it to work from my new place in under 30 minutes...even in the monsoon we had this morning.
- Big neighbor boy to scare away the baddies....(HI Ben). Ok, not to scare away the baddies...but to keep me company when I decide I have had enough solitary reflection.
My apartment is in a different building than Ben's...but we can both walk out on our patios and converse, if we speak pretty loudly. Plus - it's nice to know there is someone there you know. On the other hand, we both have had to agree to be careful of one another's need for space. (As I write this, I laugh because it makes us sound like some old married couple....and we are just buddies..nothing more. Now - we can have knock-down, drag out fights....but we're pretty much Mutt and Jeff...er....Ben and Jeri. And, yes....we have considered being 'Ben and Jerry' for Halloween.)
Speaking of Halloween.....I still have to cement my costume idea. It looks as though the party is a pirate-themed festivity. Darn it...I don't even look marginally attractive as a wench. I was truly hoping to get it all together to be Medusa, finally. The little rubber snakes woven through my hair....all that jazz. Somehow don't think it will mesh with the pirate thing. Guess I will just go and dress as a pirate. But, there is a part of me who likes to take a theme and run with it in the weirdest direction.....Pirate....Captain Hook.....Peter Pan....The Lost Boys, Tink, Wendy....yeah...I'll be Wendy. That way people just THINK I didn't get the theme......ha ha.
Friday, October 01, 2004
Take Me Out to the Ballgame.....I am SPOILED....SPOILED...SPOILED now!
Talk about learning how the 'other half' lives.
We have been doing a conversion to a new HR system at work, and I have put in some massive hours. (As opposed to miniature ones, I guess.)
My CFO walked into my office and mentioned some Rangers tickets and asked if I might like to go. (Was there ever a question?)
So, yesterday I found myself at The Ballpark in Arlington (I will NEVER call it by its other name), watching Texas take on Anaheim in the final regular season home game. Yes, I am well aware that the Rangers' loss the previous night eliminated them from post-season consideration. Yes, I know the game 'meant nothing' in the big scheme of things, per se. But, it meant a lot to me.
These weren't just any tickets. No, siree. We're talking lower level luxury suite. As in, 'There's a private bathroom in this thing!' The suite belongs to Wells Fargo and Mike graciously offered them to my company....and my CFO graciously offered them to me. (Mike and Craig have no idea how much I truly appreciate it. Seriously - I was exhausted from the conversion and needed the pure joy one can only experience at a major sporting event.)
The luxury suite was situated on the 1st base side....a little over a third of the way down the baseline. I had a great view of the field and crowd. We were directly above the Rangers dugout and were situated just so that we could see activity going on in the bullpens.
I wandered back and forth from the bar (getting a hot dog, YAY!) to the seating area and settled in the front row of suite seats, bracing my feet against the retainer wall in front of me, wiggling my toes in the comfortable 83-degree air.
I am a fan of evening games...but there was something so liberating, so 'bad' about being away from work and relaxing at The Ballpark right after lunch. Especially when the seats are free. And there were the occasional glances from fans around us.... I have done it before, too......checked out the people in the luxury boxes. I recognized those looks. You know what I mean, right? It felt a little weird to be in one of the boxes...I wanted to stand up and shout - "I'm just like you, too! I'm only here because I was given the tickets!" Kinda felt a little elitist...but I got over it. The game was great, and it was wonderful to end the last home series on a high note.
We have been doing a conversion to a new HR system at work, and I have put in some massive hours. (As opposed to miniature ones, I guess.)
My CFO walked into my office and mentioned some Rangers tickets and asked if I might like to go. (Was there ever a question?)
So, yesterday I found myself at The Ballpark in Arlington (I will NEVER call it by its other name), watching Texas take on Anaheim in the final regular season home game. Yes, I am well aware that the Rangers' loss the previous night eliminated them from post-season consideration. Yes, I know the game 'meant nothing' in the big scheme of things, per se. But, it meant a lot to me.
These weren't just any tickets. No, siree. We're talking lower level luxury suite. As in, 'There's a private bathroom in this thing!' The suite belongs to Wells Fargo and Mike graciously offered them to my company....and my CFO graciously offered them to me. (Mike and Craig have no idea how much I truly appreciate it. Seriously - I was exhausted from the conversion and needed the pure joy one can only experience at a major sporting event.)
The luxury suite was situated on the 1st base side....a little over a third of the way down the baseline. I had a great view of the field and crowd. We were directly above the Rangers dugout and were situated just so that we could see activity going on in the bullpens.
I wandered back and forth from the bar (getting a hot dog, YAY!) to the seating area and settled in the front row of suite seats, bracing my feet against the retainer wall in front of me, wiggling my toes in the comfortable 83-degree air.
I am a fan of evening games...but there was something so liberating, so 'bad' about being away from work and relaxing at The Ballpark right after lunch. Especially when the seats are free. And there were the occasional glances from fans around us.... I have done it before, too......checked out the people in the luxury boxes. I recognized those looks. You know what I mean, right? It felt a little weird to be in one of the boxes...I wanted to stand up and shout - "I'm just like you, too! I'm only here because I was given the tickets!" Kinda felt a little elitist...but I got over it. The game was great, and it was wonderful to end the last home series on a high note.