Cory's Spot

My Life Away From Norway

2011-07-24T09:15:00.000-05:00

I wanted to write something about Norway, but I can't. Not directly anyway. The unthinkable evil necessary to bomb a building, then to massacre a bunch of children is so foreign to me I'm having a hard time processing it. So, instead, I'll write about how my day meant more to me that it usually does. It started with watching a movie with a friend, then helping that same friend's brother move. Both things I would have done anyway. However, instead of just doing it because these people are friends of mine, I really took the time to appreciate them. That was a shared moment that we had, just people helping each other out, spending time together, laughing, cursing, and strengthening our human bonds. Love, not romantic love, not something selfish that needed to be returned or paid for in someway, just simple human brotherly/sisterly love. It's a powerful thing.
Then, I went to a birthday party for a guy I've known since I was 9. I met him on the playground at the school across the street from my parents' house. He has CP and all of his friends are "special." I've only missed three of these birthday parties in the years between 9 and now. They're always fun, but last night it was more so. I appreciated the opportunity I had to be in this man's life. The fact that he chose me to be included in his celebration, being selected as one of the few to remain in his life for so long - it's a precious thing. And between the hugs and laughs, and songs, there was love. That same brotherly/sisterly love, the love we're supposed to have for all humanity.
It was an early night, so I decided to visit my parents. Said "hi," and sat on the couch with them and my niece (who was over for a sleepover). We watched Tangled, but that wasn't important. It was just the act of being there, being in the presence of these people who I love and who love me in return. Just their nearness was enough to bring me to tears. My niece said it's only a movie, so it's not real and there's no reason to cry. But I couldn't think of anything more real. Not then, not now.

Camp Graddad

2011-07-09T09:21:00.000-05:00

Camp Graddad has come to a close. It was a solid week of my father treating my two nephews and their two oldest cousins to archery, golf, bowling, and kayaking. Pretty awesome.
Yesterday we wrapped everything up with family bowling - that's 6 boys (ages 5, 7, 10, 12, 13, and 14) and my 6 year old niece. Poor girl would rather have been playing babies, but she gamely rolled the ball down the alley when it was her turn.
The 10 year old, having been forbidden to put his hands up to his face for his mole impersonation, and subsequently from snarling while holding them up like velociraptor claws was reduced to impersonating a hyper dog-paddling zombie when he make a strike. His little arms stretched out as far as they could go while he flapped his hands up and down, hitting everyone within range, accidentally of course.
The 13 year old decided that he was in charge of the three youngest and they had a lane to themselves. Squirmy little bodies rolled over him and under chairs in between turns. And little faces popped up with wide, bright eyes to exclaim about hitting a pin. It was like watching a box of puppies, or fresh spaghetti in a bowl. Maybe that would make them spaghetti that's made out of puppies, which would be wrong. Or, maybe puppies made out of spaghetti, which brings to mind those macaroni art projects from preschool, but I digress.
The 14 year old and 12 year old had a blast, a much better time than you'd think two boys that age would have with the little ones. They were patient and encouraging. Good kids, the lot of them. I think they're all looking forward to next year's camp granddad. I know I am.

Egg Experiment

2011-06-16T08:04:00.001-05:00

Water Density Egg Experiment

You'll need an egg, three glasses tall glasses that are bigger around than the egg, water, and salt.

Fill your first glass about 1/2 to 3/4 full of water. Place your egg in it. Notice whether the egg floats or sinks.

Fill your second glass about 1/4 full of water. Stir in 6-8 tables spoons of salt. Once the mixture has settled, carefully pour in more water. Make sure you don't mix it with the salty water on the bottom of the glass. Once your glass is about 1/2 to 3/4 full (the same total amount as the first glass), gently place your egg in.

What happened to the egg?

In this experiment, the egg should sink to the bottom in the glass with no salt, but appear to float in the glass with the salt. This is because the salt water has a greater DENSITY than water with no salt. This means that the water in the salty glass is heavier than the water in the non-salty glass, even though there is the same amount of liquid in each one.

In the third glass, you can experiment with how much salt and water is needed to make the egg float at different levels. Or, you can try other liquids, such as dish soap or juice? Which liquids have the greater density? How can you tell?

Baby Birds

2011-06-13T08:09:00.003-05:00

So, in this book I'm writing, the protagonist decides to "rescue" a couple of eggs and try to hatch them on his own. You should never do this. First off, the possession of eggs from most bird species is illegal. Secondly, the eggs may not be abandoned. Some birds have their nests on the ground. Thirdly, hatching eggs requires that they stay the right temperature, humidity and all sorts of other stuff -you even have to turn them every so often. And lastly, the eggs might not even be viable. Many times, in fact more often than not, if an egg has fallen out of a nest, the interior membrane will break. This means the chick inside isn't protected and can't get the nutrients it needs.

If, by some miracle, you manage to hatch an egg and get a chick, they need to be fed often. Really often. And you have to have the right mixture of food. They like mashed up meal worms, cereal (not fruit loops), crackers without salt.... stuff like that. The food can't be too cold or it will kill them. The food can't be too hot or you'll burn the baby birds.

We all love birds and would hate to see them die, so leave them alone and let their parents take care of them. They've been doing it forever.

Cardio Kickball

2010-08-20T09:53:00.002-05:00

We played kickball, but the camp gladiator version. In that, everyone has to run the bases every time the ball is kicked. The outfield has to make sure everyone touches the ball before they can start getting people out. Also, you have to get three outs per kick before people stop scoring. Four kickers per turn.

It's a fun game. Our team lost, but I made a couple of good plays. On the other team they had this monster (over 6 ft, over 200 pounds of muscle). I was all by myself in one little pocket, kind of where the second baseman would be in baseball, with no one behind me. He let the ball rip, - just kicked the padookie out of that thing. And, like magic, I was able to stop it so it didn't get away from us. Lots of high fives for that one. Had it bounced or hit the ground, it would have been out of there. There was lots of good playing all around.

On the other team, the monster was their key player - fast, strong, aggressive. He was pretty awesome, kind of wish he was on our team. :) As I was rounding third, headed for home, he body checked me. Fortunately, I have a low center of gravity so I didn't fall down. It did ring my bell a bit though, bouncing off his massive pectorals like that. Plus, I apologized to him for ???? no idea why. Maybe for getting my sweat on him? For the quick exhale of breath? I think he should get player of the game, though. He was responsible for every out.

So, week 6 of camp gladiator is over.

Pounds lost - 0

Keep missing

2010-08-11T13:57:00.002-05:00

This makes twice now I was called to do a last minute sub for PA on My Generation and haven't been able to do it. It's pretty frustrating. Good news is it gives me more time to write. And, I get to do more Camp Gladiator.
The second month of Camp Gladiator started on Monday. So far, I'm cleanly in the middle of the pack. Yay, not last! I don't think I'll ever be first, but the middle is good. I'm feeling better. My blood work looks good. I keep forgetting how good exercise is for you. I don't know why. It's all over the news, doctors say it all the time. But, I can really tell the difference in how I feel. No excuse.
Twisted my ankle yesterday, but decided to do camp anyway today. It's now a bit purple and just a tiny bit swollen. Nothing major; it just twinges a bit when I step. I'm sure it'll be fine by Friday.

Soooo Close

2010-08-06T16:23:00.002-05:00

Almost got a chance to sub PA today for My Generation. PAing isn't the most glamorous gig, but it gets ya moving. My friend Susan's working on it and needed someone to fill in. Unfortunately, I didn't get the email until she'd already filled the spot. Oh, well. At least I'm on the list. It's not something I want to do full time, mind you. It's just fun to do every once in a while. The long hours for very little pay (and nooooo time for writing) can really take a toll on me if I do it for a whole shoot. Last summer I was nearly wrecked after two months on Machete.
At any rate, I'd take it if it came up.
Camp Gladiator starts again on Monday. Yikes, gotta get back into the habit of getting up at 5:40.

Yesterday

2010-08-04T08:10:00.003-05:00

Ugh, yuck, yesterday was terrible. I had a migraine from about 5 am to around 2 am, and spent most of the day on the couch with the lights and tv off. Fabulous waste of time.

Today's already better, though. I just found out that I've been bumped up to a second round reader for the film festival. That should be fun. I'll enjoy reading the scripts that others thought had merit. We'll see who moves on to the semifinals from there.

Also, added more ideas to my Cheese McMiller list. That could be quite a good series of chapter books. I'll try finishing the second book by the end of the week. Then a few rounds of rewrites... should probably work on book three while I'm letting number two sit. Also, still working on a script rewrite, and working on the wording for a picture book. Hmmm, maybe I should get out more. :)

Need Sleep

2010-08-02T09:06:00.002-05:00

So, last night the burglar alarm goes off. I guess, technically, it wasn't last night, but rather this morning, somewhere between 2:30 and 3 am. I don't know if you've been woken up by a burglar alarm, but its not fun. And, it's nearly impossible to get back to sleep. Even if you know nobody's in the house, even if every inch has been searched, even if the alarm company has said "my bad," your subconscious thinks there's someone there. Every creak of the hard wood floors, or the air conditioner coming on, or the fridge doing whatever it is it does to make such a racket, every noise wakes you up. Or, it did me anyway. At any rate, I need a nap and it's not even 10 am. A
The alarm's been fixed, so let's hope that doesn't happen again.
I think I'll write a couple pages on a new picture book, then lay back down for a bit. Maybe. We'll see.

Last Day

2010-07-30T08:27:00.003-05:00

Just finished my final day of Camp Gladiator before the week-long break. I'm feeling a little better about my performance, getting stronger and able to recuperate faster. I wasn't last today, so that's a bonus. I signed up for another three months. It's possible I'll be in swimsuit shape just in time for parkas.
Pounds lost - 0. Yeah, not loving that either, but there you go.

On another note, I'm half way through my second book in the Cheese McMiller series and have a list of ideas for the next several. Okay, back to work.

Script reading

2010-07-29T12:46:00.002-05:00

So, I've been reading scripts for the Austin Film festival. I do this so I can get a free pass to the parties in October. Problem is, October seems a really long time away right now. I know it's not. I just can't bring myself to write critiques of these things. People put their hearts and souls into these scripts and I'm only allowed to pass on 10% to the next round. Now, truly, there aren't 10% that I think are truly spectacular. However, there are about 30% that have some real promise. They just need some editing, maybe a little more time on the burner before they're considered done. I want to tell these people that their script wasn't so bad, that there's hope, and not to give up on the story... but I can't. And that, my friends, is a huge bummer. So I have these stacks of scripts sitting on my coffee table. They've been read and sorted into yes and no piles. But my heart's not in it. I have a giant stack that is going to be crushed. Oh, well, back to work.

On a personal note, I'm looking for an agent for my early-reader chapter book. Waiting to hear back from people makes me realize that I'd rather hear a "no" than nothing at all, I guess. Of course, I'd rather hear a "yes."

Back to the scripts, so they don't have to wait for their answers... even if it is "no."

Gladiator

2010-07-23T09:48:00.002-05:00

I've been doing this work out called Camp Gladiator. We meet for an hour every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 6:30... that's in the morning gang. So, I've just finished week three and can finally see a little progress. I'm no longer last in every exercise group and can catch my breath a lot faster. It's still tough work and I'm pretty sure I'm going to die after we run sprints, but at least I can now do all the sprints without having to walk the last few lines.

Weight loss - 0 pounds. It's a little frustrating, but at least I'm back down to what I was when I started. the second week, I gained three pounds. And I was not a happy camper. One more week to go, then I have to decide whether to sign up for another month. Maybe. 98% humidity will weaken anyone's resolve.

Neglect

2010-07-22T07:26:00.003-05:00

My poor blog must feel neglected, if blogs feel such things.

I've been writing a lot. Mostly, I've been focusing on books for children. They're fun and have a subtle complexity that gets overlooked. I took a children's writing class a couple of years ago, am thinking about maybe doing a low-residency children's writing MFA. There are a couple of them out there, but I'd like to know that their professional success rate is. Not sure where to find that out. How many of their students actually go on to be published?

I have one of my books (an early-reader chapter book) with an agent right now. Not sure if she's read it yet, or if she'll decide to add me to her list. Hope so.

I'm also doing rewrites on a screenplay and reading scripts for the Austin Film Festival. Don't worry. I can do it all!!! Some stories lend themselves to screenplays, some to books, you can't force something into the wrong format. Therefore - gotta write books and screenplays.

Anyway, that's what's going on.

catching up, sort of

2010-02-19T10:48:00.002-06:00

I haven't written here in a while. It's been a rough couple of months. My condo has sold and unsold and sold and unsold. My mom had surgery - and is recovering nicely. I've had intense and frequent migraine, which led to a nice bout of depression, It's been cold and rainy and blah, so I haven't played any golf.

So, yuck, that's a lot of whining I didn't need my faithful readers to hear about over the past couple of months. Just one big complaint vomit to get it all out there.

But now there's better news. A friend from high school cyber-introduced me to a producer. This producer has optioned a book. Said producer also asked me to write a treatment for aforementioned book. And I did. And, just like that, he and his brother (also a producer), have hired me to write the adaptation. Yay! Good book, fun story. Should be a blast. I'm really looking forward to moving forward on the project, just waiting for my copy of the contacrt to arrive, then we're off to the races.

My b*tch

2009-10-22T08:42:00.002-05:00

Last time I had a terrible issue with my 7-iron. So, I hit a jumbo bucket of balls with the dang thing, leaving frustrated and not quite sure how I felt about the whole "golf" thing. But, being the mule-headed gal that I am, I gave it another shot.

Ordering up another jumbo bucket, I set out to make the 7-iron my b*tch. That's right, there's no such thing as surrender when it comes to golf. If something isn't working, you keep doing it until it is. Or maybe that's the definition of insanity and not golf. Or maybe they're the same, seeing as how grown men and women spend hours at a time using sticks to put tiny balls in a hole several hundred yards away. Whichever it is, that's how it's going to be with me. Just keep doing the same thing until you get a different result. And I did.

About half way through the dang bucket, I hit the sweet spot and watched as that sucker flew all the way to the back marker (not the fence, that's just silly, but the one in front of the fence). Not only that, it flew straight. As did the next one and the one after that. You get the picture. So, after a bucket and a half of balls, I had made the 7-iron my b*tch. I could hit it as far or as near as I wanted, adjusting the loft, the speed, the direction. Everything was awesome.... until the last ball. And boy was that a doozy, but not in a good way. Same grip, same swing, same timing, different result. The ball popped a mere ten feet in front of me, but not directly in front, off to the side. And it sat there laughing at me. Mocking. I could hear the club, too, as I put it back in the bag. "Who's the b*tch" now?"

The 7-iron

2009-10-18T08:49:00.002-05:00

At the driving range, my father said that most people warm up with the 7-iron then move on to something else. So, that's what I did, except I didn't really move on to anything else.

See, the problem with the 7-iron is that it looks like a normal club, but it's not. It's evil. The 7-iron likes to sit in your hand, cradled really, like any other club. It looks like it would hit the ball like any other club, like it would provide a little loft, or maybe distance. No. It won't. Because the 7-iron was wrought from the devil's forge, and there, managed to pick up a little bit of the bad man's soul.

From the top of the swing, it feels fine, through the swing, okay, but at the point of impact? No. Sometimes there is no impact because the club magically shortens or curves or lengthens, causing a rather painful shock when the head hits the ground behind the ball.

Other times, it'll deign to make contact, but maybe it'll just kiss the ball. This makes the ball barely dribble off the mat into the grass. It'll sit there staring at you, accusatory, like you purposely failed it. But it wasn't you, no, it was the 7-iron. And, this little yellow ball sitting a mere four feet from your mat serves a testament to your suckiness. Everyone who walks by, from the just starting tyke with his dad to the seasoned pro, knows what happened. They know that something went terribly wrong with your swing, that your grip was wrong, or your eye left the ball, or your head came up, or your swing was too fast, or that you forgot any of the other myriad of things you have to know to make the ball not sit there and stare at you from a couple feet away.

It would be bad enough if it were just the one ball, but I had a jumbo bucket. JUMBO! So, there they were a couple hundred Easter egg colored balls, laughing at me because I wouldn't relenquish the 7-iron. Wouldn't let it go. Wouldn't move on to something I can actually hit. The 4 maybe? The driver? The 9? No, that whole dang bucket of jumbo balls fell victim to the 7-iron. Their wounded bodies scattered across the outskirts of the battlefield, but never making it into the frey.

ARG! Who plays this game?!

Swing Away

2009-10-02T10:59:00.003-05:00

I had been worried that my little heat stroke episode had put my father off of playing golf with me. True, I didn't like that part much, either, but I really would like to play golf. So, now it's October. And, for an early birthday present, my father bought me my very own set of club. He even let me take them out to the driving range. Yay!
Okay, so the good news: I have my own clubs, my dad wants to teach me to play, and he wants to go right then to the driving range.
The bad news: It's over 90 degrees and I'm wearing jeans and a black rayon blouse.
Also, there were some other female troubles going on that I really would rather not talk about.
The point is, that about half way through my jumbo bucket of balls, it's like a flashback to July. Things start to go in and out of focus, my stomach starts cramping so fiercely I can barely stand, and I'm going to throw up. All bad things. Again, I hit the clubhouse up for a spot of floor and air conditioning. Why can't I take the heat? I grew up in Texas, really my body should be used to it by now. I just spent a month working outdoors on a film set. So, a bucket of balls does me in? No way.

I regain my footing, stop the swaying, squint my eyes so I don't need to focus, and whack away at the balls. It's a tough game, golf. My nine iron and my four wood go exactly the same distance in the air. The only difference is the four wood bounces farther. I'm ninety-nine percent sure there's supposed to be a bigger difference than that. The driver, however, rocks. That thing can fly. If I can just get it straight, I may one day be able to stand in a proper tee box. Not there, yet, though.

So, as for my dad, I think he's a little disappointed that I had to lie down every fourth shot. I'm hoping he's also a little proud that I kept going. Probably not, though. Lying down at the driving range is generally frowned upon, and he takes this stuff seriously. And I think he's more than a little upset that I'm not obsessed. I want the game to be fun. I want to progress through a natural process. He'd rather I spend all day and night working on strength and perfecting my swing. I'm kind of remembering why he and I don't share interests, usually. He likes to push until the point of exhaustion, to the point where it's not fun anymore. I like to enjoy something, and get better, working at my own pace. We'll see how that goes. I'm thinking of hitting the range again today.

Beginner's Golf

2009-07-06T22:58:00.003-05:00

I had been trying to blog about all sorts of stuff, then narrowed it down to movies, then realized that I watch too many movies to do that properly. I ended up getting behind, and for some reason it's no fun to talk about the movie you watched yesterday when you've seen two more since then (Watched Kit Kittridge today, Miss Pettigrew Lives a Day yesterday, Pineapple Express, The Heist,The Proposal, Away We Go...all this week. You can see the problem).

So, I've decided to write about something a little more personal - golf. Yes, well, lots of people write about golf, and now I'm one of them. For as long as I can remember, my father has played golf every Tuesday and Thursday. Then, of course, he goes to the golf range another three or four times a week. I had only been invited to go twice before this past Father's Day. It was "man time," too expensive a habit to take up, and besides all that it's too frustrating. At least that's what he said, so I didn't push.
This Fathers' Day, we went to the golf range, he handed me a seven iron and said, "your movement is going to be like skipping a stone." Silly, right? But it works. I may not get much distance, but I hit that sucker straight and got pretty good loft. And, I got a "hmm, good going," from Pops, which is everything a gal can hope for.
A couple days later he invites me to come to the driving range again. I hit the seven well for the first 30 minutes, then disaster - I start thinking I can hit the ball well. Golf is a mental game. You'd think positive thinking would be a bonus, but it's not. The second I was happy with my swing, I started topping the ball, hitting behind it, whiffing. Yikes. But, at least it always went straight, even when it was only going a few yards. Different club - the three wood - different story. One of the most beautiful sounds is a well hit ball. One of the most frustrating experiences is to hit a three wood well and see it only go ten yard further than the seven iron. Fortunately, before I could get too worked up, we ran out of balls.
Today we tried again. I should point out that on the previous two visits to the driving range it had been over 100 degrees. Today reached a high of 95. No problem, except when it is. There I am steadily hitting ball after ball. I've found the seven iron swing again, the head sings when it strikes the ball. I even get a few silent chuckles at the yokels behind me who can't seem to get their ball more than ten feet in front of them, that is, if they're not hitting the blessed fence that separates us. Thank goodness for that fence; I probably would have gotten some sort of concussion, or at least a tasty bruise on my rear, without it.
Feeling a little lightheaded, I drink some water, because we're very good about bringing plenty of water with us. I switch clubs - the utility club, taking the place of the four iron - three swings in, I'm going, the ball's flying further than it has before. Dad's happy, I'm happy, everybody's happy. But, I'm still a little lightheaded, so I drink some more water. Then I feel sick and not just a little. More like, I'm either going to throw up or die at that very moment and I'm hoping for die because my legs can barely hold me up. I pour the rest of my water over my head, then my dad's water. I try to sit on a log, but can't keep my balance. I mumble something to Dad about being too hot and needing to sit down, so I stumble toward the clubhouse. My legs don't want to make it, people are looking at me, everything has gone white, and I have to guess where the clubhouse it based on where I saw it last time I could see anything. And what was I thinking? Dad's never going to take me to the driving range again. Fair or not, it has taken me a very long time to get him to let me go, and now I was ruining it by sprawling on the floor of the clubhouse trying to stay conscious. I'm bizarrely proud of not passing out.
By the time the room stops spinning and I can stand again and see and breathe without wanting to hurl, I'm convinced that that would be my last outing. But I liked it; I wanted to play more; I wanted to play with my dad. And, even though my hands still tingle and I can't grip the door handle properly, I go out, determined to finish out my bucket of balls - to show that I belong with the big kids. Dad sees my coming up, hits another ball, then puts away his clubs. "It's hot," he says. Let's go home. I'm disappointed and relieved at the same time. I don't know what it means.
I hope I can play some more. I actually like the driving range. One day, I hope to go to a real golf course and play a round with my dad. I guess I'll just have to wait and see.

The Red Violin

2009-04-02T11:09:00.002-05:00

We had a poor copy of this film, but it was beautiful just the same. The Red Violin starts with the auction on the beautiful violin and then travels through time to follow the violin's path to the auction house. Along the way, we find out why each of the bidders wants the violin. Every potential owner has a need because of the power and influence the violin had over their (or their hero's) life. The violin is it's own character, beguiling and intense. It lures people to it and helps them realize their dreams. But nobody escapes their time with the violin unscathed. While some might say that the violin brings destruction, I believe that it brings comfort and stability during trying times.

The Red Violin's score has to be mentioned. Each time period has it's own sound and vision. Beautiful. And the cinematography captures the story while making the setting another character. A great film, not exciting, but lovely and meaningful.

100 Cupboards

2009-03-31T13:18:00.002-05:00

A while ago I read N. D. Wilson's 100 Cupboards, a YA fantasy novel. It starts with a young boy, Henry, coming to live with his aunt, uncle, and three cousins. He's been overprotected all of his life, and doesn't seem to know much about adventure. That's okay, though because adventure is looking for him. In his attic bedroom, he finds 99 cupboards behind the sheet rock covering the wall behind his bed. Each one leads somewhere, sometimes different places, sometimes different times, and sometimes they loop right back into his room. The 100th cupboard is the only one people can fit though, and it's locked in the dead grandfather's room.
Of course, Henry's interested in the doors, but they're too scary to actually try, so he tries to distract himself with more mundane things like being a normal kid. However, his cousin Henrietta doesn't share his trepidation, and when she disappears, only Henry can follow her through the cupboards to find her. But, if they can go in, other things can come out.

This is the first of a trilogy. I hope that the future books spend more time exploring Henry's past and his search for his families (his fake one, too). I'd love to make this into a movie. For one thing, Henry isn't your standard fantasy hero. He's has no real skills and isn't a super brain. In spite of that, though, when he has too, he's willing to step up to the plate.
Good stuff.

Wolf Brother

2009-03-12T12:27:00.002-05:00

I found a copy of The Chronicles of Ancient Darkness: Wolf Brother at Goodwill. I love finding books there because I love to read and it saves me a good deal of money.
In Wolf Brother, Torak must leave his father to die at the paws of a demon-possessed bear. Before he dies, his father makes Torak promise that he'll go to the Spirit Mountain, where he can learn how to defeat the bear and bring peace back to the forest. Torak makes the trek, and along the way discovers that he can tal to wolves, and that his guide is an orphaned wolf cub. Together they brave the trials set for them in an ancient prophesy.

I enjoyed this book. It was well written and had a lot of heart. The amount of research that went into the different curing processes really came through. And, of course, it made me "feel" for the characters so much so that I found myself tearing up at the end. I look forward to reading the next book in the series.

Dimassi's

2009-03-11T15:18:00.003-05:00

Yesterday I met a friend for lunch. We were originally going to go to Panda Express, but instead, decided to try the Dimassi's Mediterranean Buffet that was across the parking lot. What a great decision.
It's not that there's anything wrong with Panda Express, it's just that there isn't anything right with it either. What we got at Dimassi's surpassed all our hopes for a quick meal. The vegetables were fresh, the entrees hot, and the salad crisp. Most buffets just provide a quick way to ingest your body weight in fatty, greasy, sub-par fare. That wasn't the case at Dimassi's. I felt like i had ordered off the menu. And, while the chicken was a little dry, the shredded beef and fresh pita were delicious. While the $10 lunch is a little high, $12 for dinner isn't bad.
I'm glad I went.
It's located just around the parking lot from the Costco at William Cannon and Mopac.

Mourning

2009-03-06T08:46:00.004-06:00

I was supposed to write a review of Slumdog Millionaire. Unfortunately, sometimes life throws something at you that has to be addressed.
Yesterday, Albert Erle Massengale died. He was healthy, fit, and an all around good guy.
While he wasn't "blood," he was family. He was the man at Christmas who always led the prayer and carved the turkey. He had a smile for all of his grandchildren and a quiet nod for everyone else. He was my nephews' and niece's grandpapa. He took them to watch calves being birthed and showed them the ways of a true rancher. He died with his boots on in a farming accident. We lost a true Texan and quite possibly one of the last cowboys.
His death leaves a hole in our lives.
Goodbye, Erle. We'll miss you.

Eastern Promises

2009-03-03T16:20:00.002-06:00

Wow. I'm not that into mob/mafia films. And, I'm not that into bloody films. This was both and it was awesome.
It starts when a young girl (14) dies during the delivery of a baby girl. Anna, the attending doctor, finds her diary and wants to find out who the girl's family is so she can notify them and give them the infant. Unfortunately, the diary is in Russian. When she searches for answers, she finds a dark underworld of sex slavery and hit men. Soon, she has the eye of the Russian mob on her and her family. But, she's also caught the eye of Nikolia, the "driver." Just because everything seems straightforward doesn't mean it is. This movie has some subtle turns and, as alliances are formed and destroyed, those turns lead to monumental trouble.
This violent, bloody, dirty film keeps a nice pace. It's not frenzied like most of these films, but it's not slow and plodding. The tension stays high, even when (and possibly especially when) the audience knows what's coming.
Beautifully done.

The Skeleton Key

2009-02-17T14:45:00.003-06:00

I want to start out by saying I love supernatural horrors. I'm not talking about the slasher gore-fests that are making the rounds. It's the creepy, paranoid, tension that really makes a story work.
So, I've been wanting to see The Skeleton Key for a while and bought the dvd. This past Valentine's Day, a friend and I sat down to watch this disappointing story. There was no tension, no creep factor, and the surprise ending wasn't surprising. In all, I was disappointed with the whole film. There were so many chances to really up the suspense, but they didn't take it.
In this story, Caroline goes to work as a hospice nurse in an old, spooky home. The old man she's supposed to watch is said to be paralyzed and unable to communicate. What Caroline finds, however, is that he's being drugged and keeps trying to escape. She wants to know why and comes up with a Hoodoo explanation. This leads her to try to cure him and protect herself using Hoodoo.
Yawn.
Nothing in this film really worked, except for maybe the DP. The color and framing were great, and should have been used for a much scarier story.

Coraline

2009-02-16T08:55:00.002-06:00

I had originally read "Coraline" because I'm a huge Neil Gaiman fan. And, I have to admit, when I heard they were turning the book into a movie, I was a little concerned. The level of imagination that went into the book couldn't possibly be caught on screen, right? Wrong. Stop-motion animation was the perfect vehicle for this story. The carefully constructed models and and 3-d effects brought the dream-like quality of the writing to life.
Coraline is a story about a young girl whose family has just moved into a new home. It's more of a triplex than an apartment complex. And, they share the home with a circus performer who is training mice and a pair of elderly sisters who used to be stars.
Coraline's parents seem wrapped up in themselves and not too concerned with their daughter and her attempts at getting their attention. So, when Coraline finds even better parents who want to play, cook her favorite foods, and sing her songs, how could she resist? The problem is, these parents are in an alternate world, found through a locked door. Everything in this world is bigger and better and more exciting. But it's also creepy and weird. When Coraline's given a choice between staying forever in the wonderland and going back to her humdrum life, it seems like a no-brainer. Except, there's a price to pay. And, Coraline's not ready to pay it. It's only when she turns down the offer to stay that she finds out the truth behind her dream land.

Fantastic story, fantastic execution. Fun all the way around.

Tularosa

2008-12-30T17:49:00.002-06:00

My dad and I flew from Austin to El Paso, then rented a car to drive to Ruidoso. Along the way, we stopped into a little bitty Mexican/American restaurant that prided itself on its car hop service. It's kind of like Sonic, but with Mexican food and no speakers.

Anyway, that was the first solid food I had since my stomach bug. It tasted pretty good, and the salsa was fresh. I loved the chunky tomatoes in it. However, probably not the best thing to have on a sour tummy. I'm paying the price, but am happily in Ruidoso and enjoying the snow.

Looking forward to skiing tomorrow.

Blech

2008-12-29T15:17:00.002-06:00

So, last night and today, I don't feel so well. I have a mild stomach bug that makes me super tired and retchy. Fantastic. Tomorrow, I leave for a ski trip, so I hope I feel well enough by then to not infect everyone within breathing distance.

At any rate, now I have to pack and write (co-writing a script for a real production company - yay!). I hope I have enough energy to get everything done, and am sure I'll sleep well tonight.

We dropped the dogs off at a friend's kennel, and we have another friend coming to watch the house while we're gone. It seems like just about everything is taken care of, but I feel like I've forgotten something. I'm sure I'll remember soon.

Way too long

2008-12-27T11:33:00.002-06:00

Sometimes, I forget that I have a blog. Sad, isn't it.

This past week, I battled a mild stomach virus, a cold, and a migraine. Not that great a start for Christmas. Even so, I had a great time celebrating with my family. My nephews, niece, sister, brother-in-law, and I all spent the night at my parents' house so we could wake up together and see what Santa brought. Even though we all live in town, it's still fun to have a sleep over. The kids love it and I think it's a great tradition.

In general (and I know this isn't going to be popular), I'm anti-Santa. First off, I don't like lying to kids unless it absolutely can't be helped. Plus, lying to them about a magical man who rewards you with presents doesn't seem productive. Secondly, Santa makes kids greedy. Santa no longer leaves coal for naughty children... not that I think he should, it's just that the idea of Santa caring whether you were good or bad led to a couple minutes of peace each day from the kids trying to be good. Knowing they're getting a ton of loot no matter how they behave isn't much of an incentive. So, then, what's the point to saying that he cares. Thirdly, why teach children to sit on a strange man's lap...especially when he asks you to tell him your secrets and he's giving out candy. A lot of children are rightly scared of Santa, but by forcing them to sit on his lap in exchange for toys, we're teaching them to mistrust their instincts.

Anyway, that's my two-cents. Even though I'm anti-Santa, I don't ruin it for the kids. I play along because I think it's the parents' choice and I don't want to be the ones to ruin Christmas for my kiddos. Still, it's something to think about.

Busy Week

2008-12-19T08:16:00.003-06:00

This week, I spent most of my time being passively entertained. I read Battle of the Labyrinth, Dark of the Moon, and some magazines that aren't really worth mentioning. I also watched Word Wars, a documentary about Scrabble, played Scrabble, messed around on Facebook and tried to get some writing done. Of course on Wednesday, I did my regular Food Bank thing.

I didn't get a whole lot of shopping done. It's going to be a lean year. Of course, to counter that, I found a whole bunch of things for friends that I want to buy, but they're just out of reach financially. Grand, huh?

Haunted-House-Boy and I are no longer seeing each other.

I'm really looking forward to Saturday and lunch with my buddy Kyle, then Sunday for brunch with Nick. Food and friends, a fantastic combination.

Grandma Smith

2008-12-12T11:23:00.002-06:00

Grandma Smith wasn't really my grandmother, but she treated me like she was. My ex-boyfriend Kyle and I broke up over fourteen years ago, but Grandma Smith still invited me into her home with open arms and cookies. She was a great woman, and she passed away this past Tuesday. Unfortunately, I can't go to her funeral up in Pawnee, Oklahoma; I really wish I could. Last Christmas Eve, Kyle and I went up to give her gifts and see her (we still go up there together every once in a while). And, now that's going to be the last memory that I have of her. Fortunately, she was happy and surrounded by loved ones.
Plus, two summers ago, Kyle and I went up to stay with her for a week. We took her into Stillwater and got to know more about her and her history. I'm glad we got the chance to do that. I'm really going to miss her.

The Closers

2008-12-09T12:14:00.002-06:00

In Michael Connelly's The Closers, Henry Bosch comes back to the police force. This time he and his partner handle cold cases, and their first one comes from a DNA hit from the murder weapon. In a convoluted way, Bosch winds his way through a dead girl's past, her mixed-race heritage, and the local incompetent hate group. His interactions with the dead girl's family reinforces his belief that every case should be solved, no matter how much time has passed. And, the case becomes personal for him in his effort to ease the parents' suffering.

I know that a lot of detective books throw red herrings out there to keep the reader interested and guessing. In this case, The Closers' red herrings run the gambit from absurd to questionable. An entire thread, the bulk of the book, is spent chasing down corrupt cops and following false leads. And, if you took those three hundred pages out of the book you wouldn't miss anything in the story, character development, or motivation.

It's an enjoyable poolside read because the writing style is fast and crisp, but I feel kind of cheated as far as plot goes.

Sue Grafton A-T

2008-12-06T10:40:00.003-06:00

I've finished Sue Grafton's entire alphabet series so far. I'm not sure if she's going to continue on, maybe U is for Undertaker or Underoos or something like that.
Anyway, the alphabet series follows private investigator Kinsey Milhone as she completes her various investigations. Overall, I enjoy these books because they're fun and quick reads. Kinsey tends toward the typical as far as investigative characters go, but Grafton has given her a couple of quirks that make her stand out. For instance, her love for small spaces and her fondness for the gun her aunt gave her both add to her as a character. Also, her nextdoor neighbor, Henry, adds to the more personal aspects of the story. He deals with tension and anger through baking and cooking, but also bakes and cooks when he's happy. It's all in his method of getting to the final product.

One thing I don't understand about the books is the Cabot Cove aspect. Because Kinsey is a private investigator, she should be able to get into enough trouble without having it seek her out. Her occassional serious personal problems involving her neighbors seem unnecessary. I know that it's an effort to add a more personal stake to the stories, but there have to be other ways of doing it. Still, I look forward to more of Kinesy and her neighbors.

okay fine

2008-12-04T09:41:00.002-06:00

You win, I give. I tried to think that I wasn't sick, willed it so, pretended it wasn't so. On Monday I lost my voice, on Tuesday it sort of came back. On Wednesday, I was almost back to normal so I headed out to volunteer at the food bank... and I apologize to everyone there, just know that I washed my hands about fifty times, so most people should be safe. Anyway, about half way through my shift, I started feeling feverish, hot, cold, clammy, sweaty, tired... but no fever, maybe I was just tired, right? So, yeah, then I go over to my parents' house, and fall asleep for about four hours, wake up feeling hungover - not good since I'm not big on the drink. Run a couple of business errands for my dad, feeling run down, and, gasp, feverish, now accompanied by wracking cough. Yay! Get back to parents' to drop off errand running stuff, fall asleep. I wake up and what do you know, I have an actual temperature. I still have it this morning, with the cough, congestion, and headache. I'm thinking seriously about going back to bed. I just hope I didn't make the fols sick while I was with them yesterday. I haven't heard anything, so maybe not. Again, sorry to all those who came in contact with me yesterday. I thought I was fine, possibly suffereing from allergies or a super mild cold, but there you go.

The Narrows

2008-12-02T11:57:00.003-06:00

I'm reading all the Harry Bosch books by Michael Connelly - in order. And, yes, I've read all the ones up to The Narrows, but for some reason I thought I'd wait until all of them were finished before writing about them. Obviously I've changed my mind.

In The Narrows, Harry Bosch teams up with Rachel Walling to track down The Poet (an antagonist and serial killer from a previous novel, aptly named The Poet). While at first it seems that The Poet has conspired to bring the two together, it later is proven to be fate. I, for one, think that the coincidence is too big, way too big, especially considering the timing. So, even though it is mere chance that brings the two together (and it made more sense for it to be planned), Harry and Rachel immediately find that they are kindred spirits in their fight against the FBI's bureaucracy and in their determination to find The Poet.

I enjoyed the writing and Connelly's ability to build suspense. There were a couple of loose ends that needed clearing up, for instance: who was the dead body in the trailer? But, over all, I like the book and am looking for the next paperback at Half Price Books.

Facebook

2008-12-01T08:25:00.002-06:00

First off, for the second time in a little over a week, I've lost my voice. Last Saturday, I had a horrible allergic reaction to something I ate and my throat swelled up so that I couldn't speak. Good stuff. Today, I think it's more of a cold/flu thing. Who knows? At any rate, it doesn't really matter because I found Facebook where I can communicate with all my friends and family without speaking... yay!

Facebook has ruined my blogging. It's possible that it's a slight addiction. I'm fine if I'm not near a computer, but if I am, I like to check my facebook page and those of my friends. I've found people I haven't seen since Montessori school, seriously not since I was four years old. Of course there are people from elementary, middle, and high schools... plus the ones from grad school, oddly I haven't found anyone from undergrad. I love to read the little stuff and could easily see how twitter got going. Even when people are just going to get a cup of coffee or found a new website, I'm interested in it. Crazy voyureism.
But, it's not just the people, it's also the aps. I love to chase rainbows, send flowers, super poke, and play mob wars. Facebook may be ruining my life, but I'm having fun going down hill.

The Problem with Angel

2008-11-22T09:09:00.002-06:00

I love Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I own all the seasons on dvd, and have watched them with friends repeatedly. I also like Angel, or at least some of it. Some of the episodes even border on Buffy magic. But, that being said, this season that I'm watching with my friends right now will be hereafter and forever known as The Season of Suck.
Let's start with the fact that I wasn't a big fan of the Angel falling in love with Cordy thing to begin with. I let it ride because, well, I had no choice - and it didn't take too much away from the storyline. Then, Cordy becomes a higher power, sleeps with Angel's son, and becomes the evil host of a beautiful demon. Yeah. This season seems like it was taken over by someone who not only didn't like Conner very much, but also hated Cordy. So, that takes us to the problem with Angel in this the Season of Suck, it's just not fun to watch anymore. I know that the next season gets better. I've already seen it, so I'll stick with the SoS to get to the last season again. It's just that this season has gone so over the top melodramatic that it's lost all of it's punch. It's lost it's moral center. And, it's lost the love for the genre. Bummer.

Praying for Sleep

2008-11-20T09:12:00.002-06:00

I usually love Jeffery Deaver's books. The combination of suspense and character insight usually make for a compelling story.
In Praying for Sleep, an inmate (Hrubek) escapes from a high-security mental hospital on order to track down Lis, the woman whose testimony put him away. With the storm of the century as a backdrop, cops, a bounty hunter, and Lis's husband all try to track Hrubek down. Meanwhile, Lis and her sister have to shore up the family home from the incroaching flood waters before they can run to safety.
This story has all the makings for a nice thriller, but Deaver's desire for a "twist" ending meant that he had to use too many vaguaries during the story telling. Too many pronouns and too many flashbacks without knowing the players made it hard to emotionally connect with the urgency in the plot.
Really, even though the final act neccessitaed a ton of exposition - some of it overtly silly, it was the most interesting. Lis's fear and efforts at escape were written with so much more action that it made the rest of the book seem boring by comparison.
So, it's back to the Lincoln Rhymes series for me.

Synecdoche New York

2008-11-18T10:43:00.003-06:00

My friend Julia hit the Dobie theater last night for Charlie Kaufman's new film, Synecdoche New York.
In it, Caden (played by Phillip Seymour Hoffman) struggles to define his life through his work as a director. With the aid of a genius grant, Caden has the opportunity to make something "real," and his obsession with this "reality" causes him to lose perspective of his own life. Through constant examining and re-examining of his life and misery, he forgets to actually live his life or to find joy in it.
Though interesting and thoughtful, this film is not up to Kaufman's previous work. The grandness of the set and use of cast were definitely compelling, but in the end, it was kind of frustrating for me as a view. While Caden's body, relationships, and career fall apart, I felt there was a lack of juxtaposition in the rest of the film. Everything deteriotates. Everything.
Don't get me wrong, I liked the film. I just can't say I really enjoyed it.

Young Frankenstein

2008-11-16T08:40:00.002-06:00

It had been a while since I'd see Young Frankenstein, so when a friend of mine said she had never seen it, I jumped at the chance to watch it again.

The story is about Dr. Frankenstein's grandson, who inherits his castle and knack for neurobiology. At first the younger Frankenstein fights his grandfather's reputation and madness, but it's only a matter of time before he too decides to reanimate dead cells and create a monster.
This sounds like it could be the start of another horror sequel, but instead, it's a brilliantly timed comedy that holds up well year after year.

Mel Brooks is a comedic genius. Okay, in some of the movies he goes a little over the top, but Young Frankenstein is nearly perfect. The combination of clever and silly wordplay with visual gags makes the whole film a joy. Plus, the homage/spoofing of old style horror films (especially, of course, Frankenstein and Bride of Frankenstein), really brings the film together.

CAFB

2008-11-13T18:17:00.002-06:00

I love the food bank!!!! The Capital Area Food Bank hosted a potluck lunch today for its volunteers. Since I'm a Wednesday regular, I don't get to see most of the other volunteers unless there's an emergency or a crazy number of first time volunteers coming in. It was so great to meet the new people and see the ones I've only worked with a couple of times.
Someone brought delicious little dinner rolls, and someone else brought a tasty apple crumble. Fantastic!
Also, there's the "CAN"struction fundraiser going on at Barton Creek Mall. Some fabulous groups built massive structures out of cans of food. You can check them out until the 16th, then all the food will go to the food bank for distribution. So, yay!

End of a Season

2008-11-12T07:07:00.003-06:00

My oldest nephew and my nephew-in-law both played little league on the same team this year. I admit, at the beginning of the season, it was almost torture to watch. However, this year they've made great strides. Their knowledge of how the game works has improved to the point where they know which bases are forced outs and which need a runner tag in order to make the play. They've also gotten better at throwing and catching. Right now only a couple of kids on the team can hit, but I think by next year, that should change.
The team did really well in the play-offs, winning several games. Unfortunately, they lost their last game on Monday night so their season is over. It seems kind of sad that they have to stop now, just when it seems like everything is falling into place. I hope everyone practices during the off season so they can at least maintain the growth they made this year.
I think baseball is a great sport for these guys and I hope they keep it up.

Sleepovers

2008-11-10T14:51:00.002-06:00

My darling 3-year-old niece just spent her first night away from her parents. She spent the weekend with my parents, and I, being the fabulous aunt that I am, went over Saturday, yesterday, and today to play with her. We watched movies, went to the playground several times, drew pictures, played computer games, and invited one of my friend's 3-year-olds over to play. Overall, I say it was a fabulous weekend, but it reminds me why I don't have kids. They're a lot of fun, but also a lot of work. Man, I'm pooped. Think I'll take a nice long nap.

Time Bandits

2008-11-08T07:32:00.003-06:00

Last night I watched Time Bandits for the first time in my adult life. It's a completely different experience, than what I had as a kid.

Time Bandits is about a boy, Kevin, who falls in with a bunch of time traveling wannabe robbers. While the visuals were awesome and the ideas behind it held the same kind of genius Terry Gilliam is known for, the movie itself lacked what every great movie needs - plot. Usually the three act structure works in a way to move the protagonist(s) toward a goal. There are obstacles along the way, and they either reach their goal or they don't. The robbers have a goal, but Kevin doesn't. At first it's possible that he wants to go home, but he doesn't; then he wants to become a member of another family, but he doesn't; then he wants to rescue a time map from Evil. It stands to reason that a more complicated story would have shifting goals, but this isn't a more complicated story. It's a jump from one visual wonderland to the next. Oh, don't get me wrong, I'll watch it again. I love the DP's work and the setting.
Another thing that I just thought of... I'm always watching to see if I can find new stuff for my oldest nephew to watch. With this one, I'm still not sure. The violence is cartoony, but the moral compass of the robbers is seriously lacking. Plus, some of that stuff would just be darn scary.

Obama

2008-11-05T15:37:00.003-06:00

Everyone keeps saying how history was made last night. It's true, but I'm not going to belabor the point. I spent some time working for the local Obama Campaign, so of course I was thrilled last night. My excitement made it nearly impossible to sleep. Wow, the candidate I voted for won. So why do I feel so down?
Call it the post-Christmas blues. After twenty months of hoping, wishing, and working, I finally got what I wanted. Now it's all over but the waiting. And the waiting. And the waiting. Not only that, but even though he has some great ideas for health insurance reform, my hot button issue (especially considering that today I got my annual f-you premium hike from my insurance company), it's going to take forever and then some to actually see any progress on it. So now I'm back to powerless. I've cast my time and my ballot, now there's nothing left to do.

Up side - volunteering at the food bank is still awesome. We're expanding. A new facility where we have direct contact with the clients will be opening soon on Layola Lane. I'll still stay at the old location, but having our own direct distribution site will be cool.

Pow Wow

2008-11-02T10:18:00.002-06:00

This Saturday, after my breakfast with Stephen (the guy from the haunted house), I went to my nephew's baseball game. Unfortunately, they didn't win, but at least everyone looked like they were trying their hardest.

After that, my mom and I took my three-year-old niece to the Pow Wow out at Burger Center. In addition to rows and rows of crafts, they also served up some native foods. I'm a huge fan of fry bread. Usually I get a fry bread taco, but this time I opted for the sweet version covered in powdered sugar. My niece got kettle corn, and ended up eating most of my "doughnut" instead. She said she's going to be an Indian when she grows up.
We did just shop and eat. Inside, we watched the dancers compete. Between the drum circle, singing, and costumes, we got a spectacular show. We only saw one hoop dancer. He got the crowd going by flipping the hoops around his body until he was wearing them on his legs, shoulders, and torso. It wasn't hoola-hoop style either. He seemed to weave his body through the hoops so that they were pinned to him. Awesome.
We also saw some war dances, both adult and kid. Some of the younger kids were amazing because they got their whole bodies into the act. Their footwork and the way they bent their bodies so close to the ground brought out vigorous dancing from my niece. We barely missed the group dance where the audience is allowed to go down on the floor with the dancers. It was just ending when we made our way to the stands. Everyone looked like they were having fun, though.
All in all it was a great experience. I can't wait until next year.

Oh, the Longhorns lost. It hurt. Let's hope the Cowboys fair better today.

Slow Day

2008-10-29T13:32:00.003-05:00

The food bank today started out slowly. Sorting and cleaning "reclamation" just nibbles away at the time. After our break, though, things really picked up. We had a whole bunch of food drive items, which always goes faster. There's usually a pretty good variety to, but for some reason this time we had way too many crackers, barbeque sauce, and red bull. Go figure. As always, we need donations of baby food and adult formula. And keep up the good work in volunteering and donating. It's making a real difference.

On a personal note, the guy I saw at the haunted house emailed me today. I guess not throwing up on his shoes was a good move. I'm smooth, I tell ya, like butta.

Haunted House

2008-10-28T07:50:00.002-05:00

Tivo-ed the Colts and Titan's game.
Last night I went to the haunted house out by Highland Mall. If you're looking for it, it's in what used to be the laser tag building (or if you're seriously old school Austin, it's in the old theater). As is tradition, I went with my friend John and his mom. This year we brought John's friend Becky, too.
The House of Terrors is broken into two parts, for $15 you can get into one and for $20, you can do both. The first house is standard fair. You have your dismembered bodies, skeletons, and disorienting darkness. There are also the people that jump out at you and air cannons that go off as you pass. In general, not too scary for adults, just right for young teens. The made excellent use of their more physical actors who were able to skitter toward us and jump up on walls. Also, one of the guys crawled along the ceiling in a creepy way that was fun to watch. I enjoyed the thrill of being in the house, and the tension of never knowing what was going to jump out from the well-hidden doors. Only one part really got to me, but not in a good way. I had a truly visceral reaction to an actor who was pretending to abuse a woman. It took a lot of self control not to attack the guy. I know I'm pretty small, but I would have had surprise and the fact that he was crouching over her to my advantage. I'm pretty sure I could have landed two or three punches before he realized what was happening. That part, though, was not scary, just sickening, and completely unnecessary.
The second house was my favorite. It wasn't as "scary" as the other side, but it played with perspective and psychology more. You start out by confronting claustrophobia (and unintentionally germ-aphobia) by pressing through two giant black air bags. Because it's a new sensation and we didn't know when it was going to end, it was oppressive - in a good way. There were long hallways and tilted rooms. That play on the mind was a different approach from most haunted houses, and I liked it. I do wish the maze of mirrors had been a little longer, but you can't have everything.

Also, I met a guy (ok, met is a strong word, I saw a guy). I first caught a glimpse of him going through the line for the first house. Then, there he was right in front of me in the second house. Even though he got out way before my crew, he was still with his people out front by the time we headed out to the parking lot. So, rather than miss my chance, I approached him and gave him my card. Yay, me! I'm also so out of practice at initiating with men that I'm pretty sure I didn't maintain eye contact. Also, I blushed uncontrolably and felt like I was going to be sick because the people he was with (yes, I appraoched a group) were looking at me like I had a bad case of the crazies. So, yay me - sigh. I'll be incredibly surprised if he emails (preferable) and calls (doable), but at least I asked.

The Weekend

2008-10-27T14:56:00.003-05:00

This weekend I spent watching football with my dad and managing his business. Fortunately, the canoe rental doesn't require too much hands-on managing unless there's a problem, and there's rarely a problem. The employees do a great job in handling the customers, and now that they know I actually care, they wear their uniforms to work. It drives me crazy that they have to be told specifically to do it, but there you go.
The Longhorns won, but not by a margin that makes me comfortable, especially with Texas Tech coming up. I know they had a hard time beating the Aggies, but this past Saturday they more than made up for it with a 63 to 21 rout over Kansas.
Cowboys also won, but again, it wasn't pretty. I like an exciting game, but that requires more than just hoping we can keep our act together quarter by quarter. Still, a win is a win. And since those are my two favorite teams, they set me up to be pretty happy this week.
Adding to the happiness is that my dad is starting to feel better. Plus, we still have left-over chocolate pudding pie from my birthday. Yay!

City of Ember

2008-10-26T09:20:00.002-05:00

After my dad got home and comfortable, my mom and sister agreed to watch my best friends' three-year-old while we went to the Alamo to catch a movie. Steve, Tiffany, and I chose City of Ember because Tiffany and I had both really enjoyed the book.

The premise is that over two hundred years ago an apocalyptic event caused "The Builders" to create a vast underground city. This city had electricity, food, and a system of government meant to last exactly two hundred years, at which time the citizens of Ember would come out from underground and repopulate the Earth. The secret to getting out was hidden in a time-locked box that was supposed to be handed from mayor to mayor, but due to the sudden death of one of the mayors, the box was lost. So, after two hundred years, it opened silently and unnoticed in someone's closet. In the meantime, the city has fallen apart. Food stores are running so low that there's the threat of starvation and the giant generator fails more and more often, leaving the city in oppressive darkness. Enter Lina and Doon, two teenagers determined to find the way out of the city before the lights go out forever.

It's hard not compare the movie to the book, which is unfortunate. So much panic and nuance is lost in the translation that it's hard to feel emotionally connected to the story or it's characters. At one point Lina's grandmother dies and the total lack of reaction by the characters left me feeling like it didn't matter to them. And, if it didn't matter to them, it didn't matter to the story. That was, in essence, the main problem with the movie. The characters felt disconnected from each other, so it was hard to feel fear for the whole city. Instead, the story felt a lot smaller than it should. The one exception was Tim Robbin's portrayal of Doon's father. His inventions and frantic belief in the impossible added just enough depth the story to make it enjoyable. So, overall, I liked it, but it could have been so much more.

Squeaky Wheel

2008-10-24T17:19:00.002-05:00

My father spent all day Thursday at the hospital waiting for an EP test. That's all he did, just wait. There apparently was only one operating room with all the necessary electrical equipment to perform the test, so it was booked solid. We were finally told that he could have the test at 2:30pm on Friday. Okay, we're a pretty easy going bunch, but having the test done at 2:30 meant that he'd have to stay in the hospital until Saturday in order to recuperate. Plus, he was on a no food order which meant that after midnight on Thursday he wasn't allowed to eat anything until four hours after the surgery. So, if they were on time, he wouldn't get to eat until sometime well after 6:30 pm.
Since he was already restless and putting on his street clothes by Wednesday evening, I figured an extra day for no good reason was going to put us all over the edge. I did what everyone should do in that situation. I complained, loudly and often, to anyone who came in the room. We even did a pre-checkout, making sure all of our bills were paid up; and I told the accounts receiveable person to make the test earlier. I asked everyone to move up the time and told everyone that we didn't want to be in the hospital over the weekend.
This morning, the moved the EP test up to 8:30 am. Dad got his test, which stopped his heart (it had already stopped three times on it's own on Wednesday and did some freaky little static thing), and they put a pacemaker on him. He's on his way home now. Yay! He's still a little woozie, but at least he can sleep in his own bed tonight, which will go a long way to healing his head anyway.
I told him it was great that he's part cyborg now that he has computer chips running his body. Awesome.

ER Frustration

2008-10-22T07:27:00.003-05:00

My father upgraded my cell phone for my birthday to one that can check my email. We went to Circuit City, bought the phone, went out to his trcuk, where he called to make sure the new number worked.... and that's all he remembers until nearly five minutes later. What happened was: he drove out onto the frontage road of 290, made a noise, and lost consciousness. After grabbing the wheel and narrowly avoiding several cars, trees, people, and whatever else was out there, I was finally able to get the truck in park on Brodie. It was scary and I thought he was dead. But he came to, refused to go to the hospital, and drove home in a loopy fog (which he also doesn't remember). My mom came home and together we were able to convince him to got to the ER.
This is where everything would appear to be great. We were immediately taken back and his insurance information was taken. He was still foggy so my mom and I had to fill in the details of medical history. We were moved back into the bed area of the ER and they took blood and hooked him up to a heart monitor. They also took him in for a cat scan. A doctor came in and said that they were admiting him for overnight observation and an MRI. It sounds good, right? Fast, reasonably efficient. At no point did anyone actually examine him. Nobody checked his eyes, which were at pinpoints; checked his color, which was super pale; or asked him any of the stroke questions. The doctor didn't even touch him, and we only saw the guy once - for less than a minute. Not only that, once we got admitted, the nurse decided it was too late to get the MRI to determine if he had had a stroke and rescheduled it for the morning. At several times, I tried to bring all these things up, but we never saw the same person twice. So, once the question was asked and concerned logged (or not), we never heard from that person again. It was completely frustrating and I don't know what to do.
My dad got plenty of attention, but no care. And I'm scared that something is seriously wrong, but because he wasn't examined, it won't be addressed.

Ah, the Festival

2008-10-20T11:04:00.002-05:00

Okay, so the Austin Film Festival wasn't as good to me as it had been in the past. I think starting out with a head cold probably wasn't the way to go. I mostly hung out at the Driskell, met some other screenwriters, and reconnected with old friends. Both the good and the bad news is nobody showed any interest in my work. It's bad news because, well, I'd love for people to buy and produce my scripts. It's good news because sometimes the high that I get after the festival is so great that the crash takes it out of me for weeks.

The Halloween Hoot was fun. I got to see a bunch of kids, hyped up on sugar, running around and hitting each other with plastic light-sabers. It was cool, and noisy, and kept the adrenaline pumping. Nobody lost an eye or major limb, so I'm calling the night a success.

The Longhorns won, so that's good. The Cowboys have imploded, that's not so good.

And, while I usually rock the Scrabble League, Sunday brought my worst performance ever. So, so sad.

Hoot

2008-10-17T09:38:00.002-05:00

Yesterday, I went over to my nephews' school to help put together the haunted house for the Halloween Hoot. Who knew you could put that many rubber snakes and rats all in one place? They're going with an Indiana Jones theme, and it looks like it will be a lot of fun, even if it's not particularly scary. Not that it won't be scary, it will, there are things to jump out at the kids, skeletons, and swinging axes. I think the K-5 crowd will be creeped out.

After that, I went to the first day of the Austin Film Festival, sort of. I didn't go to any panels. Instead I hung out in the Driskell Bar, which is where I'll be again tonight after the Hoot. It's always nice to meet new people, even if they do say you talk like an engineer. I don't think I do, but there you go.

Columbus Day

2008-10-14T15:26:00.002-05:00

I had a lazy Columbus Day with my oldest nephew and my niece. Before my nephew's baseball practice, we went out and practiced batting and catching. Unfortunately, I'm not that accurate with my pitches, but I figure I deserve a break. I haven't had to pitch since junior high and my aim is super bad. Or, at least it started out that way. I got better as the day went on.

My niece and I played computer games. She's getting really good at using the mouse (she's 3, so I'm proud, not like she's figuring it out at 15). She likes to play memory games and matching matching games. I think she's brilliant, but I'll admit to the possibility of being biased.

Other than that, I went to the grocery store. They're carrying my pizzas again at the HEB, so my day was awesome. I like the red baron thin and crispy pepperoni pizzas. For some reason they were difficult to find for nearly a year. The Randalls on William Cannon sometimes had them, and the Super Target on Slaughter occasionally had them as well. So, now that the HEB by my house has them, I can stop driving all over the city looking for a bit of yummy goodness.

Weekend

2008-10-13T09:47:00.002-05:00

I want to know what kind of lunatic schedules a little league game during the Texas-OU game. If not specifically un-American, then it's certainly un-Texan. My nephew and nephew-in-law's baseball game started at noon on Saturday. And, because I love them so, I went to the game and watched them catch and throw and hit and run. Then, I rushed back and hit the play button on the Tivo and watch a fantastic football game. In fact, it was such a great game I feel like I must honor Tivo in some way for making sure I wouldn't resent a field full of little 9 and 10 year old boys. So, thank you Tivo, thank you. Hook 'em.

The Horns done did me proud. The Cowboys on the other hand put forth a sad effort on Sunday. I'm a huge fan, and have loved the 'boys since before I could walk. Watching them lose again hurts me in my heart and look to silly superstitious reasons this awful thing happened. Did they lose because I washed my Jersey? Did Romo forget his lucky socks? Was everyone hungover from a particularly rambunctious Saturday night? Okay, that last part isn't superstition, but it could be relevant.

Other than that my weekend went well. I spent a good deal of time with my nephew-in-law and my niece. I had nice (if poorly serviced) brunch with my friend Nick. And, and this is probably the best part, I managed to avoid going to the movies with my sister to see An American Carol. Both she and my brother-n-law said it was the worst movie they had ever seen...ever. Not only was it not funny, it's lack of hilarity was painful to watch. So, ha, I stayed home with the niece and they saw something that made their eyeballs bleed.

However, it looks like the kids want to see Beverly Hills Chihuahua today, so I guess it's my turn to sit through something painful. Oh well.

Beautiful Day

2008-10-10T15:12:00.002-05:00

So, according to Wall Street today wasn't so great, but where I was, it was. This morning I worked at the food bank with some more Dell volunteers. Krogers donated a ton of food, and we're still packing it up for Hurricane Ike survivors. We've sent out two giant truckloads already, with more to come.

Then, because it was so absolutely beautiful outside, I had the chance to restring my bow and have a little target practice. Until today, it's been too hot and mosquito-y to shoot arrows. Even though I'm a little rusty, it's still nice to get out and listen to the thwak an arrow makes when it hits the target.

And, to top off the great day, my new business cards came in. I had ordered them a while ago and they had already come in, but there was something wrong with the lettering, so I had to send them back. The new ones are here and look pretty good.

The only bad thing about today is the traffic. So many people are trying to get out of town for OU weekend that the streets are packed and it takes forever to get anywhere heading north. If I didn't already have an evening planned with the Metze family, I'd probably stay in to avoid the hassle.

Debates

2008-10-08T13:38:00.002-05:00

I didn't comment on the Vice Presidential debates because, well it wasn't the train wreck I thought it would be. That would have made it a lot more fun to write about obviously. I thought Biden was evasive about his own views and Palin had a set of memorized answers that she didn't appear to understand. Blah.

Last night's town hall style debate wasn't a whole lot better. While I think Obama won, by a lot, I had a problem with the fact that he kept molding the question to talk about his own agenda. And then there was McCain, who rambled and attacked without regard for the question or the truth. I still don't know what either party is going to do for all the people who are either currently retired and living off their investments, or for the people who were hoping to retire in the next couple of years. Some places have a mandatory retirement, but if your 401K is gone, what are you going to live on.

Over all, I'm still not happy with the way the economy, the environment, the war, health care, and education are being handled and I want answers, not rhetoric.

As for me, I worked my butt off this morning at the food bank. We were putting together boxes of food for the people in Houston who still don't have electricity, water, or a place to work (those poor nurses can't get into their hospital and they're not the only ones whose employers have temporarily closed up shop).

And so on...

2008-10-06T15:15:00.002-05:00

Okay, so I've been away doing other stuff for awhile. Not, away away, just not hanging out near the computer quite so much.
I've been previewing books for friends, you know "is it okay for my kid to read this?," "is it interesting?," "can I assign this to my 7th grade class without too many phone calls from parents?" So, yeah, I like reading YA, it's fun and deals with some pretty heavy stuff for kiddos. I like to know what new authors are out there and who the hot ones are.
Other than that, let's see, I watched football, lots of football. And, while I like Peyton Manning and the Colts, I felt awful for the Texan's backup QB, Sage. He had a great game, fantastic, maybe even starting position worthy, up until the last 4 minutes. It must be crushing to have an awesome 56 minutes. To be up by 17 points against the Colts and then just melt down. Sage fumbled twice and got intercepted once, but all three turnovers lead to Colts touchdowns. So, he had to watch everything evaporate in front of him all in 4 game minutes. Ouch. It even made me wish they could come back and beat Manning, but, of course, they didn't.
Cowboys played much better than they did last week. Horns did well, too. I can't say I'm looking forward to the Red River Shoot Out. We have a rough time with "big" games and OU is ranked #1, so it's going to be a tough one. I'll watch it though my fingers and hope for the best.
Today, I sat outside a Thundercloud Subs and registered people to vote (and tromped up and down the sidewalk with a register to vote sign). Then, when I went out to run errands, I asked the people behind the counter whether they were registered, and got six more people signed up.
Overall, not a bad way to spend the weekend.

Baseball and Debates

2008-10-02T14:30:00.002-05:00

I can't say I'm all that excited about the Vice Presidential debates. Between Sarah Palin's total lack of knowledge and interest in the world around her and Joe Biden's historical blunders, I'm afraid that all I'll feel when it's done is distress. These people want to hold the second most powerful offices in our country and that's just scary to me. Admittedly, Palin scares me more because she doesn't know anything about foreign policy, domestic policy, or newpapers (apparently). And, her candidate is 72 years old with a history of major illnesses. If McCain won she'd have a very real shot at being president. Oh, I'll watch the debates, but I won't like it. I hope I'm pleasantly surprised by them both.

Until then, my oldest nephew has a baseball game tonight. I'll go cheer on his team and eat a hot dog.

Another Day Another Dell

2008-10-01T15:52:00.002-05:00

Today we had another large group of Dell-ers at the Capital Area Food Bank. What a bunch of hard workers they are. I'm glad they decide to get involved with the community the way they do. Still, I know three people who work there, and none of their divisions have shown up to volunteer. Shame.

Tomorrow, it's likely I'll head down there again in the morning. Another big group of volunteers is coming in and they usually need someone to steer the ship, or mind the mast, or some other boating metaphor.

Spent a lot of time today doing research and working on the second act of a thriller (script). I also looked for some more freelance work, so if you know anybody who needs a screenwriter, game writer, ghost writer, or math writer, send them my way, will ya?

Burn After Reading

2008-09-29T13:54:00.002-05:00

This latest dark comedy by the Coen brothers suffers from a horrible case of mis-marketing. While some people will walk out of the theater gleeful, others will feel a bit more perplexed. Instead of the promised silly, lighthearted romp, we instead get a silly, dark-hearted jog.

The slow begining shows poor Osbourne Cox (John Malcovich) being dismissed from his job as a CIA analyst. His pathetic home-life offers little solice since his friends have no real interest in him, and his wife is sleeping with George Clooney (can you blame her?).
The silliness (and fun) starts once Francis McDormand makes her entrance, convinced that the only way to make herself more attractive is to undergo a series of plastic surgeries. And she'll do anything to get the money to pay for them, even blackmail the CIA and sell secrets to the Russians.
What follows is a tragedy of errors that leads to deaths, divorce, and deportation. And, while there are a few humorous moments, this is by no means a feel good comedy. Or even a feel okay comedy. Or possibly comedy at all. There's a darkness and futility to the film that's hard to shake off. A pointlessness and stupidity to the characters that's hard to cheer for.
And that's where marketing comes in. I enjoyed this movie, really. It was just not set up correctly. I like to know what genre I'm seeing when I sit down. For instance, The Mexican was marketed as a romantic road movie, but it wasn't. It tanked horribly, but I liked it. I think it would have benefited from a little truth in advertising. Then, maybe people wouldn't have gone to see it as a date movie. For Burn After Reading, the appeal of the stellar cast and script-masters combined with the funny trailers makes it seem like this might be a fun one to take a date to. But, it's hard to feel amorous and futile at the same time.

Oh yeah, the Cowboys lost. I don't want to talk about it.

Not so great

2008-09-27T21:42:00.003-05:00

Yesterday I just wasn't feeling "it" and today I found out why. I woke up with a raging headache, but that was soon pulled down to a minor throbbing after copious amounts of pharmaceuticals. Then, after apparently getting myself well enough to spread my germs across the city, I went to an estate sale, out to lunch, over to Amy's, out with a friend, and back over to my folks... all before falling fast asleep because I'm sick. I'm really, really sorry. Who knew? Right now I've got a fabulous temperature over 100 degrees and am about to conk out before 10pm on a Saturday night. I would never knowingly spread sickness to the masses, but it really was just a headache this morning.

Well, I'm out; gotta hit the hay, sack, and saw some logs (all very physical for sleeping, don't you think).

Again, I apologize. You can not begin to know how sorry I feel. Hopefully, it's nothing that will lay people out for long or too horribly uncomfortably.

On a good note, and there always is one, Horns won. Go team! Yay!

to blog or not to blog

2008-09-26T17:58:00.002-05:00

Not really feeling it today.

Finished my math project, went to a meeting (a project meeting, yay, that got canceled because the producers didn't put it in the budget, boo), lost power at my place.

Not very exciting or eventful.

Tonight: the presidential debates.

Die Zombie, Die, Die

2008-09-25T16:03:00.002-05:00

I spent a good portion of the day saving mankind from the zombie menace in Land of the Dead. You can thank me later.

Don't worry, I also had time to work on my freelance writing gig.

Therefore, I think it's understandable that I still haven't managed to re-tape my bathroom for trim painting. There are only so many hours in the day.

Don't judge.

It's almost time to watch my oldest nephew and my nephew-in-law play a little baseball. So, painting is out for today. Drat.

Flat Tire

2008-09-24T16:16:00.002-05:00

Food Bank Day! I love going to the food bank. It's a ton of fun, and there are always really great people working there. Today we had a big group from Intel, a slightly smaller group from Allied Health Careers, and a surprise group from Dell. There were a lot of people moving through a lot of product. We were able to pack up a bunch of water for Ike relief.

After that, Tammy, Beverly, Richard and I went to try out the new Panda Express. It's not my favorite place; all the food tastes the same and for the price I can get something considerably warmer. Beverly and Richard drove me to PE because after volunteering I discovered that me rear passenger-side tire was completely flat.

Apparently, you have to occasionally use your jack to get it lose. I didn't know that, and I still think it's a crock. However, the way it worked out was that the jack wouldn't come out of the car. The nuts holding it in place were tightened down so much that, when we tried to loosen them, the started stripping - and not in a good way. We tried to use some other random jacks, but since there's no standardization in jack-making, everyone's jack was different and none of them would work on my car. AAA came out and changed the tire so I could drive on my doughnut over to Pep Boys. No big deal, just a leaky valve. At any rate, that's how I spent my afternoon.

Back to math.

Second Coat

2008-09-23T10:29:00.003-05:00

This morning I finally managed to get the second and final coat of paint on my bathroom walls. It's been quite a while since I put on the first coat, but I figure since I bought the trim paint and new lighting fixtures, I really should get on the stick and do this thing. So, when the second coat of paint dries, I hope to paint the cabinets (and get the doors out of my kitchen so I can reach the pantry) and the trim, then I'll put in my new lights. Yay! That's the hope anyway.

Also, I took the gift card and store credit to the garage-sale-guy yesterday evening (he didn't want them). He still had the cords for the xbox, plus he gave me an old playstation. And, while the playstation did come with some games, it didn't come with controllers. That's the next quest, then, new controllers for an old game. We'll see how that goes.

Now, on to working on more math.

Gift Cards and Stuff

2008-09-22T16:20:00.004-05:00

I was going to buy new cables for my xbox, but I noticed that in two of the games there was a gift card and a store credit. Since I should take the gift card and store credit over to the garage-sale-guy's house, I figure I'll see if he still has the cables sitting about. I'm told they can't be used for the new games anyway. If not, I'll pick them up later somewhere else. So, still no zombie zapping for me.

Today the food bank called and asked me to come in. A huge group of Dell employees came in and between them and the hurricane Ike stuff, they needed more volunteer leaders. My friend Tammy showed up, and so did Gary. I haven't seen him in nearly a year because he's been ref-ing football and acting in Friday Night Lights. It was great to see him again. I'll see Tammy on our regular volunteer day later in the week.

Last night's Cowboy's game was okay, I guess. I'm glad we won, but it wasn't nearly as exciting as the Monday night game. It's good that we finally broke the Lambeau Field curse. They way the announcers told it, you'd think the Cowboy's winning was impossible given their 0-5 record out there. Still, kind of a pedestrian game for da boys.

xbox

2008-09-21T08:16:00.002-05:00

Yesterday between my football games, I hit a garage sale and got an extremely good deal on an old-school Xbox. It has two regular remotes, and a wireless remote, plus 19 games. Great, right? What it doesn't have is the connector to hook it up to the tv... whoops. So, now I have to hit an electronics store and pick something up. Pretty big bummer because I really was looking forward to zapping some zombies first thing this morning. Still, based on the price, it was a completely righteous deal.

As for the football games, because I was at the AGDC, I missed the Cowboys on Monday night. However, thanks to the wonders of tivo, I finally got to see it yesterday. Wow, what a game. The long bombs, the fumbles, sack, and running plays... it was one of the most exciting games I had seen in a long time. Plus, it was close, unlike the UT game. As expected, UT demolished the Rice Owls. Lots of great plays, but still not very exciting. And, we lost Irby to a nasty looking knee injury. Not good.

AGDC - the thoughts

2008-09-19T10:06:00.003-05:00

This week I went to the Austin Game Developers Conference. It was the first I've been to, but hopefully not the last.
A common theme ran through all the panels - video games need to be more audience driven. That means more dialogue trees, on demand dialogue that changes and grows as the story progresses, and more action options.
Sounds great, I'm in.
We also need better story lines, that connect emotionally, so that the decisions the player makes actually matter to the game world as a whole, not just to whether or not the player finishes the task.
Again, I'm in.
What I'm not "in" for is the total reliance on the hope that AI improves. I thought the things that are needed for non-MMOs can be achieved if we, as writers, are given a little more time and leeway for creation. Often the writing team comes in pretty late in the game when a lot of the structure has already been set in a traditionally linear fashion. If, instead, writers were just given the major bosses, or the end goal, with fewer restrictions, I think a lot more can be done to make the story a conversation starter... something that will make more players want to buy the game they've heard about. I don't know if other writers want that, but I think I do. It would mean a lot more work on my part, I know, but I think it would be worth it from a story perspective.

AGDC

2008-09-16T07:47:00.002-05:00

Yesterday, I went to the first day at the Austin Game Developers Conference. What a fun group of people. The panels were fun (particularly the interactive ones) and the attendees were a blast to talk to. I'm on the Writing Track, so I went to the writers panels. Their views on audiences and play were interesting and thought provoking.

Today, I'll hit some more panels and parties.

Anticipation

2008-09-14T21:15:00.002-05:00

Today was a little disappointing on the whole football front. With Vince Young out with an injury, the Titans weren't a thrill to watch; the Texans postponed their game, and the Cowboys play tomorrow. I did get to see Peyton Manning's brilliant comeback, but alas, the poor Jets couldn't pull it out.

So, I look to tomorrow with great anticipation. Not only do the Cowboys play, but I'm also heading to the AGDC. I've never been to a game developers' conference, so it'll all be shiny and new. I may have to Tivo the game, though, because I heard there's going to be some fun stuff after the meetings.

Looking forward to it.

Friday Night

2008-09-12T17:41:00.002-05:00

This morning started with a little blood donation. Another two trips and I've made it to two gallons. Yikes. For one gallon I got a little pin with a "1" on it. Awesome.

I spent the rest of the day driving around with Mom who just got back her blood tests and the cancer has not returned (plus no pancreatic cancer, so that's good, too). We checked out the Obama head quarters and took them some snacks. We tooled around the mall looking for t-shirts...didn't find anything worth buying.

As for the shopping, I admit, it's not my thing. Spending time with my parents, though, is completely worth the hassle and bustle of the mall. After nearly losing my mom a couple of years back, I take every opportunity I have to spend time with both my parents, and to listen to what they have to say.

Tonight, I'm heading over to a friend's house to watch dvds. I hope to be home before the rain from Ike starts.

9/11

2008-09-11T16:24:00.002-05:00

I'm sure there are lots of blogs about remembering 9/11, and this is another one, sort of. WHat I want you to remember is the way the US stood together, volunteer, and cared about one another for just a short while. They remembered friends they hadn't spoken to since high school, and forgave family small indiscretions. And they gave both time and money to those in need.

I went to the food bank today. Thursday isn't my usual day, but I was asked to come in because we had two large groups coming in to volunteer (the morning group came, but the afternoon group canceled). In addition to that, we have the Hurricane Ike drive going on. Here's where you come in: thousands of people will be displaced because of Hurricane Ike. These people need food and water (and shelter, but the food bank doesn't do that.)

The docks to the food bank will be accepting donations all weekend, and even if you come at night after they've closed, there will be boxes on the docks by the side of the building where you can leave your food.

Here's the information again:

Five items requested:
1) bottled water
2) granola bars
3) canned meats (pop-top lids)
4) peanut butter
5) diapers

If you can't donate items in person, please donate online and choose the box for "My donation is for Hurricane Ike Disaster Relief only." Every $5 donated = $20 worth of nutritious food.

If you can't give now, please, remember that the food bank is always in need of donations... always.

Remember 9/11 and what it felt like to be a member of a larger, more caring community. Now think about what this 9/11 means to you.

Helping others

2008-09-10T12:57:00.003-05:00

Today, I volunteered at the food bank, like I do every Wednesday morning (except next one because I'll be a at a conference). A large-ish group from Dell came by and helped us out by sorting and cleaning donated food. Thank you so much to the Dell folks.

As Hurricane Ike makes its way through the Gulf of Mexico, the food bank is getting ready for the influx of people in need. Not only will the help feed the people who come to Austin from the coast, they'll also send food and water down to those who couldn't make it out.

Please, either drive down and drop off food, or make a cash donation. We can use all the help we can get.

Hurricane Ike Disaster Relief "Drive-Thru Food Drive"

Capital Area Food Bank, 8201 South Congress Avenue
(between William Cannon & Slaughter Lane )

Wednesday, September 10 - Friday, September 12, 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Saturday, September 13, 11 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Sunday, September 14, Noon - 5 p.m.

Help us provide emergency food assistance to those affected by Hurricane Ike. There's no need to leave your car - just drive through and a volunteer will accept your donations.

Five items requested:
1) bottled water
2) granola bars
3) canned meats (pop-top lids)
4) peanut butter
5) diapers

If you can't donate items in person, please donate online and choose the box for "My donation is for Hurricane Ike Disaster Relief only." Every $5 donated = $20 worth of nutritious food.

Don't forget September is Hunger Action Month.

Math

2008-09-09T11:42:00.003-05:00

Yay!! Today, I'm working on a new math project. I'm answer checking a couple of chapters from a textbook. I love doing this. It always bugged me as a kid to find mistakes in the texts. Now, I get the chance to try to save some other kids that same frustration.

After I do that, it's back to the Young Adult novel I'm working on... and maybe some more pages on my screenplay.

I hear it's humid out, so I don't feel so badly about staying inside all day. Sometimes you just have to write, right?

First Sunday

2008-09-07T18:17:00.002-05:00

Last night's game ran late
Up early to watch Tivo
Longhorns won, hooray!

Brunch with my friend Nick
Curra's fried banana's rock
Breakfast tacos, mmmm.

Later, Jon's birthday
Barbeque at County Line
Turtles swim outside

Dallas plays Cleveland
Romo and Owens connect
Marion gets hurt

Last game of the night,
Peyton's Colts will play da Bears
Grass, blood, and pigskin

Bacon

2008-09-05T16:56:00.002-05:00

Okay, so here's something you'd think I would have figured out by now. If you're going to make a BLT, don't take a shower right before frying the bacon. My whole house smells like bacon, but that really has nothing to do with the shower. So, most importantly, I smell like bacon. Don't get me wrong, it's a nice scent and all, but after about the second hour or so, you start to get paranoid that maybe the dogs don't really love you all that much, and they're just waiting for you to go to sleep so they can have a human-sized beggin' strip.
Because I'm trying to be an aqua-conservative, I hesitate to take another shower today. However, my alternatives are to go out smelling like bacon, and looking like the canine pied piper or to stay sequestered in my bacon home, wearing my bacon clothes, wrapped in my bacon blanket, until tomorrow.
Maybe, I'll go for a quick row around the lake, then I'll get in my work out and a jump in the springs. Or, I'll just head over to my buddies' house and pretend I don't know what they're talking about when they mention that something is making them crave breakfast.
So many possibilities.

Beautiful Day

2008-09-04T17:38:00.004-05:00

Today was fantastic. It's been awhile since the weather has been so pleasant - blue, breezy, and not too hot. It was a great day for reading and heading down to Lady Bird Lake. After working on my new YA novel, I took a quick walk around the lake (okay, not all the way around), read a few chapters of Monday Mourning, and did a bit of light cooking for my folks. What a wonderful way to spend the day. I hope yours was equally pleasant.

Food Bank

2008-09-03T12:14:00.003-05:00

I volunteered at the food bank today. I love that place. The atmosphere is fantastic and there's always a great group of people there to help out.

As always, we could use cash donations, baby food, and adult formula. Of course, anything you want to donate is great, those are just the things that seem to be left out of a lot of donation bags. Two years ago, $1 donated to the food bank could buy five meals, now it only gets three. Add to that the growing number of people who need our services and you can see where the trouble will start.

It's Up

2008-09-01T09:55:00.000-05:00

So, my website looks pretty good, I think. Some, but not all, of my favorite links are on the links page. I'll work on getting more up there later. In the meantime, have a look around.

Today is Labor Day. It's a time to honor the workers and take a break. So, take a break, enjoy yourselves, and remember why you love your job.

A New Beginning

2008-08-31T12:11:00.000-05:00

Today, to the best of my knowledge, my first writing website is up. My very good friend Nick set up all the links and design stuff, so all I had to was provide the content. I can't even begin to tell you how excited I am to finally have a real web presence.

I hope everyone decides to check back to my blog soon. As soon as I've had a few friends run through the site, I'll post the address in blog-land.