Countdown to RED RAIDER FOOTBALL

Wednesday, February 28

Potty pet peeve

Okay, I just recognized a new pet peeve - when people talk on a cell phone in a public restroom - or any restroom for that matter. WHAT could be SO important that it couldn't wait till you are done doin' your bid'ness? I mean, c'mon. Do poeple think the people on the other end really want to hear what's going on in a restroom? It made me just want to keep flusing so I could make more "potty noise." Maybe it's not a problem other public places, but I hear students gabbing on their cells ALL THE TIME here at Tech. Okay, done venting. Happy Wednesday! The week is almost half way over!

Tuesday, February 27

Chicken Little strikes again

Get this. . . Patrick & I were in Package Plus today mailing something and that Elton John duet "Don't Go Breakin' My Heart" came on the radio. He asked "What's that song?" I asked him what he thou ght it was. He pensively cocked his head to the side. I turned to pay the lady and he came running up saying "Chicken Little." It took me a second, but he was right. They sing that song during the Chicken Little credits. AND HE REMEMBERED! He absolutely amazes me with his recognition and way he puts things together.

Friday, February 23

My Top 6 favorite movies

Pete’s Dragon. Elliot, the green & pink dragon, use to follow me around. He wasn’t really imaginary, as much as he was invisible. People TO THIS DAY remember Elliot was my invisible friend. I love singing all the songs – yes, I still remember them. And I played “Candle on the Water” for a piano recital. We don’t own a copy but I am getting one for Patrick for his birthday. Really, I promise it’s for Patrick and not for me. Wink wink

Tombstone.My favorite scene is the credits when they are all walking like badasses all wearing black down Main Street Tombstone. Josh and Paul won’t watch it with me because I quote most of the movie. “I’m you’re huckleberry.” What does that even mean?

Bull Durham. One, because it's about baseball. Two, it has great characters. Crash, Annie, Nuke LaLoosh. I wanted Paul & I to be Nuke and Annie for Halloween. Three, great lines - especiall the "Well, I believe in the soul, the c**k, the p***y, the small of a woman's back, the hanging curve ball, high fiber, good scotch, that the novels of Susan Sontag are self-indulgent, overrated crap. I believe Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone. I believe there ought to be a constitutional amendment outlawing Astroturf and the designated hitter. I believe in the sweet spot, soft-core pornography, opening your presents Christmas morning rather than Christmas Eve and I believe in long, slow, deep, soft, wet kisses that last three days." I actually have this memorized.

Romeo+Juliet the Baz Luhrman version. I love the symbolism and creativity Baz Luhrman brings to this classic. I guess you have to see it to know what I am talking about. It’s hard to explain. He really helps you understand what Shakespeare was really saying. I could watch it again and again. I especially like to watch it while on the treadmill. Same goes for Moulin Rouge – another Baz Luhrman movie.

Eight Mile. Paul and I watched it in the summer of 2003 on the scary floor of the Saddle Tramp lodge while all his roommates were at home for the summer. It was romantic in a college guy kind of way so it still reminds me of our “young love.” And it gave me a glimpse into what Detroit was like. Paul actually grew up on Six Mile – no kidding.

Clue & Flash Gordon. These fall into the same category for me – movies Josh and I watched over and over and can quote word for word. I love the multiple endings of Clue – and “communism was just a red herring.” I always wanted a dress like Miss Scarlet’s. And Flash Gordon – what cheesy science fiction. I named one of my Baribe’s Dale. Again – no kidding. Josh and I liked it SO MUCH, we put a tape recorder in front of the TV and taped it. As you can imagine, it was a horrible recording, but we like it that much.

Braveheart & Gladiator were close runners-up. I like the “underdog wins” motif and both have great scripts.

Wednesday, February 21

Happy Birthday, Max!


That's right - Let the WILD RUMPUS start! HAPPY MARDI GRAS BIRTHDAY, Max Gerlich! Ever since Kim shared with me that they were naming the baby Max, I have thought about the little boy in "Where the Wild Things Are." I thought this picture was especially appropriate! LET THE WILD RUMPUS START! I am so excited to see pictures of Max and his big sister Ava and Mom and Dad. (I still say birthdays should be for moms - they do all the work- right, Kim?)

Friday, February 16

More favorite pics - just for grins

I'm kinda bored, so I thought I'd post some more of my favorite, more recent, pictures.


We took this one at my Dad's surprise 60th birthday party. We took one like this in 1999, too. In 1999 we were celebrating my Tech graduation AND his birthday that day. My mom had both up in her house. I hope we keep this picture tradition up.






This was the picture from Santa Fe Jennifer mentioned in her blog. I really like this one, too. That was such a fun weekend. I am kinda getting a fever - I wonder if I need more cowbell. I also like the picture of us girls from Kim & Matthias' wedding. We all look so pretty all dressed up and we all look so genuinely happy. I think that is why I like these 2 pictures the best - we all look so genuinely happy.















This was from the Tech homecoming pep rally & bonfire this year. I just love Patrick's super grin and the fact that he insists on wearing eye black to all Tech events!
We took this one at my Dad's 60th party, too. It's great in color, but I like it even more in b&w. My mom has become one of my best friends lately. My dad was SO RIGHT all those years when he said I was like my mom - in SO MANY ways. I am glad I can share her love of family and cooking and good times. I love you, Mom!

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Thursday, February 15

Pictures by Patrick


Patrick has decided that HE now needs to take pictures, too. These are some of his recent attempts. He holds his fingers over the front, and doesn't wait for the flash - he moves the camera as soon as he clicks the button, so he doesn't actually get what he sees in the viewer. But it doesn't bother him. He is SO proud of his pictures.
On another note, he is telling us when he needs to go to the bathroom. And he is wearing his "big boy underwear" when we are at home in the evening. One step closer to being potty-trained! YAY!!!



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Happiness is Homemade


For Valentine's Day I made Paul General Tso's Chicken, one of his favorite dishes when we get Chinese food. I had never made it before, but I had a tempura recipe and found a bottle of General Tso's sauce at the new Target. I also made homemade fried rice. It turned out really yummy and we even had leftovers for lunch today! You know what they say about the way to a mans' heart. . .
(Yes, I was cooking in my jammies. I was tired and wanted to be comfy. That sweatshirt makes me look huge, too, but it's my favorite comfy shirt.)


















And Paul brought me a beautiful bouquet of flowers that he made (with a little help from my mom.) He picked out the flowers and she helped him arrange them. I love that we were able to give each other gifts that we put a little ourselves into.
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Patrick's "Valentimes" Day - part 2

For some reason it will only let me post 4 pictures at a time. This is the picture of me and Patrick playing in the snow.

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Patrick's "Valentimes" Day

These are all of Patrick's buddies at Jean's - his sitter. Patrick gave them suckers with their Valentine cards and so they all got to eat them on the floor in the kitchen. Jean liked it becasue it kept those boys quiet - at leats for a while. Jean has been such a blessing to us and to Patrick! And I love that he has these other little dudes to play with every day.


Patrick and I also got to have breakfast together. I made fish-shaped cinnamon toast - get it CODD. . . fish. . .
Patrick hit the jackpot with V-day gifts from Doodah & Papa J (my parents). He got Spiderman and baseball chocolates, this cool new safari hat (but he thinks it's a Bob the Builder hat) and a bag of Play-Doh! And when I tell you he wears his Spidey suit all the time - HE DOES!
The 3 of us went outside to play in the snow after dinner. Patrick had to make snow angels all over the backyard.

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My favorite pictures

This week's Friday Blog Topic was another challenging one - your 5 favorite pictures. Thank goodness for digital pictures, but I had too many favorites to choose from. Here we go. . .

We took this picture after the Family Day game this past football season. SaddleTramps (and their advisors) can take their families up into the Bell Tower. Paul had taken Patrick up there several times, but I had never been up there with them until Family Day. We also took my folks and Rick & Diane Jackson. This is a shot of Patrick singing the Fight Song with his "guns up" like the "big Tramps" standing underneath the Victory Bells. If this kid decides to go somewhere other than Tech, it will break my little red and black heart!




I have sent this picture to everyone I know at Tech - Athletics, News & Pub, Alumni Association - you name it! This was taken at the autograph party at the beginning of the 2006 season. We were walking up the ramp to leave and these 2 players were in front of us. I told Patrick to run up there and hold their hands and he DID without a second thought. And the players just grabbed his hands, too. What a shining example of what a student athlete can be.




This picture was taken at the Tech Homecoming Parade in 2000, the year I was Miss Heckler - hence the sash. The guy in the Raider Red costume was one of my favorite Red's - he was Red when I was traveling with the cheers & poms. I printed this off for my grandma in Slaton, and she hung it on the "married grandkids wall" - you know, the one with all the grandkids engagement and wedding pictures. I guess this is as good as grandmas thought I was going to get. Funny that Paul turned out to be a Saddletramp. . . maybe she knew something. I was also have a good hair day this day.

This picture makes me think of "NEW LOVE." We took this the day Paul and my Mom were "Team Grass" and helped me landscape, plan flower beds and sow grass seeds for the lawn. This was when Paul and I were just dating so he got SUPER POINTS for helping out. After we had worked in the yard, we went to a 50th birthday party. That's where this picture was taken. I love our smiles in this picture. We were truly happy at this moment and looking at this picture reminds me of those feelings when we first were dating. And I love my hair in this picture.

I love this picture for SO MANY reasons. The innocence of a sleeping baby. His perfect little face. His tiny little nose. They grow up TOO FAST! He is sleeping on the quilt my grandmother gave me and Paul as a wedding gift. She gave or made a quilt for all her grandkids. She had TONS to choose from, but we liked this pattern - I think it's something like Devil's Puzzle - and the fact that it was a patch work quilt. It also reminded me of one she used to keep on one of her beds. She said she had hoped we picked this one because it made her think of me, too. This picture is still up on the wall at my grandma's house, too, on the great-"grandchildren's section."
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Monday, February 12

Trust me, I'm a Science Teacher


As part of my work with the TTU Howard Hughes Medical Institue science education program, I went to the Texas science teachers convention and I got this button that says "Trust me, I'm a science teacher." That's funny because I DON'T DO SCIENCE! Susan, my boss, is trying to tell me "I am more science than I give myself credit for." I think have her fooled because I drop words like "endoplasmic reticulum" and know why flamingos are pink (because I read it at the Ft. Worth zoo.)
Did you know Raider Red likes science, too? We took this picture of the HHMI students, me and Mandy in one of the chemistry lecture halls. I might not be able to bring much "science" to this group, but I am certainly adding some silliness.

Last Friday the science education scholars and I visited a kindergarten classroom at Guadalupe Elementary. We took a bull snake snake and dry ice to do some experiments. I got to handle the snake some. I actually like handling the snake. Posted by Picasa

Friday, February 9

Britta's Soundtrack

I kinda changed this Friday’s blog topic. It was supposed to be “Top 5 songs and why,” but it was too hard to choose 5, so I am blogging “Britta’s Soundtrack.”

Machinehead by Bush. I would choose this as my “at-bat”song if I was ever at-bat. And that’s a BIG IF or more like a NEVER. Every time I hear this song I think “my at-bat song.” I also like to work out to this song.
Higher by Creed. This is the song that was on the radio when I got done with my GRE. I decided on a Monday to take it on Wednesday and I ROCKED it after no studying. Hearing it reminds me that I can do anything I set my mind to.
Have I Told You Lately (That I Love You ) by Van Morrison. This was our first dance song at our wedding. I also think it’s a song that stands the test of time and a marriage.
Mahna Mahna by the Muppets. This has been one of Patrick’s favorite songs since he could talk. He says, “Do, mom. I wanna hear Do!” Now he is getting to where he’ll sing Animal’s part and the do-do-do’s. This song also reminds me of the folks I attended WTA&Ms Buffalo Awakening with. This was the Tech staff skit.
You Can Call me Al by Paul Simon. This has always been mine and my dad’s song. Not really sure why other than that we wore that tape out. It’s a fun song that we like to sing together.
Only the Good Die Young by Billy Joel. This one is for my mom. One night she and I went to Jazz and Kyle Abernathie dedicated it to us, since we were “Catholic girls” in the crowd. It also reminds me of the good times I had with my CSA crew. “It’s better to laugh with the sinners that cry with the saints.”
George’s Bar by Pat Green. This one is for Josh and the time when I called him from the Pat Green free concert at the fair. And the million times I have told Paul this story and it NEVER gets old – at least for me. It makes me think of fun times dancing with my brother, especially in the parking lot of the hotel in Palm Springs when I drove with him out to Cali when he was in the Marines. Note: Don’t try to make kazis with pre-mixed margarita mix.
Hollerback Girl by Gwen Steffani. This one if for “my girls” and our cheer-off. I think about that trip and how fun it is to be young at heart when I listen to it.
Bricklayer’s Beautiful Daughter by William Ackerman. A guitarist at St. Elizabeth’s learned this song from the cd to play as I walked down the aisle at our wedding. My dad introduced me to the song and I always knew that is what I wanted as my entrance song. I listen to guitar music on my internet radio and it plays at least once a day. It makes me stop and smile about all the blessings my family Paul bring to my life.
Fight, Raiders! Fight! This song makes me proud to be a Red Raider and to work for Tech. I have actually sung it in my sleep at Red Raider Camp and now Patrick knows the words at 2. Supporting Tech through football, baseball, the Hecklers, SaddleTramps. . . will always be important to me and Paul. Hell, we have a whole Tech Room. And Raider Red was at our wedding!

Monday, February 5

Fun with balloons


We came home from the First Pitch Luncheon with a 3 1/2 foot tall balloon column. Patrick has been "burrowing" in it and wearing the balloons around the house. He looks like the Grape Fruit of the Loom guy. He tried walking through a door way and then realized he had to walk in side-ways. He's always good for a laugh. . .

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TROUBLE with a capital T

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, BLAISE-RRRR!

Doesn't this picture just scream TROUBLE!
Patrick, Carter & Blaise had so much fun playing with each other Saturday at Blaise's party.
I makes me smile thinking that our kiddos are going to grow up together and play together.

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Friday, February 2

The Day the Music Died

Long long time ago
I can still remember how the music used to make me smile. . .

And I knew if I had my chance I could make those people dance
And maybe they'd be happy for a while. . .


Bye Bye Miss American Pie
Drove my Chevy to the levy but the levy was dry
Them good ol' boys were drinking whiskey and rye
Singing "This'll be the day that I die."
Keep on rocking Buddy Holly, Big Bopper and Richie Valenz

Happy Birthday, Stacie!

Me and Stacie at Midnight Rodeo wearing Chris' and Mattie's hats - probably on a Thursday after 4th DAy. Ah, those were the days. sniff sniff
Me and Stacie tailgating at the A&M game in 2005.

Today is Stacie's birthday! She is my sister-in-law, Paul's sister and Patrick's God mother. She holds some pretty important roles in our lives. It's thanks to her that I met and married Paul. HAPPIEST OF HAPPY BIRTHDAYS, Stace!

My 5 Favorite Quotes

This is Courtney's week to choose the blog topic. I must admit this one was REALLY hard for me. I have been collecting quotes for a long time and I have a whole book of them. These are some of my all-time favorites, but there were so many to choose from.

What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.
~Ralph Waldo Emerson
This was actually the "quote of the day" that was emailed to me today. I am on like 3 daily quote email lists. It truly is one of my all time favorites.

I haven't learned all that I should even yet, but I keep working toward that day when I will finally be all that Christ saved me for and wants me to be.
Phillippians 3:12
This Bible verse gives me faith that God has a plan for me as long as I trust in Him - no matter how trying things seem.

Here's to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The trouble-makers. The round heads in sqaure holes. The ones who see things differently. They're not fond of rules, and they have no respect for the status quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them. But the only thing you can't do is ignore them. Because they change things. The push the human race forward. And while some may see them as crazy, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones who do.
~Think Different ad for Apple Computers
My dad gave me this quote/ad back in 1999. He's always good for a meaningful, inspirational quote. He also gave me one once upon a time about a frog. I love what that quote means and I try to live my life "eating the big ones first." Thanks, Dad!

Everyone needs a hug. It changes your metabolism.
~Leo Buscaglia
A friend of mine who is now a Jesuit priest gave me this quote at a Catholic Student Association leadership retreat on July 12, 1996. I still have the original note he wrote it on in my quote book. It makes me smile and think about him and how hugs really do make a difference.

A woman is like a teabag - you never know how strong she is until she gets into hot water.
~Theodore Roosevelt
This one is on a card my dad gave me in December 2000. He said it had ME written all over it. I have kept it on a bulliten board in my office ever since.

The quote I used for Steve's birthday from Moby Dick is one of my fav's, too. My senior English teacher wrote that on my Moby Dick paper and I've kept it in my quote book ever since. It's such a true statement. And I really liked that book.

Thursday, February 1

Heckler 6th Annual First Pitch Luncheon

The FLP is such a rush for me! I love being a part of a group that single-handedly raises over $10,000 for Tech baseball & softball. It's a lot of hard work, but well worth it to hear L Hays give The Hecklers props for making a difference. In addition to raising money for Tech baseball & softball, we raised $800 for the new Challenger Little League Baseball field. This was a partial pic of the organizers of the FPL. We missed Dr. Gus, Dr. Gus II, Erin, Chase & Jaybird for this pic. Cheers'ing is Paul, Lansdell, Andrea, Snead & me! I LOVE my Heckler friends! Here's to POCKETS in 2007!

From the AJ
http://texastech. cstv.com/ sports/m- basebl/spec- rel/020107aab. html
"LUBBOCK, Texas - The Texas Tech Baseball faithful turned today for the Sixth AnnualFirst Pitch Luncheon at the Lubbock Memorial Civic Center. The luncheon is sponsored eachyear by the Tech Hecklers and all proceeds go toward the Tech baseball and softballprograms..."