Do I dare to eat a peach?

There's a neat article on Sofia Coppola in the New York Times Magazine: The Coppola Smart Mob. You can also check out a trailer for her new movie Lost in Translation which looks awesome. I can't wait to see it.

Have a good weekend!

I got my new cell phone yesterday. The company had given me a Georgetown number instead of an Austin number, but they were quick to fix it for me. So I have now had four phone numbers in one month. I'm sure the people on my e-mail contact list are tired of getting my e-mails with my contact information. Oh well!

The phone itself is so tiny and clear. It is amazing the clarity difference between my mom's old 1995 cell phone and this one. It has so much crap on it. I can actually compose my own ring tone. That's just insane.

I'm looking forward to this weekend. My plans:

- finish watching The Insider. It's not that bad, actually, even though I don't usually care much for Russell Crowe. He has been way over-hyped. This movie came out before the hype really started though.

- unpack some more and trash the empty boxes sitting next to my kitchen.

- read.

- go to a dinner on Saturday night for the mission committee.

- have the youth group over.

No big plans! My kind of weekend.

CD of the day: Kim Richey, Bitter Sweet.

I don't think ANY of my principals were ever this cool:

A message from the principal.

I think that is the funniest thing I have seen all week. I almost cried, reading it. Plus, the principal went to my alma mater, so that's an added bonus! Here's a sample:

"State law has now made the Pledge of Allegiance and the Pledge to the Flag of Texas mandatory on a daily basis. In every school where I've been principal, I've expected the Pledge of Allegiance to be a daily activity along with a clear understanding of what the words meant. I must admit that, until recently, I didn't even know that there existed a Texas pledge and I attended Austin College in Sherman, Texas. For those of you who are unfamiliar with the Texas pledge, here it is.

"Honor the Texas flag; I pledge allegiance to thee, Texas, one and indivisible."

I now wonder if all states have a pledge? What about cities? Being a native New Yorker I do know the Brooklyn pledge:

"Oh Brooklyn, my Brooklyn, no never will I roam
Cause where else on the same block
Can you eat a knish and a calzone?"

Of course, just to make things interesting, parents can request that their children say only one pledge, or no pledges. This request must be submitted in writing. We are asking that you help us with the needed paperwork. If your child can say both pledges, please attach the word "pledges" to his shirt. If he can only say the U.S. Pledge of Allegiance, please attach the word "pledge." If he can only say the Texas pledge, please attach the word "y'all." If you wish that no pledges be said, attach nothing. If your child is a two-pledge student and you forgot to attach the word "pledges" please call the school between 7:43 and 7:45 so that we may attach the appropriate word to your child's clothes. If you wish that both pledges be said but only on the even days of the month, attach the phrase "two, four, six, eight." I realize that these instructions may have to be sent home more than once until we get the process firmly in place. "

I promise you, there is more to enjoy. Please go read it.

Right after work I am going to my old apartment to turn my keys in. I hope to get some of my deposit back.

M invited me out to lunch tomorrow - his Spanish literacy student invited him and a guest to lunch at his family's restaurant. I wish I could go (I hate to turn down a free lunch) but I have to stay in the office tomorrow, even during my lunch break. Man.

Is it Friday yet? This week is going by so slowly. I keep checking the UPS progress on my phone, and the plan is for me to get it tomorrow. My dad asked why I bought it online. I told him that it was because I got to compare plans better. But now I wish I just had the phone already.

CD of the day: Dave Carter and Tracy Grammer, Drum Hat Buddha. My boss let me borrow it. It's not bad. I really like "236-6132" and "Gentle Arms of Eden".

I got an email this morning from Amnesty USA regarding Guatemala's EMP campaign. I urge everyone to view the flash movie and take whatever action you deem necessary.

And then go rent Romero. I realize it deals with human rights abuses in El Salvador and not Guatemala, but it is a damn good movie. Liberation theology! That's what I'm talking about. I'm all about that.

Another great film to check out is John Sayles' Men with guns (Hombres armadas). Yet another film that deals with human rights issues in a Latin-American country.

Both of these films are very well-done, and while ultimately works of fiction, they both deal with very REAL contemporary issues. I hope you watch them and do something about it.

Dracula's off. I'm a little disappointed, but glad that I won't have three rehearsals a week. I mean, I need some down-time! and now I can go to the gym on a weeknight. Like the old times! before I started moving and all.

I'm in the version of Dracula that my church's performing arts group is hoping to put on. I play Mrs. Fern, the housekeeper, who has the third most lines. Why does she talk so much? Who knows. I made her Ms. Fern and we're going to keep her young. I get to say lines like, "Well, I never!" and "Get Grimm". What draws me to the housekeeper roles? When my World Lit class in high school read Hedda Gabler, I wanted to be Berte. I didn't understand the character of Hedda - that's probably why I wanted to play Berte. I miss that class. I got to spend 6 weeks studying absurd drama all by myself in that class. *sigh*

Anyway, we may not get to put on the play because we are in need of one more guy to play Arthur, Lucy's fiance. I think I'm going to ask M if he wants to be in it. It would be a nice break from his family and studying for the LSAT!

Next Friday Michelle Schumann will play the Sonatas and Interludes at the second annual John Cage birthday celebration. I am so excited! I spent half a semester researching and analyzing what I could of the work (and the prepared piano), but I've never heard it live. For more info on Cage, check out Cage on the Art and Culture Network or my page on Cage.

*sidenote* My music theory prof told us that when John Cage died, they performed a work entitled "In Memory of John Cage" where they all stood up on stage with instruments for a certain amount of time (longer than 4'33", tho!). hee hee!

Thursday I get my cell phone. Yay! I gave up and told my phone company to cancel my order for installation. Who knows when or if it would have ended up being installed anyway? Now I have to see if I can live without the internet at my apartment. . .

I'm going to a memorial service today for a man who volunteered in the dental clinic. I feel like I should go, even though I never met the man, since I am on the board. Plus the church isn't far from work. I feel so awful for his family - he was killed in an auto accident on the way to Abilene? I think. I know he worked a lot with MDC and will be missed awfully. There are only a couple of dentists who volunteer their time in the clinic. The rest get some sort of stipend (although hardly much).

CD of the day: Soundtrack, Moulin Rouge. I should probably give this CD away. I only really like about three songs on it.

I'm testing my "Blog This!" function: Fox News doesn't own "fair and balanced".

This Modern World by Tom Tomorrow: August 17, 2003 - August 23, 2003 Archives

I'm driving K to V's wedding and I'm wearing a really strange dress. It is empire-waisted, but very short, pale blue with weird side-slits and long sleeves. I've never seen a dress like it in my life, but I'm wearing it to V's wedding and feeling self-conscious. In all, V gets married twice in my dream. There is lots of food set out and I eat some of everything. The first wedding is a regular wedding, but the second is some kind of communion wedding. Is there communion at a Catholic wedding? I have no idea.

All I know is, I woke up very glad that I wore what I did to V's real wedding.

I'm sorry my blog has become such a dream journal lately. But I have to write this down somewhere! =)

Let's face the music and dance.

That might not be the best comment to use as a title for the link, but it's all I could think of. Josh of TPM has compiled quotes and reasons why we need to admit our fault in Iraq and get the UN involved.

And I forgot to note that if anyone is going to be in the Crawford area tomorrow, there will be a rally at the high school field for "Support our troops, bring them home". Y'all come out now, y'hear? I wish I could go, but I've got to clean my old apartment and get out of there. And go get TexMex in San Marcos. Yum.

So I have no phone. Well, besides my mom's cell phone I am borrowing for emergency use. My cell phone has been shipped, but since it's coming from Maryland, I probably won't get it until Wednesday at the earliest. Sage is telling me that I should have phone by Tuesday and that they have requested expedited service. It is so strange not to be able to call my friends in New Mexico, Minnesota, or wherever else my friends are.

I haven't figured out what I'm going to do.

Weird side story - I think L's high school Latin teacher is working down the hall from me. I already work with my 10th grade social studies teacher's sister-in-law. Now another teacher down the hall? What's up?

Well, I'll be out-of-pocket blogwise this weekend, but I should be able to check my email. That's something anyway.

CD of the day: Erasure, Pop. Good stuff.

If my math is correct, MoveOn has raised $770,000 so far for the Texas campaign. Awesome. Of course, math isn't my strong suit, so that number may be wrong. Go here and make sure.

The quote from my "Wild Words from Wild Women" page-a-day calendar today is pretty darn good:

"The history of all times, and of today especially, teaches that. . .women will be forgotten if they forget to think about themselves."

- Louis Otto, 19th-Century German feminist

Amen, sister!

I got an e-mail from MoveOn saying how much they raised in one day for the "Defend Democracy" campaign. It is energizing to know that so many people are behind the campaign:

"In one day MoveOn members have contributed more than $400,000 for our
"Defend Democracy" campaign. "

That is so awesome and inspiring. Of course, I can't afford to donate money to anything right now, but thanks to all who did.

Har har har. You must check out Mark Fiore's newest toon:

Action Pack

So true, and so funny.

It is August 2003 and I have bought my first cell phone. I am tired of waiting for Sage to get their act together and install my phone line. Now that I've done this, I definitely can't afford to keep my cable. Ah well. I'll go back to my $10/month basic basic cable; I watched less TV on it anyway. *sigh*

MoveOn is running a campaign to put ads on in Texas at this site. Here is the letter from Sen. Rodney Ellis that I was sent in an e-mail plea from MoveOn:

August 18, 2003
Dear friends,

I am writing to you from a hotel room in Albuquerque, New Mexico, where I and 10 of my colleagues in the Texas Senate have been forced to reside for the past 20 days. If we return to our homes, families, friends, and constituents, the Governor of Texas will have us arrested.

I know, it sounds more like a banana republic than the dignified democracy on which we have long prided ourselves. We are effectively exiled from the state due to our unalterable opposition to a Republican effort -- pushed by Tom Delay and Karl Rove, and led by Texas Governor Rick Perry -- that would rewrite the map of Texas Congressional districts in order to elect at least 5 more Republicans to Congress.

You may not have heard much about the current breakdown in Texas politics. The Republican power play in California has obscured the Republican power play in Texas that has forced my colleagues and me to leave the state.

Recognizing that public pressure is the only thing that can break the current stalemate, our friends at MoveOn have offered to support our efforts by sharing this email with you. In it, you will find:

Background information on how the situation in Texas developed;
Analysis of what's at stake for Democrats and the democratic process; and
How you can help by contacting Texas politicians, signing our petition, contributing funds, and forwarding this email!

The Republican redistricting effort shatters the tradition of performing redistricting only once a decade immediately after the Census -- making redistricting a perpetual partisan process. It elevates partisan politics above minority voting rights, in contravention of the federal Voting Rights Act. It intends to decimate the Democratic party in Texas, and lock in a Republican majority in the U.S. House of Representatives. And Republican efforts to force a vote on this issue by changing the rules of legislative procedure threaten to undermine the rule of law in Texas.

We do not take lightly our decision to leave the state. It was the only means left to us under the rules of procedure in Texas to block this injustice. We are fighting for our principles and beliefs, and we can win this fight with your support.

Sincerely,

Rodney Ellis
Texas State Senator (Houston)

Found this site through Sojourners, but haven't had time to peruse it thoroughly yet:

The Right Christians. Progressive Christians? I can dig it.

This is so awesome, I had to post the whole thing. From the New York Times:


Paul Newman Is Still HUD
By PAUL NEWMAN


The Fox News Network is suing Al Franken, the political satirist, for using the phrase "fair and balanced" in the title of his new book. In claiming trademark violation, Fox sets a noble example for standing firm against whatever.

Unreliable sources report that the Fox suit has inspired Paul Newman, the actor, to file a similar suit in federal court against the Department of Housing and Urban Development, commonly called HUD. Mr. Newman claims piracy of personality and copycat infringement.

In the 1963 film "HUD," for which Mr. Newman was nominated for an Academy Award, the ad campaign was based on the slogan, "Paul Newman is HUD." Mr. Newman claims that the Department of Housing and Urban Development, called HUD, is a fair and balanced institution and that some of its decency and respectability has unfairly rubbed off on his movie character, diluting the rotten, self-important, free-trade, corrupt conservative image that Mr. Newman worked so hard to project in the film. His suit claims that this "innocence by association" has hurt his feelings plus residuals.

A coalition of the willing — i.e., the Bratwurst Asphalt Company and the Ypsilanti Hot Dog and Bean Shop — has been pushed forward and is prepared to label its products "fair and balanced," knowing that Fox News will sue and that its newscasters will be so tied up with subpoenas they will only be able to broadcast from the courtroom, where they will be seen tearing their hair and whining, looking anything but fair and balanced, which would certainly be jolly good sport all around.



Paul Newman, an actor, is chief executive of Salad King.

From my online Page-a-day calendar:

On Nights, Very Bright:
-----------------------------------------------------------------

It’s a sunny night in Atlanta tonight. Great for baseball.


-- ESPN announcer during Atlanta Braves vs. Chicago Cubs game, 2000 season

This morning I woke up completely disoriented. During my sleep I had kicked off the comforter at the end of my bed and slid over to the other side of my bed. My head was on a sham pillow. I don't know how or when I did that.

In my dream I had to deliver a sermon, with K helping me, and basically run a worship service myself. Matt M. was in my dream, which is strange in and of itself, since I haven't seen nor heard from him since a few days at summer camp (before that we had gone to church together in elementary school). In my dream he was married and had four small kids, but I was in love with him and wanted him to stay and hear my sermon. Yeah, it made sense in my dream! In real life I googled him and he is at Stanford Medical School, probably single. There was a pic of him online, and he doesn't look how he did in my dream (so surprising! she notes sarcastically).

I guess that's what I get for mixing Rotel with my shells and cheese. Weird dreams. Okay, I realize I can't blame it on dinner - I've been having them so often lately anyway.

On the Early Show this morning Harry talked to the Alabama Chief Justice who is determined to keep the Commandments at the capitol. I just wanted to flip him off. And I did. Those self-righteous evangelicals make me SOOO mad. They make all Christians look bad.

More later.

Hmm. . . what did I do this weekend? Move, pack and unpack. But I LOVE my new apartment. I have a bigger kitchen and a beautiful view. It seems a lot more like a home than my other apartment did. Yay!

I saw Freaky Friday on Sunday (packing break) and I laughed through the whole movie. It is really funny and quite good. Seeing the end credits I remembered that the guy who directed it also directed The House of Yes which is a sight more twisted. Anyway, I would recommend it. It is worth the ticket price, even if you are older than a teenager.

Both nights that I've slept at my new apartment I have had some strange dreams. Sunday night I dreamt about the guys from Queer Eye and MG. I don't remember too much about it. But last night I dreamt about George Eads ("CSI"). It was strange because I started out playing his girlfriend on the show, but then we were really going out. Then we got engaged. Other stuff happened, but that was pretty much the main plot of my dream. I'll take a dream about George Eads any night. Whoo hoo! =)

Josh at TPM has some good stuff on Tom DeLay. . . Apparently he thinks that redistricting is federally mandated by the Constitution:

"Unfortunately, the Democrats in the state legislature don't understand honor because they're violating their oath of office to support the United States Constitution. They don't understand their duty, which the Constitution calls for in redistricting."

What an idiot. At an open house this weekend, I saw a shirt for the senators. I kinda want one. But if I got it, I probably would wear it about as often as I wore my "Clinton/Gore" shirt. Which is about never.

From the Statesman, GOP ponders tactic: No map, no primaries:

"The effort will have a backlash on President Bush," said Sen. Leticia Van de Putte, D-San Antonio. "I believe it will hurt him in his re-election efforts because we, the minorities, will remember."

The Republicans and Democrats are stuck right now. Neither will admit defeat. I've been hearing more often than not how it seems to be a battle between the white Republicans and the minority Democrats. I don't think I realized that all the Republican Senators were white; what does that say about the Texas Republican party? Another reason I'm proud to be a Democrat. I just wish the Dems on the national scene would show some gumption the way our Texan Dems have.

I'm moving tomorrow - unfortunately, my phone won't be up until Monday. Argh.

I am so tired of packing . . . I can't wait to be done.

CD of the day: Liz Phair, Whip Smart.

In which I eat bananas with my dead grandfather

I'm sitting at a club with my friend M and we see a sign for an upcoming concert with some neat bands. I tell him we should buy tickets, but Nolan Ryan buys them for us. Then I am on the step of my grandma's house with K and KR and we can see my grandpa in the kitchen. We go on into the house and they make themselves at home. I look for a plate in the kitchen when K comes in, cursing about something. I say, "K--! My grandpa!" and she shuts up. Grandpa is sitting and eating at the table, like he hasn't been dead for over 10 years. He's eating bananas and something else, chatting with me, and asks something like, do you think of me when you eat bananas? All this time I am thinking I have to leave soon to drop the gals off and pick M up for the concert. I am only a bit surprised to see Grandpa; it seems natural for him to be there.

Then I wake up and wish I was back asleep. He was so vivid and real in my dream - but he was never that chatty in real life. I wonder if I dreamt about him b/c I saw P last week? I don't remember anything else I dreamt about last night. That was just too strange.

What I watched last night: The Reluctant Debutante. I've seen it enough times to just listen to it while I packed up glassware and appliances.

In my car: Sarah McLachlan, Surfacing.

Current read: East of Eden by Steinbeck. Are all the female characters bad, or is it just me? All the decent people mentioned so far are male. I'm only a little surprised at this.

Ha ha!! I just found this at Common Dreams and had to link to it. I knew my definition of "conservatism" was correct: "explained psychologically as a set of neuroses rooted in "fear and aggression, dogmatism and the intolerance of ambiguity". " And this report puts Hitler, Mussolini, Dubya and Rush Limbaugh all in the same mindset! I kid you not. Go check it out.

Last night I watched 8 Mile, which did not suck. Marshall Mathers is actually a pretty decent actor, better than some "professional" actors I've seen. "How can she watch these films while she packs?" you may ask. Well, I have the movie on while I'm packing, and tend to pay more attention to the film than my packing. Not tonight, though! I will work out, and then pack. Yes. This is my plan.

I haven't heard from the stupid phone company yet. . . arrgh.

This morning I saw Gary Coleman on the CBS Early Show. He was talking about his decision to run for California governor. He assumes that AHNOLD will win. All I can say to that is, "It's not a tumor!!!!" But seriously, I'm pulling for Arianna. Since she came to see the (progressive) light, I find myself agreeing more and more with what she has to say. I feel somewhat sorry for Gray Davis, but I can't say much more than that b/c I don't know a whole lot about CA's situation right now.

I feel like I'm living in loony-land here in Texas. . . what the hell? I just read this. So the Republicans are going to fine the Democrats $1,000/day (from their personal funds) until they come back to Texas? This is ridiculous. Maybe I'll become a "yellow-dog" Democrat; I actually voted for Greg Abbott (a Republican), believing that he could do the job. But now I think that DeLay owns him, too. The move to New Mexico is becoming more and more tempting. . .

That's what I'll do - I'll become a New Mexican Episcopalian. . .

CD of the day: Fountains of Wayne, Utopia Parkway. "Do you love me, Denise?/Oh, baby, tell me please!!"

Packing tonight . . . it's so much fun. Actually, I don't mind it so much. It's the unpacking I mind. Last night I attempted to pack while watching Birdman of Alcatraz. The title of this film is misleading - he didn't actually raise any birds in Alcatraz, only at Levinworth. It's a decent film, though a tad melodramatic. I wished I was watching The Manchurian Candidate at certain points - that is a much better Frankenheimer film.

I met with someone for coffee (her) and cinnamon rolls (both of us) this morning. She works for the non-profit I am on the board of and wanted to discuss my goals/dreams for the organization. Somehow we got to talking about blogs, and she asked me what the appeal was. "Why do you want to put your personal thoughts out there for everyone to read?" I told her a) they are extremely user-friendly, b) I like recommending links I find and music/films I love, and c) I don't name names. My friends who read it (a small number) know who they are, and others don't. I also told her that I do have a "real" journal for stuff I don't want anyone else to read (but it's faster and easier to type it here than write long-hand in my book).

I was trying to convince her that the MDC webpage needs serious updating. I think I volunteered myself to help.

CD of the day: Liz Phair, Whip Smart. Great so far - less polished than her new album, so it sounds more original.

I've added a new motto on my side menu here; I figure this site is more "fair and balanced" than Faux News on any day! Click on my motto to read more about it.

You may ask, as my sister has, why do I want to become Episcopalian? Well, I was baptized Episcopalian, but that was a while ago. . . the fact that they have made an openly gay man a bishop gives me great hope for other Protestant denominations (I'm not kidding myself about the Southern Baptists, tho). The Presbys are supposed to discuss accepting homosexuals at the next General Assembly. I'm afraid it will break up the church.

The problem is - the majority of Presbyterian churchgoers are past the age of 55. I may be exagerrating slightly, but not much. The older generations tend to be more set in what they expect from worship and their church. I can't think that all of them will be open-minded when it comes to accepting gay or lesbian preachers. I'm not that naive. I do think there will be a large number of people that are ready to accept that, because they realize the Presbyterian Church will slowly dwindle down to nil if we don't figure out a way to get more people involved. Since it wasn't that long ago that the Presbyterian Church U.S.A. was divided into Northern and Southern sections, I fear that this issue could split it again.

I'm wondering what people in my own congregation think. Hmm. I know some of them would agree with me, but I fear a lot of them wouldn't.

If my denomination doesn't get its act together soon, I may be attending an Episcopalian Church. We'll see!

Here's a nice bit of hooey for you:

Elizabeth S --
A very special Taurean


Elizabeth S-- is deeply sensual. Her senses of touch, smell and sight are highly refined. And as for her taste? It's impeccable. Elizabeth is extremely discriminating - when she sees the best, she won't ever settle for anything less. She would rather 'go without' than go for a poor substitute. But then that's Elizabeth all over. It really isn't fair to call her 'stubborn as a mule.' Mules are adaptable, easy going creatures who are always eager to please - or at least, they are by comparison to Elizabeth S--. Unfortunately, for a person with such expensive preferences Elizabeth is not a millionaire ...or at least, not yet. You never know, it may just happen because Elizabeth's relationship with money is very interesting. She treats it with a curious mixture of disdain and respect. She never lets it stand in her way, yet she will go out of her way to get it when she needs to. Elizabeth is a smart cookie and a shrewd operator. It is not though, merely in the field of finance that Elizabeth S-- displays intuitive wisdom.
Elizabeth has an affinity with nature. She can make almost any plant flower and bear fruit. This is just as well because Elizabeth has a hearty appetite. She likes her food as indeed she likes all her creature comforts. Fond though she is of all the above - and of all life's little luxuries - there is one more source of endless fascination that Elizabeth cannot resist. Elizabeth doesn't so much have a hearty appetite for sensual pleasure as a ravenous hunger for it! Which is funny really because you wouldn't necessarily think it to look at her. Elizabeth likes to play it cool. Elizabeth likes to pretend that nothing bothers her, fazes her or excites her. Like all Taureans though, Elizabeth S-- is a powerhouse of passion, as those who are lucky enough to know her - or to love her - will breathlessly testify.

Thanks to Jonathan Kainer's Zodiac Forecasts. I didn't know I was so passionate - you learn something new every day!

My mini-break was very nice. It wasn't really much of a break, because I kept busy the whole time, but at least I wasn't working!

Here's the rundown of my days off:

Weds - drove to Plano, picked up K at the airport, ate dinner with P and E, stole glances at MG, met V at Target and we all went to Chili's, learned the story behind our waiter's hickies.

Thursday - went to the Women's Museum (which wasn't as great as I thought it would be). Since I already took Gender Studies and Women's History in America, it was no new information. Although - the little music area is cool. We spent way too long at the museum, ate California Pizza Kitchen and drove back to Plano. Since it was MG's birthday, we stayed at the house that night and watched Contact with him, drinking Kahlua and milk.

Friday - went to the Dallas Museum of Art, which doesn't open until 11am. How silly. We checked out the modern art and the exhibit on Renoir in Algeria. We got a little lost on the way to V's apartment (I was driving and I need specific directions!), then we ate spaghetti and I left K there. I drove back to Plano, read some Grace Paley short stories, then met KR at a certain numbered theatre . We ate Italian and gossiped about the love lives of others and the lack of ours, and then we saw Agatha Christie's The Hollow. It was a really good show, and didn't cost me anything, since KR works there. I got a little lost on the way out there, but got back to Plano with no problems. I was invited to go to V's bachelorette party, but I refuse to go to any form of a strip club, male or not. So I stayed up til 2am watching campy "Dr. Who" on KERA and waiting for K to get to the house.

Saturday - the wedding, finally! It rained, of course. K sang "Ave Maria" and the groom's sister amazed us all with a lack of any musical talent. I was biting my program - that's how bad she was. Ugh. The reception was at Southfork, of "Dallas" fame, and was lots of fun. I tried to nap after that, but didn't really succeed. We met KR at Bennigan's where I got a strong Mojito and then went back to the house. E had "Sabado Gigante" on, but it hurt my brain to try and translate it all so I read some more. Later we borrowed MG's copy of Drunken Master and started dozing before it was over.

Sunday - E fixed us enchiladas (REALLY SPICY) for breakfast, we chatted with MG and P, then I dropped K off at the airport and headed on home.

FYI - P is my grandfather, E is his third wife and MG is her son (only 2 years older than me and NOT a blood relation).

It went by so quickly and I wish I could have chatted some more with MG. He's so very nice to look at. K agrees and flirted with him.

Anyway, now I'm back at work. I have to pack every night this week.

I called my phone company to set up at my new apartment, and the guy says, "we may have to give you a new number." The guy I talked to a few weeks ago told me I would be able to keep my number!

That's all for now. I'll have more later on why I want to be Episcopalian and other such issues.

CD of the day: Phil Collins, Hits.

What weekend?

It sped by so quickly, it barely registered. That's what I get for driving to Houston and back in one day, then going to a concert. I got passes to see Liz Phair in a convoluted way: I work with the grandmother of her keyboard player. Her portion of the concert was quite short, but since I only had to pay $5 for parking, I feel it was totally worth it. I got to hear "Supernova", so it's all good. That song is soooo awesome.

J's apartment is in central Houston, as far as I can tell. My experience with Houston is quite limited. I've been there three times now. The first time I got dehydrated b/c of the humidity, the second time I got to stay in the Hilton and read American Gods in the Enron food court, and this third time really was too short to count. This was the first time I actually drove in Houston. As I was stuck on IH10, I remembered my driver's ed teacher standing by the blackboard, daily regaling us with the terrors of Houston traffic.

It really wasn't all that bad. And since J is going to be living there now, I'll have to visit. Plus - they have a great opera program! And I bought an outfit (tax-free weekend!!!) at Anthropologie. I have a feeling I paid WAY too much. But it looks good.

I got V's wedding present on Sunday. Luckily they are registered at places I thought to look. Otherwise, they were gonna get a gift certificate. I much prefer giving them things I know they want/need.

I drive up to Plano Wednesday. I hope I get everything done before then. I probably won't be able to blog until next week. . .

Current rants:

I can't believe Bush's response last week at the press conference to the question of gay marriages. We know you're a Christian, bubba! You don't have to make a vague reference to a parable to remind us. And why do you think that saying we're all sinners is a way to answer that question?

I'm glad that Dean is getting lots of media attention. He's going to be on Larry King this evening and I'm going to try to call in and ask what he thinks about Americorps and Bush's treatment of it. I doubt I'll get on, but I'll try. I hope this early media attention works for him.

That's all for now - I better go get the mail.