Thoughts of An Optimistic Heathen:

Article: Randy Pausch's Last Lecture - Carnegie Mellon University

2012-01-21T21:36:00.001-06:00

Share with olive. Randy Pausch's Last Lecture - Carnegie Mellon Universityhttp://www.cmu.edu/randyslecture/

Zucchini

2012-01-04T18:41:00.001-06:00

Is a go. Yum!

Starting on the wrong foot.

2012-01-03T13:04:00.000-06:00

I am exhausted. Slightly overwhelmed. I can't get my footing on solid ground. Maybe just today. I'm fighting back tears because of it. I know it'll get better and I'm learning to ask for help. It is so hard raising monkey by myself and try to take care of myself at the same time. At least Major comes home for a few weeks soon. Sigh.

Happy new year!

2012-01-01T00:15:00.001-06:00

Exhausted

2011-12-21T10:59:00.001-06:00

I don't know how single parents or other individuals with missing partners do this. Monkey and I are on Week 3 of Major's deployment and I am exhausted. I'm not frustrated with the baby, I'm frustrated with the situation. I'm so scattered lately, my house is cluttered, and I'm sometimes too tired to brush my teeth. I'm too tired to run. Seriously need a treadmill for late night/ early morning

Runner's Low

2011-08-18T07:00:00.002-05:00

I've been reading posts and articles on how to get back into the running mode after pregnancy hoping to get some tips and motivation to get moving and to that I say "Fu**k!" Olive is finally settled into a night time schedule of nursing at 10, 3 and 5. Even getting up at five isn't enough to get out the door and back with enough time unless Major also gets up. Need to try this next week so I

Need to remember

2011-08-10T10:37:00.002-05:00

To brush my teeth and apply deodorant. Mothering is tough work.

2011-06-16T03:27:00.000-05:00

Olivia Marie Risner

2011-06-14T06:52:00.001-05:00

B Day

2011-06-13T08:05:00.001-05:00

Today looks like the day. Likely head to hospital in a couple of hours, not sure why that makes me so nervous. Crazy to think we will bring a small human home!

Monkey Showers

2011-05-17T20:21:00.002-05:00

With four weeks or less to go, Major and I are finally ready to welcome Monkey to our house. Our friends and family gave us THREE showers and lots of stuff to prepare. Love you all!

Travel Details Part 2

2011-05-17T19:54:00.000-05:00

When in Rome... 1 (4 pound) spaghetti squash 2 tablespoons

Is that Fall peeking out?

2010-08-28T21:37:00.000-05:00

I was pleasantly surprised this morning to find a cool, crisp morning waiting for me. Of course, it was also 5 in the morning... First day back on the road after two weeks of dealing with the consequences of running the Chupacabra 10k - pinched back nerve. I longingly watched my regular group continue on while I turned and ran with the half-marathon group for six miles. (I did notice how odd

Lemons

2010-08-18T07:58:00.003-05:00

I need to use the lemons I bought at work. Yes, at work. The cafe is featuring local produce here and there and I was swept up in the awesomeness that is The Lemon. (Need I mention that I scarfed down Lemon-Blueberry Angelfood Cake that day?) The easiest way for me to express my lemon love is with curd. Yummy scented, thick and sweet lemon curd. Now, which version to use... I have six egg yolks

Sugar is love

2010-08-04T07:46:00.000-05:00

At last! This was my fifth batch, third successful and edible. After almost coming to blows with an oven that wouldn't get hot enough, I churned these out on Monday and assembled them last night with help from Major. Alas, my swiss buttercream is not as smooth as I would have liked, but it's a start. These are my Champagne Cocktail Macarons - champagne shells with raspberry cream. More tonight.

Meals #4 - 6

2010-08-02T17:30:00.000-05:00

Bowtie Pasta with Feta Cheese & Lemon Pepper Chicken Makes About 8 Servings from Meal Makeover Moms.3 to 4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves Lemon pepper seasoning One, 16-ounce box dried bowtie pasta 1 small bunch broccoli, chopped 1/2 head cauliflower, chopped 2 to 3 carrots, chopped or ½ bag baby carrots 3 tablespoons butter 6 to 8 ounces crumbled feta cheese 1 ½ cups half & half,

Silpat Fail

2010-07-29T20:26:00.000-05:00

Here I thought using Silpats would be awesome. Giant fail: At first, I thought it was that I over stirred the macronage. While that may have been a bit of the problem, it was truly that I needed to use parchment paper...and a scale... *sigh* Oh, and the humidity - it seems like it's been raining non stop for two months. Why, fates, why! First version two months ago. I will say, meringue is

Meal # 3

2010-07-29T09:59:00.001-05:00

Turkeyball Subs *Adapted from Makeover Moms Ingredients · 2 lbs, ground turkey · ½ cup cooked black lentils · ¾ cup bread crumbs · 1 egg · 1 1/2 cups pasta sauce · 3 tbls olive oil · 1 medium carrot, peeled and shredded, (about 3/4 cup) · ¼ cup diced onion · 2 garlic cloves, minced · 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, optional

Meal #2

2010-07-22T20:52:00.000-05:00

I modified this for Major and Boy by adding the chicken to corn tortillas with black beans, avocado, and fresh mango salsa. Steamed veggies added to Boy’s plate as he picks and chooses through the taco to find what he’s in the mood for. Grilled Cilantro- Lime Chicken Prep Time: 10 minsCook Time: 10 minsServes: 4 1/2 cup fresh lime juice1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro2 tablespoons olive oil4

I love you, man!

2010-07-22T19:49:00.003-05:00

I had another moment of clarity while I was a work, staring at my cubicle walls. In trying to asses and create development plans for each member of my team, the usually sleeping voice in my head shouted "THEY WON'T CARE AND YOU ARE STRESSING OVER THIS FOR NOTHING!" OK, so that's way over dramatic, but you get the point. I minimized all my windows and realized that I was spending too much time

Gonna Fly Now

2010-07-16T08:30:00.003-05:00

Today's daily "Kick in the butt" from Runnersworld.com was this: Part of the challenge of the marathon is pushing past what you think is physically possible. You can do more than you think you can. This week ends Week 8 of my marathon training. After Saturday's 12-mile run, I will have logged 20 miles this week. TWENTY! The closest week to this so far was last October at 16 miles. My

Dear Amanda - The Running Edition

2010-06-30T10:48:00.002-05:00

As my marathon quest continues, I've received a lot of questions about running and how to start: Q: Are you out of your mind? A: Yes, but that has nothing to do with running. Q: How did you start? A: It was a New Year's resolution for 2008. It took me A YEAR to actually get off the couch to run because I decided I needed to be a fit to begin. Cut to January 2009 when I dragged Luz to

Season 2 - Highway to Hell Marathon Training

2010-06-08T20:17:00.004-05:00

I knew this day was coming when we signed up all last year's marathon expo for this year's Rock and Roll Marathon - full marathon training. Which is two weeks before the wedding.Can't be all that bad, right? I continued running over the winter, but I wouldn't say I'm now an athlete. I completed the timed run for this year's group and ended up in the Red group (just barely) by averaging 2 miles

Vote at Communitiestakeroot.com

2010-05-25T07:21:00.001-05:00

Find San Antonio's Food Bank on the list tab and vote daily to help win an orchard! Help a community win a fresh fruit orchard.Here's how ===================================================This message was sent by manda2k@yahoo.com via http://addthis.com.Please note that AddThis does not verify email addresses.

Names, Planes, and Automobiles.

2010-05-10T09:04:00.001-05:00

So... in purchasing our tickets to Italy, I had a minor brain melt - what name would I be using after the wedding. Not sure how this simple step careened into a roller-coaster of stress for about half an hour but I wouldn't be true to myself if I didn't find a molehill to make a mountain out of. Sheesh. In talking with Major about it, he assured me that he wouldn't be hurt if I didn't change my

Morning so far...and more

2010-03-09T09:08:00.002-06:00

Got in a good 40-minutes at the gym: half running, half weights. That's two days in a row this week with an estimated 39 points I should earn for my March Madness team by the end of the day. Five of us have signed up for a workout challenge at work for the next month. D has been down and out for the past few days, so we're going to have to hustle to make it up. Ahhh... but the payoff is weight

Thoughts.

2010-02-22T21:10:00.004-06:00

Sticking to working out has been a challenge. I can't get up at five to run. I need to get up at five to run. I have to start going to sleep by ten. Who's alseep by ten? I need to lose five pounds. Just five. That's two BMI points for me. Two.*sigh*Another challenge: Parenting. It's tough, I get it. Parenting a step-child has it's separate challenges (thanks to my step-mother who's always loved

Back on the Saddle Week 1, Day 2

2010-01-12T13:15:00.000-06:00

This is the third year where I've committed to being more healthy and fit.The first year, I was well into a routine at the gym and changing my eatinghabits. No more ice cream three nights a week, no more weekly happy ourbeer and carb party, no more cheese and cracker dinners. This helped meshed ten pounds.Last year, I finally had better income (making it easier to eat more thancheese and crackers

Happy New Year

2010-01-02T12:19:00.001-06:00

So far, a new baby has been added (Congrats, Jason & Claudia), another engagement (Ryan & Barb), and a new decade has occurred. Ahead, more wedding planning, house fixin' and traveling.Not too many holiday pics this year. Too sick to party it up. That, and everyone is so busy... maybe in the next few weeks...Good times...

Wedding Post 02: On Dress Shopping

2009-12-20T11:38:00.002-06:00

Let me start by sharing that I LOATHE trying on clothes. I have been known to purchase without trying something on, which works about 85% of the time. Also, I will look for clothes maybe once every two months or so, and grab a ton of things to try on in one visit. I hate the little rooms with the bad lighting and the questionably clean floors and seats. Yuck! Knowing this, I knew wedding dress

Wedding: Post 01

2009-12-06T09:52:00.005-06:00

I am a compulsive planner. I plan grocery lists, daily events, errands to the point that I exhaust myself from planner. I wish I was a compulsive organizer so I wouldn't have to deal with the iles of folded clothes and piles of clipped recipes laying about. Anyway.Major and I have begun planning our wedding/celebration circus. So far we have:Set up an online account to have everyone post their

Gobble Gobble

2009-11-27T07:46:00.005-06:00

Thanksgiving rocked.I had a freakish urge to get up at 6:15 and hit the grocery store for a couple of items. Not many there, bu learned the hard lesson that the store will not sell you wine before 7AM. LAME.Inn any case, i spend the morning making:Cranberry cornbread-sage stuffing, Orange-herb Turkey, Corn-leek pudding, Green Beans with caramelized red onions, herbed mashed potatoes and apple

rachel rossi, where are you?

2009-11-10T13:45:00.000-06:00

Every email I've sent bounces back for the past few months. Your cell isdisconnected. Am debating calling the house number and beginning anotherrelationship with the answering machine that may or may not be yours. Don'tfeel like talking to the assclown, but that may be my only option.Where, oh where, can you be?

November

2009-11-03T11:21:00.001-06:00

Here it is, twelve days to go until the San Antonio Rock and Roll Marathon.I won't give myself a high-five until the end of the race, as I'm rollingaround on the ground.October pushed me to my absolute limits with some long runs:8.45 mi/ 1:2612 mi/ 2:30:558 mi/1:30:24Will have to push myself this week as I missed a run. Well, I didn'tactually miss it, but I was a big baby about the last

Nasty carrots.

2009-10-05T21:11:00.002-05:00

Fall and winter weather in Texas could be described as bi-polar. Hot bitch in heat one day, cold nasty ice queen the next. And yet, still poor excuses to not run. The Major and I ran 8 miles in the neighborhood yesterday. Half of the route was on a road with mo shoulder, which is a ton of fun after having it rain all night. I got my mileage in with little pain and was still somewhat productive

Not Procrastinating

2009-09-22T19:52:00.002-05:00

...but have three unfinished posts in draft.*sigh*One full week with Grendel MIA. Sadness, still. More, later.

New chapter

2009-08-30T19:22:00.000-05:00

It's official. I'm all moved in at the major's/my house. Bedroom furniture all set, all my boxes are in the garage, clothes in the closet, pans in the cabinets. *sigh*Pooped. Excited. Happy.

Heartbreak Hill of Westcreek, the new location.

2009-08-14T07:35:00.003-05:00

Ran a new route with the Major in my new neighborhood. OMFG, the hills, the hills! This will be great practice in both directions once I get feeling in my calves back.After spending the week slacking and moving from one house to another, running two miles seemed daunting. I have better appreciation for my endurance, as I'm sure I could have squeezed those two miles out on a flat route without

There once was a girl on the couch...

2009-07-27T18:36:00.004-05:00

Not a year goes by without getting a crazy idea.I started in January, and thought I was going to give myself a stroke from running around the block. I found a 1-mile loop around a nearby school and completed run/walks 2 - 3 times a week for three months, found a couch to 5k training group, and looked for info online (Podcasts are helpful, too). I keep meaning to keep a better training log on the

Two Years Later...

2009-06-18T09:55:00.000-05:00

It's my 2 year anniversary at work today. Wow. The only other experience Ihave to compare it to is the 6 years I spent at Starbucks. Yay for a job,yay for a retirement contribution into my account, yay for disposableincome!Mom has "Officially Moved In." I now live in a room and a half and park onthe street. Seven more weeks, then Paul is back.Carrabba's Relay this weekend. I anticipate drama, but

Road to Somewhere

2009-06-07T07:35:00.006-05:00

Completed the Texas Lavender Hills 10k this past Saturday. In the weeks leading up to this, I kept thinking "Yeah, sure. I can TOTALLY do six miles by then." Who knew that I could ever say that with confidence.06/06/2009 Lavender Hills 10KFind more Runs in Blanco, TexasCome yesterday, I had some serious apprehension. "What was I thinking, a 10k. I just graduated to 4

Dusting off the slack once more...

2009-04-12T13:04:00.002-05:00

Since my last post: I have only $3200 left in debt. Will wait to see how "job eliminations" hash out in June. I've started a relationship with a wonderful man. Said man left for Iraq in January and will return in July. Still Geeking, with another location for me this month. My beautiful godson is almost two years old. My mother is preparing to move back to Texas, my step-dad to follow later.

Oh Sherrie

2008-08-16T14:02:00.003-05:00

Wow. Two weeks of non activity... Tuesday nights are now filled with social activity. Geeks Who Drink has gained solid footing at one location here in town, and a second one starts next month. I'm pretty sure I'll be hosting that quiz, which will be at the Broadway location. Plus: different side of town, new crowd. Minus: other side of town, will get home late and will be grumpy the following

I Want A New Drug

2008-07-27T20:27:00.008-05:00

What to do when your insides feel like they are going to fall out with every step you take (pretty picture, yes?)? Pop some codeine and bake cupcakes, of course!I had all the ingredients to make Vanilla Garlic's Mango Lime Cupcakes and added kiwis as garnish. I went a little crazy with the icing bag, I blame the drugs and wine.I forgot to take pics of the finished product, but since they were so

Mr. Roboto

2008-07-23T21:05:00.003-05:00

The GoodLocal universities were on site at work today to spin their spiel. I hunkered down and turned in my application for Our Lady of the Lake's MBA program. Thank you, work, for $10,000 in yearly tuition reimbursement. I just have to come up with the initial payment and also cover my pre-req class. It finally rained thanks to Hurricane Dolly. My plants were looking a bit sad.Went out twice

Six Underground

2008-07-21T23:19:00.004-05:00

Three visits to the gym. *sigh* I could not get up from the couch yesterday. I slept for three hours after lunch. That just means I'm going to pay for it at the gym tomorrow with the trainer. But at least I've stuck to my guns with food. Mostly. :-)Went a bit over my dining budget, but the sushi and company made it sting less. Tried a new roll at Sushi Zushi, the J Roll (I had a hard time keeping

She Works Hard For The Money

2008-07-15T22:26:00.001-05:00

To save or not to save, that is now the question. I like the idea that I now have some $$ to put away in savings, but the urge to pay off more debt is overwhelming. Laura Rowley posted a great article that speaks to the psychological effects of saving with regards to fixing your personal finances. There are some other interesting topics she writes about, like how we spend in our 20s and begin to,

Feeling Good

2008-07-13T10:57:00.011-05:00

I renegotiated with my bad mood before I finally fell asleep last night, and it seems that the frown has ended it's strike. I even managed to stay in bed past 7 am, believe it or not. Made a pot of coffee, and watched Ratattoile. While it is a Pixar movie, it's also about food so most movies about food are aces in my book. Food, food, fabulous food. Must consider watching Eat Drink Man Woman. Of

What You Need

2008-07-12T23:26:00.004-05:00

Call it good a good financial decision or a change of heart, but I did not get a tattoo today at the convention as much as I really wanted to. Part of it was that I just couldn't connect with any art that I came across, even though one of the artists did a good job drawing a sacred heart to get done on my wrist. Even with that, though, I couldn't decide if I really wanted it on my wrist.The other

Unwritten

2008-07-09T21:18:00.005-05:00

I need to reconsider reading horror fiction before bed; sometimes that crap lingers in the back of my mind and causes me to jump out of bed when the alarm goes off thinking I'm a vampire hunter. Otherwise not a bad start to the day. Spent some time reading blogs during the day (yes, while at work...I know) trying to read up on first-time home buying, healthy dinner recipes, decadent cupcakes,

Patience

2008-07-08T21:42:00.006-05:00

I had my measurements taken with my trainer today. I dropped an inch and a half...from my already small chest. :-| No more weight or body fat loss, more bicep muscle. I've hit another wall. Now it's on to the next step: low/no carbs after 7. (Did I mention my boobs are now smaller?) Good excuse to have a huge breakfast and lunch. Down to one beer on Fridays for at least a month, with a salad.

Changes

2008-07-07T13:07:00.004-05:00

Weirdest thing made me laugh today: while I was sitting out on the balconyhaving my lunch and reading, it began to rain. There were two people at thetable next to me, having an intense and fascinating conversation: She: Is it raining? He: Uh huh. A minute goes by. Rain comes down a bit harder She: It's raining harder, huh? He: Sure is. :-|I really didn't think that a workout this weekend

Save It For Later

2008-07-04T10:37:00.002-05:00

Sooner or later Your legs give way, you hit the ground Save it for later Don't run away and let me downThis was my cool down song after my 20-minute interval run today, it gave me double motivation: it's going to be a hard and painful road to get to 13 miles but I'm not giving up, and to understand that not everyone can or wants to get back up after being knocked down. Can't hold my breath

Under Pressure

2008-06-29T18:54:00.003-05:00

Monday: no gym. Dad and Mom were here, and I had to get home to cut the grass before they did. They were almost done in the time it took me to get home from work.Tuesday: Trainer has to reschedule as she is having morning sickness all day. I complete my 20-minute interval jog and rack up almost a mile and half. Also completed upper-body strength training.Wednesday: Friend cancels dinner plans.

Overkill

2008-06-24T20:31:00.003-05:00

"I cant get to sleepI think about the implicationsOf diving in too deepAnd possibly the complications ...Its time to walk the streetsSmell the desperationAt least theres pretty lightsAnd though theres little variationIt nullifies the nightFrom overkill"I hadn't heard this song in a really long time until this morning on my way to work, Sirius channel 8 (The 80s) reminded me how awesome Men At

Amanda

2008-06-22T22:52:00.001-05:00

I dragged Luz with me to the Smashmouth/Styx/Boston show with me over the weekend and had an absolute blast. Granted, she had no idea who the bands were and it was hot and muggy, but I sang along to every song and left with a giant smile on my face for having the chance to see such a great show. Smashmouth did a short set of all their radio hits, and even played two Van Halen songs. Styx did

It's A Beautiful Day

2008-05-28T20:52:00.004-05:00

Finally getting to the other side of the mountain, with a clearer perspective on life. With that in mind, my focus today is Top Chef. (Note: I've had a fantastic wish of being a chef for over ten years now. Had I known such things as Culinary School existed, I may have had a different life.)And then there were five: Richard, Spike, Antonia, Stephanie, and Lisa.Eww... The challenge is a Tomahawk

Ain't No Sunshine

2008-05-19T22:42:00.002-05:00

from the San Antonio Express News:Lisa Marie Castro, born March 15, 1970 in San Antonio, TX, went to be with the Lord on May 18, 2008 at the age 38. She was preceded in death by her father, Alejandro Castro. Lisa is survived by her mother, Inez Castro and companion, Robert Engel; her brothers, Alex and Mark Castro; aunts and uncles, Mary Arroyo, Celso Zepeda, Victoria Matustik, Consuelo and

Give Me Something to Believe In

2008-05-10T11:45:00.001-05:00

(Christmas 2006: Suze, Claudia and Carla up front, Lisa Marie and I in back)Since I was flying out today to visit Mom, I took Friday off and spent a good chunk of it with Lisa Marie in the hospital. Had a conversation with her, fed her some Whataburger and fries that her Auntie Marty brought over, but I mostly watched her sleep. So I prayed. Well, I tried to. It's been ages since I've actually

Somewhere over the rainbow...

2008-05-08T00:39:00.000-05:00

I hate hospitals. I know I've said it before, but each visit seems to only get worse. On top of this, I walked in with greater dread and tears in my eyes today. I found myself rubbing a huge glob of the free hand sanitizer on my hands the entire elevator ride.My beautiful friend, my sister from another mother, is dying. The doctors came back and said yesterday that the cancer is metastatic and

Easy (Like Sunday Morning)

2008-04-27T15:42:00.006-05:00

I have reached a strange milestone in my life: not getting trashed at any Fiesta event. Don't get me wrong, I still had a morning Mimosa yesterday at Susie's King Williams Fair breakfast which was followed by a fresh strawberry margarita. And even at lunch, which I chased with another margarita and a Dos XX, I still had my wits about me enough to drink enough water to get through the rest of the

You're So Vain

2008-04-23T15:53:00.007-05:00

In my quest to be fiscally frugal, I have often made decisions to not purchase things on a whim: the cute tan sandals priced at $45; a strapless summer dress for $125; a Wii/Xbox or Playstation $399. Self-control has been a difficult learning that’s taken years for me to integrate into every fiber of my short-term-attention-span being. Even with my most recent bonus pay I used 60% of it to pay

Three Little Birds

2008-04-21T22:04:00.006-05:00

Today was a Bob Marley day. By that, I mean I would hum or sing one of his songs when I started thinking about the tornado in my head: an issue with work that I wanted to take care of first thing, Lisa Marie still in the ICU, the fight my brain and my heart continue to have. To remedy this, I blared Three Little Birds from the stereo as I got ready for work. Rise up this mornin', Smiled with the

Twitchy Eyeball Socket Flesh

2008-04-17T20:45:00.003-05:00

Sounds appealing, doesn't it? Try having your lower left eyelid twitch for over TWO WEEKS. I am beyond peeved, beyond aggravated. I want to stick my finger in my eye in the hopes that the searing pain of it will get it to stop. Yes, I am that desperate. After looking for any information about this phenomenon (gotta love self diagnosing on the web), the only conclusions I could draw were:

Money For Nothing

2008-04-12T17:15:00.005-05:00

While I would love to do nothing and make money, that's not my reality. What is pretty real is the amount of debt I've dug out from under; since December 2006 I've cleared more then $9K in debt. I won't get into the horrors of how I got there (that's on another blog), but I am pretty damn proud of myself. Six thousand more to go, and I will be clear of it. I was fortunate enough to cash out my

Faith

2008-04-12T13:39:00.003-05:00

DO called me out the other day while having a couple of beers at the Flying Saucer and discussing our current state and the recent odd behavior of our friends: "Now you have something to go home and blog about, but you'll have to create pages and pages of back story" The truth of the matter is, I've so far yet to blog about our non-relationship and the events that surround it. And to that, here

There, but for the grace of god, I go.

2008-04-08T20:32:00.002-05:00

OK, so I'm not imprisoned in the Tower of London and about to watch someone be executed. I am embarking in something just as serious, though, in becoming Godmother to my cousin's son, JD. This means I've been asked to take a vested interest in JD's upbringing and personal development. (That's the view I'm taking as I know my cousin didn't select me for my religious perspective, even though

Hopeful Self-loathing

2008-03-22T00:02:00.003-05:00

It seems pretty selfish to me right now to rant and rave about the things bothering me right now knowing what Lisa just went though this past Tuesday.Her surgeon fused four of her lumbar vertebrae as L2 was completely destroyed by the tumor as was half of L3. The tumor and her the second lumbar vertebrae were removed, with a cage-like implant to fill the space and two titanium rods to give

Dream of Californication

2008-03-16T19:37:00.003-05:00

Just the fact that people seem to be getting dumber and dumber. You know, I mean we have all this amazing technology and yet computers have turned into basically four figure wank machines. The internet was supposed to set us free, democratize us, but all it's really given us is Howard Dean's aborted candidacy and 24 hour a day access to kiddie porn. People... they don't write anymore, they blog.

Temple of Flesh

2008-03-09T18:19:00.004-05:00

DO and I actually made it to the Slinging Ink Expo at Freeman Colosseum yesterday after months of me teasing that he would never get one if we went and I contributed some cash as his Christmas present. It was most certainly a fest of flesh and ink, although some people would have done better to cover up more of their flesh and not let it all hang out. (A 'illustrated man' in the booth next to

Hitting the Fan

2008-03-09T17:53:00.003-05:00

My pal, LM, was diagnosed two years ago with colon cancer. It still seems odd to me that a 35-year-old woman would have cancer of the colon. Surgery and chemo took care of it. Or so we thought. This past week, she went in for some tests because she wasn't feeling well. Four MRIs, three CT scans and more than 50 x-rays later, the diagnosis is cancer again. Only this time it's in her femurs and a

The Year of Living...

2008-02-06T21:28:00.000-06:00

How to sum up January:Started New Year's hungover and disappointed with myself. I keep hoping people will stop being afraid of themselves and start living life, and I'm starting to understand this is something I can only expect this of myself. At least I knocked a few beers off my list.Mid-January brought news that my cysts are smaller, but not yet gone. Fortunately the pain and unpleasantness

O Little Town of Eagle Pass

2007-12-26T12:06:00.000-06:00

Christmas has come and gone, and it was all a giant blur. I came down with a nasty sinus infection Friday night that left me completely rained on Saturday. With my head pounding and the Vicks slathered all over my chest, it was looking like I wasn't going to make it home for the holidays.Sunday was no better, in fact I think I had a fever all day. In any case, my mom had called to say that my

Cookies and Wine

2007-12-18T22:10:00.000-06:00

The Wino's First Cookie Exchange took place this past weekend with much success. We grazed on snacks and drank much spiced mulled wine, then shared our cookies.Here are the results:Luz - Blueberry CookiesJules - Pumpkin Bread Cookies,Organic Chocolate Chocolate Chip CookiesSusie - Peanut Butter Chocolate KissesSara - Sneaky SnickerdoodlesMe - Cranberry Pistachio Biscotti, Chocolate Peppermint