Category Archives: Friends

Unknown's avatar

Let’s Get Packing

by

One summer, I think when I was a sophomore at UT, I threw everything I had in a storage unit and moved to Wimberley to stay with an Aunt. By the end of that summer, thinking things were going to be fine, I moved into a new place, with a new roommate, and took my chances. Despite it feeling a little like Christmas to have my most treasured possessions returned to me – books and posters, I was in college – things from that point on went horribly, horribly wrong.

Now, facing a similar situation, but at a different stage in my life, I keep having flashbacks. We’ve almost moved all the junk in our garage and things we don’t need out of our place already. We’ve opted for a fully furnished type place in Seattle, so we’re not even taking the art on the walls. I have a lot of “those” things, that writers and comedians alike joke about – I’ll see you next time I move. Packing photos and furniture away is strange. MK keeps having to convince me the place won’t burn down. But more than that, history repeats itself. What if we get up there and MK decides he’s bi-polar, lies, cheats, steals, and goes off the deep end and escapes in a stolen car like that horrible roommate?

Well, maybe I’m overreacting slightly, but I can’t get over how that messed with my head back then. I used to never second guess anyone, or worry about anything. Now this life change has me getting nervous. I don’t like it. I’ll be fine when we get up there, it’s this next month that’s going to take some medication to get through.

Unknown's avatar

For Snippy’s Readers

by

Since our dear friend snippy is going to be gone for a while, and I get a ton of her traffic as well, I thought I’d share with you some research that I found out about Italy, so we can imagine her trip more clearly:

Fun Facts About Italy

  • Italy is slightly larger than Arizona.
  • Almost 20% of Italy’s population is over 65 years old.
  • The average Italian makes $26,700 a year, however those in the more prosperous north make almost $40,000
  • The thermometer is an Italian invention.
  • The average Italian consumes half a pound of bread a day.
  • With almost 40 million visitors, Italy is the fourth most visited country in the world.
  • The average Italian is 41 years old.
  • The average Italian consumes 26 gallons of wine a year.
  • Italy has more hotel rooms than any other nation in Europe.
  • Italians used to be known for having large families, however Italy is now known for having Europe’s lowest birthrate.
  • Italian families save more money than the Japanese and Germans, and three times more than Americans do.
  • The average Italian consumes 25 kilograms of pasta a year.
  • Italy imports over 75% of its energy.
  • “Ars longa, vita brevis” is a common saying in Italy. It means “art is long, life is short” and reflects the Italian love of leisure.
  • Italy has a resident foreign population of 1.27 million.
  • The national sport of Italy is soccer (known as football outside of America).

So what can we presume for our friend’s trip other than that IF she returns, it will be on the arm of a former soccer-playing man, over 40, who will subsist on bread, pasta, and wine, she will have no babies and she will be more leisurely? Nah, but we all hope she has a good trip!

from lifeinitaly.com

Unknown's avatar

SXSW Night Three

by

Well folks, there was the good the bad and the pink haired last night. Starting with the good: complimentary drop off from the KD’s sister, a new bar, hearing a little of the Toadies playing at Stubb’s. The bad: beer = not free. The pink haired: was that not self explanatory?

We got free plastic cups, like we were at Rudy’s, I was excited. Until go home time, and some Austin law that does not allow me to take my souvenir cup with. Unless I have a duffel bag.

I am wondering many things today, like why my head hurts, where a couple bruises came from, and if it’s ever going to get old for all of us to meet up and say things like “We need to go out and drink more often” “How’ve you been? It’s been so long” “I hope we see each other again soon”. I sure hope not.

grrr.jpg girls.JPG

We saw music: Zykos, Lomita, Glass Family, The Public… I really can’t recall who was who but I liked all of it. I’m not sure why they liked red lights so much:

band.JPG

I don’t remember this guy’s name, but he liked the veracity of our poses and wanted to take a picture too:

dunno.jpg

And how about one for JC, although I was going to leave it out, since it is completely unexplainable what I am doing:

jamie.jpg

Unknown's avatar

SXSW Night Two

by

It’s Tuesday. We’ve got at least 4 more days of this. It’s not going to be easy. I get the prize for being the lamest – I just woke up. My co-conspirators have to work. The parties are just going to keep getting better, and my feet are just going to have to deal with it.

Last night started totally different than Sunday night, there was a line to get in the bar and we were there an hour earlier. I’d never been to Side Bar before, but it’s bigger outside than it is inside so that’s where we headed. We successfully grabbed a (free!) round and got busy people watching. I was mainly watching LC’s friends that we met there, since I’m an old married lady that doesn’t get to meet too many nice boys these days. LC watched a young man that was swaying dangerously behind me with a giant kite in his giant ‘man bag/satchel’. We made the mistake of thinking that he’d be normal, and asked what the kite was for, since the Kite Festival was last week. He immediately launches in to a defensive tirade of being able to carry what he wants and LC should just quit hitting on him. Yikes. LC has more successes later in the night, talking to the tallest man ever, and other friendly normal people.

JC – my current favorite person – walked up and said, “Everyone in line was annoying. They were all talking about their blogs. (looks at me) No offense.” As a matter of fact, he was right. Everyone around us was either blogging, reading a blog on their phone, or talking about a blog, or asp, or something technical – except the two guys I overheard debating Diane Lane and Bettie Page’s better features. (?) Made me look like I just bought my first computer.

I made the mistake of inviting one person I knew who’d been at the Toadies concert that night, and brought a dozen already tanked friends, who collectively staged the first “Drama at the Bathroom Line” saga I’ve ever seen. Ugh. They got a little better when I met the band they were with, some nice guys who shared their (free!) beer with me so I didn’t have to wait in line again.

It sprinkled just enough for me to not melt, and to clear out some people. Shortly thereafter, the bar tab ended, and many more took off. We finished up our last (free!) drinks and decided to stop over at Club DeVille. There was a nice couple minutes of talking in the middle of the road on the way, watching the end of the Borat movie, and another drink and another new friend before we headed home. We need our beauty sleep!

dayone.JPG

At the various requests of numerous people, here’s the picture, but I’ll allow the computer people to stay and hang out with us…

Unknown's avatar

SXSW Night One

by

There is too much going on to talk about! There was the talking about the Interactive panels, the Twitter phenomenon, the blogging for money, for a career, a worthwhile discussion to be had by anyone. There was a King of the Hill conversation I missed but threw Homies in there anyway. I’ve made it D-elebrity status after talking LC and JA to wear ponchos with my name on them if the rain keeps up. And of course there was the music!!

The rain did not let up. We took that as a challenge. Unfortunately, it made us late and we missed the band that I really wanted to see, Quiet Company. Fortunately, it was a small crowd, so later on we got to meet the band, score the EP, and visit about topics from blogging to tambourine resumes. Which I may soon have one of – to try and get in a band of course – woohoo.

I also talked to Tony Pierce about the panel, the blog world, and everything I missed by not being smart enough to score the badge and browse the panels. I was a little concerned that he’d have better things to do, but he was the coolest for fielding my questions and doling out tips. XXOO.

We forgot our camera, which was completely inexcusable and will not happen again! Promise you’ll get to see first hand all the fun we’re having!

Unknown's avatar

SXSW = Dangerous

by

South By Southwest is the craziest thing to descend upon Austin annually. There are people everywhere, all the hotels are full, the bars go nuts. I worked downtown last year and got to see so many secret shows going on and all that cool stuff you only see if you’re lucky, but of course I was working 70 hour weeks and didn’t go to much. I’ve only total been to about one or two shows a year during SXSW. I usually find someone who knows about the good stuff that you can get in without a wristband. Those shows = free alcohol.

I’ve been so good lately about staying away from all that bars and drinking, in particular it was getting old, but more than that, it was empty weight. Now here it is, free for the taking, and less lame because it’s going out to see a show. How can you say no? So, some very awesome people – one in particular who included me – have the skills of trolling the internet for these free parties, held by the likes of Gawker and the LAist and Yahoo. Not only do I like free drinks, the shows are usually great. Last year’s Diesel Party I went to had the Editors, the one band I really wanted to see. This time around, if you remember this very old post that I wrote about BPM Magazine, well I’ve extended my musical knowledge, and will know a ton of the bands I’m seeing, and that’s cool.

So, I have potential plans for this Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, then Friday and Saturday. I really don’t want to not fit into the size three pants when all is said and done, so I’ll be fighting temptation for a week!

sxsw logo
www.2007.sxsw.com

Here’s a link to a neat playlist that has compiled some SXSW musicians. Check it out!

Unknown's avatar

Last News 8 Appearance

by

Per Mom’s request: A blog regarding my last News 8 Austin appearance, and it’s relevance to today’s news.

At my graduation from UT, my family threw me a super huge extravaganza at my aunt’s giant mansion. There were tons of people there. Dad was making sangria margaritas way too strong and everyone was running around having a blast. There was food and drinks and music and even a giant UT Longhorn cake, that I was put in front of and serenaded with “The Eyes of Texas”, led by my best friend SB who flew all the way from NYC to see me graduate.

To top all that best-party-ever-ness off, they had the TV on just in case. As I was giving my family a tour of the campus earlier that day, I was interviewed about the fact that Jenna Bush was in my graduating class and department. There was speculation about whether or not she would show. I don’t remember what I said, although I felt a little annoyed at the thought that her graduation would be any bigger of a deal to anyone than MINE, but it got on TV. During my party, nonetheless, there I was, on my aunt’s big screen, for all to see. It was hilarious.

SO, fast forward to today, three years later. Mom called to let me know that Ms. Bush has made the news, and will be publishing a book before me. Mom just wanted to apologize that my family apparently did not have the family connections to make my book happen before hers. I’m not worried though, mine will be better.

I went to classes.

jenna bush drunk
www.needlenose.com

Unknown's avatar

Here I Am

by

So we got going early Sunday. Really early. We met up with some friends at Starbucks, aka most convenient place to leave one car in an attempt to get coffee twice…you have to go back… We made it to the park before 11 to be able to see the contests and bulk of big kites and activities. Husband MK took a good half hour to get his super fancy kite off the ground and flying in the gusty wind. While we were remarking how tough it was, there were some similar stunt kites performing. In my ironic ability to be on TV before publishing a book (and also in magazines and newspapers – ACL, NaNo, Beat the Heat etc., etc.) I was interviewed and appeared in both the written article and the film clip that everyone cool saw last night at 9:06 pm on news channel 8.

kite festival

It’s really pretty silly, but thought it’d be good for a laugh. Here’s a link to the article, and if you add the clip to cart then play you can see me! 🙂 Husband is not thrilled that I was picking on him but it was pretty funny, those stunt kites were cool. The voice over about this kids and weather at the end is me too. So it wasn’t all mean. PH is on there too, she wouldn’t talk, but she was standing right next to me.

Unknown's avatar

Oh What A Night

by

Friends, let me tell you, I never win anything. Not the lottery, not random awards, not contests, not at all. Last night, at the

Big Brothers Big Sisters Bowl For Kids Sake(you can still donate…)

my team

(mentioned here) Nabowlian Dynamite

not only had a blast, hung out with old and new friends, but we also screamed and cheered for every granny bowl and gutter ball out there, even more so than the people next to us cheered for each and every strike that they all got over and over…(I’m not bitter…) 🙂

WE WON A TROPHY FOR MOST TEAM SPIRIT.

This is not just any trophy friends. It is a bowling ball bobble head trophy. It was the most hilarious thing ever. We went a little crazy with happiness. I hate to say it, especially since I know how it feels to be the loser, but man, winning is fun. Made the whole thing worthwhile. Never mind all the money we raised and fun we had, we achieved greatness. In shouting. I’ll take it!

I mean, really, I understand that you had to be there, but there really was an energy from everyone, for doing something good and having fun doing it!

Unknown's avatar

Chinese New Year Presents

by

Well, I may have missed it by a day, but it’s the year of the pig! Yay!

We did all the appropriate stuff, I ate some Ramen Noodles and we celebrated in the traditional method of watching 24 hours of Law & Order on the TNT marathon. I got to go out last night and see some old friends and of course, if you know anything, you know that RB is in town (this guy from San Fran) so we got to party, and that is always the Best Of Times.

The house is a full, shiny, happy place full of fun and wonderfulness, despite me waking up every morning with my face still in pain. Boo.

Don’t google year of the pig, whatever you do, there are too many gross pictures of carved up pigs on the internet, that is for sure.


www.chizod.com