YOU GUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUYSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I JUST GOT OUT OF MY LAST CLASS!!! OF MY LIFETIME!!!!!
sweet cracker sandwich. this is crazy.
i remember, at the end of my first semester, there was a girl also named sarah who was about to graduate. it was the last day of class, and she was positively *giddy* with excitement, and i thought to myself: “one day, i’m going to be a sarah who is having her last day of class, and it’s gonna feel amazing.”
AND NOW IT IS HAPPENING!!!!!!!
this day is inherently magical, but it features some pretty incredible icing. such as:
1) when i got out of the elevator, i was greeted by this:
i’m really gonna miss having class in the art building. there’s constantly something whimsical going on, and it makes me wish i could go back to undergrad and get my nose pierced and dye my hair dark purple and wear ratty sweaters splattered with paint.
i wanna give a big shout out to sadie for capturing all of these pictures, cos i didn’t have flossy with me today. way to step up, sadie!
2) WE HAD CUPCAKES IN CLASS. you guys. COULD IT GET MORE PERFECT?!!!! one of my classmates used cupcakes in her presentation, cos she is awesome. and we even got to add our own sprinkles!!!!!! this is definitely my kind of graduate education.
3) another presentation featured “apples to apples” which is pretty much the funnest game on the planet. as i looked around the room at my classmates, i realized that i’m actually going to miss them! one of the best parts of being in school is getting to know new people, and it’s been a pleasure to mingle with the future art educators of america. to be honest, they are waaaay cooler than higher ed admin folks (sorry! it’s true!!). not to mention better dressers.
4) KANYE WEST!!!!!!
that’s right, i’m going to see kanye… and rihanna… and n.e.r.d…. and lupe fiasco tonight!!! with erica and henri!!! I’M SO EXCITED!!!! gah i think i’m gonna explode.
here’s the thing, though. even though i’m really ready to be done with school, i still love learning. and that’s why this probably won’t be my last class… maybe in the future i’ll take another art class or a cooking class or maybe even an ADVANCED hip hop class.
i try to cultivate my curiosity as much as possible, and maybe it seems silly, but i consider my foray into hip hop dance to be a legitimate quest for knowledge, such as…
the crank dat lion king dance.
have you guys heard of this dance? probably not, since most of you are white. and apparently white people have never heard of this dance. but it is AWESOME. and so look! i’m sharing my new knowledge with you! learning is so fun!
seriously. this dance is AMAY-MAY. erica and i have already done it a billion times, and i’m hoping to whip it out at the kanye show tonight.
i hope this entry makes sense. not only am i euphoric, but i’m also on sudafed, cos i have some sort of allergy/sinus thing going on.
and since wendesdays are usually question days, i now ask you: what do you want to learn more about? big or small? silly or important?
obviously i’m assuming that you all want to learn crank dat lion king, so you don’t need to worry about mentioning it in yr response.
when my parents and i moved to houston in 1990, my dad *immediately* bought a bumper sticker that read, “i wasn’t born in texas, but i got here as quick as i could!” and slapped it on his truck. i, on the other hand, refused to be labeled as a texan, cos in junior high, being texan meant being a kikker. and for those of you who did not attend bleyl junior high, home of the fighting brahmas, the term kikker was derived from the local country station, KIKK, and described people who wore tight wrangler jeans and cowboy shirts (plus cowboy hats outside of school).
you guys, i came from louisiana. and while we did have country folk and cajuns, we did NOT have kikkers. and there i was, entering public school for the first time, trying to figure out what clothes to wear (i’d been wearing uniforms), desperately hoping to fit in and finding myself in classes with guys who put cases of bubble tape in their back pockets so that it would look like they were sporting chewing tobacco. cos that was COOL.
at the school dances, kris kross would be making me JUMP JUMP when, suddenly, “the dance” by garth brooks would being to play and the cafeteria would fill up with kikkers doing the two-step. as if junior high wasn’t terrifying enough.
thankfully, i survived bleyl without succumbing to the kikker trend, although i did lose one friend to the “suburban country” lifestyle. she stopped speaking to me in the hallway and later joined the drill team, so i guess it wasn’t a huge loss (no offense, katie. you were the only cool silvie).
many, many years later, i find myself in LOVE with texas. hello, i even own a pair of pink cowboy boots! i guess i even consider myself a texan, even though uh you will NEVER catch me in wrangler jeans or with a tin of chew (bubble tape, now that’s a different story). there’s lots of reasons to love living in this state (or, ok, maybe just austin), and i’ll illustrate TWO for you today.
first, the circle country club.
i’ve written about this place several times, but I JUST CAN’T GET ENOUGH. this bar has it all: old cowboys, wrinkled ladies in tank tops, cigarette smoke, neon beer signs… heck, it’s basically just two trailers smashed together. where else can you go for karaoke and expect to meet this guy?
this guy and his DOG?!!!!!
the dog, btw, followed him around the bar and would then curl up at his feet every time he sang a song. is this a louis lamour novel?!!!!!
whenever we perform at the circle CC, i get the feeling that no one else in the bar has ever heard these songs. although we do try to make choices based on the surroundings, like “black velvet.”
i love how this picture makes it look like amber and i are surrounded by adoring fans, just cos greg got on his knees by the stage and waved his hands.
we did have another fan, though. i think he thought we were singing about him!
henri and greg decided to go for a more “classic” number rather than straight up country. although, when you think about it, “total eclipse of the heart” has about as much angst as one of those “i lost my truck, i lost my wife, i lost my job” type of country songs.
here’s a video of their stunning performance:
another awesome thing about the circle CC is the dance floor!!! people, including total strangers, will get up and dance during yr karaoke song!! does that happen at other places?!! oh really? ok, well, does it look like THIS?!!!
check out henri, rocking out by himself in the background.
i like to think we put on a good show for the people of the CCC. or, at the v. least, they have something to talk about at the local diner the next day.
“johnny bobby, you would not BELIEVE the people that showed up last night at the country club. they did some song about good vibrations and kept hollerin’ ‘COME ON COME ON’ and bless my soul, they were a hoot. of course, them city folk are always a bit strange.”
another highlight of the CC are the duets. people are CRAZY for duets, and you can always find a partner, especially if you’re singing an old hymn or a johnny cash song.
greg managed to team up with not one but two customers of the CCC. that’s quite a feat, especially since he holds the microphone like a total pansy.
i love getting to know the “regulars” at the country club, including the guy below, who is kind of the manager/bouncer/guy who hits on underage girls. he’s got an AWESOME voice, check it out in the video after the picture.
the ladies in our group finished off the night with a rousing performance of “lady marmalade” and were rewarded with a round of wine coolers from the bar.
i posed for that picture, then threw away my wine cooler. cos i don’t care how much i love texas, wine coolers are gross.
henri and greg closed down the club with their stirring rendition of “more than words,” which i’m pretty sure even made the dude with the dog tear up.
the next day, erica and i met up with my parents in georgetown for one of the other things i love about texas: small town festivals!
this particular festival celebrates the red poppy, since apparently people in georgetown used to love opium or something. basically, it’s just an excuse to sell kettle corn, crafts and show off antique cars.
my dad looooves checking out old cars.
after looking at this jeep, he turned to me and exclaimed, “sarah! this jeep is older than me!” i couldn’t tell if he was excited about the jeep itself or just about being younger than something.
i decided to make everyone pose by their favorite car. here’s my impression of a country floozy waiting for a hot date to pick her up on the main drag:
mom is OBVIOUSLY a fan of red. VROOOM!!
erica chose this antique that reminded me of something in an old disney cartoon. like, the headlights would be the eyes and it would run on its tires and speak in a goofy voice and toot its horn whenever it sneezed.
besides cars, there were also puppies!!!!!
the animal shelter was sponsoring an adoption day, which meant there lots and lots of opportunities for cuddling and petting.
and what festival would be complete without a moonwalk? even better, a CASTLE MOONWALK?
my dad bought me this super cute wooden owl whistle, cos i went to rice, home of the fighting (read: studying) owls, and he has a secret plan to fill my house with owls by the year 2015 so that i will have to hire him as a caretaker and therefore save him from the boredom of retirement.
then i made mom and dad take a photo on this bench, cos i adore cheesy photo opportunities.
erica and i took one too, but we kinda covered up the flag. don’t let that fool you, though. we are total texas girls… BUT NOT KIKKERS. obviously.
i mean, where else can you stroll down the street and see this:
cowboy hat? check. handlebar mustache? check.
I LOVE TEXAS.*
*this does not mean i’ll be buying one of those bumper stickers though. sorry. there’s only so far a girl can go.
you guys, what did i DO on thursdays before henri invented sing-alongs? i mean, HOW DID I LIVE?
last week, i attended TWO sing-alongs, both of which ended up being super super awesome (duh).
wednesday night, henri hosted a michael jackson sing-along, which was actually the first sing-along i ever attended. that show is made even MORE historic by the fact that it inspired meredith and me to create the famous Dance Toll, which is now recreated at clubs across america. by us.
wednesday’s show featured an extra layer of awesomeness, cos henri has joined up with “thrill the world,” a campaign to create a guinness world record for the most people performing the “thriller” dance. i haven’t thought of the guinness world book of records in AGES, but i was totally *obsessed* with it as a child. i remember poring over the photographs and feeling simultaneously reverent and repulsed… except for the “longest fingernails” winner. that’s just plain G TO THE ROSS. the world does NOT need that kind of record.
anyway, henri actually flew ines, the girl who created this idea, down from canada so she could teach us the dance after the show! and there was even a “make yr own MJ glove” table!! I HEART CRAFTS!
check out heather’s BEDAZZLED glove.
here’s erica and chris, doing their best Magician, i mean, Illusionist impression.
ines was a really good instructor– you can tell she’s been doing this for a while, cos the girl is a dance pro. here she is, teaching us a v. v. important michael jackson move: the crotch grab.
all of a sudden, boba fett showed up at the dj booth!
i’m sorry to say i have no explanation for this, other than maybe bounty hunters just really dig “smooth criminal.”
during henri’s second reprise of the MJ sing-along, we tried to teach ourselves the thriller dance (i supplemented our practice with a couple viewings of “13 going on 30,” cos i’m such a studious pants), and guys, it was hard! i mean, that whole arm thing is pretty easy, but when it gets to the turns and the order of things, i get confused. consequently, it was pretty amazing to see this room full of people effortlessly learning how to dance like zombies.
here’s a video of the beginning of our lesson:
the middle:
and near the end:
that is SOME progress, yeah?!!!!! by october, when “thrill the world” actually happens, austin is gonna be, like, the number one thriller-ing city. we’ll be so good, we’ll even make michael jackson cry, which, you know, is probably not that hard to do, actually.
anyway
thursday night was the third new wave 80’s sing-along, which has turned out to be one of the danciest, funnest shows in sing-along history. you CANNOT SIT STILL during this show. i mean, who can resist the synthy excitement of “just can’t get enough” or the bopping beat of “take on me”? no one can. NO ONE. like even skeletor would shake his thang if he heard “bizarre love triangle,” am i right?
for last week’s show, i decided to have a make-up party (make-UP, not make-OUT, just to be clear, since people had this strange tendency to mishear me whenever i talked about it, AHEM henri), and we got totally new waved OUT!
here’s ines, creating a flock of seagulls masterpiece on henri’s head.
teresa went for the popular “blue & pink” combo, which were pretty much the only two shades of make-up i knew about until i was in the eighth grade.
i was inspired by the two girls (dancers? actresses? props?) in the flock of seagulls “i ran video,” which provided the perfect compliment to henri’s hairdo.
why yes, i AM launching my own cirque du soleil show, entitled “gotika.” it shall feature SPIDERWEBS and BATS and GRAVES…on trapezes… in SPACE! and with cupcake juggling, cos, you know, it’s me. but the cupcakes will be BLACK. BLACK AS DEATH.
seriously, though, i think i created a pretty good replica. see for yrself:
when michael and christie walked in, i said, “you guys look great!” then christie giggled, “uh, we’re just wearing our regular clothes.” ahh, hipsters. you gotta love ‘em!
erica and amber both went for the blue theme, with erica sporting some particularly divine eyeshadow.
amber wore her AWESOME! YELLOW! REEBOKS! which i totally covet. except i’m so anal, i’d probably never wear them for fear of contaminating them with dirt. which is actually, now that i think about it, the least objectionable item found on the pavement of sixth street.
the new wave show is SO packed with goodness, people freak out at the beginning of EVERY SONG. you totally feel like you’re a concert, cos people are like, “OMG! I LOVE THIS SONG! I CAN’T BELIEVE THEY’RE PLAYING THIS SONG!” (by the way, i do this all the time. even when i’m listening to a cd… that i made). and then they stand up and squeal like this:
i have never seen a bigger (straight) erasure fan than teresa. the girl LOVES her some erasure. here’s what she did when “oh l’amour” came on.
sing-alongs have made me realize that i basically haven’t aged since i was eight years old. i still LOVE to sing my heart out to my favorite music and dance like i’m on crazy pills (except now i jump on the stage instead of on my bed) and dress up in costumes and smear tons of glitter and make-up on my face.
the only difference is that now, I DON’T HAVE A BEDTIME! which means, late at night, on thursdays, you can always find me at the alamo, dancing and singing and looking like an eight year old who was left alone with a bag of walgreens make-up and a case of nerds candy.
thelma houston: don’t leave me this way –> one of my favorite songs from dancing with meredith in our whiskey bar days
today i present to you an amazing speci(wo)men of the human race: miss meredith borders.
meredith, the punk rock queen of rainbow brite pirates everywhere
destiny brought meredith and i together in december of 2004, when she started working in my office at UT. in fact, friendships were pretty much the only good thing that came out of that job, and the fact that i met meredith (and kc) is the only reason that keeps me from completely wiping any and all memories of that time in my professional career.
anyway!
meredith and i feel in love with each other while watching movie trailers in my office… i mean, ATTENDING TO V. IMPORTANT BUSINESS. she became my dance partner, my alamo companion, my fellow foodie, my biggest source of support in austin. each morning, i’d call her into my office to discuss a “v. important memo” so we could talk about Every Little Detail of our lives. we even took an *amazing* road trip together to celebrate the end of 2005, which was quite a tumultuous and life-changing year for both of us.
i miss those days, but now meredith, along with her fabulous boyfriend, matt, are flourishing in houston, and i’m pleased as punch to report that i still see her quite a bit (i would say she’s pretty much a celebrity when it comes to this blog). oh and did i mention that we email each other obsessively? cos we do. but, you know, it’s about v. important memos. obviously.
meredith is an amazing, wonderful, intelligent, creative free spirit, and i’m so happy that i can share her with you guys today. picture-wise, i’ve mostly selected photos from her past costume parties, cos i don’t know *anyone* who loves dressing up in costumes more than miss borders.
so meredith, let’s start with one of yr obsessions: horror movies. tell me about how it all began…
I think it started when I was watching Nightmare on Elm Street Part One when I was really young, 4 or 5, at my cousin’s house. I was scared peeless, but I do remember thinking, you know, that I kind of dug that feeling. Soon I was watching cable-edited Poltergeist marathons whenever my parents went to sleep and renting Something Wicked This Way Comes and Watcher in the Woods every weekend.
can you describe what exactly you love about horror movies? what separates a good horror movie from a bad one, in yr opinion?
Part of what I love about horror movies is that bad horror flicks are so much more palatable than bad comedies or dramas. They’re still kind of goofily fun to watch. I just love to be scared; I’m also a big fan of Stephen King and other scary books and TV shows. I used to (hell, I still) just lie in bed and think about scary things until I thoroughly freaked myself out. What other people might consider to be a bad horror movie, like low budg B-movies or weird 50s foreign films and stuff, I enjoy. What I consider to be unwatchable are those slick Hollywood teenage movies they churn out every month, like Prom Night or When a Stranger Calls. Although I love the Jeepers Creepers and Final Destination series, both of which I assumed would be total crapfests, so I try to be open-minded until I hear something about the production.
costume birthday party 2006: meredith as marla (from fight club), mandy as margo tenenbaum.
say you had a friend who was a total pansy and had to close her eyes during a movie like, um, maybe “gremlins.” what movie would you choose to give her a taste of yr horror movie love?
Well, you might recall that when I realized I had a friend who was a total pansy who closed her eyes during Gremlins, I recommended Devil’s Backbone (and you’d already seen it!). That’s one of my favorite movies, hands down, and it’s definitely scary, but it’s also poignant and shot in this gorgeous, haunting way and kind of…elegantly atmospheric rather than the jump-out-and-grab-you kind of horror. Also, it has cute kids, and you’re into that.
tell me about yr future as a horror film critic.
I have this idea that I could ideally make some sort of a living reviewing genre films (including comic book, fantasy, and sci-fi flicks) and have a website that would put the endlessly obnoxious and aesthetically displeasing Ain’t It Cool News to shame. Of course, that’s never going to happen if I don’t manage to put my lack of motivation/ terror of having someone read anything I’ve written issues to bed!
you and matt have big plans that involve germany and brew pubs. tell me all about it!
Yay! Well, some of you may know that my boyfriend is an utterly rad brew master and gourmet chef. We’ve both always had dreams of owning a business, and the plan came together quickly when we first started dating, and we’ve stuck with it. We want to open a brewpub/restaurant in possibly Portland or somewhere comparable, named Skull Creek Brewery, and we’ve completely designed and decorated it in our minds. We want a next door bar (sort of like the B Side of Bitter End) called Cellar Door, and you actually walk down through a cellar door into the full-scale bar.
I also want to have a big outdoor area w/ a movie screen so we can have movie night and show old movies and have themed food (uhm, that idea might sound a little familiar to some of you Drafthouse fans). And just several different theme nights, like karaoke and beer tasting dinners and open mic night, etc.
I’ve always promised myself I’d take a year off to write and also that I’d live in another country for a year, and Matt wants to go to the greatest brew school in the world, located in Berlin. So we’d like to combine those plans in three years (as the budget dictates), and we save almost all of our money every month in honor of that dream. However, if the US dollar continues to crap out everywhere, Matt may have to settle for the excellent brew school in Chicago and we’ll just hang on to our foreign country plans for now, b/c we don’t want to throw away our hard years of savings due to a blow-worthy economy.
The nice thing about these plans is that they’re definitely going to happen. I’ve got a lot of pipe dreams–you might say I’m just one big pile of pipe dreams. But this isn’t one of them. We work hard, plan endlessly, and we’ve both made significant personal sacrifices for this goal, and it’s important enough to both of us that I just know we’re going to do it. So in 5 years or so, everyone come get a friend discount at Skull Creek Brewery!
meredith with her beardalicious boyfriend, matt, enjoying the houseboat life.
i would like more details about the food you will be serving at the brew pub, cos i need to start planning my first meal there now.
My pleasure! The food’s going to be really eclectic, because we ourselves have a lot of variety in our munching. For instance, I want to offer a lot of vegan/vegetarian options, since we eat veggie about 75% of the time. I definitely don’t want to advertise ourselves that way, b/c that scares away the carnivores, and we’ll have plenty of meat, too! But Matt’s got a vegan lasagna that I defy anyone to dislike. I love his turkey meatloaf and jalapeno mac and cheese, and that will absolutely be on the menu. For our first anniversary (heh, can you tell I liked this meal, since I’m remembering it 4.5 years later??), he made these blue corn crawfish enchiladas with saffron rice and garlic spinach, and we drank it with his out-of-this-world prickly pear mead, and that day I said we had to put it on the menu. Basically, every time Matt makes any dish, I fall in love with it and insist he put it on the menu. We’ll probably have to rotate. I want to have a brunch w/ the best idea ever that *I* invented: bellini jello shots! Peach jello made with champagne. And Matt’s eggs benedict over crab cakes and…well, this could go on for awhile. I vow that Matt will create a super fancy mac and cheese dish that we’ll name The Posh. Take THAT, Alamo Drafthouse!
YES!! i will finally have a mac ‘n’ cheese named after me!! talk about a pipe dream coming TRUE!!!
as i’ve mentioned before on this blog, you and i like to play “fantasy restaurant,” where we pick out our favorite foods and put them under one (imaginary but amazing) roof. tell me what would be on today’s menu, please!
Today’s special is the lobster risotto from Magnolia, my step-dad’s chicken and dumplings, Matt’s crawfish empanadas with dirty rice, and a crème brulee from, like, anywhere, b/c that’s hard to mess up and it’s one of the few desserts I can’t refuse. So, it might be a weird meal, but that’s what I want right now and it’s MY fantasy restaurant!
you are one of the most avid readers i know. if you could play the part of any character, who would it be? (and it’s ok if you want to pick more than one)
My first instinct was to say Elizabeth Bennet, b/c, duh, Mr. Darcy. But, you know, I like voting and owning property, so no thanks. I’d love to be Gandalf from LOTR, or Susanna Dean in the Dark Tower Series, or Jonathan Strange from Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell.
you and matt have definitely become fans of h-town in the time you’ve lived there. what parts or places are yr favorite?
I have you to thank for several of these, b/c you introduced them to me on our Greatest Hits of Houston tour we took when Matt first moved here. I love 19th street, I love the museum district (which is a good thing, since I spend a LOT of time here), I love Art Car Parade and International Festival and Montrose. But I’ve really grown to love living downtown. I love walking or riding the train everywhere. I love Warren’s, which is a great bar with strong, cheap drinks and the bartenders recognize us, which is always a plus. I love walking to our favorite restaurants and getting the same server. I freaking ADORE the new Discovery Green park they’ve just put near our apartment, and I can tell we’re going to spend a significant portion of our lives there. I most love it on the weekends when it’s completely dead and I feel like I own the city.
at the apocalypse, wow! party: meredith scared my pants off as evil willow.
one of my favorite things about you is yr “star jones” quality, i.e. you tell it like it is. where do you think this trait came from? how do you balance being honest with being kind?
It’s nice that you like that about me, because I’m sure it gets tiring! I’ve never thought about where it comes from, but I’m pretty sure it’s not genetic, since my entire family is all about beating around the bush. I think that may be part of it, actually, because I just sort of grew up being the counselor/advice-giver/caretaker for my whole family, even when I was young. My childhood was kind of, er, unconventional, so I had plenty of opportunities to drop truth bombs on my family, even my parents.
But balancing honesty with kindness is definitely a trait I got from my mom. (Heh, readers, she’s also where Sarah got the phrase “star jones quality”, b/c once my mom said, “I just love that Star Jones! She really tells it like it is!” Which was both cute and embarrassing to hear.) She’s got the gentlest way about her, and she taught me (by doing rather than saying) that it’s best to bookend harsh truths with kinder truths.
you truly have a fabulous zest for life, which i think is part of the reason you’re such a great friend, such an amazing party planner, etc. what’s yr secret?
I don’t really know, I guess I just decided a long time ago that fun is better than tedium, adventure is better than safety, trying something new is better than the same old routine, and I don’t like wasting time. I’m quite decisive, which can be a bad thing b/c I don’t think things through, but it helps me to just grab the fun wherever I see it and hang onto it, rather than sitting around thinking about it. I’m also pretty good at shrugging stuff off and not letting the little struggles get to me, b/c that’s not nearly as awesome as…starting a dance party, for instance.
now, just to indulge myself, a few pop culture questions:
who’s yr favorite character on buffy?
Oh, Giles, no question. Brilliant, kind-hearted, and YUM. I love an authority figure. I always crushed on my professors and teachers growing up, which is why it’s no coincidence that my boyfriend totally looks like he should be teaching chemistry or something.
felicity: ben or noel?
Ben, Ben, a million times Ben. Noel can shut it with his whining and his judgey. I’m going to Prague with Ben!
if you could work with anyone from “the office,” who would it be?
Well, Stanley’s my favorite character to watch (”But on pretzel day? Well, I like pretzel day.” Me too, Stanley!), but he’s kind of a grump and I don’t think I’d enjoy working with him. Kelly Kapoor, all the way. It would be just like it was to work with you! We’d just talk celebrity gossip and boys all day!
you and i share a love for celebrity gossip… got any predictions for me? blind items?
Funny you should mention it! My current theory is that Ashlee Simpson’s not really pregnant. Her gross dad is just telling everyone she is so there will be some interest in her sure-to-be terrible upcoming album, and then after it drops, she’ll stop hinting and being coy, and just tell everyone, “Nope, I’m not pregnant. Why do you ask?”
halloween 2007: malificent mistakes jem for sleeping beauty.
what is yr secret power?
I’m gonna go with party-throwing. Dance parties (which I can conjure from thin air), themed parties (why, yes, you do have to wear a costume in July), movie marathons, upscale parties w/ champagne and canapes, keggers in my generous unnamed friend’s jungle-y backyard… I’m a pretty rad hostess, if I may say so.
do you sleep in jimjams? what kind?
Heh, oh DO I. I own more jammies than any other item of clothing. I go for the printed lightweight cotton version, with sushi, aliens, baked goods, cowboys, sheep, what have you. I change into a long, fancy pair the second I get home from work. Then, once it’s time for bed, I change again into a short, casual pair for sleeping. I wish I could tell you this is a joke.
what is yr #1 favorite food?
Well, I know most people expect me to say bacon, and that’s certainly close, but I think of your favorite food as the one item you could eat every day for the rest of your life. And that’s a tie between migas and crawfish. Or crawfish migas, which YES PLEASE.
what is yr top restaurant recommendation in austin? what’s the best thing on the menu?
My favorite restaurant in Austin isn’t fancy or foody. Now that I live in Houston where there is a wealth of fine dining options, I miss the casual outdoor funkiness of an Austin establishment. So I guess my top recommendation in that area would be Maria’s Taco Xpress. I used to live next door and it shaped most of my college career. The best thing on the menu would be, what else, the migas.
tell me about yr top area of expertise.
Horror movies, probably. Either that or Victorian literature.
what was yr favorite item of clothing as a child?
I don’t recall a specific item, really. But I do remember that for my entire third grade year I just wore red, all red. Socks, shirt, pants, all of it. My poor mom would try to cajole me into another color: “Mere, you’re so creative, I’d like to see you direct some of that creativity into your clothes. Why don’t you try another color?” But, you know, I liked red.
NYE 2005-06, champ cans in san francisco.
what do you plan on doing when you’re 80?
I’d like to have a bunch of land out in the country, somewhere Pacific NW, with a neat house built to be as green as possible (rainwater collection system, solar panels, etc). But I also want a little cabin on the land that I’ll turn into a B&B. And I want cows, goats, a pig, chickens (I don’t, really, but Matt wants chickens and we compromised, so I can get the pig), a couple of dogs and cats, and a huge fruit and vegetable garden and an outdoor kitchen (for Matt). And I want to (continue to) make my own soap and lip balm and other hippy items, and sell them in the little country store I will own on the land!
if you could assemble yr own ocean’s 11, who would you pick and why?
I’d like to be the first person to actually list 11 people for this question, b/c I’m OCD that way. I will do all of the plotting, planning, and organizing, as that’s my other secret power. Sarah, you can be the mysterious beauty who distracts the security guards. Henri can fund us with his future millions. Josh can be our legal counsel when we inevitably get caught. Erin can be the gadget lady, as she enjoys wiring stuff. Matt can build us the exact replica of the casino’s vault (what? I like heist flicks). My HS boyfriend Charles can be the explosives guy, since he got suspended for owning the Anarchist’s Cookbook. John can be our token guy with an accent. And I’ll also need some fictional assistance: Reluctant Assassin Jason Bourne (with apologies to Mark, who had the genius idea first), Special Agent and Strong Sender Dale Cooper, and Off-Duty Cop John McClane.
what is yr best karaoke song?
REGULATORS! (Mount up!) Both Nate Dog AND Warren G, right here.
do people ever tell you that you look like someone famous? who?
Heh, so for this question, I went to that My Heritage website people on this blog keep talking about, and I got some delightful results. I apparently look like Lynda Carter (AWESOME), Vanna White, Billy Idol (I wish), and Tony Danza. I mean, I actually look nothing like any of these people, but you’ve got to love a computer program that claims you look like both Vanna white AND Tony Danza. Fantastic.
tell me something scandalous!
I’m disarmingly frank about a lot of stuff so people won’t notice that I’m actually weirdly secretive!
* * *
thank you for allowing me to interview you, meredith pants!! it’s been a pleasure.
this is posh deluxe, signing off, with, well, a bit of a crush, actually.
p.s. don’t forget, if you’re dying to ask meredith a question, perhaps about her brewpub or a particular horror film, feel free to do so in the comments!
LINKS
ok, i know lions are scary but… lion CUBS? SQUEE PANTS!!!!!!!!
you know how it’s super fun to look at pictures of yr friends when they were small and ultra cute? well, check out this awesome site j. found.
remember that subway vent/trash bag art guy? well, he’s gotten even BETTER.
ok, first, can i just stay that the museum industry is OBVIOUSLY missing out on some superstars? I WANT TO GO TO ALL OF YR MUSEUMS!!!! i’ll even become a member so i can get yr newsletters and come to all of yr swanky happy hours and be a VIPants!
seriously, we need to find some rich, generous benefactors PRONTO.
anyway
guys, i’m taking a mental health day today from ye olde blog. i’m sorry, i don’t even have a clever video to show you. but, you know, there’s a whole internet out there, so GO WILD! don’t hold back on account of me!
i’ll be back tomorrow with a fabulous interview that you won’t want to miss!
so i’ve been taking this class about art museum education, and naturally it has led me to think about what kind of museums i like and which ones make me all zzzz.
today, while having class in the blanton (the art museum on campus), i found myself daydreaming about my fantasy museum… which would, of course, be the Museum of Baked Goods.
here’s an architectural rendering:
this museum would basically be the BEST MUSEUM in the entire world. like, even better than the tate modern.
first of all, the whole place would smell like baking bread, not cos we’d be burning yankee candles but cos there would be ACTUAL BREAD BAKING. basically, i’d like to take the mrs. baird’s factory (road trip ‘01 holla!) and find a way to fit it into one of the galleries. then you could learn about how bread is made and get to eat a slice (with butter!). v. v. educational AND tasty!
there would also be a gallery of pies– pies from around the world, cos culture is V. important. i would probably hire a consultant from house of pies just to make sure i had good representation. and yes the pie would be fresh and edible! i’d probably include some pie-making demonstrations on a daily basis.
but there wouldn’t just be food, there would also be art! paintings and drawings and sculptures of baked goods! it would be so beautiful! i think that shall be called the Thiebaud Wing of the museum.
i, of course, would give tours, which would include such activities as “decorate yr own cupcake” and “name that bread!” in order to reach out to the community, there would also be a monthly lectures series, including topics like “careers in baking in the twenty-first century” and “yeast: it sounds gross, but it’s awesome!” my dad would even be a guest speaker on “beer biscuits: safe for children.”
so, that’s my museum, and i hope you all become VIP members so you can get yr name inscribed on a stone cupcake.
now, tell me what YR fantasy museum would be…
my only request is that yr museum be open on mondays, cos is that annoying or what?
i’m probably late on the train here, but have you guys seen the evil face baby? LOVE. (thanks, selina)
so matt sent me this cadbury creme egg commercial about eggs committing some kind of mass suicide. to be honest, it’s kiiiinda creepy.
how have i never seen the CUTE SHOW before? the opening credits include my favorite things: a rainbow, cucpakes, and a kitten with sunglasses!! i think i made this show in my dreams! anyway, check out the (short) episode about squishy face cats. PRECIOUS!
right now, i’m in the midst of a battle between two 80s songs: “everybody wants to rule the world” vs. “everybody’s working for the weekend.” and yeah, it’s TOUGH when you’re caught between two such awesome tunes.
as many of you know, i’m graduating (FIIIIINALLY) next month with my masters degree, and i’ve told myself, in the plainest terms possible, that i MUST change jobs this summer.
so my self’s been all, “yes! great idea! change is good! it will happen this summer! now… what’s going on with kristen dunst and ryan gosling?”
it’s easy to tell myself that i’m going to do something in a couple months, but now graduation is rapidly approaching, which means summer is coming, which means… i have to uphold my promise to myself or my self will stab me in the eye. cos my self HATES flakiness.
therefore i’ve been thinking about possible jobs and the types of things i like in work and the types of things i’d rather ask my assistant (HA HA) to do. so when i saw a piece in the times last week about work expectations, i was all ears (eyes?).
basically, lisa belkin posits that we’re giving our kids the wrong idea about work and its meaning. she writes:
Which incarnation of work should we be taking our children to? The one that is fulfilling, uplifting and ego-affirming, or the one that is grueling, taxing and just plain boring? We want them to see this as an adventure, yet be prepared for difficulty so setbacks don’t make them retreat. We want them to seek their passion, but let’s face it, we also want them to do something that will pay the rent.
she talks about how college grads expect their first job to have MEANING and if it doesn’t, or they fail to get that job, or they have to spend most of their time making copies, they’re screwed for life.
jezebel mentioned this article in an entry that echoed lisa’s opinion:
There is no perfect job. As my dad has always told me, as long as your work is not immoral, unethical, or illegal — well, then it’s good work. Sure, hopefully you find it interesting, but there is no make-believe land where you are rewarded daily with gold stars, and championed for your “passion” for merely showing up and breathing air. But if you work hard and at the end of the day can be proud of what you did — well then, you done good.
i think i’ve had enough experience (7 years) in the working world to realize that yeah, gold stars don’t come in sheets of fifty anymore. i’ve also come to the (difficult) understanding that not everyone can have an amazing, exciting, earth-shattering job. there just aren’t enough, and our economy happens to need people who can process paperwork and serve food and answer the phone (well, now that happens in india, but still).
so am i doing myself a disservice by looking for a really meaningful job? or do i just need to adjust what i term “meaningful”? for example, if i had a job that kept me busy and challenged my brain, would i be happy, even if i wasn’t particularly helping people or changing the world? it’s definitely possible.
i’m not saying we should give up on our dreams (dreams, i KNOW you’re out there, and i will identify you and collect you in a jar and take you home with me). but maybe this whole job search would seem less overwhelming if i decided to look for something that would challenge me without taking over my life. something that i can be proud of but may not win a nobel peace prize for.
not only am i ok with that, but frankly, i’m relieved.
so what do you guys think? how do you find meaning in yr job (if you do)? what sort of expectations do you have for work?
maybe all we really need is a good, sturdy 80s power suit to make us feel like we can TAKE CHARGE of any job and make it MATTER.
i mean, it’s entirely possible that the career confusion and whinyness of generation Y is simply due to a lack of shoulder pads.
you guys have GOT to watch this video… and then enjoy taking the stairs for the rest of yr life. thanks to j. for pointing me to the accompanying article on his blog.
speaking of, another great dessert recipe for all of you bacon lovers: candied bacon coffee ice cream!!! matt s., please tell me you will make this for meredith.
is anyone else hitting that point where the weekends are starting to feel like summer, which makes you feel like you should still have a “real summer” and therefore makes you v. lazy and unwilling to get out of bed for work, cos you really don’t care about anything that involves a desk?
yeah. i had that kind of weekend.
friday night, erica and i got all gussied up care of the benefit counter (she’s shopping for make-up for all of the weddings she’ll be in this summer) and met henri at parkside, this newish fancy restaurant on sixth street (diagonal from the ritz). it’s kind of like tapas, except instead of spanish food, they have a raw bar and a sort of american style. guys, this place is TASTY BUSINESS. just to give you a clue, here were my top two favorite items:
MAC N CHEESE (–> possibly the best i’ve had in austin, NO KIDDING)
DONUT HOLES
yes, you can order donut holes for dessert, and they’re the funnel-cake kind (rather than squishy glazed, which i also like) with cinnamon and sugar, and you can dip them in three sauces: butterscotch, apple butter and brandy cream. THIS IS THE FUNNEST DESSERT EVER.
oh parkside, you are my new alamo companion.
then, just for kicks, we decided to get a table at pangea, the ridiculously “posh” club that lives at the old alamo building. in order to get a table, you have to purchase a bottle of liquor, except we’re not talking uh, spec’s prices here. it’s more like, a mini-bar mark-up times ten. wowza.
for a one night experience, though, it was toooootally worth it. here’s erica and me, poshing it up:
here’s the inside of the club, which looks a little different than when there were “F”s everywhere for the facebook party (i took this picture at the end of the night, so the lights were on).
here’s our table, a.k.a. our private bar.
so, pangea has this kind of safari theme, which translates into guys playing bongos (to the beat of the dj) and dancer girls scantily clad in strips of red fabric (i was thinking they’d go for animal print, but no). the bathroom is STOCKED with all kinds of products, and there’s a girl who works there and hands you soap and towels. i felt really bad for that girl, esp. near the end of the night when the bathroom was packed with gossiping girls and someone was throwing up in one of the stalls. i swear, that girl needs her own reality tv show, just in the bathroom.
here’s erica, who got up on the shelf (?) above our couch and danced with the bongo dude.
question: how come the dancer girls where next to nothing, but the bongo guy doesn’t even take off his shirt?!! honestly.
around midnight, the club started filling up, and some fresh reserves arrived in the form of tim, caitlin, michael and his girlfriend, christie.
here’s tim and henri, overwhelmed by what the original alamo has become.
and here’s christie and michael, who are way too good-looking to be caught in pangea.
even though the club was definitely overhyped and kinda smarmy, i give pangea MAJOR PROPS for putting a sparkler in your drink before they serve it to you. it’s like, there’s even more party in the tequila than usual!
the girl in the red is our intrepid waitress, jessica. she was v. nice and attentive, esp. after michael got there.
plus, she danced with us!
i don’t know if christie was covering her face to avoid being photographed at pangea or out of sheer shock at henri’s dance moves. either way, i understand.
look for the above picture in the next issue of tribeza. FIERCE!
at the end of the night, tim decided to give everyone leaving the club a high five. cos if you go to pangea, you’re a WINNER!
most of the time, people just kind of left him hanging. but not this guy!
thanks, brah!!!!
tim ended up making LOTS of new friends that he will never, ever see again. and you know, i think that’s a good thing.
saturday was gorgeous and sunny, and the best place to start that kind of day is trudy’s! i met up with becky and raymond, who were in town for a wedding, for some breakfast tacos and life dishing. raymond misses austin so much, i feel like i should set up some kind of exchange program for him. anyone wanna live in stafford for a semester? hmm.
after lunch, henri and i decided to give our picnic backpack (dubbed the “picpack” by meredith) its inaugural run with a trip to whole foods and a hike around barton springs. doesn’t henri look like a little french boy on his first day of school?
we found a secret shortcut through some woods, which felt v. exciting until a jogger passed us. hmph. so much for secrets. still, it was nice, esp. cos we had bread for crumbing in case we got lost.
we had planned on renting a canoe, but guess what? the canoe people work out of a little trailer and sit on folding chairs, which means they don’t exactly take credit cards. when i was surprised by this, i realized that i am definitely, definitely a city girl.
plan b turned out to be excellent– we walked over to the swimming area of barton springs and watched all of the doggies and kiddies play!
funnily enough, it says “no swimming” by the swimming area. how curious.
my favorite sighting were these two schnauzers, who arrived via their owner’s kayak (they stood proudly on the front while he paddled) and then were unfortunately leashed to the boat while their owner swam around and flirted with OTHER DOGS. UNBELIEVABLE.
here’s one of those “i love living in austin!” shots from the pedestrian bridge:
how can a day possibly get better? well, I WILL TELL YOU.
A CRAWFISH BOIL!!!
yikes, i know, they’re kinda creepy looking little things, aren’t they? but i still like to think of myself as a lousiana girl, so the prospect of getting my face and hands INSANELY gross with crawfish and corn and potatoes seemed like the best idea in the world.
henri’s co-worker, mike, has a huge backyard, complete with a totally amazing fort that henri really, reall covets.
and yes i swung on the swings! woo-hoo!
here are the lucky owners of the fort, mike’s two kids. you guys, there is NOTHING more fun than watching kids try to wrangle crawfish. it never gets old, for them or for me. until one of them gets pinched and starts to cry (well, this actually didn’t happen to the boys, but one little girl was V. V. SHOCKED that a little crawfish would dare to pinch her).
i LOVE the smell that emanates from the pot of boiling seasoning and crawfish and vegetables. NOM NOM NOM.
yes, i know the crawfish are boiling to death. but i feel no sadness, only HUNGER.
here was also homemade sausage involved…
i started to feel like we were in “sweet home alabama” or some kind of southern movie, cos we sat around and drank beer and shucked corn and just had ourselves a dang good time!
there were kids running around and playing the entire time, which added to the idyllic vibe. here’s jack, who was waiting impatiently to be pushed. he got really mad at me after i took this photograph and yelled, “I’M NOT PLAYING WITH YOU.” ok then!
henri and i had to take a short break so he could introduce a documentary playing at the alamo called “young at heart.” it’s a movie about a choral group of (extremely) senior citizens who perform rock songs, and we ended up watching it later that night. it’s a really sweet movie, especially if you love old people (which i do). when i’m 80, i’m totally gonna join a choir and rock my (granny) socks off.
the reason henri had to intro this particular screening was due to the presence of some special guests– austin’s v. own senior choir! and look how rockin’ they are!
they performed two numbers, including rod stewart’s “forever young,” a song i have LOVED ever since my BFF emily philips got the 45 record of the single and we danced to it on her bed.
here’s a video of their performance, which quite possibly puts rod stewart to shame.
the best part was that one of the ladies mistook a male voice coming through the speaker for henri, and she kept smiling at him throughout the song. “you have a BEAUTIFUL singing voice,” she said, even though henri wasn’t singing at all. i think she was just trying to flirt!
back at mike’s backyard, we discovered that some of the crawfish had been “saved” by the kids as “pets.” i immediately pitied them, as i believe being targets of child’s play is a far crueler fate than death by boiling. later that night, i’m pretty sure the crawfish agreed with me after they were dropped several times from the top of the fort.
one of mike’s sons showed henri a nest he found with a baby bird! it was pretty exciting…
\
until i saw the bird. um GROSSSSSSSS. p.s. ERIN LOOK AWAY.
i aaaalmost lost my appetite, but hello, that’s impossible at a crawfish boil. esp. cos you’re about to dismember creatures that are already really creepy-looking.
here’s mike and john (father of jack), pouring out the tasty business.
and here is the end result of all of our shuckin’ and boilin’ and mass murder!
GAH I WANT TO EAT IT ALL RIGHT NOW!!!
karrie agreed and showed no mercy to her cob of corn.
it’s funny, cos i’m so anal about keeping my hands clean and yet i LOVE getting down and dirty at crawfish boils. i mean, people just stand around and and talk and ruthlessly tear apart crawfish and stuff their faces. it’s sooo the american way.
here’s tim with (a small portion) of his wreckage:
i thought for sure that the food would be the highlight, but guess what? i got to hang out with a super happy baby named finn!!!! he is totally my new boyfriend (sorry, henri). i mean, just look at that face!!! I WANTED TO SQUISH HIM but of course i held him v. gently and carefully. cos he is a sweet fragile little pea.
as you can see, it was the kind of weekend that just got better and better until it had to end cos of STUPID MONDAY.
a-ha: take on me –> randy’s favorite 80s song (ask him to sing it for you)
folks, it’s time for another pants interview, and today i am delighted to present to you my dear friend, mr. randall thompson.
randy and i go way back to junior high, when we both looked about ten years younger then our peers… hmm. HOW THINGS HAVE CHANGED.
anyway, i’m thrilled to have randy in my life, even though we live in different cities now (he’s in houston, so at least it’s not the other side of the world like SOME PEOPLE i know). he’s the kind of guy that just MAKES FUN, like, out of thin air, and he’s always a joy to be around. randy also happens to be one of the most caring and compassionate people i know, which comes in handy, since he works as a pastor. i give randy a hard time about being a republican, but the truth is, i love having a friend that offers me a different perspective, whether it’s politics or spirituality or culture. when i asked him to do the interview, randy hesitated, cos he didn’t think he sounded nearly as interesting as, say, olivia.
but you guys, i’m doing these interviews because i happen to think that i have the most FASCINATING friends in the universe. i really believe that. and it’s my hope that these interviews will allow you to glimpse the amazingness of the people who populate pants world. people like randy, who might see themselves as “ordinary” but are in fact anything but.
so, let’s meet randy!
hi randy! welcome to yr interview.
Before I begin - let me thank you for interviewing me immediately after Carmen Sandiego. Compared to Olivia, my life seems oddly pathetic, as most anyone’s would.
randy, obviously you didn’t read the stuff i just wrote at the top of this entry several hours after this interview. you’re amazing! ok? ok.
so you’re a pastor. how did this happen?
The short answer is: God called me to be one. The longer (but still not complete) answer is, I went to UT thinking I might be an accountant since their accounting school is so highly acclaimed and whatnot. I took “Intro to Accounting” and changed my mind. After my freshman year, I interned in downtown Houston for what is now a subsidiary of Reliant Energy doing contract administration. I got paid a lot of money and hated it. The Office is so much funnier to me because of my time there. (there was a lady there who downed Metabolife and took naps at her cubicle - I’m still waiting for Michael Scott to introduce her) After spending the next summers interning at my church instead (and loving it), it was obvious to me that I was better suited to disregard my degrees in Finance and Government and serve full-time as a pastor.
back in high school, you were so involved in student council, i was pretty sure you were gonna be a politician that my dad would totally vote for. how have yr career goals changed?
I thought that I might be in politics, too. I was heavily involved with SG at UT and spent weeks of my life each year campaigning for office and pushing for different projects. It was a lot of fun and I still might go into that arena down the road, but I honestly don’t have some sort of overly ambitious endgame to jump into public service. My career goals amount to following where God leads me which likely will be seminary in the short-term. Who knows what happens after that?
before you started working with college students, you were involved in the junior high ministry. what was THAT like? seriously, how did you handle junior high kids all day?
Junior High kids (when at church, at least) are crazy-accepting, but ironically go out of their way to insure that others accept them. This happens even if going out of one’s way results in poor choices in terms of relationships or behaviors. People think that they’re mostly fart jokes and dodgeball (which, btw, always work), but Junior High students are likely the most confused people on the face of the earth, outside of superdelegates. Beginning puberty and having to take personal responsibility are never fun. You have the kid who has the need to high-five you every time you see him (even if you saw him last only one minute ago), as if to say, “You still like me, right?” You have the girl that is so embarrassed of herself that she never talks and you have to sit down and spend time just to get an answer to, “How are you?” And you have the guy whose older brother is Mr. Valedictorian/Prom King/Super-Jock so the sense of entitlement has worn off on the sibling and you need to gently restore him to reality.
They’re VERY energetic (kind of like my puppy, Belle). You can’t be tired around them or they get bored and plan a coup d’etat. They’re as human as people come. They are a mix of conflict, love, intelligence and emotion at a very basic level. They take everything in, even if they don’t look like it and admire anyone who is within ten years older than them, regardless of lifestyle. It’s a dangerous age, to be certain.
belle, randy’s absolutely adorable and junior high puppy.
do you think we were like that when we were in junior high? surely not.
I’ve thought about that A LOT lately. I’ve come to the realization that we were, indeed, just like them.
wait, what WERE we like in junior high? do you remember? what about high school?
I don’t remember things very well, honestly. I remember wanting to be funny and wanting to learn about how to be funny. (Enter devotion to SNL and, therefore, a somewhat warped sense of humor) My family moved just before my seventh grade year and I was dealing heavily with being taken from my Alief friends. (That’s right - I grew up in the hood. gat gat) I didn’t hang around with the pigbutts too much in Junior high, but going into high school, I think that we all had a pretty good head on our shoulders, relative to most of our peers.Still, I see how immature we were in other areas, not that it’s something to be ashamed of - we were still growing up.
seriously, since i have a terrible memory, tell me a story about us in high school.
How about Junior High? Because I didn’t want to take health in 8th grade, I complained to the counselor and got placed in SPEECH 3 with Ms. Schreiber. Because the relocation happened mid-year, I entered the class halfway through preparation for a play. It was a courtroom drama that we performed for other students to help them understand how the court system works. Kind of like “Law and Order: SVU” without the cops and perverts. Since everyone already had a part, I was assigned the made-up role of assistant to the prosecutor. “Who,” you ask, “played the part of the prosecutor?” Poshdeluxe herself. So, that’s my first memory of Sarah. We ended up just writing notes to each other when you didn’t have lines. Because I didn’t listen to anything but oldies in Junior High, writing notes back and forth with you was also my first experience with top 40 music. I remember you asking me if I liked REM’s “losing my religion” via play-notes and I wrote, “yeah!” I secretly had no idea who REM was and had never heard of the song in my life.
Also, there was one part in the play when, while playing your Tom Cruiseish super-prosecutor you yelled at the witness, “AND YOU ELECTED TO PLAY GOD?!?!?” At which point the other lawyer said, “OBJECTION!” I don’t remember the circumstances, though.That’s pretty funny.
OMG i totally remember that!! i LOVED saying that line, which might explain my obsession with law & order at the gym. hmm. maybe i should’ve gone to law school after all. maybe you could come with me and still work as my assistant. i can only imagine that our note passing abilities would reach extraordinary heights.
anyway, now that you work with college students, how do you identify their needs? how do you support them? what do you think are their most pressing issues?
There’s too much variety with college students to identify a group of shared issues. Some are dealing with having to be in the real world and some love their new freedom and handle it excellently. The only way to identify a college student’s needs is to talk with them.They’re usually not evident, prima facie.The biggest thing they want is something to do on the weekends that doesn’t cost anything. The biggest need that I believe college students have, en masse, (and most don’t even know they have it) is to engage in a community that enhances their relationship with God. It’s funny that people go to college and grow themselves mentally, emotionally and socially and somehow, they often choose to remain spiritually immature. I know that this response may be seen as drumming up business for myself, but I don’t think any of your readers are undergrads . . . right?
you’re happily married to a lovely lady. tell me about how you and jennifer make it work. and i don’t need, like, oprah tips, i just want to know what it’s like for you.
I’m not a fan of Oprah, so I won’t be telling you what I would DOOO-OOOOOO (Tracy Jordan, anyone? - never mind). Jennifer and I “work” best when we are on the same page. This is much more than communication. We still are learning each other and what we’re like. When we’re not on the same page, things can get testy, but when we can see where each other is coming from and remind ourselves that we love each other more than anyone else loves us, things tend to work out okay. Much of it is keeping ourselves centered individually so we can be centered as a couple. (I admit that I what I just wrote is very Oprah-like, but I don’t care.)
randy and jennifer, being all squee!
is it weird to live in the same area where we grew up? why or why not?
Yes and no. It’s weird to drive by Creek and think that I’ve not progressed much. It’s also weird when high school students talk about their teachers and how much they love them and you know what they’re talking about because you had the same teacher TWELVE YEARS AGO. But a lot has changed about the area. There’s a new Central Market-ish HEB five minutes from our apartment that I LOVE. (I cook) Things are getting more posh around here. (Ironically after the Pitres took off - what’s up with that?)
how does it feel to be the only republican who comments on this blog? how do you keep yr spirits up?
Most of the time it’s not an issue since my spirits aren’t based on what other people think or say, anyway. I also believe that there are some closet conservatives around here who won’t show their cards for another ten years or so (this helps me believe that I’m not alone and as long as you and your readership indulge this idea, I’d be grateful). I think if any of your commenters met me in a bar or something and struck up a conversation, they wouldn’t know I was conservative unless we got into deep stuff. Not wearing issues on my sleeve certainly helps.
my dad has always been convinced that you would be the next letterman. so, seriously, tell me when you’re going to have yr own talk show. what would it be like?
This is kind of a secret dream. I LOVE Conan, Colbert, Letterman and even Leno. I know what they do isn’t easy, but I could totally make it work and I’d be good at it. It wouldn’t be all comedy – I’d like to have more than Hollywood celebrities on there.Granted, Dave asks tough questions to the politicians who show up, but that’s only once a month, or so.
To pay the bills, I’d have to do endorsements of the products I love such as Cheez-Its, Starbucks coffee (yea evil corporations!), and KitchenAid mixers.I’d also do personal commercials for my favorite shows, LOST, 30 Rock, etc.
what is yr secret power?
Understanding what my puppy is thinking at all times.Hopefully I’m as good whenever we have kids.(good at reading my child’s mind – not the dog’s)
do you sleep in jimjams? what kind?
YES.I have these UT pajama pants (burnt orange with white longhorn logos) that I got from the Co-Op (yea evil corporations!) when it opened in Houston.It’s usually that and a plain white t-shirt.
what is yr #1 favorite food?
I LOVE Italian food and Mexican food.But my favorite food to eat is whatever I cook.Even if what I cook isn’t the greatest, it is my current favorite food.
randy, eating gelato in italy. cos he loves to make me jealous.
what is yr top restaurant recommendation in austin? what’s the best thing on the menu?
Well – I don’t know much about the GOOD restaurants that you would see on Top Chef or something, but I love to eat chicken flaquities at Trudy’s with a frozen margarita.(with salt, thank you)Trudy’s stuffed avocado is also really good.I remember back when it wasn’t on the menu and was only served as a special every once in a while.I also love Texadelphia cheesesteaks, Kerbey Lane Blueberry Pancakes, Kerbey Queso, Shady Grove and Chuy’s stuffed sopapillas.
I enojoyed eating at Jaime’s off of Red River.I was talking with my dad a couple of years ago and discovered that it was his favorite restaurant while he was in college.That was weird.
tell me about yr top area of expertise.
I am an expert at getting around Houston.That’s one thing I’d be somewhat intimidated by if I ever moved.I wouldn’t know where anything is.
what was yr favorite item of clothing as a child?
I have no idea.Maybe because I’m a guy I didn’t really care.
what do you plan on doing when you’re 80?
Maybe I’ll start a blog and interview my friends who are still alive.Just kidding.Hopefully, I’ll be writing books or something about the things I’ve learned.Maybe someone will find it useful.
if you could assemble yr own ocean’s 11, who would you pick and why?
It kind of depends on what I’m breaking into.I’d probably have to have my wife there.My friend Jeremy would be important also.Probably all the guys who were in my wedding and some really smart people who are agile, so Stephen Hawking is out.
what is yr best karaoke song?
I’m really good at most songs that I know.I really like “It’s Not Unusual” by Tom Jones.
do people ever tell you that you look like someone famous? who?
Not really.According to the web site I looked on for your “Which celeb would play you?” post, I look like David Arquette.But I think John Cusack would be a good match, too.I guess I only look like me.
tell me something scandalous!
George W. Bush did not really steal the 2000 election, it was handed to him by a bunch of inept Democrats.Zing!
randy told me not to use this picture, but you should never, ever say that to a journalist. cos then they will use it. plus i can’t help the fact that i love this photo.
on tuesday night, something totally major happened.
dessiree, my little sister, performed in her first ever DANCE SHOW!!!! and i, along with erica and henri, were lucky enough to be there to witness her big debut. it was truly a star-making night, one that people magazine will cutely reference after dessiree’s launched her own hip hop reality TV dance show along with a street clothing line and rap album.
although dessiree was *obviously* the highlight of the show, the whole event was preeeeetty awesome.
first, it all took place in a high school gym. you guys, i haven’t sat on the bleachers in a high school gym since i was forced to attend pep rallies at cy-creek, so you can imagine the waves of nostalgia (well, nostalgia may be too sweet of a term) that waved over me.
erica was pretty excited as well. GO COUGARS!
did you know that crockett hearts their seniors? cos they do.
by the way, that’s the “stage area,” complete with starred backdrops and a student teacher who would count off the beginning of each dance and then press play on the CD player, which was hooked up to a truly craptacular “sound system.”
all of this made henri v. v. happy.
i told him that this is the kind of thing that the alamo loves to replicate (i.e. prom, camp), except we were enjoying THE REAL THING.
i could tell from the program that we had a truly exciting, pop-studded evening in store.
actually, when i first looked at the schedule, i kind of panicked, like HOW LONG IS THIS GOING TO TAKE? cos, you know, we were supposed to go to dinner afterwards, and i’m not the kind of gal that can stave off hunger in a calm or gentle fashion.
however, after the first performance, i realized that none of the dances lasted for the whole song. in fact, most of them were one minute, tops. so the song would begin, and the girls would dance, and then, abruptly, the music would stop, and sometimes there would be a final pose, and other times they would just sort of… walk off.
are you getting the impression of how great this was? seriously.
i mean, just look at these faces!!!
not to mention dance = chance to wear AWESOME SPARKLY COSTUMES. i’ll get to that more in a minute.
one of my personal favorites was the ballet performance to “hey there, delilah.” i truly regret not recording it (special thanks, btw, to erica, for actually remembering to bring her camera).
the show was peppered with performances by specialized dance groups, like the color guard!!!!!
ok, in all honesty, i totally made fun of the color guard in high school, but ONLY BECAUSE my band friends told me they were lame. and yes, band nerds calling the color guard lame is like, oh hai pot! this iz kettle!
but this group was AWESOME! seriously! i especially liked the guys in their zoot suits. check it out:
i also, god forgive me, loved the drill team. they were just so SHINY and GOLDEN and SMILEY. here they are, waiting for the music to start, clenching their pom poms and nailing on their smiles.
so, let me take a moment to discuss “jock jams,” since you really can’t experience an event in a high school gym without them. back in MY day, jock jams were like, techno or hip hoppy songs that kind of bled into each other. but NOW? maybe i’m just getting old, but these new-fangled jock jams are totally schizophrenic! hey, record company! don’t ya think you’re trying to squeeze a *few too many* extra songs or genres in there? it’s like a tiny volkswagon stuffed with members of van halen, cypress hill and sisqo. i.e. THIS IS NOT THE VH1 CIRCUS.
don’t let it distract you, though, from the excellent use of pompoms in this routine.
i mean, loverboy AND AC/DC? come ON.
also, the drill team, known as Lil’ Anns (isn’t it supposed to be Li’l? grammar queens, help me out), had QUITE the finish.
and finally, FINALLY, the moment we were all waiting for– dessiree’s first dance number!!!!!
watch this girl do her thang!!
i felt sooo proud of her, cos she was incredibly nervous, but she totally pulled off her moves with style and finesse!! go dessiree!!!
and then it was time for more sparkly costumes.
seriously, erica and i decided we’re gonna make our own costumes for our hip hop class performance. cos when else can you get away with blue glitter fringe or, even better, SEQUINED SUSPENDERS?!!
WANT.
we also really loved this “neon tribal” look… PERFECT for a street battle, am i right?
and i would be remiss if i didn’t show you the incredible routine choreographed to everyone’s favorite hit, “how to save a life.”
first, the outfits. which i loved.
second, the dance. ENJOY.
did i mention that we got to see this dance performed TWICE? because we did.
and then dessiree’s second dance arrived! woo-hoo! i was especially impressed by the fact that it was a jazz routine, cos dessiree only listens to hip hop, selena and reba mcentire (she loves her some reba).
is she on fire or what?!!!!
i can’t express enough how proud i felt of my little sister pants, especially cos she has *never* done anything in front of a large audience before. she’s spent a lot of time working on these pieces, and i heartily applaud her hard work and determination.
and i wasn’t the only one… her mom, sister and sister-in-law were there to cheer her on as well!
oh destiny, always the charmer.
after the show, erica and i treated dessiree to dinner at trudy’s, where we gave her major kudos and then listened to her talk about boys for an hour. you know, business as usual.
so, major props to my homegirl!! thanks for inviting me to yr show, and just so you know, erica and i are totally copying some of yr moves for our hip hop class.
i just hope i never have to step up 2 u in the streets. cos you will totally dominate.
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