Date night

Tonight George and I have tickets to see Ron White. We saw him a few years ago, and he was the funniest comedian we'd ever seen. We laughed until we couldn't breathe. Absolutely hilarious. So, hoping he's that good again tonight!

Tomorrow we're all about Ohio State-Michigan. Go Bucks!

Sunday, Cory plays in his playoff game vs. the Pearland Patriots. They beat us earlier in the season, and are undefeated. Still, I hope we can pull one out, I love an upset!

Another busy weekend but hopefully a lot of fun...

Seventeen years ago tonight...

November 16, 1991 was a Saturday night. I was a freshman in college and I was going out with a group of girls from my dorm to all these 'football parties.' It was the end of the college football season at my school and all the fraternities were having big parties. I had met George recently, and wanted to go where I'd find him as he was one of the few guys I was kind of interested in at the time. To make a long story short, we girls partied at his fraternity and we found each other that night. The rest, as they say, is history. I remember dancing with him that night, and him giving me a ride back to my dorm after the party. He walked me in and kissed me goodnight, just a peck. Very polite. I remember being so giddy when I got back to my room! We became an item from then on, and boy did we have some fun. Of course we fell madly in love and were married my junior year, December 18, 1993. We don't do much to celebrate this 'dating' anniversary but we will be going on a cruise (kids-free) on 12/18/08 for our 15th wedding anniversary. I can't wait!

I almost forgot... Halloween Pictures!

Busy, busy, busy

I've been so busy lately, but can't complain about any of it!

Last Thursday night I was picking up my parents and grandpa from the airport. They came down and visited through Tuesday and we had a great time!

Friday, we drove down to Galveston Island and walked on the beach. I hadn't been there since Ike and it's so hard to believe. The piers, and the shops and restaurants that were on them, are gone. So much other destruction - amazing. After that we drove up to Kemah Boardwalk and ate at one of the only open restaurants. Kemah got hit hard, too, but they're rebuilding already.

Saturday we went to Cory's last football game of the season. Sadly, they lost 12-6. Cory scored our teams only touchdown. It was crap because bad officiating cost us the game. First, the other team scored a touchdown with 13 kids on the field! Our coaches were screaming at them to count the players and they apparently did not (even as two kids ran off to the sideline). Then, we scored a touchdown with hardly anytime left and the refs said our player didn't cross the goal line. But he did, another parent has it on video. Too bad there's no instant replay for 11 year olds. So that sucked. After the game we picked up wings and came home and ate and watched the Buckeyes. Then, Saturday night mom and I shopped a little at the new Ross Dress for Less and TJ Maxx that just opened near my house.

Sunday, the guys went to the Texans game and we went out grocery shopping and for lunch. Then, we came home and cooked for a Thanksgiving dinner my aunt hosted Sunday evening.

Monday, we went to Lake Charles to a casino. I came home $60 richer! We all had a lot of fun. Then, Tuesday we had breakfast and I took my company to the airport. It's always sad to see them leave but made it better knowing we'll be up there next month!

Now it's back to real life. I went back to work Wednesday, had parent-teacher conferences and worked today and have to work tomorrow. Saturday is Cory's first playoff game and Lauren has a drama festival (for which I need to bake). There's never an end in site!

Kids say the darndest things, as do teenagers!

I have laughed all day about a conversation Lauren and I had last night. This Friday is the first dance of the school year at Victory Lakes. I assumed Lauren wanted to go and asked her and Cory about it last night. Lauren said she didn't want to go.

Me: It doesn't matter to me if you go or not, but why don't you want to go?
Lauren: It's like this, I always just end up alone in a corner with a hot dog and a coke.
Me: Why do you end up in the corner? Where are your friends?
Lauren: They're dancing.
Me: Why don't you dance?
Lauren: Cause then I'm all hot and sweaty and out of breath.

You probably had to be there - she was so funny! She has the dryest sense of humor! The thing is, I hear her. I never did like to dance, I just didn't. And I hated it when all my 'dancing friends' made me dance. I didn't realize then that school dances weren't much fun, it took me years to figure it out. But Lauren, at the wise old age of 13, has it down. I have a funny feeling she'll change her mind once she gets a boyfriend, but for now, I'm happy to have her hanging out with me this Friday night!

George's Birthday

Today is George's birthday, he turned 38! Hard to believe how old we're getting! We've been together since I was 18 and George was 21 and I just can't believe we're pushing 40 now! But we have a few years before that!

This is a bit of a ramble, but 18 is a significant number in our family. First, George was born on Oct. 18. We met when I was 18. We got married on Dec. 18. Lauren was born on Aug. 18. And, by coincidence, Cory's football number has always been 18. I think that's all kind of neat... Anyway.

We had a very busy day today. Cory played football this morning (won 20-0, he caught a pass for a 2 pt conversion) and then I came home and cleaned a little and made a BBQ Chicken Pizza for lunch. When George and Cory came home later (they'd stayed for some of the next football game) we all ate and started watching the Buckeyes. At half-time of that game we cut George's birthday cake. He had a nice birthday, got a new cell phone from me, a Samsung Blackjack. My mom and dad sent him a Buckeye shirt, book, and a plaque that says "we now interrupt this family for football season" - how true for us!

All in all a good day since all our teams won (now tomorrow we hope the Texan's pull another one out) and it was a laid back day once we got home and started to relax in front of the game(s)!

Tailgating

I know I've probably mentioned it a few dozen times, but we love one of the NFL's worst teams - the Houston Texans! We moved here the Texans first year and have fallen for them. We have two season tickets, so George usually goes to all the games and me and Cory pretty much split the other ticket.

A couple of George's friends from work also have tickets and we regularly tailgate with them. I never knew it would be so fun! If the Texans play at noon, the parking lots open at 8 am. This means I am getting up at 6 30 on my day off to get ready and drive to the stadium to set up a party in the parking lot! It sounds crazy, and when the alarm goes off I think it is crazy, but we always have fun.

George's friend organizes the event each home game and tells us what to bring. We show up with our chairs, tents, and food and we cook all kinds of things on the the grill - had a great omelet last Sunday morning! Also, packing a cooler with beer and ice that early in the morning seems crazy but after we've been there a couple hours and the Texas sun is beating down, a beer at 10 am sounds great!

This Sunday we have three tickets, we did some trading because we'll miss a game when we're out of town in December. I don't know the details yet, but I'm sure we'll have a crowd and some good food and fun with friends. A fun tailgate party really enhances the game day experience, especially when you're rooting for the 0-4 Texans!

My Friday Off...

I work a somewhat unusual work schedule, 8-6 Monday - Thursday and 8-5 every other Friday. Comes out to 44 hours one week and 36 hours the next. Also means every other weekend I get a three-day weekend! I love my day off so much! Typically George has to go to work and the kids have to go to school so I am actually home alone! So rare, and quiet and peaceful!

Today George took a personal day and we spent the day together. We dropped the kids at school and went to Denny's for breakfast. Then, we went to Home Depot and WalMart. We were looking to replace our porch swing but apparently that is a seasonal item and they aren't sold around here in the fall. But I got some fall flowers (snapdragons) and some tomato, broccoli, and basil plants. I put the veggies and herbs in my garden. A little late to plant fall tomatoes in Texas, but just right for the broccoli. Also, the basil will do fine. I love cooking with fresh basil! I fooled around outside, we went back out to look for a swing a couple other places and grabbed lunch (I really need to go to the grocery store!) Tonight, Cory wanted to go to FunMax with friends so it was just Lauren and us here tonight. I made chicken parmesan and it was delicious. Then, we had a fire in our fire pit outside and made s'mores. I am so glad it's fall and cool enough for a fire, finally! Our lows are in the high 60's, low 70's and feel so good after the long hot summer.

Tomorrow Cory has a football game. It is a home game, but FEMA and Red Cross have taken over our field so we're playing at Creekside Intermediate here in League City. We have to buy the EPSN gameplan tomorrow to be able to watch Ohio State vs. Wisconsin (not on our local channel) so I am sure we'll watch some of the earlier games as well. Sunday is the Houston Texans home opener. Finally! The hurricane set it back and as bad as they look this year, I am ready for some football! We have season tickets and I think George said now they're home for something like 4 in a row! The hurricane blew some of the roof off so it's open roof for the remainder of the season (the roof is usually closed.) We're tailgating Sunday with the regular group and I'm really looking forward to it. I just love these football weekends. Too bad Lauren isn't a football fan, maybe I'll convert her yet!

Some more football pics - TOUCHDOWN!

No idea why this one was done in black and white... Still, you can see the catch, him running, and him crossing the goal line. Pretty neat...

Yeah, he caught this one

LC 49ers beat the Alvin Raiders last Saturday 31-13. Brings our record to 3-1 for the year. We're really enjoying football this year. Cory is playing well, has 3 TD and 1 XP conversion for the year, I think.

Getting back to normal

Well, last I posted we were being stared down by Ike. Now, a week after he's come and gone I am looking forward to getting back to normal.

When we first evacuated, we stayed with friends in Livingston, TX, about 80 miles north of here. The storm came through there, too, but had weakened some, still they lost power. They had a generator and we were very thankful to have people to ride it out with and to have the modern conveniences of a fridge and tv!

We left there early Sunday morning wanting to check on our house, not sure what to expect. We were very fortunate, our only losses were a small tree and part of our fence. Of course we had no electricity, like 2.4 million others in the area. I cleaned out the fridge, even pulled some weeds to pass time. We found an open gas station and filled up (2 hour line!), knowing we needed to leave again. We had little food, no electricity, no open stores, etc. We very seriously considered heading to Ohio to visit my family. We actually packed up and got up early Monday morning to start that long drive but were surprised to see various places along the freeway with power restored. We had the feeling we could be restored soon, and thought it was not smart to spend all the money on a trip to Ohio.

We returned home to brainstorm and decide what to do. After a few hours, we decided to call Great Wolf Lodge, near Dallas. They had openings, and were even offering a special rate to evacuees! We booked a room for Monday night and Tuesday night and took off. We got there and went on to the waterpark. When we returned to the room my aunt, also my neighbor, had called to tell us power had been restored! We debated whether to spend two nights but decided since things were still such a mess at home, stores not yet open, etc. it was best to stay at the lodge.

Before we left Dallas we went to Target and bought groceries, knowing our stores were re-opening but were bare, and busy. We bought cheap coolers to put cold stuff in with some ice (milk, meat, etc.) and headed home.

So now we're here, with electricity. George removed the uprooted tree yesterday and he and our neighbor worked today to mend our shared fence.

We know people, neighbors, colleagues, etc. who suffered greatly as a result of this storm and our thoughts and prayers are with them. We are so fortunate to have had our prayers answered.

Now, we're hoping for things to get back to normal. I go back to work Monday, George does too. The kids schools suffered substantial damage so they don't go back until Sept. 29. Football for Cory's league has been canceled and we're not sure when it will resume, but we hope soon! Lauren got the lead in the school play (yea Lauren!) and it was supposed to be the last week of October, but now we don't know with the kids missing almost 3 weeks of school.

Thanks to everyone who thought of us, called to check on us, sent us an email, said a little prayer for us, etc. Your thoughtfulness means so much to us!

Something I don't like today - Hurricane Ike

Well, Ike is getting too close for comfort. We're planning to evacuate tomorrow afternoon or evening. The traffic will likely be terrible. My work and the kids school are closed tomorrow and Friday. George's school has not closed - idiots. So he's gotta go to work in the morning and I'm going to start packing. Hopefully we can leave when he gets home.

We're going to stay with friends who live in Livingston, about an hour and a half north of here I guess. It will be nice to visit with them, I just wish it wasn't under these circumstances.

I really hope we're overreacting by leaving, but I don't wanna be here with no electricity, nothing open, etc. So we're being cautious...

Walt Disney World

I'll post about me and Lauren's trip later, but for now, here's a pic of us at Disney's Hollywood Studios (formerly MGM).

OK, back with the scoop. Me and Lauren flew to Florida Friday, got in around 5:30. We took Disney's Magical Express to our hotel, Disney's Pop Century Resort. We checked in, then took a Disney bus to Downtown Disney. We shopped around just a bit before heading over to Planet Hollywood for dinner. We had the Disney Dining Plan, and it worked great! It included one snack, one counter service meal, and one table service meal per night of our stay. These could be used in any order we wanted. Saturday morning we got up and ready to go to Typhoon Lagoon. We got there shortly after it opened and stayed all day. We did the wave pool, the lazy river, some slides, and their new water coaster. It was lots of fun! Typhoon closed at 5 so we came back to the hotel and rested, then got ready and went back to Downtown Disney. We ate at Wolfgang Puck express then went to the movies and saw Stepbrothers. The movie was not fit for a 13 year old, but it was still hilarious! Sunday morning we got up and headed to Disney's Hollywood Studios (formerly MGM). We had one day of water park and one day of park tickets so Lauren chose Typhoon and Hollywood Studios. We rode the Tower of Terror and the Rockin' Roller Coaster a couple times. We also rode the new Toy Story Mania ride, and it was so much fun! Lauren didn't feel very good Sunday, she had a cold, so that was a bummer. We stayed until about 7 and she was beat. We had lunch at Mama Melrose and dinner at the Sci Fi Dine In Theater so we were stuffed! Monday, we took one last trip to Downtown Disney to get some souvies and eat lunch. We had to be back at the hotel at 2 to get our shuttle to the airport. We had a really fun weekend, and really enjoyed each other's company. I was glad to be able to give Lauren my undivided attention, since on normal family vacations I'm trying to make her, Cory and George happy and it's always somewhat of a balancing act. That said, I missed the boys and all the football that is our normal fall weekend! But am so thankful for me and Lauren to have that time together and make lasting memories!

Labor Day

We had a really laid back labor day today. I am so worn out from August (busy, busy month) that I really appreciated the three day weekend. Was a little concerned early in the weekend that Gustav might come our way, but he didn't and we had a nice day today, though a little windy.

This morning George took Cory to football, they had practice 8-9:30. I got up and around and starting making a big breakfast, but George came home alone. Cory had been invited by a friend to go boating today, so he left practice with that family. I thought the bay might be to choppy to enjoy boating, but apparently not. So, George worked outside, mowing and stuff and I worked inside, laundry and paying bills. Then, we went out to lunch / dinner at Olive Garden and ran some other errands. Got home and resumed my laundry and Cory came home about 7! He called earlier today to check in, so I wasn't really worried. But, he looks burnt! I wish he wouldn't have done that! He had a very fun day today, though. And Lauren really enjoyed being the only child for the day!

Now we're watching Hanna and Ike out in the Atlantic. Lauren and I fly to Orlando Friday night for our Walt Disney World weekend. Really hope one of these storms doesn't ruin it for us!

League City 49ers Football

Today the LC 49ers played the Manvel Ravens. We (the junior team) won 34-0! Cory scored 8 points, first he scored 2 on a 2 point conversion after a touchdown, then he scored 6 of his own, catching a pass and running it in for a touchdown! Yea Cory!

Next week we face the team that eliminated us from the playoffs last year, and I'll miss it because Lauren and I will be at Walt Disney World for our 'mommy and me' trip I planned for us months ago. I know we'll have a blast, but I don't know how I'll stand missing Cory play football!

First Day of School - Monday, August 25

Well, the first day of school was Monday. Lauren is an 8th grader and Cory is a 6th grader. Their school has a dress code, so that's why the kids are wearing khaki's and polo shirts... The school acts like the dress code makes things equal, like all the kids will be wearing the same thing and like it should be so easy to buy school clothes. It actually takes all the fun out of school clothes shopping. And, check Lauren out, the girls do whatever they can to accessorize (cami, jewrely, etc.). And, you can't tell from the picture, but they aren't wearing polos from Walmart, no, they're wearing Abercrombie polos. So much for easy and cheap - yeah right!

Cory had a great first day, Lauren wasn't so thrilled. Her best friends aren't in a lot of her classes, but she had a better day Tuesday. I can't get over the forms to complete, the course fees, the gym uniforms, Cory has a field trip permission slip already due this Friday, and they are starting a big fundraiser Friday - the first week of school! It's a little overwhelming!

First Football Game of the Year

Today the League City 49ers played the Santa Fe Braves at LC. Cory plays for the junior team, and we won! Cory had a really good game. He plays wide receiver and middle linebacker. He caught a pass at the beginning of the game and ran it about 15 yards, getting tackled on the one yard line! So close! We scored on that drive, and scored again. The final score of our game was 14-6. Cory has played wide receiver for a couple years, and let's just say other teams know him... You can hear the coaches on the other sideline screaming 'watch 18!, cover 18!' ha ha. It's good to hear, but as a result he's generally covered so well he doesn't get the ball as much as he'd like. He was awesome today on defense and had one very incredible block on offense that helped our tight end get our second touchdown. One funny thing happened, Cory has like 4 pair of cleats. Each year we get him two pair, so he has two from this year and two from last year. Last years are a little small, but he can wear them. The cleats he likes the best were wet today because he'd worn them to practice in the rain the other night. So today when he left he got a really old pair of Nike cleats. George asked him why he was wearing those? He said "they're comfy". George was like whatever, they aren't in very good shape. So, first quarter, I hear Cory yelling to the sideline, "Dad! Dad!" and George doesn't hear him. So I see him hobble over to mid-field and show a teammate his shoe - it was coming apart! So then I yell for George and point this out to him. I told him I'd run home and get another pair of cleats. So I came home as fast as I could and got the wet cleats (stinky!) and a pair of under armour cleats that I think are a too small pair and took them back to the game. I guess after I'd left a kid who lives down the street who plays on the senior team had let Cory wear his cleats! So at half-time I got those cleats off Cory and tracked them down to their owner. It was a mess! I learned a lesson, though, to always keep an extra pair of cleats in the car!

Football scrimmage

Tonight Cory had his football scrimmage. It was scheduled for last Saturday but got rained out (thunder and lightening) so we played tonight it the rain, instead. We scrimmaged a team that we always match well with. No score was kept officially, but it was 14-14. Cory scored one of our touchdowns (yea Cory!). Makes me excited for the real season to begin, starts this Saturday.

Big weekend - Kenny Chesney and Lauren's Birthday

Happy birthday, Lauren!

Let me start by saying I am completely exhausted. Good thing I had a B12 shot a couple weeks ago or I don't think I'd be able to make it.

August is without a doubt my busiest work month and on top of the regular business of the season I had someone quit and I have someone else out on extended sick leave, so work is wild for me. Last Thursday I worked from 8 am - 10 pm, in my office, then came home and worked from about 11:30pm - 1 am. My office closes at noon on Friday and believe me I was outa there last Friday at noon.

Friday afternoon we went out for lunch, because we had NO food in the house. Then, we did some shopping for Lauren's birthday. This was tax-free weekend in Texas, an annual event where back-to-school clothes and supplies are not taxed. This makes the stores very crowded, and it's hardly worth it, IMO.

Saturday was all about Kenny Chesney for me. Lori and I went to the concert and we left around 1:30. We went out to lunch at a Mexican restaurant and had a good lunch, and a good margarita. Then, we headed over to Reliant Stadium and 'tailgated' for a bit. We went in around 4 and Luke Bryan was already playing. Next, Gary Allan, Leann Rimes, and Keith Urban played. They were all good, but the real show started to me when Kenny Chesney came out. I love him. I think I've been to like 9 or 10 Kenny concerts. There's just about no place else I'd rather be, seriously! Kenny played til 11pm so by the time we got back to the car and got through the traffic and got home it was 12:30 am. I was so tired!

The next day we did not make it to mass, we were all about the birthday party. We cleaned up the house and I wrapped Lauren's presents. At 1 pm the guests arrived and the party began. Lauren wanted to do presents first, and I thought what the heck, it's her birthday. After that Lauren wanted to go to Cici's. I hate Cici's, but again, what the heck. Then, we went to the skating rink, then to Dairy Queen. It was a full day. We got back home around 5:30 and the girls parents got them around 6. Then, we went to WalMart to get some things the kids still needed for school, like socks, school supplies, just dumb stuff (so I guess I fell for the tax free weekend after all). Then, I had to go grocery shopping. I got out of Kroger at 10:15 Sunday night. Then of course by the time I unloaded that mess and got everything put away it was late by the time I got to bed.

Today, August 18 is Lauren's actual birthday. I got home from work and made chicken alfredo, one of her favorites (I'll have to post the recipe - yummy) and I got an ice cream cake on my way home from Baskin Robbins.

Mom called a little bit ago and we were talking about 13 years ago tonight. Lauren was born in Kalamazoo, MI at 3:27 pm, and was so sick. I remember after I delivered her the dr. showed her to me quickly and said 'kiss her bye for now" and I did and they literally whisked her away. She was barely alive. The next time I saw her, a few hours later I could not believe the tubes and wires in that four pound baby. She was on a respirator and was hooked up to all kinds of wires. When I first saw her like that I was overcome with nausea. Thank God for the NICU nurses, they explained everything to me again and again and were just so nice. They are really special people to do that work. Back then I was so young and stupid I guess, that I thought preemies were just small. I had no concept of the health issues she'd face. We learned the next day that she had a hole in her heart and a pediatric cardiologist was paged to see her. She had to undergo a treatment to correct that, and fortunately it worked or she'd have had to have open heart surgery. When she was a few days old they removed the respirator and she did not breathe on her own. George and I had gone to eat lunch and when we got back she was blue and they were working on her. They got the tube back down her neck and hooked her up to the respirator and she 'pinked' back up. It was crazy. Her body fit in the palm of my hand, she was so delicate. She was born without a reflex to suck so feeding was a problem and she had a feeding tube until she came home, where it remained a challenge. She was jaundiced, too. We got so used to seeing our miniature baby that when we'd see a full-term newborn we thought they were gigantic! Lauren spent about a month in the hospital after she was born, and to see my beautiful teenage daughter you'd never know what a rough start she had.

Back to work tomorrow, it will be another busy day. Then, tomorrow night Cory has a football scrimmage. I don't see an end in site! But, I wouldn't have it any other way, either. I have been telling myself to take it all in, Lauren turning 13 has been a wake up call to me about how fast time flies...

Literati!

Years ago I started playing literati on yahoo games (like scrabble) and had a lot of fun with it, then lost interest. The other day it crossed my mind to play and I got Emily to play online with me. We've played online a few times this weekend and it's pretty fun! Doesn't take much to entertain me!

Otherwise having a pretty nice weekend. August is a hard work month for me, we're so busy getting ready for fall semester and my workload is crazy. So weekends are even better during August. It's a wild month because of work, Lauren's birthday, back to school, beginning of football... We go from pretty relaxed to pretty busy instantly. But it's all good.

George and Cory went to the Texans pre-season game tonight. I didn't care to go because I'm heading up next Saturday night for the Kenny Chesney concert. That's super exciting and I can't wait! Caught the game on tv though, and the Texans won - yay!

Much Ado about Nothing...

Well, TS Edouard has come and gone, and fortunately was no biggie. When we woke up this morning around 7 am, he had made landfall north / northeast of here, though we were still in his path. We had rain and wind, but nothing to be to concerned with. We stayed home all day, and everything was fine. We didn't lose power (that was my concern with the temperatures) and had a relaxing day at home - thanks Edouard!

Football

So I just posted about something I don't like - tropical storms / hurricanes, so I thought I'd balance by adding a post about something I do like - FOOTBALL!

First, I should say that we are serious football fanatics each fall. Cory plays football for the League City 49ers, we follow college football until I'd consider it an addiction (GO BUCKS) and since we moved to Houston the Texan's first year in the NFL we've fallen in love with them, too!

Cory's football team started practice Saturday. Tonight's practice was canceled due to the tropical storm and he was so disappointed. He plays wide receiver and had a really good year last year. Overall the team went 7-3. This year he's moved up a level, and I really hope he can still excel, time will tell. Last year, his highlight was scoring a game winning touchdown during the 3rd overtime of a playoff game! Another mom had video taped the game and sent us the clip, which is now online: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=omriAM-yMdI George coached his team last year, and is the first coach you see in the video "congratulating" him. Cory loves the game so much, and it's such a joy to watch him play. He's a very 'coachable' kid and he really gives it his all. We're so proud of him and really hope he has another great season.

Then, as I alluded to earlier, we're crazy about the Buckeyes. You know, Buckeye born, buckeye bred, when we die, we'll be buckeye dead... When we were considering our move to Texas one of the considerations, seriously, was whether or not we could still watch the Buckeyes every Saturday. Thanks to Dish Network and the Game Plan we have been successful! I even dream about the Buckeyes sometimes. Last night I dreamed they were playing Muskingum College (me and George's alma mater) and I actually dreamed I was an Ohio State linebacker once! With Cory playing on Saturday, we sometimes have to DVR the games. It's a good Saturday when we watch Cory and he wins, we go pick up WingStop and Bud Light, and come home to watch the Buckeyes and they win. I'm just crazy about them! Can't wait for the season to start.

Then, we have the Texans. Last year they finally went 8-8 and that was their best season yet! But we love them! We have season tickets and have a fun group we tailgate with on Sundays before the games. It's a blast! The first pre-season game is this weekend, Aug. 9. Not sure who's going (we have 2 tickets so it's usually George / Cory or George / me, and once in a great while me / Cory.) It's really a great weekend when Cory's team wins, the Buckeyes win, and the Texans win! I just keep hoping the Texans make a run for the playoffs - our year has to be coming! We'll keep cheering them on either way! Their games are soooooo fun! Love the environment at Reliant!

The last bit of football talk is George's coaching. As I said, last year he coached Cory's team and plans to this year. But today, he had a workshop over at school, and while he was there, the head coach came to him and asked him to coach high school ball. In Texas, high school football is huge (e.g. Friday Night Lights - oh, I love that show!). He is definitely interested in the coaching job but his teaching schedule would have to be re-arranged and he's not sure the administration will be willing to make those changes at this date. So, time will tell, but I really hope it works out for him!

That's it for tonight, going to 'hunker down' from Edouard now... Hopefully I can have more Ohio State dreams tonight!

Tropical Storm Edouard

Here's what I don't like - hurricanes / tropical storms. We're batten down the hatches in preparation of Edouard's landfall. The storm is headed right for us. Still, its only a tropical storm, and they're saying the worst case scenario is a category 1 hurricane. So it shouldn't cause too much trouble...

My work closed at 3 pm today and is closed tomorrow, of course. I hate to overreact but we did do some hurricane prep - filled the car with gas, bought some non-perishables at the store, got batteries for the boom box, etc. I am not really scared right now about storm damage, but we could certainly loose electricity which with the temperatures this time of year would be miserable. In anticipation, we got 4 bags of ice and some Bud Light! So at least we'll have cold beer! LOL!

We're getting ready to carry the patio furniture and grill into the garage, once the wind gets blowing that stuff could fly into our windows.

None of this is any fun, but as of now, I still wouldn't trade coastal living for the occasional tropical storm! Of course my opinion could change within the next few hours! Galveston looks so nice on T.V. tonight. We've lived here for six years now and so far we haven't seen anything to be too worried about. Of course, we could be in the path of the 'big one' and that could change everything one day... Hurricanes are serious business.

Enough rambling about Edouard for now. Hopefully, I'll have electricity and internet and can post about it tomorrow night!

What I like today - Boston Creme Cupcakes :)

Two posts in two days, can you believe it!? Part of the reason I wanted to start this blog was to remind myself about things - recipes, canning, gardening, etc. that I tend to forget about, or forget when I did something last...

Today I made dinner (lasagna, salad, garlic bread) and for dessert I made Boston Creme Cupcakes (one of George's favorites). It's so easy, and very yummy. First, I mix a vanilla pudding mix and stick it in the fridge. Then, I fix yellow cake mix as directed and make cupcakes. After they're done and have cooled, I take a knife and slice the tops of each one, making a 'X''. Then, I get a icing bag (I have some disposable bags now, but a ziploc bag would work fine, too) and put a large icing tip in it, and add the pudding to the bag. Then, I just stick the icing tip down into the cupcake and squeeze the pudding into the cupcake until I've filled it. I scrape any extra pudding off the top and ice the cupcakes with chocolate frosting. It's so easy, and so tasty! And, since I am always trying to diet, cupcakes are good portion control, I let myself have one then I leave them alone and let George and kids have at 'em!

I'm back...

So I found an old friend on myspace, and she sent me the link to her blog and that's when I remembered I'd started this one, back in March! Yes, I am a big dork. It even took me awhile to find it again!

I named this blog 'what i like today' because it has no specific topic, rather I want to blog about all kinds of things. Now if I can just remember to do it...

So tonight, I'm blogging about my week and missing 'my boys' as I call George and Cory. They flew to Ohio Tuesday morning and spent the week visiting relatives and attending George's moms retirement party last night. I have enjoyed my week with Lauren, for sure, but something just doesn't feel right when they're gone. For one thing, I just hate sleeping alone! It's crazy but I don't sleep well at all when George isn't there. And, I am wildly phobic of bugs and have had to kill two this week. LOL. Their flight is scheduled to land at 10 pm, so I'll be leaving in the next twenty minutes to get 'em. I talked to them while they were in Chicago laying over and they were on time.

This week us girls went to a couple movies. We went to the dollar theater and saw 'Baby Moma' with Tina Fey and Amy Poehler (sp?). It was hilarious. A 'stupid' movie, yes, but if you're in the mood for something dumb, I highly recommend it! This evening we saw 'Mama Mia' and I can't rave over it . I knew it was musical, but wow. The songs were LONG and there were just too many. I know that sounds bizarre but seriously! It's a cute story but I'd much rather see it on Broadway.

The other rare thing I got to do this week while I was 'single' was have a Desperate Housewives marathon! Lauren had a friend sleeping over last night and I'd got them some snacks. So they were occupied in the other room and I helped myself to some of the snacks (mmmmm, nachos, guilty pleasure), a cold beverage (mmmmm, bud light, another guilty pleasure), and my tivo. I hadn't watched the show since it came back after the writer's strike. I am just not a big tv watcher and hadn't taken the time. So last night, I watched 5 episodes! Then, this morning I watched the two hour season finale. Again, I'm a big dork. You know how everyone watches the finale and is talking about it at work the next day? Well, today I finally watched it but there's no buzz, no one to talk about it with! LOL!

Easter Day

Well, I'd worked and worked on the yard in preparation of Easter since I was expecting company. I haven't taken any backyard pictures yet, but here's a photo of the front yard. The azalea sure is pretty and last years begonias are still going strong. I recently planted some cream marigolds and a small lantana plant. I'm hoping the lantana takes over...

And even though I'm all about gardening right now I thought I'd also post pictures of Lauren and Cory Easter morning after mass. I loved Lauren's dress - too cute! And Cory's looking so grown-up!

Gardening pics from last March (3/24/07)

This was my first canna lily bloom of the year. This is a plant that one leaf grew under my fence a couple years ago and I had George dig it out, and planted it someplace else. It keeps multiplying, I now have it in three different areas. This is the largest "bunch" though.
This is a close-up of the first bloom. These lilies bloom and bloom and bloom.
This was our first attempt at a little vegetable garden since we moved to Texas. In the front I had tomatoes, then peppers. Behind that in rows, from left to right, I had radishes, lettuce, parsley, and green beans. I planted a marigold border, to help keep bugs out. And, I planted some impatiens up against the house just because it's too shady there for any veggies to grow.
You would had have to seen these a month ago to appreciate their growth. I learned that in Texas, roses should be pruned around Valentine's Day. So, a month ago these were nothing but short sticks coming out of the ground. I've been really babying them, and they are doing great! I have been feeding them, watering them, and spraying them (I always have problems with blackspot).
In Feb. I'd planted some morning glory seeds beside my swing to grow up the sides. As you can see, it'd gotten a really good start by March. I also dug out a window well shape if front of the morning glory and filled it in with a good potting soil and several gladiola bulbs. My plan was that when the morning glory got tall and the vines start looking scraggly at the bottom, the gladiolas should be up, to hide that... NOTE: It didn't exactly work that way - the morning glory grew up around the glads - it was kind of crazy.
I took this pic because my azaleas were blooming and looked so pretty!

My first blog

OK, I decided to create a blog for myself. Not sure how interesting this will be, but since I'm so forgetful at least I'll have my own online journal. I will post about all the things I like, gardening, cooking, kids, etc.