See-Dub

The perfect day.

2012-01-27T15:17:00.000-06:00

Dec. 19, 2011

Who would've thought my perfect day would begin with a mammogram and end with a downpour?

OK, so it didn't actually start with the mammogram. It began with a 2-mile run with Brett early that morning. That was a treat since I am usually on my own for those early runs. After that, I showered and dressed for my annual squish, but before leaving the house, I got a quick shot of our Texas tree for the University Co-op's holiday photo contest:

It's not the best photo I've ever taken, but it's full of Longhornana and even includes a special "little" lady on that tree skirt. (Madame ChaCha, so nice of you to oblige!) I posted the pic to Facebook directly from my phone and headed for Fort Worth.

After my oh-so-lovely appointment (which didn't involve the typical inexplicably long wait--YEA), I drove toward Seventh Street. Since I was alone, I didn't indulge in my most awesomest, favoritest restaurant in the world (Chuy's), but I did notice the drive-through line was crazy short at In-N-Out Burger, the California transplant that has had all of DFW in a tizzy since opening restaurants here not too long ago.

I ordered myself a double-double (animal style, natch) and ate in a parking lot. (It was kind of like when the All-Birdville Band ate In-N-Out in a parking lot around this time last year, but I was dressed far more comfortably.)

I should mention that I'm not one of those crazy In-N-Out cultists, but it was a mighty tasty burger. The fries were better than I remembered, too. Best of all, my combo reminded me of past trips to SoCal. Good times.

After my delicious, WW-points-filled meal, I waddled into my most awesomest, favoritest store, the University Co-op. (Truth be told, I prefer the "real" one in ATX, but this one's much closer to my house.) I browsed a while, picked up some Christmas gifts, bought some H2Orange, and generally just inhaled the wonder of all that burnt orange.

As I left the store, I checked my Facebook and saw this:

I was the first Co-op Christmas photo winner! YIPPEE! (Or as we say at the games, "Texas, Texas, YEE-HAW!") And how 'bout that timing? I was still in the Co-op parking lot when I found out I had won.

I considered continuing my Christmas shopping at a mall not too far from the Co-op, but after driving a few exits over, I changed my mind. Veering off my planned course caused me to drive past this:

The Wienermobile! YES!!!

Ever since my roommate and I saw the Wienermobile tooling around the UT campus way back when, I have been fascinated by this miracle of transportation. That fascination has led to Oscar Mayer Christmas ornaments, low-speed interstate chases, even a Wienermobile piggy bank. But in all these years of Wienermobile fixation, I had never seen inside one of these beauties.

Until now.

What's cool is that I just happened to change plans and just happened to be driving by and just happened to notice the Wienermobile there in the Kroger parking lot. And it just so happens that the torrential downpour that was coming hadn't come yet. WIN.

Speaking of winning, after I arrived at my next destination, I checked Facebook again, and there I saw the Co-op's new profile picture: our tree!

To make a long story longer, the rest of my day was just as serendipitous. My shopping trip was made even better when I discovered other stores nearby that I'd been wanting to visit anyway. At those places I was able to pick up some hard-to-find Christmas gifts, and it felt great to finally cross them off my list.

Just to give you an idea how my twisted mind works: I was loving every minute of this phenomenal day, but when I called Brett from the mall, I confessed that I thought it was all too good to be true. I couldn't help but wonder what terrible tragedy would befall us that day. It was just inconceivable that so many good things could happen in one day. Isn't that sad? You see why I needed this year's "attitude of gratitude"?

Anyway, with my outing complete, I returned home and checked the mail. There I found an envelope addressed to Ryan from CBS in Hollywood. Ryan and Brett were running an errand, so I texted a picture of the envelope to let Ryan know his prize had arrived. (Ryan won this by asking a question that Survivor host Jeff Probst answered online.) The prize?

A Survivor South Pacific buff!

Ryan had asked Santa for one of these bad boys, but getting one that's been autographed by Jeff himself?

Way better!

The buff commotion caused me to be just a tad late to that night's bunco, but it was worth it to document Ryan's exuberance.

Bunco rounded out this awesome day. It's always great to spend time with those crazy women. We did a gift exchange, and I ended up with a snowman plate that I really wanted. Score!

So the mammo wasn't a thrill, and the rain was a pain, but besides that, just about everything about this day was over-the-top delightful. Well, except for having THIS song run through my head:

Postscript: About a week after this perfect day, I received my Co-op prize: a Camelbak bottle and a couple of ornaments. They shipped with another Co-op Facebook prize I won a week earlier, personalized T-shirts.

Dub family Christmas.

2012-01-24T15:45:00.002-06:00

Dec. 17, 2011

While Dec. 25 is our foursome's "real" Christmas Day, this annual gathering is almost as sacred. We get together with Brett's parents and siblings, eat taco soup, and open presents.

This year our special family Christmas night was even "specialer" because we added three foster nieces to the mix. It was so much fun to have little ones underfoot again!

Here are some of the photographic highlights:

How long can one fancy light string last?

Katie plays and fluteboxes Christmas carols.

The guys take a breath between conversations.

Memaw opens her gift.

Nana admires her Scrabble coasters
(a Pinterest project from Cara).

Ryan is delighted with his Jeff
Probst bobblehead (a gift from Jeff).

Uncle Mike dons a Mavs Santa hat in lieu of his usual bows.

The precious and very busy Miss Two seemed
to love the little picnic basket we got her.
She even used it to hide her contraband,
Nana's dark chocolate Hershey's Kisses!

Basketball 2011: WMS.

2012-01-24T15:32:00.001-06:00

Dec. 15, 2011

All in the family.

2012-01-24T15:30:00.000-06:00

Dec. 11, 2011

For years we have paid a visit to McGregor, Texas, during the Christmas season. This year was no exception.

While the setting and the attendees may change, the spirit never does. We eat, we visit, we reconnect, we celebrate the season.

In recent trips the ping pong table has been a big draw, getting us outside:

Inside, conversations abound:

And Katie provides a musical interlude, this time with "fluteboxing":

Self-portrait with my giant son


Ann Cooper (a.k.a. Ann Coopers). Oh, how we miss her!

Papa and Aunt Velma

Brett and his cousin (and our host) Dana

A staple among the cousins: video games

One year I slept through most of our visit, stricken with the early stages of flu. Another time I was in the throes of morning sickness and thought everything and everyone smelled awful (especially those Corn Nuts my nephew was eating in the van). A couple of times the McGregor folk have traveled north on 35 to celebrate with us in the DFDub. And several times we have mourned together as we observed our first Christmases without special loved ones.

But every year, we're reminded how blessed we are to celebrate this special time of year with our family in McGregor.

Past McGregor Christmas posts:
2006
2007
2008
2009

NRMS Christmas concert.

2012-01-07T23:41:00.001-06:00

Dec. 8
Part 2 of our busy night took us to RHS for Katie's middle school band concert.

It was close, but she made it on stage in time for the honor band's part of the concert.

Unfortunately, I was feeling pretty rotten that night, so we didn't get any post-concert photos. At least we were able to see Katie during the show!

Basketball 2011: HMS.

2012-01-03T22:26:00.000-06:00

Dec. 8:
Part 1 of this night's double-header was Katie's game against HMS. After the game, we had to hustle to get her to the high school auditorium for her band concert. Good thing she's in the honor band, or she would've missed her part of the performance!

Speaking of performance, she had another strong showing in this game.

RHS Winter Concert.

2012-01-03T22:24:00.001-06:00

Dec. 6, 2011
Our busy week got off to a great start with Ryan's Christmas band concert.

Since Ryan plays trumpet, we don't always get to see him during concerts. When the rare "Ryan sighting" occurs, we get so excited!

We're proud of our eldest musician!

Antenna ball wisdom.

2012-01-03T22:23:00.003-06:00

Dec. 4, 2011
After this season, the state of my antenna ball seemed apropos:

Good thing I had a replacement ready to go. It's nice to have an antenna ball that's also your weatherman!

Baylor: How do we spell Texas?

2012-01-03T22:22:00.006-06:00

Dec. 3, 2011

Teddy Grahams for the Bears

Baylor 48, Texas 24

Region Band concert.

2012-01-03T22:22:00.001-06:00

Dec. 3, 2011
After a couple of really stressful auditions, Katie was named to the All-Region symphonic band. On this Saturday, we drove through the rainy night to see her play with this group.

Katie was thrilled to be third chair in this top band. It was also cool that one of her good friends was second chair.

All the members of the region band spent the day rehearsing for the concert. We could really tell how hard all the kids had worked.

Yep, we're super proud of our kids!

Basketball 2011: EJH

2012-01-03T22:21:00.001-06:00

Dec. 1, 2011
Another Thursday = another basketball game!

A new attitude.

2012-01-01T23:51:00.000-06:00

On this first day of 2012, I resolve to make no resolutions!

OK, so that's an old joke. Still, I'm changing my m.o. this time around. Instead of just listing specific behaviors I plan to enact, I'm focusing on adopting a few general attitudes this year.

Which goes along with one of my new attitudes: cutting myself some slack. Who needs that fear of failure hanging over your head? I'm still mad at myself for not blogging every day during NaBloPoMo. Seriously. Chill out, Weiss. As long as I'm still pointed in the right direction, I'm good. If I fall short, I'm allowed to dust myself off and start again.

Speaking of fear, this year I'm choosing faith over fear. As 2011 neared its end, I found myself filled with dread instead of hope. It's hard to be optimistic about a new year when recent challenges are following us into 2012. The uncertainty of it all terrifies me. But this year, when I feel that crippling fear settling in, I will remember who I am and WHOSE I am. I also pledge to remember all the other "impossible" situations that our Father saw us through. And I'll believe.

I'm also choosing gratitude. In my heart I know I'm blessed, but my head sometimes dwells on what I don't have. It's past time to change that. From time to time, I plan to post things that I'm thankful for. Some may be significant, "deep" concepts, some may be trivial, but all will be reasons to smile. I initially thought I should plan to post daily, but then I remembered: I'm cutting myself some slack this year. Deep breaths. OK.

So here goes!

2011 in review: The stories behind the Christmas card.

2011-12-24T09:00:00.000-06:00

What a year it's been! Here are the photos that made the cut for this year's Christmas card.

January 1: The All-Birdville Band performs in the Tournament of Roses Parade
I still tear up just thinking about that amazing moment: seeing Ryan marching in the Rose Parade in Pasadena, California! The BISD band's invitation to march in the parade is a testament to the district's excellent music programs. Ryan and his bandmates worked hard to practice for the parade once the marching competition season ended. They also had to train to have the stamina needed for the 5-mile route. Seeing the Rose Parade in person was on my bucket list, but it was so much more thrilling to be there for Ryan's big moment. (We also had a blast in the days leading up to the parade, too, spending time at Disneyland, Magic Mountain, Hollywood and our dear friends' house.)

December 7: Katie wins her school's spelling bee
The texts started coming toward the end of first period. I was at work, but Brett was in the audience, watching Katie in the spelling bee. I had a hard time focusing on Beowulf because I couldn't wait for more news from the bee! Finally, the text arrived: Katie had won! Those hours of practice and all the Post-Its with spelling words stuck all over the house had paid off. Katie now is preparing for the district bee in February.

November 1: The RHS band performs its contest show
The fall marching season culminated with the RHS band competing at the BOA Super Regional contest in San Antonio. Before leaving for that event, the band played in its home stadium one last time. Ryan and the rest of the band spent many hours in the brutal August and September heat to perfect this show, but wow, was it worth it. We loved watching "The Diary" come into being with each performance, and we were so very proud of our favorite baritone player.

August 15: Brett's third book arrives
After months of hard work, Brett finally got to hold his latest pride and joy: Classic Home Video Games, 1989-1990. This third volume of his critically acclaimed book series covers Sega Genesis, Neo Geo and TurboGrafx. The book is available via Amazon, but Brett's really looking forward to taking it to some gaming conventions in 2012.

November 24: We run our first 5K
OK, so Brett and Katie ran the 5K while I mostly ran it! Still, this was a huge accomplishment for my previously sedentary self. This event, a fundraiser for the North Tarrant Food Bank, was at the Texas Motor Speedway, and it was a trip to run on the track usually reserved for race cars. Brett and Katie were pros, finishing with great times (especially for rookies). My time wasn't so fast, but at least I finished! I never would've even considered running if not for Couch to 5K, a fitness app on my phone that helped me train. Since Memorial Day weekend, I have run three times a week with few exceptions. The result: I have lost 27 pounds and can now run for 30 minutes straight. (With more training, I hope to actually run a whole 5K soon!)

December 14: Ryan wins a Survivor buff
Our son has an addiction to the reality show Survivor. He knows all the trivia; he even knows many of the contestants through Facebook and Twitter! On this particular Wednesday night, host Jeff Probst answered a question Ryan had asked him. (You can see Jeff's answer on his Tout site.) A few days later, Ryan received his buff along with Probst's autograph. It was a deserving prize for the world's biggest Survivor fan. Among his Survivor-related activities was an online game, complete with alliances and immunity challenges. Care to guess who was the sole survivor after the last online tribal council?

July: I attend the Reynolds High School Journalism Institute
The two weeks I spent at the University of Nevada, Reno, was one of the highlights of my teaching career. The high school journalism teachers in the institute stayed at the Silver Legacy Resort and Casino, took classes at UNR and produced an online newspaper. Along the way we learned so much to take back to our newspaper staffs and formed some great friendships. All of us fellows were wined and dined and treated to some amazing excursions, including dinner at a Basque restaurant, a trip to Virginia City, Nevada, and a weekend visit to Lake Tahoe. Watching Twelfth Night while huddled under a blanket on the sandy Tahoe shore isn't something I'll soon forget.

November 17: Katie returns to the basketball court
It's been so much fun to watch Katie dominate the boards during her seventh and now eighth grade girls basketball games! She is usually her team's first or second leading scorer, but her specialty is defense. We haven't seen the stats, but we'd bet she leads the league in steals and tie-ups. The eight grade season is just now underway, but we're excited to see what this year brings on the court.

So those are the photos that made the cut. Of course, they don't tell the whole story. A more complete retrospective would have to include:

our snowpocalypse back in February. We missed a whopping FIVE days of school over two weeks. Crazy. The rolling blackouts were nerve-wracking, but it was nice to hit the PAUSE button for a while.
a mention of my mom's big move. In April, my mom moved from her apartment into a retirement center. Her new home is still called "independent living," but the center provides meals, light housekeeping and social events. It's been a huge blessing, especially now that Mom's dementia is making everyday activities more challenging. Soon after moving, Mom had to stop driving. In July she was hospitalized for a foot infection, too. It has been tough to adjust to this "new normal," but in spite of this year's struggles, Mom continues to be her cheerful, positive self.
the Mavericks' first title! It was so exciting to follow Dirk and the Mavs on their run to their first NBA championship. Brett, who saw the team play in its first season 30+ years ago, was especially thrilled to see our guys hoist that O'Brien trophy. We also enjoyed another season of Rangersmania, even if that Game 6 loss still stings.
our summer excursion to Austin and New Braunfels. We FINALLY took care of a couple of Austin "to do's," like swimming in Barton Springs and visiting the Tower's observation deck. And in spite of the "low and slow" river conditions, we can now say we have tubed the Guadalupe.
another football season. Now that Ryan's in marching band, we have added Friday Night Lights to our weekly football menu. Even though UT had another less-than-stellar season, I still had a blast cheering for my Horns (and spelling "Texas" with anything you can imagine).

Of course, our year was not all rainbows and smiles, but we're so thankful for our many blessings. Yet again, even amid crises and struggles, we've been reminded that we are blessed beyond belief.

To our friends and family: THANK YOU for your love and support. May 2012 be a wonderful year for all of us!

We three trees.

2011-12-11T23:16:00.001-06:00

Nov. 29, 2011

When the kids were little, our tree was thick with ornaments all along its lower branches.

These days, the lower branches are a little lonely, now that our prime decorators are so much taller!

Our Longhorn tree (in our Longhorn library)

ChaCha LOVES Christmas.


Our Texas Capitol ornament tree (in the living room)

And our family tree (in the entry)

Night at the Symphony.

2011-12-11T23:15:00.001-06:00

Nov. 26, 2011

Three years ago we were privileged to attend the Fort Worth Pops Christmas concert as guests of a friend. It was such a treat that this year, we decided to make that event the kickoff for our family's holiday festivities.

Downtown is beautiful this time of year!

The Bass Hall is truly a gem, a source of great pride for our city.

Before the concert, we ate dinner at Razzoo's. We were more than halfway through dinner when Brett pointed out our dinner companion, looming right over my head:

After dinner we checked out the Sundance Square Christmas tree.

So big and beautiful!

Our kids may be too old to visit Santa, but we'll still force them to pose under the Christmas tree.

By the way, here's a flashback to Ryan and Katie under the big tree in 2008:

My babies!

ANYWAY, back to 2011:

It's crazy to think that since meeting at a Christmas party back in '93, Brett and I have spent 18 Christmases together!

The concert, complete with snow and Santa, is absolutely magical. What a special way to welcome the Christmas season.

a&m: How do we spell Texas?

2011-12-11T22:20:00.001-06:00

Nov. 24, 2011

Time to KISS those aggies goodbye! S-E-C ya!

Texas 27, a&m 25

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-12-11T21:42:00.001-06:00

Nov. 24, 2011

We don't have many photos from this year's Thanksgiving feast, but that doesn't mean we aren't thankful!

This year we got to spend Thanksgiving with our precious grand-nieces. Their giggles and smiles truly made our day!

Even though he's in Japan, Chris was with us in spirit—and via Skype.

The events of the last few months and years have reminded us how quickly life can change. We are keenly aware how blessed we are to have our family with us on this holiday.

Grub Run.

2011-12-11T20:11:00.001-06:00

It was a cold, foggy Thanksgiving morning,

and we were up and on the road early enough to see the sunrise.

What could get us out of the house at that hour on a holiday? A 5K, of course!

OK, so we're not really seasoned 5K runners, but since May when I started using the Couch to 5K app on my phone, I've been looking forward to running an actual race. This one was appealing because it benefits the Tarrant Area Food Bank, it didn't have a steep entry fee, and it was held inside Texas Motor Speedway. Win-win-win!

It was awesome to see the many bags of canned goods collected. The entry fee was $5 and five cans of food per person.

It was also a treat to see the speedway again. What a massive oval it is!

Even though we're not NASCAR fans, it's still fun to see some of the cars on display.

What made this event special was running into all kinds of people: friends from church and school, longtime family friends, etc.

I'm so thankful that Brett and Katie were willing to go along for the run.

By the way, Katie's grown a bit since our last visit to the Speedway in 2007:

(Aren't they adorable? Ryan was almost 11 and Katie was 9.)

Ready to run!

Some people are always ministering, never taking a day off!

Thanks for sharing your photos with us, SP!

We had a pretty good crew of HCC runners there!

Thanks for this one, too!

Full disclosure: Brett and Katie ran both laps and ended up with great times for their first 5Ks. I, however, ran for 10 minutes, walked for 2, ran for 10, etc. It took me a whopping 41 minutes to finish both laps of the speedway oval. But hey! I finished! I'm excited to finish my next 5K with a faster pace, and all three of us are looking forward to Grub Run 2012.

Texas game 10: K State.

2011-12-11T09:52:00.001-06:00

Nov. 19, 2011

Although it seemed like the season had just begun, on this Saturday we found ourselves at the last home game of 2011. And wouldn't you know it, we had such awesome fall weather:

OK, so it WAS nice. It just would've been nicer to have FOOTBALL weather in November!

For this tailgate, we had the whole gang in town, including Ron. After co-sponsoring our gathering for five years, Ron took a break from the tailgating grind so he could attend his son's football games.

It was great to see him at the stove yet again. He makes a mean sauteed mushroom!

Of course, we always enjoy getting to kick back and visit with everyone.

Mmmm... Steaks on the grill. Nothing like it!

Before heading to the stadium for our game, we watched plenty of other games under the glow of our burnt orange lights.

Because this would be our last time in these seats for a while, I took a picture of the weird "52" that marks our row in section 1. (The 5 is upside down, and yes, it bothers me!)

Some of Dede's friends found us by chance at the tailgate. Sure enough, we found them sitting across the field from us.

(There they are again!)

Longhorn Hall of Honor inductees were recognized before the game. I tweeted this photo of Cat Osterman and Sanya Richards-Ross, and both of these superstars retweeted it! (That's a thrill for an amateur tweeter like me!)

Other scenes from the stadium:

Fozzy's injury had a huge impact on this team. From all accounts, Fozzy is an outstanding young man. It's a shame his career had to end with an injury.

Understandably, Fozzy got a huge ovation when he was introduced for Senior Night. As an added tribute, a Longhorn player wore his #2 jersey for the rest of the season.

So this one didn't end the way we wanted,

but we'll still love our Horns 'til Gabriel blows his horn!

After the game, we huddled around the TV to watch the end of the ou-Baylor game. (Thanks to Bruce for the pic.) We were all guilty of schadenfreude, loving every minute of the sooners' loss. And yes, we would end up losing to Baylor, too, but hey, we were all Bears fans that night!
The next morning, Dede and I made the most of our last football weekend,

starting with breakfast at Trudy's. Dede always gets the Mexican eggs benedict, and I usually opt for the migas rellenos. Yum.

After breakfast we drove over to the Co-op and checked out the view from the garage rooftop.

After shopping to our hearts' content, we started the long, slow drive home. We ran into several accidents and traffic jams, so it took us forever. I had a raging headache, so we went ahead and stopped for supper...

at our friend's restaurant! We both had been wanting to eat there for the longest time, and it worked out nicely for us to squeeze this stop into our weekend.

And so another season of tailgating and Longhorn games has come to an end. While it wasn't nearly as dreadful as last year, this season was a far cry from the glory days of '05, '08 and '09. But honestly? My team could lose every game from here on out and I'd still want to be there, Horns held high. (But please, please, please, Mack, don't let that happen!)

K State: How do we spell Texas?

2011-12-11T00:12:00.001-06:00

Nov. 19, 2011

Kitkats for the Wildcats
(As the old commercials said, "Gimme a break!")

Kansas State 17, Texas 13

Basketball game 1: CJHS.

2011-12-11T00:03:00.001-06:00

Nov. 17, 2011

Don't look now, but it's BASKETBALL season! Even though NRMS lost this first game against Central JH, we're still excited to see what this year will bring.

Katie's been having some back pain over the last few months, so we were afraid that might get in the way of her game. For this first game, her back was still a little troublesome, but she still started on the A team.

We don't remember how many points Katie scored, but we do know she scored the first points!

Missouri: How do we spell Texas?

2011-12-10T23:58:00.001-06:00

Nov. 12, 2011

Frosted Flakes for the Tigers

(This game was anything but GRRRRRRREAT!)

Mizzou 17, Texas 5

Super Saturday.

2011-12-10T23:00:00.001-06:00

Nov. 12, 2011

Brett was out of town for this weekend, so it was awfully convenient that I had the Longhorn Network to keep me warm!

We still don't have LHN through our satellite provider, but this was an all-access weekend. Oh. My. Goodness. Longhorn Network is a must-have for all us orange-blooded folks. I tried to soak up as much LHN as possible. (And yes, I even slept with my laptop on the bed!) It makes me crazy that U-verse can't work out a deal to get us our LHN.

I did manage to break myself away from the computer long enough to take Katie to phase 2 of her region band tryouts. Afterwards, we stopped at the Mommy Park to walk/run/swing. As we were leaving, Kelly and Coal stopped by to say hello.

We thought it was cute that Coal immediately went to the van to look for Frisco.

Later that evening, I took the kids to our favorite yogurt shop, Blue Cherry. It was a tasty way to end a relaxing Saturday!

Super Regional finals.

2011-12-10T22:52:00.001-06:00

Nov. 5, 2011

Back in the Alamodome, we were anxious to see our bands perform. While we waited, though, we got to see MHS' famous ferris wheels.

They were pretty fancy, but the extravagant props turn me off.

We again saw Bowie's show with its winter theme.

And then it was time for BHS, the band from the school where I teach.

This was not our first time to see "The Circle's Edge."

Again, the swing flags were quite impressive. All that red, flying around the field: Beautiful.

Of course, the highlight of the night was seeing our band, RHS.

We were all so proud of the performance!

Our directors

After all the bands competed in the finals, the Goin' Band from Raiderland performed an exhibition.

It was a nice show, but I could've done without the "UT still sucks" chant that began the performance! (Um, Raiders? 52-20. SCOREBOARD.)

Before the rankings are announced, all the finals bands take the field in "full retreat."

It is incredible to see the field full of all those uniforms, instruments, flags and student musicians.

BHS won the whole shebang, which was a thrill for them. (It was interesting for us, too, since we were near parents from other schools who were STUNNED that they didn't win.)

After awards were announced, BHS got to perform their show one more time.

It was a beautiful, well-deserving show, but we were disappointed with OUR band's ranking. Still, we didn't need the judges to tell us how wonderful "The Diary" was!

Texas game 8: Tech.

2011-12-10T22:22:00.001-06:00

Nov. 5, 2011

Katie and I woke up at early-30 so we could get to Austin in time for a good pregame breakfast.

As we looked out our balcony, we could see these SA buildings lit up in the darkness.

In ATX, we made it to our favorite breakfast destination: Kerbey Lane Cafe. I feasted on the California omelette while Katie enjoyed vegan pancakes.

From there we were off to the tailgate, where we spelled Texas with—what else?—tortillas in honor of Texas Tech.

It was a gorgeous, sunny day, so Katie was rockin' the hat.

So maybe the sun had some effect on us...

As part of the Veterans Day tribute, Texans who had been killed in action were recognized. How sad that once again, we recognized one of those honored. Michael Roberts graduated from RHS. In fact, he played tuba in the band.

A fly-over was part of the tribute, too. So impressive—and LOUD!

And here are a ridiculous number of photos of Fozzy and company running roughshod over the hapless Red Raiders:

He gets the ball...

and it looks like he's stopped,...

but he emerges from that pile,...

and falls into the endzone! Touchdown, Texas!

Now it's Bergeron's turn to break one.

One of many times that the "Wild Fozz" worked.

Even though Ash is open in the endzone, Fozzy keeps it...

and breaks tackle after tackle...

to score yet again!

This time Fozzy hands off to DJ Monroe...

who heads to the sideline...

before turning up field...

and scoring another Texas TD!

Although McCoy and Ash played QB, Fozzy got a bunch of snaps!

Love those stats!

At halftime, we got to see the view the Airborne guys had as they parachuted into the stadium. Amazing!

Love this guy's jersey: Section 1.

Obligatory defense shot. (Pass was incomplete, by the way.)

Hook 'em! Time for "All I Do Is Win" and "The Eyes."

After the game, we did the best we could to escape postgame traffic. We ended up stopping for dinner at a Cracker Barrel around San Marcos. While there, we got the text we'd been waiting for: RHS advanced to the finals! WOO-HOO! We were glad to get back on the road to see "The Diary" one more time.

A song of old San Antone.

2011-12-10T21:57:00.001-06:00

Nov. 4, 2011

Katie and I made a quick escape from school and work on this Friday afternoon so we could book it to San Antonio. Ryan's band was performing in the BOA Super Regional, and luckily for us, they'd drawn the 8:30 slot, the last preliminary time. That meant we could get there just in time to see them perform.

After our trip down I-35, we were glad to escape Austin traffic and see the Tower of the Americas.

As it turned out, by the time we parked and bought our tickets at the Alamodome, we were able to see a couple of other bands, too!

After seeing not one but TWO shows with butterfly/metamorphosis themes, we were ready to watch "The Diary."

It was a fantastic performance! We were so proud of Ryan and the rest of our band. We were optimistic that RHS would advance to the finals the next day.

Much to Katie's disappointment, we didn't take time to visit the Tower's observation deck. We were hungry! Besides, we'd been there, done that. Instead, we checked into our hotel and then walked out the back door to the Riverwalk.

Dinner at Rio Rio awaited us. Katie liked her vegetarian burrito,

and I loved my portabello fajitas.

Of course, it was fun just to stroll along the Riverwalk and take in the sights and sounds.

And as Texans, we could not be in downtown San Antonio without paying our respects to the Cradle of Texas Liberty.

THE ALAMO!

We had fun attempting self-portraits.

Flying down 35, hangin' in the Alamodome, eating along the Riverwalk, strolling in front of the Alamo. Now THAT'S the way to spend a Friday night!

Diary on display.

2011-12-07T23:15:00.001-06:00

Nov. 1, 2011

In spite of the gale-force winds, we gathered in the stadium for the final "home" performance of "The Diary," RHS' 2011 show.

We were disappointed that the guard had to "pull their tosses," but it was still great to see our band!

Ryan was fantastic!

We're ALL so proud of him!

In spite of the nasty weather, Ryan's cheering section was there! Mike, Kelly, Nana and Papa were all there to root him on.

Next up: the BOA Super Regional in San Antonio.

I'm a guru.

2011-11-28T07:50:00.000-06:00

"I'm a Guru" - Gurus 2011 Rap from Church Tech Talk on Vimeo.

Our youth minister posted this for all the A/V boothies at church, and I LOVE it! It's hard to pick a favorite line, but "I can mute you" is pretty rad--and tempting sometimes.

What's funny is that I was sipping my Diet Dew when I watched the video for the first time. How appropriate!

Big props to Brock for sharing this with us!

This is Halloween, 2011 edition.

2011-11-28T07:45:00.000-06:00

Oct. 31, 2011

Ooh, ooh-ooh, witchy woman...

she got the moon in her eyes!

For this Halloween evening, we all got into the spirit of things, even ChaCha. Some friends came over to trick-or-treat with Ryan and Katie, and they made the rounds in our neighborhood while I answered the door for the handful of "trickers" that came our way.

ChaCha wasn't too sure about all the craziness.

Nothing like blood on the driveway to top off your Halloween!

Kansas: How do we spell Texas?

2011-11-28T06:45:00.000-06:00

Oct. 29, 2011

Sunflower seeds for the Sunflower State

Texas 43, Kansas 0

Texas game 7: Kansas

2011-11-28T06:30:00.000-06:00

Oct. 29, 2011

This Austin visit began with lunch at one of Dede's most-sought-after destinations: Flip Happy Crepes! It was delicious and so very Austin to have lunch at one of the many food trailers around town.

From there we joined up with the tailgating crew before sliding into Section 1 to see Texas wallop Kansas.

This week, the Horns carried several awareness flags
with them in addition to the U.S. and Texas flags.

It was so nice to have Mike (our usher) back after an illness!

Ash looks for an open receiver...

and then calls his own number! Touchdown, Texas!

Double Script Texas? Nifty!

Love, love, love Alumni Band Day.

And who doesn't love Baton Guy?

I remember when the LHB won the Sudler Trophy. I was a freshman
sitting in the east stands when the Tower was lit in the band's honor.
Back then the Tower was visible from those seats. It was a rush to
see the big ol' Number 1 appear at that very moment!

Happiness is an orange Tower.

The stars at night are big and bright...

I have four trees.

2011-11-27T20:48:00.001-06:00

I have four trees I wanted up
Before this break had ended,
But life has thrown me other plans;
I've done less than intended.

Our big green tree is standing bare,
But thankfully it's prelit.
At least the lights adorn the tree
Since the kids won't stop to trim it.

The gameroom tree had just the spot
In the corner by the TV.
A desk now sits in that locale;
I'd move it but I'm sleepy.

It took a while to clear the space
For my Texas tree, and hello?
I pulled that white tree from the box,
And don't you know, it's YELLOW.

So that leaves just Tree #4,
And it's all decorated.
Of course, it's only 2 feet tall,
But it's done so I'm elated!

We should be set within a week,
Depending on our timing.
We'll deck the halls and trim the trees
But no more of this rhyming!

No NaBloPoMo.

2011-11-26T05:06:00.001-06:00

It's 5 a.m. on Nov. 26, and I just realized I never posted yesterday! Oopsie.

So... I didn't reach my goal of posting every day. Bummer. At least I'm closer to being caught up with this fall's events!

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Grub Run done.

2011-11-24T18:05:00.001-06:00

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Pre-run jitters.

2011-11-23T22:13:00.001-06:00

Tomorrow, Brett, Katie and I will run in our first 5K. In spite of completing the Couch to 5K months ago and being able to run 30 minutes straight, I have never run a complete 5K. I'm s-l-o-w! In my case, the program was more like Couch to 3K on Perfectly Level Ground.

My game plan is to alternate running 10 minutes and walking 3. Slow and steady isn't just my strategy; it's a necessity.

I'm grateful for my sweet husband and daughter who are doing this with me. A 5K wasn't exactly their idea of how to spend Thanksgiving morning, but they're getting up super early anyway.

Wish us luck!

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Rangers rewind.

2011-11-22T20:43:00.001-06:00

Oct. 28, 2011

It was deja vu all over again. Only a year after their first American League pennant, the Rangers were in the World Series again. And again, the Metroplex went NUTS!

After the big ALCS-clinching win, we were all atwitter at church the next day, especially our friend C, who was at the game.


Nellie Cruz. What a stud. A friend and I got in the habit of texting after each boomstick. We exchanged quite a few of those texts!

Throughout the DS, CS and WS, we enjoyed all the clever headlines.

Alas, in spite of some thrilling moments, this World Series, like the last one, ended in disappointment. Game 6 was the real heartbreaker. The Rangers were ONE STRIKE AWAY from winning it all—TWICE. Ouch.

Because of that disappointment, we decided the official supplement of Rangers fans has to be this:

Fortunately, it's not too much longer until pitchers and catchers report! Third time's the charm, right?

Our anni-V.

2011-11-22T20:29:00.001-06:00

Oct. 27, 2011

On this date in 1993, Brett asked me to marry him. In honor of that anniversary, we ate at the same fine dining establishment as we did that night: Taco Bueno!

I love our memories of that engagement night, but more than that, I love being married to this amazing man!

Homecoming 2011.

2011-11-21T23:30:00.001-06:00

Oct. 21, 2011

Homecoming. You know, few alumni actually come home for this particular football game, and at Ryan's school, there's not even a dance. Still, there's something special about homecoming. Something WONDERFUL.

(Sorry. Got carried away quoting The Diary again.)

Ryan's special day started with breakfast at Tea and Donuts.

The specialness continued at the game, where Cara and Jeff joined us.

RHS's rival, HHS, performed its marching show.

It was pretty spooky with all the monks.

The Grim Reaper didn't exactly lighten the mood, either.

Then the band started dropping like flies.

Wow.

Then it was time for RHS's part of the halftime show.


Since it was homecoming, the big coronation took the place of the usual marching show.

Once the game ended (with an RHS win!), it was time for the band to take the field.

We thought it was neat that the football team hung around to support the band.

Showtime!

'The Diary' was worth the wait.

We finally got to see the closer, the show's finale. To see the whole show culminate in that last section brought goosebumps and yes, tears.

Yep. Homecoming is special.

Spellbound.

2011-11-20T20:03:00.001-06:00

Sticky notes now adorn many surfaces throughout our house.

Can you tell Katie is preparing for the spelling bee?

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Home, sweet Section 1.

2011-11-19T23:55:00.001-06:00

It's hard to believe we've come to the end of UT's 2011 home football season. I'm going to miss my home away from home on row 52. I'm so thankful to have spent another season with our Section 1 friends to share many laughs, rants, high fives and fist bumps.

Until next September, HOOK 'EM.

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Mum's the word.

2011-11-18T17:30:00.000-06:00

Oct. 20, 2011

It was Monday, Oct. 17, around 7:20 a.m., when I got the news.

"Um, Mom? Can we go to Hobby Lobby some day this week?"

"I guess so," I replied. "What do you need?"

"I need to get some stuff to make a MUM."

With that simple statement, uttered at the VERY END of what could've been an efficient, mum-producing weekend, my week was suddenly filled to overflowing with stops at Michael's, JoAnn's and THREE Hobby Lobby stores, not to mention hours spent with hot glue and the stapler. We had just four days (and nights) to make a mum in time for homecoming on Oct. 21.

But we got 'er done.

(For the record, Ryan's homecoming date was a FRIEND.)

I bought the base mum at Hobby Lobby and added all the bells and whistles found at the aforementioned stores. (Actually, there were neither bells nor whistles at Ryan's friend's request.)

Full disclosure: I had some help.

I also consulted my friend Jeana, a pro at this mum-making stuff. (Thanks for the tips, Jeana!)

Since Ryan's friend plays saxophone, we added a sax-playing bear. That was my favorite personal touch. I just hope the recipient liked it as much as I did!

And the band played on...

2011-11-17T22:30:00.000-06:00

Oct. 20, 2011

Just what we needed: a break from marching band! So what do we do? Go to a middle school band concert, of course!

As a flutist in the honors band, Katie was asked to help out the concert band at that night's performance.

That means we got to see her play twice!

Take a bow, Shoogs! We love to watch you (and Ryan) perform with your bands!

Oklahoma State: How do we spell Texas?

2011-11-16T07:59:00.000-06:00

Brisket for the Cowboys

Oklahoma State 38, Texas 26

10/15/11

Texas game 6: Okie State.

2011-11-16T07:55:00.000-06:00

Oct. 15, 2011

A week after the Texas-ou debacle, we were back in Austin to face Oklahoma State. The Cowboys are plowing through opponents this year, aiming for a title, and our "little" (read: "young") team was not going to get in their way.

Still, we had a great tailgate (brisket and all the trimmings, plus a special guest) and enjoyed this sunny October afternoon. It was "Chamber of Commerce weather," that's for sure!

Some tailgating highlights:

Pretty awesome to have a friend of a friend cater the tailgate!
No fuss, no muss AND great food.

What a nice surprise to have Hook 'Em pay us a visit!

Many call Hook 'Em "Bevo," but Bevo is
the name of the actual longhorn.
(Besides, Bevo has already
visited our tailgate!)

By the way, Hook 'Em is awesome with little kids!

When this little lady was hesitant to approach,
Hook 'Em had mom give him a hug first.

It took some convincing...

but she gradually started to
warm up to the big furry guy.

And yes, she did give him a hug!

We had a good, midsized crowd for the tailgate,

and T made the most of the fancy chair.
(Dangling grapes not included.)

Game highlights:

If you're going to misspell a word, make sure it's not EDITOR.

Walter Cronkite's been gone for years now,
but when his "Get Your Horns Up" spot
comes on, EVERYONE gets into it!

They're T-n-T, dynamite!

View from the stands.

2011-11-15T22:40:00.001-06:00

Oct. 14, 2011

As Brett and I sat near the top of the stadium for the BHS-RHS game, we enjoyed the view of the Fort Worth skyline as the sun set.

To our left we could also see Dallas.

What a gorgeous night!

FNL Game 7.

2011-11-15T21:30:00.000-06:00

Oct. 14, 2011

So here it was. The most anticipated game of the year. Ryan's high school vs. the school where I teach.

Because my school was the home team this year, Brett and I sat on the BHS side. It gave us this unique view of the RHS band.

Finally, finally, finally, it was halftime. We were all ready for the "battle of the bands."

The RHS band:

And the BHS band:

At the end of the game, BHS came out on top.

But if you'll pardon the cheese, we were all winners because we got to see the best of both schools!

Guilty pleasure.

2011-11-14T22:37:00.001-06:00

In a TV landscape littered with all kinds of music competitions, The Sing-Off is an anomaly. For one, it features groups of singers and no individual musicians. For another, the prize is a paltry $200,000 (plus a recording contract). And unlike most of the Idol/AGT ilk, Sing-Off contestants are eliminated by judges' decisions, not by a phone-in vote.

Most unusual, though, is The Sing-Off's catch: All the music is performed a cappella.

With our Church of Christ background, our family has an appreciation for music sung without instrumental accompaniment. (Not that I in any way think it's wrong to play instruments in worship, but that's a rabbit trail I'm not even going to follow tonight!) Plus, my dad sang barbershop back in the day, so his years in SPEBSQSA exposed me to all kinds of crazy a cappella harmonies.

Still, it's funny that this particular brand of music has its own show on network TV. While some voice-only groups have enjoyed commercial success (Take 6 comes to mind), it's not like you're going to come across some sweet a cappella arrangement on mainstream radio. Because of that, I'm amazed that a show like The Sing-Off is on TV—and is in its third season, no less!

But oh my GOODNESS, am I glad it's on TV! I. Love. This. Show.

I appreciate all three judges and the kinds of criticism/praise they offer. (And Sara Bareilles? Love her!)
I love that in these pre-finals (and pre-recorded) rounds, there are no phone-in votes. Seeing singers pantomiming phone numbers, begging for votes, gets old.
I love the all-group numbers that open each episode. Too much fun.
I enjoy seeing the different genres the groups tackle each week. Even styles that I wouldn't typically prefer sound pretty awesome when converted to multi-part harmonies. I'm in awe of the musicians who come up with those arrangements.
As the mother of a beat-boxer, I can't get over these groups' "rhythm sections." I can easily imagine Katie beat-boxing on this show someday!
I even like the cheesy week-in-review montages that play up the drama of each group's rehearsals.
And speaking of cheesy: How 'bout that choreography? A lot of the groups' moves are over-the-top goofy, but that just makes me love them more.

My favorite group is Pentatonix, and not just because they're from Arlington. Here are a couple of their performances:

You know, I really don't need to spend two hours every Monday night watching another TV competition show (on top of my other addictions, The Amazing Race and Survivor), but I just can't help it.

What can I say? The Sing-Off puts a song in my heart.

The Circle of Life.

2011-11-13T15:30:00.000-06:00

Sept. 24, 2011

The four of us don't make it to the movies all that often, but the re-release of the Lion King—in 3D, no less—warranted a trip to the theater.

Once there, we were wowed by the newfangled Wonka candy machine.

This is Katie's reaction when we told her she couldn't actually BUY the candy combination she created.

The film was magnificent in 3D and on the big screen. Even better? Getting to hold hands with my "mane" man!

RABB Rally 2011.

2011-11-12T22:00:00.000-06:00

Sept. 22, 2011

With Ryan and Katie's various school and social activities, we are often split in multiple directions. This was the rare night when the kids' schedules converged.

The occasion: the high school band's fall rally, which featured the bands of the feeder middle schools.

That's a lot of middle schoolers!

And there's our favorite, smack-dab in the middle!

After hearing the younger musicians play, we got to listen to Ryan's high school band play through their show.

As the band director pointed out, it's awesome that these young people are so devoted to music!

Since I was in band through my freshman year of college, I can't help but be tickled that our kids have chosen to pursue music.

(Can you tell we're just a little bit proud of them?)

It was a dark and stormy night.

2011-11-11T19:11:00.000-06:00

Oct. 17, 2011

After an afternoon indoors, I left the house to pick up Katie after a youth event. When I rounded one corner, I could see the sky was all kinds of CRAZY.

When I got to the church building, Katie texted to say they were still about 20 minutes away. That gave me time to walk around the church grounds and get some shots of the brewing storm.

As darkness fell, lightning began to light up the eastern sky.

With the weird weather surrounding us, I was sooooo happy to see that church bus pull into the parking lot!

Football, friends and fried foods.

2011-11-10T21:30:00.000-06:00

Oct. 8, 2011

So yeah, the Horns lost. By a LOT. That still couldn't put a damper on this Texas-ou weekend! Like I told a friend, any day that starts with corny dogs for breakfast and ends with fried bubblegum can't be all bad.

As is our custom, we were at the Fletcher's stand by 8 a.m. Breakfast of champions.

New this year: little awnings over the mustard and ketchup kiosks. Now that's progress!

Another tradition: Saying howdy to Big Tex.

With the 11 a.m. kickoff, we didn't have too much time to see the rest of the fair, but we did swing through the car show. There we found this truck, a tribute to the first responders of 9/11:

Also in that pavilion, Dede found the buffalo chicken flapjack.

It sounded promising, but in reality? Meh.

We also spent some time around the College Gameday set.

While there, I made a poster to celebrate the next generation of McCoy-Shipley.

We also got to meet Gameday host Kirk Herbstreit. He was a little flat.

Then we stood around and yelled for the Horns anytime Texas was mentioned on the air.

Good times.

Later on, it was good to hang out with some of our tailgating buddies.

Funny how everyone knows to gather near the cheap beer booth!

Once inside the Cotton Bowl, I took in the Dallas skyline,

and then Dede and I compared shoes.

As kickoff time approached, the Gameday crew moved inside the stadium. From our vantage point we could see Blake Griffin make his picks. (Of course, the sooner picked ou. BOOOOOO! He was right, but still, "BOOOOOOOOOOOOO!")

Then there's the game and all its hoopla:

Ugliest. Flag. Ever.

Shotgun Texas!

Now THAT'S a flag!

So yeah. I didn't take many actual game photos. Too painful. But after a while, since we knew we were going to lose, we were able to sit back and celebrate each (rare) first down.

And hey!

Elvis was there!

And yes, he was wearing burnt orange under that cape.

After the game, we hung around long enough to partake in the fried goodies that have made the State Fair famous:

Deep Fried Salsa? Si!

More Fletcher's Corny Dogs, the gold standard of fair fare.

And then there's the Holy Grail of this year's entries: Fried Bubblegum.

Dede didn't care for the fried bubblegum-flavored marshmallows, but I liked them!

So with our bellies full, we were on our way, another Texas-ou gameday in the books.

Katie Bug's 14th birthday.

2011-11-09T21:40:00.000-06:00

Oct. 6-7, 2011

Our celebration of Katie's birthday was split over two days. On her actual birthday, a Thursday, we took her and a friend to Souper Salad for supper (say that three times fast) and then to the RHS game.

After the game and before we could pick up Ryan at the band hall, we dropped by Walgreens for a bit.

Hilarity ensued.

The kids' school had a school holiday the next day, so K and her friend were able to hang out for a while. When I finally got home that Friday evening, the birthday girl was DYING to open her presents.

She loved her singing Glee card...

...and the Glee season 2 DVDs.

When it was time for cake, she beatboxed a nice rhythm as we sang.

It's unbelievable that my baby girl has 14 candles on that cake!

Happy birthday, Bug! We are so proud of the young woman you are becoming, and we're so thankful that our heavenly Father chose us to be your mom and dad!

FNL Game 6.

2011-11-08T21:40:00.000-06:00

Oct. 6, 2011

(Even though I'm throwing this into the "Friday night lights" category, this game happened to fall on a Thursday night. And this Thursday just so happened to be Katie's 14th birthday! Since we couldn't do the big family dinner that night, Katie invited a friend to go out to eat and to the game with us and then spend the night at our house.)

As the high school football season rolled on, I became more and more obsessed with comparing our school's inflatable tunnel to our opponent's. I just knew someday we'd come across a tunnel that did not surpass our own.

I was wrong. But hey, ours still works, right?

It was a GORGEOUS October night.

Every team has to run the flags. If I had to run 100 yards carrying one of these things, I'd have to do this:

(Obligatory football action shot)

The opposition, CHHS, had a cool marching show that featured a grand piano on the sideline. Cool.

This was also my first time to see a guard girl riding the snares across the field. Nifty.

This was NOT our first time to see the drill team perform its "Daddy-Daughter Dance."

It is so much fun watching these dads/family friends support the girls.

What good sports they were! It's sweet, really.

Of course, the highlight of all of these games comes when our band takes the field.

And throughout the game, it's so much fun to listen to and watch the band in the stands.

Go, band! Go, Ryan!

Fright Fest 2011.

2011-11-07T22:02:00.000-06:00

Oct. 1, 2011

Between BOA prelims and finals, Katie and I drove across town to Six Flags.

We thought this was the first of a couple of Fright Fest visits, but with our crazy schedule, this turned out to be our only Six Flags trip this October. The park was super crowded, but we arrived just as the haunted houses were opening, and that was Katie's numero uno reason for going in the first place.

New this year: a 3D haunted house!

I don't do haunted houses, so I rode the Superman while Katie walked through a couple of houses. (I did NOT do the bungee thing, however. That's a whole other level of scary!)

Before heading back to the bands, we took in the Arania's Nightmare show at the Southern Palace and checked out the creepy decorations.

Even though it was a quick trip, our time at Fright Fest was to die for!

BOA Regional.

2011-11-07T20:56:00.000-06:00

Oct. 1, 2011

How nice of Bands of America to schedule the Arlington regional around my football schedule! Last year I rushed over to Arlington after the Texas-ou game to see Ryan's band in the finals, but this time around, Katie and I were able to watch the prelims and make a day out of it.

After watching RHS march in prelims, Katie and I booked it over to Six Flags to get some Fright Fest action. We left the park in the early evening to get back to UTA in time for finals.

Because of shuttle bus issues, we made sure to get to the stadium extra early. Once there, we got to join the crowd waiting to grab the best seats.

It was worth it to have a great vantage point to see our second favorite band, BHS:

Of course, the highlight was seeing "The Diary," RHS' show.

Highlights from some of the other shows:

After watching all 10 bands perform in the finals, it was time for the retreat:

It was so impressive to see all the pageantry.

Even more impressive? Seeing RHS place third in this prestigious contest! WOO-HOO!

Iowa State: How do we spell Texas?

2011-11-07T20:33:00.000-06:00

Oct. 1, 2011

How about some chocolate eyeballs for EYE-owa State?

By the way, Texas blew away the Cyclones, 37-14.

A blog post in every drop.

2011-11-06T20:30:00.001-06:00

This cold I've had for nearly a week now has led me to consume a steady supply of cough drops. On the road this weekend, I was unable to replenish my stock with the usual off-brand drops, so I picked up some Hall's.

Apparently some marketing genius has decided that those afflicted with coughing spells are lacking self-motivation. "A pep talk in every drop" is the trademarked tag that appears on the cough drop wrappers. (This must be the offspring of the "Have a happy period" campaign.)

Among the pep talks: Impress yourself today. Put your game face on. Inspire envy. Elicit some "wows" today. Go get it.

Um, I already went and got it, assuming "it" is a cold! Now if you would kindly take a break from the pep talks, maybe you could help me STOP COUGHING!

Now excuse me while I go seize the day.

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Intermission.

2011-11-05T20:45:00.001-05:00

We interrupt this annual backblogging extravaganza to bring you two photos from this crazy-fun weekend. Katie and I are in San Antonio tonight for the Bands of America Super Regional finals.

Last night, after watching our band in prelims, Katie and I ate dinner along the Riverwalk and then walked over to pay our respects to the Alamo. Then this morning, we drove into Austin for breakfast at Kerbey Lane before watching the Horns wreck Tech. Now we are back in the Alamodome for finals, anxious to see our band perform.

To sum up: All kinds of AWESOME.

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FNL Game 5.

2011-11-04T23:15:00.000-05:00

Sept. 30, 2011

Another Friday night, another football game! For this away game, Brett, Katie and I had dinner at El Chico and then strolled through this thrift store to kill some time before kickoff.

These old console stereos really took me back!

If only we had a place for this ol' gem, it would've gone home with us!

ANYWAY... Football!

I loved that IHS had an alumni band there for their homecoming.

The ever-so-rare glimpse of Katie! Once we arrive at the stadium, we typically see very little of her until it's time to go home.

What fun we had! The band looked great, and we won the game. Throw in a little Mexican food and some old electronics, and it all adds up to another great Friday night.

The big kaBOOM.

2011-11-03T22:24:00.000-05:00

Sept. 29, 2011

Because our Friday nights are spent watching Ryan's high school's games, it's rare that I get to see my students hit the field. However, this particular game against our big (and I mean that literally) cross-town rival was on a Thursday night.

And what a game it turned out to be! Our team jumped out to a 3-0 lead late in the first quarter. This is remarkable because we haven't beaten the Trojans in 14 years. FOURTEEN! It was so exciting to just have a lead over these guys that I took a picture of the scoreboard:

Going into halftime, our side of the stadium was all atwitter. The game was being televised locally, so we knew we had a pretty big audience for this possibly streak-busting game. Facebook messages and texts were flying around: Could this be the year?

And of course, our band "won halftime."

The two schools' drill teams did their traditional friendship dance, too.

All was kicking and clicking along quite nicely until lightning showed up in the vicinity. While the teams were still in the locker room, everyone was ordered to vacate the stands.

Katie and I waited as long as we could, but once the weather let up enough for us to get back to our car safely, we headed out.

I was disappointed to have to leave the game, but with the crazy weather and Katie's homework, we knew it was the right thing to do. I took a photo of the rain on the windshield to symbolize this wash-out of a game:

It was right about that time when we were just surrounded by lightning. Katie and I, both armed with our cell phone cameras, decided to have a little contest to see who could get the best lightning shot. We got our phones ready, steadied our hands on the dash and waited.

All of 30 seconds later, we saw a big flash. We both looked at our phones, and I immediately started screaming.

"KATIE W-----! LOOK AT THIS!!!"

Looks Photoshopped, but it's the Real McCoy. Crazy. Katie and I howled at our good luck (because this photo was complete luck--no skill involved), and it took quite a while for me to settle down enough to even drive home.

(And no, I have no idea why I kept saying Katie's first and last names in exclamation.)

That photo ended up flying around the Twitterverse, by the way.

Postscript: The second half began around 10:30 that night, long after we'd gone home. I watched the rest on TV, but there wasn't much to see. We thought lightning could strike and we'd beat our heavily favored rivals, but when lightning really struck, the momentum seemed to shift to the other team. We lost, 41-11.

That loss, while disappointing, was nothing compared to the real tragedy of that evening. A friend and colleague of mine, one of the two teachers Katie and I sat with at the game, was in an awful hit-and-run motorcycle accident as she was leaving the parking lot. Her injuries, while not life-threatening, required surgery, and the road to her recovery will be a long one. As I write this in November, she's still rehabbing from her injuries. Our prayers for her complete healing continue.

Back to the FAAC.

2011-11-03T21:23:00.000-05:00

Sept. 26, 2011

It's that glorious time of year again, when most of our spare moments are spent in football stadiums! On this fine September evening, Ryan and the rest of the high school band were rehearsing, and I was tickled to get to the stadium early enough to listen in.

Remembering 9/11.

2011-11-02T02:40:00.000-05:00

Sept. 17, 2011
After eating dinner at Chili's on this busy Saturday, the four of us walked around the "Mommy park," a city walking trail. Since we were in the neighborhood, we also paid a visit to that city's new fire station with its 9/11 tribute.

On Sept. 11 we weren't able to be there for the community ceremony at the new firehouse, but we still wanted to see the tribute.

The centerpiece is this beam from one of the World Trade Center towers. It was incredible to stand (again) next to part of that WTC building. And it's unifying to think of all the communities, like ours, that are using the detritus of that awful day to represent our nation's resilience and strength.

UCLA: How do we spell Texas?

2011-11-01T23:58:00.000-05:00

Sept. 17, 2011
The Horns were playing the UCLA Bruins, and I was struggling to find something different to use for our weekly TEXAS. We'd used Teddy Grahams many times for the Baylor Bears, and last year, I very messily wrote Texas in honey. Yuck.

When in doubt, go with the pun. This year I used Keuring K-Cups. You know, for the "Brewin's"!

If I'm not at the game, I make these silly spellings at home, and ChaCha is always right there to watch me.

It's such hard work watching your "people" spell Texas!

Team Megann hits the streets.

2011-11-01T23:57:00.000-05:00

On Sept. 17, Katie and I joined some friends from church in the "Run/Walk to Break the Silence on Ovarian Cancer."

Our group, Team Megann, honored our sweet friend who died in 2007.

Before the walk began, Katie and I tried a little Jazzercise.

Our team also had to test all our equipment.

It's so nice to know that your friends have your back!

It was an honor to represent Megann at the walk. Seeing all the groups just like us, though, wearing shirts in memory of lost friends, was sobering.

After the walk, Katie and I "carb-loaded" at IHOP. (Yes, I know we're supposed to do that BEFORE the walk!)

Our breakfast was such a treat! It was a great start to a fun Saturday.

FNL game 4.

2011-09-16T23:58:00.000-05:00

The fourth game of our second season as band parents turned into quite the adventure! Rain thinned out the crowd quite a bit before kickoff and caused the cancellation of Middle School Band Night. The high school band and drill team didn't even stick around. But with my iPhone encased in a zipper baggie and myself wrapped in an old poncho, I was in for the long haul. Katie was, too, since she wanted more time with her peeps.

Then lightning sent us all scurrying for cover. No amount of plastic could protect us from THAT.

Finally the game resumed, but it did not go the Rebs' way. Luckily for me, I had volunteered to help clean the stands, so I got to stay until the bitter end. Yay.

Here's the thing about cleaning the stadium: Just when you think you've seen the nastiest, most vile trash ever, something else tops it. Of course, picking up leftover food is always gross, but when it's wet? ICK. That half-eaten chopped beef sandwich? Even MORE fun to pick up when it's soggy. That still didn't win the nasty prize, though. That award went to the pantyliner pad that was in the outer concourse, followed closely by the half dozen press-on fingernails.

I remember.

2011-09-11T21:24:00.001-05:00

On this, the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 terror attacks, we remember those lost

at the Pentagon:

(from our visit to the Pentagon Memorial, July 10, 2010)

at the World Trade Center:

(antenna tower from WTC north tower, from our visit to the Newseum in Washington, DC, July 13, 2010)

and aboard United 93:

(part of United 93 fuselage, from our visit to the Newseum, July 13, 2010)

And as I've done every year since 2006, I'm taking a moment to remember Deepa K. Pakkala:

Five years ago, I signed up with Project 2,996, an effort to memorialize each of the 9/11 victims. The name assigned to me was Deepa's. She was working on the 99th floor of the north tower when the plane hit.

My thoughts from that original post still apply today:

When I think about the 2,996 people who died in the attacks, I'm overwhelmed. It's hard to grasp such a big number. When I scroll through the unbearably long list of victims at the 2996 site, the names begin to blur. The pain represented by those names is enormous. It's too much for me to process--even five years later.

But today I can pause to feel the enormity of this loss. I can picture a man holding his baby girl, desperately missing his sweet wife. By reading online tributes, I can listen in as Deepa's friends recall her giving spirit. I can imagine the tears of those who loved her. And I can cry right along with them.

I pray that her loved ones have found comfort and peace, and I especially pray that Trish will feel her mother's love every day.

I will never forget September 11, 2001, and I pledge to always remember Deepa K. Pakkala.

Texas game 2: BYU.

2011-09-10T23:54:00.000-05:00

In honor of our visitors from the former State of Deseret, we spelled Texas with Honeycombs cereal this week.

The weather was hot and our team was cold, but we managed to enjoy our day with the Longhorn faithful anyway.

Some of the MANY BYU fans who passed our tailgate

Snacks!

"Mormons 4 Horns"

Pathetic first half stats.

We narrowed down the QB competition to two, too.

It was too, too close for comfort, but at least we won, 17-16!

FNL game 3.

2011-09-09T23:10:00.000-05:00

This game featured RHS vs. the three-time state champs from THS.

It was a gorgeous night for football, but our guys in white didn't stand a chance against the giants in black.

This was just the halftime score.

Speaking of halftime, though, we won that by a mile.

It wasn't a pretty game, but it was a gorgeous night for high school football.

Go big. Go crowded.

2011-09-05T21:06:00.000-05:00

For Labor Day, Katie and I felt the need for speed. We headed to Six Flags for a little roller coaster action.

And a little coaster action is what we got! The place was packed! It wasn't all that surprising, considering it was a holiday and the weather was beautiful, and it wasn't even all that disappointing, since we don't feel obligated to spend a whole day in the park when it's that crazy.

We ended our outing by riding the only thing without a super-long line: the tram to the parking lot! Still, it was a great excuse to get some exercise and enjoy the unusually cool day.