The Life and Times of Me

So, been a while...

2009-03-01T18:47:00.000-08:00

It turns out I am a bad blogger. Who knew?? (Ok, all of y'all...)

I've had a couple of thoughts about recent events in the life of yours truly...I thought I would take this time to share...

1. Working in the dorms = weirdest job EVER. I mean, it is turning out to be Law and Order: SVU style. Let's review: kid with short term memory disorder (I fondly call him Memento Kid) that I keep having to give terrible news to...repeatedly because he doesn't remember it; girl who had a BABY in the BATHROOM because she didn't KNOW she was PREGNANT (it is safe to assume I m raising my volume with the caps...I raised my volume a lot on this one); kid I had committed because he was hiding thing in ceiling tiles... WEIRD.

2. I'm not sure this Ph.D. thing is worth the application process. BLECH.

3. Lori (Shelton from back in the day...) and I are now the OKC Area Phi Mu Alumnae Membership Chairs. We have no idea what we're doing and we're slightly not convinced we're old enough.. remember when all alums were OLD? We're OLD now!?!?!!!

4. I am recently obsessed with the TV show Bones. And the British version of The Office. Also, did you know you can watch tv for free--all tv, not just whatever the networks might have--on hulu.com? The things my staff teaches me!

5. I need an iPhone. Possibly to watch hulu.com.

6. I recently converted to Dave Ramsey's "cash only" lifestyle in an attempt to figure out how to manage my money and how much I have. Turns out still don't know and not enough. :)

7. I am considering getting rid of my DVR and digital cable. I KNOW. But I think it might be eating my life...

8. I am not sure everyone who reads my blog (all three of you) know that I rub my eyebrow off when I get stressed. JK... the three of you all knew that... anyway, huge hole in it now from taking the GRE. Left eyebrow is for sure MIA.

9. I need to know the difference between wine chic and nautical buttons. Napa in May is potentially the girls trip of a lifetime and I am concerned about the wardrobe. I mean, not THAT concerned, it IS going to be an educational experience in alcohol...

10. I don't really have a 10 but I don't like ending on 9...

A Whole New Year

2009-01-04T10:09:00.000-08:00

So my mother has been after me for updating my blog... something that has clearly not been made a huge priority the last few months! MY BAD.

OK, so we're out with the old in 2008 and in with the new. That means it is the season of good intentions and resolutions, right? Right. I have never been fab at resolution making; it seems like a lot to set goals for an entire year. I'm much more comfortable with small goals that I get to see the end of. So this year I am making some promises I am pretty sure I can keep...

This year...

I promise to spoil my nephews not quite rotten, but certainly lots.
I promise to call everyone more. (Abby is somewhere cringing.)
I promise to enjoy Napa in the spring, Michigan and Ocean City in the summer and football season in the fall.
I promise to look really hard at starting my Ph.D. Look real hard.
I promise to watch more movies and read more books instead of internet shopping.
I promise to do less of the stuff I don't want to do--unless it is work related and then Mama needs PAID so that stuff stays.

OK, those are some things I can stick with. Probably. We'll see.

Any fab resolutions in your new year?

Wild Rumpus of the Future

2008-11-07T20:58:00.000-08:00

Tonight I had BOTH boys in a Wild Rumpus of the future. Why of the future? THEY WERE BOTH HERE. It is a lot harder to do things with one arm and Max for REAL did not want to go to sleep, but we had a great time! Theo made a turkey from his hand--but he didn't really get that turkey part--and a tree of things he is thankful for. And he wrote HIMSELF. It was very exciting. We also used the photo booth on the mac to show our friend Natalie how great Max looks in the onsie she made. She has a new shop on etsy and I dig it.

Safe Trick or Treat 2008

2008-10-29T08:22:00.000-07:00

Every year the Housing Center Student Association hosts a Safe Trick or Treat for the Norman community to trick or treat a dorm and play at a Carnival. It is always a hoot and this is the first year I haven't been in charge of it so I was excited to play as a spectator.

Andrea brought the boys down in their pumpkin patch costumes--OMG!--and the CCs all dressed up as crayons for the day. We Trick or Treated, we played, and we ate a GREAT meal at the Couch Restaurants Annual "Dark Meal."

All in all... SUCCESS!

2008-10-29T08:19:00.000-07:00

Here were 3/4 of the crayons...

2008-10-29T08:18:00.000-07:00

We were a little more ready this time. It was the cheeks. The cheeks did it:

2008-10-29T07:53:00.000-07:00

We weren't ready. And for all of those playing along at home I would assume that this look was directed at Kyle. :)

2008-10-29T07:49:00.000-07:00

So can we please talk about how cute THIS is? Can't even stand it.

La Casa

2008-09-23T14:02:00.000-07:00

So I am almost ready to post house pictures. You all know how I am...very impatient for things to NOT be a work in progress and just be done for the love of everything already. And I don't like before and afters. Not my friend.

My friend Larissa moved out this past weekend after her "I need somewhere to stay for July" two and ahalf month visit. It was cool, she and her sister bought a house so she had to wait for closing day. But that means I got my whole house back...

I think the "guest room" has officially become the boys' room. Partially because Theo refuses to call it anything other than "MY ROOM" even when Larissa was staying in it and partially because the toys have outgrown the bin and so are now artfully gracing a bookshelf. Attention Theo and Max: I think I need some artwork from the two of you for the top of the bookshelf...Wouldn't that be cool? So that room is 3/4 done. Sort of.

The BEST part: I bought matching bookshelves, put them all together myself, and FINALLY unpacked my books. Oh, how I've missed my books. And they look GREAT in their new shelves. So the office is about 3/4 done. Sort of.

AND I got the swatches from the furniture company I am in lvoe with. Somehow my taste has far outrun my checkbook--shocking, I know--and I need to find someone else who will make me a loveseat that doesn't cost more than my car is worth. I'm funny like that.

Whew.

It's--Yet Again--Football Time in OKLAHOMA.

2008-09-02T14:22:00.000-07:00

So most of you reading this sad little attempt at a blog understand my football fever. You know that I watch ALL football and am a true fan of the sport as well as specific teams. I have been watching pre-season nonsense and even found myself watching Rutgers v. Louisville yesterday like it was important to me.

But there is something different about Oklahoma football (caveat: different for a Sooner; I assume it is run of the mill for those not bleeding crimson [side note: coincidence that EVERYONE bleeds crimson? I think not.].) So I'd like to give a little run down of my next 3 months of life...

August 30: OU v. Tennessee-Chattanooga, (W, 57-2)
So we played a cupcake. A big one. OK, so we played a high school cupcake. Everyone has a cupcake on their schedule and these things happen. I will blame the BCS for taking strength of schedule out of rankings because blaming the BCS is universally accepted practice.

September 7: OU v. Cincinnati
Not as big of a cupcake. They almost won the Big East last year, and while the Big East is no Big XII, still a respectable match up.

September 13: OU at Washington
Anytime a Sooner travels to the Pac 10 everyone should feel a shiver of dread because those people are slightly shady. Pac 10. Hah. THEY USE THEIR OWN REFS AT HOME IN INTER CONFERENCE PLAY! Ok, got that out...

September 27: OU vs. TCU
Ah, the giant killer. Don't think we've forgotten the home opener loss TCU! Don't think we have! WE HAVEN'T!

October 4: OU at Baylor
Oh Bears, will you ever beat anyone in the Big XII ever again? Could we please trade you for Arkansas and have a CRAZY good South region?

October 11: OU vs. Saxet, Dallas
No words needed. Must win.

October 18, OU vs. Kansas
Now this should be FASCINATING. We haven't played Kansas for Homecoming since I was the HC chair in 2004 and then it was a gimme. Mangino? Are you threatening to eat more babies if they don't win? Can you repeat last year? CAN YOU?

October 25, OU at Kansas State
The team that has knocked off South perennial powerhouse Texas not once but TWICE in two years also serves as Stoops former home. Should be a game of it....

November 1, OU vs. Nebraska
Nebraska at home. It does not get much better for historically trained Sooners; my Papa has been nothing if not thorough in my education of hating Nebraska.

November 8, OU at Texas A&M
Let's face it, playing in College Station is not high on anyone's fun list. They have tricks! The stadium sways! It's not right!

November 22: OU vs. Texas Tech
So the Tech quarterback threw for over 500 yards in Tech's first outing this year. That's not right; those are Madden numbers not real live game things. So we're going to need at least one more safety in the secondary....

November 29: OU at Oklahoma State
Oh Bedlam, will you be moved to Thanksgiving Day and ruin our family holiday? Perhaps.

December 6: Big XII Championship in Kansas City
Who will we meet? Will it be you Missouri and your upstart Heisman candidate with a bad attitude? Will it be you Kansas with your "it wasn't a fluke" chip on your shoulder? Ron Prince, is this your year? WHO WILL IT BE???

I promise I am not dead.

2008-08-20T05:26:00.001-07:00

Who knew that getting this many people crammed into a building was so freaking hard?

Things I learned last week and this week:

If you tell a rude girl you are in a sorority and she is going through rush she not only straightens up but her mom considers slipping you cash. No actual bribery ensued, but man oh man the attitude changes...
Keys have key codes on them. Apparently for a reason.
300 wet Pride members and their parents don't want to hear that we are out of bed loft kits...
It only rains in August when you need it to NOT rain in August.
A staff of 25 undergraduates will move heaven and earth for you if you put pizza on your credit card at 11 pm.
Putting the wrong labels on the wrong packets with the wrong keys 400 times creates some work on the back end. Sort of a lot of work.
The "be professional and don't cuss in front of your staff" rule does not apply before 7 am and after midnight.
I can exist on a lot less sleep and a lot less food than previously discovered. Yeah people, LESS THAN RUSH.
Telling a mom that said bed loft kit is not considered a maintenance emergency does not make said wet Pride parent happy. Sort of at all.
Having your birthday in the middle of all of this is NOT FAIR. Worse than rush.

This job is hard and I hope I will come out of this cave of work soon. I promise I will return phone calls, see my long lost nephews, and generally be a better person...around about September probably...

LOVE YOU ALL! PRAY FOR ME!

Not a single picture.

2008-07-21T07:45:00.000-07:00

So I am a bad person and I didn't take a SINGLE picture at the beach. My bad.

HOWEVER, I feel that my sister and mother may have made up for my negligence. For all beach photographic evidence, please see their blogs.

Thank you, good night, and tip your bartenders.

Michigan Madness

2008-07-07T17:41:00.000-07:00

Michigan was pretty fab--as usual. There is something nice and special about your place and I think everyone should have one and know where it is. Easier access to it would also be appreciated.

This year was fun because I took Elisa and Abby--two Dune Newbies--to el lago to see how it fared for others. It was also sort of weird because neither Nana and Papr or Aunt Shoe and Uncle Holt were there--a first in my life. So weird. But I managed to handle the boats, maybe more like Gilligan than the Skipper, and I found the grocery store after only getting a little lost.

Some evidence of fun:

Elisa and Abby in front of Little Point Sable, I learned something new on the Dune Ride, sable means sand in French. Who knew that sable meant sand and Little Point Sable is talking about the sand? I was SO impressed!

Here Elisa and Abby are in front of Mac Woods Dune Rides, a family favorite.

Here I am doing the dip...aka eating at the Whippy Dip. Possibly not the best ice cream on the lake, but since the Whippy Dip was the reward for being good when I was little my pavlovian response is to WANT WHIPPY DIP.

The three of us in front of the 4th of July sunset down on the Simpson/Denman beach. It was cold! And wonderful! We drove back down here and remembered what swelter means...

There you go folks. Check out Abb's blog for more details... Now for a momentary pause at home to do laundry and repack fro Maryland.

A very WILD Wild Rumpus

2008-06-14T12:11:00.000-07:00

Theo and I have been short on wild rumpus time lately so I snagged this weekend as a golden opportunity to remedy that. He came to work on Friday and promptly charmed my boss's boss, which I of course am never opposed to. We went to the Play Place and then, THEN we went to the TOY STORE.

I thought Andrea and Sam's matchbox birthday was brilliant because the child does have a LOT of stuff at home. However, he doesn't have that much here! So we went to get another Happy Birthday to stay at Erin's "new old house." It took 45 minutes people. He kept asking what he wanted to take home. And he told me he wanted steak for dinner. He got chicken nuggets. :)

After that it was home for a new movie and night time.

But this morning, oh this morning! We made pancakes, we went to the museum, we played with a sprinkler, we ate popsicles! What a rumpus filled day!

2008-06-14T12:10:00.000-07:00

Unfortunately none of the "Theo and dinosaur" pictures really came out, but here he is in the Native People's exhibit, he spent quite a bit of time in this boat. Singing. About rowing this particular boat. The security gaurds LOVED it.

2008-06-14T12:08:00.000-07:00

I have been ridiculously excited about this sprinkler because some of my favorite memories with my cousins involve popscicles, Granny's backyard, and a sprinkler. And this is an AWESOME sprinkler. Theo's a cautious kid though and this was sort of a lot...

2008-06-14T12:07:00.000-07:00

And this is about as close as he wanted to be to it. He was also upset because the rain washed away alst night's chalk artwork and the sprinkler was making today a bit difficult to create a new masterpiece. Also, please note the cleanliess of this moment in time.

2008-06-14T12:05:00.000-07:00

I mean, fudgescicles start out very innocently. Here is why they can never be eaten in regular clothing, inside, or around anyone that is concerned about being wet or covered in chocolate slobber. Also the reason for the sprinkler.

2008-06-14T12:02:00.000-07:00

At the end of rumpus of this magnitude it is best to to lay on your couch (literally, he refers to this as his couch) with your blanket and your new "opulars" and watch the end of Ice Age because now you know what mammoth bones actually look like...

HAMMER TIME

2008-05-15T07:47:00.000-07:00

I totally forgot about this picture until I was pulling others off of my camera....He was talking to MiMi on both the real phone AND his hammer phone. Because it was HAMMER TIME. And I totally got him to say that part too....

Things I Learned

2008-05-05T07:12:00.000-07:00

1. All of the circuit breaker thingies should be ON. Then the stove will work.

2. Yappy dogs are pretty much kept inside when you are LOOKING at a house. When you have BOUGHT the house every dog in a 3 block radius barks at you and the Lowe's man.

3. Refrigerators are very large. They will take up more space than you realize.

4. Houses don't automatically come with mailboxes. Or towels bars and toilet paper holders.

5. Pilot lights are totally scary and should involve a trained professional...or one of your best friend's husbands...

6. If all of the boxes are in the garage you totally feel unpacked...until you can't find your toothbrush.

7. Moving men need lots of smoke breaks.

8. There is just stuff you NEED at Bed Bath and Beyond. You absolutely NEED it.

9. Watching your dog slide across hard wood and hit every wall in the house in excitement is NOT funny. So don't laugh at her when she starts to angle her butt to walls because she knows she's not going to stop.

10. Neighbors have children who have pretend automatic weaponry that makes very real noise. This is apparently just a fact of life.

Packing, Closing, Packing, Moving, Packing

2008-05-03T05:48:00.000-07:00

Guess what? Someone actually let me buy a house!!! I know, can you believe it??

I closed on my little happy hacienda yesterday and decided that in real life the seller and I wouldn't be friends but she was ok for this. Then I went and twirled around my house and laid on the floor in the master bedroom and talked on the phone. It was awesome.

Some perks of getting a house? People give you COOL things! When I got home (for the first time) there was a hanging plant on my porch from my boss! How sweet is that? And THEN Jenn and John brought me my graduation present...a dresser from the Phi Mu house! They rescued it from certain doom when the house closed so I would have a piece of it!!! How unbelievably awesome is that? I totally teared up. Future reference: if you stay in the guest/Theo's/Abby's/Mom's room you will totally see it and love it.

Unfortunately, this entire endeavor involves PACKING. You should all probably know this is NOT something I am good at and I am SOOO not done. Even now, I should be packing the computer, not typing on it.

On that note, I am off to meet the refrigerator men with my new wonderful ginormous refrigerator and take Theo's toys over there ("Ewin, in your new house are there new toys??") so when my sister comes to help me he can play.

Holy bananas I am excited. Come to Norman, it's going to be awesome.

Touch a Truck Day

2008-04-27T13:18:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was Touch a Truck Day in Norman America. The Mom's Club of Norman pulls together all of these emergency response vehicles, construction equipment, big rigs, even a few race cars and a helicopter together at the fairgrounds for kids to play with/on/around. They let you get in them, pretend to drive them, and, unfortunately, honk the horns or run the sirens.

As I am sure you can all guess, we have a certain young man whose heart fairly sang at the sight of all the TRUCKS. Here are some of the best shots...

(P.S. Dear Max, we will touch trucks when you are a wee bit bigger. Don't be alarmed! Love, Aunt Erin)

2008-04-27T13:17:00.000-07:00

Buckle up for safety in the Backhoe! Yes people, we saw a backhoe. His little head almost exploded with joy.

2008-04-27T13:16:00.001-07:00

Working the "scoop" part. He totally understood ALL of this WAY better than me...

2008-04-27T13:16:00.000-07:00

Working the "dump" part...

2008-04-27T13:15:00.001-07:00

Working a frontloader. I couldn't figure it out but he was explaining it to me.

2008-04-27T13:15:00.000-07:00

Learning the meaning of lead foot in a "race tar."

2008-04-27T13:14:00.000-07:00

Driving the Big Rig...

2008-04-27T13:13:00.000-07:00

Here is the Doodle Man in a giant wheel from a Big Rig...he also had fun driving this particular Big Rig!

Picturas

2008-04-18T11:13:00.000-07:00

Here are some pics we took yesterday of the casa and all of it's wonderfullness...

Here's the new stove / microwave option. The "don't scratch me" film is still on there. I know. So awesome.

I have been trying to explain the granite...here is a closeup.

Not the greatest shot of the living room...but THOSE FLOORS!

Theo's Shades

2008-04-13T18:33:00.000-07:00

Before Theo and I went to Elizabeth's recital (P.S., AWESOME) we went and picked up some new shades...because that's necessary for our level of coolness.

Completely and totally unbelievable cuteness.

2008-04-13T18:31:00.000-07:00

Here he is in his shades...he dug checking himself out in the visor in the car. He was pretending he was driving, you know, from the passenger seat. (Yes, we were parked, everyone calm down.)

2008-04-13T18:29:00.000-07:00

Here we are rocking our shades together...

Packing: a Jinx or No?

2008-04-13T09:02:00.000-07:00

I am pretty scared to start packing...like somehow that will jinx the entire process and I won't get my loan or my house will be the one and only hit by a tornado in Norman America.

HOWEVER, there are precisely 20 days until I supposedly move. So I don't really have time for playing around either.

So I settled on packing my books. Only 2 to 3 are necessary for daily living so the rest of them can go in boxes and then come out just as easily if I do in fact jinx myself. Also, for normal people packing books would maybe be a morning activity, but it has so far involved 12 boxes for me. And I haven't started on textbooks. Yeah...I have a problem...

So let's all hope that packing is not a jinx and that being proactive will pay off on May 3...

(Also, packing boxes = AWESOME FORT with a certain young man we all know and love...)

Update

2008-04-06T08:57:00.000-07:00

1. The test was HORRENDOUS and I have no idea. I won't know until May 2. You know, a week before I am supposed to graduate. It's cool.

2. Speaking of May 2, that's the day I CLOSE ON THE HOUSE! They took the offer and I am so grown up I don't even know what to do with myself. Barring any unforeseen obstacles I'll be a homeowner in like 3.5 weeks. Holy crap...

OK People...Happy Thoughts...

2008-04-04T15:03:00.000-07:00

1. I take my comprehensive exams tomorrow. You know, to see if I can GRADUATE. Go ahead and think those are as bad as they sound because they are.

2. I made an offer on a house today. WHAT? I know. Not exactly the day to do it when I am all strung out on test anxiety and nonsense. But I was afraid someone else was going to get it...

Basically, I'm a woman on the edge.

2008-03-28T07:12:00.000-07:00

Maxwell Jacob Mauer finally arrived! He got here at 1:06 am and weighed 8 lbs. 12 oz. and is 21.5 inches long! HE has HUGE feet and I think he looks like Yertle the Turtle a little bit...

Highlights of a Very Bizarre Week

2008-03-24T07:37:00.000-07:00

Last week was very strange...it was Spring Break so I didn't really have students, which we all know os a good thing, but I still had some nonsense....Then Dad and John were here, then Abby was here, then it was Easter and all that entails...

It was a lot. Here are the highlights:

1. Easter Egg Humping. Theo can't say hunting and this is better anyway.

2. Lactating Chocolate. This was Jenn's answer to fondue and it was AWESOME. AWESOME.

3. Whaler's Vanilla Run. That is all.

4. Dad and John sitting at my table eating food that I cooked. Without complaint. Good job men.

5. Yeast Rolls. Turns out I am a nicer version of the Roll Lady for my generation.

6. What kind of commie doesn't like The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas?

7. It's nice to hang out with the one person in the world that renders you (literally) speechless 5 or 6 times a day.

8. House Hunting = HARD. Meth labs are not an option.

9. I got fingerprinted and shoe printed because I laid down a giant drug bust in my building...I'm WAY on the grid now. You know, even more...

10. Abby's arrival in the state did NOT send my sister into labor. That one might be good AND bad...

Easter Egg "Hunting"

2008-03-12T19:53:00.001-07:00

What?!?!?! Two posts in a week? Don't worry...this is a good one...

Theo and I went to the annual OU Easter Egg Hunt tonight. He was excited to hunt eggs--even though he called it "humping eggs" which my entire office was really thrilled about. I am pretty sure my stupid RA staff of 19 year olds is going to be saying that for the rest of the week.

But we had a grand and glorious time. All pictures are courtesy of Elisa, who is totally in love with Theo and I think the feeling is mutual. He totally invites her to McDonald's EVERY TIME.

Enjoy...

2008-03-12T19:47:00.000-07:00

Here we are right BEFORE the Egg Hunt.Whoever decided to make the 0-3 year olds wait around a giant clearing for like 5 whole minutes before letting us go was just a sadist.

2008-03-12T19:41:00.000-07:00

Look! A yummy!

2008-03-12T19:39:00.000-07:00

Working the eggs...

2008-03-12T19:38:00.000-07:00

Here he is hunting...around all of the stupid aggressive kids and their equally aggressive moms.

Sunny Santa Fe

2008-03-11T07:44:00.000-07:00

So I just spent the weekend in Sant Fe. Did you guys know that's not in the desert? Because I totally thought it was, but it was all mountain-y and snowy! And McDonalds was in adobe buildings!

The whole place smelled like pinion and it was pretty fantastic. I haggled with an Indian womna in the shadow of an adobe palace because I wanted her Flinstone-like turquoise necklace. Mom told me to tell her thats all the money I had and she said no so I had to walk away. I was pissed. But later I bought one off of a MUCH nicer Native American's blanket.

And I have decided that the no wine in grocery stores Oklahoma rule is just ridiculous. We went to Trader Joe's and had a wonderful time and bought more wine than we could drink in a weekend--since I am talking about three Simpson women I am assuming you know that is a lot.

Today I am rocking my Flintstone necklace purchased form an Indian's blanket in the shadow of an adobe palace...I think it will make the day go much better.

New Shoes! And not the kind I normally get!

2008-02-09T19:47:00.000-08:00

So I have been walking a LOT. I guess lot is relative term...it is certainly a lot for me. I am trying to do 5 miles three times a week. I know, uber-ambitious.

However, my feet have been KILLING me. This has put a serious damper on the shoes that I enjoy wearing. Because I don't enjoy them when my feet are already in serious pain. Which is just a sin, and one I needed to take care of in Lent.

Enter: OKRunner. And the Brooks Addiction 7.
So this guy named Craig made me walk around the store while he watched my feet and then proceeded to explain for 10 full minutes what was happening to my arches, calves, and knees and why my current shoes suck. He then made me try on three different types of shoes before he was happy with the bone that sticks out of your ankle and how mine was moving. I was so impressed that I didn't even argue that they only come in one color (I don't wear purple regularly... Elisa got green ones and I was jealous).

It was bananas.

Reba.

2008-02-06T13:00:00.000-08:00

So you're probably all dying about the Reba-ness and wondering if I survived my own personal excitement. The answer is yes...but just barely.

I am still processing the awesomeness that was the Reba and Kelly concert. I mean, I've been all hopped up on Fancy for like 5 days now with no signs of coming off of that particular high. The concert was great, the hotel was nice, and I have cool friends.

Here's a picture of one of them:

(Took this of ourselves...so Elisa looks great and I have 6 chins. Boo.)

There only exists this one picture of the entire weekend. That is because I was too busy concentrating on Reba to worry with working my camera. I have no excuses for post-concert.

Speaking of post-concert...Elisa and I met up with Allyson and Jenna for a small Sedan reunion. I must make a particular shout-out to Jenna who a) I did not know read this excuse for a blog, b) I was rude to and didn't ask how her husband is doing. My bad. They were awesome and stayed up WAY late to get hit on in a bar and listen to me babble about Reba and making people cry. It was a lot and they are good people.

So I have a new life goal: See Reba every year. As I am 24 and that was my first time, I feel like I have 23 times to make up for. Please prepare yourselves for multiples for the next couple of years...

!!REBA Alert!!

2008-01-22T15:46:00.000-08:00

Turns out this new job I have been carrying on about has a down side.

I run Walker, one of the buildings. My two best friends in Norman, Jenn and Elisa, run two of the other buildings. So we have the same job, just in different buildings.

Crisis: We can't all be out of Norman at the same time.

That can't be all bad, you're thinking. Norman is such a glorious place that there can't be much outside the city limits that you need to do. I mean, aren't you being a little dramatic here? is totally what you're saying to yourself.

Ordinarily, this would be true. HOWEVER, something has come up that we MUST leave Norman for.

REBA is in TULSA. I know, please contain yourself.

So the good news has officially come down from on high and our boss is letting all three of us go. I seriously became so giddy I was dizzy. They have no idea what they are in for. Elisa is going because she actually likes Reba. Jenn just wants to watch me at a Reba concert. I made them an anthology of Reba Greatness according to Me in order to prepare them.

They might be a bit worried.

A visual:

The three of us as Peas in a Pod (excuse me, PEAS from tha P.O.D.--we were gangster peas to compromise because Jenn wanted to be more thug) at Safe Trick or Treat in October.

Week One in the Trenches

2008-01-19T20:19:00.001-08:00

So yes, it was not technically my first week on the job. HOWEVER, it was my first week with students. This is an important distinction as the following numbers will show:

900 Students I am responsible for.

239 Students missing from my roster for my first occupancy report. (Imagine the following conversation: Officer, I think we have everyone out of the building...well, all of them on my roster...)

48 Inappropriate comments from one of my RAs who is so lacking a social filter that I am considering having him tested.

36 Cans of Keystone I poured out of one kid's duffel bag. BUMMER.

9 Meetings with students who violated the alcohol policy. IN THE FIRST WEEK.

3 Number of those kids that cried. Including one boy.

1 Mom that I made cry. Ahhh yeah.

This job = awesome.

So So Sorry Folks...

2008-01-11T17:34:00.000-08:00

So it has been a long time since I blogged....my bad.

Nothing wonderfully exciting has happened; I am not in Italy, I am not building my own room like a stud, and I do not have pet portraits for the new year. Pansy doesn't like the paparazzi.

HOWEVER. I DID get a red Kitchenaid Stand Mixer for Christmas and have been a baking fool since. People are getting cookies and cakes from me like that's my new job. Instead of running Walker.

Speaking of Walker, I had my first angry parent yesterday. But they were British. SO for some reason that made the entire situation better. They used words like "slovelny" and "priggish". I LOVED them even though they were pretty much hating me for the first three hours of our acquaintance. I got their nonsense straightened out though (in their defense, their son's roomate was disgustingly dirty and a bit of a tool) and then they were British AND in love with me. VERY good.

And a fun picture from the holidays:

Choup and Sili

2007-12-19T07:24:00.000-08:00

Last night was a Choup and Sili supper at my apartment. Followed by presents, and no one even made me sing Jingle Bells to get them!

We had Baked Potato Soup (as well as Nana's chili) and it was FAB! It is a WW recipe, so it's very exact. We messed with it a bit, thereby completely nullifying the Points value, but we weren't counting last night (points OR glasses of wine!).

Baked Potato Soup
Points: 5
Cook Time: 70 min.

Soup:
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. table salt
1 bulb of garlic
3 pounds potatoes
1 1/2 tbsp. fresh thyme, chopped
4 cups chicken broth

Toppings:
6 tbsp. reduce fat sour cream
6 tbsp. scallions, sliced
6 tbs. low fat shredded cheese
6 slices turkey bacon

Bake potatoes until tender when pierced. Let cool enough to handle.

Peel potatoes and mash in large sauce pan with garlic until smooth. Gradually stir in salt, pepper, thyme, and chicken broth. Heat while stirring. (Erin's note: the recipe said 5-10 minutes. But after 5-10 minutes it still looked like potatoes in chicken broth and I was mad. After about 20 minutes of it thickening it looked and smelled fab. )

Serving sive: 1 1/3 cup soup, add toppings
Serves 6

I forgot to post this cuteness.

2007-12-14T17:13:00.001-08:00

Because it looked like he had so much fun doing it at home, and because baking was my FAVORITE thing to do when I was little...

And, randomly...John and me at the Bedlam game...

NOWHERE near as cute.

Since last we blogged...

2007-12-14T13:33:00.000-08:00

The Deltas are "outie" (no, I'm not kidding).

FEMA is here. With bottled water. LOTS of it.

Power is still intermittent at best in my apartment and non-existent elsewhere in Norman.

It's snowing.....

The Apocolypse and the Tri-Delts

2007-12-13T09:54:00.000-08:00

So as many of you know, Norman looks like Courier and Ives went to Sarajevo. There is ice on everything and its strangely pretty while it looks like we got bombed and absolutely no trees were spared. Pansy can't figure out where she's allowed to potty because there is a 12 foot radius of grass and everything else is tree limbs and ice shards. She's not a fan.

In response to the terrorist attacks Mother Nature has waged on us, there is little power available. I had no idea how boring it must have been back in the day. I mean, SERIOUSLY. I am now one of the lucky ones to HAVE power (although only sporadically as my transformer has to be turned off at night to allow other transformers the chance to boot up or something, according to OG&E who I am pretty sure are liars).

This means that there are 8 Tri-Delts at my apartment.

That's a lot.

My cousin Elizabeth does not have power and was told she probably won't for 6 to 9 more days. She and her roommates as well as another apartment full of Deltas are essentially homeless as they wander from house to house seeking power and hot water. They have landed with me for, it appears, the duration. I knew that futon and hide-a-bed sofa were magnets for disaster.

So last night I forgot I was old and stayed up with the Deltas until 2 freaking 30 in the morning. I couldn't help it, I was sucked into their vortex. Please don't get me wrong, individually these girls are wonderful and the one I have a genetic claim on is simply amazing. But as a group--as a group of Deltas--they are a little much.

Dear Jesus, please turn the power on in East Norman.

Love, Erin.

The scene at my apartment complex on Monday...

Editor's Note:

2007-12-04T07:40:00.000-08:00

1. No Mother, I did not lose the key. The guys from Physical Plant (maintenance) lost it.

2. The key has been miraculously found. I think they told the guy they would "Mangino" him.

3. I am the Walker Center Coordinator. Basically? I am a dorm principal. I know, be jealous.

News people!

2007-12-03T09:48:00.000-08:00

OK, so if you are a Big Al reader, this is not as exciting.

But I got a job! And it is finally public! So everyone I told over Thanksgiving, you are free from my "this is a Deathstar secret because it hasn't been announced yet" speech.

Today is my first day. So far the master key from my building has been lost and I just returned from a meeting where they told me it was going to cost $30,000 to replace all locks in the building and I needed a plan for key replacement by tomorrow morning.

Welcome to the Big Leagues.

I have also spent the morning writing icebreakers that have caused Abby to question me.

My current fave:

Would you rather live in a country where the currency was NIlla Wafers

OR

The national anthem was "Celebration"?

Things to consider: ATMs, The Oympics

Thanking...

2007-11-23T06:16:00.000-08:00

people I am related to by birth and people I am related to by choice
a Doodle Man
yeast rolls that worked the FIRST TIME
turkey brine
construction vehicles and the smiles they bring
Apples to Apples
American Airlines and La Quinta
the World Wide Web
digital cameras
the NFL and NCAA College Football
all grocery stores
Sam's
wine, beer, Diet Coke
the BFFAA and BFF
the Kilpatrick Turnpike and I-35
cell phones
Zio's and that nice waitress
the Bedlam matchup*
DVR
Play-Doh
and gas money from #1

...for a wonderful ThanXmas!

I love you all!

~Erin

*subject to change

Go Diego Go!

2007-11-16T08:17:00.000-08:00

Last night Theo and I went to see a show. It was the Go Diego Go! Live! event at the Civic Center. Let me tell you people, Nick Jr. may seem all friendly and fun, but these people are EVIL.

First of all, families of 6. Now, as a member of a family of 6, I'm not knocking it. But these parents paid an arm and a leg in tickets so their offspring--all under the age of 6--can see this show. Holy bejeez.

THEN, you can't get to where your seats are without entering a tunnel-o-merchandise. I am blessed to have an incredibly well behaved nephew who did ASK POLITELY for a toy and absolutely NO fits were thrown. However, that was not the case with the kids around us who needed a Diego Vest ($25), t-shirt ($12), Rescue Pack ($15), Baby Jaguar Doll ($12) and Light toy ($15). WHAT???

Theo spent the entire night mesmerized by a) all the kids doing all of their different stuff, b) Diego flying in on a hang-glider, c) all of the animals on their way to Carnivale, and c) the Light Toy Aunt Erin caved and purchased because he wasn't getting out of their without a toy if every other ridiculous parent was going to buy 7.

Clearly, I am incredibly mature.

Some Pics for you:

Theo and his Baby Jaguar Mask.

We were on a mission to find Baby Jaguar's growl so he could start the Animal Carnivale, but those darn Bobo brothers stole it in a magic jar!

Now here's our favorite Doodle Man with the amazing Light Toy.

Aunt Erin and Theo with all of our swag before the show started. The last time he was able to not frown VERY INTENTLY in concentration before we got to the car. Following those darn Bobo brothers' plot was a lot to ask!

The Fat Lady Has Sung

2007-11-05T21:05:00.000-08:00

...and it was totally The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia.

And that's not a fat joke.

The Babes are back from Maryland; all happy and poor! We laughed, we drank, we ate more seafood than was really ladylike, and we left no retail stone unturned. We might have even broken Steve on Saturday in our quest for shoes and home decor. It got ugly.

I believe that the only pictures taken were on Abby's camera (we were too busy to take a picture at the Nine West Outlet) so you must all hound her for pictorial evidence of fun. She also has a list of quotes I feel certain she wants to introduce to the world herself.

I will ask this all important question:
We all know that we can't let Satan blow out this little Light of mine, right?

Just checking.

The Great Pumpkin Paint

2007-10-30T20:32:00.000-07:00

As mentioned in the earlier post, I did not capture the actual pumpkin painting on film. I was armed with baby wipes.

Why? Because we were FINGER painting and for some reason this darling boy does not really like to be dirty. So after he swiped the pumpkin with one particular color, he asked for that paintbrush (index finger) to "be clean" and then he would swipe at it with another color. Therefore, the messy rubbing paint ALL OVER a pumpkin simply did not happen. They're more abstract and minimal. Post-modernist masterpieces, if you will.

And I will.

Pumpkins and Halloween Costumes and Big Boy Beds, Oh My!

2007-10-26T21:13:00.000-07:00

Last weekend Theo and I had a wild rumpus slumber party (read: it was a shameless bribery attempt to regain the kid's good graces--I don't think it worked.). We went to the pumpkin patch, looked at Halloween costumes (which he did not want to put on but later decided he did actually want), painted the pumpkins and slept in the Big Boy Bed at Aunt Erin's. It was all VERY exciting.

Please Note: I have no idea how my sister gets such smiling happy pictures. I'm lucky if he is still even in the frame while he runs all over the place and FORGET getting him to look at me!

Here he is being a bit ambitious about his pumpkin selection.

The he decided that the wheelbarrow was a better option for the amount of pumpkins he thought we needed. I'm the shadow. Yelling. "Theo! Smile at me Doodle!" All for naught.

The we found the wagon. Which we REALLY wanted to push in the street and were VERY mad at Aunt Erin for not facilitating that dream. I like this one because you can totally tell he's like "I'm SOOO not looking at her for the happy smiley picture she wants..HAHAHAH!"

Here's the other place Aunt Erin falls down on the job. During finger painting of pumpkins she was not wielding the camera, instead she was armed with baby wipes. Lots of them. The pumpkins are on display in my apartment. They are the extent of my fall decorating. Thanks Doodle.

After a hard day's play, the Big Boy Bed was a nice relief. For all of us. I was informed that it is THEO'S Big Boy Bed, so Abby I feel like you're going to have to deal with that. There also still might be trucks in it. Because there were totally like 12 in bed with him when I checked on him.

Twirling Shoes Revisited

2007-10-17T09:29:00.000-07:00

Abby posted a pair of twirling shoes that I feel I must call shenanigans on. The shoe has the word PUMP in the title! You cannot twirl (in this sense: all over Southern Maryland and the Wild Blue Yonder) in a PUMP!

Here are some twirling shoes:

Clark's Zesty Wedges
(stupid blogger will not allow a picture)

If you would like to sponsor these shoes, orphans in a cold warehouse in some third world country OR New Jersey, donations are being accepted now. 10 cents a day could change someone's life. :)

Song an Old Man Taught Me Today

2007-10-03T15:30:00.000-07:00

I met a 92 year old OU alum today. He taught me his favorite song from his fraternity days...

"Don't send my boy to Texas
A dying mother said.
Don't send my boy to Texas!
I'd rather see hime dead...
(then everyone yelled "SEE HIM DEAD" really loud)

Send him to the Army, or better yet OU!
Don't send my boy to Texas,
for that will never do!

It was awesome! And my new friend invited me to his house to watch the game!

Why It's Hard to Love College Football

2007-09-29T21:40:00.000-07:00

Has no one else noticed this crap will tear you up?

So I am clearly a rather large football fan (not a fat joke). I will watch arena football in desperation after the Superbowl next year. But NCAA college football is where the real glory and passion is. Those NFL players do some pretty neat-o trickeration, but they get paid a gazillion dollars so they SHOULD be that good.

I try not to pin my hopes for a good semester on the shoulders of a red-shirt freshman with crazy accuracy and an unbelieving receiving corps, but inevitably, I do. And then I lavish them with praise and buy YET ANOTHER game day t-shirt because I convince myself I need one. I mock those fans that weren't fans until 2000 and can't figure out why everyone else hates us. It's a good time.

Then it happens. Another bad video replay (which is not why we lost, but those things really piss me off) and a case of "dropsies" (which sounds like it could be fun but instead completely messes with your head) and my life is ruined. Seriously, ruins all fun for at least a week. Now we all have to wear black and sing dirges up and down Lindsey and stuff.

And then the pointing and the cackling begins. You can deny it, but we all know it happens.

At least Texas lost.

Why can't Texas huddle anymore?
Parole Violation.

Some Random Things for You

2007-09-13T08:46:00.000-07:00

Now that my computer is back in the land of the living (I installed 1GB of memory last night--by myself--and it is SO happy now!) I was taking things off of my camera and realized there is some fun to share...

Keith Urban from Abby's company's box. She was all about the skinny guitar player from West Virgina, but I was fairly taken with Keith himself...

Kyle and Theo waving to the people walking around the canal while we rode the water taxis. Theo LOVED the ducks and everyone on the taxi LOVED Theo when I asked him to shake his tail like a duck...

Kyle and Theo confused about the same thing. This was around the time Theo informed me he was NOT sitting in my lap because he wanted "Tyle". I've been thrown over.

Hurricanes a Category 0.

2007-09-08T19:59:00.000-07:00

Victory.

The 80s have been avenged.

Boomer Sooner.

(Abbs, next week is the first week of O'Connells on Campus Corner!)

In other news...

2007-09-07T13:14:00.000-07:00

Some of you have been privy to Pansy's latest trials and tribulations. For those of you have not, I apologize and please do not read further if you have a weak stomach. The dog has serious butt problems. Her glands are making her, therefore me, CRAZY. So we went to the vet (AGAIN) this week and got some antihistamines and some new advice. But we also found out that the little wench has contracted FLEAS in the week and a half since her LAST vet visit. Well great. So we had to decontaminate Pansy AND the entire apartment. Not amused. But mom can stop crying because she is not dying of butt cancer.

The University of Miami is making its presence known here in the Norman. They are having a pep rally at Lloyd Noble tonight and ordered seat covers in orange and kelly green so their fans don't have to sit in our crimson seats. This strikes me as a crazy waste of money. Why not just use Norman High? Their colors are ORANGE! Stupid Canes.

Given that in the Switzer Era we were 33-0 against everyone else and 0-3 against Miami, the entire Sooner Nation is on edge about tomorrow. On EDGE people. So tomorrow will be an interesting day my friends.

It's football time in OOOOOOklahoma!

2007-09-05T11:49:00.000-07:00

So it has returned. All of Oklahoma (and I do mean the entire state, regardless of your colors) is full in the throes of football season. The tailgating, the constant scouring of ESPN.com and complete and total hatred of Lee Corso is in full swing.

Now, in the spirit of statewide camaraderie, can't we all just get along? I just don't see why anyone should be mad about another team winning. Except in the unfortunate circumstance that they beat my (or your) team. Then carry on.

Here's my promise: I will not get mad when OSU beats the hell out of Florida Atlantic because I will understand that they are a better team. I will especially not be mad if they beat them by 69 points because I will understand that makes our entire conference look better. I will not root against my conference (except Texas because that doesn't count) or state unless they are playing me. And I will continue to hate USC and Notre Dame on sheer principle. I promise.

Why it Pays for Sam to be Your Brother-In-Law

2007-09-01T10:33:00.000-07:00

I am back! There is internet in my house! And a fabulous DVD burner in my computer! And I need more memory, but he assures me it will fix the slowness!

Now, you all might not know this about me, but I am not very patient. Please keep the shocked whispers to a dull roar. Therefore the patience (not to mention SKILL) that is required by messing with this godforsaken machine I am addicted to is simply not something I can handle. Don't get me wrong, when my computer works I can make it do some fabulous things; I am not a complete loss. But when it doesn't work and Ctrl-Alt-Delete doesn't fix it, I get pissy.

SO...Sam came to get Theo this morning after a particularly wild Wild Rumpus and made my wireless network function and installed my new DVD burner. Have I mention that it pays to have a tech genius for a brother in law?

THANK YOU SAM!!

Check-In, Birthday, First Day of School...OH MY!

2007-08-20T13:28:00.000-07:00

So it has been a lot this month. My bad guys, my bad.

This month I helped move 3700 freshmen into the residence halls. Fortunately I didn't actually have to carry boxes or any nonsense like that. But I did have a mom ask me why she couldn't have a key to her daughter's room. You know, to check on her and clean and do laundry while she was in class. I literally closed my eyes and said a small prayer thanking Jesus for giving me parents who cut the cord. I mean, I wasn't even in Norman before my bed got replaced with a futon! Much better path. Kudos to all of my parental units involved.

I ended a 17 day working stretch (that's right, 17 days PLUS strep throat!) on Saturday because it was my BIRTHDAY! Now, I'm an odd duck when it comes to my birthday. I really don't like to be sung to or open presents in front of people. I know, weird since I normally really don't mind being the center of attention. But I seriously don't like public singing or presents. Sorry.

But my friends / boyfriend showed up in a big way on my birthday. I got a surprise pancake jammie breakfast and a party and some FABULOUS pearl earrings (good job Kyle). And they made a cupcake cake mountain thing that simply defied gravity. It was great fun.

Today is the first day of school and I have class and everything. I even laid my outfit out last night. Like a dork. But I am excited to start another year and see what this one throws at me. I think after this summer I am much better prepared to handle pretty much EVERYTHING.

And I played the book game so I wouldn't be left out.
It confused me. There should be more questions to be so accurate.

You're To Kill a Mockingbird!

by Harper Lee

Perceived as a revolutionary and groundbreaking person, you have
changed the minds of many people. While questioning the authority around you, you've
also taken a significant amount of flack. But you've had the admirable guts to
persevere. There's a weird guy in the neighborhood using dubious means to protect you,
but you're pretty sure it's worth it in the end. In the end, it remains unclear to you
whether finches and mockingbirds get along in real life.

Take the Book Quiz
at the Blue Pyramid.

Somenthing New and Fabulous

2007-08-05T10:07:00.000-07:00

So I went shopping yesterday. It was cathartic and fabulous. And succesful.

We have a new place in OKC at Crossroads Mall (I know Mom, I didn't go alone and no one was accosted while I was there) called Steve and Barry's. It is like Old Navy on steroids. The clothing is cute, and CHEAP. They also have Sarah Jessica Parker's line Bitten. Everything in the store is under $20! So cool.

So I got some jeans, some seersucker trousers, and a sassy flowy lacy top thing.

THEN, we went to Shoe Carnival where I typically don't find anything. I am ususally very disapponted in them. However, yesterday I was not to be deterred. I got some sassy Keds slip ons (I know, its an obession) and some cool hippie leather sandals. For the price of one pair of shoes.

Spending time with my favorite Little Man...check.
Family fun in the backyard...check.
Successful shopping...check.

It was a soul scrubbing day.

I've had a bad day.

2007-08-01T15:02:00.001-07:00

http://www.overstock.com/Apparel/Oh-Deer-Smartee-Skull-Print-Fabric-Flats/2542679/product.html?IID=prod2542679

Size 10. That's all I'm saying.

He meant woman too.

2007-07-24T13:07:00.000-07:00

[IF]

If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you
But make allowance for their doubting too,
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or being hated, don't give way to hating,
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise:

If you can dream--and not make dreams your master,
If you can think--and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build 'em up with worn-out tools:

If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it all on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breath a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: "Hold on!"

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with kings--nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you;
If all men count with you, but none too much,
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And--which is more--you'll be a Man, my son!

--Rudyard Kipling

A Girl Crush

2007-07-19T15:25:00.001-07:00

So is it weird that I completely have a girl crush on the Pioneer Woman?

Or is it weirder that Mom told her BFF Hyacinth that?? And that Hyacinth knows who we are in a weird round about southern KS / northern OK way?

Every time I post a comment (like HOW can I buy a freaking print???) I'm a little terrified she'll click on my name and see my blog and decide I'm not cool enough to be BFF with.

I seriously have spent too much time thinking about this.

I took 'em too...

2007-07-16T11:32:00.000-07:00

So...

I was a grilled cheese. Totally flawed test I think ("In your opinion, the best things in life are free, easy, and fun.You totally go with the flow. And you enjoy every minute of it!")

16% Republican? 36% Democrat? That's only 52%. I think that means that 48% of it is just plain ridiculous. Malarkey, if you will.

That might be because I am a millenial...the internet was invented the year I was born. And the entire East Coast was happy because the Orioles won the World Series and the Redskins won the Superbowl. I know, parallel universe.

I also want to live in Dublin. We should all move.

Reasons you should take your boyfriend to weddings instead of your dad...

2007-07-08T19:06:00.000-07:00

People who had not seen me in a while would not assume I was in fact my DAD'S girlfriend. Seriously. Actually happened. AGAIN. [Sidebar: Why can't people in Sedan age me? Dory Tucker called me Jill all night and I heard a few people ask if my name is Ann. WTF?]
The LOOK doesn't work as well on my dad. You know, "go with me to get a margarita and laugh at the semi-funny things I say" LOOK. [Sidebar: My boyfriend does not exactly respond all that well to the LOOK either.]
When I am clearly tearing up at the sentiment of a beautiful ceremony, my boyfriend would not lean over and say "I liked it short, remember that." To be fair, if I mentioned marriage to my boyfriend he would act like I tasered him.
Is it wrong to wish you were introducing your boyfriend instead of your dad?
I looked good. Seemed wasted. :)

Now that I have regaled you with the good times of Dad-as-a-Date, I should mention that the wedding was BEAUTIFUL, Jenna looked AMAZING. It was a very personal wedding and I really liked it; very much all about these two people who so clearly love each other. I wish we had been able to stay longer, but alas.

WTF, Mate?

2007-07-05T18:52:00.000-07:00

So I was looking at the rubber ducky selection in the world right now and ran across some very disturbing merchandise. I am not sure what kind of market exists for this type of rubber ducky obsession; frankly I am a bit concerned about the entire thing.

For instance, a Jesus Celebriduck is available for a bargain of $9.99. Except it is out of stock, indicating to me that the Jesus Celebriduck is more popular than Moses. Or Buddha. Don't even get me started on the LDS Mormon Missionary Duckies.

I can get behind the rappers, the Queen Elizabeth and Shakespeares, even the Medieval Crusaders...but Mormons? I mean, really people? Really?

WTF, mate?

Woe to my credit card strip...

2007-07-03T09:48:00.000-07:00

So I made it back from the grand adventure in Memphis (One If by Land, Two if by Sea). No tire incidents, just two and a half days of shopping, giggling, and mocking unfortunates. Some of thm truly deserved it, so no sympathy pangs people. And, no one worry, I will be incredibly weel dressed at Jenna's wedding!

Say a little prayer for me...

2007-06-21T13:22:00.001-07:00

So it has finally happened; Beth Stathos is mortal as a Panhellenic adviser.

After 10 years at the helm she is leaving OU Panhellenic to serve as Chi Omega's General Counsel. Vacating a job I have wanted for about 6 of those 10 years....

I need to ask everyone to please do the happy thoughts and prayers thing. First real job application and it scaring the bejeesus out of me...and my mother says we should hang onto our bejesusses.

What Abby and I do at work...

2007-06-18T13:51:00.000-07:00

Abby says:
Do you know what my mom found on her computer and printed out?

Erin says:
nope

Abby says:
A picture of your homecoming committee, all 45 of us.

Erin says:
wow

Erin says:
I don't even think I have one of those

Abby says:
It's currently on my fridge.

Erin says:
why was there one on her computer?

Erin says:
its on your fridge?

Abby says:
I probably sent it to her a long time ago.

Abby says:
Yup.

Erin says:
why is it on her fridge?

Erin says:
yeah, like 2004

Erin says:
holy crap that was in 2004

Abby says:
Anywho, I had forgotten what Hilary looked like. I seriously could not pick her out of a line up.

Erin says:
Hilary Hawkins?

Abby says:
Yes

Erin says:
our pledge sister?

Erin says:
you forgot what Hilary Kawkins looked like?

Abby says:
Yes

Erin says:
do you remember what I look like?

Erin says:
how about Lori?

Abby says:
Kiss my ass.

Erin says:
I'm just double checking!

Erin says:
I don't want to show up in June and you think I'm a Jehovah's witness!

Abby says:
You made me laugh out loud at my desk.

Erin says:
well good

Erin says:
its a daily goal

Abby says:
We don't really have JW's in my neighborhood. Small town, few choices, minds are usually made up.

Abby says:
That kind of thing.

Erin says:
right

Erin says:
pumping a dry well

A Pictoral Essay

2007-06-07T13:03:00.000-07:00

Here they are, the RufDuks (like RufNeks, get it?) ina ction...Don't they look thrilled?

I won't speak of it...

Wisconsin: Rush for Housing?

2007-06-07T08:04:00.000-07:00

So I pretty much never want to hear another word about the Greeks being weird during rush. On my best--or worst, depending on who you are and what your stand on Work Week is--I never had to chant or hear as much chanting as I did over 4 days in Oshkosh.

I'm sure at some point I was asked to shake my tail feathers though.

I met some great people, pantsed a girl from Oklahoma State (I am aiming for a Longhorn next time), and have an unfortunate eye for Rubber Duckies now.

Best part? I was on the clock the WHOLE time....

Update #2

2007-06-03T13:11:00.000-07:00

So we got the bid to host the conference (sidenote: YAY!) and had to go to a conference on how to host a conference...

It was in a small theater that was sort of dark and there were stairs. I was coming down the stars and BIT IT HARD. On my way down I flailed for something to grab onto and it ended up being the back of some girl from Oklahoma State's jeans. Yes, I tried to depants an Aggie on my way down.

In case you didn't read between the lines: mortifying.

72 Hour Pep Rally Update

2007-06-03T09:12:00.000-07:00

D-U-C-K-Y, who's that sexy ducky guy?
SWACKDADDY, quack quack, SWACKDADDY!

D-U-C-K-Y, don't you wish that you could fly?
SWACKDADDY, quack quack, SWACKDADDY!

There is no picture in a cheese head, but there is a rather incriminating one of me with a duck beak whistel in my mouth and waving a SWACURH rally rag and a RufDuck paddle. I like to think you can see the shame in my eyes.

Hip hop, SWACURH's hot
Let me see your booty drop
Shake it out, shake it out now...

NACURH...A 72 Hour Pep Rally

2007-06-02T08:28:00.000-07:00

I am in a bizarre and creepy place.

WISCONSIN.

So I am attending the National Affiliation of College and University Residence Halls in Oshkosh WI. Let me tell you folks, it is an EXPERIENCE.

I have been to national conferences before, I have gone through the conference gauntelet so to speak. I was simply not prepared.

There is CHANTING going on 24-7 about your school, your region, your colors, etc. As I am a SWACURH Duck by virtue of attending the University of Oklahoma, there is also a lot of tail feather shaking. One would think that I would be good at this, nay even enjoy this!

I don't.

Don't give me no monkey no monkey
Don't give me no lion no lion
Don't give me no moose no moose!

Just give me that quack quack quack quack quack quack....quack....

Cell Phone Woes

2007-05-22T13:38:00.000-07:00

So I lost my phone. I was pretty sure I left it at the Atherton Hotel in Stillwater. I called the Atherton, they said no. Boooo.

So I went and called the US Cellular insurance people that I pay $3 a month to...and paid another $50 and got a new Razr sent to me.

Then the Atherton called. They found my phone.

DOH!

New Motto

2007-05-08T13:42:00.000-07:00

I am against using death as a punishment. I am also against using it as a reward.

-Stanislaw J. Lec

Loathing...

2007-04-22T09:11:00.000-07:00

I simply LOATHE packing. There is nothing pleasant about it. I went and got boxes yesterday (BTW, I HEART Budget Box and Bag) and packed up all of my stemware. I am trying to take it one cabinet at a time. Especially of things I don't use everyday (I just heard a joke somewhere on the East Coast about assuming I used stemware everyday).

I am also...sorting my books. I know. It's an incredible hardship, but I packed 6 boxes of books yesterday and it was only my bedroom and the living room bookshelf. I haven't even touched trashy romance novels, cookbooks, or school books. Therefore some just might not make it when we journey out.

Sam has suggested the library as new home for these books, but there is a place in Norman that will buy them. It's called the Crazy Old Ladies Book Store and I must admit that a) I love that name and feel that they will treat my trashy romance novels reverantly and b) cash = good.

It is also amazing what you find when packing. So far:
my passprt
High School Diploma
CD of me reading a book that is creepy
$20

Boooo.

Quick Update

2007-04-16T16:37:00.001-07:00

I had to give Abby a limerick example and it was hard (I ended yp rhyming Abby with cabbie...it was rough).

So I am beginning to worry...

A rose by any other name...

2007-04-16T09:02:00.000-07:00

...Is not a Sharpie.

A limerick competition about Sharpies. I'm not sure what direction to jump!

Do I take the "off-color" road alluding to Sharpie's different colors? This seems to scream Steve.

Can I really spurn Sharpies and make them crass?

Tune in for more limerick updates...

An Update

2007-04-13T12:15:00.000-07:00

An Ode to Sharpies

Oh Sharpies, how I love thee
Your lines so full of grace and style
Ultra Fine, Fine, Felt Tip
Your differences make you beautiful

But you are not eyeliner.

OK, Mom, I'll play if your promise to slow down on posting...

2007-04-04T21:10:00.000-07:00

10 FAVORITES
Favorite Color: red. love it.
Favorite Food: Have we met? I am an equal opportunity eater...
Favorite Month: August
Favorite Song: Lord, I don't know. Desperado? Who Says You Can't Go Home? Somewhere in there...
Favorite Movie: Doris Day (plural, not singular, but how can you pick??)
Favorite Sport: football (qualify: Sooner or Manning brothers)
Favorite Season: September...it's like it's own season in Oklahoma
Favorite Day of the week: Wednesday :)
Favorite Ice Cream Flavor: mint chocolate chunk
Favorite Time of Day: the days when you wake up naturally (aka, no alarm at the crack of dawn) and can lay there for a few minutes before being forced into the day...

9 CURRENTS
Current Mood: less overwhelmed than about 6 hours ago...
Current Taste: Diet Coke aftertaste. Booo.
Current Clothes: flip, jeans, green Panhellenic tee, and a ponytail
Current Desktop: my HCSA students giving a thumbs up
Current Toenail Color: French pedi. Yeah it is.
Current Time: 11:21
Current Surroundings: my extremely messy office..ditto
Current Thoughts: I really don't want to go to this meeting tomorrow morning...

8 FIRSTS
First Best Friend: Allyson Hills?
First "date": Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Sedan Movie Theatre, Ryan Littlepage. SICK.
First Screen Name: ErinPCN
First Pet: a bunny? a bird? I'm not sure of the timeline here
First Piercing: both ears
First Crush: Lucas Ross in kindegarten
First CD: REba: Double Live. It was HOTT.
First Broken bone: thumb

7 LASTS
Last Cigarette/Cigar: never had one.
Last Car Ride: about 11 minutes ago coming home from class
Last Kiss: about 13 minutes ago before I got in my car
Last Movie Seen: Starnger than Fiction
Last Phone Call: Mom, making sure I had GPa's exact birthday date down correctly
Last CD Played: Brad Paisley

6 HAVE YOU EVERS
Have You Ever Dated One Of Your Best Guy/Girl Friends: oh yeah
Have You Ever Broken the Law: yes
Have You Ever Been Arrested: I plead the 5th. (Mom, calm down, it was a fake arrest for ringing the Baptist church bell in Sedan at like 10:30 pm)
Have You Ever Skinny Dipped: nope
Have You Ever Been on TV: yep
Have You Ever Kissed Someone You Didn’t Know: ummm....no?

5 THINGS
Thing You’re Wearing: flip flops
Thing You’ve Done Today: Wild Rumpus, 6 hours of class, 2 papers, 3 journal entries.
Thing You Can Hear Right Now: Pansy snorting horts
Thing You Can’t Live Without: cell phone
Thing You Do When You’re Bored: read and whine

4 PLACES YOU’VE BEEN TODAY
1. Home
2. Work
3. Class
4. Target

3 PEOPLE YOU CAN TELL ANYTHING TO
1. Abby
2. Andrea
3. ...

2 CHOICES
1. Black or White: black in winter, white in summer
2. Hot or Cold: in the middle please

1 THING YOU WANT TO DO BEFORE YOU DIE
Ph.D.

I do heart books...

2007-03-27T17:50:00.000-07:00

Hardback or trade paperback or mass market paperback?
Whatever I can get my grubby little hands on.

Amazon or brick and mortar?
Amazon. I don't even know what Brick and Mortar is but please do not think I won't check it out.

Barnes & Noble or Borders?
Barnes and Noble. I always forget Borders exists.

Bookmark or dogear?
Like my mother, it depends on the book.

Alphabetize by author or alphabetize by title or random?
It's not so much alphabetized as CATEGORIZED. I try to keep the trashy romance novels out of the living room and put the books that make me look smart in front. I know, SO snobby.

Keep, throw away, or sell?
Depends on the book. I'll trade a box of trashy romance novels for another box of trashy romance novels. But I'll keep the others for the rest of my natural life.

Keep dust jacket or toss it?
It's not near as impressive without the dust jacket...

Read with dust jacket or remove it?
It's impossible to read with the dust jacket on. I will use it as a bookmark (the flappies?) but I can't read in bed with a dust jacket.

Short story or novel?
Depends on the author. Typically novel, it takes longer!

Collection (short stories by same author) or anthology (short stories by different authors)?
Anthology.

Harry Potter or Lemony Snicket?
Umm...

Stop reading when tired or at chapter breaks?
When the book is done. What do you mean tired?

“It was a dark and stormy night” or “Once upon a time”?
Dark and stormy night. Totally a good deal.

Buy or Borrow?
I want to own them and keep them forever and live with them. No borrowing for me.

New or used?
New or Like New.

Buying choice: book reviews, recommendation or browse?
I prefer recommendation, browsing takes SO much time and requires SO much decision making.

Tidy ending or cliffhanger?
Tidy endings. Cliffhangers piss me off as well.

Morning reading, afternoon reading or nighttime reading?
All of the above. I'll read any damn time.

Stand-alone or series?
Yes

Favorite series?
Diana Gabaldon, good stuff

Favorite book of which nobody else has heard?
Well, people have heard of "Kaffir Boy" and "Cry, the Beloved Country" but not THAT many have read them...

Favorite books read last year?
a few by Christopher Moore, The Passion of Mary Magdalene, The Cologne Witch, Eloise Takes a Bawth

Least favorite book you finished last year?
the James Frey Book...Little Pieces? SO unpleasant...

What was the last book you finished?
FlukePractical Demonkeeping, some Nora Roberts special of some sort...That was this past weekend.

Bravo!

2007-03-21T12:07:00.000-07:00

Sam gave me books to read.

Good man.

Some Things

2007-03-19T11:40:00.000-07:00

1. I am incredibly bored, but I have a dirty house, a paper to write, and a garage that desperately needs to be cleaned out. But I don't want to do any of those things. So I am bored.

2. The Red Box DVD rentals at McDonald's = AMAZING. It's like a DVD vending machine. Whoever came up with that deserves a pat on the back people. And it's good movies! For a dollar! I'm totally in like.

3. Telling me my OU student vision plan is $9.45 a month and then wanting all 12 months at once does not equal $9.45 a month. That is just not truth in advertising.

4. Spring Break = a tad overrated when you don't do anything with it.

5. My passport expired and I want to go get a new one in case something fabulous comes up and I have to leave the country. I feel like that's a logical need. When my driver's licence expired it wasn't near as glamorous.

6. I'm still pretty bored....

7. I am officially OUT OF BOOKS. I have read evreything in my house so many times now that I can't reread anymore because its just not fun.

8. Yes, I know, I could go to the library. But I always feel like I'm abandoning them when I turn them back in. The library is like a sad orphanage or something because some books never get checked out. What if I return one and it's never checked out again? I can't live with that guilt.

9. It might be possible that I have now seen every Law and Order rerun that TNT can offer. It's a sad day friends.

10. I always feel like I need to end these lists on a good list number, like 5 or 10. I actually feel that way about all lists. I'll add things I have already done to my To Do list so that I can a) cross them off and feel like a productive person and b) get to a good list number. Is that weird?

An Arrival

2007-03-05T13:41:00.000-08:00

I began my job on August 17, 2006. Today, for the first time, I got a printer.

I know, WTF mate? How can I be expected to perform at a certain level without the appropriate tools? Well, it only took me 4 months to get a phone, so you knew a printer would be a while...

I'm printing things currently with a certain abondon of having the printer right here in my office and not having to walk across the hall or street to beg someone else to print for me.

It might even be classified as a reckless abandon. I'm just saying.

No Frills...Literally

2007-02-21T11:53:00.000-08:00

So last weekend I was sent INTO THE WOODS for a BUSINESS CONFERENCE entitled No Frills. (One of these things is not like the other; one of these things just doesn't belong...)

We all know that I am not a nature person. I think it's pretty, it smells nice for a while, but in the end it's just dirt and allergies and animals that I don't want to meet personally.

Texas A&M hosted this conference, aptly titled No Frills, and we all know A&M goes HARDCORE. I thought this pictorial odyssey through the hinterlands would give you a better description of what I was dealing with here...

This was our view when we got there. Not playing around. No humans OR lights to direct us around this campsite in East Texas. One of mys students immediately began doing those creepy banjo riffs from Deliverance...

This lovely, and oh so flattering representation is where we slept. Yes, you are seeing BUNK BEDS. 26 women were asked to sleep in this cabin with three showers. In the woods. In business casual / business attire. Seriously??

Here I am in a burst of positivity...before I saw what exactly our accommodations looked like...

More positivity in the woods...

My HCSA President and I hiking to the mess hall after I pissed other advisers / students off and told her she could wear her "nice" jeans to dinner. Yeah, I got her out of a suit in the woods. We can rumble by the bonfire later, Texas A&M...

(p.s. Imagine the mess hall about 6 inches out of the picture following the curve in the road. Not playing.)

SO I have fulfilled my nature quota for like the next 3 years. I happily relegate myself to the world of wireless internet, cell phone service, and food not served on the trays you had in elementary school with squares for each thing. I'm anti those squares.

Bringing Funny Back

2007-02-15T14:37:00.000-08:00

OK people, my blog is no longer funny.

Back in the day, when we first started these things, I was amusing. I had a catchphrase, I went on rants, I compared Christmas to communism... It was a hoot!

Now, not so much.

Abby has informed me that I have lost the funny factor. To be fair, she agreed with me, not pointed it out herself.

Therefore, my new mission is to bring funny back.

*This is not the beginning of the mission. This is just notice of said mission. Don't worry, I haven't slipped that much.

I do love me some ice cream...

2007-02-14T12:55:00.000-08:00

You Are Chocolate Chip Ice Cream

You are kind, popular, and generous.You tend to be successful at anything you try.A social butterfly, you are great at entertaining a crowd.
You are most compatible with strawberry ice cream.

What'>http://www.blogthings.com/whatflavoricecreamareyouquiz/"> What Flavor Ice Cream Are You?

Happenings

2007-01-30T13:41:00.000-08:00

It's really weird to be the adviser all of the sudden after 5 years of college and 4 years of HS being the advisee. They sort of hate me. They're all morally outraged that I want them to fill out forms and do budgets. It's kind of funny to watch because I keep seeing myself at some point in my life before today. Every time one of them pops off I remember times when I thought my advisers had lost their freaking minds too. I sort of enjoy the parallel; but it does make me want to write a lot of sorry / thank you notes!

Don't worry; I haven't beaten any of them....yet.