High School Football

Oddly enough, high school football is how I spent my Friday night. It was definitely a trip. To be back in the high school environment...and on a night that used to mean so much...

I started to miss what Friday nights in the fall used to mean to me. After school, without going home, I went to game after game after game. I was the only skilled trainer willing to oversee the freshman and junior varsity games. When it came time for the Varsity to play, every one that could convince the coach that they were a meaningful part of the training staff and not a glorified water girl and get on the field showed up. We became part of the team, travelled when they did, cheered when they did, celebrated with they did, and hurt when they did.

I also discovered, based only on this single sample experience as evidence, that high schools on the East coast are not like high schools on the West coast... ...There were no names on the back of the jerseys like there had been when I was on the field...
...There were no sideline jackets used to keep players warm and their muscles ready like there had been before...
...The trainers didn't interact with the team like we had done in my time...

It was all just a little bit surreal somehow

Posted by: Princess Cat at 10:45 PM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
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Wildfire

Two years ago, I found myself trapped at a hotel, surrounded by a wildfire that ultimately burned major portions of San Diego county and took countless homes. Today, just north of Los Angeles, my family is in danger of facing an eerily similar situation.

A neighborhood near my mom has already been evacuated - mom went to work with everything she wanted to save packed in her van. The only thing she left behind was the cat, whom the neighbors promised to rescue if they were evacuated too.

If the fire turns toward Malibu, my dad's house is likely to be in the direct path. The fire department made the area clear the more brush away from the houses than in past years, but I don't know if that is going to be good enough. He stayed home from work today in case evacuation was necessary; step-mom is still recovering from surgery and preparing for her chemo so she's in no shape to gather up the lives of four people. Dad said that just looking outside his house the sky is dark with smoke. As much as he wished it was just a grand midwestern thunderstorm, it is definitely signs of something much worse.

My brother's place is probably most likely to be the safest of all three right now, but who knows with fire. It has a life of its own and doesn't like to answer to anyone.

I'd like to ask that you please keep my family and the families of all those who stand the chance to lose their homes to this fire in your thoughts as they pray they are among the lucky.

Posted by: Princess Cat at 12:19 AM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
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The Right Brothers

Remember that catchy little tune I told you about? The one that The Right Brothers did at the rally to support military families last weekend... You know, "Bush Was Right!" Well they've put up a 50 second preview of the song, published their lyrics, put the single on pre-sale for October, and will release a $0.99 MP3 version available on their website Oct 4.

Go hear the jingle for yourself ... at the very least you have to giggle at the antagonistic tone ... na na nana na na ... Oh, and I never said it was musical genius, just fun...

If you're too lazy to go join in my fun, at least read the lyrics below the fold... more...

Posted by: Princess Cat at 11:36 AM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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WTF Wednesdays

Did I say I hated this instructor? What I meant to say was, I really hate this instructor.

I spent the week preparing for my presentation tonight and the dude just walked all over it. 30 minutes into my discussion of the main article he interjects that we need to move on. Ok, so my partner and I move on. Only he's not happy with that. He wants us to go back to the theoretical type discussion we were having previously. Well if you had let me finish my presentation the way I wanted to we would have been able to address all the topics you were so frustratedly trying to add. I mean, my God... if you wanted us to present specific concepts from these readings then why the hell didn't you just do the presentation yourself? The best part was how he lost his composure trying to direct the discussion that the entire class refused to sign on to.

Oh, and that giggling you see us doing during class? Yeah, we're all looking at each other and laughing at you ...

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You Mean, That's Not Supposed to Happen?

SHE SAID I'M GOING OUT WITH MY GIRLFRIENDS
MARGARITAS AT THE HOLIDAY INN
OH HAVE MERCY...MY ONLY THOUGHT
CUZ TEQUILA MAKES HER CLOTHES FALL OFF

I TOLD HER PUT AN EXTRA LAYER ON
I KNOW WHAT HAPPENS WHEN SHE DRINKS PATRON
HER CLOSETS MISSING HALF THE THINGS SHE BOUGHT
YEAH TEQUILA MAKES HER CLOTHES FALL OFF

Chorus:
SHE'LL START BY KICKING OUT OF HER SHOES
LOSE AN EARRING IN HER DRINK
LEAVE HER JACKET IN THE BATHROOM STALL
DROP A CONTACT DOWN THE SINK

THEM PANTYHOSE AIN'T GONNA LAST TOO LONG
IF THE D J PUTS BON JOVI ON (oh yeah...)
SHE MIGHT COME HOME IN A TABLECLOTH
YEAH TEQUILA MAKES HER CLOTHES FALL OFF

SHE CAN HANDLE ANY CHAMPAGNE BRUNCH
BRIDAL SHOWER WITH BACARDI PUNCH
JELLO SHOOTERS FULL OF SMIRNOFF...
BUT TEQUILA MAKES HER CLOTHES FALL OFF

CHORUS

SHE DON'T MEAN NOTHING
SHE'S JUST HAVING FUN
TOMORROW SHE'LL SAY
OH WHAT HAVE I DONE
HER FRIENDS WILL JOKE ABOUT THE STUFF SHE LOST
YEAH TEQUILA MAKES HER CLOTHES FALL OFF

OH TEQUILA MAKES HER CLOTHES FALL OFF

YEAH TEQUILA MAKES HER CLOTHES FALL OFF

-sung by Joe Nichols

And here I always thought that was what tequila was meant to do...
Guess I was doing it all wrong all those college nights I spent shooting tequila at my favorite bar. But hot damn those were some great Wednesday nights...

Posted by: Princess Cat at 11:51 AM | Comments (3) | Add Comment
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Tantalizing Tuesdays...a little late...

Each Tuesday I look forward to going to class - it is the class I have outside my regular department. If all my courses were like this one, I would be getting a PhD.

This week I was highly rewarded for my attendance... he kept my attention for the full meeting, educated me, and entertained me. I'd say I love this man, but I can love only one at a time and right now that place is reserved for an instructor I had last fall. Mmmm... easy on the eyes, decidely Republican, confident, and oh so connected... We really could have had something ... that wife and those kids were a bit of a problem though... But I'm daydreaming...

Back to Tantalizing Tuesday... the annoyingly argumentative leftist in the class decided to pipe up a few times today and just would not let go of his ill-formed concept with very little relevance to the big picture at hand... The instructor finally had enough of his badgering and shut him down by retorting, "Well, that's certainly one viewpoint" and moving on. I damn near shot my iced latte out my nose it was so funny.

Tuesdays are the new highlight of my week.

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NFL: wk3

NE v PIT
23-20, NE - Damn... guess it had to happen sometime though. Better luck next week, Steelers

OAK v PHI
20-23, PHI - BOOYAH! Damn I do love when the Raiders lose...

NYJ v SD
23-45, SD - Happy Dance...Happy Dance...Happy Dance... Everybody happy dance with me!

KC v DEN
10-30, DEN - Aw MAN...

The 'Skins were off this week...so another week without comment on their performance. Eh, I'll live... I'm sure you will too.

Posted by: Princess Cat at 10:40 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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There's Combat Everywhere

In case you didn't know, it looks like G.W. has gotten our country into another war...and YOU are on the front lines!

Well, at least that's what this man wants you to think...

and of course, where would my lovely graduate institution be if they didn't support overblown, exaggerated language used to garner attention? That's right, we're hosting a 'free exchange of ideas' on campus tomorrow night titled "The Republican War on Science"...unfortunately, that man will also be there. Here's the excerpt from the back of his book that they posted to promote the event:

"The Republican War on Science" is Christopher Mooney's assessment of our current government's politicization of scientific findings. In his presentation, Mooney will tie together the disparate strands of what he sees as an attack on science into a compelling account of our government's increasing unwillingness to distinguish between legitimate research and ideologically driven pseudoscience."

Now come on people... do you seriously expect me to believe that today's science policies got to where they are based on the single handed actions of G.W.? There is only so much evolution that can take place during one man's time in office so if you're upset you can't say he got to where things are all by himself. Take a look at decades past before you start pointing fingers.

And this issue of 'war'... Was that word really necessary? Do you really want to accuse the President of the United States of actively seeking the destruction of science policy? I hardly think so. The man has a country to run and he may have different priorities than you'd like, but that doesn't mean he's going out of his way to plan the destruction of your pet projects. There's only so much money and every year a lot of people work to try to figure out where it goes. That's the long and the short of it...now way around it...just deal.

Now get off your high horse and take a long look at reality before you open your mouth again.

Yes, I'm having a bit of an angry period... just bear with me...

Posted by: Princess Cat at 10:58 PM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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FINALLY

After all the phone calls, confusing e-mails, and disorganization...

I have finally landed my Fall internship. I start exactly one week from today.

I'm not as excited about this one as I am about the one I announced a few months ago that starts in the Spring semester, but it is going to look good on my resume just the same.

Unfortunately I am still a little bit in the dark on the whole thing. I know what the Department does, and I know what this section of it does, but I have no idea what the office I now work for does. God forbid these people provide any information... From the sounds of it, it isn't exactly my field. Not that I expect to be in over my head, just less interested than I would have liked. Oh well, I'll just keep reminding myself ... foot in the door...foot in the door...

Too bad I decided to go to school full time on the assumption that I hadn't gotten it... this should be fun...

Posted by: Princess Cat at 09:33 AM | Comments (4) | Add Comment
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Military Rally

I'm not usually one to get involved in protests or rallies since they have the potential to get a little ugly but this weekend, I just couldn't be that selfish anymore. Cindy was in town and her lemmings were doing a lot of screaming so I felt obligated to do my part and show up to this:

Support the Troops Weekend: RALLY TO HONOR MILITARY FAMILIES

I heard a lot of great speakers and saw a lot of support shown. The greatest quote was, "from the lowest Private to the Joint Chiefs of Staff, we kick ass and take names if we have to." The most moving were the Iraqi citizens that spoke of how grateful they were for America's sacrifice and how much better they see their country getting on a daily basis. The most touching were the gold star family members that talked about their loved ones and how much they believed in the mission that cost them the very life they were willing to lay down for such meaningful causes. One woman read a poem she wrote to describe her young son's viewpoint, what it was like to have lost his dad... She said he didn't understand what gone really means since he has spent several multi-month stints without his father but that since the funeral and her pointing at the flag there, he sees an American flag and identifies it with his daddy. I couldn't help but cry as she read it and held him, all the while he was trying to interject about his missing daddy.

But of course, the Cindy followers took up a post across the street and started chanting against us once they realized we were there. There were a couple of incidents where opposing people came in to cause problems but no one was hurt and they were dealt with in a generally peaceful manner. I was not shocked but still disgusted that people would disrupt something like that when they have their own forum to rant without invading ours.

One of the most amusing moments though was the closing song by The Right Brothers. They did a song written especially for the rally called "Bush Was Right." I don't have the lyrics but it had an awesome na-na-nana-na tune to it. You can guess the chorus...

After having to put up with over a year's worth of 'friends,' roommates, classmates, and professors that spew off their half cocked bullshit against the war, the mission, the troops, and the President on many different fronts...it just about damn near made my whole freakin month.

Posted by: Princess Cat at 11:06 PM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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How I Spent My Friday

Shower, get dressed, have a bite, talk to Dad, check availability of books at the library, leave for library, talk to friend on the way to the library, get to library, book is checked out, I lose it.

That's right...In the 25 blanking-blankity-blank minutes that it took me to get to campus after checking to see that the book being held on reserve is available, someone else borrowed it. GREAT.

So I call my partner in the project and it's not him. SUPER!
So I sit outside the library, try to study. It's not working, I'm too pissed.
So I go back inside to see if they have some kind of waiting list. Oh, gosh, no... Of course not! That'd make too much fucking sense when the book is being held for the semester, not allowed to leave the library, and given out for only 2 hrs at a time.
So I go back to a computer and start reading the news. Partner calls & I go outside. The next 25-30 minutes are spent bitching about how ridiculously incompetent the professor is and how the program is just absolutely FUBAR'd. I felt a little better after that but for some reason there weren't any people around me anymore once I was done...

I finally got my hands on the damn book 2 hrs later, spent less than 10 minutes photocopying the pages I needed, gave it back to the library people, and promptly left. The train was semi-crowded on the way home too so that didn't really help my mood.

After I got home I ended up scanning my copy and e-mailing it to the entire class just to prove a point.

Told you I'd be royally pissed if this happened...

Posted by: Princess Cat at 06:26 PM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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New Panties, Sir?

Remember the guy that owes me money from when I bailed him out and my dad had the car fixed that he wrecked? I'm guessing he's needing some new panties right about now.

Dad was in NY on business and paid this guy a little surprise visit. I bet someone from Cali wasn't who he expected to walk into his office that day - and I bet he sure as hell didn't think it would ever be my dad.

From what I hear the guy just started stammering. With two other people in the office Dad asked him to step outside. They spoke briefly on the front sidewalk where Dad was nice and tried to project a sense of understanding. I don't care what was actually said, his coworkers had to know something was up and that it wasn't good. Who knows how he explained it away to them.

What I know for sure is that this guy knows he can't hide anymore and that we are willing to seek him out at random. Hopefully that is enough pressure to get things moving again. If not, I'm sure there are several other people that would love to get involved. It'll take him a while to get the stain out of his panties after that shit session, I'm sure. Better go buy a couple extra pair, son.

Posted by: Princess Cat at 11:52 AM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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DO NOT CALL THIS MAN

I just spent nearly the last 2 hrs trying to get a poor girl home from the airport. She's a friend of a friend and she had no one else to call. I couldn't do anything more than look up prices for a taxi or a shuttle and repeatedly call her ride. I felt horrible that I couldn't hop in a car and go pick her up myself.

Before she left CA she called to remind him to pick her up. At 10:30p he set off for a nap before picking her up. Too bad he never woke up. Not even after an hour and a half of repetitive phone calls, texts, and voicemails...

There is was 11:15p when her plane landed. Single girl. Late night. She'd just flown from LAX to DC after having a car accident. Her injured neck was stiff and killing her from the flight. And she'd never flown into this airport without having a ride pick her up.

By 12:45 she gave up, asked me to call and leave a message that she wasn't waiting any longer, and took a shuttle home. Unfortunately her trip home will be about another hour as she does not live close to the airport.

Neck injury + 5 hr flight + 1.5 hr wait + 1 hr shuttle = DOGHOUSE

Good thing these two aren't dating or that would be one massive fight. Bet you she won't be asking him for any favors any time soon...

Posted by: Princess Cat at 01:12 AM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
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WTF Wednesdays Man

The professor from WTF Wednesdays...

I.FUCKING.HATE.THIS.MAN

whew, I feel better now...

Seriously though, wtf is this put a book on reserve for the whole class and not have it in the bookstore bullshit? Do you seriously think I want to sit my ass in the library and read this book? No, first because I don't even want to read it at all. It is an inappropriate choice for graduate level study and useless in furthering our knowledge or our discussions. The only reason I'm going to read it is the 'discussion' I am supposed to lead next week, for which you assigned a lame-ass chapter by a commie blowhard that can't write a rational thought to save his life.
And what do you think I'm going to do when I spend the time to drag my ass all the way to the creepy life sucking center that is the library and someone else has decided to read it in the time between I checked its availability and got to the library? Yeah, that's right... I'm going to be royally pissed that I have to spend the next two hours waiting around campus for this crap-tastic bit of reading.
Oh, and those excuses you throw out about being too busy to make the readings available electronically and too busy to finish grading our papers? BULL.SHIT. 40 papers, 2-pgs each, double spaced. Not done 3.weeks.later? WTF.IS.YOUR.PROBLEM? 'I have too many students' 'I don't have a TA yet' 'They are all so different I'm having a hard time comparing them to one another' Uhm, NO. I've graded papers before buddy...free response exams for 600 students...IN A SINGLE WEEK.

Like I said before... I feel better now...

Posted by: Princess Cat at 12:29 PM | Comments (4) | Add Comment
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Dear Shoe Fairy

I CAN'T TAKE IT ANYMORE! I'm absolutely dying for a pair of cowboy boots... and I'm prepared to pout every.single. minute until I get them!

What is stopping me? My giant clod hoppers and my stingy wallet...

Finding a pair that fit is going to be hard enough. Then there's finding a decent pair that don't cost more than the legs they go on...

Go ahead and try me, you glorious, elusive boots...I'm prepared to wait this out with every ounce of my well honed pouting skill.

Posted by: Princess Cat at 01:00 AM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
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Careless Reporting

Opinions about journalistic bias and responsibility aside...Is anyone else tweaked by new sources with glaring typos that could have been corrected with some simple proofreading?

Fox News has up a headline right now where Israel is missing its 'i'
Last week there was a story where the word 'on' had been an 'e'

Maybe I've just got my ass puckered too tight but damn it irks me some days

Posted by: Princess Cat at 04:38 PM | Comments (3) | Add Comment
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Well Fuck Me Sideways...

I cook - the best way to a man's heart is through his stomach, right?

I clean - mustnÂ’t let a suitor see the sty til he's signed the dotted line...

I even entertain - happy friends & family a more pleasant toy makes...

I scamper upstairs and...he wants to check his e-mail?!?

Needless to say, he was escorted to the door, my bed remains empty, and I am unfortunately, rather bitter. Not to mention wholly unsatisfied...

Posted by: Princess Cat at 12:55 AM | Comments (11) | Add Comment
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Tantalizing Tuesdays

I meant to actually post something today but I slept in (to the wonderful hour of nearly 11am), went shopping for school stuff, stopped by the grocery store, and I've been stuck in the kitchen hacking up a chicken ever since.

I've got the fun class tonight and I'm taking someone with me to listen in because I think the professor is so kick ass. I'll be sure to report anything cool he says this week. Last week's winner was, "If you can successfully go underground for two years, you don't have to do the project." But if you get found out...I think you fail...

Btw - taking a whole chicken and hacking it into pieces isn't exactly easy the first couple of times you try doing it... but whacking through its bones with a cleaver is amazingly fun...

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Mish-Mash Mondays

Last week I was damn near asleep only half way through Monday's class and I was kept awake solely by the growing migraine caused by ... blink.blink.blink.blink ... of the fluorescent light at the front of the room that was flashing more than 60 times a minute, accompanied by the wonderful sound of ... buzzow.buzzow.buzzow.buzzow ... of each and every flash.

This week I faced a nearly identical situation. Before I had been sitting in the classroom for even an hour I was already obsessively checking my phone to see what time it was.

The light was strobing away, flashing like a drunken 18 year old on her first spring break...my migraine was again gaining irritating strength...and the professor had yet to make a single argument despite all his talking...

...I got grumpy...

I respect the guy - not only is he an incredibly smart guy (who just happens to talk through his nose and have hair rivaled only by The Donald), but one that can talk politics (as is the nature of the program we're in) AND leave his personal leanings at the door. I just wish he could do more than throw out bits & pieces of information that could form an argument if assembled correctly.

Maybe then I could stay focused...

Posted by: Princess Cat at 07:59 PM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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Joys of Receiving

Having worked in the receiving department of a retail establishment I found this comic to be pretty damn funny...

Luckily all our delivery guys were pretty cool ... it was only the subs that did stupid stuff

Posted by: Princess Cat at 02:57 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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