D&D Austin Update

Ninja squirrel

2008-12-06T14:29:00.004-06:00

We have a squirrel feeder in our front yard. Today I was watching as a squirrel figured out how to get the corn. He would lean over from the tree, grab the cord and pull it toward him. However, he still found it easier to be upside down when he got the corn. He'd bite off a piece, let the block go, and scramble to the backside of the tree to crack open the shell of the corn and eat the inside. Clever squirrel!

Backyard visitor

2008-11-02T09:28:00.003-06:00

I first I thought Doug was teasing me yesterday when he said we had a chicken in our backyard. I thought it was some sort of post-Halloween joke, especially when I went to look and it wasn't there. Then this morning I heard Dante in some sort of tussle and clucking from our patio roof. I woke Doug and we went outside but didn't see anything but a crow. Maybe I was falling for Doug's power of suggestion and started thinking a crow sounded like a chicken.

A little bit later, Doug locked the dogs in the house and called me to the backyard. There was definitely a chicken.
We're not sure where she came from. Maybe someone in the area thought it would be cute to raise a chick and thought a grown chicken wasn't so cute. Who knows. But given that it looked hungry, and that we have several bird feeders (with birds spilling feed on the ground) in our yard, we expect her to be back.

Poor baby

2008-10-05T21:46:00.004-05:00

My dog, Allegra, has allergies. This time of the year she's miserable. This year seems worse than normal. To keep her from scratching herself to pieces, we put on a t-shirt and a cone. It hasn't worked, so today we added booties.

Vote for me!

2008-08-29T17:57:00.002-05:00

In this strange election year, I've decided to throw my hat into the ring. Check this out for details.

Vacation

2008-08-17T17:12:00.002-05:00

We're back from vacation. We had a great time. I kept a running commentary on Twitter, check it out if you'd like. We also took tons of photos. Check out just a few:

Washington Trip

Pacific northwest

2008-08-10T09:47:00.002-05:00

Busy week with summer school ending, finals and then we left for vacation. We are in Washington State for a week with limited access to the Internet. I will be microblogging via my cell phone on Twitter. If you want to follow, go to Twitter.com, sign up for an account and follow me, dquack.

Will have a week when I get back and then fall semester starts. Where does the time go?

So I haven't blogged...

2008-07-30T21:14:00.002-05:00

...since summer school started. Have you noticed? I knew it would be tiring and exhausting, I just didn't realize how that would feel. Two writing classes and I made a commitment that the students wouldn't be short changed just because it's summer. Not sure if they are really appreciating that right about now (at least some of them). I counted it up -- 21 daily assignments during the 5 week class (and really, only assignments during the first 4 weeks), plus 8 grammar quizzes and 7 current events/WSJ quizzes. Yeah, they are working their tails off, most of them, but I'm right there with them.

I did, however, get the comment today that this was the first class the student felt like they were really learning something. Guess that's something.

One more week. That's all there is, one more week. Presentations are on Wednesday and the final is on Thursday, by Friday I'll post grades and Saturday I'm getting on a plane, heading to the Pacific Northwest, for a much needed vacation.

Not sure if we'll take the laptop and post photos during the trip or not. If not, it may be almost a month before you hear from me. Maybe by that time I'll have something interesting to say.

BTW, if you haven't checked it out, my students are blogging this summer. Take a read if you like.

Two more new restaurants

2008-07-03T13:30:00.000-05:00

I know it seems like this is turning into a restaurant blog. Not really, but it’s more interesting than writing about summer school starting next week.

For lunch yesterday I met my friend Izzy at Sichuan Garden in Round Rock. The Austin Chronicle had a good review and we figured that would be as good of place as any. It’s in a shopping center at the corner of I-35 & 620. It doesn’t look like much and was fairly empty, but the thing we noticed was the two large tables, each filled with who we presumed to be Chinese people.

We both opted to order off the lunch menu. According to the review, it was best to skip the Chinese standbys, like General Tsao’s; unfortunately, most of the lunch menu was standbys. Still, I ordered shredded pork with bean curd which was good. Izzy said her eggplant in her garlic sauce was delish. The service was okay (but it was the server’s first day) and the soups were just okay. I was able to get in and out with drink, tax and a 22 percent tip for $8. Yummy food, low cost, I’ll be back.

In the evening, I was going to meet Doug at Zax’s for dinner and then we were going to meet friends at the Zach Scott for a show. Only when Doug got to the restaurant, there was no parking. Not wanting to deal, he suggested we go some place else. I met him at the Zach and we hopped in one car. Not sure where to go, we headed down SoCo. We opted to try Woodland; I heard JB from the JB & Sandy morning show talk about how good it is. Honestly, we weren’t that impressed.

My impression was that it was trying too hard to be laidback and cool and it just didn’t work. First, the beer selection was a selection of wanna bes, instead of what a beer connoisseur would like. The menu selection seemed limited. We both ordered burgers, which were $11-$13 and really weren’t that special. Neither was the service. Definitely a yuppie-trying-to-still-be-cool-and-laidback place. We left disappointed. We won’t go back.

I guess I can include the third new place I went to yesterday – Big Top Candy, although I didn’t buy anything. It’s an old time candy store with things like candy cigarettes, Now & Laters and huge jawbreakers, none of which I’ve seen since I was a kid. I was tempted to buy something just because, but wasn’t hungry and opted not to. However, just seeing all the candy from my childhood in one place made me smile. Just what I needed after Woodlands.

Three days, three new restaurants

2008-06-29T20:53:00.001-05:00

We had a busy weekend, both around the house and around the town. But somehow we were able to check out three new (at least to us) restaurants.

On Friday afternoon I met an acquaintance for tea at The Steeping Room. We had a few things to talk about and since neither of us drinks coffee, she suggested we do The Steeping Room. While the restaurant does high tea, we opted not to do that and instead selected from the dizzying array of individual teas. I ordered a chocolate chai frappucino and my acquaintance ordered the iced tea version of a mojito. Both were yummy. However, the reason this place is blogworthy is the service. My acquaintance ordered a chilled watermelon soup; however, she’s pretty reserved and didn’t mention that she didn’t like it. I admit, I didn’t even notice she hadn’t eaten it. After the bill was paid, the waitress came back to the table and said her manager noticed my acquaintance didn’t eat her soup and was something wrong. The waitress offered to take it off the bill. When that didn’t work because the credit card had already been run, the waitress gave my acquaintance a coupon for a free soup on her next visit. One little act of customer service gained two return visitors.

That evening, Doug and I went to another new place, Gypsy, on Barton Springs Road. This quaint northern Italian restaurant had great wine, food and service. The waiter was excellent, giving great suggestions and allowed us to sample a few wines before we made our selections. In fact we discovered a few new wines. We split a dessert, a chocolate mascarpone cheesecake – it was rich and almost too much. We had an ice wine to go with it that tasted like apricots soaked in honey. Yum!

We didn’t make it to a new restaurant on Saturday, although we did have an enjoyable meal at El Sol y La Luna. Not only is the food good there, the restaurant is quick (in and out in under 40 minutes), which was good because we were on our way to volunteer for the Zach’s production of Seussical. BTW, the production had great costumes and great performances.

This morning was our third new restaurant – Galaxy Café in the Triangle. Cute little restaurant and good food. I had the Mediterranean eggs, with feta and basil. While there was nothing “oh wow” about the breakfast, it hit the spot and we’ll definitely return. Maybe we’ll even make it back for lunch or dinner.

All in all, a good gastronomical weekend.

Speaking tomorrow

2008-06-24T07:37:00.002-05:00

Tomorrow I'm speaking about branding at eWomen Network. For more info or to attend, click here.

Along with that, I've launched a new business. It's really an evolution, moving away from doing media relations freelance work, to doing more strategic work.

The best barbecue in Texas or not?

2008-06-22T09:59:00.000-05:00

In our never-ending hunt for great barbecue, yesterday we decided to try Snow’s BBQ in Lexington. The June issue of Texas Monthly named Snow’s the best ‘cue in Texas. The joint is only open on Saturdays and only until the meat is gone. We tried going a couple of weeks ago when the magazine first came out, but thanks in part to the scenic route that Doug mapped out (I love him, but he can’t navigate) we were too late. This time, however, we were prepared. Not only did I navigate, I also called on Tuesday to pre-order our meat.

According to a recent blog update on Texas Monthly, Snow’s has increased it’s production from 300 to 800 pounds of meat on Saturday; the only way to ensure you get barbecue is to pre-order by Wednesday. The Statesman’s John Kelso wrote that the barbecue is selling out in 45 minutes and that people are coming Dallas, Houston and Laredo to taste the barbecue.

We said that we would pick up the meat at 10:15, so we left the house about 9 a.m. with a mixture of excitement and trepidation. We were looking forward to the best barbecue in Texas but were worried if they could keep up the quality when their production has almost tripled in less than a month.

It took us about an hour to get there by peaceful back roads through Elgin (FM 3000 is a cute little road). When we arrived, the place wasn’t too crowded, but it certainly had its share of confusion, like the aftermath of a natural disaster. The two ladies working the counter were explaining to people that all they had left was sausage. There was a line at the door when the restaurant opened at 8 and by 9 they were sold out. Needless to say, there were a lot of disappointed people who walked away empty-handed. While waiting for our turn, I peaked at their guest book and they had folks from as far away as San Francisco. Hmm.

Our order was already pre-wrapped to go and it took a bit to explain that we wanted to eat a bit there and then take the rest with us. Finally, we got it straight and went outside to eat and watch the pit masters. We were eager with anticipation.

Although the brisket looked dry, Doug thought it was deceptively moist and tender. I thought the pork was juicy. However, it seemed like I got the dry end of the brisket and he got the dry end of the pork so I didn’t like the brisket as much as he did and he didn’t like the pork as much as I did. We both thought the sausage was okay and the pork ribs were over done, bordering on being horrible.

On the drive home (via Taylor – another nice drive) we discussed Snow’s. Overall, we rated it okay but probably won’t be in a hurry to get back. As Doug pointed out, however, that most barbecue places have their off days and this might have been one of those. Also, it may have been that all the meat is scheduled to be ready at 8 and the extra two hours of waiting for us caused our order to dry out. It could also be that they couldn’t keep the quality up with the production increase. At some point, once the Texas Monthly hype wears down, we’ll try Snow’s again. Maybe then it will live up to being the best barbecue in Texas.

I'm an ENFP

2008-06-10T08:39:00.003-05:00

I'm now on the board of directors for the local chapter of the Association of Women in Communications. In preparation for this weekend's planning retreat, I took the Myers-Briggs personality assessment. I've taken these tests before, but I was curious to see if anything had changed since I last took the test in grad school. It hadn't. I'm an ENFP.

So what does this mean? ENFP stands for Extraverted iNtuitive Feeling Perceiving. According to the Web site where I retook the test,

ENFPs are introspective, values-oriented, inspiring, social and extremely expressive. They actively send their thoughts and ideas out into the world as a way to bring attention to what they feel to be important, which often has to do with ethics and current events. ENFPs are natural advocates, attracting people to themselves and their cause with excellent people skills, warmth, energy and positivity. ENFPs are described as creative, resourceful, assertive, spontaneous, life-loving, charismatic, passionate and experimental.

Only about 3% of the population are ENFPs. A couple of other things found interesting about ENFPs, and true about myself, include:

ENFPs are warm, enthusiastic people, typically very bright and full of potential
ENFPs have an unusually broad range of skills and talents
They are good at most things which interest them
Project-oriented, they may go through several different careers during their lifetime
To onlookers, the ENFP may seem directionless and without purpose, but ENFPs are actually quite consistent
ENFPs almost always have a strong need to be liked
Because ENFPs live in the world of exciting possibilities, the details of everyday life are seen as trivial drudgery
They place no importance on detailed, maintenance-type tasks, and will frequently remain oblivous to these types of concerns. When they do have to perform these tasks, they do not enjoy themselves
They may become unhappy when they are confined to strict schedules or mundane tasks. Consequently, ENFPs work best in situations where they have a lot of flexibility, and where they can work with people and ideas
ENFPs often suffer from muscle tension
They have a strong need to be independent, and resist being controlled or labelled
Friends are what life is about to ENFPs
ENFPs are energized by being around people. Some have real difficulty being alone, especially on a regular basis

So what do you think? Does this sound like me?

Belly rubs!

2008-06-06T19:09:00.002-05:00

Dexter, aka Mr. Keep Your %@#& Hands Off Me, was letting me rub his belly and enjoying it. Not sure what's up with that. Go figure.

Spring fusing

2008-06-06T10:19:00.010-05:00

This spring I found a great fusing center, Helios, and have been taking classes galore. So many class projects in fact, that I've had little free time to fire up my own kiln. In fact, I still to finish this awesome paper weight from a class that ended in April.

I think the classes are paying off and my work is going to a new level. Below are a few of my projects from this spring. They aren't representative of all the classes I've taken (some classes are technique classes), but you can see how the work has progressed.

This is from a powders and frit class. I used frit (small pieces of glass) to recreate a scene from Hawaii. Aloha!

This was an enamel painting on glass class. You trace a picture on the glass and then paint in the detail. These are the dogs on the jetty at Port A.

Doug also took the enamel class; in fact, he got way more in to it than I did. This is Umlaf Sculpture Garden in Zilker Park.

My hand, from a textures class. You use kiln wash to make a design and then place glass on top. I made this for Doug's birthday.

Project one from the paper weights class. This takes a lot of cold working, which means using power tools to shape and polish.

Woven bowl -- pieces of glass that look woven together. There was also another project where the glass is actually woven together, but the piece isn't finished yet.

Strip bowl. You cut strips of glass and then turn them on their edge for a different look.

Of course, I have more classes on the horizon.On Sunday I start a two-week mica and enamels class -- not painting, but using mica and enamel powders to create art. The hand piece here is a great example of using micas. Thursday is the start of a pattern bars class, where you fuse glass together to make interesting elements for other pieces.

Cue the barbecue

2008-05-30T13:20:00.003-05:00

For a good portion of our nine and a half years together, Doug and I have been a quest to taste the best barbecue in Texas. Our first year and a half together we lived in Dallas and good 'cue in Dallas is as mythical as Santa Claus. But in 2008 we moved to Austin and found that we were surrounded by barbecue nirvana. Although many people will say this place or that in Austin has the best barbecue, I disagree. The best barbecue is found in small towns that require a road trip, and luckily we don't live more than 90 minutes from some of the best.

I was excited to see the June issue of Texas Monthly once again features the 50 best barbecue joints in Texas. Their top pick was as new to the editors as it was to me -- Snow's BBQ in Lexington, which is east of Elgin. I'm now jonesing to head east tomorrow.

Rounding out the top five are (in no particular order):

Kreuz in Lockhart
Smitty's in Lockhart
Louie Mueller in Taylor
City Market in Luling

We've never made it to Luling, but agree with the other three. Another one of our favorites, Cooper's in Llano, made the top 50 but not the top 5. At first I was surprised and then I read the review. While most of the time Cooper's has been a real hit, we've been there a couple of times when it's been a definite miss. Texas Monthly was there on a miss day.

However, it looks like we have a few new places to try and there are several road trips in our future.

Ado'ing nothing

2008-05-25T20:04:00.002-05:00

We're at Zilker Park tonight to see Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing.

Breakfast trip

2008-05-25T15:54:00.005-05:00

Some people have Life Lists. Some people have Bucket Lists. We have a Things That We Would Regret Not Having Done If We Ever Moved Away From Austin, Not That We Are Planning To Do So, List. The list includes things like going to Gruene Hall, visiting the Dr Pepper Museum in Waco and going to the Broken Spoke. Today we crossed one of the things off our list – eating breakfast at the Blue Bonnet Cafe in Marble Falls.

The Blue Bonnet Cafe is a Texas legend, having been in business for more than 75 years. Texas Highways magazine voted the Blue Bonnet the #1 breakfast place in Texas and one of the top 10 restaurants in Texas. To be honest, I hadn’t heard about the Blue Bonnet until about six months ago when my colleague, Mike McBride, told me about it. It took several months to convince Doug to go (and actually putting it on our list) and then a month to find a day when we were up early enough and didn’t have a lot of things on our to do list to go. Today was the morning.

From our house it was about a 70 minute drive on twisting, hill country roads. Wouldn’t have been so bad if I hadn’t imbibed a little too much at Robert & Tracy’s wedding last night and if our convertible didn’t have such a rough ride. Still, the drive is pretty.

We got there about 8:30 and while busy, we got a seat right away. It was a friendly, bustling place. It’s cash and checks only, but they do have an ATM. The portions were definitely Texas-sized. We both got omelets, which come with either grits or hashbrowns (we got hashbrowns) and your choice of bread. Let me recommend the Texas-toast. It’s easily an inch and a half thick of homemade bread. It was so yummy that we bought a loaf to take home.

The Blue Bonnet is also famous for its pies. We didn’t have room for dessert, but we bought a pecan pie to take home. Some of the pies, like the peanut butter pie pictured below, look out of this world, but we wanted something that would easily transport back to Austin.

We must have arrived at a good time because by the time we left, the line for seating snaked down the long entry way and out the front door.

The Blue Bonnet Cafe is worth the trip. As Doug said when we were leaving, this is a place we’ll cross off our list many more times.

Twitter

2008-05-25T14:34:00.002-05:00

BTW, I've started Twittering. These are mini posts, less than 150 words. They are on the right side of the page, under the About Me section. Or you can go to Twitter.com. If you want to sign up on Twitter and follow me (but you don't have to, since the tweets, as the updates are called, appear on this blog), my Twitter id is dquack.

Update

2008-05-25T14:00:00.004-05:00

I know it's been a long time since the last posting. Part of it was the end of the semester and finals, and after which, a client project. But a lot of the reason I haven't updated was that chose not to. I had one thing on my mind for the last several months and given the public nature of blogs, I thought it was best to keep quiet.

So what was on my mind? In a word, my job, or rather wondering if I would have one next school year. At the beginning of the school year, the school had plans to hire one tenure tact professor (this means someone with a PhD) and one senior lecturer (no PhD required). The senior lecturer, and promise of a three-year contract, was one of the reasons I came back this school year. The senior lecturer is basically what I've been doing for the last two years, the only difference is that it is a three-year contract, so at the end of each year I wouldn't have to go through the angst of whether I'd be hired back. And what angst it has been.

Somewhere along the line, the school started thinking they could hire two tenure track professors and no senior lecturers. Fast forward to April, only one PhD had accepted the offer and at that point, the school opted to look for a senior lecturer. On Dead Day (the day before finals start, where there is no class) I interviewed for my job. It was somewhat surreal, interviewing with my colleagues for the job I already had. I also had to give a teaching presentation. Despite it being a day off for everyone, I was able to get quite a few of my colleagues, as well as several students there. That, I think, was the best part, getting the students. Many current and former students who couldn't make it wrote letters supporting me. I am very appreciative of the support.

In the end, I got the contract and I will be back. Without going into much detail, one of the things I learned was to stand up for yourself and know what you want and others will go to bat for you (assuming, of course, that you're good to begin with). I got a lot of support along the way and it was great. In fact, working with some great students and other really neat professors is one of the reasons I love teaching.

So now I have some time off until summer school in July. Well, I do have a student who has to finish a project, but other than that, nothing pressing. I am going to do some more work on my own consulting business, as I have some ideas there I'd like to explore. At this point, I just have six weeks and I know it will fly fast.

Wasting away in Margaritaville

2008-04-26T21:42:00.002-05:00

At a Jimmy Buffett concert in Dallas.

When dreambars become nightmares

2008-04-07T12:43:00.001-05:00

Saturday was opening night of Doubt at the Zachary Scott. This isn’t a review of the play because I didn’t get to see it (but I hear it was good). Instead, I volunteered, which Doug and I do most opening nights. This one will stay in the memory for a long time, beating out the night the homeless guy wandered into the opening night party and started partaking of the free champagne.

The reason this opening party is memorable is because it was self catered, but not by choice. A normal opening night has volunteers running the bar before the show and at intermission, taking tickets, playing ushers, selling shirts, etc. After intermission, the volunteers help set up for the party, setting up tables, popping the cork on the champagne (Doug’s job), pouring the glasses. The food and all the goodies are set out by the caterer. Only this time, there was no caterer.

The show was short, 90 minutes and no intermission. At 8:30, the house managers were worried. By 9, they were in a panic. By 9:05 they were at Schlotzsky’s, buying goodies and sending someone to Whole Foods. We had just finished pouring 150 glasses of champagne when the first volunteer came back with brownies and lemon bars from Schlotzsky’s. Working in the semi-dark, as quietly as possible so no noise could be heard in the theatre, we unwrapped the baked goods, cutting them in fourths, just to make sure everything was bite-sized and there was enough to go around. “Who here is good at making this try look pretty?” someone asked. We all just shook our heads.

Then the head house manager came back, carrying full trays of lemon bars and dreambars. He had bought out the restaurant. In the kitchen we were frantically cutting and prepping, as the show was about to be over. “Dara’s good at cutting,” someone said and handed me a knife. I had an ooyie-gooyie, crunchy, sticky mess in front of me. One platter filled, then another, out to the table they go. Make sure the powers of be know what’s going on – the staff talking over the walkie-talkie. Where’s the meat and cheeses from Whole Foods? No matter, it’s 9:30, the show is over, the audience leaves the theatre and comes to the party. We are still in the kitchen, cutting, waiting for the rest of the goodies to arrive. I have dreambar goo on the front of my shirt. Someone walks into the kitchen, upset, wondering how the caterer forgot. The head house manager swears he tried to get through to absolutely everyone he could think of to ask. The girl goes on. Maybe it’s not my place, but I said it doesn’t matter whose fault it is now, they can worry about it later, but right now we have to focus on making the party a success.

Luckily, it was a success. None of the patrons ever knew about the catering mishap. The audience grabbed a glass of champagne and some sweets and went back into the theatre for a talk-back session. The Whole Foods stuff arrived, so there was an assortment of fruit, veggies, cheese and meat when the talk back was over. The volunteers manned the party like normal – pour wine & champagne, picking up glasses, etc. All in all, a good night and a good party, but not one any of us will want to relive in the near future.

Words of wisdom from Evan Smith

2008-03-28T09:09:00.002-05:00

Evan Smith, editor of Texas Monthly, spoke to my PR Campaigns classes yesterday. Since he’s involved with I Live Here, I Give Here and several non-profits, I thought it might be good for him to talk to the students about the campaigns the students have been working on this semester (each team is working for a non-profit) as both a journalist and a donor. He was open, bluntly honest and funny; the students really enjoyed having him in class. A few things he discussed:

People who donate to non-profits want to see results, where their money goes. Success stories, highlighting a particular individual or group, are great for donors, and journalists are more likely to run the stories.

Journalists do not like PR people; they find them annoying. This is because many PR people just spam journalists and don’t understand what the journalist writes about or what the publication is about. He advises PR people to get to know a beat reporter way before they pitch the reporter.

The media is undergoing a revolution. People aren’t reading traditional media anymore, particularly the younger generation. Media companies will need to figure out what the next model is. Additionally, media is more prevalent and segmented than ever before. I think Evan said there were 400x more publications available than when he first started. He gave an example that there used to be just People magazine, now there is also Teen People and People en Espanol.

PR is changing too. In fact, PR people could become irrelevant because there are more ways for clients to now reach reporters directly.

All of the above, I’ve told my students before. However, I always think it’s good when they hear it from experts, particularly the media. Evan had worried about being too harsh on the PR thing, and I disagreed. I told them I’m always sharing those stories and they need to learn how not to be an annoying PR person before they begin their career.

He also told stories about Texas Monthly:

Willie Nelson has been on the cover 8 times, more than anyone else. They will have an upcoming issue celebrating Willie’s 75^th birthday. The cover story will be an oral history about Willie, where they’ve talked to just about everyone connected to Willie.

Evan had the idea for the infamous January 2007 Dick Cheney cover 11 months before the issue. He just hoped that no one would be a bigger bum steer that year than Cheney, and while no one beat him, a few came close.

The original idea for the January 2002 American Gothic cover was to have both Willie Nelson and Kinky Friedman in dresses. Evan called Willie, told him about the idea and Willie replied, “That’s not funny.” Quickly coming up with an alternative, Evan pitched the idea of Willie in overalls and Kinky in a dress. “Now THAT’S funny,” Willie replied.

He also told stories of job interviewing, gave the students specific feedback about their campaigns and was a great overall resource. I’m glad he took time out of his busy schedule to speak to these students; I know they got a lot out of it.

One month to go

2008-03-24T11:48:00.003-05:00

I realized today that the last day of class is exactly one month away. It's always the busiest time of the semester, and with spring, there is that fever where you'd rather be having fun than in a classroom. I'm sure the students feel the same.

The other thing is that there is only one month left and I have no idea what is in store for me next year. Just like last year, I have not yet been asked back. Last year, it was the last day of class before I was given an offer and by then I was so frustrated I said no. Only during the summer did I change my mind, and part of that was because I was told there was going to be a three-year, non-tenure track position open. I'm not sure what happened to that position, but it looks like the university would rather hire a PhD and put them on the tenure track, although that hiring hasn't happened yet either.

Sometimes I feel so caught up in this that I can't breathe, much less sleep. But I have to work through the fact that in academia, decisions are not about me, whether I'm doing a good job or not. It's not always about the students either. And most importantly, I have little influence and can't control things. To paraphrase Stephen Covey (the 7 Habits guy), I have my circle of influence and my circle of control. As I'm learning, university hiring decisions are beyond both my circle of influence and my circle of control.

It will be interesting to see what this next month brings, and what decisions will be made. I'm sure the end of the semester will fly by sooner than I think. That's actually a bit scary, because I don't feel ready for decisions. But in the meantime, I have a bunch of papers to grade today and errands to run, so I better get back at it. Grading and errands -- those are in my circle of control.

Hoppy Easter

2008-03-23T19:28:00.002-05:00

When you think about it, it's interesting how two people, when they decide to make a life together, combine their traditions, especially when it comes to holidays. In our household it's pretty much my way, basically because Doug isn't into holidays. Start asking him things like, "When's Valentines?" and he'll get mad.

Bottom line, they never made a big deal about holidays in Doug's family. I knew they did "practical" Christmas gifts, and Doug only got to trick 'n treat a couple of times because he had to keep lookout that the house of two teachers (his parents) weren't tricked. But I was floored last night when Doug said he never received an Easter basket or went Easter egg hunting. He remembers coloring eggs once, but never the hiding or finding of them. So I snuck out early this morning, went to the grocery store, bought a basket, filled it with candies and hid a half dozen candy-filled eggs. At 44, Doug went on his first Easter egg hunt this morning.

Funny how we remember things like holidays. When I was little, I always felt left out because I didn't have a cool, store-packed Easter basket or a plastic orange pumpkin candy holder on Halloween. All the Halloween costumes were from the attic, not the store, and Christmas gifts were saved until Christmas morning. Now that I look back, none of that matters. I think store-bought costumes and baskets look cheap and Christmas Eve is for a party with friends and family, not for opening presents. The traditions of my mom, lives through me.

I remember the first time I knew someone who didn't celebrate Easter. It was my good friend from junior high, Sandy. We were going on a day trip to some cavern in the Ozarks and we stopped at Wal-Mart. All the Easter goodies were on sale. She mentioned she wished she would get something for Easter and I questioned what she meant. Sandy said she was a Jehovah's Witness and they didn't celebrate Easter. I was sad for her. I think our friends got her a stuffed bunny that year.

When I think of Easter, I remember the smell of vinegar and watching the Paas color tablet dissolve in it. I remember how for the week before coloring eggs, we'd poke holes in our egg shells and blow out the yolks so we'd have enough eggs to color. I remember the three baskets on the coffee table waiting for my sisters and I. Obviously, as an adult, Easter memories are a little different, but they are never as fun as the ones from childhood.

Sunset dining

2008-03-11T19:52:00.002-05:00

It's such a nice evening that tonight we're having dinner on the deck of The Oasis, the sunset capital of Texas.

Classy lass

2008-03-08T07:35:00.001-06:00

This morning I will be going to my third glass fusing class in as many weekends. On Wednesday, I will finish my four (extended to five)-week strip bowl class. I also have another weekend class later this month, and will start another a four-week class at the end of the month. From mid-February until the end of March, I will have taken, or at least started, six glass classes. Needless to say, I'm feeling a little out classed.

Actually, it really is all good. There is this t-shirt I saw with a guru, holding pieces of glass and meditating, with the saying, "Therapy with sharp edges." I love that! I would have bought that shirt except it was for a stained glass shop, not a glass fusing shop. Who knows, I still might get it. Still, that's what I feel like when working with glass. I can get into my little zone and not think about anything except the little pieces of glass in front of me.

I had really wanted to take my fusing to the next level, and it's getting there, at least in my mind. I haven't had a chance to work on anything at home yet. I found this place in January, Helios Glass Studio, owned by Paul & Karen Tarlow. Paul has a national reputation, so I feel like I am learning from a master. There were things I wanted to learn, but since I don't learn well from books, I was a bit stuck. Now I'm learning them, or soon will be, can ask a lot of questions and try things out. I'm most excited about learning cold working, which means working with power tools. I can't wait until the end of the month when I learn to sandblast a piece!

So it's all good. I'm just busy, but I'm definitely one classy lady.

Excellent

2008-03-07T11:08:00.002-06:00

I found out this week that I am one of eight faculty members from across the university who will be honored this year by the Texas State Student Foundation for inspiration and outstanding dedication to educational excellence. The Student Foundation is a group of student leaders who serve as presidential ambassadors for the university president.

The coolest thing to me about this honor is that it is bestowed by the students. They nominate you, write an essay about you, and then the faculty is selected. I didn't even know I was being considered until I received the invitation to attend the event.

It also means whatever the university decides to do, I know I am a good teacher and am reaching the students.

Happy birthday to me

2008-02-24T18:47:00.003-06:00

This was a whirlwind birthday weekend. Doug and I left about 4:30 Friday night, driving to the Ft. Worth area for the weekend. Doug bought a glass class for my birthday, which we took together, to learn about working with powders and "paint by light." Jody Walker, a nationally renown glass artist, taught the class. The two-day class was very intensive, and while we didn't come out with any finished pieces, we came out with about 19 test tiles and a new way to think about glass. Now I just need to find some time and get after it.

Last night we celebrated my birthday by first meeting my sister Chris and her husband Mark, for drinks. We actually had a great time chatting. It's the first time ever that I didn't feel like the little brat sister. Maybe because it was just two couples and not the family dynamic. I wish we could have stayed longer, but Doug and I had dinner reservations.

We went to Bob's Steak and Chop House. This has been named one of the top steak places in the nation and it didn't disappoint. Man, that was some of the best ribeye I've eaten. And for as good as the steak was, I was blown away by their carrots. I know it sounds weird, but that was a damn good carrot. The server said the carrots were marinated in cinnamon and orange juice. I believe it. I told Doug I thought it tasted like Christmas. To round out dinner, we had a Napa cab from one of my favorite wineries, Silver Oak. The dinner was outstanding!

The glass class finished about 2 p.m. today and we headed home, exhausted. After two days being the only guy in a class of eight women, Doug is out having a beer and getting some much needed testosterone time. I'm home, checking email and watching Gladiator on high-def. Tomorrow we'll be back in the grind.

Who's fault is the defaulting?

2008-02-22T10:15:00.003-06:00

I'm watching a little bit of the Democratic debate last night, since it was in Austin. Obama is giving his opening remarks and mentions that he met with a couple in San Antonio whose house is getting foreclosed on because of predatory lending practices. WTF? "Did you hear that?" I asked Doug. He said he tuned out as soon as Hillary started her remarks. I replayed the comment. Predatory lenders.

Let me get this right. You have poor credit. You decide to buy a house that you can't really afford. You decide to take out an adjustable rate mortgage that is really low when you take it out, so you can make those house payments, but the rates will go up. Now that they have gone up, it's the lenders fault that you can't make the payments? Get real.

I know this is a rough situation. And yes, it is partially the fault of lender. They qualified risky applicants. They probably also did a huge sales job. Still, the borrower has responsibility in this as well.

Recently we were talking to some mortgage companies about refinancing our home loan. One of Doug's work friends recently refinanced his home and got a 5% rate; he thought we could do the same and it would cost us less than $1,000. Save 2% on mortgage, why not?

Calling around, the rates were up to 5.75%. And while it would only cost us $750 out of pocket, the rest of costs would be rolled up in our loan. The actual cost would have been about $2,500. Even with the monthly savings, it would take us 24 months to break even on this. We were hoping to move to a different house by then. We decided not to go forward and instead take the cost and put it straight to our principle. Any other savings, we'd use to fix up the place. The refi just didn't make financial sense.

Of course, the lenders made it sound good. Get a lower rate and pay only $750. This way you are paying less interest and more principle each month. They do try to sell it. They make it sound good and put a shine on it. But is that predatory lending?

It is up to the borrower to know what he/she is getting into. When we bought our house, they qualified us for way more than I would have expected. However, we opted to go with something much smaller, something we could afford on one income, and after the tech crash, that has served us well. I don't know if we could have kept a more expensive house. They also offered all sorts of mortgages that sounded great, but we weren't buying. No ARMs for us. We wanted a 30-year fixed. And we got what we wanted.

I call banks and lending institutions a lot of unflattering things, but predatory is not one of them. When it comes to your money, you have the say and you have the right to agree to the terms or walk away. Get smart when it comes to your money and don't fall into this victimization trap just because you won't take the time and effort to become educated on money. It's not predatory lending just because you didn't know what you were doing.

Head shot

2008-02-20T22:10:00.005-06:00

I had a photo shoot today. I'm going to be one of forty women featured in a Go Red spread for the American Heart Association in the May issue of Austin Woman Magazine. In general, I hate getting my photo taken, and was dreading it. However, the photographer, Korey Howell, did an awesome job! She made me feel comfortable, helped me pick my outfits and made sure I looked my best. I was completely at ease and had fun. I would totally recommend her to anyone.

In addition to the Go Red photo, Korey also did a professional head shot for me. Doug said he prefers the red photo, but I like them both.

Frustration

2008-02-20T08:26:00.002-06:00

Seems like I'm going through the same old stuff that I did last spring, whether there will be a teaching spot for me next year. Without going into all the details, let's just say it's not looking good and I'm just frustrated to the hilt. Yesterday, on the way home, I was wondering why I put myself through this again.

Then I remembered why -- the students. I've got a great group of students this semester. Actually, every semester I have a great students. I just have to remember to focus on that and forget about the rest of the b.s. Of course, that's easier said than done...

Democracy in action

2008-02-11T12:10:00.000-06:00

Texans have spoken loud and clear. We have selected a winning license plate. According to the Statesman, the selection won't be official until later this week. I actually think this was the best design and voted for it myself.

Lights, Camera, Heart Ball!

2008-02-10T14:29:00.000-06:00

Last night was the annual Heart Ball for the American Heart Association. The theme this year was the Hearts of Hollywood, with a 1940s supper club look and feel to the party. As communication chair, I developed the branding and positioning for the Ball. We've been working on the Ball since May, so everyone was glad it finally arrived and went well.

I didn't get the final count, so I don't know how much we raised. There was both a live and a silent auction, dinner and dancing. There were lots of things to bid on, so my bowl didn't go for much -- just $60 and a friend bought it. I think my highlight of the evening was watching a film a student made, and hearing everyone comment after. The student brought her mother from Port Arthur, Texas and you could tell how proud her mother was of her. Once of my friends said she thought I got a tv station to produce it. That made the student and her mother smile.

Below are photos of us as we were about to leave the house. Isn't Doug handsome in his tux?

Here's me in my dress. Isn't it great? I got a lot of compliments on it.

Amy, my hairdresser, did my hair in a 1940s style updo. I'm always afraid that my hair will fall, but Amy made sure it didn't.

Doug and I did get our photo taken together by a professional photographer, so if we like it, we'll buy it and post it. Some of my students were volunteers and they took photos as well. I hope at least one of Doug and I together looks good and I can post it.

Tidbits

2008-02-08T09:13:00.000-06:00

I'm going to be covering SXSW (South by Southwest, for those who aren't in the know) this year. In exchange for writing about a half dozen stories for a Web site, I'll be receiving a press pass. I'm pretty excited. I had thought about buying a badge for the Interactive part of the festival, but was wondering if I could justify it. Now I can go to everything, including the film and music.

Tomorrow is the Heart Ball for the American Heart Association. We've been working on this since the summer, so I'm glad it's finally coming together. Doug picked up his tux yesterday. I didn't see it, but he said it looks sharp. I've got appointments to get my hair, nails and make-up done.

Busy week with school, but it's going well. I'm loving this 70-degree weather we're having.

Baby you can drive my car

2008-02-03T10:47:00.000-06:00

We came out of Lone Star Kolache this morning, ready for a drive. Allegra was in the driver's seat and Dante was in the passenger's seat. Guess they thought they should drive and we should sit in the back.

I want belly rubs!

2008-02-02T08:30:00.001-06:00

Allegra can't wait for Doug to return from Canada today. She wants him to give her belly rubs.

Latest fusing projects

2008-01-30T10:16:00.000-06:00

My kiln has been busy since Christmas and I wanted to share a few of my latest pieces.

This first one is a commission piece, meaning my friend Pat bought the glass and asked me to make 10 plates for the American Heart Association (I donated my time). Needless to say, it took several weeks to make all 10.

For this next one, I fused iridized glass, face down, on a textured tile. I really like the crinkle effect.

This last piece is my favorite piece I've ever made. The photo doesn't do it justice. The green, aventurine, is darker, almost a forest green. I fired it on lava cloth so the bottom is textured. I originally made it to donate to the Heart Ball auction, but now I love it so much I don't want to depart with it. I guess I can always make another to keep.

I need to coat my kiln shelf now so I can make some more. I'm also looking into some advanced classes as I'm ready to go to the next level.

Book on Parade

2008-01-27T17:15:00.000-06:00

Risa, the wife of Doug's cousin Tim, recently published a book, Cinescopes. It was mentioned in Parade Magazine today. Click here to read the review. Hurray for her!

Officer Cat

2008-01-26T10:38:00.000-06:00

I love this story. I've heard of drug-sniffing dogs, but never kiddie porn finding kitties.

I hate being sick

2008-01-24T13:15:00.000-06:00

This week both Doug and I have been waylaid by the stomach flu. Doug got it Monday (although he swears it is food poisoning) and I got it yesterday. Doug seems to think that food poisoning can be passed on through contact -- I say we both have stomach flu.

Doug is back at work today, but only because he was behind before he got sick and is heading to Canada on Saturday for a week and needs to have everything prepared. I canceled classes today.
I think from all the "common" illnesses, stomach flu has to be one of the worst. Even if you felt like eating, you can't keep it down. Your abdomen muscles hurt from all the vomiting, your body aches and you just can't get comfortable. Then you have to worry about accidents from what my mother-in-law calls the "big D." I haven't had anything to eat (that I've been able to keep down) since Tuesday night. I have, however, been drinking a mixture of Pedilyte and water so I don't get too dehydrated.

Worst thing, I think, is tv. There is nothing on. Funny thing is, when I actually find something somewhat interesting, I fall asleep. Unfortunately, I can only sleep for an hour at a time.

I think it's hard when both of us are sick because neither Doug nor I feel like being nice to one another. I want to be babied and he doesn't want to do it. About the only one giving me any attention is Dexter.

Restaurant review: El Greco

2008-01-21T09:33:00.000-06:00

Admittedly, Doug and I are foodies and Greek/Middle Eastern is one of our favorite cuisines. Until the last few years, good Greek/Middle Eastern restaurants in Austin have been few and far between, so when we hear about a new one, we're there.

A few weeks ago we heard about El Greco, a new Greek restaurant on Guadalupe, so we tried it out--twice. The service was so bad that I doubt we'll go back.

Our first trip was two weeks ago, Saturday night. It's small, but was packed. You order at the counter and they bring your food. Doug ordered the Chicken Souvlaki, which he thought was okay. I ordered the Beeftekee, chopped steak stuffed with feta. It had a lot of flavor. Doug liked his potatoes, but my sides were a bit bland. Compared to other similar types of restaurants, I thought the portion sizes were small for the price. It was like $3 for about three tablespoons of hummus and the hummus wasn't that special.

The thing that got me, however, was the service. It was 15 minutes after we ordered that I got my wine. We asked the server about it when he brought the hummus and the reply was, "I can't serve that to you." I understand being under age, but he could have responded better. It took another 5 minutes after I got my wine for Doug to get his beer. They were out of water at the drink station and I had to get the server to fill it up. And it wasn't just us, the table next to us got their appetizers after their entrees. You could just look around and tell everyone was getting frustrated at the service.

Still, it's a new restaurant and it has to work out its kinks. We decided to give it a few months before we went back for dinner. However, they do serve breakfast. Saturday I was in the mood to try one of their feta breakfast pockets, so I convinced Doug to go. They open at 10; we got there 5 minutes early so we walked across the street to Wheatsville Co-op to kill time. By the time we got back to the restaurant, it was 10:10.

We walk in and we're not even sure if it's open. The kitchen is open to the restaurant and one of the guys in the kitchen was singing something about bitches at the top of his lungs. Not a great first impression. The owner was at the cash register and Doug asked if they were open. The owner said they were running late and it would be another 20 minutes. Then he said something about not having all the breakfast items and what would we want. We got the feeling that us just being there was an annoyance to the owner. Doug politely said we would come back another time.

Of course, Doug was lying. He vowed never to go back. It wasn't that they weren't ready, it was the whole attitude. It's one thing not to have the flow down. And I know it wasn't just us, I've read other comments about El Greco's service. But that could be forgiven, assuming that it gets better. It won't get better, however, if the owner doesn't care, lets his staff sing about bitches, and comes across rude himself.

Thank goodness, there is Sarah's Market, which I'll have to tell you about another time.

Semester has started

2008-01-21T09:28:00.000-06:00

But I'm sure you can tell, given the frequency of posts. Classes started last week. I'm teaching four classes, or three courses. One course is new to me, so there is a lot more prep. Plus, the beginning of PR Campaigns always takes a lot, trying to find client projects for the students to work on. So far, so good with the classes. Nothing else really new to report. No news always means good news with us.

The Secret works!

2008-01-09T11:05:00.000-06:00

You may have seen the book, the movie or even the Oprah show about The Secrete, aka The Law of Attraction. Used to be called the Power of Positive Thinking. Whatever you want to call it, it works. Case in point, the selling of my car.

In August we bought a new (used) car. Since then, my piece o'crap 1997 Chevy Cavalier has been in our driveway. The idea was to clean it up, do a few things to it and then sell it. Unfortunately, we (the royal we, meaning Doug, who had been driving it for the last two years) had not gotten around to doing that. Additionally, there were certain times that "we" (meaning me) would not have time to deal with the email inquiries, so I didn't push.

In November I had the idea that during the Christmas break I would go ahead and take photos and post them on Craigslist, with the idea that if someone wanted to look at the car, "we" would be motivated into fixing it up. Then with the rush of the end of semester and the holidays, this plan slipped my mind until last week.

On Thursday, I pulled into our driveway, looked at the green car and thought about grabbing the camera and posting the photos on the Web. Then I remembered Doug was going to be traveling quite a bit for business and I that he should probably be here for the selling of the car. Friday, I come home from a massage and looked again at the green car and thought, "I don't need Doug to sell this car. I can do it myself -- after all, I bought it myself." Then I realized I really didn't want strangers coming to the house when Doug was away. I knew I needed to just get rid of it.

A couple of hours later my door rings. There are three Hispanic guys, maybe in their 20s, and they asked if we were selling the Cavalier. I told them yes. I asked how they knew (since there were no signs, no ads, no nothing) and they said because we hadn't moved the car in awhile. Okay, this freaked me out a bit. I let them look at the car and they asked what we were selling it for and I told them, jacking it up a bit. They asked if we it was in good condition and I said yes (neglecting all the problems with the air conditioning, etc.). I suggested that if they wanted to know more they should call Doug after 6 p.m. and gave his cell number.

Later that afternoon I'm running some errands and get home a bit after 6. I know Doug is on his way. As I'm parking, this van stops in front of the house. It's dark out and I see it's the guys. I'm more than a little freaked -- after all, they knew enough that the car hadn't moved. Were they casing the joint? They want to know about Doug and I say he's on his way, hightailing it into the house. I call Doug on the cell and no answer. The guys are still outside. I call Doug again and yet again and no answer. I think -- who can I call? With the dogs, I was safe inside, but still... I call my friend Gary, hoping he was working late at Dell and could swing by on his way home. Of course, he was already at dinner. Gary could tell by my voice I was worried and it didn't help when we got disconnected. He finally called back and I told him what was up, but said it would be okay. Finally, Doug arrived and Gary hangs up.

Of course, this was my overactive imagination, but still, it was suspicious.

Doug talked to the guys, told them what all was wrong with the car, cleaned it out for them and let them test drive it and made a deal with them. The price was less than what I quoted, but more than what we thought it would actually sell for. They paid cash, signed the paperwork and drove off with the car, heading, they said, back home to Brownsville. The car has finally been sold.

I'm still a bit freaked to think someone watched the house enough to know we weren't driving the car, but I'm more amazed with how easily the car was sold. I decided it was finally time that the car was gotten rid of and suddenly it's gone. Think it and it will happen.

Weird news of the week

2008-01-08T10:44:00.000-06:00

Here's a story out of Houston that reminds me of the old journalism school adage about what is news -- Dog Bites Man is not news, but Man Bites Dog is. Maybe that's why the Dog Shoots Man headline caught my attention.

So excited!

2008-01-04T14:53:00.000-06:00

This weekend we are moving to the world of HD. We did the day-after-Christmas sale at Fry's electronics and bought this Sony Bravia for a really great deal. Tonight we are going to buy the stand/mount we have picked out, tomorrow the tv arrives and Sunday the DirecTV folks are going to upgrade our system. The tv has been a long time coming, doing research and patiently waiting for the right time, system and bargain. The conversion to HD is partly our Christmas present to each other, along with a gift from both both of our parents (thanks, folks!). I can't wait until Sunday when I can try out all the channels.

Cool gifts

2008-01-04T11:10:00.000-06:00

I got the neatest Christmas gift from my sister Chris yesterday. It's a photo book with family pictures throughout the year. It's printed, hardbound and even has captions. It's a really cool idea for a gift.

This year, we decided to get digital photo frames for both sets of parents. The ones from Kodak were the best. What made it real cool, at least in our mind, is that we pre-loaded the frames with photos. I need to make a flash slide show and post it for folks to see.

I also got mom laser etching of the photo below. Mom is the baby, sitting on my grandmother's lap, with my great grandmother and great great grandmother on either side. We found this place in Georgetown that can laser etch photos into framed tiles, glass and wood. Unfortunately, we found it after we sent the Christmas package to Doug's parents, or we would have done something for them as well.

Latest projects

2008-01-03T09:26:00.001-06:00

Below are some of my latest fusing projects. The first two are Christmas gifts for my sisters, the next two are candle holders (Christmas gifts as well). The last two are just because I found a couple of cool slumpers when I was in Ft. Worth. More of my fusing work can be found on my Web site; I will add these photos to the gallery later this week.

Great photo

2007-12-30T09:03:00.000-06:00

This is of my youngest niece. There is something so expressive in her eyes.

Crouching tiger, hidden Dexter

2007-12-27T10:13:00.001-06:00

What is it about cats and Christmas trees?

O Tannenbaum

2007-12-26T18:29:00.000-06:00

We love our Christmas tree. Both Doug and I can stare at it for hours. Not only is it pretty, it's full of meaning. Most of the ornaments tell stories, are a part of our history. There's the Surfing Santa, which we got when we went to Hawaii. And the Disney ornaments from our trip there. The ornament from Mark Twain's house in Connecticut and the Santa from Kansas City. Speaking of Kansas City, there is a KC Chiefs ornament, an Arkansas Razorbacks ornament and, of course, a football Santa ornament. There are the ornaments Auntie M gave us, the one Gary & Tom gave us and the one Cindy & Greg gave us. Our tree might not make Decorator's Quarterly, but it is full of love.

Actually, at least during Christmas time, the house is decorated with love and stories. From the myriad of International Santas to the pine nativity scene that was my grandfather's, our Christmas decorations are our family history.

It's funny, but when I remember the Christmases growing up, I remember the traditions and the decorations. I had this green felt stocking with a little girl on it. I wish I knew where it was so I could hang it today. I remember playing with baby Jesus in our manger scene and mom's band of angels. I remember the elves my grandmother made. But it wasn't limited to our house. I would go to Mrs. Goolsby's house and was fascinated with her Nutcracker and this wooden tower that turned when lit by candles. I'm still surprised we don't have any of those, but the ones at the stores look cheap -- not the craftsmanship of what I remember.

We hate to think of our parents passing and I know it will be years. But I do hope mom will leave her Christmas decorations to me. That way I can look at the Santa she made in grade school as it hangs on my tree and remember how mom also liked to have the traditions of Christmas and the tree.

The mysterious case of the disappearing mouse

2007-12-26T17:02:00.001-06:00

If you think you have someone on your list that's tough to buy gifts for, try finding something for a cat. Dexter is 12 years old and in that time has received maybe three toys that he likes. Then again, what do you expect, he is a cat.

Yesterday he received a leopard-patterned mouse with refillable catnip. This actually interested him. Or at least the kitty version of crack did. He went wild with the mouse, until, of course, he got bored (he is a cat, after all).

Last night Dexter was on the bed and I was playing with him with the catnip mouse. He who usually likes to stay at the edges of the bed, was actually between us. After awhile, I got bored playing with Dexter (because he is cat). I placed the mouse on my nightstand, read for a little bit, then turned off the lights and went to bed.

This morning I decided we should play with Dexter for a bit, so I went to grab him and the mouse. Only the mouse was no where to be found. I searched the nightstand, behind the nightstand, next to the night stand, and under the bed. No mouse. Doug wondered if the dogs got the mouse, but I figured they couldn't because it was behind the clock and if they had, there would be mouse guts all over the bedroom. I figure that Dexter climbed on my nightstand in the middle of the night and stole his mouse. Why? Because he's a cat.

Nine hours later and the mouse has not been found. I've checked out Dexter's usual haunts and there is no sign of a mouse. The mouse is gone. As for Dexter's other Christmas toy, this thing that looks like a it has a fly fishing lure at the end and spins, he's totally ignored it. It will spin around him, hitting him in the head, and he doesn't move. He is, after all, a cat.

Christmas Eve 2007

2007-12-25T17:16:00.000-06:00

It's been a pretty quiet Christmas around here. Doug's parents are dealing with snow in northern Missouri and my family is going to have its gathering on Saturday. We opted to celebrate by ourselves.

Last night Doug and I went to Karen & Tom's, our friends who live in a log cabin in Dripping Springs. Each Christmas Eve they have their family, friends and any Christmas stranger come to their house for a celebration. It's always a fun time, with everyone trying to outdo each other on funky gifts and hidden meanings written as clues on the presents. There is always a lot of laughter and good times. Doug felt right at home, as he got a roll of toilet paper in his stocking (a gift his mom used to give).

We also got dance lessons last night, as Manda, Karen's teenage daughter, was showing everyone how to do Soulja Boy. The video is a little squished, as I filmed it vertically and when I turned the frame, it sized things. Guess I still need to work on the video capabilities of my camera.

2007 in review

2007-12-24T14:16:00.000-06:00

Love those folks at JibJab.com.

In 2007 | Funny Jokes at JibJab

What do you want for Christmas?

2007-12-18T08:56:00.000-06:00

I cringe when I get asked that question. I guess I have to admit that I am difficult to buy for. Problem is, I want very little, or what I do what you either can't buy or it's too expensive. I think my friend CJ was right in her post about Christmas.

I want someone to come makeover the house, a la Queer Eye. I want someone to lay new flooring (assuming Doug and I could ever figure out what we want). I want someone to tell me exactly what to plant where in my front yard and help in giving the yard some curb appeal. I want a new couch -- one that is not 13 years old and getting frayed on the arms. I want not to feel rushed all the time.

I want photo collections of when we were growing up. I want family heirlooms that remind me where we came from. I want something thoughtful and artistic that reminds me of you every time I look at it. Our house is full of stories and I want you to add to it. I want a letter telling me how much you care.

I want classes -- things that will further develop my interests. I want some good books. I want a weekend getaway; even a day trip will do. There are so many places in central Texas I haven't been to. Don't ask me if I want to go, just tell me that we are going. Invite me to a great restaurant I haven't tried before. Discovering new, unusual places is the great fun of eating out. Invite me over for dinner. That's where memories are made.

I hate to admit this, but gift cards aren't for me. I may never tell you this, because I don't want to hurt your feelings, but most of the time they go unused. I think I was born without the shopping gene, because I really despise shopping. When I do go, chances are I forget the gift card.

The places I like to shop, at least for things for me, are local quirky places and festival/markets. I'm much more likely to use a gift card from Blue Moon Glassworks than from Kohl's. Even then, most of the material I buy at Blue Moon is used in a gift for someone else.

So yes, I'm difficult to buy for. But the things I want can't be bought. This Christmas I want the gift of you.

You know you're in Austin when...

2007-12-17T06:44:00.000-06:00

You own both formal and informal tie-dye
Your summer shoes are your Birks, and your winter shoes are your Birks...with socks.
The food at the company holiday party is all vegan, organic, soy free, wheat free, dairy free…
You drive on Airport freeway for an hour before you realize that you are never going to get to the airport
Your next-door neighbor has polka dots painted on their lawn.
The mayoral candidate wears a silk thong, leather bra, and really needs to shave.
The streets and freeways all have more than one name.
You know that anyone wearing pants in November is just visiting from Ohio.
You keep a list of companies to boycott
Your hairdresser is straight, your plumber is gay, the woman who delivers your mail is straight and your Mary Kay lady is a guy in drag.

From the Mix 94.7 Happy Hour show.

Apple for the teacher

2007-12-15T07:07:00.000-06:00

With yesterday's graduation, the semester is officially over. This week I received a couple of very thoughtful emails from graduating seniors. This is the reason I teach.

I also wanted to tell you that you are truly an inspiration and excellent instructor. You carry yourself in a professional manner, teach others how to utilize their PR skills, while still exercising your own. I learned a lot this semester. If I hadn't had this class I would have know from books what to do, but would have never had hands on experience. My learning style, as well as many others, application is vital. I'm not trying to be a kiss up, since I'm graduating, but wanted to tell you myself....not through the school... Thank you dearly!

I really want to thank you for everything. I know you've thought about going back and working for a PR firm full time, and I know you are probably great at that, but I don't know what I would have done without a teacher like you during my college career. You are the only teacher that has taken the time out to get to know me on a personal level, and I'm really grateful for that. I've learned a lot of valuable information throughout your classes, and I'm excited to use it all in the real world. You are a great teacher, and I really look up to you.

These comments are some of the greatest Christmas presents one can receive.

Graduation

2007-12-15T06:40:00.000-06:00

Yesterday was the first time I attended graduation as a faculty member. Honestly, it's not because I wanted to, but because I HAD to. Although I knew from my own experience that Texas State runs pretty efficient graduation ceremonies, I still dreaded because other graduations I've been to where they go on for two hours, you don't know anyone but one person, and the speeches are boring.

Yesterday changed my mind.

It started in the gym, where the students and faculty gathered pre-ceremony. "Ms. Quackenbush!" the students yelled as they came up to me all excited with hugs and post-graduation plans. One student's company finally started conversations about permanent employment, while at the same time he is interviewing with another company in LA. Another student secured a position as a flight attendant with a major airlines. She wants to travel a few years before settling down to job in PR. Others were just excited school was over. I had to laugh at one student who has yet to learn how to fix a tie. Actually, that was several students, because no one could help him. "They should teach this in class," he mutters.

It was also good to chat with other faculty. With varying schedules, we don't see each other much. We can laugh and joke. Dave Nolan, walking beside me in the processional, tells me, "don't fall" as we are going down the steps, then proceeds to speed up, so I'm almost jogging to keep up!

Our department sits on the front row, facing the students. We are positioned so that the students have to walk past us before they go on stage. If they see me, my students wave, shake hands, give a high five or just hug me. "I'm so proud of you," I whisper. Some of these students I've had since I first started teaching and now they are graduating. Others, I may have just me this semester, but they taught me as much as I've taught them. It's bittersweet to see them all go.

The ceremony is over 75 minutes after starting. Not bad. I'm glad I went. I was very proud to see my students graduate. I wish them all the best for their future.

Christmas nights, Christmas lights

2007-12-09T17:44:00.000-06:00

Last night was the perfect Christmas night. Doug and I went to my faculty Christmas party in San Marcos, arriving home about 9:30. The weather was so great -- in the 70s -- that we decided to go for a little spin. We piled the dogs in the back of the convertible, put the top down, turned on the Christmas tunes and drove around looking at the Christmas lights. We saw some really pretty displays, and some really fun displays, and it started getting us in the Christmas spirit. It was really one of those simple pleasures in life. I can't think of a nicer way to spend a Christmas evening than enjoying the lights and the night with the ones you love best.

Happy Birthday, Mr. Grinch

2007-12-09T17:24:00.000-06:00

Today is the 50th birthday of the Grinch, at least according Book People, which is throwing party today in his honor. One of my most memorable Christmas event was when my elementary class did "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" with various students acting out different parts. I actually had one of the biggest roles -- I was a reader, meaning I read a section in the book while the other students acted it out behind us. In fact, from the 6 or so readers, I had the longest, and the last, section to read. The night of the play, one of the other readers was a no show, so I had to read her part too. The spotlight was on me!

Doug was laughing when I told him this last night. I couldn't remember what grade I was in -- maybe fourth or fifth -- so I called mom to ask her. Not only did she not know, she didn't even remember this. One of the few things I remember from elementary school, and one of my favorite Christmas pageants (and the only one where I was featured), and my mother didn't remember. Go figure.

Anyway, ever since that year, whenever it was, the Grinch has had a special place in my heart. Here's to you, Mr. Grinch -- happy birthday!

Mr. Sam would be livid

2007-12-04T06:50:00.000-06:00

I started my career in the marketing departing of Wal-Mart (SAM'S Club, actually) at the corporate headquarters in Bentonville. It was just four short months after Sam Walton, known to all of us as Mr. Sam, passed away. I was there for three years, until 1995, and you could still feel his influence in everything we did.

I knew things had changed by the time we moved to Austin in 2000. The evening we moved in we ran to the nearby Wal-Mart to get something we needed. Gary, a friend of mine from Wal-Mart days, was with me. As we stood in line, we looked around. With one glance, Gary said, "Mr. Sam would be rolling in his grave if he could see this now." I agreed.

It's only gotten worse, which makes me sad, as I am still a shareholder. Below is from a friend of mine in San Antonio. Not only is this not the Wal-Mart way I knew as an associate, heads would have rolled. At the very least, Mr. Sam would come back and haunt them.

Anyways, so he gets back from Hollywood Video with his movie, and bam, I get sick. I have to go get some medicine immediately. At this point its 11:20 p.m. and Im not sure what time HEB closes. I know that Walmarts are 24 hours (supposedly) so we go to the closest one (in the ghetto). Karl wont let me go in by myself, so he comes with me and gets himself a Hungry Man T.V. dinner and a few odds and ends. This lady comes on the loud speaker and the only coherent part of her announcement is 11 minutes.

Anyways, I get my medicine and we get in one of the three only open cash registers lines. There are about 15 people in each line and Im thinking this is ridiculous. So, I go ahead of Karl and get my medicine and then the cashier says, "Im sorry, it's midnight and we cant take any more customers." What do you mean you cant take any more customers??? His stuff is on the conveyor belt thing, his debit card in his hands and you are turning him, and about 20 other customers away??? Besides, that wasnt no 11 minutes. By the time we got in the store, got our stuff and got in line, that was all of 5 minutes (if that). If Michelle wasnt so damn slow of checking people out, maybe everyone in line would have made it through no problem.

"Im sorry, she said no more." Well thats bullshit. Turning people away. They need to have someone at the door telling you that they are closing and you have all of 5 minutes to get your shit and pay for it... not get your shit and get in line, but to hand over the cash for it. And thats another thing, there were still people walking in to the store after midnight and not a one of the employees at the front, looking through the bags said a damn thing. Have the deceny to tell people they are wasting their time.

Is she smarter than a fifth grader?

2007-12-03T21:14:00.000-06:00

You have to wonder about those Carolina girls. First, Miss Teen South Carolina proved she wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed. Now, Kellie Pickler, an American Idol finalist from North Carolina proved that not only is she not smarter than a fifth grader, she's not even as smart as a third grader. However, it makes a funny video.

The latest on Leslie

2007-11-30T14:08:00.000-06:00

You have to read John Kelso's blog about Leslie's new magnets. It also seems like Austin's most famous homeless person now has a home, or at least lives in a shed instead of a box. Be sure to watch the video that goes with the story.

I told Doug I want a new set of Leslie magnets to go with my last year's set, but I think Doug has had about enough of these s/he-nanigans.

Nothing to do today

2007-11-28T09:26:00.000-06:00

Okay, that's not 100% true, but tomorrow is my last day of class for the semester. All my grading and class prep is done. Tomorrow my PR Writing class will present their end of semester project. After that, they will have their final writing test on Dec. 6. Both my PR Campaigns classes will present their client projects tomorrow and then they are done, except for evaluations. My Intro class is taking Test 3; their final on Dec. 6 is optional.

Obviously, I will have a lot of grading after tomorrow, but for today, it's eerily quiet. I have my own end of semester project for the Web Design class I'm taking, but no grading hanging over my head.

It's been an interesting semester, to say the least. Every class and every semester has a different personality. On the blog, I can't go into much detail, but I'm scratching my head on the way some things have turned out.

One thing I will say, this was my fifth semester teaching Intro to PR and between last semester and this, I really realized how much I love teaching this class. There is so much to cover and I'm able to get students excited about PR. Unfortunately, I won't be teaching it next semester. They are going to large, 300+ Intro classes. Instead, I'll teach an Ad/PR Management class.

I am looking forward to the break and am finally starting to think about the holidays.

Razorback sad

2007-11-28T09:12:00.000-06:00

Despite being ecstatic about the Razorback's win over LSU, my joy quickly turned to sorrow Monday night when Doug woke me to tell me that Monday Night Football announced that Houston Nutt resigned as head coach. News came out yesterday afternoon that he's going to Ole Miss. Arkansas fans are vicious and it's surprising that he lasted 10 years. Lou Holtz only lasted 6 years as head coach. I'm curious to see who will take over the coaching job.

And I thought our dogs were spoiled...

2007-11-25T09:49:00.000-06:00

Check out this article on Christmas gifts for pets. I don't think I can convince Doug to buy Allegra a $120 pearl necklace, do you?

Wooo Pig, Soiee!

2007-11-24T15:39:00.000-06:00

The Razorbacks beat #1 ranked LSU last night in triple overtime. Not only did my beloved Hogs win, the game was exciting to watch.

Doug's parents left this morning. They arrived Tuesday for Thanksgiving. It's actually been fairly quiet, although Doug might not quite agree. I've actually been sick with some sort of congestion, basically coughing non-stop, including all night long. Sleep hasn't been easy and I passed on most activities. Still, I think Jim & Barbara had a good time. Doug took them to the usual haunts.

Thanksgiving was fun. In addition to Doug's parents, we had two friends over. I think everyone had a good time.

This is the last week of classes and then finals. I am heading into the home stretch.

Best Thanksgiving television show ever

2007-11-22T07:53:00.001-06:00

Fans of WKRP will remember the "Turkeys Away" episode. For a Thanksgiving promotion, the station decides to give away turkeys in a turkey drop. However, they decide to drop live turkeys, not realizing they don't fly. Hilarious! Later reruns of the show didn't air this episode for reasons of political correctness.

Have a great Thanksgiving!

Yum!

2007-11-18T08:33:00.000-06:00

Last night I had one of the best things I have ever tasted when we went to dinner at Siena. We were (belatedly) celebrating our anniversary and Doug made reservations at one of my favorite restaurants. It's actually been several years since we've been there, but he thought since I'm reading about Italy and dying to go, at least he could take me to Siena for our anniversary.

The dish that was so good was an appetizer:
Fichi Ripieni con Pecorino Toscano
Wood roasted figs wrapped in Parma
prosciutto and stuffed with pecorino Toscano,
garnished with Tuscan olive oil and aged balsamic vinegar

The flavors just exploded in your mouth. I think I could have made an entire meal from this dish.

I have to say though, the rest of the meal wasn't as great as I remembered. The ravioli was outstanding, but the veal chop I got seemed a little tough and chewy -- not what I expected from veal. Doug liked his pasta Bolognese and while he didn't say it, I don't think he was wowed by his Cacciucco.

There was also an issue with the wine. Looking at the cork, he noticed that the wine line was too far up, which means the wine may have gotten too warm. When he sampled it, he thought it was okay and just needed to decant a bit. Of course, when it finally opened up, you could tell the wine was starting to go bad. We probably should have sent it back, but we don't like to cause a fuss.

Still, the service was great, and while the port and dessert looked great, we were stuffed and ready to head home for the evening. Overall, Siena is still one of my favorites, if for no other reason than the figs!

Losing it, just a bit

2007-11-16T11:05:00.000-06:00

I don't know if at 37 I can blame it on old age, or if it's just the end of the semester or what, but this morning I started wondering if I was getting a bit addle-brained.

I picked up my cell phone to see what time it was, then I went to get the clothes I wanted to take to the dry cleaners. Noticing none of Doug's clothes, I reached in my purse for my cell to call him, and it wasn't there. A minute earlier I had it in my hand and now it was gone. I searched the purse, the table and just couldn't find it. I decided to use my home phone to call it, only to find that I had dropped it in the closet when I was grabbing the dry cleaning.

Then, at the dry cleaners, I pulled out the top I wore yesterday to show that I had spilled on it and there were spots. Only looking at the shirt, there were no spots on the front of the shirt. Had they magically disappeared overnight? Flipping the shirt over, I found the spots. Guess I wore my shirt backward all day yesterday and no one, not even myself, noticed.

I'm glad I'm not preforming brain surgery today -- I'd probably leave a sponge inside someone's skull.

New blog to check out

2007-11-16T10:57:00.000-06:00

Gigi Taylor is a Texas State professor and advertising professional. She is also one of the many people suffering from cancer. She was recently diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and has a tumor on her liver. The prognosis is good and she's started chemo. She's also started a blog to talk about going through her treatment. Please check it out.

I want a pet hippo!

2007-11-09T21:39:00.000-06:00

Has hell frozen over?

2007-11-05T15:17:00.000-06:00

Either two nemesis have called a truce, or it's the end of days, when the lion lays down with the lamb. Much to my surprise, Allegra and Dexter both snuck on the bed when I laid down for a quick nap to relieve the tedium of grading papers. I don't know what surprises me more, Dexter getting on the bed (which he hardly does when there is someone on it), Dexter getting on the bed with Allegra on it (heaven forbid!) or that Dante wasn't anywhere to be found.

Dog hike

2007-11-04T12:43:00.000-06:00

This morning we took the dogs for a hike at Walnut Creek Park. I really love this place, partly because it's leash-free and partly because it's close to Pflugerville. However, with the trails, woods and creeks, you can forget that you are in the city. It's a great way to get an hour of exercise and fresh air. The dogs love to roam and splash in the creek. It's fun to watch them run ahead, turn and run back to us, simply because we walk slower than they run. Of course, after an hour, they are tired and no longer run back, but simply choose to stop and wait.

I've read some comments online where hikers hate that this is a mountain bike park. We've never had issues with that. The cyclists are friendly, even when Dante, aka "cement head," doesn't listen and decides to block the trail instead of getting out of the way as we told him to. So much for hundreds of dollars of obedience training. The cyclists just laugh and keep going. Also, we go early enough in the morning that cyclists aren't much of an issue. As we were getting back to the car at 10 a.m., there were about a dozen cyclists gearing up and getting ready for their ride.

This is the first time since the spring we've been to the park. One nice addition since our last visit was trail markers. Not that the park is that big, but it's nice to know where we are heading. Now that the weather is great, I can't wait to load up the dogs and start hiking on the weekends.

Guys don't make passes at girls who wear glasses

2007-11-02T09:35:00.000-05:00

I have a bacterial infection in my left eye. Ugh! Twenty years of wearing contacts and this is the first time it's happened. In addition to having to put drops in both eyes every three hours, I also have to wear my glasses and I hate wearing glasses. Blah!

Auctioning off my heart

2007-11-02T09:23:00.000-05:00

Last night was the Find Your Heart in the Art charity art show benefiting the American Heart Association. My piece went for $175 in the silent auction. That was the max amount, or the "buy it now" amount (I'm not sure how that works). There was actually a bidding war on it. Woo-hoo!

The event was nice and I got to see a lot of people I know. I even met a few new folks. Unfortunately, I was exhausted. The next art show needs to be a day where I'm not on campus all day.

Great media personality

2007-10-29T14:36:00.000-05:00

Last week was Mass Comm Week at school. With more than 50 speakers in more than 30 sessions, I was exhausted by end of day Thursday.

Our keynote speaker was Ralitsa Vassileva, anchor at CNN International. As chair of the week, I spent a lot of time with her and the one thing that struck me was how humble and sincere she was. I wasn't sure what I expected, but having worked in the media since high school, I was not expecting this. She is truly a nice, sweet, sincere person.

One example, after her talk, students lined up to speak with her, get her email address, etc. The speaker after her was local morning radio personality Bobby Bones and the room was utter confusion with students leaving after Ralitsa and more coming in to here Bobby Bones. Eventually, we migrated out into the hall. We're in the hall for several minutes, the door to the packed auditorium is open and I finally suggest we go down to the first floor where it is quieter and they could talk without having to whisper. We go downstairs and the director of the School of Journalism & Mass Communication offers her office, but asks Ralitsa if she would like to freshen up a bit before continuing. Ralitsa politely declined, saying this one student had waited to talk to her for 30 minutes and she didn't want to keep the student waiting. She talked to the student for at least 15 minutes. What a pro!

Not only did Ralitsa give the keynote at the school, she went with us to the celebration that night for the 10th anniversary of our graduate program. She also attended a dinner the director hosted, which included some of our top broadcast students. She also spoke for 45 minutes at 8 a.m. to an Intro to Mass Comm course. All the while she was an utter pro and did an excellent job with the students' questions, even when the questions were a bit loaded.

In addition to her being a sincere person, her talk was interesting. She grew up in communist Bulgaria and became a journalist with the fall of communism. She talked about coming to the US with her son and just two suitcases because that's all they had. She discussed meeting Ted Turner and what a visionary he was.

Students in the Online Journalism class were live blogging during the event. See what they wrote about Ralitsa. I know as a jaded media watcher, Ralitsa renewed my faith in the way journalism should be.

Media experts to speak at Texas State

2007-10-21T09:45:00.000-05:00

Two months of hard work pay off this week. It's the annual Mass Comm Week at Texas State. We will feature more than 50 industry experts and notable alumni covering a variety of issues, topics and trends in mass media. Our headline speaker is CNN International anchor Ralitsa Vassileva, who will discuss her career and international news coverage at 2 p.m., Oct. 24 in Old Main 320. Here is the complete schedule.

Thanks to my PR Campaigns team, we've received a lot of coverage about this event, including a mention in the Statesman, three advance pieces in the student newspaper, The University Star, and a piece on KTSW (the student radio station).

The last few days has felt like the calm before the storm. It seems like I have everything in place, but it just feels like that can't be right. It's like I'm waiting for the shoe to drop. What did I miss when organizing this? Maybe the fact that I'm worrying about this means that it's all put together and well planned. Maybe I'm just a worrier by nature (okay, that's not a maybe, that's a fact).

I am, however, looking forward to this week and hope the students, faculty and guests are looking forward to it as well.

What's been keeping me busy

2007-10-15T08:16:00.000-05:00

I have been so busy this semester. I'm teaching four classes and then taking a fifth -- a Web design class. I think I could keep up with that, but I'm also in charge of our annual Mass Communication Week at school. This is three days where we bring in guest speakers, industry experts and notable alumni, to discuss issues, trends and careers in the mass media. This year we have more than 50 guest speakers. I've spent a lot of time arranging the event, trying to get through the university red tape to pay for travel, and working with a team of students from my campaigns class to publicize the event. To see who we have coming, click here.

I can't wait until two weeks.

Finding my heart in the art

2007-10-14T13:59:00.000-05:00

One of my fused pieces will appear in the Find Your Heart in the Art show. The show is Nov. 1 and is a benefit for the American Heart Association. Show details can be found here.

JibJab -- What we call the news

2007-09-30T09:37:00.000-05:00

This is great, and VERY accurate!

What We Call the News Funny Jokes at JibJab

Until You Walk a Mile In a Pair of Crocs…

2007-09-28T08:34:00.000-05:00

This was written by Katie Kasprzak, one of the students in my PR Writing class. The assignment was to write a column. Katie's was really funny and blogworthy. With her permission, I have posted it below

Until You Walk a Mile In a Pair of Crocs…

We have all seen them, might even own a pair or two, and if not, then we are curious what the buzz about Crocs really is all about. These plastic, holey shoes that range from a variety of colors and are ridiculously overpriced seem to be getting everyone’s attention these days. Famous for outfitting boaters, chefs and gardeners, these shoes have taken fashion to an entire different level.

I vowed I would never wear them. They reminded me of gardener shoes. They were big, bulky and not even mildly attractive. Then I got a job at Cabela’s. My friends told me that I would become a victim because they are “comfortable.” I laughed. Then one day it rained, no, it poured. My shoes were soaked and I had a nine and a half hour shift to work. I gave in. I headed straight to footwear and bought a pair of khaki Crocs. I was hooked. They really are comfortable!

Customers comment that they are hideous and tacky. I can’t agree more. Now that I own them, I have vowed only to wear them to work. Okay, and walk my dog. Okay, and maybe the next time it rains on campus. Okay, so maybe I’m just not ashamed to wear them anymore. The truth is they are just shoes. Really, really, comfortable shoes. Crocs are indestructible, washable, colorful, slip resistant, weightless, yet hated by virtually everyone that comes across a pair.

So whatever happened to allowing and respecting a difference of opinion? I don’t personally like the shoe, even though I own a pair. I don’t harp on Croc owners, yet every time I wear mine I get a reality check and people point out how unfashionable these ever-so-popular shoes are.

Crocs are ugly; in fact there are more than 500 Facebook groups that allow people to express their concerns regarding Crocs. In 2002 only 1,500 pairs of Crocs were sold. In 2006 however, Crocs were projected to reach sales more than $200 million. Now that is a lot of ugly shoes!

So, until you have walked a mile, or stood on your feet all day, in a pair of Crocs, back off those that have.

When the past comes back to haunt you...

2007-09-22T08:51:00.000-05:00

Mom recently scanned some old photos. Doug saw this one and deemed it "blog worthy." Come on folks, it was the early 90s, this hair style was fashionable. Still, it's a little embarrassing. I can't wait until Doug's mom scans some photos of him and I post those. I seem to remember some photos with a mustache -- now those are funny.

Snake terrorists

2007-09-21T16:53:00.000-05:00

Check out the front page story in today's Statesman. Seems like some folks thought it would be funny to throw a python at a guy working the drive-thru at Taco Bell. The Stateman broke the story last night and now it's being picked up by KLBJ, KXAN and KVUE. As the Statesman reporter told me, funny stories go a long way. Next thing we know folks will be tossing alligators at the Wendy's drive-thru.

Time wasters

2007-09-21T14:27:00.000-05:00

I officially waste too much time on sudoku.

Your time: 3 minutes, 46 seconds

0 min			60 mins
Rank: Top 5% Medium level average time: 8 minutes, 6 seconds - more details.

The other thing I'm wasting my time on is learning Web design. See the changes I made to my site. Yesterday I started learning Dreamweaver, which meant I went out and bought Adobe Creative Suite 3 (with an academic discount, of course). Next week I'll learn about Photoshop. I've tried to play around with it today, but man, I didn't get it. I also played around with InDesign. It's been years since I've been in Quark, and while InDesign is similar, it has a lot more features. Of course we're not even using InDesign for the Web design class. Anyway, by the end of next weekend I should have a fairly decent site.

When it comes to heart disease, there are no mulligans

2007-09-17T13:11:00.001-05:00

One of the things that kept me busy this summer has been coordinating the marketing for Heart Ball and Go Red programs for the Austin American Heart Association. Our first event, the Third Annual American Heart Association Classic Golf Tournament, is in 10 days at the Avery Ranch Golf Course. (If interested in playing, visit www.americanheart.org/austingolf.)

I really think the graphic (below) and the mulligan headline are catchy and I'm pleased with the results. Although I have to admit, the creative concept for Go Red (Go Red, Austin Style) and for the Heart Ball (Hearts of Hollywood) really blow me away. Those designers did an awesome job. I'll show those off closer to those events.

Simponize Dara

2007-09-14T08:10:00.000-05:00

A fun little way to waste time. Upload a photo and Simponsize yourself.

Arrrgh!

2007-09-14T08:01:00.000-05:00

Last weekend we went to Houston, visited the Johnson Space Center and saw the Chiefs game. I thought I posted a few blog posts from my cell phone, but I guess something happened. Freakin' AT&T. The week has been crazy and I'm going to spend the next four days grading, writing a test, trying to organize Mass Comm Week and trying to get my arms back around the stuff for the American Heart Association.

In the meantime, check out my new Website. In addition to teaching four classes, I'm taking a Web design and production class.

In the right

2007-08-29T21:24:00.000-05:00

Brain Lateralization Test Results

Right Brain (66%) The right hemisphere is the visual, figurative, artistic, and intuitive side of the brain.
Left Brain (42%) The left hemisphere is the logical, articulate, assertive, and practical side of the brain

Are You Right or Left Brained?
personality tests by similarminds.com

Back to school time

2007-08-27T11:58:00.000-05:00

For most of central Texas, today is the first day of school. But not for me. I started Thursday. Despite what I said before, I have gone back to teach one more year at Texas State University-San Marcos.

All summer I was job hunting and while some things seemed promising, there were few jobs I was actually really interested in. However, I've heard that it takes a month for every $10K worth of salary one was looking for and since it had only been three months, I expected it would take several months yet. Then I got a note from the university. They were in need of a PR teacher. I was already slated to teach one class and they asked if I would think about returning full time for at least another year. A raise was offered, as well as an opportunity to apply for a more permanent position, so I had to consider it. My class schedule was basically two days a week, which would allow time to grow my own business as well as the consulting business Doug and I are starting. I asked if I could have a similar schedule in the spring so I could continue my networking, and they said yes. There wasn't a lot of downside, so I said yes.

It ended up that my one evening class didn't make, so I am back teaching the same three classes I did last year -- Intro to PR, PR Writing and two sections of PR Campaigns, all on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Additionally, I'm auditing a multimedia Web design class, also on TTH. Throw in five hours of office hours and I have a full day on each of those days, from 7:15 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Two weeks ago when I went to sign paperwork, I grabbed my mail from the summer, which included class evals and letters from the VP of academic affairs. The later informed me of certain students who, upon graduation, listed me as one of the professors who made a difference in their college life, along with any comments those students made. I had a half dozen from spring graduation and it was very touching. I also read my class evals. About 95 percent were extremely positive, with one student per class saying something like I was too hard and assigned too much work, I seemed to think this was the only class they took, etc., etc. etc. Of course, I took those for what they were worth -- after all, until they get a job where they are expected to work 50+ hours a week in a pressure cooker, they don't know what work is.

I guess I must not be too disliked, both of my Campaigns classes are filled to the brim, with 20 students. The past two semesters the classes were capped at 15. The other section of Campaigns only has 13 students with 6 open seats. I'm sure there are reasons for that, but on Thursday, when the students started talking about the teacher for that section and the things he does, I put a moratorium on it. Hearing about him just raises my blood pressure and I wasn't going through it again this semester.

Seeing the students, especially in one of my Campaigns classes, was like old home week. Now that it's my fifth semester of teaching, I've had many of the students, either in Intro or PR Writing. Two girls I've had in both, and realistically, they should get a different perspective from another professor, but I know that I'm the best and right now, they don't have much options.

I think some of my friends thought I would be more excited than I am. It's almost like I'm resigned to teaching. That's not exactly right, but as hard of a decision as it was to leave, it was just as hard to return. Mentally, it took a lot for me to separate the identity of a teacher from who I was, but after several months, I had done it. Now I have to reconcile that part of me back into the whole. But it's only been one day and that was mainly getting to know the students. Give me a few more class periods to get into the swing of things, and then I'll be excited.

Huh?

2007-08-27T07:29:00.000-05:00

From this weekend's Miss Teen USA pageant. If Miss South Carolina's answer is any indication, it's pretty obvious why one-fifth of Americans are clueless.

Our new car

2007-08-17T09:51:00.000-05:00

We are closing on a new (for us) car this afternoon. It's a 2003 Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder GT convertible. Actually, it has really low miles and is under blue book, so we are getting a good deal. Plus Doug has been jonesing for a convertible since our last trip to LA when we rented one. Of course, I'm not sure why he thinks he'll get to drive it -- it's my car!

One recommendation, if you are buying a used car, and are in the Austin area, be sure to use the AutoPI service. They come and check out everything with the car. We've used them three times now, once they saved us from buying a lemon and twice they confirmed we were getting good deals. Well worth the cost.

Disclaimer -- this isn't our car, it's just the same make/model/year/color and looks exactly the same. We just don't have a photo of our car.

How NOT to market your charity event

2007-07-25T15:23:00.000-05:00

I spend a lot of time volunteering as well as doing my fair share of pro bono PR work, both professionally and via my students' classroom projects. PAWS Shelter, Austin Cycling Association, the Zach Scott Theatre, the Fine Arts Festival and the American Heart Association are just a few organizations I've done PR for. Because our dogs are rescues, I pay attention to fundraisers for Austin rescue groups. Yesterday, I received this email announcement:

Subject: Charity Dog Wash

Do you have a dirty dog? This is not a pick up line. Seriously, if you've got a dirty, stinky or mangy dog, bring him by the Bark N Bubbles dog grooming salon this Sunday and the MorningX will wash him all shiny and clean for you. What's the catch? No catch really, we just want a $10 donation (at the very least) which will go to a local Pit rescue organisation. Come out to the Dog Wash and meet some delightful Pits who may change your mind forever. We'll have refreshments and snacks, as well as 101X goodies, and you'll be doing something constructive with your Sunday instead of getting drunk.

So at first I'm thinking, "hey, this might be fun and a good cause. Allegra was really smelly the other day (I swear, she has BO on hot days); maybe we'll do this."

Then I read further. I don't care how nice some people say pit bulls are; I'm really not wanting to meet one up close and personal in a stressful situation with a lot of other noise and activities going on. After all, Dante is a big wuss and doesn't like chihuahuas (or poodles or any other toy breed that barks at him, or any dog that barks at him, or anything that looks at him cross-eyed), I don't think he can handle a pit bull. But I keep reading and keep thinking about going.

Then I get to the call to action. Excuse me? Are we trying to be clever, because it just falls flat. Actually, it's somewhat offensive. Not only do we usually do something constructive on Sundays (which most of the time involves construction and/or cleaning), I can't really recall the last day, much less Sunday, I spent the day sitting around getting wasted. It's not daily, weekly or monthly occurrence.

In marketing, there can be a fine line between a home run and a huge stinking foul. As I tell my students, "always have someone read what you wrote because what was in your head may not be how it reads on the paper, and when in doubt, leave it out." I wish the charity well in its fundraising efforts, but quite honestly, this email was a turn off and the only baths our dogs will be getting this Sunday will be in our backyard.

Murphy reigns (again)

2007-07-24T17:57:00.000-05:00

Speaking of what my face looks like, I remembered the other thing Murphy's Law did a few weeks ago. I found out that I am allergic to benzoyl peroxide. Of course I didn't find this out by reading it somewhere. I found this out because my face, particularly my eyes, swelled like a pumpkin and my complexion became as rough as sandpaper when I used a face wash that contained the stuff. I was not a pretty sight. In fact one day I had a meeting for some work I'm doing for the American Heart Association's Go Red campaign. A friend was having it at her house because she was recovering from plastic surgery. When she saw me she thought I was doing something to my face just to make her feel more comfortable. I wish!

It took several days to get back to normal, and even now, my skin feels drier than usual. But I can now go out in public and not be mistaken for a leper. If anyone needs some face was benzoyl peroxide, I have an almost full bottle that I won't be using any more.

Celebrity look alikes

2007-07-24T16:33:00.000-05:00

I'm not sure if I should be offended that I look more like guys than girls and that I don't even know who most of these women are. Of the two women I know, one is dead. Oh well.

Murphy reigns

2007-07-23T14:37:00.000-05:00

It all started two weeks ago. Our friend Robert was able to get us a deal on new kitchen appliances -- stove, dishwasher and an over the range microwave. He came over that evening to install them and all went well until the guys realized that the cabinets over the stove were two low. They emptied the cabinets, left the stuff for me (I was out at a networking event) to go through, installed the microwave and had a beer or 10. Despite having work left for me, I was still very pleased.

The next night I was again out at a networking event (Austin is crazy full of them mid-month). Some guy who came the night before to try and sell us an alarm system came back that night to talk to Doug. State of the art, no install charge, has cellular backup (which our current one didn't), etc., etc., so Doug agreed. I came home that night to a darkened house. When Doug agreed, they had installers nearby who came over to and started work. About 5 minutes before I pulled into the driveway they blew a fuse, which blew the entire house. Good thing I like candles and have plenty of them. The guy couldn't figure out how to get the thing going and since I didn't want to be without electricity in July until 9 a.m., the alarm guy called an electrician, who came over at 10:45 p.m. and had the lights on by 11. Good deal.

For some reason the dogs went crazy that night. In and out all night, couldn't settle, didn't want us to sleep. The next morning we found out why -- they found baker's chocolate from the emptied cabinet and had eaten some. As wound up as Dante was in the middle of the night, Allegra was lethargic in the morning. Doug and I, despite being exhausted, went to our Wednesday morning networking meeting, but instead of hanging out after, working in a coffee shop and going to an lunch networking event, I started worrying about the dogs and came home. Allegra seemed bad and was throwing up on the carpet. Luckily, by the evening she was much better.

Now I'm sure there were some other things that week, in fact I think there was something bad every day, I just don't remember it because of what came next. Doug sliced opened his foot on Sunday. He dropped the hummingbird feeder as he was hanging it. Of course, dinner was ready, so I told him to just clean it up after. He did, but didn't think to put on shoes. He ended up cutting a huge gash in the bottom of his foot and was bleeding all over the patio. He bled out one towel and not knowing exactly what to do, I called the insurance company. Here it is America and the first place to call is insurance. I just didn't want to get charged for going to the emergency room. I talked to a nurse who had me first have Doug lay down, as he was about to pass out. Second, I was to put on a clean towel and when he was okay to stand, take him to the emergency room. I found some duct tape, that all American invention, duct taped the towel to his foot and got him in the car.

Three hours later we left the emergency room, Doug with six stitches. After a stop at the gas station and 24 hour pharmacy, we made it home. As bone tired as I was, I cleaned the blood and the glass off the patio just so we wouldn't have any emergencies with the dogs.

The last thing to happen was Tuesday, when Plexi died. She was a fish, a pleco that is used to clean the tank. We just got her Sunday afternoon and we think the other fish picked on her until she died. I was sad and Doug said no more naming fish. He wasn't too happy that I wanted to bury her instead of flushing her, but I got my way.

Saturday we saw a play at the Zach, An Almost Holy Picture. In it, the character said that his dad always believed that good things happened in threes and bad things in sevens. The character's wife said that the Hopi Indians believed everything happened in fours. I don't know what I believe, except that the last few weeks have been crazy and feels like Murphy's Law is in charge.

Relaxing on a Sunday evening

2007-07-08T20:34:00.001-05:00

Busy weekend. We've been rearranging the house. Our spare bedroom is now a hobby workroom and we FINALLY have room in the garage for the kiln. Tomorrow we get our new dishwasher, range and microwave/vent. For now, Doug is out playing poker and Dexter and I are hanging out on the couch.

Dexter in the sink

2007-07-06T13:17:00.001-05:00

And they say cats don't like water ...

Global IQ

2007-07-06T09:42:00.000-05:00

On the 4th we were hanging out at a friend's house and I started thumbing through the latest issue of Newsweek. The first thing I noticed, and thought it was hilarious, was that they were saying it was the summer double issue, but only 78 pages. I swear, magazines continue to get thinner by the year.

Anyway, it's the Global IQ issue, with 181 things you must know. I ended up getting so interested in the issue that I bought it yesterday (didn't think I would be a good guest if I spent the next few hours reading instead of chatting). So far it's pretty interesting.

If you have some time to kill, I'd challenge you to take the Global IQ Quiz. It's 130 multiple choice questions, so it will take awhile. I scored 52% on the quiz. Post your score in the comments section.

Update on perfect job

2007-07-05T10:25:00.001-05:00

Back in November I wrote about seeing a listing for what would have been the perfect job for Doug and me -- chief beer officer. We never heard anything from the company and hadn't thought about it in awhile until a couple of weeks ago. Doug and I decided it must have just been a marketing ploy. That was until last week when I was flipping through one of his beer magazines (yes, I was a bit bored) and saw an ad congratulating the new chief beer officer. Oh well, I guess we'll just have to wait until there's a new opening. In the meantime, I am still searching for my perfect job.

Austin, the live guitar capital of the world

2007-07-05T10:04:00.000-05:00

Since I haven't blogged about this, I figure today's story in the Statesman's Austin XL is as good of an opportunity as ever. Austin, the live music capital of the world has turned into Guitar Town. Thirty-five 10 foot art guitars are on display various places around Austin. I think my favorites are the "Keep Austin Weird" guitar, which has somehow turned into an interactive art piece, and "Music Capital." Maybe I can convince Doug to buy one for our funky backyard collection when it comes auction time. When you have a chance, check out the photos.