Greetings from Texas! Actually in fact, I have been home for two days, but with no access to the blog. How I missed you all!
I went to Dallas for a work event, which went well. And while I was there, I decided to make the most of my time by playing tourist a little. My trip included all of the following and more:
- gentlemen’s clubs and liquor stores
- country music
- a search for armadillos
- a man purse and the reckless paying of tolls
- beefy culinary delights and lots of sweet tea
Most interesting of all, I saw the grassy knoll and 6th floor book repository, which made me think of all the ghost tours I’ve taken through the years. Eerie!
Do you believe in ghosts?
A big happy birthday to my brother, Boy (aka Kent)! Today, he is Birthday Boy, and I’m freshly back from his party. Here is a photo of him at one of his baseball games:
Go Athletics! Go brothers!
I realize this is going to make me sound like a pathetic loser, but I’m so excited that Prince William and Kate Middleton are back together. Check out this clip from Fox News (please note that I do not, as a rule, watch Fox News). It’s so hard to find the right person; I’m happy for them.
Colleen, when they get married, can I send you money for a commemorative plate? So delightfully tacky!
I walked toward my apartment this afternoon and encountered an old man. He seemed nice enough, and we chatted for a few minutes about the history of the neighborhood. When I had to go, I said goodbye, and he said, “Goodbye, Pussycat.”
That’s weird, right? It’s not just my imagination?
Does it say anything about me that I attract such odd characters from time to time?
Oh, it always happens. Towards the end of every semester, I think about a few weeks’ vacation and I’m excited that school is almost done. Then the last day of class arrives, and I remember how much I like my professors and school friends.
I’ll miss you, Monday night speechwriters!
There is a girl named Accidental Luddite.
She has a major paper due – tonight!
She is almost done.
That paper might be a good one.
But she is really, really tired.
Oh, but wait!
She is busting out of the gate.
For she just had some Cracker Jack
In a mid-afternoon snack attack.
And now, she is wired!
…this just in: I am finished! Now I just have to turn in the paper, and then I’m done for the semester. Stay tuned for news of a happy hour or other celebratory event.
Perhaps you drove down the Greenway Thursday afternoon and thought, “Was that Accidental Luddite getting in to a police car?” Why, yes it was!
No, no, it’s not what you think. (Well, actually, I don’t know what you think, so maybe it is!)
It all started Wednesday night when the entrance to my neighborhood gas station was blocked. Knowing I was low on gas, but also knowing I had to get to a big event Thursday morning, I drove to the event without filling up. And as I drove to a gas station Thursday afternoon, I thought I just might make it. Wrong!
With less than a mile to go until I reached a station, the needle on the accelerator went down, down, down, until Homer and I were stuck on the side of the road. And as I made my way on foot to the gas station, a very nice state trooper pulled over and told me I wasn’t allowed to walk to the gas station. It seems that they frown on young women walking alone along major highways during rush hour.
So that is when I had my first ride in a police car. Very awkward! The police officer and I didn’t have much to talk about on our way to the gas station, so instead I listened to the police radio.
The short ending to this story is that I bought some gas, filled up my car and all was well. But here are some lessons I learned, should you find yourself in a similar situation.
- don’t run out of gas in the first place.
- when you run out of gas because you didn’t listen to my first piece of advice, call a friend. Then, call AAA, or hope that a nice person stops for you. Then get back on the phone with your friend. That way, if the AAA man or the person who stops for you is loco (because you just never know these days), you’ve got back-up.
- that being said, the stickers are true: State Troopers Are for Your Protection.
- when you fill up one of those red gas cans, don’t put the nozzle too close to the bottom. When that first jet of gasoline hits the empty can, you will be splashed with gas. The gas will stain your very expensive pants, and you will feel that an already bad situation just got worse.
- when you fill up said gas can, fill it up all the way. Apparently, cars take a lot of gasoline to start up again once they’ve run bone dry. Homer took two gallons to start, then had to be filled up immediately at the gas station.
- when you pay for the gas, make sure you also buy a big bottle of water for the person who has helped you. After listening to you explain that you’re not usually such a spaz for 1/2 an hour, he’ll have earned it. BTW, he’ll still think you are, in fact, a spaz.
- if that person is a state trooper and he chaffeurs you around because you’ve been careless enough not to listen to my first piece of advice, don’t worry about offering to pay his tolls: it turns out the taxpayers do that. Thank you, taxpayers!
So that’s my story and I’m sticking to it!
It was bound to happen! My mom, Midgie, decided she liked Neige so much that we ought to adopt his sister. So, I am very pleased to tell you that Madison (“Maddy”) arrived at our home last night. Here is a picture of Midgie falling in love with her:
As you can imagine, Rose and Daisy are a little concerned by this development, but they are teaching their half-sister the ropes. Here’s a picture of the three of them on their favorite, now puppy-proof chair:
Life is good 
Friends, I’m off to the beach! Yes, it’s vacation time. Have a great weekend, stay cool, and I’ll try to log on with an update.
Interestingly, tonight’s Friends rerun is the one where they go to the beach and pee on Monica. I really am hoping that doesn’t happen to me.
Ok, bye!
Friends, I saw The Bourne Ultimatum last night, and it was awesome. It will knock your socks off. Then you’ll put them back on, and it will knock them off again! Check it out.
It’s kind of weird to think about spies and covert operations and trained killers (in New York City!), and the movie made me wonder if things like that really happen in our midst. What do you think?
Also, why do you think Marie had to die in The Bourne Supremacy? Couldn’t she have lived? I hear things work out differently in the books…
