Losing Sucks

Losing sucks, it's true. But what have I learned from this experience?

1) Never watch football with Brooke and Derek again (Boise State was the last one we watched together before today)
2) Never run your mouth about beating Texas the week before the game
3) I can officially retire my lucky shirt and lucky underwear. Obviously no longer lucky

However, thankfully I am still a Sooner. It's still great to be a Sooner. I still love football. Just not today...

Boomer Sooner!

The worst form of revenge: erasing someone's Tivo

I have a new link, a new blogstalker-like-me that's finally blogging on her own, Aubrey. Aubrey and I go way back....we grew up together in youth group and her family has always been very special to our family.

Our friendship has grown in recent months since she and her husband, Josh, started attending our church. And she's a lot like me. Sigh...I tried to figure out how to make that sound like something good, and not something offensive. I just mean she is very open and fun and real and I appreciate being able to tell her anything!

Anyway--she started a blog. I'm getting close to having everyone I know start a blog. Blogfever is spreading like STD's on spring break. Or like wildfire, whatever you prefer.
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I am pretty stressed out because it is premiere week on TV and I've only been able to watch two things! My DVR is about to explode. But if "House" and "The Office" are any indication of the season to come, it's going to be great!
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9 days and counting to San Francisco!!
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John's going all political and thoughtful on his blog...check it out because it might be a while before he does it again!

Bladcoxerson, Bennifer, Brangelina

So the Bladcoxerson Weight Loss Challenge 2007 is in full swing. Brooke, Liz, and John are fierce competitor's. John lost AGAIN this week at Weight Watchers. And he keeps taking me to Long John Silver's for dinner because (believe it or not) their chicken planks and hush puppies are low in points. It was fun the first time....now I'm sick of it!

But this challenge was made while I was not present, so I don't know if I'm a competitor or not. I guess I'm along for the ride, because I am paying each week for Weigh Watchers and I gave up the fair this year. I think that entitles me to compete....I don't know.

In any case, I'm down an even 3 pounds in three weeks (3.81%), without even really trying. I don't know why I'm having a hard time adjusting to WW this time around. I know it works. I just really like French Fries.

Remember when I gave up potatoes this year? I went almost 4 months in my boycott against Idaho after the Fiesta Bowl (if you say "statue of liberty" to me I will punch you in the face). And it was so much easier than I thought! I need to find something to "give up". Like Lent in October.

I'm thinking either fried food (which would mean McNuggets) or maybe potatoes again. I can't keep a straight face at even entertaining the idea of giving up sugar or chocolate. My body literally could not survive. I need a passionate reason to give something up, though.

I'm going to think on it for a few days....and I guess if I'm not really allowed to compete, I can still win because I'll be healthier!

Name that Tater Tot Casserole!

I thought about letting it go. I shared my disdain with a few close friends and family. I even tried to let my friend Emily handle most of the public displays of annoyance. But I cannot let it go.

The Duggar's have 17 children, by choice. I am all about freedom of choice and lots of love to go around. More power to them. However...I don't know why I'm supposed to care. Why should I care? They CHOSE to have 17 children, so their grocery bills and laundry loads and vehicle purchases should not come as a surprise. Why is it so fascinating they spend $2,000 on groceries? There are 19 people in ONE house! It's like a giant Thanksgiving every day, of course it's going to be expensive!

And you know what the great thing about Thanksgiving is? It only comes once a year so it's special and exciting and there is lots of gluttony involved. If you had Thanksgiving every day, wouldn't it get old and boring? Wouldn't it lose some of the luster that makes it so special?

There is nothing wrong with handmade clothes, homeschooling, and family violin concerts. Millions upon millions do those things every day. We don't focus on the family with only two children that homeschool, do we?

I could let it go, I really could. But when Mama Duggar is in the hospital hours after giving birth to #17 and she says "we can't wait to have more" that is just too much. Your baby is HOURS old....enjoy her for a moment! Be thankful at that moment for her, stop planning on her replacement. Argh, it makes me so annoyed. Which, I KNOW, is going against everything I'm saying. I shouldn't care, yet I know their story blahblahblah. I shouldn't care about Paris Hilton (and I don't) but sometimes you can't help but knowing exactly what she ate for breakfast in prison when it's broadcast on the front of USA Today.

What has sent me over the edge? Perhaps it's the fact that the reputable, respected Discovery Health website now has an online game called "Name that Duggar". Match the Duggar picture with the right J-name and you win (get this) a Tater Tot Casserole! Get it wrong, and you lose a casserole.

I have never hated Tater Tots more in my life.

I don't hate the Duggar's. I just hate that everyone is out there celebrating their lifestyle like it's some sort of great accomplishment. Let's have a show and a game and a People magazine article and an obsession with the family down the street where both parents work and 2 kids go to public schools and dinner might consist of Sonic tater tots on the way to karate. Let's celebrate families, no matter how big or small, who are making it work. Just because the Duggar's have a compound on their hands doesn't make them any better or more successful at parenting than any one of my good friends out there.

Sigh....just annoyed.

Vacation and Football

I gotta tell you, I have a thing for running backs. Last year, I was a die-hard, self-professed kicker groupie. This year, I am still Garrett Hartley's girlfriend, but I realized our relationship may be distracting him from successful PAT attempts and FG attempts. So I'm backing off for the sake of the team until he's back to normal. In the meantime, there is something so appealing about 5'3 160-pound guys that can run really fast with 7 defenders on their back.

I wouldn't say I love all running backs, but I think even Reggie Bush is great and I have vowed NEVER to breathe a good word about USC players. It's almost like admitting out loud that Vince Young is a great quarterback, which I would NEVER do because (in case you didn't know) I hate Texas.

Anyway, I think the ultimate love of my OU football life (besides, of course, my original football boyfriend Josh Heupel--shout out, Cary) is Quentin Griffin. Anyone who can run 6 touchdowns in ONE GAME against Texas is my kind of man. Because, in case you didn't know, I hate Texas. And I love living in the past (2000, 63-14....the best football game I've ever been to).

Thinking about the great running backs we've had at OU in recent years (Griffin, Jones, Peterson, Patrick, Murray, etc.), I get chills all over and realize that maybe, just maybe, the real love of my life is Bob Stoops because he freaking rocks at recruiting.

I love being a Sooner. I love this time of year. And I stand strong on my stance that Texas sucks yesterday, today, tomorrow, next Saturday when we kick them all over the field, and beyond. For life, baby. For life.
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In case you hadn't seen John's blog (FINALLY....it's been his birthday for weeks it seems), we are going on vacation!!!! Thanks to my very antsy husband, a stressful but successful year at work, and the need to forget about certain things for a few moments he decided we needed to get away. Just us, with no real agenda, and treat ourselves.

We're going to San Francisco in less than 2 weeks. 12 days, to be exact. I can't wait to experience northern California in October. I know we want to drive through wine country, go to Alcatraz, Fisherman's Warf, Golden Gate Park. There are some museums and aquariums we want to go to, and of course the shopping. We want to eat sourdough bread and Ghirardelli chocolate and catch a cable car or two. I am desperate to go to a beach. Not to swim (good thing since people don't swim at Bay Area beaches) just to enjoy the ocean and feel the sand between my toes. I'm sure there will be cool breezes coming off the water and we'll take pictures in sweatshirts with our jeans rolled up and bare feet on the sand.

We're staying in a real hotel, not on someone's couch (or on pool mattresses on a hardwood floor in a New York studio apartment while some pregnant lady freezes me to death, Pam!). We're flying, not driving. We're eating out, not that it's different than any other day of the week. And we're enjoying time together. Not even sure if I will take my computer. Maybe to blog and download pictures in the evening....but no work. Just fun this time.

What could be better than beating Texas in the cotton bowl and leaving for vacation in a 24-hour period? I don't know, but only 12 days until I find out!

Results (and, yes, there was more than one condom joke)

The appointment went well today. Well, it wasn't the most fun I've ever had (actually QUITE painful this time) but the news coming out of it was good: no polyp.

So no surgery, no testing, no additional funds spent.

Still, one month of trying efforts lost. But I was expecting that, so I'm able to be a little more joyful than annoyed.

I think John is frustrated because it means we're back to square one. Still no real explanation of what's going on and why it's so difficult. Not that we wanted something surgical to be the problem! But for us, it's about knowing. The unknown is the enemy for us.

So I have yet one more month (a good 20+ days) to take wonderful advice like "don't worry" and "relax" while remembering to enjoy things like "traveling" and "sleeping in". Don't mean to sound bitter, just tired. Not the kind of tired that sleeping in and relaxing can fix....the kind of tired that only holding a screaming infant, watching John change diapers, and not sleeping for years can fix.

P.S.--I really am incredibly grateful and relieved that everything came out OK this time, I promise! It's really proof all your prayers are working--selfish to ask of you, but keep them coming. You pray for a fix, I'll pray for a better attitude...

P.P.S--We are humbled and beyond thankful for your prayers. That, and your encouragement is all that is getting us through. Don't mind the sarcasm. We are some of the lucky ones that we don't have to deal with this alone.

Protection

I have an appointment with the trusty fertility doctor tomorrow morning. John's going with me. Which means at some point during the appointment there will be an awkward joke about condoms.

Because if you know my husband, you know the overuse of the word uterus and a giant drawer of condoms is a deadly combination.

Wish us luck!

What's on YOUR iPod?

Despite what it may seem like, I was working on this post long before Pam posted her iPod list. I promise!

I'm taking it a step further. It's not just what's on my iPod....it's WHY it's on there. I couldn't list everything on there (over 2,500 songs and an entire season of CSI among other things). But I can tell you a few of the 48 songs on my "Current Favorites" list, and why they are on there. With music--it's about a catchphrase. It's usually one verse, one chorus, one theme that grabs me. Here are a few:

"No one else can speak the words on your lips
....live your life with arms wide open
Today is where your book begins, the rest is still unwritten"
-Unwritten, Natasha Bedingfield
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"We've got to hold on to what we got
It doesn't make a difference if we make it or not
We got each other and that's a lot"
-Livin' on a Prayer, Bon Jovi
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"If I just lay here, would you lie with me and just forget the world?"
-Chasing Cars, Snow Patrol
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Every line in the song "Rockstar" by Nickelback. I would have to type the whole song out....it's hilarious! "I'll have the quesadillas"
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"Welcome to wherever you are--this is your life, you've made it this far.
Welcome, you gotta believe--that right here, right now you're exactly where you're supposed to be"
-Welcome to Wherever You Are, Bon Jovi
The whole song is good....especially for those of us lost and confused about our place in life!
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"Cause it's frightening to be swimming in this strange sea, but I'd rather be here than on land"
-Out of My League, Stephen Speaks
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"Hey there, Delilah, what's it like in New York City?
You're a thousand miles away, but, girl, tonight you look so pretty yes you do;
Times Square can't shine as bright as you"
-Hey There Delilah, Plain White Tees
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"You're the swimming pool on an August day, you're the perfect thing to say"
-Everything, Michael Buble
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"There are two roads to walk down and one road to choose"
-Thinking Over, Dana Glover
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"If I could escape and recreate a place that's my own world"
-Sweet Escape, Gwen Stefani
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"I wanna feel something sweeter than this sin
.....I've been everybody else, now I want to be something closer to myself"
-Closer to Myself, Kendall Payne
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"You're still the one that makes me laugh, still the one that's my better half"
-Still the One, Orleans
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"Watching all my dreams come true, lost in this moment with you"
-Lost in the Moment, Big and Rich
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"[I hope] you find God's grace in every mistake, and always give more than you take"
-My Wish, Rascal Flatts
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"So you wanna change the world--what are you waiting for?"
-What Are You Waiting For, Natalie Grant
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"We see everything that's going wrong with the world and those who lead it,
We just feel like we don't have the means to rise above and beat it"
-Waiting on the World to Change, John Mayer
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"When push comes to shove, you taste what you're made of;
You might bend 'til you break, cause it's all you can take;
On your knees you look up, decide you've had enough;
You get mad, you get strong, wipe your hands, shake it off--then you stand"
-Stand, Rascal Flatts
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"I wanna be the hand that lifts your veil"
-Your Everything, Keith Urban
(I still think this is the romantic verse of any song I've ever heard--it's why I wore a veil over my face on my wedding day. So John could lift it.)
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"Every day I find another reason, every season we go through,
Every little thing you do--that's when I love you"
-That's When I Love You, Phil Vassar
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"I'm losing you and it's effortless"
-Over My Head, The Fray
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"Take all your big plans and break them, this is bound to be a while"
-Your Body is a Wonderland, John Mayer
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"I'm not sure why I called, I guess I really just wanted to talk to you"
-I'd Really Love to See You Tonight, England Dan and John Ford Coley
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"So when I make a big mistake, when I fall flat on my face, I know I'll be all right"
-Who I Am, Jessica Andrews
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"Myself and I--we've got some straightening out to do"
-Big Girls Don't Cry, Fergie
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"Another aero-plane, another sunny place--I'm lucky, I know.
But I wanna go Home"
-Home, Michael Buble
(my theme song, lately!)
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"There were hard times I know I survived, just because you stayed by my side"
-I Will Be There For You, Jessica Andrews

Anyway...there ya go. I'd recommend any and all, and more. I have a GREAT Current Faves list, and a GREAT workout list.

When I pick a song, I just like to think about WHY I picked it. What's on your iPod? Better yet....why is it on there?

Random Thoughts (because there's not enough interesting things to warrant their own post)

Well, like I said in the last post I've been sick this week. Do you know how limited you are without a voice? At the same time, it's kind of nice to sit back and listen and observe.

My voice is slowly coming back, my head is slooooowly unclogging. Just in time to work all weekend--yay!
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Speaking of, it's been 16 whole days since I was last at the OKC airport. I'm starting to miss my friends in security, especially the really nice older man that always tells me what a beautiful smile I have even at 4:30 in the morning. He doesn't even check my boarding pass anymore, he just knows me.

But no need to worry--I'm flying on Sunday afternoon AND next Sunday afternoon. I just can't get enough, really. Next Sunday I'm going somewhere I've never been: Atlanta.
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Last night I finally watched this HBO documentary that we recorded the other day called "Alive Day Memories". It's about 10 veterans of the Iraq war. Isn't it crazy that we have 22-year olds with purple hearts and veteran status?

Anyway, we taped it because the last guy in the film, John Jones, was a good friend of my John's in high school. Lots have happened since then, and they don't keep in contact like they used to. John Jones was on there after losing both his legs after an explosion in Iraq. We watched because of him....I cried because of all of them.

I mean, I cried and cried from the very beginning. I guess because Iraq doesn't feel like a real place to me, or seem like a real place. And even on the news they report on "3 fallen soldiers" or "a bomb in Iraq killed 5 troops today". And it's so....common. But when you're faced with real stories, real pictures, when you put a face to it....it's so real. It's not common at all. The people fighting over there, half of them are younger than my little sister.

It's a powerful show...I'd recommend watching it with a tissue and some time to pray afterwards.
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I cooked this week. That's a big deal--John does all the cooking. But I cooked. And not Hamburger Helper, either. I made these roasted garlic rosemary potatoes. There was even some EVOO mixed in. I've always wanted to cook with EVOO like Rachael Ray. I may not cook, but I watch a lot of cooking shows.

Anyway, they were really good and even John ate them!
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So proud of John, by the way, who lost FIVE pounds when he weighed in at WW this week! And that was after two birthday parties, cookie cake, Butterfinger cake, donuts....well, you saw the list last week. That is awesome.

I didn't go because I figured I would be weighed down by all the snot in my head. Good reason, I thought.
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A final thought for this entry....BOOMER SOONER!!!!!!!

Expired

I have a confession to make. I don't regularly check expiration dates on foods other than milk and beef. Why is this coming to light now?

Well, I'm at home disgustingly sick today. As my fever comes down, my stomach growls. So I wanted something pretty easy to make and I found frozen waffles. Normally the waffles would have been sitting there for MONTHS, but I just bought them the other day so that wasn't the problem. However, they tasted funny....and I realized the syrup wasn't quite right. Kind of thick and not the right consistency. Almost too sweet. Turns out there is an expiration date right on the top of the bottle, plain as day: 110805.

That's November 8th, 2005.

I can try to blame it on the feverish, head-cold fog I was in. But the truth is the bottle has been in our pantry with expiration date unnoticed for me to grab and eat at any time. What else is super-embarrassing? I'm thinking this bottle MAY have made two moves with us. That's twice I packed the bottle in a box, and unpacked it in a new pantry without noticing the date.

Geez...it's a wonder I'm still alive. Guess John and I should eat at home more, so we can notice these things!

And, no, I did not finish the waffles after that. Instead, I'll coat my sore throat with the pint of Ben and Jerry's John bought me last night!

Letter of Apology

Dear Liz,

I am really sorry I ran over your foot with my car this weekend.

I am even sorrier that it was before we had peach champagne at Charly's shower so I don't have any excuse.

Maybe next time you should get in the car faster.

Love,
Jess

Happy Birthday to John--the Big One!

John is 30 years old today. That is quite an accomplishment, worthy of celebration.

So to celebrate, I am eating! Lots and lots of food. Like steak and crouton salad (because, really, who eats lettuce with croutons, bacon, cheese, and eggs?) and Butterfinger cake and donuts and grilled cheese and french fries and there may or may not be a GIANT cookie cake I will work on tonight. Plus Shogun's Japanese Steakhouse for dinner, which means lots of meat.

That is part of the menu I've consumed since 7:30 last night. Remember, we are not counting Thursday and Friday on WW!

In all seriousness, it's John's birthday and I'm so proud of all he has accomplished in his 30 years. I can't imagine what's in store for the next 30 years! So, Happy Birthday Honey!

**On a slightly different topic, our office just received a box full of car air fresheners today that have jockstraps on them and when you open them they smell like, well, jockstraps. Worn, used, old, unwashed jockstraps. Our office smells HORRIBLE. I can't tell if the smell is just that of vomit or if someone actually did vomit.**

**By the way, it's a promotion for a new movie. Some of our clients in this office are movie studios and we get all kinds of crazy promotional items. Just wanted to clear that up, we didn't just randomly get a box of jockstrap air fresheners!**

Another Steve Jobs Collection

Thanks to Emily for getting me inspired to find the SNL Steve Jobs clips on YouTube. Watch the first 5 minutes....they are HILARIOUS!! The last five, not so funny...

Anyway...is YOUR iPod obsolete?

A Few of My Favorite Things

....These are a few of my favorite things:

--A clean house
--Starbuck's tall nonfat, no whip Mocha
--Reading new blogs (hint, hint blogger friends!)
--The sound of 85,000 people screaming "Boomer" and "Sooner" back and forth across Owen Field
--My iPod (I have over 2,500 songs on there, and I only listen to about 40 of them! But, hey, there are lots to choose from should I choose to do so)
--Anything relating to my iPod
--Book Club
--Curling up in bed with a magazine and a purring kitty
--Friday after work when People arrives in my mailbox
--When I find a new album or a new artist and fall in love with an offbeat song....then hear it become a hit a few months later. Makes me feel like I have great taste in music!
--Anything Britney Spears, trainwreck and all (hhhmmm...makes you doubt my great taste in music, huh?)
--When John picks me up at the airport
--Cracker Barrel biscuits
--Ruby red glass
--Frat Pack movies (Ferrel, Vaughn, Stiller, Wilson, Wilson)
--Apatow movies (Rogen, Rudd, Carrell)
--The phrase "that's bad @$$"
--Walking away from an important presentation at work knowing I nailed it
--That feeling about 20 minutes after you take an Excedrin when you realize your headache is gone
--Folding clean laundry
--Laughing until my sides hurt
--Bare Minerals makeup
--DVR
--College Football Saturdays
--Family cookouts
--Looking, but not buying, Coach purses
--Quoting movies and "The Office" with John
--My mom's dog, Simba
--Really, really good Iced Tea (Johnnie's comes to mind)
--Getting up early when I don't have anywhere to be
--Cheerios with 1/2 cup of milk and lots of honey on top
--70-degree, low humidity days when I can go walking without sweating
--Pajama pants
--My grandma's house
--When my grandma stands in the driveway as we're driving away and blows kisses until we're out of sight
--Making my grandpa laugh
--The first time I wear my black wool pea coat each winter
--Sweaters
--Fancy post-its
--Pillsbury Southern Style frozen biscuits (when they're not frozen)

And those are just a few of my current favorite things!

***Editor's Note: Just realized I mentioned biscuits TWICE in this entry. Weight Watchers is going to be hard!!***

Unplugged

After a crazy week on the road, I decided to do my best to take a 4-day weekend. I took last Friday as a vacation day, with the full intent of not being on the computer the entire weekend.

I have to say...I did pretty well. I know, I know....you're thinking "it's only Monday and you're posting which means you have to be on the computer". But it's not like that....I'm on John's computer, not mine. I DID open mine for about 20 minutes early Friday morning. But other than that it hasn't been on.

That was a big step for me, because I don't "unplug" very often. I have done little this weekend other than sleep and lounge and spend time with family and, oh yeah, my husband! The difference from every other weekend where I lounge and sleep is that I actually didn't think about work.
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In other news, it is EXPENSIVE to eat healthy. John and I are wading into Weight Watchers with a test run this week. Obviously it won't be full-fledged, as John turns 30 this weekend and we will be having several parties. But we're at least trying to get our life into order before going cold-turkey on extreme eating.

So I went to the grocery store yesterday and tried to buy low-fat, low-sodium, low-calorie, fresh produce kinds of things. Needless to say, for the first time in months we will be spending every cent of our monthly grocery fund this time around!
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Speaking of money....John and I have actually been thinking ahead and saving for Christmas this year! Part of it was the fact that our poor little Christmas tree didn't make it in the move (because John threw it away) and we needed a new tree. Plus, with all the added financial stress the past few months have thrown us, we figured we needed to save as much in advance as possible.

So we have a pretty good Christmas nest egg saved up, and on Friday we went Christmas tree shopping. Nothing like hearing "Frosty the Snowman" on August 31st! But alas, we found a great tree at Garden Ridge (which may or may not be set up in our back bedroom) and still have money leftover for presents. I'm pretty proud of us for planning ahead!
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I think that's all of my random news for now. We'll be back to a normal blogging week (as it is a normal, non-traveling week for me!) starting tomorrow!