happy news

In case you didn't see this article on foxnews.com, go check out happynews.com for a lift.

The director of the journalism school at TCU was quoted in the Fox article, saying "Unfortunately, the events we need to respond to as informed citizens are not good". I agree with that, but I don't think the right answer to 'balancing the news' is what we get from the mainstream media (entertainment and celebrity news), so I am happy that someone started happynews.com.

countdown to tex-mex

The time is currently T-5 to Tex-Mex...and progressing!

For everyone in Houston dying to take me out to dinner and hear all about my grand adventures in the queen's England....I offer the following suggestions:

• Lupe Tortilla
• Chuy's
• Lupe Tortilla
• Molinas
• Lupe Tortilla
• El Tiempo
• Lupe Tortilla
• Chuy's

Please note the list does NOT included Casa Ole or Taco Bell. At this point, some people would say "Well, Dovie...beggars can't be choosers", but I'm not begging. So I'm being choosy. Is that so horrible?

random (small) acts of altruism?

First, a definition:

al·tru·ism: Unselfish concern for the welfare of others; selflessness.

Now, maybe my internal content that comes from placing the Weekly Word News back in its rightful place (instead of in front of the one stack of Vogue) while standing in the grocery queue isn't atruistic, in the purest and grandest sense of the word. But in a very small way, I think it is.

And so is picking up that stray bit of paper in the office hallway. And so is filling up the holders for coffee sweetener and cream when they're low (even though I don't even use sweetener at all, and I am enough of a snob to refuse to use powdered 'creamer' in my coffee...but I digress). And so is putting out a fresh roll of paper towels when I've used the last one. And so is filling up the copy machine with all the paper it can hold when I notice it needs to be done.

These things may not seem very 'unselfish', but they take time...and time is a limited resource...and time is money. So (stretching the metaphor just a bit more), I'm giving away money every time I do these things. But I'm happy to do them. It gives me joy to do them. Now I'm reminded of that Friends episode where Phoebe is trying to find a truly selfless act and ends up making a donation to Sesame Street even though she hates it...but I digress, again.

These activities might be perceived as just a bit overly concerned with order and give a nod to neurotic tendencies...but aren't they just as selfless as letting the pedestrian cross the street in front of me when he's out in the rain and i'm in my nice, warm, dry car? (Or is that just common courtesy?)

Anyway, I believe in the broken window theory, and view my magazine sorting (and label facing and general product reshelving) and self-appointed trash duty to be my personal fight against the broken window phenomenon taking over my immediate environment. I mean, I really do want that girl I'll never meet but am sure is coming along behind me to easily find that stack of Vogue, because I know how sweet it is to make the odd impulse-magazine-buy and enjoy a long and quiet evening browsing the latest fashion trends and dreaming of shoes I'll never be able to buy.

I'm happy to make the bigger gestures...but on an average day, it's only the small ones that I have opporutnity to provide.

Don't get me wrong...I'm not looking for any crowns or anything (although a tiara would be kinda cool). I'm just sayin'...I'M NOT NEUROTIC!

me? neurotic?

In response to a comment on my last post about properly aligned Sweet 'n Low packets, I submit the following:

Since I don't use Sweet 'n Low (or anything that comes in little packets like that), it's a non-issue at home. In a restaurant, as long as the packets of (any given) sweetener are safely housed within the intended container on the table, I don't care if they are perfectly arranged or not. Admittedly, I do prefer if all the like-packets are kept together (i.e. all the yellow ones are together and blue ones together, rather than a stray yellow packed mixed in with the blue ones).

Now, I do catch myself rearranging magazines at the check-out line at the grocery to be put back in their appropriate place (b/c if they're not, a 'stray' copy of the Weekly World News might be covering up the one stack of Vogue that some poor girl is looking for. This also occasionally happens at magazine racks in the bookstore.

Generally, I consider this magazine-sorting behavior to be altruistic (and not neurotic). And the sweetener packet ordering is just plain logical and proper, right?

And for the record, nothing in my pantry is properly faced, although most items do tend to be placed such that the front of the label is generally viewable as it sits...but clearly, all the spices live together in one spot, the cereal all together in another, etc. I mean, isn't everyone's pantry set up that way? Who would be crazy enough to keep cumin and dill seed in one cabinet or shelf, and have garlic salt and marjoram in another?

So, it's not about having everything in PERFECT order...just in order.

But if you still wonder...check out this cartoon and then tell me I'm neurotic!

diction: it can be a monkey

I don't remember ever learning the word 'persnickety'; as far as I know, it has always just been there, in my brain, waiting to be used as appropriate.

I'm sure there are countless words that fall into this (unfortunate) category, and most don't ever get to come out to see the light of day. However, a few years ago, 'persnickety' started getting a lot of attention from me when I noticed a friend of mine using the word 'persnippety' (which isn't, actually, a word). 'Persnickety' quickly started working its way into my daily speech around this friend, in the hopes that it would rub off. I can't remember if it did or not.

Because it was such a rub for my grammar-patrol-loving mind, you can only begin to imagine the immense panic that I experienced two days ago, when, in the course of reading some bit of fiction, I ran across the word 'pernickety'. I froze. All those moments of frustration with my friend who says 'persnippety' came rushing back as I realized my worst fear might come true...that I had been wrong about the word myself all this time. THE HORROR!

Needless to say, I jumped up and went straight to the dictionary and looked it up. Turns out, the definitions cited on dictionary.com are as follows:

per·snick·e·ty (adj)

1. Overparticular about trivial details; fastidious. Snobbish; pretentious.
   
2. Requiring strict attention to detail; demanding: a persnickety job.
   

per·nick·e·ty (adj): Persnickety.

persnippety: No entry found.

My first thought: Ah...what relief!! Despite the fact that I know I've looked up 'persnickety' and 'persnippety' before, it has been quite a while, and confirmation is such a good feeling.

My second thought: As much of a fan as I am of people that have good diction, when two words are so similar as 'persnickety' and 'pernickety', shouldn't someone quite farther up the grammar patrol chain than me have the authority to just DELETE the superfluous word, and go with the one we're all used to - and comfortable with: 'persnickety'?

turkey day in the UK

Mmmm...pizza and red wine. Now doesn't that just SCREAM Thanksgiving to you? Well, it did to me.

Thanksgiving here is 'just another day' (because although the Pilgrims actually were English, England doesn't claim them, given how things turned out about 150 years after the first Thanksgiving).

So, when what was originally a double-booked night on my calendar turned into two cancellations, I carted myself off to the store to buy 'Thanksgiving Dinner', instead of doing what I technically probably should have done (go to the gym and cook dinner), and this is what came home with me. So compared to what I would have done on most any other night in merry old England, this was a blessed holiday!

In retrospect, I should have chosen a Napa or even Texas wine, given the event to which I was drinking. However, being that I didn't really think things through, since my Thanksgiving celebration was quite unexpected, I ended up with a Spanish Rioja. It was lovely.

impulse buys CAN be good!

The pictures I posted yesterday include one taken at Piccadilly circus, standing in front of the Virgin Megastore, where I had just purchased my new favorite CD called "Who Killed the Zutons". Buy it now from Amazon.

I decided to buy the CD after hearing only 2 songs, one of which reminded me of an older U2 sound. In fact, I asked Mike and John if it WAS U2...which won't suprise those of you who know about my mishap with James Taylor and Ronnie Milsap (aka "the Milsap mishap").

Now, I should state that, although I was much more prone to impulse buying in years past...lately (and by lately, I mean in the last 2 years or so), I have grown to be quite the spendthrift when it comes to CDs and DVDs. Reason unknown. Regardless, every now and again I still fall prey to the impulse by (like the rest of the human population), and it usually turns out to be a disappointment.

This time, however, I am gloriously happy with my purchase. If you're not up for the absolute impulse buy, you can read a couple of reviews here.

Dali was a FREAK!

I went to the Dali museum in London this weekend with Mike and John. Now, it should be noted that, generally speaking, I don't like Dali...never have. However, in the name of 'broadening my artistic horizons", I spent some time reading about the sculptures in the museum.

Apparently, one of the themes Dali was obsessed with during his life was the concept of time, and the fact that it is mastered by no one. So, even though I still don't really like his work, I do very much like one of the sculptures I saw. It's a melting clock (big surprise) with a crown at the top.

Some of these pictures are John's...he's got a MUCH better camera than me.

i can drive!

My permanent car hasn't arrived (fingers crossed for Monday), but I couldn't take another weekend of cabin fever...so I rented a car this weekend, and today I visited Windsor Castle.

My car will have an automatic transmission, but the only thing available at the rental agency was a standard. Now, it should be said that I'm QUITE good with a stick shift, as that's what I learned to drive on, and continued to drive until just 2 years ago. However, driving a stick shift here means that not only do I have to worry about the steering wheel and traffic on the wrong side, I also have to shift...and oh, yes, the stick is on the wrong side of the steering wheel as well.

Let's just say there was a general email issued to everyone in the office to steer clear of my part of town as well as the road to Windsor for the weekend. Emergency contacts were entered into the mobile phone, clean underwear was worn, and many prayers were prayed (by me and every Christian who knew I was on the road, I'm sure).

Even though I took a few pictures, the best part of the day was something I couldn't capture on film. It was me. Bouncing up and down in my seat in the car every time I knew I had taken a turn and was still on the right course. Especially when I was close (and knew it) and was having that experience Meg Ryan kept having in French Kiss of NOT seeing the Eiffel Tower...and then, finally, there it was!

I was like a giddy little girl who just found out she was getting a new puppy for Christmas!

I made it all the way to Windsor AND all the way home without hitting anyone or anything, and I only stalled the car 1 time (give me a break, it's been 2 years), and I only went around 2 roundabouts more than once. Now, for the record,I purposely went around both of those roundabouts twice to be sure that the exit I thought was the right one really was it.

So, for those of you who will be passing through my part of the world anytime soon...the one place I know I can take you (and get you back home) is Windsor.

today's blond moment

Today, I needed to filter through about 650Mb worth of engineering drawings to find a few specific files. So, given my lack of engineering expertise, I went to an engineer that sits just down the hall from me for help:

Dovie (cheerfully enters office): "Hey Nikos...can you take a look at these and find the blah blah drawings? It's all Greek to me."

Nikos (chuckling): "No problem, I'm fluent."

Dovie: "Thanks. Just save them to blah blah drive."(cheerfully exits)

[end scene]

Hah! Did you catch it? I was talking to a guy named NIKOS! And, to make it worse, I JUST had a conversation with him last week about how the Greeks don't celebrate birthdays, but they DO celebrate name days...so in a way it's more fun, because everyone you know with your name gets to party together on the same day (which, for Nikos, means about 50% of the male population).

(This, of course, made me very happy to NOT be Greek, because...clearly...I would never get to have a day of celebration.)

About five minutes after I got back to my desk, I got the joke...and laughed out loud alone in my office. I'm sure Nikos could hear me, and I hope he thinks I was laughing about something (anything) else. And way too much time has passed by now for me to go back to him and say "Hey...that was funny" or something equally stupid.

Mustang planned an Astros Spirit Day for today (excellent timing), and this is the picture I sent for the "Best Dressed" contest they were having.

I got 'Honorable Mention' all the way from London!! It might seem weird that I'm holding my laptop, but I'm trying to show my commitment to our boys from across the pond...I've had to sign up to watch over the Internet (on a 2x3 inch viewing screen, mind you).

the ugly green monster bit me

Seriously!! How did she get this gig??? I've GOT to figure out how to work with Alyson Footer so that when she gets promoted to bigger and better things (is that possible, given what she's currently doing?), I can take over as the Astros inside-scoop-girl!

I actually teared up a bit reading this article.

She's GOT to know how sweet a gig she's got going...I just hope that she's ready to move on when I get back from England!

oh no...i might like golf

I’ve got a whole list of things I’d like to do or learn how to do while I’m in England...some are things I’ve always wanted to do, and some are just for the sake of trying something new and different. Writing, painting, photography classes and horseback riding lessons are all on the list…and just before coming here, I added golf.

--- background story ---
(feel no guilt for skipping down to the main point)
Now, I have never EVER wanted to play golf. I always said it looked boring and tedious, and it’s a really expensive hobby (and frankly, there are other equally expensive hobbies I’d rather take up first, such as photography – if you really get into it). However, this summer my mom gave me tickets to the Shell Houston Open, and I went with a few girlfriends. We got some good advice from a guy on the shuttle bus to the course: “You’ve got two options, really…either pick a green and plant yourself to watch all the players come through, OR pick a player and follow him through the course to watch his game.” We went for the “pick a green…” option, and planted ourselves at the 17th hole.

This is where I started realizing that my disdain for golf actually stems from a lack of understanding (and an assumption that it takes a special blend of talent, fate and fairy dust in order to consistently make contact with that teeny tiny ball) rather than tediousness. Turns out, I like tedious things (as long as they’re interesting or challenging) because it gives me something to really focus on and turn off the rest of the world.

The weekend after the Houston Open, we visited my aunt and uncle in the thriving metropolis of Tyler, TX. My uncle is a GREAT golfer, and when I was telling my story about the Open (because I knew he’d appreciate it), he offered to take me to the driving range at his club. And off we went…where I got a second piece of good advice: “Now, do you see how – all across this field – there are balls on the ground as close as 10 feet from the tee boxes? That means that EVERYBODY hits a bad shot here and there…so don’t you worry about these other guys out here. Just concentrate on what you’re doing and have fun.” Brilliant. Exactly what I needed to hear.
--- end background story ---

So, last week, I signed myself up for 6 weeks of golf lessons. Last night was Lesson #1, and I was the only pupil (Woohoo!! Private lessons!) After about 30 minutes of getting familiar with a few terms, learning how to hold the club, and some coaching on stance, my coach had me swinging on my own, and worked with me until I hit 3 balls in a row, completely unaided. Then he left me with a bucket of balls and said “You need to hit 25 more balls before you leave.”

I managed to hit at least that many, about half of which actually caught some really good air and flew straight ahead. The really good ones made about 125 yards (or is it feet – well, whatever measure of distance is commonly used in golf) and a couple of them looked like they went even farther than that!

Confession: I loved every minute of it.

i want alyson footer's job

Alyson Footer is a journalist for mlb.com, and I would love to have her job. I have visions of all sorts of cool things that she probably gets to do...like attend MLB parties throughout the year (in AND out of season) and any pre- or post-game activities that she wants, hang with all the cool broadcasters (who come up with all those amazing statistics and give away blue stars to the guys who make the really great plays), and of course...interview the players.

She's doing a daily commentary series with Chris Burke throughout the Astros post-season run, and I'm about as jealous as is humanly possible! Well...in all honesty, it WOULD be worse if she were interviewing Lance or Bradley ("Is that what he prefers you call him?" "No...I do").

Laurie...can you hook a sister up?

By the way, in case you missed Game 4 yesterday...you can check out the photo gallery page on MLB's website. There's a really great shot of the crowd in the Crawford Boxes all going for Jason Lane's home run ball. (Click on the "Sunday's Gallery" link at the bottom of the picture-box labeled "Daily Pics" to choose any galery for viewing.)

taking recommendations

I've just signed up with Blockbuster's version of the Netflix subscription service (Netflix hasn't made it to the UK yet).

Anybody care to share their 'must see' movies...?

it's not versailles, but it'll do

So, in case you're planning or considering a trip to the UK to take advantage of the free room and board...you might be interested in the luxurious accommodations you can expect.

Here are a few pictures of my home sweet home in England.

haven't received my post card?

Don't worry...it's on the way!

The US Postal Service promises "neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds", but they're no fools! The trick is, they just don't specify how long it will actually take!

how cool am i?

I'm feeling rather cool about my new place, due in part to the intercom system installed for visitors. It's so very metro...visitors have to buzz from the ground floor and then I buzz them into the building. THEN they trudge up the stairs and knock on the door.

At 7:45 this morning, as I was getting ready for work, someone buzzed my flat! Not being used to this noise, it took a few seconds to realize that it was NOT the fire alarm (sigh of relief), rather a visitor trying to gain access (Who needs to see me at THIS hour? Welcome back, panic attack!). And it took another few seconds to realize that it was likely the post man (not Joe, for those who heard that story) who was delivering my (insert singing angels in the background) broadband set-up package from British Telecom.

Frankly, it was WAY too early in the morning for me to have such an emotional roller coaster...maybe that buzzer isn't so cool after all!

i can't resist

I chuckle almost daily as I stroll through town center in search of lunch. There is a small clothing shop that is almost always along my chosen path for the day. Apparently, they sell shoes as well. The reason I chuckle is because of the sign that hangs in the window that looks like this:



Now, normally I would think lots of not-so-nice thoughts about the marketing person who made that sign, and the people who approved it. But in this particular scenario, I have thought:

• "I wonder if they're trying to be clever and make people think there's a sale on when there's really not...just to get them to wander into the store (I bet that's half the battle in the retail sales world)?", and
  
  
• "Hmm...I wonder if that's just how they say it here in England, as opposed to 'Buy one PAIR, get one free'?", and
  
  
• "I wonder if that shop just happens to sell shoes one at a time, instead of in pairs."
  
  
• "Maybe it's just another case of poorly done marketing that ended up with an interesting twist.", and
  
  
• "I wonder if ANYONE else has spent as much time thinking about that sign as me...including the people who made it?"
  

Whatever the answer, I still grin as I pass the sign every day...one of these days I'm going to wander into the shop just to find out, but for now I'm still enjoying my daily chuckle at all the possibilities.

patience is a virtue...

...and I'm not as virtuous as I'd like to be.

I’ve been in England almost 4 weeks.
I just got a phone last Friday (last day of week 3).
I should be getting broadband in 6 days.
But I still don’t have a television.

While this does mean that I’ve done a lot of reading and walking around town just to keep from sitting around staring at the walls, I am definitely looking forward to the day when the much anticipated TV does actually arrive. I have DVDs to watch, a language to learn (and isn’t a country’s media the best way to do that?), and hours of unallocated time in which to do it.

I’m living in a ‘fully furnished’ flat, and (clearly) a TV is supposed to be part of that package, but the people that lived here before me had their own TV, so I guess the owner never had to buy one. They agreed to provide a TV by mid-September, but we’re quickly approaching October and I still don’t hear the choir warming up to sing the Hallelujah Chorus.

It’s definitely an exercise in patience…and I have to say that God is forcing me to ask myself I would be spending as much time in the Word or studying or prayer if I did have my precious TV.

What I’m hating is that the answer is NO. And what is even more shameful is that even though I AM spending more time doing those things, I still find jingles of other things to do instead of being thankful for all the ‘extra time’ I could be spending with the Lord! So, it’s two lessons in one, really (and maybe more, by the time it’s all said and done):

1. Have patience.
   
2. Reconsider how I prioritize my ‘free time’ before the Great Distracter arrives.