This time, it is all about me!!

Talk to me about me!! (Stolen from Spin the Moon)

If you are reading this, leave one memory of you and me together! It doesn't matter if I know you a little or a lot, anything you remember! Next, post this in your blog and see how many people leave a memory about you.

The inside scoop

The project I am currently working on is funded by a large petro company in Venezuela. I see articles about Chavez insisting the US is going to invade, the coup in 2002 was the US, etc. Knowing that we do everything possible to funnel money back to the home country by work sharing with engineering companies in Venezuela as well as purchasing equipment from vendor shops there, I was intrigued to dig deeper than the headlines.

I found a blog entitled Caracas Chronicles and dug in. The post located here is particularly interesting, describing the coup in 2002.

Astros Fever

National League Champions!!!!

First game in the World Series against the White Sox is Saturday. My son's t-ball team is the Chicago White Sox. And we're from Houston. Are you beginning to see the problem? He's been saying "Go White Sox" for several weeks and we've had to nip this quickly. I hope we have convinced him that wearing his White Sox uniform to school is a very, very bad idea.

Superstition

The extended family spent a fabulous weekend on an exotic game ranch in Leakey, located in west Texas. We spent a weekend there every October. The weather was beautiful and the scenery couldn't be any better. So, of course all 17 of us were huddled around a small tv Saturday afternoon to watch the Astros.

My uncle's a former college baseball player and his kids all played and my cousin's boyfriend still plays in an adult league. We are a baseball loving family.

The Astros were up 4-3 in the ninth and it looks like the we're on our way to a 2-1 lead in the NLCS. My grandmother gets up and heads upstairs and the momentum starts to shift. It looks as if the Cardinals might score and everyone starts yelling "Maw-Maw- get back down here!!! You need to get back into your seat!" We finally get her back into her seat, Astros get the third out and everyone starts giving Maw-Maw high fives for winning the game.

Hmph. Baseball players and their superstitions.

Night stalker

Last night I dropped by a friend's mom house to pick up baby stuff I'd lent when my friend and her new adorable, little son and hubby were in town. I always get confused which street, which house and I'd already taken one wrong turn and was driving slowly to not miss it again. An older couple was out walking and they were walking in the street. Which always baffles me since it was dark and the neighborhood just installed sidewalks. But I guess it's just me that would rather not have a run in with a car when I'm on foot.

I digress. I am about three houses away when I come up behind the walking couple and I decide not to whip around and park right in front of them. So I slowly creep behind. And they start moving over to the side so that I can go around. But by this time it's too late. After about a minute of this, the guy starts getting agitated and turns around and throws his hands up in the air as if to say- WHY ARE YOU STALKING US???? At that very moment, I was in front of the correct house and put the car in park and turned off the headlights. They finally figure out I am not intentionally following behind and they continue on their merry way walking in the dark on the incorrect side of the street.

The sick part was how hard I was laughing about it all. Everyone seems to have a short fuse these days.

Let's go Astros!

We went to the Texans game yesterday. That was painful. Not sure how many times Carr was sacked because I lost count. Hubby brought a little tv to watch the Astros while we were at the Texans game. I found that a little strange and rude, but realized half the other men at the game had headphones on and were listening to the Astros while watching the Texans.

It's the 3rd quarter, we're down by umpteen thousand and the Titans are getting ready to score again. The Astros are down 6-1 and Berkman's at bat and the bases are loaded. He hits a grand slam and half the crowd at the Texans game goes wild!!! They post the score and the other half goes wild. The guys on the field break their huddle and look a little confused. The crowd starts chanting "Let's Go Astros!" and some are yelling to put the game on!

I felt bad for the Texans, but the Astros pulled it out against Atlanta in game 4 in 18 innings. Now it's on to the National League Championship Series.

Blood wagon

Our office hosted the semi-regular blood drive earlier this week. I haven't donated since before I was pregnant with my 2nd child and since I don't have anything disqualifying me at the moment since I'm not pregnant, recovering from child birth, or nursing, I decided it was time. My blood type is O-, so I feel a large responsibility to donate.

My last visit, the technician was obviously inept and my blood stopped flowing after a few ounces, so this time I asked for the most experienced person. The one with the supervisor tag on her white coat spent 5 minutes squeezing my arms, checking my veins before finally finding one. And since my skin is transparent white, you would think this would be an easy task. She finally found one and I'm happy to say no problems this time.

I did have a strange side effect that evening. Two servings of meat!! Ok, it was a side effect that is strange for me.

Why are fundamentalists so frightened by liberal family values?

Who's afraid of freedom and tolerance? is a very interesting article about the differences between the religious liberals and conservatives.

If there is one basic thing conservatives do not understand about religious liberals, it is this sense of commitment. They see us champion choice over obligation, but misunderstand our reasons. They understand us to be advocating a superficial and nihilistic way of life. They think we want to choose our own moral codes so that we can pick easy ones that rationalize our every whim. They believe that we want the freedom to define our relationships so that we can walk away from anything that looks difficult.

In fact, religious conservatives and liberals share more concerns and beliefs than either commonly admits. Both have loyalties that go beyond self and the convenience of the moment. Both reject the materialism of popular culture. Both seek something more substantial than the momentary satisfaction of desire or the endless striving after status. The committed life is a different way to pursue these goals, not a denial of them.
But the committed life requires freedom, because only voluntary commitment has meaning. We give our members the freedom to doubt and encourage them to question their beliefs not so they will see all beliefs as whimsical and contingent, but quite the opposite: We find that hard-tested and hard-won beliefs are more likely to withstand the challenges of modern life. A marriage whose every assumption and duty has been freely negotiated is not a house of straw, but rather a house whose every brick has been carefully laid. The freedom of liberal religion is an invitation to engage with the most significant issues of human life and society, not an excuse to fall into a shiftless and vacant hedonism.

Might have to look into the Unitarian Universalist church. This might be a good way to expose our children to religion without forcing us to believe something we don't.

Props again to Mister Crunchy for the link.