T-minus 1 day!!!!!!

That's right, tomorrow night Laura will be experiencing her first Less Than Jake concert. We will be at the Engine Room here in Houston around 7 or 7:30. Now, I've see these guys about 10 times back in Milwaukee, and every time the show was better than the last. The last show I was at was last May at The Rave. Not only was I right up in front (as usual), but I was lucky enough to catch one of their guitar picks that they threw into the crowd. Less Than Jake, to me, is like Aerosmith to Laura. And for any of you that know Laura, you know how much she LOVES them, and would do anything to see them.

Actually, now that I mention Laura, I am very surprised how much she has gotten into LTJ. I never thought of her as the type of person who would like this music, but I guess I was wrong. I'm not saying she's a "diehard" fan or anything like that, but she can sing along now with the best of them:) For any of you that have never heard any of their songs, do yourself a favor and check them out. You won't regret it. Just follow the link on the side of the page, and enjoy! Hopefully after tomorrow night I'll have some cool merch to tell you about.

So, we'll be talking to all of you in a few days, and try to give Laura a call on Tuesday morning so you can hear how much fun she had:)



"Well I'm half awake and half a world away, all my past mistakes and every misspent day, proves that I'll never change, I'll always stay the same...I wouldn't have it any other way"

Oh What A Night

Greetings and Salutations! So last night Laura and I went over to my cousins house to hang out, get some food and play some games. He and his wife invited over two other couples, so we knew it was going to be a good time. After a good couple of helpings of chicken fajitas (and rice of course), we started to play a game called Catch Phrase. Basically, for those of you who are unsure about what it is, you are given a word and you have to describe it without saying that word or trying to rhyme it with anything. We split it up as boys vs. girls, and let me just tell you, I have not laughed that much when playing a game in a LONG time. I mean, I know it sounds easy, but some of the things people were coming up with just from only getting one description were hilarious. We really got into this game, and it is certainly going to become a member of our family very soon.

Anyway, back to the real reason for this post. Now, my cousins, as with most Mexican families, are big into boxing. So of course, the Mosley/Vargas fight was on last night. Now, I am not necessarily big on fights, and I know Laura hates boxing with a passion, but last night was something to watch. In case you missed it, Mosley won on a TKO with 1:22 left in the 10th. Vargas didn't get knocked out, but his left eye was so swollen, the doctors at ringside couldn't even see his eye! Now, most fights I've seen have been somewhat boring and uneventful, but this was truly a sight to see. The fight was good, the action was good, and it was interesting to see round by round Vargas' eye get more and more swollen. I'm not saying that I will be watching fights on a regular basis from now on, but I had to put in my two cents after last night!

So, a fun night of games, a man becoming hideously disformed from a fight, and a lot of good food! Who could ask for anything more!!! In case you are all interested in seeing what I was talking about from the fight, here is a picture of Vargas after the fight.

The Four Queens Sports Fatigue

I’m so done with the four biggest “Drama Queens” in sports right now:

Brett Favre: The headline in the papers said “Aikman predicts Favre retirement”. Wow. So it’s come to this. Other QB’s wildly speculating on a subject everyone (including those in Wisconsin) are totally sick of. Enough. Please.

Roger Clemens: He’s retired. He’s not retired. He’ll play for the Astros. He’ll go somewhere else. He doesn’t want to travel. He wants to play one season with his son. His mom said before she died that he should retire. He still hasn’t made a decision. Ugh.

Barry Bonds: I’m so tired. Ohhhh. Everybody get off my back. I’m gonna retire after this year. No I ‘m not. ESPN is hounding me. I hate Pedro Gomez. Here, Pedro, have this exclusive. Oh yeah, ESPN is doing a reality show about me. But I hate them. Shut up already.

A-Rod: I’m gonna play for the Dominican. But wait, you’re American, born in America! Okay, I’m not gonna play at all. Oh wait, now I am. For America. But I don’t like how the WBC portrayed all this. How come nobody likes me. Zip it, cooler!

Green Thumb?

So, I did it again...I sentenced another 2 innocent plants to death. This Monday when Dave and I had a day off together we went to the Houston Garden Center in search of some flowers to brighten up our front entry way. Well, this is not the first time I've done this. Every time my mom came to visit (3 times) we went out to find me some "hardy plants". And every time, within only weeks I killed them. It is quite depressing seeing as my grandma (Grammy) and my mom are expert gardeners. My dad and my brother are also decent gardeners. How is it that I can tell if an animal isn't behaving normal or is sick at the slightest sign, but I can't remember to water a plant? I thought I had come to terms with this lack of talent, but I recently discovered that I have not. I still want to be good at it. It is hard for me to accept. So, we approached a lady who worked at the store and Dave proceeds to tell her that I have this disability. She points out a few plants and then looks at me and says, "even these need to be watered at least once a week"! She gave me a look like I was unworthy of such a responsibility. We purchased a Geranium and an African Iris. Hopefully this time I will do my part in giving them a better life than the plants before them! :) If not, Dave claims that he is pretty good and often planted flowers back at his house. Ron... Yvonne... can I count on him?

Cavalia

So, last night Dave and I did something quite different than our usual movie or t.v. watching. We received 2 free tickets to the production Cavalia! For those of you who don't know it is a mix between a circus, a ballet, an opera and a comedy show! I really don't know how to accurately describe it, but it was amazing! The key element was 37 trained horses! Mostly, unbridled and unrestrained, I was in awe of the amount of control and trust the horses and performers had for each other! In addition to the beautiful Lusitanian Stallions there were acrobats, contorsionists, trapeze artists, dancers and so much more! If you blinked you missed something! The show reaffirmed my absolute love for horses and partially makes me regret buying a car instead of a horse! Mom and dad- remember those discussions!? All in all, I highly recommend it if it comes to a town near you!
Laura

"us" recently

So, for those of you who haven't seen us in awhile...here we are. This is a couple of weekends ago at a friend's birthday party. I didn't think we looked any different, but I was just looking at a picture of when we started dating (back in October of 2004) and I guess we do. It's probably due to the fact that I had short (chin length) blonde hair! I can guarantee I'll never go short again, but the color...well, if any of you really know me, it changes constantly! So, your guess is as good as mine as to what it'll look like in a couple weeks...months...years! And Dave has different glasses and his hair is done slightly differently. Anyway, this is one of my favorite pictures of us, so enjoy!
Laura

Valentine's Day

So, have you ever had your significant other tell you that they weren't going to get you anything for a particular holiday??? Well, Dave and I decided just that. We both agreed that we show each other everyday that we love each other and don't need this "Hallmark holiday" to show our love. Also, we figured it would save some money. O.K......so, I knew I would get him a card, and I have to say that I figured he would get me one as well; but, that would be it. Nothing else, right? Wrong! I came home on Sunday night to a huge surprise! I carpooled that day with a co-worker, so she dropped me off in front of our apartment, instead of me going in back like I normally do. I noticed immediately that the blinds were closed. They are NEVER closed when Dave is home. So, I knew something was up. When I walked in, all of the lights were out and there were candles EVERYWHERE!!! Dave had love music playing on the computer too! I followed the candles into the kitchen where there were more candles, a HUGE display of red roses, a card and 2 wine glasses! I then preceeded (as tears ran down my cheeks) to the other side of the apartment. Same story...more candles. Except this time instead of roses, I found Dave waiting for me! We toasted to "us" and after one glass of wine we went out to dinner. We had a wonderful time at dinner and continued to toast to ourselves back at home until the bottle was gone. We talked all night and listened to cheesy love songs. It was very romantic! I have to thank Yvonne, Lynn and Jenny for teaching Dave how to treat women well. I have to asume that growing up with 3 women would help to teach a man that! :)
Anyway, the lesson here is that I no longer will trust Dave when he says he is not going to do anything for me! Even though he says it was "nothing", it meant the world to me!
I hope all you women out there can say you had just as good of a Valentine's Day as I did!
Laura
P.S. Thank you so much honey! I love you!

Talking about everything is nothing...A spoof!

Whoa, hey there! How ya' doin? You kind of a... snuck up on me. Not cool! But, since you're here, just sit right back and you'll hear a tale...

If you remember, a couple of weeks ago Laura put up a post on talking to her mother about nothing. Well, even though I give her a hard time about it, I understand this. I know how much she loves her parents, and how much better she feels when she can keep some sense of normalcy after moving away over a year ago. Talking to her mother for hours on end about what the weather is like, or what they are wearing, or how their favorite shirt just doesn't look the same on them anymore makes them both happy. And I respect this. Nevertheless, I do not follow this trait. When I get on the phone, not just with my parents but with anyone, I like it short and to the point. Give me the days exciting events, and that's all I need. And if you think this is limited to only phone conversations, all I have to say is...NOT SO MUCH! This is the way I am in life as well. Long, drawn out stories do nothing but bore me. I mean, sometimes a story needs a lengthy explanation, and I understand that. However, most of the time a simple A,B, C story would work for me. I don't need background information and what everyone was wearing or who was standing where, just give me the facts! Too much talking can kill your mind. Oh yeah, you didn't know that!? Well it can. I can back this up with scientific proof, but that would be too much info:)! To make a long post short, I love the rambling part of Laura as much as I love any other part, and I would never want it to change. Just don't expect me to turn a conversation about my jeans into a 30 minute mini-saga, complete with illustrations and guest speakers!!!

Super "Sloppy" Bowl

Well, it's been a while since I have put anything on here, so what better day to start up than today! Here are a few of MY TAKES on the game today, and some other interesting things you may not have known.

- This may be the second most boring Super Bowl to date. Clearly no teams can beat the snooze-fest that was Super Bowl XXXV between the Ravens and the Giants back in 2001. Don't get me wrong, I like the Steelers, but really, there is no contest here. I don't want to see Seattle. I don't even think Washington wants to see Seattle. They're boring, and they haven't faced a tough team yet.

- For all you betters out there, here are some interesting ones for you to think about before the game:

*Team to Win the Coin Toss - Seahawks: (-105) Steelers: (-105)

*Will Either Team Score 3 Straight Times w/o Other Team Scoring - Yes (Conversions Excluded): (-145) No (Conversions Excluded): (+115)

*Over/Under FIRST Made Field Goal of the Game - First Made FG o34.5: (-105) If No FG -- No Action u34.5 : (-125)

*Over/Under FIRST Punt of the Game (Must be an Official Punt) - First Punt o42.5 : (-115) Return Yards Don't Count u42.5 : (-115)

*Total Number of Different Players to have a Pass Attempt - Pass Attempts o2.5: (-180) Pass Attempts u2.5: (+150)

Just a few to wet your whistle. For more, check out: http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/5299120

- Here are some fun little facts for Super Bowl Sunday:

* Most Super Bowls generate $100 million in merchandise sales bearing the Super Bowl logo. The all-time high was Super Bowl XXXI, Green Bay over New England, $120 million.
* The Super Bowl is the top at-home party event of the year, surpassing New Year's Eve, (Hallmark Cards, Inc.).
* Super Bowl Sunday is the second largest day of food consumption behind only Thanksgiving (American Institute of Food Distribution).
* The NFL licenses 50 companies to produce products bearing the Super Bowl logo - everything from party plates, invitations, aprons, helmet chip and dip sets, banners, pennants, dishes.
* The average number of people attending a Super Bowl party is 17 (Hallmark).
* Ninety-five percent of Super Bowl watchers watch with at least one other person (Hallmark).
* An estimated 14,500 tons of chips and 4,000 tons of popcorn are eaten on Super Bowl Sunday.
* The California Avocado Commission says that on Super Bowl Sunday, Americans scarf down eight million pounds of guacamole.
* Sales of antacid increase 20 percent the day after Super Bowl Sunday.
* Six percent of Americans will call in sick the day after Super Bowl Sunday.
* Super Bowl Weekend is the slowest weekend for weddings.
* Sales of large screen TV's increase five times during Super Bowl Week (National Electronic Dealers Assoc.).
* Fans spend an average of $15 on food and drink at the stadium during Super Bowl (Service America).
* Fans spend more than $50 million on food during the four days of the Super Bowl weekend (Thursday-Sunday).
* Fourteen miles of soft-drink pipeline leading to 160 dispensers serve fans at the game.
* Nine of the 10 most-watched TV programs of all time are Super Bowls.

- Finally, I hope everyone does enjoy today. We are going to be heading out to a friend's house for the first half of the game, so I'm praying it will be enjoyable. The Rolling Stones, I could do without. After the whole Janet thing a few years ago, I fear we are going to be seeing nothing but The Stones, Aerosmith and Paul McCartney. Oh well, it was fun while it lasted. So to everyone out there, HAVE FUN TODAY!! Afterall, it IS the Super Bowl, no matter how uninteresting it may be. My pick, you ask. Simple: Steelers 27 - Seahawks 13! HAPPY EATING!

Dave

P.S. Unfortunately my brother-in-law will not be in this years Super Bowl. However, he was in last years :-) Matt, this one's for you...