Happiness is not Texas in my rear view mirror.

That's not to say that I'm not happy, because I am. Seriously. But the homesickness just about kills me sometimes -- and I've noticed something... It's worst in the summer and I'm not exactly sure why.

For some reason, though, I keep going back to summers in west Texas. The sound of the old ice cream maker making some kind of ice cream. I loved banana -- my Poppy and I used to "clean" the dash with a spoon. The feel of the hot shingles on top of the boat house at Lake Kemp beneath my feet as I ran to jump into the lake. The taste of Sunkist soda and Little Debbie Nutty Bars as I sat underneath the trees on the uneven pavement outside the lake house. The sound of locust and an air conditioning unit running full blast. Lizards and horny toads and swatting house flies with a, well, fly swatter. Over-chlorination in the swimming pools at church camp. The hot and humid weather preceding a west Texas thunderstorm -- and the cool feeling afterwards. Watching the rainwater rush in down by the river. The smell of the exhaust from my grandpa's boat. Having to go on one last car ride with my Nana and Poppy -- even if it was just a block around the school -- before they headed back to Abilene. Generic sandwich cookies and watered-down red Kool-Aid at Vacation Bible School. Scuffed knees and tennis shoes from climbing the tree in the back yard -- and listening to Milli Vanilli with Justin. Snow cones. Browsing the J.C. Penney catalog and planning my school wardrobe for the next year, because I was determined to finally be one of the cool kids. (I don't think that ever really happened, but still.) Picnicing down by the Concho River the night of the San Angelo Symphony's July 4th Pops Concert and watching fireworks. Guero's in Austin with Lisa as a live band played outside. The miserable heat as I trudged back to my air conditioned dorm from the BA building at Tech my final summer semester. Mom's fried chicken, homemade potato salad, and baked beans (with the special secret ingredient) at a roadside picnic area on the way to drop Katy at Girl Scout Camp around Fort Davis. The smell of the grass after my dad and brothers had mowed (and edged and weed-eated/ate?) both the front and back yards. The smell of the grill as my dad cooked burgers while I sat at the old formica bar and buttered buns to toast. Cross Canadian Ragweed playing at the San Angelo River Stage while I held an empty lawn chair over my head to keep the rain off. Homemade pina coladas and fajitas while listening to Texas country music. Driving through Austin with Katy and Mama trying to find a Krispy Kreme donut place. Blue Bell. Mrs. Baird's. Town and Country (suck it, Stripes). 87. 20. 208. 277. 84.

Perhaps I'm just jealous that my brothers and sisters are all with my dad and stepmom at Lake LBJ this weekend. Last year was a dream -- I darn near didn't come back. I remember lying underneath a huge mimosa tree as Natalie Merchant's "Motherland" played on my iPod. Texas is my homeland and I love it. I miss it. No matter how many awesome things I get to do in California -- no matter how much I love my "family" here -- Texas will always be home. I don't know if I'll ever make it back to stay, but my heart will always spend part of the year in the 325 and 432.

Check out some Texas summer pictures here. And here are a couple more songs for your listening pleasure:

"They Call it the Hill Country" - Randy Rogers Band
"Texas In My Rearview Mirror" - Mac Davis
"42 Miles" - Cross Canadian Ragweed
"Amarillo By Morning" - George Strait
"Back Where I Come From" - Kenny Chesney
"Chattahoochee" - Alan Jackson (yes, I know the Chattahoochee is not in Texas)
"The Road Goes On Forever (And the Party Never Ends)" - Robert Earl Keen
"Easy Silence" - The Dixie Chicks
"Texas (When I Die)" - Tanya Tucker
"Ohio (Come Back to Texas)" - Bowling For Soup (you had to see this one coming)

In the words of Jason Street and Tim Riggins, Texas Forever.

P.S. If you don't know what show I'm referring to in that last sentence, rectify that situation immediately.

P.S. Again. I think I'm going to go and bake an apple pie, make some homemade ice cream, and seriously consider making oven barbequed chicken for dinner tonight.

Quite possibly the most boring 12 of 12 EVER.

Sorry, y'all. I'm serious. There's a lot of time on the computer(s), some rehashed shots, and a bit of bunching. Still, it was a pretty good day. Hope you enjoy the pictures!

(Confused about what 12 of 12 is? Check out Chad's blog, yo.)

6:49 a.m. - Coziness.

Well, I was supposed to get up by 6:15 to get ready to head to the gym, but that didn't happen. My music on my alarm clock wasn't loud enough, I guess. So, at 6:49 a.m., I woke up, snapped a picture and went back to sleep for 45 minutes. It was kind of awesome. I do love how cozy my bedroom is.


8:50 a.m. - Last minute Twitter check.

(Yes, I know I've used a similar shot at least once. Sorry.) There was some news on my feed that made me smile as I left. Also, my computer is pretty. Two years later and I'm still in love.


9:13 a.m. - Detour?!

Thankfully, it was a pretty one. It even has a couple of bonus four-way stops! They're (finally) repaving Robinson St., so I had to cut down the hill via Micheltorrena. This took me by one of my favorite spots in my neighborhood -- an empty lot with one heckuva view. (Look! It's downtown!) This place is especially inspirational at night when lights are twinkling and you're listening to Loney Dear's "I Was Only Going Out." (Side note: I really want them to play Loney Dear music every time James Loney is announced at the Dodger games. Though I suppose that's not exactly jock-worthy. Whatevs.)


10:45 a.m. - Organizing.

Organization is important. Even on the computer. There is such a thing as e-clutter.


12 noon - It's the most wonderful time of the year!

Emmy screener time!


1:06 p.m. - This is my life.

Long story long, my boss had a notes meeting at 1 p.m. The place where I ordered food from usually insists that customers allow 45 minutes for delivery. So, I ordered food at 12:15 p.m. Guess what time the food showed up? 12:30. So, once the person my boss was meeting with arrived, I found myself in the kitchen, taking hamburger patties off of buns, placing them on disposable plates, and reheating food in the microwave. If you're keeping score at home, this is my boss' veggie burger patty making the rounds (bah-dum-CHING!) in the microwave.


4:39 p.m. - Taking care of business.

Had to send this out to someone yesterday. That is all. These aren't the droids you're looking for. They're free to go about their business. Move along.


5:11 p.m. - Nearly-free tea.

My mom bought me Santa brought me one of those delightful ceramic Starbucks cups for Christmas. (How cute is the striped straw?) I love it because I get a discount when I go downstairs for my afternoon shaken-black-iced-tea-no-sweetener. Somehow, it only cost me 50 cents yesterday! 'Manda likey.


7:02 p.m. - Collaborate and listen!

On my way to my car in the parking garage at work. I've been waiting all week to take this picture.


7:35 p.m. - Old Hollywood.

Sorry for the bunching, but things were pretty on my commute last night and I wanted to take a picture. This is Santa Monica Blvd. at Cole in Hollywood.


7:49 p.m. - Zankouuuuu!

I think this is (at least) the third time Zankou has made its way into my 12-of-12 pictures. I'm sensing a pattern. Anyway, because I'd had a good day, Allison and I decided to have some celebratory take-out for dinner.


10:01 p.m. - My writing cocoon.

Man, I really need to straighten up my room. Hello there, jammies.


One last thing: This song rocks my life. I've heard it two days in a row on Morning Becomes Eclectic. It. Is. Awesome. (Are you shocked to know that Sleigh Bells are on M.I.A.'s label?)

Have a great weekend, all!

Thirty-Onderful Wishes

I turned 31 on Friday. I spent six hours of that day in the car on the way to Monterey to see my family. My completely badass sister Katy graduated from the Defense Language Institute this past Thursday, so all four of my parents flew in to watch her ceremony and celebrate. Naturally, I wanted to spend time with them and show them their new grandcar Pollyanna, so I put together a nice collection of road trip music and headed north on the 101.

Solo roadtrips are great for introspection. I tried to come up with 31 wishes for this particular birthday, but came up short. However, after a good night's sleep and a nice warm bath (my bathroom at home only has a shower stall), I was able to finish off the list. So, please allow me to channel my inner two-year-old and talk about what I want. Thirty-one times.


I want to go to Europe and experience what everyone is talking about -- Germany, France, Italy. I want to be able to let go of stupid, inconsequential -- sometimes embarrassing -- things that I’ve done in the past, especially when the “injured” party in each situation is probably over it. I want to go on a really good first date. I want a dachshund named Triumph who will sit on the couch and snuggle with me while I watch TV. I want to know why I always double knot my left sneaker’s shoelaces, but rarely my right. Furthermore, I want to know why when I have a cold, it’s always the right side of my nose that clogs up, but not the left. I want to be less shy and embarrassed by giving compliments. (I often don’t give compliments due to some strange fear of rejection.) Now that we’re on the subject, I want to get over fear of rejection. And now that we’re really on the subject, I want to get over fear. Period. I want my grandparents to all be around forever, even though my logical side knows they won’t. I want it that way. I want my Mr. Rubble. I want to be a better employee at work, a better friend to Dr. S, and a more prolific and focused writer. I want this party music down the street to stop by the time I go to sleep. (It won’t.) I want to be Jennifer Garner when I grow up. I want to lose fifteen pounds by Comic-Con. I want to be able to live like I actually graduated from college. I want to feel as close to God as my entire family seems to feel. I want to be friends with my friends forever. I want an old Spanish-style house with hardwood floors, a piano, and climbing roses. I want to never hear the term “sexting” again. I want my sisters to marry guys who make them feel good about themselves. I want to take my oldest nephew to Disneyland before it becomes “uncool.” I want to go back in time to make myself watch my mom and stepdad get married instead of hiding in the bathroom at the Justice of the Peace. I want to go back in time to make myself go to my senior prom, even without a date. I want all of my favorite television shows to be back next season. I want to make everyone happy, which is kind of a problem. I want to be as good of a mom to my kids as my mom and stepmom are to me. I want to be the most (genuinely) positive and enthusiastic person I know. I want to meet the current Tom Hanks, since I’ve apparently already met the future one. And finally, I want to go to there.


In conclusion, I had such a wonderful birthday. I spent time last Friday night with my friends at The Black Boar in Eagle Rock. On Thursday, my department at work threw a joint party for me and two other people who celebrated our birthdays last week. This included Tito's Tacos. Because I was sick, I didn't get to blow out the birthday candles, but Kyle lit me a special birthday match to blow out. Allison and Meredith took me out to Il Capriccio in Los Feliz for dinner. Thanks to a phone call on Friday, I might be able to mark one of those wants off my list next week. And finally, the birthday greetings I received via Facebook and Twitter made me feel a little like Pollyanna at the end of the movie -- and I didn't even have to fall out of an attic window. To borrow an expression from one of my favorite guilty pleasure movies Hope Floats, my cup runneth over.

Have a great Sunday, everyone!

Rock my world? More like MELLOW my world...

Who likes good music? Check these songs out and then go and buy them. You won't regret it.

"I Am Not a Robot" - Marina and the Diamonds

"Fader" - The Temper Trap

"Love Lost" - The Temper Trap

"The Ghost Inside" - Broken Bells

"Kandi" - One Eskimo

"Home" - Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes

"Santa Monica Dream" - Angus & Julia Stone

"The Wrestle" - Frightened Rabbit

"Me and Jane Doe" - Charlotte Gainsbourg

If you've never checked out the PS22 Chorus, you should absolutely get thyself to their web site and listen. Last night I was looking up a link to their performance of "Zebra" by Beach House and discovered that they'd actually done "I Am Not a Robot," as well. The adorableness can not be overstated. They actually do the robot for crying out loud...

Aieee.

Ever have those times where you are so busy you can't even think straight and you have so much to do and you feel like you owe so many people things and are being a bad friend/daughter/sibling/person because you haven't paid up on what you've owed whether it be a phone call/e-mail or whatever and in the end you kind of just want to curl up in the fetal position under your desk and listen to Kermit the Frog sing about the Ainbow-ray Onnection-cay oh wait that was Andy Bernard?

Yeah. That's me. Can't remember punctuation, either.

12,000 Words for April 2010

It's 12 of 12 time! If you don't know what it is, check out creator Chad Darnell's blog for the skinny. This month's collection features a lot of bunching and bad jokes/puns. Just be prepared.

7:44 a.m. - Blergh.

Time to get going. Oy.


8:51 a.m. - Mom's words of encouragement.

My mom sent me a very sweet, very silly text message that made me laugh. She's as big of a dork as I am. Can't wait to see her (and all of my parents) in Monterey in a couple of weeks.


9:04 a.m. - The Haul.

Looking at the sheer amount of crap that had to go down to my car. My computer/work bag. My bag of snacks and lunches for the week. Two boxes of cupcakes. My purse. And, not shown, my gym bag.


12:41 p.m. - Prepping.

Reading a treatment before my staff meeting starts. Excuse the hoodie -- it's cold in my office! There's no excuse for the hair...


3:01 p.m. - Checking for messages.

After getting out of our epic staff meeting, I had to check to see if I had any messages from a certain (818) number. I had nothing. At all.


7:24 p.m. - Poquito Mas-ome.

Thanks to a suggestion from my mom, a quick, healthy dinner before heading west. Plus, I had leftovers for lunch today. Traditional vegetarian burrito with pinto beans and no salsa (cut in half, please) for the win!


7:54 p.m. - Rite Aid.

Had to make a last minute stop on my way to O'Brien's. No, I did not purchase a blond wig or fashion Contact paper into a mini-skirt. I can not promise that I didn't use a Southern accent, though. And if you don't know what I'm referencing, you should be ashamed of yourself. That's right. I said it.


8:45 p.m. - You have a book! In a bar!

Getting some not-really-light-but-still-very-enjoyable reading in before my trivia team members arrive. I'm not okay with how puffy my fingers look.


9:51 p.m. - Cheers!

Or, as we say at pub trivia, SOCIAL! I've been thinking about setting up this shot all week and it turned out as awesome as I'd hoped.


11:39 p.m. - Oh, L.A.

Traffic backed up at the 10E/110N interchange. At nearly midnight. Per the SigAlert (that I did not check in my car...honest!), there was a silver Kia involved in an accident.


11:59 p.m. - Burning off a picture.

I realized that it was 11:59 and I still lacked two of my twelve pictures. Sorry for the bunching... And the ridiculous face!


12:00 midnight - Night shirt.

This is the only swag I kept from WonderCon. I have no desire to see Inception, but a shirt that says "Dream Machine" just seems perfect for pajamas in the same way that I had the posters for Sleepless in Seattle and While You Were Sleeping hanging over my bed in college.


Have a great week, all!

Everytime he does that thing he does.

When I was a little girl, my favorite actor – aside from one Kermit the Frog – was Tom Hanks. I could watched Big and The Money Pit and Joe vs. The Volcano for hours on end. If Sleepless in Seattle is on – and let’s face it, it’s the Law and Order of movies in that it seems to be on some channel at any point during the day – I’ll watch it. Even at the gym, despite its lack of upbeat keep-your-butt-moving music.

As gifted as he is with comedy, he’s equally so with drama. The man made me cry over a volleyball in Castaway, for heaven’s sake. I could go on and on, but a quick look at his IMDB page reveals so many of my favorite movies (and I'm a few minutes from getting off work and don't have that kind of time). I’m pretty sure that he’s going to have me bawling again in Toy Story 3.

As if he didn’t already have my heart, he appeared on a Jeopardy! skit on Saturday Night Live. IN A PLASTIC DRY CLEANING BAG.


I’ve discussed this with a few people, but I’m thinking we need to find the next Tom Hanks. Not that I think this one’s going anywhere anytime soon. But who’s the next quadruple threat? In addition to making us laugh and cry, he has to be able to write, direct, and produce. And do it well while being exceptionally endearing at the same time.

Any thoughts?