Good morning and happy Friday, campers. We're in that awkward time in Austin where it's still warm and humid and always seemingly on the brink of rain. As in, it has to rain soon. It is not possible for it to be this humid if there is not the promise of rain. The clouds are like giant bloated cow udders just begging for some relief. --Hope you were ready for disgusting imagery! You weren't? Sawly!-- Well today is the day that the clouds have been waiting for- I think we are getting rain. It says there's a 95% chance, but you seriously never know in this town.

So, today I'm happy to bring you a Rainy Work Day edition of Friday Tunes. Remember how my elliptical playlist was heavy on the beats? This...isn't. Just a mix of slow, easy tunes to get you through an hour of work on this (hopefully) rainy Friday. (Have I ever typed a more geriatric sentence? Meh, I'm just gonna go with it.) Hopefully you get some pitter-patter on your window for some back up percussion. If you'd prefer, you can listen on Spotify under my "rainy work day edition" playlist.

What do yall like to listen to when you're stuck at work on rainy days?

Trips trips trips! I've got a couple fun things planned from now til February that I want to share.

Dallas- TX/OU followed by ACL

Not so much a "trip" as a 24 hour stay in town. For those who do not exist in the Longhorn/Texas Ex/Austin, Texas bubble...we have been faced with a terrible decision. For the first time, The Powers That Be have scheduled ACL Music Festival on the same weekend as the Red River Shootout (the Texas v. Oklahoma football game). This is blasphemy! THIS IS MADNESS! I have only missed ACL once since I started going in 2006, and I regretted it all that year. I've never missed a TX/OU weekend in Dallas since I started attending UT. So torn. So, some of us have decided to do both. Saturday, Dallas for the game. Sunday, ACL. Monday, work. Ugh. Kind of the best of both worlds, though...I'll drink a thousand beers and eat my weight in fried guacamole at the fair, and walk/dance it off Sunday at ACL.

New Orleans- Mardi Gras Baybee!

Can I just say HOW EXCITED I AM FOR THIS? I've been to New Orleans three times now, and it just keeps getting better. If I didn't have the distinct pleasure of living in Austin, I would move to New Orleans in a heartbeat. I've never been for Mardi Gras, though. We've got a hotel booked that appears to be clean and orderly, and is located in the French Quarter. Yah, it's a Best Western. But it's a Landmark Best Western. Only the best for my honey booboos. Also, it would appear that everyone has an actual bed to sleep in, which is a step up for my krewe. <-- see what I did there?

So, I need your help. Please pass along any Mardi Gras survival tips. How does one not get lost? Do you just become okay with the fact that you'll probably get lost, and embrace NOLA strangers as friends? (I can feel my mom's heart quickening as she reads this. Just kidding, Mama. I won't talk to strangers.) Should I bring an extra suitcase for all the beads I'm going to bring back? But what will I WEAR?

Los Angeles- Argo Premiere

This. Is a real thing. That is really happening. But every time I talk about it, it seems more and more far-fetched. In a nutshell: my uncle, Tony Mendez, was in the CIA during the Iran hostage crisis. He was a disguise and exfiltration expert enlisted in recovering six American diplomats who had evaded capture but were stranded in Iran. After his mission was declassified, he wrote about it in his book The Master of Disguise. No relation to the Dana Carvey movie... (turtle! turtle!) Anyway, somewhere along the way George Clooney bought the rights to his story and decided to produce the movie, and Ben Affleck signed on to star and direct. NO BIG DEAL.The movie is called Argo and the LA premiere is next week.

This has been a long time in the making, and the family has been squealing and excited the whole way through. Now the stars have aligned and we have been invited to attend the premiere of the movie in LA. I've never been to California, but I'm told this is the right way to do it. I'm certainly fine with it. So, if you need me next Thursday, I'll be poolside at the Beverly Hills Hotel hanging out with Ben Affleck, John Goodman, Bryan Cranston, Kyle Chandler (!! TEXAS FOREVEROMG BLEEPBLOPBLOOP), and who the hell knows who else. And my family! Thank God. I'll need them if I'm going to attempt to stay grounded/conscious.

I'll also get to see one of my very best girlfriends from high school- she works for WB and will be acting as the family's handler that night. Such a great, small world we live in. Needless to say, I am thrilled and terrified all at once. Check out the trailer below. The critics love it, and it's looking like an Oscar front-runner.



I'll attempt to take a few pictures while I'm there, if I'm not too starstruck. And of course will update my loyal subjects (the ~3 people that read this.) Wish me luck!

Hey dudes...since my last post there have been two Texas tailgates, one away game, a trip home to Dallas, some exciting news regarding a several trips in the upcoming future, Emmy's, a smattering of new fall TV, and just ya know, LIFE.

let's touch base and regroup on the basics.

FOOTBALL

Texas is doing pretty...pretty good! We've got a couple major tests coming up with West Virginia and Oklahoma, but so far this season and the tailgating that has gone along with it has been vewwwy fun. I've got a camping trip scheduled for this Saturday, aka our first conference game against Oklahoma State, so...I'm trying to figure that out. Do they have outlets in the woods? Wifi? How does one...watch..TV...in the wilderness? I now FULLY understand why our dads were so concerned with getting their radios to work on Indian Princess campouts. "Here, honey...I got you a stick and a knife. You use the knife to slowly wittle the stick down. No, yah, it's totally safe. Just let me know when you're done, and I'll find you another stick. No, this really is something your Native American ancestors used to do and in no way is me trying to occupy your time so I can listen to the game. Have fun!"

Roomie and I at the tailgate

DALLAS

I went home for the first time since May this past weekend and it was so great. I checked off all the basics-seeing old co-workers, spending time with the Dallas friends at Oktoberfest, lazy time and a home cooked meal at my Mama's, and related to that- cuddle time with all the kitties and puppies at home. And of course, I saw my hairdresser. I've been seeing her for the past TWELVE YEARS, YALL. We may be separated by 200 miles, but this is a long distance relationship that I am committed to making work.

Dallas, you so shiny and pretty.

Taken before I left. Look how sad they look...

TEE-VEE

I'm kind of a TV junkie. I love good television. Thanks to the wonders of Netflix and DVR, I can enjoy good TV AND not be couch-bound every night. That being said, I was really looking forward to the Emmy's. But man...other than Louis C.K. getting some well-deserved writing awards, Claire Danes getting recognized for her amazing performance on Homeland, and Jessica Lange still being the Empress of Everything, I was SO disappointed. Jon Hamm and Christina Hendricks got R O B B E D. Mad Men in general got robbed. 0 wins for 17 nominations. I like Homeland, I really do, but come ON. On that note, I'm toying with the idea of re-capping some of my favorite shows for you guys. (Community? New Girl? Dexter? AHS? we'll see...)

ELLIPTICAL MARATHON...YUP

Oh, just a major reason I started this blog. Maybe I should touch on this subject. I'm still at the gym 3-4 times a week. I've been spicing things up with spin class and some weight lifting...yall, I got a little burned out of being on the elliptical that much every week. I also felt like I hit a bit of a plateau. I'm re-working a training schedule that includes some non-elliptical activity so that I can keep my pea-brain entertained and keep my body from zoning out. BREAK!

TRIPS!

some exciting travel coming up! going to put this very much in a nutshell, because i'll be doing a full post soon. in summary: Los Angeles! Dallas (again)! New Orleans Mardi Gras!