Stories of the Huldufólk

Happy 22nd Birthday Holly Nicole!

2008-07-24T23:00:00.002-05:00

Time for a New Post

2008-06-19T23:04:00.003-05:00

Haven't posted in a while. So--

Celebrated my birthday this last Sunday. It was awesome. I celebrated at Olive Garden (yes, I like Olive Garden) and had a grand time with family and friends. Had a wonderful bottle of wine and then an also wonderful bottle of Prosecco to follow.

Watched the Belmont. I'm still not over the loss of Big Brown at the Belmont. I lost a tiny amount of money betting the sure thing and the mint juleps I made everyone (yes I know, one race too late) just weren't as exciting when he came in last.

I'm off for the summer. This means catching up on my reading (I have a HUGE TBR pile) and watching Law and Order reruns. I'm about sick of watching reruns.

I think I would like to take a weekend down at the coast--maybe Port Aransas or Rockport.

A Great Day on Monkey Island

2008-04-15T21:13:00.003-05:00

Today I took a field trip with a colleague of mine and her Biology II AP class. We went to the Southwest Foundation for Biomedical Research. All I can say is WOW. My nerd batteries have been recharged. We got a chance to see the primate area that included chimpanzees, macaques, and one of the largest captive baboon populations. One of the more interesting things I heard from one of the ladies who studies and cares for these animals is that they have at least seven genarations of baboons that they can genetically study. This has enabled them to construct an enormous Primate Genetics and Genomics database.

In addition, we got to hear from a scientist that works in a BSL-4 laboratory that I absolutely adored. I plan on downloading some of the papers he's authored, including some in regard to single domain antibody (sdAB) using llamas. This antibody is essentially more stable because of its ability to refold into its original shape, even at higher temperatures. I think I'm in love...

Other happy notes--my friend frank's Phillies won today in a brilliantly played game. I was sweating for a few innings, but they beat Houston 4-3. The end to an already good day.

Redneck Weekend Redux

2008-04-13T19:31:00.002-05:00

More opportunity this last weekend for a Barbeque at a friend's house. I seriously cannot get enough of eating at their house! This last Saturday there was barbequed chicken, marinated in italian dressing and cream cheese stuffed jalapenos wrapped in bacon. Can't ask for any better than that. Plenty of drinks, Miller Lite for the regular crowd, corona and dos equis for those that have a more superior beer palate. Word of the evening--ravenous. Got to meet some new people and enjoy a rather cool spring evening in a very short summer dress.

This evening it's a quiet night at home, watching the Red Sox game.

I am an Honorary Redneck

2008-04-08T19:24:00.002-05:00

So check out my friend Wandering Girl Brain's blog. She blogged about our weekend--we had a Bar-B-Que at my best friend's house (Deer sausage yum! and ribeye), I learned a new drinking game called the beer tree and then we went to Floore's Country Store to see the Randy Rogers Band. Bloody brilliant! It was raining, we were in it, and the music was wonderful. We'd taken taxi's on the way up, but they wouldn't come back and get us--kept asking my friend what the address was and then hanging up. So we got someone else to bring us back to the house. We managed to stuff and SUV with eleven moderately wet, slightly drunk people. I've never had a better time :)

Not So Good Things

2008-03-16T21:43:00.002-05:00

Never mix:

5 Guiness
2 Purple People Eaters
1 Shot of Chocolate Cake
1 Shot of Irish Whiskey
1 Mind Eraser

and a hard week at work.

I Am Not Dead

2008-03-03T19:08:00.003-06:00

I promise. I can't think of a time when I've been more busy and kept off the computer. Of course it doesn't help that work has now put up a nifty little fire wall to prevent any blog access. Jeez.

So. Last I blogged, I was wondering what the hell happened to happened to to Green Bay when the played the Giants (great bIG UPSET that's what happened.) Then I endured losing a great big bet to my best friend during the Super Bowl when New England lost to the Giants (another great big upset) and then things started taking a nice easy coast.

Odds and Ends-

Went to another Herpetology Show this last weekend. Didn't bring anything live home.

Spent a great weekend with my friend, whose now ex-boyfriend wins the cad of the year award for breaking up with her by telephone and had the nerve to tell her he'd tried to break up with her numerous times before but she "wouldn't let him." So we drank ourselves silly Friday night, had Sushi Saturday, went to the Herp show Sunday, shoe shopped and had Italian food Sunday night.

Had to unpack sweaters again because Winter is making another round here in South Texas. Is it possible to look cute and sexy in a sweater??? If there's a way, I haven't discovered it yet.

Going to Dallas for spring break with my parents! Hooray!!! I love Dallas, love Tallulah Belle, going shopping!!!

Tales of the What the Hell Happened???

2008-01-22T21:32:00.000-06:00

I.hate.mountain.cedar.

Green Bay and the Giants. WTH? My money was on Green Bay (so that my bff and I could wager against each other when they met New England in the Super Bowl.) Apparently three was the charm for field goals in overtime for NY. Ugh!!! 18 and O, one to go. Now I just need to figure out how much of a point spread to use when I bet against my best friend. I'm certainly not giving him 14 pts. Thinking... thinking...

I had the best time last Wednesday nite ever :) I love going out with colleagues after work and doing the mini pubcrawl. Happiness is a beautifully poured Black and Tan.

No fishing trip this weekend. This last weekend, I was supposed to be several hundred miles out in the Gulf of Mexico on a tuna fishing trip. Skipper called off the trip last minute because the swells were supposed to be 8 ft or higher. So I spent a rather uneventful weekend at home.

Now we're gearing up for the rest of the week to be miserable and freezing. I can't wait for warmer weather to head our way.

New England is...

2007-12-26T15:48:00.001-06:00

rockin! With my Red Sox winning the World Series this year, the Patriots at 15-0 and the Celtics at 22-3, life is pretty flipping sweet right now :)

ETA: Make that 24-3 after tonight's win over Seattle!

Further ETA: Patriots finish their regular season with a perfect 16-0!

Answer to Below

2007-12-17T21:37:00.001-06:00

Autographed football from Brett Favre with display case. I get brilliant gifts :)

Birthday Gift

2007-12-10T21:32:00.000-06:00

I've gotten my best friend the most spectacular gift. Best thing about getting someone a gift is teasing them about it until it's either
a) time to give them the gift
b) they're ready to throw you over the balcony
c) all of the above

But my bff can't figure out what the gift is. I give excellent gifts. Most of the fun is teasing the hell out of the recipient.

Hints I've given so far are

Smaller than a breadbox
More expensive than a breadbox
BFF wants one (he's a football coach)
Uses one almost every day
Steel-worker or Smith (the meaning of Favre in French)
John Hancock was elected President of the Second Continental Congress (the most famous autograph)
The unfortunates on Gilligan's Island wouldn't cast it away (a comparison to "Castaway" with Tom Hanks
Does House have a best friend? (House's best friend is Wilson, the company that makes NFL footballs)
black, white, brown, clear, silver maybe a few other colors
Rather straight laced
Examples are Mimas, Tethys, Enceladus and Miranda (prolate spheroid shaped like the moons of Saturn and Uranus)
y = Vyt - 0.5gt^2 (the physics formulas for the perfect spiral pass)
x =Vxt
3rd oldest
worth millions of dollars in advertising every year
can't wear it
could dance with it
Mississippi (Favre's home is here)
Vicodin (Favre was once addicted to)
Foreshadowing is good for birthday gifts (ok bad hint, but Favre's number is 4)
*notebook
*corkscrew (*these three have something in common) (spirals)
*flight of the bumblebee

Blimey! She recognizes her mummy!

2007-12-06T10:30:00.000-06:00

Forgot to explain my comment below regarding, "Excuse me... where are your frozen mice?"

Three weeks ago a teacher friend of mine, his wife and I went to a herpetology expo held right outside the city limits. I had a feeling I'd be bringing something home. We had to sign a release before going in that said we recognized there were quite a few venomous creatures housed within the exhibit hall. And indeed there were. Breeders of all sorts had pit vipers, constrictors, etc. I had my heart set on finding a baby ball python, particularly a female. I found a blush/pastel three month old baby that I've named Fluffy [Death Princess]. She's brilliant. Now if only I could get her to eat...

Notre Dame Win

2007-11-24T18:24:00.000-06:00

Okay so I'm not a fan of Charlie Weiss. Don't care that he has a record of 22-15 in his three years of coaching ND. Today's ND 21 - 14 win against Stanford will send the guys home with at least two consecutive wins to end their season despite suffering the most losses in their history.

I Need to Work

2007-11-20T08:56:00.000-06:00

I hate down time. This week I have a week off for Thanksgiving Break from school and I'm going nuts. I don't like not having something to do. Aside from getting the oil changed in my truck, getting it inspected, checking all the tires, trying to get Fluffy to eat, and trying to find a place to repair my LCD projector, I can't think of anything else to do.

hmmmm

Get To Know Me

2007-11-11T17:55:00.000-06:00

* . . Basic . . *
Name - Deb
Birthdate - 8 June
Birthplace -San Antonio
Current Location - Same
Eye Color - Brown
Hair Color - Shades of Brown, Red and Gold
Height - 5 ft
Weight - 130lbs
* . . What
Zodiac Sign - Gemini
Ethnicity - White
Body Type - cute
Favorite Food - Italian
Favorite Drink - Dr. Pepper or Guinness
Favorite Animal - Persian Cats
Best Physical Feature - Toss up between my hair or... well, all of it's good...
Fears - Fire, arrogant/conceited coaches who won't go out for mystery beer, Fest End or OHT
* . . Have you ever . . *
Drank- yep
Smoked - sometimes
Shoplifted - No
Had Sex - I don't kiss and tell...
Been Dumped - Yep
Had A Boyfriend - Yep
Gotten a hickey - yep
Dated one of your best friends - yep
Sang in the shower - yep
Spit in someone's drink - nope
Opened your Christmas presents early - yep
Got into a fight at school - nope
Lied to a friend - yep
Seen "The Green Berets" more than 10 times - yep
Had more than five REAL bfs - yep
Ran through the sprinklers naked - nope
Ate food that fell on the floor - yep
Went outside naked - yep
Been on stage - yep
Made someone cry - yep
Drank beer - yep
Been on a cruise - nope
Been to a foreign country - yep, several
Broken into a house - yep, i forgot my keys to my house
Gotten a tattoo - yep
Gotten piercings yep
Cried so hard you threw up - yep
Gotten into a shouting match - yep
Been skinny dipping - yep
Laughed so hard it hurt - yep
Tripped on your own feet - yep, frequently
Cried yourself to sleep - yep
Cried in public - yep
Thrown up in public - yep
Lied to your parents - yep

Sorry, couldn't resist...

2007-11-04T20:59:00.000-06:00

Seeing this never gets old

This either

and Josh Beckett. My idea of the perfect centerfold.

Weirdest Thing I've Said So Far...

2007-11-04T18:07:00.000-06:00

Excuse me, where are your frozen mice?

See if you guys can figure out why I asked that today. Updates soon.

Four!!!

2007-10-28T23:08:00.001-05:00

ETA- a friend of mine said he'd stop watching MLB altogether if the Red Sox won the World Series. See ya!

Red Sox win the World Series in a SWEEP! Mike Lowell is named MVP. I have a date with a very tall, cold Guiness.

One, Two, Three...

2007-10-28T16:45:00.000-05:00

13-1

2-1

10-5

0 and 3

I'm Tagged

2007-10-23T12:59:00.000-05:00

A friend of mine, Mavin, tagged me for a Meme. So here goes. The rules are to list 5 to 10 courses or lessons you would take to help improve your life then continue the meme by tagging 5 of your blog friends (or as many as you know if you don't know 5) to do the same and involve a blog friend that you would like to take along with you for one of the courses.

So first, I know I want to learn how to snowboard. Shaun White is my one of my heroes and I'd love to take a few trips to Taos or Mount Hood. Being up in the mountains in the fresh air sounds like a pretty good idea right now. Tumbling in the snow doesn't sound too bad either. Someone needs to bring a camera when I do it.

Second, I want to learn how to pilot a plane. A friend of mine has a little Cessna 150 that looks like it would be sweet to fly. The cost is a little prohibitive (anywhere from $6,000 to $12,000) but would be well worth it.

Third, I want to learn how to go Mountain Climbing with Phil Ershler, George Dunn and Eric Simonson. They organize trips into the Alps and the Andes. I've already tried my hand at ice climbing (yes, I know what a crampon is and I'm not afraid to use them.) I did fairly well, didn't fall in a crevasse when I was in Iceland, so I'd like to explore a different terrain. Long as I don't fall off the other side of the mountain, I'm all set.

Fourth, I've always wanted to train to be an astronaut. A blogging friend of mine works at NASA and I'm not averse to the idea of taking a little ride on the vomit comet.

Finally, I still want to continue learning about my primary interest which is viral research. There just isn't enough time in the day to do everything I want to do with the lab work and even though I'm a Gemini and fairly ADHD, even I can spread too thin. The last one I already do with Attica.

Okay, tagging

Red Sox Are Going to the World Series

2007-10-21T22:56:00.000-05:00

RED SOX WIN THE PENNANT. On to the World Series! Josh Beckett is named MVP. Life is so fucking sweet right now :)

Festend and Red Sox Win

2007-10-21T12:34:00.000-05:00

Sounds good together doesn't it? This last weekend was the annual Festend blowout that one of my colleagues puts together for a little rest, destress and decompress. She and her husband have built a house out in the middle of nowhere near Pipe Creek. When I say middle of nowhere, I mean this place is off the map. We traveled 25 miles outside of San Antonio, turned off on to a little county road and made our way 10 more miles where you hope the road has a level grade. Reminscent of a trip out of Texas Chainsaw Massacre. You get the idea.

Anyhow, every year she throws a huge party, complete with food, adult bevvies and a bonfire. We had a good representation of most of our group make the run. Once we got there, we set up tents, lanterns. I fired up my laptop to watch the redsox game, chill with a half dozen or so ice cold beers and we were off to the races. Redsox game was SWEET, with a 12-2 win. J.D. Drew flipping rocked. Watching the game in the middle of the country under the stars was surreal and very very necessary. Afterwards, we all fully intended to go to sleep, but spent most of the night laughing hysterically in our tents. We even managed to lose one of our group for about 3 hours because he went wandering off in a stupor. Pictures soon...

2004 Redux?

2007-10-17T08:18:00.000-05:00

This is starting to feel like the 2004 ALCS game when we got blown out of the water by a score of 19 to 8. The rally cry right now is "Don't Let Us Win." People familiar with Kevin Millar and what he chanted around Fenway will understand all too well what this means.

Well Earned Tribe Win

2007-10-14T12:03:00.000-05:00

I'll say it. The Indians played a very good game last evening and earned their win. 5 hours and 14 minutes of game with a 13 to 6 11 inning marathon. Ironically, it was Red Sox alum Trot Nixon who was able to bust the 6-6 tie and the Indians were off to the races, earning them 6 more runs. Ironically, the match up that I was looking forward to seeing between Schilling and Fausto Carmona didn't yield any surpising play; it was Tom Mastny that was able to retire my three horseman in the 10th. Even Papelbon wasn't able to save them, being done after pitching 2 innings. Don't even get me started on Gagne whom I think needs to be sent special delivery back to the Rangers.

The rest of the day sucked as well. Notre Dame lost to Boston College and LSU lost to Kentucky. I am not feeling very lucky... my irish must be slipping... Everyone had better leave me well alone today.

ETA: The Patriots win over Dallas today was a tiny consolation.

Vintage Schilling and ALDS Sweep

2007-10-07T22:50:00.000-05:00

I'd like to remind everyone of one of my favorite pictures--

and then fast forward to today. Today Schilling led the Red Sox to a 9 to 1 victory sweep over the Angels. Schilling effectively limited the Halos to only 6 hits and no runs in 7 innings. Flipping sweet. Add to that the two home runs produced by Ortiz and Ramirez (and they said the double wall would affect David's hit) and there you have it. It was an added bonus to spot Theo Epstein in the crowd. On to Fenway!