So you wanna go to the DPS?

First, I assume it's more due to a *need* to go to the DPS and less a *want* to go to the DPS.

Sure, the DPS (oh, that's Department of Public Safety, bee tee dubs) is a very good place for great people watching, true, but beyond that, it's just teeming with feelings of frustration and anger. Yes, anger, and I'll get to that in a moment.

In the interest of providing something useful, here are my tips for navigating the DPS.

1) Bring a cooler stocked with refreshing beverages, snacks and maybe even a hearty meal. Better to be over-prepared than under, in this circumstance.

2) Think of every single official governmental piece of documentation you have ever received in your life. That's right, every single one. Your birth certificate? Grab it. Your marriage certificate? Yup. That state ID you picked up that time someone stole your driver's license on Bourbon? That, too. If you have some recent blood tests proving you're O+, better add them to the pile. Surely, the Social Security card goes without saying.

3) Don't forget your insurance card and car registration. May as well toss your emission's test into the mix.

4) A camera or, better yet, a camera phone with a direct link to your twitter account. How else are you going to capture the super-snazzy harem pants of your co-DPS-line-waiter? Or the uber-cute 80-year-old-married couple dragging along matching lawn chairs?

5) Speaking of co-DPS-line-waiters, here's a fun tip to pass the time: count the number of disgruntled masses. Make a game of it... one point for someone who's simply seething. Two points for someone verbalizing their complaints. Three points everytime storms out of the building angrily. 500 bonus points for the physical removal of disgruntled person by the Sheriff's Department!

In short, folks, the 5 hours you're about to spend applying for your Texas driver's license or state ID or renewing your driver's license are hours you'll never forget.

Especially not if you wait 2 hours in line, only to make it up to the front and be told that you're missing 1 of the 25 pieces of proof of citizenship required, "... so, please come back again tomorrow."

Oh. What. Joy.

101 in 1001 Update; One year to go!

Wow. One year to complete The List. ::cough::

365 days to finish ::checks list:: 65 tasks. Or else some lucky non-profit will get a neither-underweight-yet-not-obese check for $325.

Let’s have a look at what has been accomplished.

I’ve been awfully busy in the Body, Food and Social categories. Only #89 (Join a committee and stay active for 1 year) remains in Social. Food has 7 out of 13 tasks remaining (#75, 77, 78, 80, 81, 83 and 85). And Body clocks in with 3 out of 14 remaining (#60, 61 and 72). One could infer this to mean I’m a body conscious, social, food-loving person. Possibly.

Where am I lacking? Travel (3/11), Home (6/21), Love (0/7), Mind (2/10) and that miscellaneous category, Other (3/12). I’m not going to draw a conclusion towards my personality from that. So there.

The Financial category is so-so (3/8).

As per usual, it appears I may have over-reached. I tend to not take into consideration the little things, like the fact that the 9 to 5 leaves an embarrassingly small amount of “fun time," or fiscal constraints. Perhaps I should add “learn how to make reachable goals” on the next 101 list.

Yes, I’ll probably do another 101 list after this one ends. I’m a weirdo like that.

Alright, 65 not-yet-completed-tasks. It’s you and me, buddy. Let’s go!

So, you wanna have a crawfish boil?

I was hesitant to say anything, in case one of the many key ingredients fell through, but now that we have a massive stock-pot chilling in our garage and Exxxtra Spicy boil mix, I'm feeling fairly confident that this party is a go.

Oh. And I already sent out the invitations, soooo...

We're kinda committed.

What have The Husband and I learned thus far?

1) There is a fierce fight over purging crawfish with salt vs without salt. No one can exactly tell me the pros of with salt (so far) but the cons are, apparently, that you'll end up with a bunch more dead bugs.

2) An 80 qt pot is tres large. Like, you could bathe a baby, and maybe a small toddler, in it large.

3) A hard plastic baby pool is a rare commodity. Who knew inflatables are taking over the world?

4) Everyone and their brother has a different cooking time for the crawfish. A gazillion years of cooking these things and no one has a set standard. Guessing the "done" time for a few mudbugs is more challenging than cooking a Thanksgiving Day turkey.

5) Finding the best place to provide your little crustaceans is tantamount to coordinating the invasion of a small country. You'll be negotiating the price per pound, the delivery time and site, the grade of your bugs and whether or not they come pre-purged.

And, we're still a bit more than one week out. Phew.

Of course, this will all be worth it once we're elbows deep in some delicious crawfish with all our favorite sides. Nom!

#57: Make a list of 100 things that make me happy

1. My toes in the sand
2. Sunshine
3. Palm trees in December
4. My family and friends
5. Pedicures
6. Sephora
7. New shoes
8. Being blonde
9. Bubbly
10. Bubble baths
11. Flowers, unexpectedly
12. Peeenk things
13. Snuggling on the sofa
14. Quiet time
15. The smell of books
16. Christmas
17. Hot coffee
18. Yorkshire pudding and roast beef
19. Sunday mornings
20. Brunch
21. Sushi
22. Swimming
23. Reading
24. Making lists
25. Checking items off those lists
26. Coupons
27. Writing
28. Love notes
29. Birthdays
30. High heels
31. Wine
32. Surprising other people
33. Baking
34. Trying new recipes
35. Cashmere
36. Heated blankets
37. Slippers
38. Glossy magazines
39. BBQ
40. Kaleidoscopes
41. Thanksgiving
42. The library
43. Ballet
44. How I feel *after* the gym
45. Shopping
46. The Georgia mountains
47. My hometown
48. Celebration in the Oaks
49. Beignets and cafe au laits
50. British spellings (behaviour, colour, etc)
51. Napa Valley
52. Eggs over-easy with toasted rosemary bread and butter
53. Pumpkin
54. The beach
55. Salt water
56. The smell of sunscreen
57. Taking walks
58. Riding the streetcar
59. Fairs
60. Travelling
61. Planning
62. A clean home
63. Old movies
64. Barnes & Noble
65. Filling in my budget
66. Chocolate croissants
67. Confetti
68. Date nights
69. When my "skinny" jeans get loose
70. Baseball on a warm summer night
71. 3... 2... 1... Happy New Year!
72. Driving fast with no traffic
73. Unscheduled days
74. Cozy socks
75. Research
76. Dessert
77. Updating the Netflix queue
78. Obscure words
79. Sudoku
80. Foreign films, in general
81. Dancing
82. Gooey brownies, straight from the oven
83. Dreaming
84. Santa Claus
85. Cleaning out my in-box
86. Organizing
87. Making packing lists
88. Mittens, in theory
89. Happy hour
90. New contacts
91. Ripe nectarines
92. Cocktail parties
93. Rain
94. Watching fireworks
95. New nail polish
96. Lip gloss
97. Summer
98. Bathing suits
99. Looking through photo albums
100. Sculpture gardens

#50: Read 10 new books (completed!)

Started 11-17-08
Completed 01-02-10
1. The Testament, John Grisham
2. The Partner, John Grisham
3. The Notebook, Nicholas Sparks
4. Girl with a Pearl Earring, Tracy Chevalier
5. Girls Night In, Meg Cabot, Jen Weiner, Sophie Kinsella, others.
6. I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell, Tucker Max
7. The Verdict, John Grisham
8. The Night Buffalo, Guillermo Arriaga
9. Seabiscuit: An American Legend, Laura Hillenbrand
10. Her Fearful Symmetry, Audrey Niffenegger

Can't/Won't/Should/Shouldn't

Originally seen at Living Life to the Pinkest, who got it from It's Unbeweavable.

I can't...
--Lie
--Read a certain gossip blogger’s site anymore (hint: the initials are PH)
--Give up flip flops
--Multiply by 9 without using my fingers

I can...
--Give encouragement
--Make a fabulous key lime pie
--Donate blood
--Recite the Greek alphabet from memory

I won't...
--Wear PJs in public
--Condone wearing either Uggs or Crocs
--Shop at Wal-Mart
--Cheat

I will...
--Payoff my credit cards
--Tell you exactly what I think
--Always be up for sushi
--Learn to be more accepting

I should...
--Pick up the phone
--Commit to learning Spanish
--Eat more veggies
--Do more that makes me happy

I shouldn't...
--Be quite so blunt
--Watch so much trash TV
--Procrastinate
--Be impatient

The revised 101 in 1001 days list

End date: May 25, 2011
Bold indicates new and/or revised item
Italics indicate item in progress
Strike-through indicates completed item

49 Completed
11 In progress
41 to go!

Travel
1. Weekend trip to New Orleans
2. Go to the Keys
3. Weekend trip to San Antonio
4. Weekend trip to Dallas
5. Go to Wurtzfest in New Braunfels
6. Get passport
7. Climb Enchanted Rock
8. Go wine tasting in Napa Valley
9. Weekend trip to San Fransisco
10. Make a detailed plan to visit Scotland
11. Travel to 2 new places not already on this list (2/2)
Financial
12. Buy new laptop
13. Change name on credit cards
14. Change name on bank account
15. Pay off credit cards
16. Start an emergency fund with $500
17. Use only cash for 30 days
18. Donate $5 to a non-profit for each unfinished 101 item
19. Start 401(K)
Home
20. Complete china set
21. Paint kitchen
22. Paint living room
23. Paint office
24. Decorate office
25. Buy new everyday dinnerware
26. Start and maintain herb garden
27. Finish decorating living room
28. Wash and clean out car every week for one month (2/4)
29. Buy new lamps
30. Purchase fire/waterproof safe
31. Put important documents in safe
32. Order "Est." sign
33. Get an indoor plant and keep it alive for 6 months
34. Decorate for Christmas
35. Decorate for Halloween
36. Decorate for Thanksgiving
37. Update and maintain Emergency Supply kit
38. Clean out my closet of anything not worn in the last year.
39. Donate items from #38 to Goodwill.
40. Strip and paint old mirror
Love
41. Take family portrait
42. Go on 20 date nights with husband (15/20)
43. Personal item, tyvm
44. Get a massage
45. Watch sunset with husband
46. Watch sunrise with husband
47. Order wedding photos
Work/Education
48. Get a professional headshot taken
49. Read 6 copies of my organization's monthly magazine, when they are current (6/6)
Mind
50. Read 10 new books (10/10)
51. See an exhibit at the Blanton
52. See a play
53. Go to the ballet
54. Take 2 mental health days and spend them outside of the house doing unusual activities
55. Blog about each 101 item
56. Journal a happy moment each day for one year (starting 01-01-2009 through 12-31-2010)
57. Make a list of 100 things that make me happy
58. Write on blog 3 times a week for one month
Body
59. Buy new running shoes
60. Run/walk a 5K
61. Walk around Town Lake
62. Get a new primary care physician
63. Make a change in my hairstyle/color
64. Wear makeup everyday for two weeks
65. Go to the dentist
66. Go to the eye doctor
67. Order new contacts
68. Research and buy new foundation
69. Get a pedicure
70. Go to the gym 3 times/week for one month
71 Go to the gym 4 times/week for one month
72. Go to the gym 5x week four times (2/4)
Food
73. Make 15 new recipes, not including the ones listed here specifically (15/15)
74. Eat at the Salt Lick
75. Find the best burger in Austin
76. Try ten new restaurants (10/10)
77. Take a CM cooking class
78. Vist one new restaurant during Austin's 2010 restaurant week.
79. Visit one new restaurant during Austin's 2009 restaurant week
80. Make empanadas
81. Try 10 new flavors of ice cream (10/10)
82. Bake panetone
83. Take a sushi class
84. Bake a chocolate cake
85. Bake a tres leches cake
Social
86. Host a New Year's Eve party
87. Celebrate husband's 40th b-day
88. Celebrate my 30th b-day
89. Join a committee and remain active for one year
Other
90. Go to the pool 30 times (20/30)
91. Watch 30 new movies (30/30)
92. See a movie at the IMAX
93. Watch the bats at Congress Avenue
94. Ride in a hot air balloon
95. Get new driver's license
96. Rent a boat and go on the lake
97. See the Alamo
98. Ride down the San Antonio riverwalk
99. Ride the Austin Steam Train
100. Go to Zilker Park Christmas light display
101. Get a new cell phone

Random thoughts from the weekend:

1. Why does the same lady ID me every game? Why must we have the exact same convo each time too? I think she must have short term memory problems.

2. If it's this hot in early July, what's August going to be like?

3. Skipping breakfast to make more room for BBQ = fab idea.

4. Never again will I doubt if it's worth it to drive the extra mile to Starbucks.

5. People who skip the "stayed there all season" verse to Margaritaville do not, in fact, "know" Buffet.

6. Which explains why they looked at me as though I had two heads when I requested Son of a Sailor.

7. The grocery store a la 10am on July 4th? Surprisingly empty.

8. Probably because of the no alcohol sales before noon thing...

9. Despite many many many repeat viewings of Ice Age and Ice Age 2, Scrat is still gigglesnortingly funny.

10. Long weekends only make me wish for longer weekends.

Splash, Sip and See! (the plan)

Party: Splash, Sip and See!
A spin-off on the popular "sip and see" parties hosted to introduce family and friends to the newest member of the family (read: baby), I decided to extend the concept to include a pool party (hence, the "splash") for our friends to meet-and-greet the Husband's sister and kiddos during their visit.

Place: our community's pool
Easy peasy set-up and plenty of things to do. Cover for those who shy away from the Texas sun and room to spread out for everyone.

Timing: Early afternoon next Sunday
Early afternoon means brunch food and drinks (wheeeee!), and it means that we'll all have plenty of time to relax in the evening and prep for Monday.

Menu:
Easy cheese danishes
Tri-berry muffins*
Sandwich buffet
Deviled eggs
Garbanzo bean salad
Gazpacho*
Watermelon
Key lime pie, and
Lemon cupcakes
Yum! The * designates items that I'm still on-the-fence about.

Drinks:
Mimosas (orange and lemon)
Lemonade
Juice boxes for the kids, and
Ice water
Our guests have also been asked to BYOB anything that they prefer to drink, too.

Zee aforementioned award

As I said previously Smile Steady was lovely and gave me this award:

Wasn't that just so-very-nice of her?

I have not been so nice, as it's taken me just forever to acknowledge said award and pass it along. Thus, we shall not wait any longer.

On with the show!

Here are the rules:

1) List 10 honest things about yourself

2) Past it on to 7 cool people who embody the spirit of honest scrap.

Zee list:

1) I generally regard myself as the least cool person ever. Look up “geek” in the dictionary and you’ll find a picture of me.

2) I love pink or, as it should be spelled, peenk. The more “e”s the more my love for said color/item.

3) Although I love clothes and shoes, and I very much love to shop, I’m terrible at actually plunking down money. Maybe it’s the poor-student mentality or maybe it’s the non-profit mentality (or maybe both!), but I hate spending money.

4) It was 22 years before I crossed the Mason-Dixon Line.

5) It was 27 years before I played in snow.

6) I would be all too happy to live in a swimsuit, flipflops and sundresses. By the beach, of course.

7) Once upon a time, I had a rad collection of vans and swatch watches.

8) Movies I could watch over-and-over again: French Kiss, Sliding Doors, Shakespeare in Love, Dangerous Beauty, Fight Club, Serendipity and Breakfast at Tiffany’s. (one of these things is not like the other… one of these things just doesn’t belong…)

9) I almost didn’t meet my husband but, thankfully, a very persistent friend forced me to go out that night.

10) I will always be a Florida girl at heart.

Zee 7 cool people:

1) Miss Circe
2) Dana
3) CaneWife
4) The Green Housewife
5) Rachel
6) Lena

7) Shannon

Well, there ya go, ladies! Have at it :-)

Spin-off of "On being happy(ier)"

1. What’s the relationship between money and happiness?
I think that money makes it easier to be happy. Not that having money means you automatically are happy, but that the having eliminates a stress, which is (at least for me) a total happiness buster.

2. What’s a simple activity that consistently makes you happier?
Baking. Something about puttering around the kitchen, up to my elbows in flour, creates this silence in my head that lifts my spirits everytime. It's fail safe, even when the product turns out badly.

3. Is it selfish to work on being happier?
No, I think that when one is happy, it makes the world more pleasant for others.

4. Is there a quotation, a book, or a scene from a movie that you’ve found particularly compelling?
Not that this is particularly compelling, but it seems to fit the subject and it's from one of my favorite books from my absolutely favorite author:
What I've found does the most good is just to get into a taxi and go to Tiffany's. It calms me down right away, the quietness and the proud look of it; nothing very bad could happen to you there, not with those kind men in their nice suits... ~Truman Capote, Breakfast at Tiffany's

5. If you’re feeling blue, how do you give yourself a happiness boost?
I call my sister. She's absolutely ridiculous and, since she is in her early twenties, is in a very self-involved period, which results in hilarious conversations.
Failing that, I'll wander over to Barnes and Noble, grab an iced coffee and peruse the shelves for hours.

6. Have you noticed people with habits that regularly detract from their happiness? Or boost their happiness?
I know a couple people who make it a habit of going to the gym everyday for the express purpose of boosting their happiness.
I think the key difference between those who have habits which boost their happiness verses those with habit that detract is awareness. People whose habits detract are unaware that those little things are chipping away at their happiness. Those who have built habits to boost their happiness have done so with intention.

Non-discriminatory tastes.

I saw this list floating around a couple sites today, but Ed Levine Eats is the original (I think). The idea is that the foods on this list are either loved or hated, depending on your taste, with few-to-none giving them middle ground.

It's Friday and I'm looking forward to the weekend, so I thought it would be fun to see which of these The Husband and I love or hate:

1. White Chocolate:
The Husband-- HATE with the passion of a Latin lovah.
Ashley-cita-- Meh. If there's no other chocolate around then sure.
2. Cilantro
The Husband-- Love
Ashley-cita-- Love
3. Eggplant
The Husband-- Love
Ashley-cita-- Love
4. Coconut
The Husband-- Love
Ashley-cita-- Love
5. Tomato
The Husband-- Love
Ashley-cita-- Recently grew to love. Previously, tomato inspired me to gag at the very sight of it.
6. Anchovies
The Husband-- Love
Ashley-cita-- ::puke::
7. Black Licorice
The Husband-- Hate
Ashley-cita-- Hate
8. Stinky Cheese (roquefort/gorgonzola)
The Husband-- LOVES more than life itself
Ashley-cita-- Love
9. Mayo
The Husband-- Hate (weirdo)
Ashley-cita-- Love
10. Bell Pepper
The Husband-- Love
Ashley-cita-- Love
11. Beets
The Husband-- Love
Ashley-cita-- Love

There are only a few things that inspire us to look at each other and ask, "How can you eat that?! Ewwww." His is when I eat peanut butter or yogurt (mmmmm, on both accounts) and mine is when he eats anchovies (the very thought is making me choke).

I suppose it's a good thing that our tastes are fairly well aligned, since it makes for each meal planning. :-)

Forget January 19th

Call it a vent, a complaint, a whine or whathaveyou, but I have had it up to here with 2009. ::waves hand frantically above head::

And, today, it seems I have reached the end of my rapidly fraying rope. Thus, February 19th, shall be marked as my most depressing day of 2009.

I'd love to elaborate on all things (cough, work, cough, co-irkers, cough) currently shorting my fuse, but I'd also love to not be dooced, so the list shall remain short and vague.

1. My fellow commuters' mothers failed to impart any sort of manners to their children, thus they are all selfish cows who fail to realize that they are not the only ones attempting to get somewhere between the hours of 7:00am-9:00am and 4:30pm-6:30pm. Also, it seems that the person administering their drivers licenses was blind, deaf and dumb.

2. Vacation days are in short supply, sick leave days doubly so.

3. The "economy" is making everyone a bit more bonkers and they were plenty bonkers enough to begin with. The sky is not falling, my dear chicken little. In fact, we are doing just as well as we did this time last year. Let us not freak out until it really becomes necessary, m'kay?

4. Not having a personal masseuse on retainer at all times.

5. Playstation 3.

6. New people at the gym have not yet realized that the following behaviors are better left in the privacy of their own homes:
a. de-hairing their hair brushes and leaving the evidence on the locker room floor
b. heavy breathing
c. copious sweating all over the machines and not wiping afterwards

7. Did I say short? I'm a lying liar pants.

8. My anemic bank account and my robust student loan payments.

9. Leggings with zippers at the knees appearing at NY Fashion Week. Just. No.

10. Lack of mandated nap time after pre-K. Boo.

The list: 101 in 1001

End date: May 25, 2011

Bold indicates completed item
Italics indicates item in progress

Travel
1. Travel to Venezuela
2. Travel to Italy
3. Visit Mexico
4. Go to Celebration in the Oaks (New Orleans)
5. Weekend trip to San Antonio
6. Weekend trip to Dallas
7. Go to Wurtzfest in New Braunfels
8. Get passport
9. Climb Enchanted Rock
10. Go wine tasting in Napa Valley
11. Weekend trip to San Fransisco
12. Stay overnight in the Keys
13. Make a detailed plan to visit Scotland
Financial
14. Buy new laptop
15. Change name on credit cards
16. Change name on bank account
17. Pay off credit cards
18. Start an emergency fund with $500
19. Use only cash for 30 days
20. Donate $5 to a non-profit for each unfinished 101 item
21. Start 401(K)
Home
22. Complete china set
23. Paint kitchen
24. Paint living room
25. Paint office
26. Decorate office
27. Start and maintain herb garden
28. Strip and paint old mirror
29. Finish decorating living room
30. Wash and clean out car every week for one month
31. Install drawer pulls in kitchen
32. Purchase fire/waterproof safe
33. Put important documents in safe
34. Order "Est." sign
35. Get an indoor plant and keep it alive for 6 months
36. Decorate for Christmas
37. Decorate for Halloween
38. Decorate for Thanksgiving
39. Update and maintain Emergency Supply kit
Love
40. Watch sunset with husband
41. Watch sunrise with husband
42. Order wedding photos
43. Take family portrait
44. Go on 20 date nights with husband (8/20)
45. Personal item, tyvm
46. Get a couple's massage
Work/Education
47. Get a professional headshot taken
48. Talk to B-school people
49. Submit B-school application(s)
Mind
50. Take MCAT
51. Write on blog 3 times a week for one month
52. Read 10 new books (6/10)
53. See an exhibit at the Blanton
54. See a play
55. Go to the ballet
56. Take 2 mental health days and spend them outside of the house doing unusual activities
57. Blog about each 101 item
58. Journal a happy moment each day for one year (starting 01-01-2009 through 12-31-2010)
Body
59. Go to the gym 3 times/week for one month
60. Go to the gym 4 times/week for one month
61. Buy new running shoes
62. Run/walk a 5K with husband
63. Walk around Town Lake
64. Get a new primary care physician
65. Make a change in my hairstyle/color
66. Wear makeup everyday for two weeks
67. Go to the dentist
68. Go to the eye doctor
69. Order new contacts
70. Wear contacts everyday for two weeks
71. Research and buy new foundation
Food
72. Bake a tres leches cake
73. Bake panetone
74. Take a sushi class
75. Bake a chocolate cake
76. Make 15 new recipes, not including the ones listed here specifically (15/15)
77. Eat at the Salt Lick
78. Find the best burger in Austin
79. Try ten new restaurants (10/10)
80. Take a CM cooking class
81. Attend Taste of Austin
82. Visit one new restaurant during Austin's restaurant week
83. Make empanadas
Social
84. Host a New Year's Eve party
85. Celebrate husband's 40th b-day
86. Celebrate my 30th b-day
87. Join a committee and remain active for one year
Other
88. Go to the pool 30 times (5/30)
89. Watch 30 new movies (30/30)
90. See a movie at the IMAX
91. Watch the bats at Congress Avenue
92. Ride in a hot air balloon
93. Go to a San Antonio Spurs game
94. Get new driver's license
95. Go to a major league baseball game
96. Rent a boat and go on the lake
97. See the Alamo
98. Ride down the San Antonio riverwalk
99. Ride the Austin Steam Train
100. Go to Zilker Park Christmas light display
101. Get a new cell phone