R.I.P. Easy Bake 2.0

Well, that didn't last long. Last night Gene was toasting some tortillas for our dinner and I heard a very loud, "Sh#t, Sh#t, Sh#t" coming from the kitchen. I rush in, immediately thinking he had chopped off a finger or maimed himself when I saw our beloved new easy bake engulfed in flames. Okay, maybe this part was a slight exaggeration, but the easy bake was definitely flame-filled and our poor tortillas were reduced to ash. As I stood there trying to comprehend exactly what was going on, Gene said, "Open the balcony door, quickly!" He carried the exploding oven to the porch and I just kept thinking, I'm not sure if this is a smart idea.. Anyways, after a few intense seconds the fire was extinguished and the apartment complex did not go up in flames, whew. As we walked back in to the apartment Gene asked, "Can I have my old oven back? It never did that." So, we're back to using the grease-covered easy bake of old. However, this incident made me grateful that I bought way too much renter's insurance. You never know when you're easy bake is going to explode..

Casa de Case

In addition to attending a top ranked social work program, moving back to Austin also means moving back to my condo. I have lived, cumulatively, about 2 months in the place since my parents bought it almost 2 years ago. I'm starting to get super pumped and I need decorating tips. It's one big room and I need to figure out a way to divide it up effectively and most importantly, cheaply. I'm thinking book cases on either side of the wall to separate the kitchen/dining from the living room. I'm pretty sure I'm the only one who cares about this, but I'd like to pretend this blog is interactive so if you have ideas let me know. Also, I'm thinking of curtains to block off the bed. The living room is the space right in front of the windows.. hard to tell from the pics.

No longer a Texas Ex

Exciting update! I received news that I got accepted to the University of Texas Graduate School 'o Social Work this week. WOOHOO. And by "received news" I mean that I got a cryptic e-mail from the financial aid office that said they were beginning to process my FAFSA. This seemed odd because I just got an e-mail from them saying that they could not process my financial aid until I was accepted in to the program. I started getting excited because I thought maybe this meant I got accepted so after a LOT of digging on the Texas site I found out I was accepted. Seems a little odd since I received a status update e-mail every time something changed in my application (letter of reference was received, transcript issues) so you would think that they'd send me an e-mail saying p.s. you got in. Whatever, I'm thrilled regardless. The program starts in January so I will be Austin bound in no time. It's a little bittersweet to be leaving Denver, mainly because Gene isn't thrilled to be moving to Austin but it's going to be a nice change. I'm really looking forward to no longer being a Texas Ex and starting (another) grad school. I'm also excited about the football. Really excited about the football. WOOHOO.

$40 oil change != $400 bill

I took my car in to the shop today to get the tires rotated and my oil changed. I had a panic on Friday when I couldn't remember the last time it had been to the shop. Oops. Any-who, when I took it in of course I couldn't just get a simple oil change and be on my way. Of course not! Apparently, I had 2 large bubbles in my snow tires (note: not meant to be driven all year long, I'm just that poor) which required that I get two new tires. I was pretty sure they were trying to rip me off until he brought them in for me to see and there they were, two big dents in my tires, which according to the shop man, "Isn't good." So, with few options other than replace the tires or buy 4 new but maybe cheaper tires I bought the damn tires. $300 for two tires. Dammit. I also had to pay for the oil change and the labor on the two tires (um, if you are rotating the tires, don't they all have to come off any ways? Apparently not). All in all a very expensive Monday. As a result, I am pinching pennies for the next two weeks. It's going to be a long two weeks. Grr. Guess this should teach me to take my car in regularly and not drive around on snow tires the entire year but it probably won't...

Better than any lame joke..

All the Sooner fans!

http://ballhype.com/video/all-the-sooner-fans-1/

Let the trash talking begin (or just get a little louder).

There are few things in life I love more than my wonderful Texas Longhorns. Queso, fajitas, and puppies notwithstanding. Any-who, it's that magical time of year again, time for the Red River Shootout. Now, it may come as no surprise to you that I utterly despise all things Oklahoma. It was a point of pride that I had never actually entered the state on my own free will (I can't be blamed for my parents' poor decisions) until this last year. I only broke my boycott when a dear friend and co-worker needed a ride home from West Virginia to Tulsa (bless her heart). It was just as craptastic as I imagined. Whoever said Norman was the nice part of Oklahoma must have very low standards.

As the excitement for the Red River Shootout continues, here is one VERY lame joke. All of the funny ones were not appropriate..Hook 'EM!



***Q: How do we know that the tooth brush was invented in Oklahoma?


A: Anywhere else, it would have been called a "teeth brush".

P.S. The poster says Reality: Realizing that win or lose, you live in Oklahoma. :-)

An Ode to The Brave Little Toaster

So, while I was Facebook slacking this morning, I came across a post about one of my favorite childhood movies, The Brave Little Toaster. To my surprise, after taking a quick snap-poll of my friends, I realized that most people I knew had not seen this movie. WHAT?! It's a seriously cute movie, with somewhat dark, foreboding undertones about advances in technology, but whatever, it is a damn cute movie. It all centers around a toaster, "Toaster," a lamp, "Lampy," an electronic blanket and my personal favorite, "Blanky," "Radio" (I think you get the idea), and a grumpy vacuum cleaner "Kirby." They all set out on an adventure to find their owner after they are forgotten in a house that has been put up for sale. A lot of adventures ensue along the way and it is a very entertaining movie. I don't want to spoil it because if you haven't seen it you really should. All I will say is that my love for this movie as a child might have something to do with why I have a hard time throwing things away..

Another favorite? Return to Oz. Who could ever forget the Wheelers? The Wheelers still scare the heck out of me today; they are evil characters with wheels for hands and feet, this movie's version of flying monkeys. This is a MUCH darker movie than the Wizard of Oz and much more similar to the books, even though it's a combination of Ozma of Oz and the Marvelous Land of Oz. No ruby slippers (in the book they were silver slippers, bummer) in this version. Instead there's a mental hospital, Jack Pumpkinhead, and a taxidermied moose head strapped to a couch. A strange but really enjoyable movie.