Curious Notions

HalloNEWeen things of the HalloWEEK (Get it now?) include my first carved pumpkin. I’ve carved pumpkins as a class as a child but never on my own before. Jamie threw a pumpkin carving drinking girly party Friday. I was one of the first to start and one of the last to finish. I blame it on picking a not so easy decal as my first pumpkin. I made a bat! Here’s a phone camera quality picture of it all lit up.

It was fun. I want to start doing this every Halloween. Maybe next year I’ll roast the seeds to put a new spin on it.

Then last night I went to Gruesome Gardens with Jessica and Brandi. I scare really really easily. We bought tickets to go see all three haunted houses located at the Great Outdoors on South Congress. Honestly, I can’t tell you what was all there since I had my eyes squeezed shut throughout the whole thing. Jessica and Brandi literally had to drag me in all three times and I screamed wailed out “OH MY GOD. PLEASE. I DON’T WANT TO DO THIS ANYMORE. AHHHHHHHHHHHH” maybe 10 times.

It didn’t matter that I had my eyes closed through last house called “House of Weird Sensations” since it was pitch black. We had to feel our way/push our way through a rubbery black soft maze. There were soft whispers taunting us in the dark. With our arms linked, we all kind of panted our way through the darkness. Every now and again Jessica and I would hit our head on a wall /dead end and we’d break our silence with a unison “OW” which served as comedic relief.

The scariest moment occured when all of a sudden Jessica is screaming screaming screaming. SCREAMING. Brandi and I screamed along with her. I didn’t open my eyes even then but I was terrified for Jessica since she’s kind of ballsy. Half in a panic, we felt our way out shortly after. Hahahhaha. Later in her car she tells us she accidentally grabbed someone’s hand who happened to be lost too and freaked out. So our scariest moment happened with someone who wasn’t even a paid employee.

I don’t think haunted houses are for me. I can’t even open my eyes. I have nothing visually descriptive to share.

Last night a group of 6 friends went out to celebrate Halloween.. Started off at a big giant house party and then proceeded to 4th street… then 6th street… then a loft party… then another loft party of a random person whom we didn’t even know… all without a car. Hunting for cabs made it feel like a pilgrimage of some sort. Here are some favorite photos.

My roomie and I. He handed out packets of M&Ms and his costume says “S&M” Har har! Oh, and his favorite line of the night was “I’m a cannibal!” My favorite line was, “I’m a cat walking!!”

poor puppy was not happy with his costume

It’s the Bachelor! Fricking cute isn’t he?

Spartan with his Spartan queen. He kept getting, “THIS IS SPARTA!!!” all night. He also tried to find a Persian to fight.

I love this movie.

Bill thought he was the real Mystery. Hahah.

Adorable costume. She’s so cute.

The holy couple of the night. The priest has a plastic testicle that when you squeeze would make his “penis” inflate.

I wanted to see…

At the end of the night it started to get really cold. Orange M&M gave me his costume for an extra layer. When we got back to Jessica’s place she lent me her hoodie. I guess I found that amusing enough to take a picture.

is finally out today everywhere. Do yourself a favor and go see it.

So we had a very very ugly website at work. It was hideous. I have to show you the screen shot of the before for you to really appreciate the after.

I spent the last two days off and on during my work hours to redo the entire site. :) Behold the after! It’s 300 percent better than the before if I do say so myself. Of course, the after shot alone is just mediocre… But in comparison, I think it’s the shit.

I told the office manager I didn’t want to go live since I cut and pasted the content from the old site and haven’t had a chance to check for typos. She said she wanted to go live now with the typos. Logic being new site with typos is still a lot better than the old site with the same typos. So I go live and she sends out an email for people to do the once over and send me suggestions since I’m still working on it..

Not but minutes later I get inundated with emails telling me to learn how to spell and to “go back to school.”

Thanks!

In high school, a classmate used to make a tub of this delicious confection for birthday presents. Chex, covered in chocolate and peanut butter and powdered sugar. That was how I described it to Lily when she goes, “Puppy Chow!” It’s called Puppy Chow! I googled and sure enough, Puppy Chow. I decided that’s what I was going to bring to Jamie’s pumpking carving party this weekend. So last night after work, I stopped by the local HEB and picked up the ingredients. Butter, chocolate, peanut butter, box of Chex and a powdered sugar.

Last night’s goal was to just test the simple recipe out on my roommate. I come home and he’s sitting there on the couch watching ESPN and playing poker (as always).

“Roomie, have you ever had Puppy Chow?”

“I had a doggy biscuit as a child once.”

I schooled the roomie and proceeded to make the easy snack. He actually wanted to just eat it after I mixed in the chocolate, butter, PB, and chex as is. Had him wait til I covered it in the powder. Gave him a bowl to try out and he was an immediate fan. It’s AWESOME. So fricking good.

He finished the bowl and a tupperware box I saved for him. Gave another box to Robby and his roommate. They loved it too and gave it to our neighbor. I love how everyone kind of gave me this wary look. Robby and my neighbor both have puppies. “……This is for my puppy?”

No Bubba, it’s for you.

Below is a before powder sugar picture.

I had an after photo too but it turned out blurry and now all of it’s gone. Can’t wait to make another batch Friday.

I went to Houston last weekend to visit family and friends. Thomas took me to a new Thai place which he said was his favorite in Houston. Tony Thai. I had the Chicken Kee Mao. It was a little sweet for me and I am still very partial towards Madam Mam’s Kee Mao (also known as the “F5 with flat noodles”) in Austin.

Photos courtesy of Thomas. I make sexy faces sometimes. They have a water wall. I appreciated that. I really do love Thai food and can eat it everyday.

After dinner we went to see a documentary which I’ll write about in a little bit. We ended our night with other boys at Pub Fiction in Midtown Houston. I have yet been before that night. Loved the vibe and the people. Diverse group of people and an awesome band and DJ mixed fun dance songs. I like.

Photos again courtesy of Thomas. The one of them pointing at each other? Have you seen Superbad? Remember when one dude went to the other dude, “I love you, man” and then tapped him on his nose and said, “boop!” Yeah. Boop!

Last week before seeing Lars and the Real Girl, (My favorite movie so far of 2007) as part of the Austin Film Festival, Dave, Kym, and I ducked into the Hideout on Congress. I was told about the Hideout the weekend before and lucky me found it not but days later. Hideout is a very Austiny coffee shop. They also have a theatre in the back that I’ve yet to experience. I had a spinach and cheese croissant and a mango freeze. Delicious. The croissant was cheap. 2 something.. drink was 3 something. Affordable and cute.

Dave had the Amy’s ice cream. Kym had the ham and cheese croissant.

Had my appointment today at the endocrine office I work at. PA tells me my lab results are all within range. Cholesterol numbers are great. She implored me to stop eating at McNasty’s. She also asked me if I was ever formally diagnosed with ADD.

That cracked me up as my friends tell me it’s hard to cognitively follow me.

Edit: Just checked my chart since I have access to them. This is cut and pasted directly from my chart:

mental status: alert and oriented x 3;

When I was in the fifth grade I was president of the Earth Club! Erin Pennell was vice president. We made flyers. Needless to say, the club was a big fat failure. In high school I found out our school had recycle bins for show. The paper students thought they were recylcing ended up in the dumpster with the other trash. Senior year I dumped recycling bins of paper in my trunk and drove it to recycling centers.

After high school, my green efforts have considerably died down. I’m conservative in my energy usage. Wash everything in cold water, turn off the faucet when I brush, and turn the air conditioner to 80 whenever I leave home. All that doesn’t take much though. Recently at work a doctor gently reminded everyone to recycle our bottles and cans in the recycling bins at work. He also bikes to work. Inspired, I decided to be more conscious of my footprints again. I use the mugs at work instead of the disposable cups. Bring my plastic water bottles to work to recycle and today, I bought eco-friendly bulbs for the three new lamps I assembled for our cozy home. (We also finally got a coffee table and with the help of candles our apartment smells like pears!)

You can tell I have double jointed fingers here. Sexy.

Thought I’d share and maybe it’ll rub off.