Friday 7 Quick Takes (vol 60)


1.

This week on Totes Awesome Channel, we talk about celebrity gossip.


Youtube Link

For those who can’t view, I talked about how I get my gossip from the morning show I listen to before work. They have a bit I catch often that’s a rundown on what’s happening in Hollywood. I also stay in know moderately by catching tweets from other people and emails from Kim. Kim emails me about our shared celebrity crushes.

2.


Bob has thrown up 3 times in one week’s time. It’s concerning. The vet changed his diet and also there has been two different medications since he started throwing up. I’m guessing it is the new diet? Alan’s been emailing back and forth with the vet to see if we can figure it out.

3.


Google search terms are a source of endless amusement for most bloggers I know. I have some reoccurring ones. People like googling Alain De Botton and 500 Days of Summer and they get to this post quite often. I also get lots of hits for Alan from the Hangover (especially now that Halloween is around the corner), and it directs them here. Sometimes the search hits make me a little sad. One reoccurring one is “No one will love you if you are fat.” It gets searchers to a post about how my Best Dudie Friend (BDF) surprised me with cookies and the note said, “If you get fat, no one will love you.”

Anyway, I shared this with BDF recently and he likes to post snippets of his online chats as status updates in GChat. He posted, “Linda: It makes me sad when people google “no one will love you if you’re fat” and get to my site.” Throughout the day, I kept getting new hits for that search all from different servers in New York, which is where BDF resides. So obviously, his friends are googling after reading his status.

One google search from New York really hit too close to home. They googled, “no one will love you if you’re fat linda.”

It felt like someone was talking to me through my stats. Personal bubble was slightly violated.

It was BDF’s birthday yesterday. Happy Birthday, BDF! I luhh you! Even if you finish all the cookies I made you in one sitting and get fat.

4.


I still have money issues and Alan’s birthday is in a couple of weeks. I’d like to have something to present him but am working with such an overextended budget, I’m at a lost. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated! I already cook often enough so cooking a special meal won’t seem so birthday special. Also, the email Mint.com sent out reminding us that the holidays are coming in 9 weeks gave me anxiety. How about you?

5.


On the drive to the Gulf Coast this past weekend, Brandi and I had to go through numerous small towns. Brandi grew up in a tiny town and I have very little knowledge about tiny towns, having grown up in Houston. She educated me on tiers of schools and how small towns have to go to other towns to play other sports teams. (In Houston, you stay in the same city.) She gave me a tour of oil pump jacks (I had no idea what pump jacks were) and finally, she introduced me to the chain that is adored by all small towns in Texas. Buc-ee’s. Buc-ee is the name of the beaver and the gas stations named for this beaver are normally huge and have “lots of random stuff” (Brandi’s words.) She took me to one and oh my, lots of random GREAT stuff indeed! Dipping dots and homemade fudge at a gas station?

The also had Buc-ee stuffed animals and clothing. He has a fan-base!


The cleanest gas station bathroom I’ve ever come across. Each stall has its own hand sanitizer dispenser.

Oh Buc-ee, you’re so charming.

6.

My favorite photo of Brandi and me from Jessica’s wedding. I’ve never seen Brandi more gorgeous and um, is that a slight curl/wave in my hair? Impossible!

7.

This week’s moments of bliss: ♥ coffee breaks ♥ “Everything but the Kitchen Sink” cookies ♥ email exchanges with Kim and BFF ♥ homemade spicy cold noodle salad ♥ having Dave over for dinner for his birthday and going away (He’s moving to Houston.) ♥ date night with Alan and Ryan Gosling ♥ starting another writing project with the BFF ♥ the Google document shared between the two of us listing recipes and notes ♥ reading a good book ♥ fruits and vegetables (who knew?!) ♥ peanut butter

Question: I’m curious. Why were you given the name you were given at birth?