Santa Hustle Half Marathon

Before the Race

Stardate 67440.9

12:45 - I like making goals. That is nothing new about me, Focus Foxies. I have always liked setting a goal and achieving it. However, most of my goals are seemingly far-fetched. Enter in my Fall 2013 goal: run a half-marathon. For many people, running a half-marathon is a very achieveable goal. Before this training, I had only run 6.25 miles once and afterwards I was hurt. Doubling down seemed far fetched, but I felt like I was ready for it. I made it my plan to run the Santa Hustle Half-Marathon in Galveston, Texas. This run would coincide nicely with Christmas break.

I also did not want to do this journey alone. I figured 20 weeks of running and working towards a goal could get pretty lonely, so I peer-pressured my sister Kim into running with me. We both were at a similar level of fitness before this journey started and both felt up for the challenge. We kept each other accountable for running and keeping in shape. We mostly had to internet shame because she was/is in College Station and I was/am in DC.

Spoiler alert: I finished!

The previous race's injuries made my training plan from 0-13.1 miles very slow. I mean what usually takes "normal" runners to train for a full marathon, I trained for a half. In layperson's terms, that is 20 weeks of training with a vacation in the middle. I followed this plan. I am a big fan of having cross-training involved, and that plan allows a bunch of it. I get bored easily if I have to just run. Considering my end goal, I realize that previous statement sounds silly.

Twenty weeks flew by pretty quickly and before I knew it, race day was upon us. We spent the night in Galveston before the race in a pretty sad and smelly beach house. That was a whole situation. Kim and I woke up early and topped off our carbohydrate supplies and put our game faces on. My training plan topped off at 12 miles, but that was weeks ago. I was a bit nervous about completing all 13 miles. As soon as the race started, I ran quickly. I mean a minute under my usual race quickly. I was not prepared for that. I would have to say the hardest mile would have been the 13th mile. I did not have a bunch left in me. I still finished and didn't walk any of the race. I consider that a victory. I did have really beaten up feet among other ailments.

I will say that if I run another half-marathon (and I will), I will make sure I train for the actual 13 mile run. This way I have no doubts in my mind that I can do it. Also, a word of advice, Focus Foxies, do not attempt to go full marathon too soon. There is a point in every half-marathon training that you think you can go the full distance. This usually happens before you reach 10 miles. Training  is really tough on your body and your social life. I can't tell you how many times I was at home on Friday night or couldn't move Sunday because of soreness and fatigue. I mean I was constantly tired.

I believe it was worth it.  To know that you beaten what was once impossible in your mind is a very powerful feeling. A feeling, I don't want to give up any time soon.



Reunion tour in Aggieland

Stardate 66630.3

It had been a long time since I had a proper reunion with Aggieland, and for my 25th birthday, I got a world class tour of the place. You see, Focus Foxies, Aggieland (College Station) had been through quite a few changes since I graduated and went gallivanting off to the big district. The biggest change I wanted to see was the Memorial Student Center. For those of you who may not know my college political career, the MSC was quite the point of contention back in the day. I wanted to see what three years and a bunch of money got us. It turns out, quite a bit. It has a ton of natural light, study spaces, and places to not study in. The MSC was pretty much the living room on campus, and I am glad that it returned to being one.

Something new I got to try was meeting the polo team's horses. My sister, Kim, plays polo for Texas A&M. She is kind of a big deal. We got to watch as she took care of the horses. We met this fun little horse to the left, named Fortuna. We were not bitten, so I call it the beginning of a beautiful friendship. We forgot to bring carrots. If we did bring them, these horses would remember us forever! Horses love carrots, but these horses needed to be in shape for the game.

Found out later this bar was shut down

Later that day, I went to one of our watering holes on Northgate. Pretty much all of the bars you want to go to in Aggieland are on one, maybe two blocks of land. Fitzwilly's happens to be one were you could smoke cigars and buy pitchers of Shiner for $6 (that includes a dollar tip). I met up with my friends Nick and Ashleigh to catch up and remember old times. They were pretty interested in the guy I was dating. Mostly because, they are protective like that.

Stardate 66634.4

On my actual 25th birthday, I had a hell of a time with Mark and Bethany Womack! They took my to
Polly's Cocina for Saturday morning breakfast tacos. There is only one other breakfast food I love more than tacos: kolaches. However, both are hard to come by in DC. I can make my own breakfast tacos, but these are so much better. Plus, they have a little aTm branded into them and chorizo.

The business reason why I was in Aggieland was the chance to be on a panel for the Bush School. We basically encouraged new students to attend the Bush School. It is nice to know that people view me as being a mildly successful adult that can encourage others to come to attend graduate school. I spoke with all the incoming students about what I did in DC, how I got the job, and how the Bush School prepared me for life on the outside.

Stolen from Bethany

Business came to a close, and we went out to celebrate. We fueled up on some epic Layne's Chicken Fingers. I didn't hold back. Five piece meal, double fries because I do not need arteries in the morning. Also, you will not be getting a picture of this meal. I ate it too quickly. We made our way to my most favorite bar of all time. It could not be a better night! We, being older than the rest of the crowd in College Station, got out there early and got my favorite booth. There is something amazing that DC lacks. Booths for people to sit in a pub and have an honest beer. Speaking of beers, check the list below. It blows your mind every time. Every of the time. We drank many beers and had a surprise visit from our favorite Krishna. He promptly got Irish car bombs for my birthday. So good. We even got free Texas glasses for my birthday or Texas' birthday. Yes, Focus Foxies, Texas has a birthday and it shares it with me. Just another reason why Texas and I are meant to be.

This just needed to be large

Stardate 66636

Overall, it was an amazing weekend, but I had a few things waiting for me back in DC. Most importantly, these cupcakes. I loved being able to get back home, even if it was for a little bit.

Celebrating Focus Foxies: Mama Breaux, Kimmie Swimmie, Aimee showed up for a bit, The Two of the Four Womacks I know, Krishna, Old Man Nick, and the lovely Ashleigh. Oh and Fortuna. Kelley Mac provided the cupcakes.

The Lion Sleeps Tonight

Stardate 66455.7

16:24 - In the urban jungle of Houston, there lies a wonderful zoo among the tall buildings of the medical center. My family and I have trekking through Houston's mighty urban jungle to see the animals for years. This year, we decided to do something new. We wanted to see what the Houston Zoo had in store for zoo lights. At dusk, we travel through the then quiet urban jungle to see the lion sleep at night.

The zoo was lit up in the usual splendor of a Christmas village. Due to cold weather, most animals had to stay inside. We toured the reptile house, the aquarium and the small mammal house. The aquarium offered some pretty spectacular views of jelly fish. They were more impressive than the lights outside. But there was one little guy who was on display, and no normal house could hold him. Lets just say the had to build one extra tall! Yes, Focus Foxies, I reference the giraffe tower at the located zoo.

Being adorably camera shy

When I reference the giraffe tower, Focus Foxies, you know I meant a group of giraffes and not a building? Now you do. Well, we got to see young giraffe pop his head out for a little bit. I would not call this calf small, but he was dwarfed by the others. I later found out his name is Ghubari. With the peaceful lights of this Christmas village around us, we still had no clue where to find a sleeping lion, but we knew were on the right track.

This is the best shot I got of Ghubari!

Sleeping Lion!

Don't fear my darling, Focus Foxies, we eventually found our sleeping lion.
We came upon the large cat exhibits to see a prowling tiger, but no obvious sign of a lion. He was a hard one to spot at night. I swear he is in the middle of the picture. He looked so peaceful and deadly at the same time.

We started to leave the zoo, but not before we had witnessed the spectacular lights and music action. Call it a finale to a great night. We left with Christmas cheer and singing wimoweh, wimoweh, wimoweh, wimoweh....

Click here to see the finale!
Zoological Focus Foxies in attendance: Mom, Dad, Chelsea, and Hannah

Engaged to be MARRIED: Bethany and Mark edition

Stardate 65595.2

21:07 - Two of my bestest friends recently got engaged: Mark and Bethany.  I have been told through a 7 am phone call that strike teams, walks down memory lanes, and a sizable were ring were involved in what culminated in a romantic proposal under a bell tower with rose petals and candles. Not being in College Station, I cannot confirm the validity of all of this romantic behavior, but I trust what facebook tells me.  What I can confirm is that these two crazy kids are in love. I have seen them cross seas to be with each other. I have seen them campaign together, but I have never seen them quit each other. That says volumes about them. This engagement comes as no surprise to most of The Family/O'Bannon's Sub-committee. Many a time we have heard Mark foreseeing himself "marrying that girl." We are all happy that it finally has happen.

Now on a more shenanigan based note: no date has been set for the wedding. So I thought I would propose one: October 19th.  You do not always have to have a Saturday wedding. In fact, many people are fashionably opting to save money and do it on a non-traditional day, such as Friday or Sunday. Plus, October offers lovely weather and fun activities in College Station. With both of these in mind, we can have the wedding and party and be out before, lets say, midnight? Bonus: we would uncoincidentally be in town for the LSU game on the 20th. We can consider this proposal a win-win-win. We will Beat The Ever Living Hell Outta LSU's team, half-time, and tailgating with the whole wedding crew there. A 4th win in consideration would be celebrating their everlasting love, but that could happen any day picnic weather is around. Think about it this way: it may not be "traditional."However, it is Red-Ass, and didn't this all start from being Red-Ass?


Either way, I cannot wait to see both Bethany and Mark tie the knot and start becoming more and more like Lilly and Marshall. Almost as important, I can't wait to see a few of the groomsmen (and you know whom I speak of) try to be 'Barneys' for the wedding reception.

Remember the Alamo

Stardate 64985.3

 

15:25 - Since my little sister Chelsea just graduated 7th grade, we decided to do many mini tours of Texas history sites. For non-Texan Focus Foxies, we study Texas History throughout 7th grade as a course. One of our stops included a tour of the Alamo. Who could forget the Alamo?  All that is left of the old fort is the fort chapel, which is the iconic shape you associate with the Alamo. Walking through this site, you feel pride and learn a little more about the causes that led up to the revolution. All I can say is I'm thankful to be a Texan!


Focus Foxies in attendance: Mama and Papa Fox, Chelsea, and Hannah

Oh the places I will go!

Stardate 64840.7 and 65842.8

20:10 -  Roughly a year ago, I graduated college. Ahead of the game with my masters, I still had many doubts. I had no job with very few prospects of getting one soon.  But I was happy, that couldn’t be taken away anytime soon. That was my day, and I was off to Great Places! I had brains in my head and feet in my shoes. I could steer myself wherever I chose.

I was all geared up to go, but I had to wait the summer out in Houston. Without a job, I started getting stir crazy. I wondered if I would ever get to live out my dreams. Interview after interview, I waited for an answer. Waiting for a fish to bite, waiting around for a Friday night, and waiting for another chance. I was just waiting.  Yet, somehow, I escaped the waiting place when I got a call from the USITC. They wanted me! I got the news when I was on top of Mount Washburn, and frankly the world.

With a job, I was ready for anything under the sky, but I had to move to a new city. An exciting city, it is. Only problem was too few friends. I had never moved to a new city before; I did not know what to expect. Heck, I hadn’t even paid bills before or opened a credit card. The main thing that scared me was having too few friends. Whether I liked it or not, alone will be something I was quite a lot. That was the beginning, and this now. I learned to be brave and remembered one important lesson from A&M: never act too cool for school. I put my best intentions out there. Out there things can happen and frequently do to people as brainy and footsy as me.

 Oh, the places I’d go! There was and is fun to be done! I fell into a great place with my job and life. I now plan parties, create a home out of a room, and have room to bloom. Un-slumping yourself is not easily done, but it is not impossible. I am not where I thought I would be, but I am traveling the path where I want to be now.

Not Running on Gas

Stardate 64280.1
15:18 - The first time I ran out of gas happened in June of 2009; my then boyfriend, Gabe, rescued me from the infernal grips of the Texas heat. Camped in lot 61 on campus, I cursed the fact that I forgot to fill up my tank and my cheap idea of not filling up my tank the whole way the last time.  For those of you not familiar with the state of lot 61 at this time, lot 61 was equated many a time to the infrastructure of Baghdad with its incredibly large potholes and its sharp, rusted metal objects thrown about. In all seriousness, I trembled as my car would traverse over the pothole craters in fear of an improvised explosive device (IED) detonating in that sorry excuse of a parking lot.

This incident caused me to invest in a two gallon gas can to remain in my trunk for all of eternity 'just in case'. I say investment, but I am not so sure on the returns to this 'investment'. Since purchasing the can, I have been stuck in parking lots and at the corner of Harvey and Texas Ave more times than I care to count, and I wonder: did this gas tank pay for itself by me being prepared or was it a self-fulfilling prophecy? Because if I gambled, I would say that this scourge of a gas tank created perverse incentives for me to run out of gas by giving me the independence to do so without going through the embarrassment of calling upon my friends for help. This past night was no exception, with the gage at 'E', I swung by my sister Kim's dorm (or a location near her dorm to save on gas). Being warned of the precarious situation we found ourselves in, she knew the drill of a rolling stop and executed it with style. I made it home safely, only by not going over 2 on the r/min and rolling through stops to prevent from idling out. However, later that night (around midnight), I had to use my blasted gas tank to refill my tank in order to bring my friend ice cream. To which, I admit was bad form on multiple levels and more proof of the gas tank's incentive perverting nature. At least, I did not have to contend with the embarrassment of not having enough gas in my tank when I left my friend's place.

How I was Raised...Country Music

Stardate 64277.1

20:10 - A few weeks ago, a fellow Bushwacker asked me to contribute to our list of Music Monday selections to be sent out to the whole Bush School. At this time, my love for outlaw country was being rekindled. I reacquainted myself with this genre of country music by spending one lazy Sunday afternoon with a Cuban, couple pitchers of beer at the Chicken, and the Great Gonzos album by Jerry Jeff Walker. I submitted Jerry Jeff Walker's “London Homesick Blues”, “LA Freeway”, “Gettin’ By”, and “Sangria Wine” to the Music Monday list. Now because of the nature of the genre and the highfalutin ways of the Bush School, I truly did not expect my list to make the cut. So you can imagine my surprise when I opened my email and saw my suggestions under a Brazilian freedom fighter muscian(Caetano Veloso), classic 80s( Heart), and some new age indie folk rock(The Decemberists).


Focus Foxies, I was outed as a country fan. I have worn many hats in my life: protesting liberal, radical feminist, footloose party animal, and a nasty piece of work. None of which would cause even my closest of friends to assume that I listened to Waylon and Willie and the boys. Mainly because I have never told anyone that I listen to country music; in fact, I spent a good deal of time concealing it from the world because the crowds I rolled with just didn't care to listen to it. While I'm being this honest, I have no idea who Kurt Cobain, Pearl Jam, Green Day or any 90s hip-hop stars until the later part of my high school career. I have tried listening to other types of music. I had a phase of Opera and Classical music, but I don't speak Italian and get bored easily. I wandered in the Classic Rock direction, but as soon as I opened my mouth about that genre, people listed off tons of artist that I was supposed to know. I had no idea and hated being judged for not knowing by similar know-nothing 16 year-olds. If Classic Rock represented a high start-up cost, Indie/Alternative Rock habit seemed impossibly expensive. For every band that Classic Rocker needed to know in the past, the Indie/Alternative Rock fans had to know a current underground band about to make it big that no one else knew about.  I can't keep up with that nor do I want to.

So while you were making your memories to your selected music type, I was enjoying George Strait,Shania Twain, Garth Brooks, Martina McBride, Joe Dee Messina, Faith Hill, Tim Mcgraw, Kenny Chesney, Dixie Chicks, Toby Kieth, Jimmy Buffett, Reba McEntire, Alabama, and countless more. The first country song that I knew all the words to was "Carrying Your Love with Me" by George Strait. The first album my Mom and I got into a fight about was "Come On Over" by Shania Twain.  I can remember my Mom putting on 'Up Against the Wall, Redneck Mother" on the radio for the first time. At 13, I could sing karaoke to "Friends in Low Places." I sing "Wear My Ring" off key every time it plays in O'Bannons.  And if you were to ask me what I picture love to be, I would say my parents two-steppin' in Garner State Park to "You Had me at Hello" by Kenny Chesney. Every morning, I wake up to country music videos because I can't start my day any other way. Most of my memories of music center around country music so I guess its good that I stopped living a double life. So judge on if you can, but I will just turn up Merle's "Fightin' Side."

Islamic Community of Bryan/College Station

Stardate 64254.4

15:22 - Entering the Islamic Community Center of Bryan/College Station, I left my shoes at the entrance and walked towards the greeter. Before this Saturday, I have never been inside a Mosque but took the opportunity to visit when a friend invited me to an Open House. I had no preconceived notions of what to expect about the Mosque or (truth be told) about the religion of Islam. I entered the center eager to learn, starting with a run down of Mosque etiquette by the greeter.

The large prayer area held tables and booths with bundles of information about the basics, prophets and culture of Islam. I had no idea where to start; interestingly enough, not knowing anything beforehand hindered my ability to ask questions. I understand that the point of the Open House was to teach individuals about Islam, but I have never been comfortable with blatantly asking someone about their religion. When I am asked, I simply reply Catholic and let my audience fill in the blanks. Never have I been asked to give an explanation on what it means to be Catholic. I felt most comfortable asking women about their faith, partly because I could only shake hands with women within the Mosque. I do not know why that affected my decision, but it made the transition from 'Hi' to 'What is your belief on God' easier.

At one o'clock, I attended a lecture that briefly explained the principle beliefs of Islam and how those translated into the practices of Islam. The six articles of faith are the belief in Allah (p.b.u.h) as the one true God, in the creation of Angels, in the authenticity of the Revealed Scriptures, in the Messengers explaining Allah's (p.b.u.h) message, in the certainty of the Next Life and in idea in Divine Decree. The five pillars of Islam adopt these articles of faith and transform them into practices. The five pillars of Islam are the Declaration of Faith, the 5 Daily Prescribed Prayers, fasting durring Ramadan, giving of alms, and the Pilgrimage to Mecca.

Another aspect of the Open House included an small introduction into the culture of Muslims around the world. As you can see above, Focus Foxies, I got a henna tattoo, which has stayed with me until the next Thursday. Accompanying the henna station was the 'write your name in Arabic' station. I have tried to recreate my name in Arabic calligraphy and failed miserably.  However, the food proved to be amazing; I was able to try food from all over. I ate beef Egyptian treats, Saudi Arabian appetizers, Palestinian falafel, Sudanese cheese pastry, Libyan desserts of Baklava, and Jordanian coffee ball.  I relished the new tastes of soft cheese infused with spices covered in fluffy pastry, crispy outsides of falafel with a softer inside, and the deep, rich flavor of coffee cover in coconut flakes.

Before I left the Mosque, I witnessed the call to prayer and wondered if I could ever open myself up in this manner to having people watch me as I worship.  I have at times brought my friends to mass with me (all of them Christian), and even that felt like a production of sorts. I have never imagined opening my place of worship up to someone of a completely different faith, a stranger or even someone who could be hostile towards my faith.  But the members of the Islamic Community of Bryan/College Station did, and for that, I am truly grateful.

Thunderhawks Unite

Stardate 64245
14:37 - Last night was the first night that I played a full game of softball in over a decade. Yes, I am old enough to say that I haven't done something in a decade.  I joined the co-rec softball team, named the Thunderhawks. Educational opportunity, Focus Foxies: a Thunderhawk is an ancient bird friend of the Greek God, Rock Stareous, who was once his son, Thunderus, but Zeus turned him into an awesome hawk just as he was about to die from being critically injured by a Hydra. Zeus equipped this hawk with the ability to produce loud booming noises every time he flapped his wing. In exchange for giving him new life, Zeus demanded that the Thunderus Hawk flap around during every lighting storm Zeus created. The God Rock Stareous

was so happy that sometimes he would play music to go along with the storm. Thunderhawk and Rock Stareous were sad that they couldn't be both human anymore, but they stopped being sad. Instead, they decided to be awesome. True Story.  Anyways, our team laid a hurting on some unsuspecting team called the Cremasters. What is a Cremaster? I have no idea. Well, I do have an idea; it is a team that gets beat 17-4. Well, Focus Foxies, I didn't do half bad; I did worse than half bad. I did terrible. I struck out twice, walked once (then scored), and then was gotten out before I hit first base.  MVP for that game was Weston who dropped bombs on those Cremasters like the coalition forces on Saddam in March 2003. A Whoop!

Conversations with Ambassador Sheel Kant Sharma

Stardate 64251.6
12:20 - The Bush School hosted the honorable Ambassador Sheel Kant Sharma as a part of India Day at Texas A&M. Amb. Sharma currently resides as the Secretary General of the South Asia Association of Regional Cooperation (SAARC) since March 2008.  Amb. Sharma has a PhD in High Energy Physics and has concentrated his diplomatic efforts in nuclear issues, but now deals with a variety of issues facing South Asia. He presented on the current issues facing SAARC and their accomplishments thus far.

Two topics that caught my attention during Amb. Sharma's speech were the issues of the South Asia Free Trade Agreement (SAFTA) and the transportation barriers within the region that prevent trade. So, Focus Foxies, I actually asked a question during the Q&A period. I know I may seem like a fairly confident person, but I have been extremely scared to ask a question. This time was no exception. With my hands shaking, I asked about the role of agriculture in SAFTA and any lessons learned and take-aways for the international community.  His response was that agriculture poses a huge barrier in creating a Free Trade Agreement within this region. Each country has the ability to have a list of goods/services that they wish to continue to protect, and many of the countries within this region choose to protect agriculture goods.  Amb. Sharma explained that reasoning behind this was each country's wish to protect farmers from external competition because many farmers' ability to make a living has diminished. However, two years ago during the Global Food Crisis, India banned the export of rice and other food sources causing backlash in Bangladesh and Nepal who depend on Indian food exports. After this question, I got really bold. I mean truly bold; I asked a second question about how the region planned on restoring their transportation connections between countries and on financing the endeavor.  To which he responded, the countries within SAARC are attempting to improve the economic situation through penning agreements on motor vehicle transportation to decrease transportation prices.  Funding would come from the individual countries.

After the presentation, we were able to have a sit down lunch with Ambassador Sharma to have a personal discussion. He explained that he started his Foreign Service career at 21 while he was finishing his PhD. In India, one must take an excruciating exam in order to be accepted into the Foreign Service. Amb. Sharma admitted he only took the exam because his family teased him enough that he could not pass the exam and he wanted to prove them wrong. He disclosed that in the end, the joke was really on him because of the toughness of the exam and the fact that his family was right. He excelled in the Foreign Service by combining his technical background and his knowledge of the world. Also, he complimented the Disaster City located by the airport, saying he wanted to combine forces with TEEX to help SAARC advance their emergency management technique. Upon asking him a third question, he elaborated that SAARC is currently ratifying an agreement that would focus on emergency response and recovery in disasters occurring within the region. He admitted that if the agreement was working at this time, the floods in Pakistan would have received aid. Also, he sited US help in running earthquake scenarios with the help of Hawaii Disaster Response teams.

Being able to get answers and discuss my three favorite topics in economic development was a fantastic experience. I encourage all of you, Focus Foxies, to stop by the Brown Bag lectures, and I will let you know when and where they are (for the non-bushwackers).

Czech-Tex Restaurant

Stardate 64233.7
12:24 - When a Texan fancies she'll take her chances, chances will be taken that's for sure.  We were eyein' the prize some call kolaches (Czech pastries). So Mark, Bethany and I took our chances (after a night of reveling on the gates of North), and we trekked to Snook, Texas to find what has been described to me as exquisite kolaches.  Deep in the heart of Snook lies the Czech-Tex Restaurant, a Texas inspired Czech restaurant. Head north ten miles from College Station to the Czech-Tex restaurant which specializes in steaks and kolaches.  We arrived at the crack of 9.30 am to find the smell of kolaches greeting us at the door. We were told to help ourselves to whatever we pleased. Our choices seemed limitless, but we settled on getting sausage, apple, pineapple, cream cheese, and jalapeño and cheese sausage kolaches.  

My favorite one was the apple kolache, which consisted of a sweet apple filling cradled in some delectable and soft dough. Many people mistakenly believe that sausage and/or ham are the only types of kolaches, but the sweet kolaches are the original type of kolaches. Bethany favored the jalapeño sausage kolaches to the regular sausage because of the extra kick to them. Mark went back for seconds on the cream cheese kolaches, so it may be safe to assume, Focus Foxies, he fancied them. At 92 cents a piece, feel free to go back for seconds or thirds; they are that good.
So why wake up and go to Snook, Texas for kolaches, when we have donut shops in College Station? For me the answer is simple: I have an obsession for great kolaches. Being part Czech myself, I love finding good home cooked kolaches and people with the same love for these tasty treats. Czech-Tex delivered on both accounts. The second reason lies in the misconception that the Brazos Valley does not have authentically good food. We might not be Houston, but what we do (Czech, German, and Tex-Mex), we do it well. I am making it my mission to correct this misconception starting in Snook. So, take your chances while you reside in the Brazos County, and go grab a real kolache.

"Muffin?" - Bethany

"What?" - Me

"Waffle?" - Bethany

"Adorable." - Mark

Stand Up Comedy in College Station

Stardate 64230.8
10:32 - As I caravan around the greater Bryan College Station area looking for adventures, I caught wind of my friend doing stand up comedy on open mic night.  Wednesdays, Schotzi's hosts amateur comedians, so Kyle and others put themselves up to this challenge of producing laughs. With a $5 Ziegenbock pitcher special, how hard success be?

"Now who are the engineering majors here?"--Rich

(Krishna is the only one who raises his hand)

"Yea, they are the ones that never get any"--Rich

"So who are the Liberal Arts majors here? Yea, that guy is gay. Drama major"--Rich

(He was pointing at Mark)

They did have a 'professional' comedian come to town, and he made short work of the Family.  After this, Mark became the target of some heavy duty (but hilarious) accusations throughout this guy's routine. Charlotte and I just sat back and could not keep from laughing our tails off.

"You can't keep a fat man at that temperature." -- The First Comedian

And yes, there were some struggles. Focus Foxies, I will dispense some advice for you about what I learned from these stand-up comedians. First, I will start with what not to do. Do not lie. As you can see above, we see through your lies, even if they are funny lies. I have heard stories of one fat man being able to live in College Station Summers without A/C, and the only time I have ever heard him complain is when his skinny Mexican friend leaves the A/C on at 60 degrees. True Story. Even more heinous of a lie (made by many a comedian that night) was the one where they are trying to scare girls away or taking one home the other night.  You never want to start out a scenario and have no one believe you. It ruins the punchline.   So if I have to hear about how some skinny nerd 'was taking another girl home who was you know 'Crazy'' or how some fat guy wants to 'scare away his girlfriend because she is showing him attention', I am going on the heckling spree, and the comedian's routine and reputation will be shot.

"Drive-by Haikus" -- Ginger Kid with soul

What does work? Going with your own style. The Ginger Kid served as a paragon of doing it your own way.  This comedian literally pulled out a Haiku to back up his point that the pen indeed is not mightier than the sword/gun. Likewise, Kyle was helped by applying his technique. He did not try to imitate other comedians or come up with jokes that are not his own. He did come up with new material for once, and we were all eternally grateful. 

"My girlfriend likes that joke." -- Kyle (fake British accent employed)

"Its true; I like that joke"-- Charlotte (real British accent used)

Brazos Bingo

Stardate 64210.3
23:09 - While the masses sojourned to the Hall this Thursday night, I found myself at Brazos Bingo (near Hwy 6 and Briarcrest).  I might have been born to ramble, but never really to gamble, even in small doses. However, when Meaghan tells you to "Venga!"  you go. Now for those of you who have never been to bingo, it is a big deal to those who go.  Thursday nights are half price nights; for $5 you can get 12 boards a round and two beers (about the price of a movies in Aggieland).  This investment can lead you to win about $100-$375; not half bad. But what you really are paying for is the people.

Oh the people you will see... you already know that I went with Meaghan. Her roommate joined us in our gambling adventure; both of them supplied crazy stories about winning bingo, how bingo can be addicting after one try, and why they should never do drugs.  However, the star of the show was sitting in a wheel chair at the end of our row.  We first recognize her when she was trying to get the attention of another table because "[she was] tired of them fighting all them time and wanted to tell them to stop." It was obvious she had no idea who these people were. As she began to roll towards them, I took my camera out in preparation for something to happen.  She interpreted my camera as a pack of cigarettes; "Crazy Lauren, can I bum a cigarette from you. You know that my son went to go buy me a pack." That was the second time that day that I wished I had a pack on me, but no dice. She scooted by me to the other table to bum one there. She then rolled back to her spot to pull out her pack of cigarettes and her Tupperware of prescription drugs.  We were having a good time as the Bingo numbers were being drawn, when she asked, "Do you know why I am so happy?" Focus Foxies, I hadn't a clue. "It's because I died last year. I spent 6 months in a hospital and I died. In 2005, I spent 5 weeks in the hospital and I died then too. The Lord told me that if I wanted to live, all I needed to do was smile. So I'm smilin' now." Easy bargain to keep to keep on living. She went back to her game, and we refocused on our game. When the final card was passed out worth $600 to the victor, she came gliding up to us and instructed us to hold hands because we were going to pray the Bingo Prayer:

"Now I sit me down to play,

Dabbers up, and I'll pray. 

We got here Mary, Bob, and Jamie and Joe.

The Caller is up, we are ready to go.

The colors are bright, lets do it just right.

I hope to holler bingo tonight

                                     :), Amen"

At the end of the night, she told us if she was still alive, she would see us next Thursday. She is currently living in Caldwell and getting dialysis in College Station.  For as much fun as we had at her expense, I felt as if she had more considering all her time in the hospital.  Many people get in their own ways when it comes to doing what makes them truly happy. The excuses tend to pile up and the pursuit of happiness tends to stop in its tracks. But if she can come to a place that makes her happy despite her hospital time, how do our excuses compare? So if you are alive next Thursday, I hope you join us for some Bingo. 

Doce Margarita Madness

Stardate 64207.4
21:43 - Put yourself in my unique situation. On Monday (stardate 64182.8), a friend of mine challenged me to drink ten (diez) margaritas on one of the Ozonas $1 margarita nights because the next few are free until you pass out.  Well, I never go looking for trouble from anyone or anything, but it finds its way to my doorstep easily enough. This 'challenge' was going to be nothing but trouble for me. As you well know, Focus Foxies, I sure as hell never back down from a challenge. Without a moments hesitation, I accepted this challenge. How hard could it be? I spent the next week mentally prepping myself and advertising the event to anyone I could. It was going to be a spectacle. Also, half of the deal was that if I did not finish the drinks then I would have to pay for them myself, and I'm broke. Once I started down this path of margaritas, forever would it control that night's destiny.

The strategy for achieving this feat consisted of drinking margaritas really fast. This strategy received two criticisms.  The first being that I would be sloppy in a matter of minutes if I decided to chug, and the second being I might get brain freeze. Truth be told, I preoccupied myself with preventing the latter from happening. Besides, who worries about getting sloppy when they embark on a mission to drink 10 margaritas? Its like worrying if you are going to be chilly on the planet Hoth because all you ever have known are the warm sands of Tatooine. Its inevitable. Of course, there is always the pesky problem of heart burn to worry about as well. I would have modified my strategy, but we arrived at 21.42 only to find that $1 margaritas end at 23.00. Do or do not; there is no try.

To add a scientific research aspect to this project, we calculated the utility of each of the first ten margaritas.  I personally defined utility as how the margarita tasted and how I felt at that point. I assigned each value out of ten, and then a tally was marked on my right hand. We started this journey pretty low, but things started picking up intensity when the tequila started sinking in. I'm not sure why we did this experiment, but I think my friend and investor gets a tax ride-off for sponsoring research or donating to charity cases such as myself.

I finished 11 margaritas and was able to start on my 12th one for the twelfth man.  I was victorious in my challenge with only rubbing salt in my eye once, giving up one crazy story about Costa Rica, and explaining my Mom's views on President Obama.  The real story happened after I stopped drinking and the tequila had its chance to wreck havoc on my mental capabilities. So warning, if you choose to enter this challenge, you might experience one or more of the following. First, I told an inordinate amount of details about my past boyfriends and my past in general. The last time I told that much information about how I tick, I was watching the sun rise over the Caribe with a man from Cameroon (see Stardate 64051.5). I mean I blabbed about why I chose to go into economic development and how possessive my ex was. Craziness. Secondly, because we were getting so deep into my life, I decided to tell people that my life's theme song was "Gettin' By" by Jerry Jeff Walker. After, my friends dropped me off, I started listening to the entirety of the Great Gonzos album, and I thought (and said out loud to myself) that if the world really wanted to make a connection with me, you would have to sing the words to "Redneck Mother" with me. So, apparently drunk Michele has a connection to Layne (because we have sung this song randomly together in CR) and eight ninths of the redneck world.  There is no explaining this one. Next, you might think that the fact that you conquered the challenge is equivalent to graduating from college, winning a gold medal or finishing an IronMan competition. In turn, this may cause you to do the following: start crying to Kyle about how sad you are to not have your college family by your side, write a guilt trip on your good friend Bethany's wall about her lack of attendance, and write an incoherent message to James about how it meant a ton for him to show up. All of this was deemed unnecessary drama in the morning. Do not get me wrong; awesomeness was achieved. The tears, guilt trips, and exaggerations were not necessary.  But thanks guys for the support, except for you, Bethany. Lastly, you might start thinking a ton about your family. You might write a message to your sister telling her about how awesome she is and then, write a poem about your family. That seriously occurred.  That pretty much wraps up the struggles that I went through on Monday. After all it was just another Monday night, and I'm just carryin' on an ol' family tradition.

Special shout-out to: Bush School peeps (who wont be named because of their impending job search), Alex LaBelle (You doubted, son. Never again.), James (Thanks for giving up engineering to witness all 10 margaritas), Kyle ( you were there, but you just drinking beer), Greg (who bought the 11th) and Crew, and the random engineers that knew both James and Alex.