Posted in Indianapolis Colts, sports

SUPER BOWL – NOTES THROUGH THE THIRD QUARTER

Posted on by sassysheisme

7:26 PM Third quarter begins.

7:31 PM Another first down! Go Colts! Glad I didn’t change shirts.

7:33 PM Stand and do some stretches to burn off nervous energy. Really doesn’t work.

7:35 PM 3rd and long. ARGH!

7:37 PM Someone in the booth had the coach throw the red flag to challenge the number of men on the field… and he should be slapped. Colts lose a timeout.

7:39 PM Vinatieri field goal attempt. Come on, Money, Come on! IT’S GOOD!!!

COLTS 19
BEARS 14

7:41 PM I’ve always wondered what goes on inside a Coke machine, and now I know.

7:46 PM SACK!

7:47 PM Grossman slips again, and SACK! Someone needs to buy that boy a towel, but after the game, please.

7:50 PM Dominic Rhodes is having the game of his life. Go DOMINIC!!

7:52 PM Please be in bounds… please be in bounds… DRAT!

7:53 PM 3rd and goal. Come on, guys! GO BLUE!

7:54 PM The happiness just got sucked out of me by some guy in a black shirt.

7:54 PM Vinatieri field goal is GOOD. Running into the kicker? Not an automatic first down. Take the points!

COLTS 22
BEARS 14

7:58 PM The kick coverage team of the Colts is going to give me an ulcer.

8:00 PM Who says K-Fed isn’t talented? That didn’t help. Laugh all the way to the bank, K-Fed.

8:01 PM Come on DEFENSE!

8:03 PM Glad we have a corner apartment and hope and pray there’s nobody home downstairs, because I am screaming my bloody head off.

8:04 PM Bears get a field goal.

COLTS 22
BEARS 17

8:06 PM Colts start on their own 32. I think it’s time for Peyton to throw the ball. So he’s going to… throw… and Marvin doesn’t get his feet in? Challenge? They throw the flag. I hope nobody needs slapped when this is over.

8:09 PM Challenge is GOOD. WOO HOO!

Third quarter is over.

Posted in Indianapolis Colts, sports

HALFTIME

Posted on by sassysheisme

7:06 PM Halftime show begins. Jene’ doesn’t like Prince’s Aunt Jemima headdress. Suppose his hair might run in the rain?

7:11 PM So far, no wardrobe malfunctions, except the Aunt Jemima headdress, and with the rain, I’m inclined to forgive him for that.

7:15 PM Purple Rain inspires Prince to take off the Aunt Jemima headdress. So far, it’s not bad, though. Love the symbol formerly known as Prince as the stage.

7:17 PM Jene’ notes that everyone with a lighter on the field surrounding Prince were probably in kindergarten when Purple Rain came out.

Posted in Indianapolis Colts, sports

SUPER BOWL – NOTES THROUGH THE SECOND QUARTER

Posted on by sassysheisme

6:22 PM Field goal!

COLTS 9
BEARS 14

6:28 PM Bears stopped cold. Must punt.

6:31 PM Declare the screen fuggy (that would be “foggy,” and “fuzzy”).

6:32 PM Colts on the Bears 16.

6:34 PM Dominic Rhodes is from Abilene. Texas boys are representin’!

6:34 PM TOUCHDOWN!!!

COLTS 16
BEARS 14

6:41 PM Stopped! Bears must punt.

6:45 PM Colts are driving in the driving rain. I vote for Super Bowls in domes
only.

6:45 PM 2 minute warning. Good. I need to go to the bathroom.

6:50 PM Fumble. Bears take over.

6:50 PM FUMBLE!! Colts take it back!

6:54 PM Field goal attempt. Vinatieri misses. I can’t believe it.

HALFTIME:

COLTS 16
BEARS 14

Posted in Indianapolis Colts, sports

SUPER BOWL – NOTES THROUGH THE FIRST QUARTER

Posted on by sassysheisme

11:49 AM Paint toenails “Celestial” blue. Rename “Celestial” “Colts Blue.”

12:15 PM Dressed in #18 Manning jersey. Get living room ready with Colts shrine – touchdown and extra point monkeys, Colts t-shirt.

12:35 PM Send out first “Go Colts” video, featuring me, and the monkeys.

2:30 PM Boss drops by to deliver Super Bowl shirt she bought me while in Indianapolis last week. If the Colts win, I can wear the t-shirt to work. WOOT!

4:30 PM Pregame show all sounds like blah, blah, blah and I’m sick of the stories that are making me cry — I.e. Bill Walsh, Walter Payton, Brian Piccolo. Not that I don’t care, the sadness is getting to me.

5:07 PM Break out the guacamole and chips.

5:22 PM Get a spot of guac on Manning jersey. Declare state of emergency and run to the kitchen to de-guac jersey.

5:27 PM Adam Vinitieri prepares for kickoff. Jersey still smells like guac, but guac is no longer on jersey.

5:28 PM Declare curse on formerly guac-spotted jersey as Chicago returns kickoff 92 yards for a touchdown. (Hester) Beg jersey to hurry up and dry.

5:30 PM Colts take the kickoff to the 31 yard line. Hope Peyton Manning is feeling “it” today.

5:33 PM Consider chanting to take curse off formerly guac-spotted jersey, as Colts have 3rd & 12.

5:34 PM Interception. Consider changing shirts.

5:36 PM Commercials must get better if I am to overcome this feeling of complete and utter hopelessness.

5:39 PM Consider shouting at tv (Alamo style) “Remember the RCA Dome!” to lift spirits.

5:39 PM Bears punt. Pulse begins to return to normal. Peyton has his interception out of the way. Now, lets get to it!

5:41 PM Rain begins to fall. Wish I had not bought no salt added chips.

5:43 PM First down. Cursed formerly guac-spotted jersey must be dry.

5:45 PM Out of guac. Consider this to be a blessing as last drop lands on new couch cover.

5:46 PM Now couch must be cursed, but it’s not blue and in no way related to Colts, so it’s going to be okay.

5:46 PM 53 yard touchdown. Feeling much, much, better thank you.

5:47 PM Muffed snap. Scream. Blood vessel may have burst in throat.

COLTS 6/BEARS 7

5:50 PM FUMBLE! Colts get the ball back! Resort to clapping to save throat.

5:51 PM Another fumble. Colts give the ball back.

5:52 PM Bears first and goal at the 5. Still considering changing shirts.

5:54 PM 3rd and goal. Screaming at the tv has commenced.

5:54 PM Touchdown, Bears. Rain is still falling.

COLTS 6/BEARS 14

5:55 PM Okay, Snickers commercial is pretty funny. Breathing deeply, going to my happy place. REMEMBER THE RCA DOME!!

5:57 PM Colts start at their own 17. Come on guys! Commercial.

5:58 PM The Chevy commercial is awesome! Junior was singing. Too funny.

6:00 PM David Letterman and Oprah. Great!

6:00 PM Colts start their drive. The cameras are fogged over from the rain. No gain.

6:01 PM Colts will punt. I feel sick to my stomach. So far, commercials are better than the Super Bowl. (I whisper this because I do not want the Colts to hear me).

6:04 PM FUMBLE! Colts recover! I love Bob Sanders.

6:05 PM The Bears just need to put their hands down. I’m tired of them batting the ball down.

6:06 PM 4th and 9. Colts punt. Wait… flag. 4th and 4. Still punting.

6:13 PM Bears must punt!

6:14 PM Manning throws to Addai for first down! Addai is a Houston boy!

6: 15 PM First quarter ends.

COLTS 6/BEARS 14

Posted in transportation

COMFY SHOES

Posted on by sassysheisme

The longer I crunch the numbers in my pursuit of transportation, the more I realize that I will be without a car longer than I thought. I’ve realized this is okay, it’s just another adjustment I’ll have to make. I have plenty of rides to and from work and am within walking distance of a grocery store, drug store, and a mall. I am going to invest in a pair of comfy shoes.

Posted in random

I BET BEN FRANKLIN NEVER HAD THIS PROBLEM

Posted on by sassysheisme

It’s been an odd week, but I have fluffy towels and clean, fluffy sheets. I wore soft, fluffy jeans to work… and the Colts are still headed to the Super Bowl.

There. You have the happy ending first.

The most interesting aspect of the week (after the car incident) was wondering if we were going to get our electricity cut off. We ordered our electricity, set to begin in late November at this apartment, from Company A. After a month of not receiving a bill from Company A, I consulted their website FAQ which said it may take 45-60 days to receive the first bill. I decided to give them the allotted time listed on their website.

I waited for the first bill to arrive, never thinking anything was wrong, because we had electricity. Finally, after 60 days and no bill, I called Company A.

Company A uses outsourced customer service, the worst kind I encounter.

Side note to those who opt to outsource their customer service: Outsourced customer service (OCS) is not in your best interest. Dealing with OCS is worse than having to speak in tongues to bypass the uber-annoying voice automated system many companies now use. Think about it. The people working at OCS have no vested interest in your company or its performance and therefore don’t really care if they’re giving good customer service. They also don’t always have all the facts or helpful information (see below) that a person who cares about your company might have. In fact, nearly every OCS encounter I’ve had, the male representatives have been rude and treat me like I don’t have a brain. I’ve never been left with a good impression after talking to someone involved with OCS… but I digress.

While speaking with the OCS Company A uses, I found out the following things:

1. Company A cancelled our order for electricity and never bothered to call us and tell us. “You are not a customer of Company A,” I was told.

2. Apparently, the cancellation was my fault.

Apparently, according to the exceptionally rude OCS agent, I was “slamming” them – trying to switch companies while still having service with another. If Company A had bothered to check they’d have noticed I have a different name and credit history than the previous tenant. (Note: Neither Jene’ nor I have had electric service in our name in about six years since our old apartment complex provided electricity as a part of our rent. I found out from the nice lady at the Big Company who regulates electricity in our city that companies slam each other, customers do not).

Finally, after the very rude OCS agent kept repeating that we were slamming Company A and that our order was cancelled, and given the fact he was not helpful in anyway and defnintely not resolving my issue of not knowing what carrier we did have or who’s name our electricity was in (pesky privacy laws), I handed the phone to Jene’. I don’t deal with male chauvinists very well. This man was definitely not raised by a Southern woman.

Through this experience I also learned:

1. Jene’ can be terse over the phone and still smile.

Jene didn’t like the rude, not very helpful OCS agent. I think he may still be crying because he got his superior attitude handed back to him on a silver platter and I’m sure he didn’t realize it until after she hung up. Jene’ was raised by a Southern woman.

2. Company B, with which we have electricity as of today, has their own customer service department and they are very nice, well informed, and above all, VERY HELPFUL.

3. To our knowledge, our apartment complex was not paying for our electricity. In fact, we still don’t know who was. We had a grace period when we moved in, and since we know the electricity wasn’t in our name, we thought the error may have been overlooked, but no. This apartment hasn’t been on their bill.

It’s a mystery, but at least I know we’ll be getting a bill soon, and we know our electricity will be paid… and I know whose name is on the account!

Back to my fluffy towels.

Posted in transportation

RIP RUTHIE BUICK

Posted on by sassysheisme

Yesterday, I parked my car and I’m not driving it again. It was getting too scary to drive and rather than get stranded away from home, I decided to get it here and park it. It’s beyond fixing for me. I’m not putting another dime into her.

14 years and 129,000 miles (50,000 are mine) and she’s ready to retire. This is the car I’ve had the longest. I shall miss our adventures, driving to Galveston, the tumbleweeds getting stuck underneath her in San Angelo, and… never knowing what electrical issue she’d have next.

In 21 years of driving, I’ve had three cars. My first was a tan 1979 Chevy Chevette that had four snowtires on it year round that I named Clovis (after the chocolate milk commercial — chocolate milk comes from chocolate cows, right Clovis?). Clovis had a little shimmy at 90 mph, but that little car could move! It also could hold 11 high school students (don’t ask) or my very large little brother, our friend Joe, and his 10 speed to go to baseball practice.

Clovis never had a/c (in Indiana that’s optional) but he had a kickin’ stereo system courtesy of my older brother, who installed the cassette stereo for me and made big speaker boxes (spray painted gold) for the back. I drove Clovis from 1985 – 1991, when it died the weekend I graduated from college.

In 1991, I bought a 1988 Chevy Cavalier that had power nothing and in which the car stereo was stolen from it when I first moved to Houston in 1994. The last two years, this car did not have a/c. In 1998, Rosie (she was red) got some water in her computer when I found myself in water up to the car doors during one of Houston’s rare (cough, cough) flash floods. In the end, she wasn’t worth fixing and off she went. RIP Rosie.

In 1998, I drove my dad’s old car (Ruthie Buick) from Indiana to Houston with a friend. At the time, the car was only 5 years old and in great shape. The a/c worked (until that fateful day in 2000 when it was 106 degrees and it went out). The electrical issues were non-existent then. As with any car I’ve had, the issues started almost immediately upon my ownership. Ruthie was no different. The alternator goes out every 12-18 months beginning the year I drover her down here. With me not having the money to take care of Ruthie properly, I suffered through 6 years of no a/c and a myriad of other electrical issues. So, as I said, yesterday, I parked her, and there she shall stay until someone comes to take her away.

And now, I have to find a way to get another car. I’ve never shopped for one, and heaven knows, I don’t know how I’m going to pay for one. So, rather than buy the first thing that comes along, I’ve been doing a lot of research and hopefully I’ll find something affordable (and hopefully reliable) soon.

I’m really fighting with myself over this feeling of failure. I have failed, yet again, to provide for myself. I’ve learned my lesson, I now live within my means, I’m getting my debt down to a more controllable level, and I’ve been credit card sober for over a year now. While I am happy with all that progress, I still have a way to go.

I don’t doubt that God has it all under control and that I’ll come out on the other side of this with a wonderful story to tell. I have a roof over my head, it’s warm in my room (it’s only about 40 outside and it’s raining), I have food to eat, and in a week or two, I’ll have fluffy towels again. I pay my bills on time, and I have everything I need. I feel greedy asking for more, but I will anyway, because I have not because I ask not.

God, I ask you for the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference… and the motivation to do something about the things I can change. Amen.

Posted in Yahweh's fingerprints

LAUGH WITH ME

Posted on by sassysheisme

January 21, 2001

I lost a brother early in the morning that day. I loved him so much and though I tried to tell him, I don’t know if I succeeded in getting the message across. Funny for a writer, eh? Even after all this time, a memory still sneaks in and captures me, even if for a brief moment.

This week, I was remembering when we first watched Galaxy Quest together. I’d traveled to Indianapolis in the summer of 2000 to spend time with him in the Ronald McDonald House, where he stayed while getting treatment for leukemia.

My brother was over six feet tall and weighed about 200 pounds. He had a thick head of hair, so I’ll never forget first seeing his bald head (my brother was so into his hair when we were in high school) and the mask over his nose. All I could see were his bright blue eyes peering back at me. He was quieter than usual, but never lost his sense of humor. His words were carefully chosen that week, but we still found time to laugh.

One of the nights I stayed with him, he pulled out Galaxy Quest. My brother was probably one of the biggest Home Improvement/Tim Allen fans ever. Combine that with his geekdom (and mine) and this movie was perfect. This is still one of my favorite movies and I think of him when I watch it. I remember how much we laughed and how much I wish I’d hidden a tape recorder in the room so I could hear him laugh again.

Another memory that sticks out from that week is how much he hugged me. Trust me, our family was not a hugging bunch. Not by a long shot. The final hug came as I was to board a plane to come back to Houston. He hugged me so tightly I thought he was going to squeeze the air out of me. The hug took me off guard and if I’d known it was the last time I was going to see him standing up, or that it was the last hug he’d give me, I’d have hugged him harder and longer.

How wondrous memories can be, and tomorrow I will be thinking of how much my brother made me laugh and how he would have loved to see the Indianapolis Colts get to a Super Bowl (I’m still an optimist when it comes to my team!).

If there’s someone in your life that you love, even if words fail you, a hug can speak volumes. I felt how much my brother could never say that day. I’ll cherish that moment for the rest of my life.

Laugh with me, and remember.

Posted in random

FLUFFY TOWELS, HERE I COME!

Posted on by sassysheisme

I finally bought a dryer today. It’s my first major appliance purchase in my life and I know it’s a warmup to buying a car. I hope I made a good choice (shoot, I know it’s just a dryer). I never thought I’d have enough money to buy a dryer, so this is a major monument in my life.

It’s been rainy and therefore, wet, here in Southeast Texas for at least a week. I’ve forgotten what the sun looks like! At least we don’t have the snow and ice some friends of mine have endured in the Austin and West Texas areas.

Did I, the Queen of Snow, just say that? lol, well, yes. I’d like to see enough snow to make a miniature snowman and let it go at that this year. I am, however, still collecting any and all snowman pictures made by just about anyone. So far this year, I’ve received a snowman (and snowdog), and an “iceman” from Austin in the past week. Send your submissions to me! I’ll add them to my collection.

Have a wonderful week!