lifeasthatgirl

Whoah, did I just say that?  As a life-long New York Giants fan, there is no love lost between me and the Cowboys.   I’ll admit that there were some sour grapes during the 90’s when the Giants struggled and the Cowboys went on a run of championships.  That’s on me, though I think that it’s a human reaction.  But my biggest gripe about the Cowboys is the whole “America’s Team” moniker being shoved down my throat.  Even in California where I grew up, it was impossible to get away from.  They may not have appointed themselves to the elevated status, but those Cowboys sure reveled in it.  Pure audacity or marketing genius?  Perhaps both.

Flash forward to 2014.  I live in Texas.  My boyfriend Ryan is a diehard Cowboys fan, my boss is a Cowboys fan, friends, coworkers, it’s Texas, you get the point.  I still cringe when I hear the phrase “America’s Team”.  I don’t even try to hide the exaggerated eye rolls.  Because here’s the thing – they’ve won TWO playoff games since their last Super Bowl win in 1995.  How exactly does that qualify them?  If anything, I’d think that the Green Bay Packers with their heart of America, fan-owned and very storied (and successful) franchise would be a better candidate.  For that matter, following the 9/11 events and the surge of Patriotism, the New England Patriots could have made a run at it, Spygate or not.  But the Cowboys?  Still?  Really?

As free agency opened up yesterday, the Cowboys did the unthinkable and released their all-time franchise sack leader Demarcus Ware.  We knew this was coming.  The Jones’ hinted at it two weeks ago.  They have major salary cap issues caused primarily by bad management and bad drafting.  As a business decision, they didn’t have a choice, but even for a non-Cowboys fan, it hurts to see a great player, team leader and future Hall of Famer leave like this.  Was Tony Romo’s huge payday worth it?  I hope that Sean Lee is ready to carry the entire defense on his back because I don’t think that Orlando Scandrick and Anthony Spencer are going to get you there.

The Cowboys have a record of 146-142 over the last 18 seasons.  That’s barely over par.  America’s Team?  Pfft.  But then it hit me.  Maybe they are more like America than we have realized.  Like America, the Cowboys are a former powerhouse and industry-dominator that now struggle to live up to mediocrity.  Like America, the Cowboys have mismanaged their finances, blown through their budget and now have to make unthinkable cuts.  Like America, the egos of the 1% who believe that the ability to buy their way into an industry (or government) gives them the knowledge to run it.  Like America, the Cowboy glorify criminal behavior and diva mentality while nanny policies are put into place.  Like America, the Cowboys have ousted one inept coach for one who turned out to be worse (Wade Phillips and Jason Garrett have both coached exactly 56 games and their records are 34-22 and 29-27 respectively).  Whether coaches or presidents, does anyone else ever find themselves asking if this is really the best we have to choose from or is it just me?  And like America, the health, well being and retirement plans of the Cowboys players are dismissed if it stands to make the executives a few more dollars.

So yeah, the way I see it, the Cowboys represent America – at least everything that’s wrong with it.  Both are resting on what’s left of their reputations while scratching their heads, looking back and saying “that used to be us”.  If that is something they are proud of, who am I to judge?  America, here is your team.

I was one of those college students who could never quite get it together.  A stop, a start, a major change.  A few semesters on the Dean’s list followed by a few semesters of incompletes.  A few more major changes, a few more stops and starts and well, you pretty much get the picture.  In the early years, I was partying too much.  In the later years, I was working full time.  In the middle, I had some brilliant moments of straight As great accomplishment but for the most part I think it just wasn’t that important to me.  I managed to squeak an Associate’s out of it all but damn if I didn’t rack up a lot of useless credits in the process.  I’m probably better educated than a lot of BA holders out there and I have nearly as many credits…..they just don’t happen to be in upper division.  

Over the last few years it’s started to become important to me to get that Bachelor’s degree.  I’ve been trying to figure out a way to do that now that I live in Texas.  Can’t get in to UT.  Can’t make the drive to Texas State.  Not a lot of other options.  But now there is a program through one of the Cal State campuses that works entirely online.  “Cool!” I thought.  I can get the degree and it will be a REAL degree from a brick and mortar school (no offense to any University of Phoenix folks out there).  No sweat.  Online, easy to manage the schedule with my job, etc, etc.  So I signed up.

Cut to today.  Classes start in a couple of weeks so I figured I ought to check in and check it out.  And here we go.

First – I have a class whose E-BOOK version of the text book still costs over $100.  FOR AN E-BOOK.  Still $99 TO RENT it for the semester.  Wait, what?  I remember full well how expensive textbooks are but this….this is robbery.  

Next – On top of the syllabi that are long enough to pass for the texts that I just mentioned, I have research papers.  First time out of the gate in years and I picked two classes that have research papers.  I have to admit, I thought about trying to drop and pick new classes but they are both required so I will have to face them anyway and oh yeah, I’ve already traded my first born for textbooks.  

Here’s me now: Glazed-over-deer-in-the-headlights and about to make a sharp turn to panicsville.  I have trips planned!  I have fantasy football teams to manage (3 of em!)!  I have Cowboys fans to harrass over beer and chicken wings!  I have….absolutely no chance of having any semblance of a life for the next 3 months.  

Me and my bright ideas. 

I have a lot of things on my mind this week.  Jon is one of them.  In a few days it will be the one year anniversary of the day he died.  But I’m trying not to think about it too much.  Remembering him for his death wouldn’t serve his memory because he was, in every sense of the word, full of life.

What strikes me most is how quickly the year has gone by.  It seems impossible but the calendar doesn’t lie and September 17^th will come and go.  And then it will be another year.  Life….keeps going.  That may actually be the hardest thing to cope with at first, because it doesn’t seem like it should.  Everything is turned upside down and nothing will ever be the same again yet the sun shines and the birds sing as if nothing has happened at all.   It’s funny,  but I think it is because of that very thing that we are able to heal.  We’re sort of forced to.  The scar will always be there as a reminder of what you’ve lost but the wound, amazingly, does heal.

Looking forward and moving on….the best way to pay tribute this week is for me to go out, have fun and live life to the fullest.  It’s how he lived every day of his life and what he advocated to everyone he met.  So no tears, no sad songs, no alcohol-induced stupor, and no feeling guilty for being happy – just a simple acknowledgement, a nod and a wink if you will, to a life that was, the stories that endure, and friend who will always be missed.

Football is back.  Glorious football.  It’s been a long and crazy off-season with the lock outs and the hold-outs and the wackadoodle free agency happenings.  I think that a lot of us weren’t even sure there would be a season at all.  But after all of the twists and turns and bumps in the road we made it to week one.  I woke up yesterday giddy like a kid on Christmas as we got ready to go to a series of watch parties that would take up the entire day and evening.  The weather was slightly cooler.  It almost felt like fall.  Everywhere I looked there were people in jerseys and hats and there were game sounds filling the corners of every room.  Excitement!  Anticipation!  Elation!  And then I saw the Giants game.  Cue sound effect: wah wah wahhhhhh…….

I’ve  loved the Giants as long as I’ve loved football.  Big Blue is the only team I’ve over been a fan of.  Why the Giants is what most people ask.  Not important!  What matters is that I am a loyal fan and that’s all I’m going to say about that.  But I’ve been with them for a while.  I’m old enough to remember the glory days of Superbowl victories against the Broncos and the Bills, of a rock solid running game and bone-crushing (or bone- breaking if you ask Joe Theisman) defense.  They were beasts and I loved it.

Of course cut to a few years later and we endured the years of Dave Brown and Danny Kanell at quarterback.  Oh and don’t forget Kerry Collins and the miserable showing at the Superbowl against the Ravens.  Couldn’t even watch the second half.  For real.  Every time I hear that yet another team has decided to bring him on I just shake my head.  How’d that work out for you Oakland and Tennessee?  Oh and Indy……good luck with all that.

At any rate, I met the start of the season much the same as I usually do.  Cautiously optimistic.  Hoping for the best but mentally and emotionally preparing for the worst.  I’ve been here before and so has my blood pressure.  And after a great start with a score on the first possession I watched it all slipped away as Eli threw a pick and was sacked 4 times.  We gave up a lead and lost to the Redskins whose quarterback is REX GROSSMAN.  Oh yeah, I remember this old feeling.  The thrill of victory, the agony of defeat and the “ I just got kicked in the teeth” feeling of watching all hope crumble in front of your eyes.

But there’s always next week.  And we’ve got 13 more weeks to prepare for the Cowboys – my boyfriend’s team and of course arch rival of the G-Men.  We both lost yesterday and were nobly empathetic for each other but something tells me it won’t be like this all season – especially since we are competing in fantasy football and survivor football as well.  Oh yeah, it’s like that.  But even the worst day in football is better than the best day without it so bring it on.  And of course, go Big Blue!

Food is a curious thing.  There are a lot of sensory memories involved with the tastes and smells of what we have grown up on.  Meals and specific food items have a way of socially and emotionally bonding us to each other – whether the bonding is between family members or friends or communities.  What I notice the most about this though, is how much of what everyone else likes that I……pretty much hate.   Perhaps its part “I just really don’t like this” and part “I know I’m supposed to like it but I don’t because everyone else does”.  I don’t know.  But here’s a list, in no particular order and in no way all-encompassing:

Bananas.  Nothing is nastier than bananas (except for banana FLAVORED whatevers).  Yuck.  just yuck.  They’re mushy, they have those stringy things on them and they are always either way too green or way too brown. 

Watermelon.  EVERYONE likes watermelon, right?  No.  What does watermelon even taste like?  Water?  I can get that without the grit and seeds, thank you.  Unless you’re punching a bottle of vodka down in it, I’m not interested. And really, even then….

Melon in general.  Honeydew?  No thank you.  Cantaloupe?  Not unless you want to watch me become ill.  I can’t even stand the smell of it and I can smell that foulness from across the room.  To borrow a phrase from a friend, MBLARF!

Peanuts.  This especially includes their gag-inducing mutant offspring peanut butter.  It frankly looks like something out of a diaper and I don’t understand the allure of eating something that will glue your mouth shut and stick in the back of your throat.  Continue this to Butterfingers, Reeses anything, and Snickers.

Granola.   Too crunchy.  Hurts my teeth.  Isn’t filling and is disproportionately high in calories.  I simply don’t see the point. 

Graham Crackers.  Dry.  Might as well eat cinnamon flavored sand. 

Marshmallow.  Practically pure sugar.  Oh, and a little cornstarch and gelatin adden in for good mix.  Did you know that you can light them and create a light source?  Next time there is a blackout, screw the candles and grab the marshmallows.  Add this to the graham crackers above and there are clearly no s’mores in my future.

Rice Krispy Treats.  Since we just talked about marshmallow, I may as well bring up the other famous marshmallow-related product.  Candy coated and petrified cereal.  Mmmmm.

Honey.  First, it just doesn’t taste good.  But second, along the lines of peanut butter….why would someone want to eat something that sticky and that prone to glue your mouth shut?  And isn’t it basically bee barf?

Popcorn.  It smells ok.  Kind of.  But inevitably, 9 times out of 10 when I smell popcorn it is burnt popcorn.  We had our fire alarms go off and had to evacuate our 4 story office building once because of burnt popcorn.  It doesn’t really matter if it is dry or drowning in a pool of butter and salt….the kernals stick in your teeth and it leaves a horrendous aftertaste. 

Salmon.  I love fish.  Pretty much ANY fish.  I hate salmon.  I’ve tried to eat it many times and even in quality restaraunts – I just can’t do it.  The oddity is that apparently when I was a kid I loved the stuff and constantly asked my mom for “orange fish”.  I think I blame my grandma whom I loved dearly and was otherwise a phenomenal cook.  But she made this salmon loaf that made me run screaming.  Think meatloaf but made with canned salmon that is similar to tuna fish in textures.  I am shuddering just thinking about it. 

Dark Meat Chicken.  While we’re on the subject of proteins…..dark meat chicken freaks me out.  It seems slimy and undercooked no matter how long it has been in the oven.  I’ve been known to buy those pre-cooked seasoned chickens at the deli, eat the breasts and then throw the rest away.  Shameful, I know.  If I have my wits about me I at least try to retain the dark meat for soup or something where I won’t be able to tell.  But I won’t touch it. 

Breakfast Sausage.  Any other kind of sausage is great, but Jimmy Dean is not welcome at my table.  There is a particular flavor – could be the fennel – that makes me feel like I have the flu.  It’s also greasy.  I find no redeeming qualities in it whatsoever. 

Peppermint.  It gives me a headache.  And I have memories of endless Girl Scout Campouts where the rest of the troop just HAD to have Singing Oranges for dessert.  That, by the way, is a peppermint stick shoved into an orange and you’re supposed to suck the juice out throught the peppermint like a straw.  Has anyone ever had orange juice after eating something sweet or brushing your teeth?  Same principal.  Eesh

Cinnamon Rolls.  I really don’t get the allure.  They smell sort of ok.  But they are sticky and covered in gloppy icing.  And I hate sweets in the morning.  I don’t have much of a sweet tooth at all, but before noon is unthinkable.

Big Red Soda.  It’s a Texas thing.  I’ve heard that it is allegedly supposed to be cinnamon cream soda.  All I taste is chemicals – you know that toxic red dye # 40 that was banned back in the 80’s?  But people in Texas (who grew up on it) LOVE it. 

It goes even deeper.  Until recently I wouldn’t eat anything with any kind of barbecue sauce, chicken wings or ribs (it’s a bone thing) or celery (except for celery root).  And I don’t consider myself a picky eater.  In fact, I like a LOT of things, weird things even.  And like Mikey, I love me some Life cereal.  Just don’t give me a peanut butter sandwich.

As much as I’ve been into music for as long as I can remember and as many shows as I’ve seen, I can’t believe that I never saw Echo & The Bunnymen.  Until now.  I gotta say, it was absolutely worth the wait.

The exciting thing about this show was that it promised The Bunnymen’s first two albums, Crocodiles and Heaven Up Here, in their entirety.  It’s so rare for any band to do this but these are both great albums which are well worth this sort of showcase.

The band took the stage shortly after 10 and after a few hiccups with the sound (and a lot of muttering of the word “bollocks” from Ian McCulloch) we were on our way and delving deep into Crocodiles.  You know those bands who sound great on record but leave something to be desired live?  This is not one of those bands.  Musically they were focused and on point.  They “Do it Clean” as they sing on the album.  The vocals are an interesting story.  Mac would talk a bit between songs and between the accent, the ever-present cigarette, and the fact that he *may* have been a little inebriated, I couldn’t understand a bloody word he said.  But when he sang it was a different story.  It wasn’t perfect, but it was close enough for me.

After a short break, we were treated to the album Heaven Up Here which was nothing short of spectacular.  They just got better and better as the night went on.  I was positive that “All My Colours” was going to be my favorite song of the set, but then they played “Turquoise Days”.  Wow.  Just wow.  I get the chills just thinking about it.  I’m not going to go as far as to say it was a religious experience but it was damn near.  A number of videos have been posted from that night….that’s the one that I’m waiting for. 

Another short break and the band came back for the encore.  I’m going to say right now that the encore was ridiculous: Lips Like Sugar, Bring On The Dancing Horses, Nothing Lasts Forever – with a transition into The Fountain….and then back, The Killing Moon, The Cutter.  All made more brilliant by the combination of the entire crowd singing along at the top of its collective voice and the uber fan next to us who was dancing like…..Elaine Benis while being electrocuted and not just screaming, but howling like a wolf howls at the moon.  The Killing Moon, that is. 

Next up for the Bunnymen after wrapping up their North American tour is a 6 date mini UK tour in September where they will be showcasing Ocean Rain.  Same time in September that I’ll be floating around pre-Oktoberfest.  Hmmmm……