Move in date: End October/Beginning of Nov!

How 'bout them Texas Cheerleaders? Sarenna's "Hook 'em Horns!" isn't quite spontaneous yet, but I've seen grown women do the same thing.

Are they teaching cheer in April's dance class? I think Ashton already has it down.


Here's a closeup of the finished backsplash. Let's make the usual disclaimer that these photos do their subject zero justice.


The finished fireplace:


My shower. They delivered the glass on Wednesday, and I'm excited about the choice that we made! Maybe it'll be installed next week.

Here's the fixture in the shower that Laura says she pushed for heavily. It's sweeeet.


The stove is back!

The drawer dishwasher. I won't be using it at all. None of my dishes or flatware are going to be dishwasher safe. Be sure and bring your rubber gloves to do your own wash after you've dined with me.

Icemaker with reverse osmosed water!

Ovens. Turkey in the top one and three chocolate pies in the bottom one.


This sink isn't hooked up, but it's otherwise finished. Oh, and yeah. They need to replace the polished chrome fixture on the left with one that's brushed nickel. It'll happen.

The utility room sink. It'll be ultra convenient for, say, Ron to be washing his dishes and silverware in this sink if Allen's busy doing the same at the kitchen one. We don't need to have long lines forming.


The living room wood floor was placed first. I was alarmed that it was so dark, but that's because I really got used to having the gray concrete floor. Curses! I still think polished concrete would be awesome. Maybe in the next house.

All together now! Tile, hardwood, cabinetry, and paint! Well orchestrated, Tina!.

current music: Scissor Sisters: I Don't Feel Like Dancin'

Always Just Breaking Apart

It's time to start packing!

I thought this capability to embed was neat-O. I think this was the last time Robert Smith had a haircut.

I'll have pictures to post tonight, tomorrow, and/or the next day!

current music: The Cure: Pictures of You

???

From the advertisment/boxes would you be more apt to purchase the jacuzzi tub (left) or the down pillows (right)? The pillows cost more than the tub. I can't afford to be that comfortable. Plus, I'd look stupid if good rest afforded me by these pillow caused a look on my face like this.

I don't think that rest causes looks like that. But...what do I know?

current music: Donna Summer: Hot Stuff

Fresh off my beating of Tina in FFootball...

Which, by the way, was soooooo sweet. Like watching Woody Hayes cold cock an opposing player, giving a good wax job to your best friend never gets old. In a related matter, Rusty is silencing another hubrisitic owner (I'm blogging this from his house as we speak. Can you hear the squeals of anguish with each overthrown Roethlisberger pass???) That being said, Tina's done such a smash up job picking out the fineries of my house! I couldn't be more excited as each new fixture gets installed. Here's the beginnning of the backsplash behind the stove. She designed it herself:


These pictures don't do the work justice. It should be ready to be grouted tomorrow. These tiles are going into the middle. They're copper of some sort, being either copper colored or a slight slight slight greenish tinge.


Here is the backsplash behind the sink. I relented and got a stainless steel sink, when I had originally wanted a ceramic-style one. It'll be cool. It's sturdier than the ones I've had in past apartments, which had influenced my decision making process in a negative way. The tile is the same as what's on the floor.


The ultra super neatrocious fan in the living room. This picture also doesn't convey properly its subject's magnifecence. Look at its aerodynamicity. Rusty, it's been engineered to reach category 5 storm windspeed!


These are the light fixtures in the entry way and dining room. Madonna-esque? Nice.


Here's the breakfast area fixture:


Far off you can see the ceiling fan for the kitchen. It'll be convenient for cooling off all hot pizza placed on the island. Hot food is overrated anyway, like hot water to wash your hands. I'm only thinking of my guests and their potential scalded palates. It's not good to slough, Shannon. Anway, the fan's obviously going to match the stainless steel appliances. Mom & Dad, you won't be able to see any fingerprints on all that stainless steel. None!


They installed the front porch light as well. It dangles in a stately manner.


Tina looking at the shower design she made. The pieces of granite are the same as the vanity.


And the tub area. I've traded out Tina's design services for future tub time. It's a real deal for me. She doesn't realize in the negotiations I had my fingers crossed. She'll be doing her tub time in the Jack & Jill bath. It's still got pretty glass blocks above it, like mine, albeit less.


current music: Brian: Weeping & Gnashing of Teeth

I'm feeling very sick and ill today...but I'm still fond of you.

What happens in Austin doesn't stay in Austin. Here are some shareable moments from the loss weekend. After countless attempts to get this picture, we were finally successful--somewhere between Temple and Belton. It took both adults holding the camera to get it. Yeah. How we got there and back without a wreck or a ticket? Divine Intervention. We're pretty.

I think the theme of the trip wasn't football. It was cameras.


The girls made us cover the XM because they thought we'd cheat in a game of name that tune. It didn't prevent us. In a widely acknowledged Blairian move, I changed the channel when the girls were taking pictures of some scraggly Buckeye fan who was losing the race to Austin. The odds swung heavily and almost stealthily in our favor. Tina and I won!!!


I think both of the girls got dynamite quesadillas. It was a special treat at Chuy's this week--the game fell on a weekend of the Hatch Green Chile Festival! Yum! Troy Aikman wasn't there this time. He missed out.


Aikman wasn't in Austin, but Bono was in San Marcos. Discotheque!


Buffas!


One of them has the right idea. One of them has been brain damaged by a lifetime of force-fed Crimson & Cream.

A rare pic where Lou is on the shutter end:


Tina after she stole all the pillows from the other side of the bed. This is the pillow hotel. It's silly how many they put on the beds, and how many different shapes and sizes they are. They were very soft, and she didn't give them back. It would've been a spectacular night of sleep if Contessa hadn't called too early in the morning to find out how many hot chocolates were to be brought for a wake-up drink.


The hot chocolate drinkage. It wasn't sweet enough. Maybe it had been made with a chunk of a semi-sweet variety instead of Swiss Miss. Who knows? It took milk and coffee creamer to make it drinkable. Thanks to a swift mommy move by Tina!


A Buckeye fan had rolled his whole house down and parked it outside the stadium. We got pictures in front of it:

There were several UT CB's on the other side of the home-on-wheels, trying to buy Buckeye leaves to smoke. They were desparate--they were down to stems and seeds.


The girls in front of Pease Fountain.




Finally in our seats, which came with with chair backs! They were the best seats I've had in a long while at a Texas game. We were reasonably close to the field and had a great view of all the sweater-vested people types. Yeah, that's an Earl Campbell Sausage in a blanket in my hand. Tina declined before I could ask if she wanted one for herself.

Two of a kind, if you overlook Tina's poor taste in allegiance:


Mack on the Godzillatron. This is an unbelievably ginormous HD display (of course, the biggest in the world. Would you expect less at Texas?) Notice the people in the stands at the bottom left corner of the picture. I think this is where he was on it telling everyone in the vicinity our offensive "gameplan." He also notified the Ohio State coaches that we weren't going to bother covering WR #11, at all, all night. You're welcome!


I remember this picture being taken at some low point for the Buckeyes. Probably when they missed their first field goal attempt. Tina won't admit it, but she was antsy about the outcome of the game until right before the half. Like I said, she won't admit it.


The dotting of the "i."


And the crossing of the "T." Those damn Ohioans would have you believe they invented and patented cursive. Whatever.


OK. At this point, I was making my best attempt to remain a good sport. It's a daunting task, especially if you sit where you are for a minute (and while you're doing it, think of how long a minute is and remember there are 15 minutes in a fourth quarter--and that they're football game minutes) and imagine the incessant yapping I was having to endure. Then for the kicker, realize that the screetching wasn't because the Buckeyes were winning, necessarily. It was more so about how the crazy Salvation Army-look alike band had dotted the "i." Of all the miracles of endurance, mother mary. I might have a book similar to Job about me written in The Millenium. I think you can see it all in my eyes. No? Happy Birthday, Tina.


Yeah, the final score is here and recorded for posterity. I choose to believe that Laura took it because it is also an announcement of when the Big 12 Championship Game is. She didn't want me to forget that the 'Horns will be in Kansas City for it this year.


And while we were gone, grout!



And they've started tiling my shower. It's fabulous!


current music: The Smiths: What Difference Does It Make?