Welcome to 2012

Dear Cheryl, welcome to 2012.

When I was asked for approximately the 400th time about calling someone via Skype this week, I decided maybe it was time to get with the program. Tonight my friends, I downloaded Skype.

New headshot

Then I got crazy and decided I should have a mildly recent headshot to fill the avatar screen so that required some photo selecting and editing. (And now I'm wondering, should I maybe update LinkedIn, Blogger, etc for improved consistency and recency? Oh the really tough and important questions in life.)

Then - ooh! I can add contacts! Yes let's do that. Let's search my Facebook. I bet I find a dozen or so...or like 500 people I know who are on Skype. Apparently I really was last.

I didn't have the patience to sit down and add all of you. I apologize. I added Anna, AJ and my cousin Anthony because as A's I got to all of them before I was bored. The real purpose was to be able to call Kevin so I added him and on my way to K I saw Joe's pic and figured I might as well round out the Renaud family listing. So I have those five people. One day I'll get crazy and add the other 495 of you. Or you can find me. I'm CLBlack425...just like my username for nearly everything is. Creative right?

Watch out! Now that I've joined 2012, I'm gonna Skype you!

(That sounds somewhat violent doesn't it?)

Better Luck Next Year

Well the Texans loss to the Ravens was a bit of a heartbreaker. Between Jacoby Jones making a laughing stock of the special teams and TJ Yates throwing not one, not two but three interceptions...sigh. Our defense played great; if only the offense could have matched it.

However Mom & I decided there is a small consolation prize in losing today: we don't have to travel to New England to be demolished. I've seen the Pats play and I had no dreams of the Texans beating them, especially outside, in January in New England. So it would have just been one more game to risk injuries and possibly end the season with an unnecessarily disheartening massacre.

So on our first year ever in the play-offs, winning one and going out with a (frustrating game but) respectable score ain't so bad. Until next year Texans...

1H 2012

The first half of 2012 just got busier.

If you read my California Girl post, it already looked fairly busy. Ha! That's nothing compared to what's on the books now:

• January: 3 speaking engagements, 1 in each city: Austin, Phoenix and NYC
• February: This is the month I sleep. So far nothing other than Valentine's Day here.
• March: Co-hostessing Brittany's Baby Shower, Cirque du Soleil date night, Janice's Bridal Shower, SxSW, Boston for Jane's wedding, start California trip
• April: Finish California trip, Easter, Ross' birthday, my birthday
• May: EuroTrip
• June: Orlando to speak at TechKnow

As Mom used to say to me in high school as we drove from one cheerleading practice to another, "it's a good thing you like to be busy."

23 Hours in Phoenix

It's a Friday night and Lexi and I are curled up for an episode (or two) of Friday Night Lights. That's because after 23 hours in Phoenix, I'm a sleepy lady.

Instagram pic from front of AZ hotel

Since I'm sleepy, I'll give you the very brief version. Yesterday afternoon I flew to Phoenix to join up with the McPherson Co-op, a group of fundraisers and marketers for PBS stations across the country. I enjoyed dinner with the group, where I ate delicious chicken and learned TONS about the world of public media. As the intersection of charitable work and broadcast journalism, I found it to be super interesting.

Then this morning I spoke to the group about social media and shared a few ideas for how they could use it back at their stations. Shane, from KLRU (Austin's PBS station) spoke with me on the topic and is definitely leading the charge in terms of social PBS stations.

And after speaking but before reaching the 24 hour mark in the wild wild west, I was back on a plane and headed to Austin.

Let's honor Shane and his team here with a teaser video for a show on our local PBS station that I do believe I will have to start watching.

Ruby's Pet Peeve

Some cars shake when you approach 80 mph, some car speakers pop when you try to rock out, some cars can barely make it up an on-ramp if they are low on gas. It's their way of telling you to not to drive so damn fast, to turn the music down or to fill up with gas already.

My little Ruby car is scenario three. She really hates being low on gas. Most cars can be "on empty" but still have 20 or so more miles in them.

Nope, not Ruby. One time I was on empty when I brought her home. The next morning I was about to go to the gym, turned the key and got nothing. Freakin' crickets. Ross was standing in the garage and he looked at me with the biggest "No way" eyes I have ever seen. I tried again and she started to purr. I immediately filled her up at the nearest gas station, cost be damned.

Today we had a little trouble with a wee hill, really had to stretch the little juice we had to get up what I didn't even realize was a slight incline until now, despite driving the same route for 2+ years. (You were above E old girl! Come on!) We promptly made a pit stop.

I love that little car and I'll probably consider buying another Hyundai when the time comes. In the meantime, I'm gonna make sure her little car belly is full (or at least half full) o' gas 24/7.

PS Musings about my car's gas habits led me to an idea and subsequent blog post about donor record keeping. OMG I am such a nerd.

Consumer ID

In cop shows they often go through the victim's trash with the idea that you can tell a lot about a person from their trash. Are they health nuts with nothing but organic groceries? Or are they Chinese take out aficionados? Maybe that receipt from the corner store will break open the case.

When I'm in the (always lengthy) line at the grocery store on Sundays, I find myself mindlessly staring at the purchases of the person in front of me and IDing them based on consumer habits. Apple juice and Pediasure probably mean there's a wee one at home. Sticky buns, soda and potato chips, especially when not accompanied by fruit, milk or vegetables, speak for themselves. Mountains of chips, Gatorade and deli meat either mean there are 5 kids in the family or possibly just 1 teenage boy.

Our shirts also said game day

What does our grocery shopping say about us? Well, yesterday with beer, cranberry juice, sausage and jalapeno poppers it said "game day!"

But our regular weekly grocery trip consists more of fresh vegetables (but rarely the organic ones), boxed rice or pasta mixes, 1% milk, fish, steak or pork, chicken, store brand tortilla chips (every week like clockwork), a small bouquet of cheap flowers and maybe a sweet something like this week, a pint of (light) vanilla ice cream. I think you'd say that we're a small family, probably with no kids (I mean come on, no juice boxes), who are mostly healthy and who don't put a lot of stock in most name brands.

Or maybe I just think that because I am us. While groceries don't actually define us, I'm still curious: what do your groceries say about you?