RANDOM MUSINGS

I know I am a few days early, but I will be in Warren for the holiday, and won’t be updating this or seeing many of you. I hope everyone has a great time with their families! Be careful if you are traveling!

Love ya!

JILL

Okay, I know most people don’t even give a shit. And I don’t either, really. I am not one of those people that watches pageants or any of that. I never could even figure out the difference in Miss USA versus Miss America. The one thing I do know is the story of Vanessa Williams being forced to give up her Miss America crown for posing nude. Emphasis being that the nude photos were BEFORE she was crowned Miss America. And not during her reign. I only bring this up in light of the news this week focusing on this year’s Miss USA. A chick that only turned 21 this week. She was in trouble because of reports of underage drinking in New York clubs. Now…call me insane, but I do believe that underage drinking during a reign by a supposed “role model” for young women trumps the nude photos. For the most obvious reason that you can be ARRESTED for one of these and not the other. Give me a damn break. And I am not saying that pageant contestants should or should not be considered good models. Do not really want to start that argument. And yes, I know that nude photos in 1984 are much different than if the nude photos appeared in 2006. But damn. Underage drinking?? And nude photos by a consenting adult?? OH…the best part…the timeless excuse of “I am from a small town and could not handle the big city” blah blah blah. Sorry, chick. That one does NOT fly. Personal experience right here. And I know…Houston is not New York. But I have been to plenty of cities on my own and lived on my own since I was 20, technically. So dude…dream up another one. Your decisions are your own. Seriously. Does anyone else see something wrong with this picture?

So this is obviously a few days late. I am so sporadic with postings. This is also my third baseball post in a row…and it is the off-season. Can you tell I am like an addict that needs a fix? I MISS baseball season. And Bagwell’s announcement did not help. So sad. Not much of an argument against him being one of, if not the greatest Astro that ever played for the franchise. Even if he was not THAT good, his longevity with the organization would have been something for Houston to be proud of. To have players like Bagwell and Biggio that have such loyalty and dedicaton to one team for so long is a real gift to a city. Definitely the end of an era. I could not count how many times I have seen him play. Obviously almost every Astro game I went to up until a couple of years ago included him. But impossible to know how many I have seen. I mean, he started with spring training in 1991. The sad thing is, when you are as young as I was when I first started watching baseball, you have no concept of the legend you are watching. He was just another one of the guys…the good guys that was really really good. It is only now…now that his retirement is official that I really understand what I was watching all those years. Bagwell and Biggio both contributed to my love of baseball. And now part of that combo is officially gone. I know that we have not seen him play in a long while. But it is different when the announcement comes…and the press conference is held…and the personal services contract is worked out. At least he will still be involved in the organization. Houston is lucky! Poor Boston. Anyway…just wanted to say it’s been great, Bagwell!

Okay, so it sucks BIG TIME that Taveras got traded. Worse than losing Pettitte. Seriously. But I am mollified by the fact that we did not give up Taveras for nothing. We got some starting AND relief pitching out of it. We do have too many outfielders…although if you are going to give one up, I don’t know that I would have given up Taveras. Oh well. Whatcha gonna do, right??  I won’t miss Hirsch. Although Buchholz is a cutey. Cause that is what is important, right? Poor Taveras. It is hard to miss people who purposely go sign with other teams…choose to leave and chase the money. Beltran, Pettitte, etc. But I always feel so bad for the people that are traded…Wilson and now Taveras and Buchholz. Even Springer. I feel even worse when Houston fans don’t know any better and boo people that get traded. Seriously. I have witnessed it. Booing Beltran was one thing…but I have heard the fans boo freakin Wilson. Who did not ASK to be traded. Come on, people! And now he has a WS ring. Booing better not happen when Taveras is back in town. Okay. That was a random rant. Whew. But I feel better. So welcome to the Astros, Jason Jennings and Miguel Ascensio!

I refuse to be bitter. Or angry. At least completely. Or end up being one of those fans that boos players that have migrated to other teams. (although Beltran is an acception) I grudgingly support Pettitte’s decision to sign with the stupid Yankees. I know that the Yankees are “his” team. I realize he grew up and was supported there. But still…Yuck. Damn. And he may not be completely after the money. I will give him the benefit of the doubt. I still think it sucks!!!! Although I will most definitely NOT be one of those idiots that will be all pissed off and calling him a traitor and all sorts of crazy crap. The people that do that are usually the ones that don’t even know that much about baseball in the first place. I can just hear the call-ins to talk radio shows now. Idiots. Pettitte was just too badass to lose.

Purpura finally commits to going after some support for Berkman in the lineup, and now the pitching situation is going down the drain. We don’t have Springer anymore, either. Major leadership role gone. Oh well. I hate to be selfish, but I am glad that they resigned Backe. Whoo-hoo! Stay positive, right? At least we also still have Oswalt!!! Trading will continue!!!!

 

IMG_9539.JPGOriginally uploaded by Jilly2113.

There are some new photos up. As Cristina pointed out, it has been a while!! Two new sets…from the weekend of Jorge’s BBQ for everyone to meet Alicia, when Daniel, Summer and I went to Kemah…and the Annual Elected Official’s Reception that was tonight at the Houston Zoo. It was a pretty good time. Summer and Allyson did a good job making it festive. There were actually live animals around…and Rudy Giuliani was there. That was random. Oh yeah…there are pictures of us being goofy. The one to the right is Summer and I in this tunnel kids can crawl through underneath a fish tank. Notice I said kids. And we had not even had drinks at this point. Seriously! This week has been pretty slow. I have still been sick. Actually feel better today. But still not 100%. Oh well! I should be used to it by now, right?

I cannot even remember what I did last weekend. I know Theresa’s birthday happy hour was Friday. That was fun. I forgot my camera, though, so I did not have any pictures. Saturday was baseball time, but I did not play because I was sickly, of course. The parents even stopped by to check out my batting stance. My dad still says I have better form than Jay. HA.

I am getting ready to take a couple of days off next week. WHOO-HOO. Then it is time to suck it up and work on Annual Meeting. Seriously.
Tomorrow is Friday! Hope everyone has a good weekend! Let me know what is up.

Not to be depressing, but this has been one of the top stories in the area today. Hell, it even made Newsvine. I just felt the need to acknowledge this as it happened at my alma mater. So tragic. We all definitely need to keep this girl’s family in our thoughts.

HUNTSVILLE, TEXAS — A 20-year-old college cheerleader was shot to death in her apartment by an obsessed ex-boyfriend, who then killed himself, authorities said.

Rachel Pendray, 20-year-old pre-nursing major at Sam Houston State, died Sunday from three or four gunshot wounds, university spokesman Frank Krystyniak said.

Her three roommates told officials that Jake Taylor, 24, had stopped by to see Pendray on Sunday night. The two went into a room, and a short time later the roommates heard gunshots and found the two dead.

The roommates said Taylor was a former boyfriend who kept pursuing Pendray after she had broken up with him. He was not a Sam Houston State student but had been friends with Pendray since high school.

“It was an obsession-type thing,” Krystyniak said.

Pendray’s father described her as a straight-A student and an accomplished athlete who went on church mission trips.

“She was so full of life,” said Mark Scott Pendray. “She was just perfect and some fool had to come along and went and killed her.”

I am so tired of being sick! Damn. Once again I am unable to breathe. Same sinus stuff I get all the time. Except it is not really getting any better!! And any drugs I take make me feel completely drunk. So this week at work has consisted of me staring off into space for many many hours. Nice, huh? I just want to be normal!

Hope everyone has a good, non-sick weekend!!!