I must comment on how dry the air is! A cold front blew in last night and it’s been below 60 degrees (which is sweater weather in Austin). Because the front was a high pressure front, it’s a dry front. It’s so dry outside that as I was coming home, I was talking to my mom with my cell phone headset in and I kept getting shocked in my ear as I walked up the 3 flights of stairs to my apartment! I don’t recommend static shocks in the ear. They don’t feel so good.
Author: Benford
Finally, an update!
Friday night was my official conducting debut. Man, I was nervous! So much to do to prepare for the concert. Especially when the head director insists on NOT doing an ordinary Christmas Concert. He puts together quite the show. We incorporated acting, dancing, storytelling, and even technology into our show. Hopefully, I can get a copy of someone’s video and post portions of it.
Anyways, the concert went really well. My kids performed all the things we’d practiced. They received many compliments all of which I agree with. Very successful night.
I started my Yoga last week. I’ve just had time to do little 20 minute session in the mornings but they’ve helped my energy level through the day. I didn’t do them yesterday or today and I’m feeling fairly tired. Maybe it’s from not doing Yoga, maybe it’s just ’cause it’s the weekend, maybe it’s ’cause Len’s here. 😀
Len wants to go see National Treasure today but it’s not really on my wanna see list so I’ve disappointed him. I’m sorry baby…. I’m actually not in the mood to sit in a movie theater at all; it’s too pretty of a day out. We’re just sitting around my apartment but I’ve got the window open and the cats are getting some much needed attention. It’s nice to not have to do anything for once. Maybe I should do a load of laundry or two today, though.
I have some new pictures of the fat cats taken. I’ll post them later today so you all can see just how FAT they really are.
I guess that’s it for now. Happy weekend.
~B
Do not call list
From an email from my dad:
A directory of cell phone numbers will soon be published for all consumers to have access to. This will open the doors for solicitors to call you on your cell phones, using up precious minutes that we pay lots of money for.
The Federal Trade Commission has set up a “do not call” list. It is called a cell phone registry. To be included on the “do not call” list, you must call from your cell phone – ie – the number you wish to register.
Call 1-888-382-1222, OR go to http://www.donotcall.gov/ and add your number to the do not call list.
The Party
My friend Allison is about to get married!! To celebrate this joyous occasion, we decided to party. And did we party. This weekend, I was part of an awesome full weekend bachelorette party. It was 2 days long!! Because of some work commitments, I couldn’t participate in some of it but what I did participate in was fantastic.
Allison is one of the dance teachers at my school. One of the other co-workers’ parents have a timeshare at the Barton Creek Country Club so she took advantage of it and we had a 2 story, 3 bedroom (with 3 1/2 HUGE baths — always a plus with a house full of girls) house in Westlake to get away to. What a difference that makes. It was one big slumber party! The other thing she did was rent a 15 passenger van and have some of their graduated students be our designated drivers. We were set!
Friday evening was a small group of us started out at the house with some drinks and munchies. Once we were all ready to head out, we went to Shady Grove for dinner then we hit 4th Street for some more drinks and some dancing. We started fairly late and this was just our pre-party with a few folks so we weren’t expecting hours of party. And it wasn’t. After about an hour and a half on 4th Street, another girl was arriving to Austin for the rest of our party weekend so we had to go back to the house to meet her. We really weren’t too disappointed about having to leave, though. Dispite the fact that it was UT graduation weekend and a Friday night, 4th Street was pretty dead and the bands I heard were kinda suckin’. Back to the house for a few more drinks with our new group member then some sleep for a whole new day of party.
Saturday morning, I had to be at Westlake HS to judge some band stuff so I missed out on the massage & facials. 😦 As soon as I was done, I did go out and shop for something cute to wear that night out, though. It’s always nice to rack up a smidge of credit card debt to pamper yourself every once in a while….
About 4:30, the rest of the folks started to show up at the house and the drinks started to flow yet again. Red wine, white wine, apple martinis, Midori pina coladas, and Crown & Coke were the choices. I think a few of the girls were quite tipsy before we even headed out for dinner! We loaded the 15 passenger van and headed out to PF Changs for dinner. Because there were so many of us there (I think the final count that met for dinner was 21 people), the waiter suggested a dinner option called a limo ride where they bring out 3 or 4 appetizers and 4 or 5 main dishes to choose from family style for everyone based on a few questions (allergies, favorites, etc). It only cost about $17/person and we had lots of left overs! Some dinner, a few more drinks and away we go again for some dancing and you guessed it, MORE DRINKS!
We hit Speakeasy, Oilcan Harrys & Olsos and had a great time in each. Definitely 3 completely different atmospheres! Once the night was done and no more drinks could publically flow, we loaded up the van again and headed back to the house for some last drinks and munchies before we headed to bed. I think I finally got to bed around 4am.
(Oh yeah, Eric, why did you call at 5 am???)
Breakfast and a hangover this morning, we got cleaned up and headed to our real lives. We’ve decided we don’t need special occasions to go out to the timeshare for a weekend away so you’ll periodically hear more stories from the Barton Creek Country Club! Lots of fun!!!
A Lesson in a Jar
One day an expert in time management was speaking to a group of business students and, to drive home a point, used an illustration those students will never forget. As this man stood in front of the group of high-powered overachievers he said, “Okay, time for a quiz.” Then he pulled out a one-gallon, wide-mouthed mason jar and set it on a table in front of him. Then he produced about a dozen fist-sized rocks and carefully placed them, one at a time, into the jar. When the jar was filled to the top and no more rocks would fit inside, he asked, “Is this jar full?” Everyone in the class said, “Yes.” Then he said, “Really?”
He reached under the table and pulled out a bucket of gravel. Then he dumped some gravel in and shook the jar causing pieces of gravel to work themselves down into the spaces between the big rocks. Then he asked the group once more, “Is the jar full?” By this time the class was onto him. “Probably not,” one of them answered. “Good!” he replied. He reached under the table and brought out a bucket of sand. He started dumping the sand in and it went into all the spaces left between the rocks and the gravel. Once more he asked the question, “Is this jar full?” “No!” the class shouted. Once again he said, “Good!” Then he grabbed a pitcher of water and began to pour it in until the jar was filled to the brim. Then he looked up at the class and asked, “What is the point of this illustration?” One eager beaver raised his hand and said, “The point is, no matter how full your schedule is, if you try really hard, you can always fit some more things into it!” “No,” the speaker replied, “that’s not the point.
The truth this illustration teaches us is: If you don’t put the big rocks in first, you’ll never get them in at all.” What are the ‘big rocks’ in your life? Time with your loved ones? Your faith, your education, your dreams? A worthy cause? Teaching or mentoring others?
Remember to put these BIG ROCKS in first or you’ll never get them in at all. So, tonight or in the morning when you are reflecting on this short story, ask yourself this question: What are the ‘big rocks’ in my life or business? Then, put those in your jar first.
Benford's Musings 
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