Yee Haaaw! It's the Tucson Rodeo!

Today, I went to the Annual Tucson National Rodeo, AKA "Fiesta de Los Vaqueros"... the world's largest outdoor rodeo and a really big deal in Tucson every year. I went with a girl named Christina as well as Rachael and Ed, the married couple that hosted that same Thanksgiving dinner. Rachael is in my department, and Ed is a truck driver.

Anyway, today was the finale, where the final 12 contestants in each of the seven rodeo categories got to compete. Apparently, the points earned in all of the national rodeos go toward an annual total that are used for entry into the World Rodeo Championships in Las Vegas each year. Therefore, the cowboys I saw today are from all over the U.S. and Canada and are considered the best in North America...

So here are my pictures from the day...

View from our seats:

Setting the scene... here are the "chutes" where the bucking horses and bulls start out. The announcers and cameramen sit up in the little booth. (BTW, we were definitely in the "nosebleed" seats, but we did get a good view of the whole arena.)

Looking to the right:

Here is the area where the horses and calves come from for the tying competitions as well as the barrel racing. The calves run out of that blue shoot, and the cowboys get ready to run from the horse pit section where a lot of commotion seems to be taking place in this picture.

The horse pit area:

Here is a picture from down on the ground next to the horse pit section. These are some of the competitors as well as some of the wranglers.

You've got to start young:

Look at the little mini-roper!!

Event #1: Steer Wrestling

This event involves two horses and a steer, which is sandwiched in the middle of the two horses. The rider on the right (in blue) is just there to keep the steer going straight. The cowboy competing is the one that is jumping off of his brown horse closest to us. He's jumping onto the steer, which he then throws to the ground. The best time for this event was around 5 seconds. (BTW, that is a very large spectator in the background... wearing grey.)

Event #2: Team Roping

Here are two pictures of team roping, which looked really hard. One guy ropes the calf's horns in the front, and the other guy goes around back and ropes his tail legs. The guy who ropes the legs has to be very fast and very talented. Lots of guys missed on this event. I liked that the calf's wore little protective helmets, I guess to keep the rope from cutting the area around their horns. You can click on the pictures to see them at a larger scale if you want to see more detail...

Event #3: Saddle Bronc Riding

This is just like Bareback Riding (which is the one event I didn't take a picture of) except that it uses a full saddle, and rider is definitely sitting more upright. He also kicks his legs back instead forward like the bareback riders, who kick the horse while they're almost lying down, thus putting their boots in the horse's shoulder area. The saddle riding looks a lot easier, if you ask me. The horse on the left is preparing to wrangle the bucking horse after its rider disembarks. Minimum time allowed per ride: 8 seconds.

Event #4: Bull Riding

This is just insane. I had to really zoom in to get this picture because the riders were really far away from me. They cordon off just a tiny area around the chutes for this event because I guess its easier to control a bull in a small area. This shot really shows off this bull's private parts. I think the rider is getting bucked off too.

Event #5: Tie-Down Roping

This is one of the coolest events because the horse has a big responsibility. He has to pull back on his own to tighten the noose around the calf's neck, which incapacitates it temporarily so the cowboy can flip it over and tie its legs in the air. These horses were really smart and well trained! The calf did look rather pathetic for about 10 seconds (one can't help but feel sorry for the little critter) but then it's all over, and the calf is up and running around again after the event. I guess that's better than being veal...

Event #6: Barrel Racing

This is the one chick event. These girls race full speed around three inflated plastic beer cans (umm, I mean barrels). They get time tacked onto their scores if they knock over the beer can (oops, I mean barrel). Classy ad placement, Coors.

This was sort of the half-time show:

Here is the Quadrille de Mujeres Precision Riding Team with a lot of colorful cowgirls, cascading blonde curly locks, and well-groomed horses. Probably a lot of make-up under those hats too...

And finally, a couple of small observances in the stands. Sorry, my blog would not be complete if I were not to point out two of the more interesting "people watching" events that occurred:

Here is the fat lady that took off her white L.A. Gear tennis shoes to my left:

In my opinion, rodeo bleachers are not exactly a place for the health of the bare foot. This woman sat through most of the rodeo with her shoes off. Not only did her feet look very similar to Bilbobaggins', but there was a lot of long yellowed toe-nail action going on... I really wish I'd been wearing blinders.

Check the ill-fitting top to my right:

I really want to know what some people see when they look in the mirror before going out. Here is a Mexican lady that sat diagonally in front of us wearing a top that was clearly two sizes too small. While this picture makes it seem that her crossed arms are creating the cumbersome cleavage clearly apparent in the photo, I assure you that the cleavage was awkwardly heaving out of her shirt in any and all positions in which she was sitting, creating a very mangled, mashed, distorted chest line that looked very painful. The back flesh squeezing out of the rear "peek-a-boo" hole only made me wince more at what must have been a very difficult effort to put this shirt on. She might just have to tear it off at the end of the day if it doesn't rip open like the Incredible Hulk's shirt.

Who is this broad?

I was certain that I was getting sunburned on my neck so I put my collar up. I also wanted to recreate 1986. Oh, the memories...

View of South Tucson:

We were in the upper-most row of bleacher seats so here is the view directly behind me. Pretty wicked skyline, eh?!? Oh yes, and the inevitable Tucson strip mall and mega-parking lots too...

I have to go do homework now... KVB

Militant Girl Scouts

Well, it's that time of year again...


What will it be? Samoas, Do-si-dos, or Thin Mints?

I must report that the Girl Scouts of America have descended upon the University of Arizona like a swarm of locusts during the past three days. There must have been 50 young Brownies and Girl Scouts hawking their carb-ladened treats in the center lawn area of the university, set up in no less than EIGHT cookie-selling tents.

WTF?!?!? OK, I was a Girl Scout. When the cookie time of year rolled around, I dreaded it because it meant that I had to walk around my tiny neighborhood of about 12 houses and awkwardly ring the bell and force people to buy something they didn't necessarily want from me. (I've never enjoyed sales.) Of course, the goal was to sell as many cookies as possible for... THE PRIZES IN THE CATALOG! I always aspired to win the boom box or the mini-television or the Sony Walkman. However, my paltry sales generally qualified me for nothing more than the Girl Scouts bookmark set or the ballpoint pen and pencil kit. My parents were NOT taking my cookie sales sheet to work and selling them for me as appears to be the case today -- oh no, I was learning how to market and sell those cookies myself. And yes, I sucked totally and paid the price. There was certainly no sitting outside Safeway with my mom, there was no setting up in mall parking lots, and there was certainly no tent on a university campus. I know, there are a lot of child molesters out there today so it's not safe to go door-to-door anymore, but it just seems so easy now.

How have I become bitter about Girl Scout cookies? Perhaps it is the reprimand I received yesterday from a militant Brownie, who was positioned smack-dab in the middle of the sidewalk as I tried to maneuver my bicycle around her, as she shouted at me to buy her cookies. I had just come from the rec center pool, my hair was standing up in 10 directions from the chlorinated water, and I was trying to scurry through the middle of campus en route to my apartment to take a shower. Bitchy Brownie decides to step forward and shout at me, "Do you wanna buy some cookies?" Feeling as though it would be rude to ignore the child, I yelled out to her, "I already bought some yesterday," in a light-hearted tone, right at the same time she was ending her sales pitch with the word "...cookies?" Had I waited for her to finish her line, I would have been about 10 yards down the pavement (as I was riding quite quickly on my bike), which clearly would not have allowed me to give her an answer. As a result of this small overlap in our verbal exchange, this little nazi screams out at me, "It's rude to talk when other people are speaking!" My mouth dropped in appalling shock... was I just chastised by a Brownie? Should I turn back and confront this little moralistic witch or should I just keep riding? But then I thought, maybe her parents are sitting there and that could get ugly. And honestly, what the hell am I thinking?... the kid is only about 7 years old, and I am a lot more powerful than her. I don't want to scar her early memories. Although a u-turn on my bike followed by a lengthy evil-eye staredown might have been appropriate...


"Buy some cookies from me, bitch, or face my moralistic wrath!"

Cheers!

Sasha chokes again! (Plus a plug for Juan Cole)

I believe this says it all about the Olympics tonight...



My sorrow runs deep. My poor little Sasha choked again... and the Japanese girl was not even all that good!

On another note, outside of my sad skating addiction, I went to a fantastic lecture earlier tonight given by University of Michigan Professor Juan Cole, one of the top Shia Islam scholars in the U.S. He hosts a great blog (uhhh, far more intellectual than mine...) at www.juancole.com. I highly recommend reading it if you want to know what's going on right now in Iraq. His speech was incredibly good (a well-articulated and easy-to-understand explanation of what the hell is going on in Iraq, and what to expect... ummm, more war for many years. Big surprise.) Juan Cole also gets major cool points for being named one of David Horowitz's "101 Most Dangerous Professors," according to the right-wing a**holes anyway. Wow, Juan Cole actually tells the TRUTH about what is going on in the Middle East. I guess that makes a person dangerous.

Also, because I pride my blog on being almost completely non-intellectual, I just have to mention that Juan Cole is extremely similar to Harvey Pekar's co-worker in the movie, American Splendor (ie: "I am going to a mooovie. It is called Revenge of the Neeeerds.") You know who I'm talking about if you've seen the film. But seriously, not only does Juan Cole talk very similarly to the character, Toby Radloff, but he actually looks rather like him too (except that he's loads smarter of course):


American Splendor's Toby Radloff (left) separated at birth from Juan Cole?

It's late, and I have devoted far too much time this evening to figure skating (doing Arabic homework on commercial breaks).
Time for bed. Ciao...

PS - Lamest commentator comment tonight on the Olympics: Sasha doesn't just perform in Romeo and Juliet. She is Juliet. Barfbag please...

Weird and Wacky Tucson

I have discovered over the past seven months that Tucson is a freaking weird place. Some people think it's a good weird, but I have generally concluded that it's more of a bad weird. Here are my thoughts:

1. Pebbles, pebbles, pebbles. They are inescapeable. As there is nary a blade of grass to be found in this town (minus a few apartment complexes, golf courses and small sections of U of A), the general landmass is covered in small brown rocks. These rocks easily get caught in the tread of your shoes, meaning that there are flipping pebbles all over my apartment all the time, on my car's floor mats, and generally anywhere else you can think that your shoes tread upon. Plus, most driveways or parking areas are full of these damn pebbles, and it's one of the first things I noticed upon returning to Tucson from winter break. I couldn't even roll my suitcase from the car to my apartment door! I never thought I'd utter these words, but I really miss pavement. Grass too.

2. There is a bizarre affection for vertical blinds. No matter how old or new a home or apartment is, there is at least a 75% chance the windows will be reeking with vertical blinds. Reeking of the 80s that is, which is when every other city in America realized how totally passe' they looked by the time we hit the 1990s. Tucson keeps chugging though! Here is a photo of the window of a brand new house they are building next to my apartment.


Can you believe they put vertical blinds in a brand new custom home? Yuck!

3. There are more helicopter chases in Tucson than in any other city in which I've lived. For the record, I have lived in many cities, including a residence in Adams Morgan, the heart of Washington, D.C.'s nightlife. OK, fine, it's not Southeast D.C., but still, if there were to be helicopter pursuits/searches in Northwest D.C., I believe Adams Morgan would qualify for a likely venue. Which brings me, weirdly, to Tucson. Not a hot nightlife scene, quiet, dark (no streetlights here), and seemingly peaceful. But when the bewitching hour of 11pm rolls around, especially on Friday nights, this place sounds like a scene from "Cops." So weird.

4. I would like to see demographic statistics of this place because I swear that 50% of the population is under the age of 25, and the other 50% is over 45. Where are mid-range people? Where, oh where?

5. Finally, I am going to address the issue of Tucson's old cars. Today, I decided to scout around my neighborhood on my bicycle after class. Mind you, I only tapped into about six total blocks of street area, yet check out the treasure trove of 70s and 80s automobiles I found in such a tiny radius. The really amusing bit is that my grandmother's old 1988 Honda Accord (with flip-up lights, thank you very much) that I drive here is actually young compared to some of these machines. Here is a photo record of my findings... again, one day --- one neighborhood... the number of old cars simply boggles the mind:

First, the Japanese collection (there are far more old Japanese cars around than American cars, and I attribute that completely to the superiority of Japanese engineering):


My god, what is this car? Its shape says "Datsun" to me, but the back of the car had NO make or model on it so I'm just venturing a guess. Definitely 1970s vintage.



Lo and behold, it's another Datsun. I believe I checked the back of the car, and this is a Datsun 610 Wagon, year unknown. Anyone want to venture a guess?



Oh look! It's a Honda Prelude circa 1979! We had a little 1980 Honda Civic when I was growing up, but I think this is an even older model (when the Civic had that really round little back on its hatchback). Can you believe how much the Prelude has changed? I took this pic in a church parking lot, and the only other car in the lot had all of these crazy Jesus stickers all over it. It reminded me of the Koresh compound so I snapped the picture and scrambled away so as not be questioned by the firebrands.



Here is the Datsun pick-up truck, likely from the early 1980s. Note the "Datsun" logo on the front grill. My dad had a truck just like this when we lived in Florida in 1980, but his was a green Toyota.



This is a Toyota Celica circa 1980 (I must admit to taking this photo in the airport parking lot... but this is the only one taken outside of my small neighborhood). This was the car I had in high school, except that mine was colored butter yellow.

The American Collection:


I was quite sure this was the sedan version of the AMC Eagle (better known as the car given away by Wink Martindale on "Tic Tac Dough"), but upon closer inspection from the chain link fence surrounding this pebble-strewn home, I concluded that it was some type of Chrysler. If anyone can enlighten me in the comments section, I would be a better person for it.



This baby here is a Chevy Nova. Too cool for school.



I love this one. Although it doesn't appear driveable, I have a special affinity for the old Thunderbird because my aunt and uncle had a green one back in the early 80s. I distinctly remember riding in the back seat and being totally psyched about my "mini-window" that I could peer out of.



Let us not forget the 70s workhorse, everyone's favorite: the El Camino. I'm not sure if its owners were protecting the hood from the sun or if they were covering up a gaping hole that spelled out "no engine, " but either way, I had to include it.

6. On a final happy note, I purchased a very eccentric plant over the weekend at the Phoenix Botanical Garden. It's latin name has "fenestreria" or something like that in it (meaning window), but its common name is "baby toes" because it looks like, well, baby toes. However, I assert that it looks much more like a little sack of french fries. Apparently, it gets light through the ends of its stalks, which have these little clear windows. It's really bizarre but oh so cute. It looks bigger in this photo than it really is. It's only about 3 - 4" high and the pot's diameter is only about 5". Here he is perched on my bathroom window sill:


Meow!

Emmett & Emily... Is There a Connection?

OK, I think I'm on to something here. I spotted an interesting connection tonight while watching the women's ice skating short program... here it is: Emily Hughes has hired "auf wiedersehn'ed" fashion designer, Emmett (of Project Runway) to be her costume designer. Maybe it's just the color, but I think I see a link. If you look closely at the first picture, you will see that this is the episode where Emmett was OUT. (I must admit, rightly so.) Sadly, I believe one of the judges might have called his outfit "vulgar" -- and frankly, the only saving grace to Emily Hughes' very dated and rather frumpy garment was the fact that she was at least wearing white skates. She did perform admirably, but I just want to put her in a pantsuit, such as that worn by smart little Irina Slutskaya (who has the same body type). She looked fabulous! Check the pics:

THE EMMETT & EMILY CONNECTION:

To be honest, I think Emmett's "out" dress is actually more attractive than the real deal. Can you even imagine what Michael Kors might have said about the dress on the right?

I AM SO LOVING THE PANTSUIT!

Any "muscle-y" girl should really wear the pantsuit.

I must finally state that if I were a lesbian, I would be marrying Sasha Cohen. Even not being a lesbian, I love her. Not only did she come in first, but she looked great! She might be a diva, but she rules. It's really too bad that Johnny Weir is so flamboyantly effeminate as they might have made an interesting couple...

Waving from the "score booth" -- my mom is annoyed by all the little kissies and hugs and baby waves that go on prior to the release of the scores. She thinks it's very fake.

OK, that's my commentary for tonight. On a final note, I do promise to update on my trip to Phoenix last weekend, but I will leave you with a final image of my glorious Saturday morning, picking fresh tangerines off the tree in my cousin's back yard. Oh, my goodness, is it really February? Are you scraping ice off of your car windows and shoveling snow and seeing your breath while shivering in wind chills below zero? I'm soooo sorry... and here I am picking citrus in Arizona (OK, yes, I am dorky enough to take an "artistic" photo of my own hand selecting fruit):


Good night!

Hanging Out with a Nobel Prize Winner

I mentioned earlier that I am taking a class this semester with the 2003 Nobel Peace Prize winner, Shirin Ebadi, who is a human rights advocate and lawyer in Iran. She has been teaching a class here to liberal arts grad students and to law students regarding Islamic Law in Iran for the past two weeks. Our last class is tomorrow (it's only a two week pass or fail course), but it's really been a great experience. She is a tough woman (ie: not a lot of smiles or jokes) but she has a powerful message... which is basically that Islam has been totally misinterpreted by ignorant men to put down women and children. One of her quotes today was that the combination of religion and ideology in the hands of a government is equal to a gun. The woman really makes sense. If you want to read more about her, here is a link to her biography: http://nobelprize.org/peace/laureates/2003/ebadi-bio.html.

Here I am today photographed with her outside of the U of A Law School! She is pretty short...


So tomorrow, I am driving up to Phoenix after my Arabic mid-term exam in the morning. I am going to visit my mom's cousin, Ardith, who has lived there for a few decades. She's making me a "well-needed home-cooked meal" (her words) and then we are going hiking on Saturday morning. Not bad for a woman over the age of 70! She seems very cool... and I am looking forward to spending some quality time with her.

Well, I have to go study for Arabic now, pack my bag for tomorrow night, and then watch Johnny Weir kick some ass on the Olympic ice.

Toodles, Kit

Everyone is Procreating

It's very late here, and I must go to bed, but for some reason I'm still sitting here in front of my computer. I did not watch the Olympics tonight because I had to watch my "Wednesday TV programs," which consist of ABC's "Lost" and Bravo's "Project Runway." I still think Lost is getting more and more ridiculous every week. One of my favorite parts in this week's episode were the clearly fake backdrops/backgrounds they used for Zayid's memories of Iraq. They looked completely computer generated.

As for Project Runway, GO DANIEL V.! I knew Kara would get voted out... she's just too boring and uninspired. I was, however, surprised that everyone turned on Chloe at the end. OK, she's tailored and "safe," but she also designs rather classy-looking garments. However, really, Daniel V. is definitely set to win the finale. Santino doesn't stand a chance with his frilly, goopy, overdone dresses. Yuck... I really don't like his style.

Finally, just a note to say that I got yet ANOTHER phone call from ANOTHER friend who is "with child" (hint: her name starts with a K) and an e-mail today from a different friend that I used to work with in Seattle whose wife is pregnant. This makes a sum total of four pregnant friends now and a friend with a pregnant wife, and a plethora of others who've just had kids. The most interesting part is that every single one of my friends with the exception of one (J. Mack & lil' Kate) have had boys. So this is just a warning for any of you considering childbirth... I seem to be the golden touch for male children. Therefore, if you know me, you have a 95% chance of having a boy. If you want to have a female child, I suggest you cease and desist all contact with me.
Good night to all!

What Would Brian Boitano Do? Go Olympics!

So I'm sitting here at home tonight watching the Winter Olympics, and guess who was in the stands of the men's figure skating short program tonight? Brian Boitano!!!

And guess who met Brian Boitano a couple of years ago at a silent auction in DC? Moi! I met Brian Boitano! He's quite tiny and a bit pale and doesn't look overly "athletic" but then again, 1988 was long time ago... But good lord, who am I to be critical? Look at me in this photo! I look like I weigh about 50 pounds more than I really do ... in fact, I resemble a cow! Eegad, bad picture! But for the sake of celebrity, here is our photo together:


Brian Boitano, 1988 Olympic Gold Medalist, and yours truly. Go Brian!

Let's sing Brian's praises a la South Park:

What would Brian Boitano do
If he was here right now,
He'd make a plan
And he'd follow through,
That's what Brian Boitano'd do.

When Brian Boitano was in the olympics,
Skating for the gold,
He did two sow cows and a triple lutz,
While wearing a blind fold.

When Brian Boitano was in the alps,
Fighting grizzly bears,
He used his magical fire breath,
And saved the maidens fair.

So what would Brian Boitano do
If he were here today,
I'm sure he'd kick an ass or two,
That's what Brian Boitano'd do.

Now here are my final few thoughts on the Olympics (especially for you geeks who are as into watching them as I am):

1. I love the Chinese figure skating couple, Pang and Tong, just because of their names.
2. How about the other Chinese couple where the lady fell and looked like she mangled her knee but then got back on the ice and ended up winning? Very impressive, but their outfits were really garish.
3. I'm liking the pants/tights worn by women in ice skating now, and I think they should ditch those frumpy little skirts. Also, on the whole, I think people should not wear burgandy or brown on the ice. It does nothing for their coloring, and the brown especially looks rather dung-like floating around the white background.
4. NBC is remarkably CHEESY, which is totally unsurprising, but the whole Michelle Kwan memory montage made me want to barf.
5. Bode Miller is an overrated chump.
6. On the other hand, that red-head Shaun White, the snowboarder, is really cool, and I'm glad he won.
7. I love the uber-gay ice skater, Johnny Weir, especially with his dramatic red glove swan short skate. I enjoy that he likes freaking conservative religious people out and even told them to "eat it" in his NBC personal profile.

Blast from the Past

Yesterday turned out very strangely. I started my morning by heading to an early yoga class with my drill sergeant instructor, Katherine, who is an older woman who should really have been in the Gestapo. Isn't yoga supposed to be relaxing and calming? Not with Katherine! She barks out orders and even smacked my leg when I wasn't moving one of my muscles correctly. One of my big problems is the fact that my hamstrings are about as stretchable as a hunk of petrified wood. So when everyone else is lifting their legs up at a 90 degree angle (or more), I'm laying there like a retard with my foot cocked at a pathetic 45 degree angle, wincing in pain even at that effort. I was definitely not one of the kids in gym class that could do the splits, and I quit my efforts at any sort of gymnastics around the age of 4, when even a somersault proved challenging for me. I won't even go into my dismal performance in ballet, which I also quit within several months of starting. Anyway, yoga is also presenting a challenge for me, but I do like it, and the next day I feel as though I have undergone a serious weightlifting session.

OK, so moving on --- I had the world's most bizarre phone call yesterday. My phone rang in the late afternoon, and when I checked my caller ID, I saw that the number said it was from a 494 area code. I had no idea where that could be, so out of curiosity, I answered it. I heard a foreign accent on the other end asking if he were talking to me... who in the hell could this be? I wondered...
Lo and behold, it turned out to be an old German boyfriend of mine (Marc Breuer for those of you that remember him) ... calling from Germany... that I hadn't spoken to since 1999!!! He and I met at an Air Force/Luftwaffe joint training program in, of all places, southern Arizona about 7 years ago. He was a C-160 Transall pilot doing tactical training, and I was the intel briefer during the training sorties. Anyway, he came to visit me once when I lived out in Seattle, but things ended quite badly, and I thought he was pretty much an ass. Apparently, he felt bad all of these years, and so he looked me up and called me out of the blue to apologize for everything that went wrong and to just say hello and see how I was doing. Pretty shocking to hear from him, to say the least!

Anyway, the interesting thing about Marc is that he got out of the Luftwaffe around 2000 and had to make a decision on whether or not he should apply to Lufthansa and be a commercial pilot or whether he should just take a plunge into something new. He ended up taking the risk, enrolled in audio production school, and now owns a music production studio. He's also in a band called "Mafuba" that plays very loud and totally non-Kit-like music, and his hair is down to his mid-back. It's hard to believe how much some things change in just seven years!! He's also married with a seven month old daughter. Here are some pics of Marc and his band for the truly curious:


Marc's promo picture on his band's website


Marc is the guitarist.



In concert.

My Friend Hall of Fame

To My Friends -- the Wing Beneath My Wings... Did I ever tell you you're my heroes? Haha, just kidding before anyone starts gagging...
BUT I did want to take a moment to sing the praises of my wonderful, excellent, and most amazing friends... who have been SO GREAT and SO SUPPORTIVE of me in this endeavor, and I want you all to know how much it has meant to me!! So here it is... my Friend Hall of Fame... and the nominees for most incredible friends are (in alphabetical order to alleviate any concerns regarding favoritism):

NOMINEE #1:

Aspen -- World traveler extraordinaire and true friend. Sent me a delicious box of treats here in Tucson just because she's sweet. Drove me to the airport in Dubai at 5 o' something in the morning to catch a flight. Held my hand throughout my visit to Yemen and proved fearless in the face of Indian curry. Keeps me updated on Arab world events. Gifted linguist and even more importantly, she's pretty damn hilarious.

NOMINEE #2:

Kelly C. --- Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority sister and my most faithful care package sender. So far she's sent one per semester to keep me going! And not only that, she even included potato sticks, Snickers minis, and a very large array of generally unhealthy snacks to keep me smiling when I have an urge for chocolate or sugar. My dentist might not approve of Ms. C, but she gets my vote as one of the best friends a person could ask for. Not to mention, she wins big cool points for eloping in Hawaii last year.

NOMINEE #3:

Marianne -- Prepared me for my move by sending me the fabulous book entitled, "Move Your Stuff, Change Your Life" and sends the nicest and most sincere e-mails on a regular basis. Excellent correspondent. Down-to-earth, realistic, and honest. Always there when you need her. Enjoys dancing with strange Latino men wearing antlers. Thanks, Marianne, for being such a great friend!

NOMINEE #4:

Johanna "JoJo" -- now known as Preggers Forkner (due to hatch next month). Sent the most amazing Thanksgiving care package to me here in Tucson that included almond champagne (drunk a couple of weekends ago... mmmm), cranberry sauce, turkey napkins & centerpiece, and some turkey noodle casserole item in a can that continues to languish in my cupboard. Jo is the best friend ever... so many Seattle memories... what happened to the days of kissing street signs and rejecting lame dorks in Teeny Bigs? Alfredo and The Eagle live on forever...

NOMINEE #5:

Stephanie -- Not only did she donate two 12" ponytails to "Locks of Love," but she also found the time to send me the best care package ever last semester... including hilarious and totally non-pc notes about how different school supplies could help me learn about the Arab world a little bit better. After all, we've lived it! Ahh, all the fun we had in Turkiye... between the rental car mafia, flirtatious gate guards (Ekrem), and stinking solche, I couldn't have survived it there without Steph. Mmmmwwwaaa... big kiss.

NOMINEE #6:

Eleanor -- (OK, her husband Dean can be included too) My number one graduate school advisor, critic, and empathetic ear. Without her help I never would have made a clear-headed decision about grad school. Thanks for all the great advice... no one quite "tells it like it is" like she does. Plus, Eleanor is often very funny without even trying, and that is a great trait. Thanks too for the delicious dinners on football nights, and thanks to Dean for the invaluable Enterprise rental car help! Congrats too on the baby boy... woo hoo!

NOMINEE #7:

Katrina -- A great friend since 1996... we survived San Angelo, Texas together and our first year in the Air Force! Smart, witty, and ALWAYS in a good mood. Also a great hostess en route to Arizona. Thanks for the delicious dinner of REAL Kansas beef (even though we are all semi-vegetarians!!)... I still dream of burnt ends at Jack Stack's. On top of all that, last semester she sent me a really cool wooden lion from her safari in Kenya that is now perched upon my living room end table.

NOMINEE #8:

Kelley O. -- Just as goofy in real life as she is in this photo, which is why I love this girl so much. My bunion partner in crime. Italian opera and toe cheese breath afficianado. Men in southern France swoon over her. My European travel buddy (or at least she was until her husband took my spot!). Absolutely high energy all the time. Moves from 0 to 60 in the blink of an eye. Surprised me with a wonderful package last week full of tasty items... while the healthy pretzels and Emergen-C continue to fester at the bottom of the box, I have already cleaned out the Sourpatch Kids and shortbread cookies. Am I sensing a theme here?

NOMINEE#9:

Paola -- Always up for fun. Always on the go. Always ready to share some expensive wine. Best make-up and jewelry collection of anyone I know... and is willing to share it all... even better. From Vegas to Key West to South Beach to Assateague, it's been a fun several years, but nothing beats the NYC bus ride! Special thanks to Paola for sending her old cell phone out here to me in Tucson when I dropped mine last fall... I would have been S.O.L. without her fantastic phone... with zillions of U2 ringtones, of course.

NOMINEE #10:

Jen -- (and her husband Tom is pretty cool too) Long-time friend and Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority sister. Extremely loyal and always up for dinner, wine, and reality television. Progressed from Melrose Place and 90210 addictions to the Apprentice and Project Runway! We do love our reality programming. Also very generous and sends me postcards from EVERY single country she ever visits (which is a LOT of postcards). Thanks too for sending me the lovely and colorful scarf this Christmas... it's really gorgeous!

NOMINEE #11:

Dana -- My favorite southern belle. Moved to New Haven last year... thus DC was never the same again. Always up for fun. Always happy. Definitely a glass-half-full-type. Planned hilarious river tubing trips every summer in which all of her friends traveled to the West Virginia mountains via St. Alban's school bus. Loves to sing Duran Duran... bonus points for knowing every word to every song Simon LeBon ever sang. Best recent perk: Arranged to have a Yale doctoral student live in my apartment over Christmas break... thanks for helping me find a subletter!!!!

NOMINEE #12:

Miguel -- My sweetheart boyfriend. Baked cookies for the first time in his life last semester and mailed them to me. Said he didn't believe in the consumer holiday of Valentine's Day but then sent me a box with a gift last week (that I haven't opened yet). Knows me better than almost anyone. Reads my expressions like a book. Sends me a card every single week to tell me he's thinking of me. Funny funny funny... always makes me laugh. Does great impressions and makes hilarious faces. Quirky like me. Plus he's pretty hot. xoxoxoxo

NOMINEE #13:

Nichole (and her darling husband, Luis) -- Gorgeous hair and a great cook. Always ready to have a good time. Loves red wine and dinner parties and is an excellent hostess. Luis is a master of the grill and a Mexican taco-maker extraordinaire. Threw the world's best wedding celebration in Mexico in 2004. Top-notch party-planner and general organizer. Loyal, faithful, and kind friends! Thanks to both of you!!!

NOMINEES #14 and 15:

Lindsey and Shauna -- My Tucson support base. Thank you, ladies, for making my life a lot more entertaining out here in wild and wooly Arizona. Between the cats and the Indians, we've had quite a bit of fun, I suppose.

NOMINEE#16:

The Ladies of ITA -- (especially Katy and Mack) Thanks for all the laughs over the years and talking to me ad nauseum about my decision to go back to grad school. Thanks too for not giving me a gold and walnut wall plaque when I left. Thanks for the gorgeous silver necklace and earrings. Thanks for being f***ing hilarious every single day in that nitnoid office! I couldn't have done it without you ladies!! Hey, am I wearing the infamous green skirt in this photo???

NOMINEE #17: (no photo available) Sara -- Thanks for all of the happy hours, advice, and sharing of frustrations! Thanks also for the Bed, Bath and Beyond gift certificate. I got myself a "Yankee Candle" wax burner so my apartment smells fabulous all the time!

AND... I would be remiss if I didn't recognize my clearly adorable and very hip mother, Victoria... see how cute she is? I won't get all sappy so just thanks for EVERYTHING, Mom... (packages, gifts, phone calls, etc etc)


Also big hugs to my brother, Taylor, his wife, Cameron, and my oh-so-cute niece Isabella. Thanks for the Starbucks card and the amusing phone calls reminiscing about goofy childhood memories!!!


THANKS TO ALL OF MY FRIENDS!!!!!!!!!!!!