February 11, 2012 What. A. Day.

Saturday was cold (according to Port Aransas standards!) but a cold day at the beach is better than a great day anywhere else! We went out for breakfast and there was a guy outside the cafe working on this wonderful sand sculpture.

We paid him $5 to add "Jayhawk Towers" to the village.

Then we went to my favorite shop in the world. It's called "Gratitude" and it is full of wonderful stuff. I always buy cards here....and I try to plan ahead for a year or two. My favorite thing? A signed campaign sign from Barack Obama.

Then it was off to the Wild Horse Saloon to watch the KU game. Because it's a Tribunal Tradition, we took all kinds of decorations to the bar with us. In case you think that we sat quietly, you're mistaken! We ate, we drank, we yelled, we "Rock Chalked Jayhawked". It was great!

The evening came and it was time for the 7th Tribunal. My other brother, Tribunal name "DJ", appeared by Skype so it was almost like having him there in person.

In case you are wondering, the Judge is wearing a jock strap hat, my Tribunal name is "CICPA" and SportsCenter is playing on the TV.

Due to my sensitive nature, there are no photos of the hours we spent in the hot tub!

February 10, 7th Annual Tribunal Begins



We beat Roger and Karin to Port A which was good because we had to put the inflatable Jayhawk in their room.  The girl at the front desk of the condos where we are staying listened patiently as I explained that I needed to get into my brother's room to inflate this giant bird.  She just said 'Okay, here's the key."

Karin was suitable surprised by the presence of the bird.  And showed her love for the mascot of her alma mater.

After a wonderful dinner of spaghetti and meatballs, salad and bread, (Thanks, Karin!) which was cooked in a tiny efficiency kitchen, we headed to the Barr's Condo for a rousing round of Tribunal Trivia.  Three plus hours later, a new Tribunal Trivia was crowned.

CB was last year's winner and had care, custody and control of the KU garden gnome for the last year.  For the coming  year, Karin will be responsible for the little guy.  There is no way she could be prouder.  Trivia categories this year included:  Things Older than Roger (this didn't have too many questions, to be honest), Men vs. Women, Presidential Also Rans, British Slang, Sports, Tribunal History, Would You Rather, TV Dads, Marketing Slogans and one other one which must not have been that great since I can't remember it!

Here's a photo of the Jayhawk that now lives with Roger and Karin.  Tomorrow we plan to put it on the deck as we've found there are a lot of Iowa people here and we are most certain they will love it.

We are all about sharing the Jayhawk love.



CB says he glad we didn't pay for it.  What he doesn't know is that we did!

February 9, 2012 How Big is this Frickin' State?

We left Wamego at 5:30 a.m.  - an hour later than CB told me we would leave.  However, I think the reality of actually trying to get my ass out of bed at that ungodly hour was more that even he could bear. 

We drove for awhile and left Kansas.  Then we drove for awhile and left Oklahoma.  Then we drove FOREVER and were still in Texas.  The road never ended and we were still in Texas.  You have to feel a little sorry for that miserable state since they are responsible for both Dubya Bush and Rick Perry.

Anyway, we got to Waco and decided to keep heading towards Port Aransas - site of this year's Tribunal - and got to some town that I can't remember the name of (The Czech Capital of Texas) where we decided to spend the night. 

We stopped at a motel and the gentleman who was clearly the owner and lived in the apartment behind the front desk, when asked what the rate was, took one look at me and said "With the senior citizen discount it's $55."  SENIOR CITIZEN DISCOUNT?  Is he kidding me?  I don't look a day over... oh wait.  Yeah, I guess he was dead on.

Here's the sign from the front door:

 Heaven forbid someone would want to use the night window in the day time.

While the sign said "Executive Inn and Suites", the cups in the bathroom said "Holiday Inn Express", the soap said "Casino Grand" and the lotion and shampoo was from some other off brand motel chain.

I stayed up late finishing the Tribunal Trivia game (I never feel like I have enough questions when I am writing them, but when I am cutting them apart and putting them on index cards, I always have too many!)and CB fell asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow.  It mattered not at all that I had the lights and TV on and that the folks next door were watching something on their TV that was so important they wanted to share it with the neighborhood!

Driving across the state of Texas can suck the life right out of you.

And listening to me babble all that way doesn't help much either.

February 8, 2012 Same Song, Second Verse

Luke had a "next day" interview following a successful Career Day.

He won't know anything until March 15 or thereabouts, but he was pretty excited.  As was his momma.

We leave for the 7th Annual Tribunal in South Texas tomorrow.  Posts should be more bizarre (if that is even possible) as the weekend progresses.

Hopefully, CB and I will still be speaking upon our arrival.  Oh, you know I'll be speaking.  The key will be if CB is still listening or if I am simply talking to myself on the side of the road.

Februry 7, 2012 They Grow Up So Fast

Today was a big day at Kansas State. It was the Engineering Career Fair. This is important for 2 reasons: one, Luke is an engineering student and was going to attend the career fair. And, two, it made parking miserable in the parking garage. I actually had to remember where I parked. Had a headache all day.

About 11:30 I was sitting at my desk, minding my own business as I always do, when out of the corner of my eye, I spotted this blue blazer.

When I actually focused in on who was wearing the aforementioned jacket, I discovered my little boy. All dressed up, spiffy in a purple tie. Ready to meet and greet representatives of engineering companies.

Doesn't he look great? It's hard to believe that this is the same guy who was recently on this blog wearing a boonie hat and doing a physics experiment in the kitchen!

So, for the record, I'm a proud mother.

Which is different from what I'm usually called that also contains the word "mother".

Go Luke!!!

February 6, 2012 Van Gogh is Van Gone

This is the Funniest Man in the World.  Right around Chirstmas time, he told his family that he wanted to paint.  He wanted to paint clouds.

So they got him the whole kit:  easel, brushes, paints, canvases, smock, beret, drop cloth.

He was glad to show us his studio this evening when CB and I stopped for dinner. 

I'm not sure why he wants to paint clouds, but that's what he wants.  Oh, and he doesn't want to go outside and look at clouds and paint them,he just wants to imagine them and paint them.

We should all be glad that he wants to paint something as benign as clouds.  When he brought out his canvas to show me, he was going  on and on about what subject he wanted to paint and all I could think was "please, please don't let it be nudes"!

Whew.

Another bullet dodged.

Oh yeah.  This is the same guy who owns the buffalo (there was a blog entry last year about them).  The herd is down to 11.  Those bastards aren't behaving so one by one they are being taken away and the rest of the herd never sees them again.  The Funniest Man in the World says it's working. 

The 11 left are becoming much better behaved.

February 5, 2012 Tribunal Preparations Continue

Doesn't everyone's family reunion have an official agenda?  Where the person in charge sends an email calling for agenda items?  And the low man on the totem pole (i.e. ME) puts them all together?

This isn't as easy as it looks since items are often times submitted throughout the year so the LMOTTP (i.e. ME) has to read all the emails for the year (since the last Tribunal) to find items which must be discussed.

Then they are placed in the Official Tribunal Agenda book (and, yes, I know that the year is 2011 when it should be 2012.  I'll get to that I promise.  Or not.)

It's all very official. 

 There is also a book for the minutes of the Tribunal meeting.  Doesn't every family do this at reunions?  If not, they should.  And I should write them because I do not let the facts get in the way (as you know) and I love to rewrite history.  I should be a repuglican!

The other task I had to do today was to alter The Judge's head piece....a red and blud fur lined jock strap that the Judge of the Tribunal (the oldest member, Roger) wears on his head.  It's all very formal.

Last year we had trouble with the "crown" falling over the Judge's eyes, so I brought it home with me and made some alterations. 

I cut the band and put velcro on the back so now it is adjustable.  Should work perfectly fine.

Then I decided to spice it up a bit and added white letters with silver glitter.  It's lovely in real life. 

I was a little afraid to post this picture here for fear that there would be so many requests for one like it, I could never fill all the orders.  I will certainly try, but be patient if you order one.

There's nothing like a personalized, fur lined jock, I always say.

Don't you?