This is Sooner Nation.

Bradford threw for 411 yards last Saturday against TCU...the third straight game he has set a career-high in passing yards. So OU is on top just 5 weeks into the season. I just hope they can remain in the top 3. This season is already up and down, and I have a feeling the rest of the season will have it's own twists and turns.

At least USC lost a game...YIPPEE!!!

Teams I'll have my eye on this weekend: Ohio State, Georgia, Florida, and yes, USC. Doh!

Boomer Sooner,

A Little Ball of Heaven...The Perfect Hushpuppy

Ok, so my new gal pal, Sunny, and I headed out to a seafood joint last Friday night. I had never been there before, but Sunny really likes it. Oh...my...Gosh! It was some good seafood. Good food, great service...but the best part? The hushpuppies. Perfectly golden brown with the right spices...it was heaven. I highly recommend you try it. You won't be sorry!!

Trapper's Fishcamp

4300 W Reno

OKC

If you fry it, they will come...

The Oklahoma State Fair was a blast this weekend...we walked around until our feet hurt. We saw the exotic petting zoo, the barnyard, a dog stunt show, every kind of booth/vendor you can possibly imagine and...FRIED FOOD! I've heard they will fry anything if you bring it to them, but who knows. Mom and Dad had corn dogs and I tried my first Polish dog (I'm not a huge meat eater). I also made myself sick on cotton candy. Ah, and we discovered a virtual candy land...you grab a basket and weave through a maze of candy...it was my fantasy! They had candy from my childhood, my parent's childhood, and a bunch of new weird stuff. I loaded up on banana laffy taffy, candy orange slices, swizzle sticks, salt water taffy, runts...just to name a few. I packed in $10 worth of candy! I have a dentist appointment tomorrow and I am certain he won't be happy!

All in all, the fair is a great experience. Plenty to see, eat and drink. Parking wasn't a problem at all and of course, since it's Oklahoma, everyone was super friendly. I love this place!

See ya next year,

Word problems intimidate me!

Here is an example:

A 5-gallon bucket is full of pure water. Suppose we begin dumping salt into the bucket at a rate of 1/4 pounds per minute. Also, we open the spigot so that 1/2 gallons per minute leaves the bucket, and we add pure water to keep the bucket full. If the salt water solution is always well mixed, what is the amount of salt in the bucket after 1 minute? 10 minutes? 1000 minutes?

It's really not that difficult...I have to find the rate of change of salt (hence, a differential equation). But it has me very worried about the exam which is tomorrow at 5:45 pm. I am nervous and will be studying all evening and night. And most likely I will be making things harder than they need to be! :)

Wish me luck,

Differential Equations, attic fans...and lots of caffeine

I've been studying diligently for my Differential Equations exam this Thursday. I am exhausted because all last week I was studying for my Bio exam. On top of that I couldn't get to sleep last night...Sunday nights have always been that way for me. I just can't ever seem to wind down. So when I couldn't fall asleep I finally got up and finished all the laundry, did the dishes and played with the kitties (who were having no problems sleeping but why should they get to if I can't??)

I finally went to bed and fell asleep sometime around 3:00 AM. My alarm was set for 7:00 and boy was I tired this morning. I am hitting the caffeine hard today. One good thing about yesterday was the weather. There was a nice breeze and I think the high was only in the mid-low 70's. I had the windows open all day and night. It was heaven. And of course the kitties love to bask in the sun on the window sills. Because my house is so old (1943) there is a neat little contraption called an attic fan. It's centrally located in the hallway, pretty much where an actual attic would be. My parents had to explain to me what it was when I first moved in. Anyway, last night even though I had the windows open, by nightfall there wasn't as much of a breeze and I felt a little warm. All that cool night air was being wasted! So I flipped on the attic fan and within 5 seconds the whole house was fresh and cool. Granted, it's a pretty loud sound so I knew I didn't want to keep it on all night. But what a great invention!

Ok, I am off to work on separation of variable, Euler's method, linear systems, eigenvalues and equilibrium point analysis...sounds exciting, yes?

Hopped up on caffeine,

Take a Hike, Ike!

I am praying for my family and friends along the Gulf Coast.

My brother, who lives with his family in The Woodlands (north Houston), has said the panic has begun. There is already a shortage of bottled water, ice and generators. I hope everyone stays safe.

I have experienced several hurricanes in my life: Alicia, Allison, Rita...Alicia was the worst. We had just moved to Houston from Dallas. I think we went 8 days without electricity in the middle of August. A neighbor's big pine tree actually fell on our house--in MY closet! The debris from the winds was pretty intense on the streets. I'll never forget seeing little newborn squirrels that my dad told me had probably been blown out of the nest. It still makes me sad to think about it.

Don't forget that animals need help during hurricanes too! Make sure you have plenty of supplies and food for your furry family member. And remember to put a collar with ID on them in case you get separated.

Hoping that Ike will turn away from Houston,

Interesting side note: Due to the extensive property destruction, the name Alicia was officially retired in 1984 and will never again be used to name an Atlantic hurricane. It was later replaced with Allison which, due to severe flooding in much of the same area as Alicia, was retired as well.

Happy Monday!

Song stuck in my head today...

A Rant

Lindsay Lohan, please put on a bra.

Who knows why she is so famous (it's certainly not for her acting abilities). And I could care less who she chooses to hang out with or love for that matter. But her trend of going braless has me feeling disgusted and vexed. Sure, I can understand women with smaller breasts opting to not wear a bra (I may not agree with it, but if there isn't much there then I get it). But those of us who are more 'amply endowed' simply must wear a bra in public at all times. I don't care if they are fake and/or perky and you don't need the support--the point is that we shouldn't be able to SEE your assets at all times.

Ok, I know there are men who are absolutely loving Lindsay, "The Braless Wonder" (guess that Seinfeld episode) and there are even women who are commenting "if you've got 'em, flaunt 'em!" and to these people I say get some class.

You can afford a bra can't you, Lindsay? Cover up, please. Leave something to the imagination. Amen.

Gameday Cajun Chicken Nachos

Paired with a sweet ale, these babies make for the perfect gameday meal!

1 boneless, skinless chicken breast

cajun seasoning (I cheated and bought cajun-seasoned chicken)

2-3 T chopped jalapenos

1 c colby cheese (sharp cheddar or monterey jack would be even better)

diced fresh tomatoes

sour cream

good tortilla chips, cantina style

Cook chicken according to preference (grill, bake, etc). Let the chicken cool before dicing into bite-sized pieces. Top chips with cheese, chicken and jalapenos, microwave or broil until cheese melts. Add tomatoes, sour cream and/or any additional toppings. Yummy!

They taste even better when OU wins...

Animals get cancer too.

The new telethon called Stand Up to Cancer was a great success. All the networks worked together for a great cause. But it got me thinking of something different...my old dog, Chewy.

I made the heart-breaking decision to put Chewy down on May 19, 2007. In January 2007, Chewy had been diagnosed with Transitional Cell Carcinoma. She had a tumor in her urethra, and because of the position of the tumor (in the actual urethra canal) it could not technically be operated on or removed. Chewy did undergo surgery twice to alleviate the expanding tissue around the tumor, which made it a little less painful to go to the bathroom. Throughout those 5 months, Chewy remained sweet and an otherwise happy dog. Because I knew we would only have a little time together, I pretty much let her do whatever she wanted all that time! She slept right on the bed with me and rode in the car with me wherever I went. Chewy was a trooper.

I had adopted Chewy in 2003 at the age of 7. I was looking to adopt a German Shepherd and found her through an internet adoption site. She was in a not-so-great living situation and I couldn't bear to leave her there once I met her. It took her about a week to warm up to me, but she became my sidekick after that. Cleo didn't really mind Chewy, but of course Charli was scared of her all the time. And unfortunately, German Shepherds have a tendency to 'chase anything that moves' and that sometimes included little Charli!

Chewy was an exceptional dog...she was a very pretty black and white Shepherd-mix. She was loyal, sweet natured, and well-behaved. She was with me through many big events, including the move from Texas to Oklahoma. Because I had a small truck back then, Chewy and the kitties had to ride with me right up front. Chewy had a tendency of stretching out and laying her head right on my leg for the duration of any trip. She was so easygoing. And she really liked it when I sang to her. Chewy's favorite was when I sang "Good morning to you" to the tune of Happy Birthday. She would smile and snuggle in the bed big time. Oh, how I still wish she was here and could snuggle with me now!

I think about Chewy almost every day. I did everything I could financially, physically and spiritually to help her through her pain. And even though it was one of the toughest things I've ever had to do, letting her go was the best thing for her. I'll never forget watching as she walked away with the vet. She had a sashay about her walk and I'll never get that image out of my mind...nor do I want to! The vet was wonderful, as were the surgeons at two different specialty vets in town. My parents were also very supportive and were with me and Chewy until the end.

I miss her.

Political quote of the day...

"The reporting of the past few days has proven tackier than a costume change at a Madonna concert."

Mike Huckabee, RNC

And the winner is...

Oklahoma City Thunder!!

Yup, our new (transferred?) NBA team is officially official. Here is what one article had to say on the name matter:

Thunder is a fitting moniker for the Oklahoma City franchise, not only as a reference to powerful storms in the area known as Tornado Alley. The Oklahoma City-based 45th Infantry Division carries Thunderbirds as its nickname, and that’s a reference to the state’s American Indian heritage. Even one of Oklahoma native Garth Brooks’ biggest hits was “The Thunder Rolls.” “There’s just all kinds of good thunder images and thoughts, and the in-game experience of Thunder,” Bennett said. “Just here was a good sense of how that evokes emotion. It’s very powerful.”

Political quote of the day...

"Being a POW doesn't qualify anyone to be President...but it does reveal character."

Fred Thompson, RNC

This is Home.

City of Edmond, Oklahoma

Population: 75,466
Median Age: 34.8
Largest Age Group: 35-54
Est Average Household Income: $84,302
Cost of Living Index: 90.0
Average Price of Single-Family Home: $234,047
Per Capita Income: $66,476
Unemployment Rate: 2.3%
Crime Rate (crimes per 1000 ratio): 25.08

Named as one of America's Top-Rated Smaller Cities in 2006-2007 by Universal Publications in New York and as one of the “Top 100 Places to Live in 2007” by Relocate-America, Edmond is filled with as much culture, entertainment and art as it is business, education and industry. With a cost of living that is more than nine percent below the national average, Edmond is home to the famous Oak Tree Golf Club, the site of the 67th Senior PGA Championship. There are more than 10 golf courses in the area, but golf is only part of Edmond's recreational activities. Arcadia Lake offers fishing, skiing, camping and 17 miles of hiking trails. Historic Downtown Edmond features diverse shopping, and the Fine Arts Institute sponsors and host art shows. Edmond is home to two major colleges, the University of Central Oklahoma and Oklahoma Christian University. Nearby Oklahoma City Zoo is one of the country's largest and best zoos, while Remington Park offers exciting thoroughbred horseracing.

Edmond, Oklahoma...A Great Place to Grow!