The word is in and I've been waitlisted at UT.  I'm annoyed.  First, they put off my decision from December to April, and now I could literally not hear until August.  Like, the day before school starts.  Just reject me already, but this dragging it out is ridiculous.  

I have to let them know if I want to officially be placed on the waiting list.  I'm not sure I'm going to do it.  I've already said that I was excited enough about the prospect to go if I got in, but also had enough doubts about it to be relieved if I didn't get in.  I'm tired of dragging this out when I'm not sure it's what I really want anyway.  Although I was sad when I got the letter, it was because I hate being rejected in any form, not because my life will end if I don't get into law school.  In fact, I almost felt...relief.  Maybe it's time to close the door on this chapter and start working on a new plan. Any thoughts? 

Quality television has never held much interest for me.  The History Channel, Discovery Channel, The Learning Channel?  No, if I'm going to waste time in front of the television, I want fluffy light entertainment that requires no brain processes to watch it and that I can promptly forget when I'm done.  In fact, I will cause bodily harm to anyone who tries to change the channel if Designing Women, Dharma and Greg, or Desperate Housewives is on (just ask Perry!).

But even for me, soap operas always seemed to be the red-headed stepchild of television.  Only bored housewives (or "Desperate Housewives" if you will ;) actually watch that stuff, right?  But then I became poor so 1) I go home for lunch every day and 2) I don't have cable.  You can see where this is going.  I still fought; I still tried to avoid the soap operas.  I tried to watch Jerry Springer, but after 5 minutes of disbelief that people that trashy exist (You can have a giant ass or tiny clothes, but please, not both.  And if you're missing any visible teeth, please, just stay home.) I had to move on.  So I started watching All My Children.  Not for real, of course--at least at first.  I would just "have it on in the background."  But then, slowly, I started trying to get home in time not to miss the beginning.  Then, I set the VCR for daily recording in case I missed it.  I scoped out the website and read all the character background stories (and even made a chart trying to map out all the relationships ::face burning under your astonished looks::).  It was a slippery slope.  It wasn't long until I occasionally started reading the message boards (only to see how silly true soap opera fans are, of course).  Hopefully no one finds out I'm now a registered message board member.  That would be hard to explain away...

But last night, oh, last night I knew I'd hit rock bottom in my addiction.  I bought Soap Opera Digest. $3.50 for a weekly magazine that is only 1/9 concerned with the one show I watch.

But...Is Ethan really lying to Kendall?  Is Braden really back in town?  Is "Di" really Dixie come back to life? Will Krystal really stay in jail for 10 years?  Who did Lily really see kill Edmund? Will Greenlee ever stop being self-righteous and irritating?   

I need an intervention.

I'm sure everyone's day was dark and dreary without my usual Monday post, but I've been working (I hate it when that happens!) and somehow can't bring myself to use free time at home to blog. 

While watching The Princess Bride the other night, Perry said, "Why do girls like this movie?" I looked at him like he was nuts and replied "Why do boys like this movie?"  His guess was giants, six-fingered men, and fights for the boys, princesses and romance for the girls. My survey question:  Is there any other movie out there that guys and girls alike can't believe the other gender likes? 

Basketball Update:I'm currently in 5th place, however, the people in 2nd, 3rd and 4th can't win because they have no teams left in contention.  I still have Illinois and UNC in the running.  So it's between me and the current 1st place holder for the win.  Unfortunately the only way I can win is if UNC wins the championship.  Any other scenario and the other guy wins.  He probably deserves it, seeing as how he's actually a fan.  Never underestimate the power of a pretty color!

For those of you that had any lingering doubts about the insanity of my office, here's an email my boss wrote me (thanking me for fixing his computer) when he got to the office...at 3:45 this morning.  The oddest part is that I have no idea why he sent this to my gmail address instead of my work address, or HOW he got that address in the first place...

To: Misty
From: _____
Subject: Hello, MistyCat, Thank you for fixing my batteries

MistyCat: (That is soo cool!! I just wish I weren't a machine!!) I know this sounds a little impersonal coming from a computer and all, but I would just die a thousand times if I failed to thank you for fixing my batteries and it would be considered rude and re-volting not to. Watt do you think? I'm doing pretty good now, and all this new energy really gives me a buzz!! Wait 'till the old guy starts me up again and sees what I can do !! (He and the bats were the only ones here at 3:45 this morning- scared me half to death!!) I don't know how you put up with him- what a mess of a guy!!! "Yellahorse"??? Like, REALLY,DUDE? That is so, like----animalistic or something. WhatEVER!! Well, anyway, you can work on my powerpak anytime, Girl !! THANKS AGAIN, YOU ARE THE BEST!!!

Lamar "Da Juice" Laptop

This article about relationships that are privileged (from a legal standpoint) was on Slate yesterday. The discussion about the search for truth made my mind wander to another search for truth that has many self-righteous people spewing sanctimonious steam—the Patriot Act and anything related. I guess I’m a bit late to jump on this bandwagon, but here’s my opinion anyway.

To those who oppose it: what are You hiding? If you’re doing nothing wrong, it doesn’t affect You. At all. But, You sputter indignantly, it’s an invasion of privacy, a violation of my freedom, and intrusion on my life. No, it’s protecting your privacy, your freedom, and possibly your life. So the government has access to your information. But guess what? They don’t care. Your life is boring. They don’t care how many Harlequin books You checked out from the library. The FBI isn’t going to come knocking on your door to see the face of the one person in America who rented Catwoman. It’s not about giving them access to your information, it’s about giving them access to information on people who matter, and You’re not one of them. But You don’t want the truth, not really. You’re the same person that drew and quartered the CIA for not knowing about 9/11, but now whines about your delayed flights when they raise the Terror Level. No, You don’t really want to know. What You really want is for the government to have access to anything they need, except You. If an airport guard visually profiles a foreign man and takes away his nail clippers, You’ll applaud. But if they do the same to You? You’ll file a lawsuit. What You want is individual liberty at the price of everyone else’s liberty. You want to be able to thoroughly check out a possible baby-sitter, have access to a potential employee’s entire medical history, watch a 24/7 videotape of Paris Hilton’s private moments…but You don’t trust a government YOU elected to appropriately use information to save your pitiful spoiled American behind? Maybe You need a refresher course on why you get to have that “American” before your name—and reconsider what we ALL have to do to keep it there.

My incredibly scientific method (ie, being completely conformist) has continued to work.  After the completion of Round 2, I'm tied for first with 420 out of a possible 640.  I actually saw the end of the Bucknell/Kansas game (not willingly, it was on the TV at the bar we were at).  Despite my disinterest, it was pretty exciting; I've always been a fan of the underdog.  However, at the time I made the comment "I don't know why they're so excited.  They won a first round game (woo hoo); they're going to lose the next one and no one will ever remember this."  And true to my word, they lost the next round.  I really think ESPN should consider me as an on-air analyst.  I think my total ignorance of and lack of fascination with sports could really be a quirky little asset! 

PS...Another note on conformity.  I know Austin is all hippie and carefree, blah, blah, blah.  But women wandering around at Barton Springs topless are not being hippie, carefree,and nonconformist; they're trying to get attention.  True hippies don't care how tan they are; and most certainly not whether that tan is even across the pectoral region.  Be daring, be adventurous, be conformist--put your shirt on, please.

I am participating in the office pool for the the NCAA Basketball Championship.

That will make the people who know me well giggle.

For the rest of you, consider this: That picture I posted Tuesday of me in the cute little t-ball outfit at age 5?  After watching me "tip-toe" (that's a quote) to first base for an entire summer, my parents cut their losses and put me in dance classes.  That was the beginning and end of any athletic career and/or interest in my life. 

But who am I to ignore an opportunity to win $80?  And I'd like to say that after the first day of games, out of a possible 160 points, I'm in the lead with 120! 

Who did I pick to win the whole thing, you ask?  UNC.  Because light blue is pretty

For lack of anything better to write about...

The Shoe Box has been fully updated, complete with its first picture!  I think I'm just going to take a picture everyday of whatever shoes I'm wearing instead of spending a couple of hours at home taking pictures of 86 pairs of shoes (yes, after knocking the total down from 109, I've managed to keep reproduction at a minimum) because, well, that would just be strange.  Because the fact that I'm doing this in the first place isn't strange at all...

And more pictures of my poo-dispensing, foot-attacking, completely undisciplined darling.

I never realize how depressed I get during the winter until the weather starts changing and I want to go dashing through fields of wildflowers in the sunlight with my long hair streaming in the wind behind me.  Well, if I had long hair that streamed in the wind, but I don't, so I settle for laying out at Barton Springs and blinding anyone who looks in my general direction.  It's cold and cloudy again, but for a brief weekend it felt like summer...

I saw 2 movies this weekend that I highly recommend: Hitch and Revenge of the Nerds.  Hitch is the new Will Smith movie.  You have to forgive a couple of really bad lines of dialogue ("I'm falling, and you're the only one who makes me feel like I can fly!") but other than that it even got a chuckle or two out of Perry (Me in the middle of the movie: Do you ever laugh?  Perry: When something's funny.), who usually staunchly refuses to see anything that could, under any circumstances including anesthesia, possibly be interesting to a girl.  We watched Revenge of the Nerds because I'd never seen it and apparently was missing out.  (This came about because I was surrounded by 3 boys Saturday who, in addition to deciding that the plural forms of Jesus and fetus were obviously Jesi and feti, also spent the afternoon randomly shouting "Neeerrrds!" a la Ogre in the movie.)  Don't ask.  Though I'd hate to be the girl who's sole claim to fame is "I was the girl who volunteered to do full frontal nudity in Revenge of the Nerds" it was a pretty funny movie.