Welcome Home, You

It’s hard to say where or when the tradition began (Baylor and Illinois also claim long-standing traditions), but the longest annually occurring celebration celebrated its centennial a week ago.

Mizzou homecoming has been celebrated for one hundred years now.  Apparently, it began in conjunction with a new NCAA sanction that collegiate football games be played on college campuses, rather than neutral sites.  (I wonder when this stopped, because bowl games are often neutral and another rivalry showdown here in Colorado is played at Mile High, which is definitely not a collegiate campus, but I digress.)  The annual border war with the Jayhawks was then going to be played on the Mizzou campus that year, rather than the usual Kansas City, which is really more convenient for everyone, but again, I digress.

Then athletic director Chester L. Brewer wanted to ensure attendance at the game (Mizzou states that “he had a vision,” but I think it really all boils down to attendance, generally), so he arranged for a parade and rally to be held in conjunction with the game at the campus.  Then, he invited alumni to “come home.”

What a nice sentiment.

When you’re at the school, you don’t really think about that.  You think about who has the best banner or float, who your Homecoming partners are (trumped only by your Greek Week partners), and, more importantly, which alumni are coming back to see you (or, with the case of Melissa last year, coming back with you).

Those alumni, though, they’re the ones coming back.

I mentioned in a TSM Thursday post a couple of weeks ago about always calling the alma mater “home” and annoying my mama, and I think this event is probably an accurate description of that.

So, today, I want to welcome my fellow alumni home.  Happy Homecoming.

Just Links, Sorry

For a lack of anything better to say today, sorry, I tried, here are some funny/interesting links I’ve come across over the past few days.

Red Solo Cup: How Solo’s disposable drink vessel became an American party staple. – Slate Magazine.

Advice from Somewhere

Michigan is not Cold–I found myself looking at this and imaging Colorado, generally.

The Wisdom of Kids

They Learn Young in Spartan Country–Another statement that reminds me of a shirt that is produced prior to the Rocky Mountain Showdown.  College towns are pretty much the same everywhere when it comes to instate rivalries, I think.

 

Anyway, tomorrow will be much more interesting, I promise!

TSM Thursday Number Ten

And it’s Thursday…!

I am amazed by how few pictures I took pre-sorority. TSM.  Every time I look back through my pictures, I notice this.  It’s a weird phenomenon.

Baking is like edible crafting. TSM.  Is cooking like crafting too?  Because then I have no idea why I’m bad at it.  But baking, baking I get.

I might know him. What fraternity is he in? TSM.  I did this all the time.  Sometimes, I still do this.  Whenever I try and play the “who do you know that I know?” game, I always use Greek people.

“Doing lunch” but chatting nonstop instead of eating. TSM.  Doing lunch or coffee is pretty much an excuse to chatter incessantly.

Making sure composite day isn’t just a good hair day, it’s a great hair day. TSM.  This reminds me of the DMV.  So many of my friends are extremely envious of my good-looking license picture.  They ask how I look so good after admitting they rolled out of bed and went.  Do they forget their picture is getting taken and that they have to carry it around for the next ten years at least?  I always go looking picture perfect.

To-Do List Tuesday Number Four

There’s work today, but let’s see what we can get done!

Today

vacuum

Beauty Bootcamp

 

This Week

Keep busy

Craft

TSM Thursday Number Nine

Here’s to another week of TSM.

Gameday pictures: behind every girl’s back is a cup. TSM.  I wouldn’t even say this is only true of gameday.  Any time there wasn’t a suitable place to put down a drink for a picture, behind the back it goes.  I can’t even count the number of pictures I have like this.  And then there’s the ones where you want to link arms and then the cup’s behind someone else’s back.

Can’t I just be a cuddlepiece with t-shirt privileges? TSM.  This sounds awesome.  I gave these shirts away when I graduated, but I kept the ones that were actual gifts to me.  I have a pair of Pi Kapp shorts from Evan that I still cherish (mostly because they are so comfy).

Replacing the word “cowboy” with “frat boy” when singing country songs so that they are more relevant to your life. TSM.  I give you a flashback to 2006-2008 when I enjoyed such theme parties as “Save a Horse, Ride a Pi Kapp,” “Save a Horse, Ride a Kappa Sig,” “Save a Horse, Ride a Sig Ep,” and “Save a Horse, Ride a Pike.”  Looking back, these don’t make much sense because the song was released in April 2004…  But I guess it was an easy theme for a cowboy party.  Though I’m trying to decide if it’s more or less classy than Whiskey and Tits, if nothing else, the latter is more original.

Our pledge class is def totes presh & perf. TSM  Another flashback to 20o7/2008 when we were obsessed with abreves, obvi.  I remember one particular incident when I went to Lilac’s dorm and there was a board up “translating” words into abreves.  One of them was wrong, I forget which one, but I commented on it and the look on Lilac’s face definitely characterized our loving, but partially one-sided loving, relationship for the next couple years.

If the party’s not themed, it’s not our scene. TSM.  Just thought I would reiterate my love of theme parties.

To Do List Tuesday Number Three

And we’re back to To-Do Lists!  I’m not actually doing any of this today per-se, because my first day off since last friday is going to be this coming saturday, so these to-do list items will probably get pushed back a bit.

Today

Clean

Address Book

Beauty Bootcamp

This Week

Buy a new phone.

I’m starting to realize that my to-do lists are the same week to week, so I’ve stopped explaining them…  This is getting kind of boring isn’t it?

Top Halloween Costumes 2011: The Rest of the List

Here’s the rest of 2011’s list from Wednesday.

 

11.  Cowboy/Cowgirl:  There are two out there I found that I like, and since this post may end up quite pictureless, I will show you both:

12.  Devil:  Devil is up seven from a tie for the number nineteen spot last year.  Unlike other costumes (sailor?) there are no new Devil costumes I like.  So, you can find the Devil costume I own in the post about my Halloween costumes.  You can also find one I like in the post Dear October First.

13.  Clown/Fairy (tie):  Clown is down one from the number twelve spot last year.  Fairy is down five from the number eight spot last year.  Since I don’t really like clowns and I can’t find a fairy costume I particularly like this year, I’ll just skip this one.

14.  Dracula/Police Officer/Pumpkin/Political Costume (tie):  Dracula is down four from the number ten spot last year.  Police Officer remains in the number fourteen spot.  Political Costume is up five from the number nineteen spot.  Since I don’t have a Dracula or political costume pick, can’t find a pumpkin costume, and don’t have a new police office choice, I’ll skip this one as well.

15.  Athlete/Hobo/Grim Reaper/Monster (tie):  Athlete is down six from the number nine spot last year.  Hobo and Monster are up four from the number nineteen spot.  Grim Reaper is up five from the number twenty spot.  Since I don’t have a Hobo, Grim Reaper, or Monster pick and I don’t have a new Athlete choice, I will also skip this one.

16.  Superman:  Superman is up two from the number eighteen spot last year.  I wouldn’t really dress as Superman, so I’m going to skip this one too, sorry.

17.  Gypsy/Halloween-themed Attire/Princess (tie):  Gypsy is up two from the number nineteen spot last year.  Halloween-themed Attire is down four from the number thirteen spot.  Princess is down three from the number fourteen spot.  I don’t have a Gypsy pick, and you know how I feel about Halloween-themed Attire, but here are two Princess picks to satiate you all in the lack of pictures this time:

18.  Alice in Wonderland Character:  Alice in Wonderland Character is down two from the number sixteen spot last year.  The Mad Hatter costume I own is referenced in the post about my Halloween costumes.

19.  Harry Potter Character, also Action/Superhero (tie):  I wouldn’t really dress in either costume genre, so here is another cop-out for this year.

20.  Angel/Star Wars Character (tie):  Angel remains in the number twenty spot from last year.  Star Wars Character is down four from the number sixteen spot.  I wouldn’t dress as a Star Wars Character, but last year, I dressed as an angel and you can see my costume in the post about my Halloween costumes.

TSM Thursday Number Eight

And we’re back!  Let’s look at this week’s TSM posts.

5 nights of Halloween, 5 different group costumes. TSM.  Not group costumes per se, but I will wear a different costume each day.  Because I’m awesome, mostly.  Wait for it.  It will be great.

Bringing 5 pairs of shoes home for a 2 day weekend. I need options. TSM.  If you’ve been with us long enough, you remember that I suffer from over-packing syndrome for this exact reason.  You can actually read about it here.

Feeling closer to your sorority sisters rather than your actual family members. TSM.  My momma always used to get annoyed when it was about time to head back to college and I would say “I can’t wait to go back home.”  These things happen…

Looking extra cute when you’re having a bad day makes everything better. TSM.  I always try to look cute every day because it makes me happy.  And I feel like when you’re happy, the day just goes better for you.

PFD: Potential Formal Date. TSM.  It takes a lot to narrow down a formal date.  Everyone had lists of PFDs.  I have one going right now too, but it’s of PWDs: Potential Wedding Dates.

Top Halloween Costumes for 2011

So on October third the National Retail Federation posted their list of the top ten Halloween costumes of 2011.  I have been waiting for this for a few days now, so I’m really glad it finally came out.  Just like last year, let’s do a pictorial of the list.

10.  Scary Costume/Mask:  Scary Costume/Mask is up three from the number thirteen spot last year–so it actually made the top ten list this year.  Last year I copped out because it wasn’t on the top ten list.  This year, I had to come up with something, so I’m glad this appeared in my search:

9.  Nurse :  Nurse is down five from the number four spot last year.  I didn’t find a costume I particularly liked this year, so I am going to continue my support for my pick from last year:

8.  Ghost:  Ghost is up three from the number eleven spot last year–so it actually made the top ten list this year.  I still wouldn’t dress as a Ghost, but here is my new pick for this year:

7.  Wench/Tart/Vixen:  Wench/Tart/Vixen is down two from the number five spot last year.  While I am forever in love with last year’s glorious beer stein, here is my new pick:

6.  Cat:  Cat remains in the number six spot since 2009.  While I still have mixed feelings about purchasing Cat costumes, here is my new pick for this year:

5.  Batman Character:  Batman himself appeared in the top ten last year, but I am not sure if Batman Character can be equated to Batman (but if it is, it moved up four from the number nine spot last year).  Last year, I opted out of this in favor of dressing as a football player, since I wouldn’t dress as Batman.  Here is my pick this year:

4.  Zombie:  Zombie is up three from the number seven spot last year.  When Layla and I went to look at costumes, one store had an entire placard dedicated to showing Zombie costumes in the window.  I still wouldn’t dress up as a Zombie myself, but here is my new pick for this year, since apparently lots of other people do like these costumes:

3.  Vampire:  Vampire is down from the number two spot, where it had been since 2009.  Including the numbers dressing as Dracula would raise the total enough to keep it in the number two spot.  I don’t have any new costume I particularly like, so I’ll continue my support for last year’s pick:

2.  Pirate:  Pirate is up one from the number three spot last year.  Rather than not being able to find anything I particularly liked, I still really like my pick from last year, so here it is again:

1.  Witch:  Witch still remains the number one costume since at least 2006.  Once again, I couldn’t find a new costume I particularly liked, so here is last year’s pick again:

So there’s the top ten list again!  Tomorrow is TSM Thursday, so you’ll likely (rather, I can almost guarantee that you will) see the rest of the list come Friday.

To-Do List Tuesday Number Two

Welcome back to To-Do List Tuesday.

Today

Clean the sink and dishes.  I’m really doing a terrible job of doing this every day.  I just really hate doing the dishes.

Put away laundry.  Time to put laundry away so I can finish cleaning my bedroom.

Get into following the FlyLady.  Why start a regiment if you won’t follow it?

Beauty Bootcamp.  Bootcamp time!

Pick a recipe.  I’m going to start working on the cooking thing.  So I’m going to pick a recipe to make this week.

Work on my address book.  I’ve decided I won’t get a new phone until I finish it.

Watch Titanic.  Gotta get on this.

This Week

Make that recipe for the Fab Five event.

Return to the restaurants I applied to and reiterate my interest.

Go to new restaurants and apply.