Month: November 2005

  • Brave Sweet Smile


    LaVonda and her husband


    Face Fate with a Brave Sweet Smile

    It is easy to stride where the road is wide,
    And the pavement is firm and fine,
    It is easy to skip, with a good still clip,
    Where the road is a long white line,
    It is jolly good fun down the hill to run
    If there isn’t a chance to fall,
    But a man is “true blue” if he just plugs through
    where there isn’t a path at all.

    It is easy to grin, when the cash rolls in,
    If your life is a cloudless day;
    It is easy to prance, at the costless dance
    If the fiddler receives his pay.
    It is easy to sing, till the rafters ring
    If there is joy in the heart of the song;
    But give me the fellow that doesn’t show yellow
    When everything goes dead wrong.

    So remember friends, until this world ends,
    Until God should reign as King Supreme;
    Until Day and Night makes its last long flight
    And this world is a shattered dream
    Remember your frown, pulls the next man down;
    Lend a hand, make his life worth while.
    Give a “bearing face”, to the human race,
    And face Fate with a brave sweet smile.

    – LaVonda Evans

    From the pitchcard “World’s Smallest Lady”, found on the Internet at http://www.sideshowworld.com/blowoffLaVonda.html
    and http://phreeque.tripod.com/tiny_lavonda.html

  • Ode to the Open Spaces


    The United States is huge. It really is. I love driving for miles and miles without seeing a soul, only crops and the occasional farmhouse with its canine mascot lying in the road, sunning himself.


    I love Texas

    I love my new home. Sometimes I meet people here who are from West Virginia or Virginia, and we reminisce about the mountains. But although we may go back to visit, we all pretty much agree that there’s more than enough here to make us stay.

    Going on vacation isn’t nearly as fun as being at home. It’s like a customized resort.

  • Lake Travis

    Even though I didn’t get to go sailing on this trip, it was still nice to get a glimpse of Lake Travis and people who were able to go sailing that day. I have to say, though, that I prefer our lake at home. (It took about an hour to get to Lake Travis from downtown Austin, and I’m sure house prices in that area are astronomical.)

    Texas parks are very different from those in Illinois. Since there is no state tax in Texas, all public parks are supported by entrance fees. It’s a little bewildering to someone like me who is used to not having to think about supporting parks, because someone has already decided to dole out my tax money for them. A lot of organizations in Texas are supportedly solely by private donations. One example I found was the wildlife rescue organization in my city. And surprisingly, it works. I guess the question is, why should I really be surprised that one doesn’t need tax money to support causes in which one believes?


    Sailboat and seabird

    It’s ironic that Austin real estate has become so expensive. Austin was a city built on rock — worthless because it was untillable. Nowadays, it is a hot commodity. It is funny how rocky ground is now worth more than good tillable dirt. Priorities have certainly changed.

  • Austin — State Capitol


    Texas state capitol

    Matt said that I wouldn’t find the Texas capitol as pretty as I remembered. He was wrong. In fact, they remodeled a new section, and it is very pretty too — a blend of old architecture with the new.


    It was a lovely sunny day on the capitol’s lawn.

    The sky was an awesome shade of cerulean, with lots of cumulus clouds backlit by the sun. It wasn’t humid at all, and there was a brisk breeze that made me think, “Oh, sheesh! I want to go sailing!“


    The dome from the inside

    Every little bit of ornamentation in the capitol has some symbolism for Texas — down to the doorknobs, even the door hinges.


    Painting of the Alamo

    I love that the pictures of the Texas legislators include pictures of their kids as well.

  • Las Vegas

    It makes me laugh to see how some people are so attached to their cell phones. While we were in Las Vegas, Matt and I decided to take the monorail to Mandalay Bay to see the Shark Reef. In the midst of this amazing display of architecture, this guy still could not put away his cellular phone.


    Another diehard cell phone user

    The Las Vegas Strip has changed in the last three years. The monorail is extended up to the Sahara. The Strip is still as gaudy as ever, perhaps moreso. “Someone” was very nice to us, and gave us free tickets to see Dennis Miller at the Coliseum. It turned out to be a show they were taping for HBO, which meant that we all had to sound-test our laughter before the show. “Before we start, laugh on command, so we can make sure the mics can pick it up!” Ah, show business. . . .

    I love how I always get wads of free stuff when I go to Vegas.

  • Chocolate Bars, Sand Bars, and the Texas Bar

    Matt passed his Bar Exam, and I am so incredibly happy for him. I know that it is a huge load off of his mind. How do I know this? Because I probably felt very similar when I passed the USMLE Step 3.

    So now, I am the only one in our household who will continue taking tests — my specialty board exam and then recertification exams until the day I retire (which I’m hoping is soon). Meanwhile, I haven’t been able to sail but once this year, which can be expected due to my working hours. So my little Xanga is reduced to merely musing about others’ sailing sprees.

    I *really* honestly need some “me”-time. Me! Me! Me!

    So, we’re headed off to Las Vegas to celebrate our anniversary, Matt’s passing the Bar, and to meet up with the folks for buffet-hopping. I doubt we’ll get to sail on Lake Mead, but one can hope!

    And then we’re off to Austin for Matt’s swearing-in ceremony. Maybe we’ll get to sail on Lake Travis. Or maybe not. But one can hope! (It takes a $1000-deposit to rent a sailboat from Texas Sailing Academy. But you can also rent a sailboat at the Austin Youth Hostel, if you’re staying there, and it’s only $100, if I remember rightly. It’s way cheaper, anyway.)


    The Texas State Capitol
    Taken two years ago while I was interviewing there for residency

    The Texas State Capitol is a beautiful building. Somewhere I heard that the cupola is actually a tad bigger than the U.S. Capitol’s. Dunno if it’s true. Either way, it still is a beautiful building. I only saw it during the sunset, so I don’t know if that orange color is real, or just the effect of the setting sun.