Salt Lick

What better way to relax after a crazy week of school and work than to go out for barbecue with your friends? What's makes it even better is when it's Salt Lick barbecue. Yes, it is really far south, but many would say it's worth it. The atmosphere is awesome; it's pretty outdoorsy and laid back, with wood furniture and country decorations. The staff is fun and friendly.

This picture ought to give you an idea of the rustic feel and fun atmosphere. For more information go to http://www.saltlickbbq.com/

The meat is great especially drowning in what is some of my favorite sauce. The sides are not my favorite. The potato salad would be better warm and the dressing for the coleslaw lacks a lot of flavor. The prices are not that great, unless you can really pack it away and get the family meal deal like a few of my friends. For like $20 you get all you can eat, and they always end up taking quite a bit home as well. The whole experience is very Texas and worth the drive and the price for a special fun night for no reason.

Seeqpod

So I was sitting at work and was super bored and wanted to listen to my ipod but had left it at home. My friend Jacob tells me about this website I can go to that has a lot of good music, searchable, to listen to for free. It's seeqpod.com. I went there. It was super easy to use; exactly what Jacob had advertised.
The music selection wasn't the greatest. Some of the files didn't work and it didn't really have entire albums, but I got to listen to the songs I was craving. Jacob has a lot of fun compiling song lists of completely random things he finds, and if you register you can save playlists and share them with friends. It's kind of cool. Check it out.

UT A&M Football Game

I was so sure the Longhorns would win against the Aggies...

Sadly, I was very wrong. They surprisingly prepared more of a passing offense, and we weren't prepared. Colt let me down. I dozed off during the second quarter thinking it'd be fine; we'd come back in the second half. We've done it several times this season. While we had several opportunities, we let it slip through a slow offense and weak defense. I had been hopeful when we returned a kick-off. There were several strategic time-outs that were just silly and sadly Bailey missed an extra point. The last quarter I'm pretty sure I yelled, "Are you kidding me?!?" at least a dozen times.

Here's what's extra fun about this...
My brother went to A&M for a year before he left on a mission to New Jersey for our church, where he is now. Last year, when I thought we would win, I bet him that whoever lost would get shot with a paintball gun. I'd played before, I figured I could take it if I had to and I was so sure it wouldn't come to that. So last year, I took a shot to the leg, that bruised worse than any other shot I've taken and was rainbow colored. This year, in the absence of my brother, my dad took up the bet. (I think it's going to become a tradition.) I love my team. I was shot a few inches below my belly button, probably somehow injuring my uterus. JK. But seriously, not that I can't take getting hit with a paintball gun; I just want my team to step up to their potential!

Dreamgirls

When I arrived home for the break, my mom (who rarely gets excited about movies) immediately sat me down and had me watch what is now one of her favorite movies: Dreamgirls. Bill Condon directed this 2006 musical about some 60s singers. Jamie Foxx, Eddie Murphy, and Beyonce gave great performances not only on camera but in the recording studio, as did newcomer Jennifer Hudson (American Idol). I listened to the soundtrack on the way back after the break. I liked I liked the random appearance of Jaleel White (Urkel) at the beginning. The plot was emotional; the music fantastic.

The costumes and casting were good, though it was weird seeing Beyonce go from plain to flashy and back again. I liked that she wasn't the lead role, but still did an amazing job. My mom complained that maybe Hudson's voice was a little harsh when she really belted things out, but I thought it was appropriate for what she was singing. Overall, I thought the movie was entertaining and empowering, with great music and good acting, though I have no idea why my mom got so obsessed.

The Office

I love The Office. It took me a little while to get into it, but now I'm addicted. You can't find its dry humor and unique awkwardness anywhere else. Just a quick note, it was really sad when they went from hour long episodes to half hour. I have I heart Jim post it notes and quotes from my favorite episodes litter my daily conversation and Facebook wall. With Pam and Jim finally together, I wonder how long before something goes wrong. I like the jokes they've used so far, but I think they're making Jim look like a goof a little more than in the past when he was the composed prankster. Pam's hair is down and so is the number of cute quirks she exhibits. In the last few episodes, it seems like she just keeps some of the others in check. Michael is getting characteristically dumber. Dwight and Angela's separation is upsetting, but I'm sure only temporary. Andy's attempts are wildly entertaining, as is Dwight's mourning.

This season has introduced some changes, but overall I think they're pulling it off. The question is whether or not they will continue to do so. While I feel for the writers strike, I love my shows and hope that this gets resolved quickly. I've heard it could be a while though and fear that some of my favorite shows will fail to meet their potential and be ruined.

Ask Cliff

While sitting in West Mall, helping sell books for Sigma Tau Delta, my attention was grabbed by a crowd and a loud speaker, not to mention cameras. "Ask Cliff..." has been going on for a while and will continue a while longer, but is basically a religious preacher talking to students about current secular and spiritual issues. He had a couple of specific groups there to talk and a crowd gathered to listen. I liked that he was not afraid to talk about controversial issues. He started with not taking the Lord's name in vain and discussed dinosaurs, the bible's legitimacy, specific parables/stories, sincere faith, sin, and how to find Christ.

I wish he'd been a little more kind in response to the more cynical questions he was asked, but I also admire that kind of self-confident courage. He seemed to really believe what he was talking about and discussed it in an open forum, conducive to exchange. I like that this sort of thing happens on campus and was glad I caught it, because whether or not it was what was intended, I did get something out of it.

Prison Break Fall Finale

A couple years ago I stumbled across a brilliant, good-looking character trying to break his brother out of prison. I was hooked on every plot twist and turn ever since. Fox's Prison Break isn't too highly talked about, but is in my opinion both unique and entertaining. In its third season, Michael Schofield, played by Wentworth Miller has broken his brother out of prison in the states, uncovered a government conspiracy, escaped to Panama, and landed himself back in prison. The season is taking a break now, just as he's failed to break out of Sona.

This third season has returned to the shows roots of surprises around every turn for the clever protagonist. I pride myself on being pretty good at predicting shows and characters, but this one always keeps me guessing. It won't be on again until January 14th, but left off with a cliffhanger. The show has an incredibly talented cast, whom you worry might not make it to the next episode. The introduction of James Whistler and his part has sparked my curiosity and will ensure I faithfully continue watching when Prison Break comes back on.