You may be asking yourself...

...where has Cait been?

(Probably not, though - even I'm not that arrogant.)

That said, a new obsession has taken over - and it's not work, it's not dressing up the collies as local sports figures, it's not the Greater New Orleans Seminole Club preparations and it's not wedding planning. It's not even obsessing over Veronica White's everchanging weave.

Nope, it's Thundersquee!

I'm an editor and contributor to the site, and several of my fellow hags will actually be lobbing out snarky humor during our blessed nuptials this summer.

So take a look around, settle in for a bit, and enjoy our irreverent humor.

(You know you want to.)

She's baaaaaaaaaaaaack!

Sorry, y'all.

I'm alive.

I'm now 30.

I'm getting married in 5 months.

I just got promoted at work.

I'm happy, stressed, overly worked, exhausted and I'm alive.

Grrrrr. Roar. Grrrrr.

I'm just sayin'.

So I was on TV last night.

Gotta say, it was a little weird to see myself in a movie.

Two years, already?

Tuesday marked two years since my father passed away.

This daddy's girl misses him terribly.

That said, this year December 2nd was slightly easier. The best thing I can do, I figure, is just to keep the memory of him alive in my heart, right?

This is for him.



But the holidays are upon us, so D. and I bought a 9' Frasier Fir last night and put it up in our living room.

Thus far, Charlie has peed on it twice.

So there's a rumor circulating that...

...my family will descend upon me for Christmas.

Yeah, it's time for emergency measures. ::grin::

I can haz tag?

I have been tagged by fellow Florida State alumna, NolaCleophatra.

So I guess this is how this works:

1. Link to the person who tagged you. (Check.)

2. Post the rules on your blog. (Check.)

3. Write six random things about yourself. (Aw, hell.)

4. Tag six people at the end of your post and link to them. (Done.)

5. Let each person know they’ve been tagged and leave a comment on their blog. (Sigh. Bleargh. Sigh.)

6. Let the tagger know when your entry is up. (Working on it.)

Here goes:

1. I think NOLACleophatra is insane to not appreciate the manna-like joys of Dr. Pepper. My crack of choice is Diet Dr. Pepper.

2. I am amused that after countless hours of having to endure a litany of UF fans telling me how much academically better their fine Hogtown institution is, that FSU has produced its third Rhodes Scholar in the last four years. ::snicker of amusement::

3. I hate crowds. True story. I get incredibly claustrophobic and cranky when surrounded by a sea of people.

4. I DVR old episodes of "Doctor Who" so that when D. works late, I can indulge my geeky side.

5. I think "Beerfest" may be one of the funniest movies made over the past ten years.

6. I'm actually kind of excited about turning 30.

So, who to tag? What about Mizz Gandy, Krista, April, Kevin, Bedbugs & Ballyhoo and Toker.

On a totally random side note, the Po'Boy Preservation Festival was crowded and hectic and full of Teh Yum.

Please note my astonishment in meeting a barbequed oyster po'boy:

Michael Stipe, meet my stomach bug.

At least I'm pretty sure it's a stomach bug.

So it's fall now.

Crime is down in our 'hood.

Florida State is winning.

The Saints (yet again) have a new kicker and a punter.

Voodoo was awesome, and I managed to not throw up while pogoing up and down like a 15 year-old at a boy band concert as Michael Stipe and the rest of R.E.M. electrified City Park.

A Voodoo Quandary

So D. and I have weekend passes for Voodoo, and are entering Round 2 of out-of-town guests this week with some friends from south Florida up for the music shindig at City Park.

With some dismay I note that the Old 97's, only one of the greatest live bands ever, are scheduled to play somewhere during the second quarter of the FSU-Virginia Tech game.

Even worse, the Cold War Kids and Blind Boys of Alabama are scheduled during the Saints' London game.

WHAT TO DO? WHAT TO DO?

Do I DVR the FSU game and pray that my friends (ahem, Fudge) won't send me texts about the game? Or do I avoid my longstanding crush on Rhett Miller's foxy ways and faithfully cheer on my Noles?

Do I give up on the Saints and assume that this season has become a dismal lost cause due to injuries and hideous playcalling? Or do I eschew the weird musical stylings of "Hang Me Up To Dry"?

There's only one certainty, and that is R.E.M.

Oh yes, you will see me at the R.E.M. show. And it might be a little bit scary, because I'll be the zealot singing along to EVERY. SINGLE. SONG.

(That's how strong my love is, yeaux. No offense meant to Otis.)

Life is a mixed bag o' crazy.

Pros:
The weather is incredible here right now.
No one is shooting up our neighborhood.
D.'s parents are visiting (thus the bloggish absence).
Our house is surprisingly neat.

Cons:
Family crap.
Exhaustion.

Questions:
Anyone know of a good rehearsal dinner venue?

Yes, yes.

Sukkot is ongoing, so I've been off work.

I've flyered the neighborhood in advance of a neighborhood association meeting, and now I'm the secretary.

I've lost 7 pounds.

I've got to clean the house, because D.'s parents are coming to visit.

My glasses hurt my eyes...but my contacts hurt worse.

I am envious of D.'s metabolism.

In 15 days, my cousin is getting married, and I've been swamped planning her wedding.

I apparently still fit into the dress I wore to my college graduation. Kerrrazy.

I need a nap. Maybe a vacation?

Hmmm.

The diet.

Oktoberfest = Diet Killer

Saints Home Loss to GUS FREROTTE = Diet Restorer

Despite the excesses of Oktoberfest and FSU-UM viewing this past weekend, I managed to regroup and lose a pound.

24 lbs. to go before I hit my skinny jeans size.

On a separate note, does anyone know of any not overpriced, giant dog-friendly places for rent in uptown or Mid-City? We had a less than positive experience with our landlord's new management company yesterday, and we're pretty much hit our wall.

Life is good.

On Friday night, I came home from work to an amazing surprise.

On Saturday, in quick succession:

UF lost (HA!)
UM lost (Double-HA!)
FSU won
K-State won

On Sunday:

I went to the Saints game and sat on the 50 yard-line right behind the Saints' bench. I was able to watch Drew and Deuce shred the 49ers' D.

Plus, the one garbage touchdown the 49ers had was from Isaac Bruce - who is on my fantasy roster.

I kicked ass in our fantasy league this weekend.

I have lost almost 4 lbs.

I have an amazing fiance.

I have the two cutest dogs in the world.

Life is good.

30 before 30.

The countdown has begun.

Rebounding.

Stupid stomach bug.

Stupid exhaustion.

To tan or not to tan?

So my brother's favorite hobby (apart from destroying watermelons, that is) is to lay out by the pool at his apartment complex in Tallahassee whilst his remote-controlled robot serves him cranberry martinis with a twist of lime.

I kid you not.

Today I told him he is beginning to resemble fine Corinthian leather, just like George Hamilton.

Too harsh? ;)

OK, so yes, I suck.

I meant to post more on Friday, but life's been rather hectic of late.

Well, no, that's not really it.

The reality is that I live in NOLAdishu.

The reality is that my mom is fast approaching needing assisted living.

The reality is that I never expected 29 to look or feel like this.

But I also wouldn't change a thing. Even with the strain, it's just life. It's not some ridiculous, glossy, frothy film (see: Kate Hudson). It's also not a Dave Eggers book. I'm not painfully witty or especially clever.

Besides, everyone knows that David Sedaris is funnier.

(Sweet mercy, I feel whiny tonight.)

Random and sundry thoughts...

It's been hectic since my return from Boca - I've been working a lot, and D.'s birthday/our anniversary was this past weekend. Here are a few thoughts from the course of the past several days:

• I hate when friends lie and throw you under the bus to save face with mere acquaintances. Ouch.
• Why has no one told me about Stein's Deli? D. and I went there for lunch today, and I just about inhaled my Kelly sandwich. Dear GOD, was that good...
• Absinthe tastes like watered-down Good n' Plenty. And not in a good way. I'm very meh on the whole experience.
• Crawfish risotto will win over neighbors in jiffy.
• Any man who takes a donated fruit salad and dumps it into a blender with tequila is all right by me.
• D. loves carrot cake.
• The collies have been more shedtastic than usual.
• I had a great time fishing off Boca Inlet with Trishy and Brooke. Also, I still have a fishing pole mark where my thighs were sunburned.
• I was in a car accident on Monday. Yep, I was literally hit by a truck. Good times. I'm fine, just sore.
• I need more sleep.
• I really, REALLY need to lose weight.
• I love The Verve's new album, and MGMT's new single "Electric Feel" is growing on me.
• The crazy shovel lady case went to trial while I was in south Florida, despite me telling the DA's Office that I would be away more than a month in advance, before they continued the trial. The guy was found not guilty. He claimed self-defense. Evidently, she slapped him. The jury found it reasonable that he should respond by almost cutting her arm off with a shovel. Clearly.

Happy Birthday, D.!

Hope you like your Beasley rookie jersey...oh, and...


...the Mannings should officially do all NFL commercials.

"JENGA!"

I'm back from Boca.

I survived bad hotel kosher food, too.