She has a refined palate

Casey's new favorite snack: Crocs! In both the navy blue and tie-dye varieties.

What makes my job worth it

Sometimes the readers actually get what I'm trying to say, and it is by far the sweetest reward for the thankless daily grind all journalists endure:

Here's the gem from a reader that was waiting in my inbox today:
Your article on "Why I hated Friday nights" was priceless. I am a retired teacher and high school principal. I have seen this scenario play out over and over through the years. It is a hurtful experience and so little that you can do to help the person involved. Someone very close to me suffered through this experience, and the entire family suffered. I hope every teenager in this area, especially girls, read this article. This is the first time I have ever seen this type of information in print, but you certainly told the story in such a dignified manner and with heartfelt emotion and understanding. We often say,"This will pass and there is something better ahead for you." Unfortunately, teenagers don't see that at the time they are hurt and frustrated. I have been thrilled through the years to see young people who had some major disappointments move on even under trying circumstances. When they arrive at college and have new circumstances, new friends, and new challenges, they become like a rose that blooms to its fullest. Under new surroundings and circumstances, these same students on their own merits are recognized for their abilities and talents which are often overlooked in high school.

Thanks for addressing this situation and for the wonderful advice you gave teenagers.

Sunday column: Why I hated Friday nights

Here I am as a freshman (1996!), wearing my "Into the Woods" shirt with pride. There's Hollie next to me, checking lyrics to the song I was (evidently) singing along to. I believe we were at Marie's or Darleen's house. This was the brief pre-angst time of my high school experience.

Let's be honest — the culture of high school football isn't always what movies make it out to be.

As those Friday night lights flicker on at stadiums across America, it's only fair to acknowledge that not every high schooler will be on the field, cheering on the sidelines or even parked in the bleachers. And, it isn't always by choice, if you know what I mean.

I started out my high school experience with the naïve, fresh-faced optimism that defined my pre-high school years. Little did I know at that time how quickly I'd descend into "adolescent angst," as my mom so accurately described it.

As a freshman, I was anxious to join the Pep Squad. In order to try out for "real" spirit teams like the cheerleading squad or the dance line, all freshmen had to pay their dues on the Pep Squad for one year. We were a huge group of wanna-be cheerleaders and dancers who would faithfully don our polo shirts and blue shorts every Friday night and take our place in the stands to cheer on the team.

I stuck it out on the Pep Squad with my eyes on the prize of becoming a ShowStopper my sophomore year. The ShowStoppers were the dance line that dazzled spectators of all ages with their high kicks and coordinated switch leaps. Along with many of my friends, I was dying to be one.

Try-outs were held at the end of my freshman year. It was an intense week of practices spent learning the try-out dance capped by the final audition. It just so happened that the try-outs coincided with afternoon play practices I was committed to because of my role in the spring musical (it was a very small role, and my first and only stage debut).

The drama teacher was serious about this production, and she threatened to kick out of the cast anyone who missed even one practice. I tried explaining my situation to her – the conflict between the ShowStoppers try-out practices and play rehearsal – but she didn't budge.

"Emily, you're smart. You'll do fine," she assured me.

So as my friends practiced the try-out dance for hours after the organized practices, I was doing my thing on stage.

On ShowStoppers audition day, I was a ball of nerves. I pulled on my black leotard and stockings and wrapped the prescribed white ribbon around my waist in the girls locker room.

When it came time for my group to perform in front of the judges, I marched out with butterflies in my stomach and uneasy self-confidence. My drama teachers' reassurance ran through my mind on a loop, and I started to dance.

It was a disaster. Although I'd squeezed in as much dance practice as I could manage and worked on my splits every night, I choked at the try-out. I was mortified, but I convinced myself that I still had a shot at making the team.

Once all the groups had danced, we gathered on the gym bleachers to wait for the new ShowStoppers' names to be called.

The coach ran down the list, which included every single one of my friends who had tried out, without calling my name.

I was hit with a feeling I'd never experienced before – thrilled for my friends but desperately disappointed for myself. I cursed my drama teacher for making me miss ShowStoppers try-out practice. How could she do this to me?

I did my best to be happy for my friends, the new ShowStoppers. I even went to their first Friday night performance. I was doing just fine during the first half of the game, watching them running through their routine on the sidelines. But when halftime came and they strode out to the field, I simply couldn't watch. They probably still don't know that I closed my eyes through their entire dance because it was too painful. As they ran back to their spot on the bleachers, buzzing with excitement about their accomplishment, I stuck a smile on my face and congratulated them.

That happy-and-sad feeling stayed with me for a long time. Even once I got over the initial misery, I always felt a twinge of "I should be up there" when I saw the ShowStoppers perform.

Now, more than 10 years after my botched audition, I attend high school football games knowing there's much more happening in that stadium than just a football game. I can sense the heightened emotions, and I can sympathize.

I just want to tell those teenagers not to worry, that life goes on no matter what their role is on Friday night.

Farmer's Almanac wisdom

For some reason, I received a copy of the 2009 Farmer's Almanac in the mail at work last week. I was paging through it today as I procrastinated at the office (me, procrastinate? never), and I discovered something truly amazing (OK, that might be a little much, but it sure is neat).
Gardening profiles based on astrological signs — how do they come up with this stuff? Here's what mine said:

Sagittarius
Sagittarius ends the fall. The seasons are about to shift again, so the expectation of change is part of your personality. With Jupiter (the largest planet in the solar system) as your ruling planet, you are partial to plants that grow bigger: Azaleas, rhododendrons and rosemary fill the bill here. Giant sunflowers as well as beans and peas that climb tantalize your soul. You are fond of action and the outdoors; plants that spread out and seem wild and free excite you. Look for lily-of-the-valley or patches of mint in your garden. Quick and easy meals such as salmon and salad grace your dinner table, and popcorn is your regular snack.

Dead on, right down to the snack! And remember my sunflowers? Believe me, "wild and free" doesn't begin to describe the condition of my lantana and zinnias right now. It's uncanny.
This Farmer's Almanac makes for pretty interesting reading ... I just might be hooked.

Sunday column: College memories

Hard at work in my office in the spring of 2002, when I was editor of The Tech Talk. That office is much nicer than my current cubicle. Now that I'm a professional journalist, I don't even have an office — go figure.

Caddy "helped" me with my research paper during my senior year in 2003. She's a very helpful pet. Remember this post?

Louisiana Tech's campus awoke from its summer slumber this week as faculty, staff and students returned for another fall quarter.
I admit to being a bit envious of the students who are getting back into the swing of classes. As a self-professed school nerd, I've always loved everything about going to school, starting with kindergarten and lasting all the way through college. From the school supplies to the syllabi, I was into every second of it.
This week, I quizzed the Tech student I know best (my husband) all about the new school year. What was campus like? How busy was the bookstore? What are your professors like? Where did you sit in the classroom? You get the idea. Not being a school nerd himself, he was bewildered by my intense need to know what his first days back were like.
"It was fine," was the only answer he could manage, with a shrug.
Frustrated by the complete lack of detail I was able to coax out of him, I applied myself to getting our home office ready for a new year. Desks had piled up with random junk, our "priority stacking" system had toppled and dust had gathered on every visible surface.
I started doing what I do best: organizing. It felt great. Although I know I'm not the one who will enjoy the fruits of my labor, I was inspired by that back-to-school spirit. By the time I was finished, school supplies were neatly arranged, desk surfaces were cleared and study-friendly and the dust was gone.
Even my husband was impressed with the end result. Mission accomplished.
As I try to relive my days on campus vicariously through current students, there are certain memories that stand out in my mind. Here's a top five list, in no particular order, of some of my favorite things about Tech.

1. The Quad at night
By day, the hub of campus is alive with people crossing back and forth, whizzing by on bikes and hollering at each other from opposite sides. It's a gold mine for people-watchers and procrastinators. But at night, it's a different scene entirely. The lights flicker on, and the splashing of the Lady of the Mist finally can be distinguished. It's as if the Quad breathes a sigh of relief as the traffic slows and the sun goes down.

2. The Bookstore
The hustle and bustle of the Bookstore during the first weeks of class can be overwhelming, I know. It can also be painful for students as they watch their bank account balances sucked away by the cost of textbooks and other necessities. But there's still something about discovering the texts for an upcoming class and scoping out the supplies. I imagine this fall's Bookstore offerings must be even more exciting thanks to all the new gear available with Tech's brand new logos. I need to get myself down there so I can pick out something new. I'd hate to be caught wearing an "outdated" Tech T-shirt.

3. The professors
I was lucky enough to make it through four years of college with only a handful of not-so-great professors. The vast majority of the professors I had at Tech were inspiring, smart and challenging. Their personalities were as diverse as the subjects they taught, and I'll even admit to one or two "crushes" on professors during my college career. But, I'll never tell who.

4. Prescott Memorial Library
Like many liberal arts students, I spent a lot of time at the library — the third floor, to be specific. I remember devoting entire Saturdays to researching sources for English papers in the periodicals archives. I developed a fondness for the microfilm machine, where I'd zip through past editions of newspapers and magazines scanning for something — anything — related to whatever topic I'd devoted myself to that quarter. Writing a good research paper is an art I was determined to conquer by the time I graduated. I'm proud to say I think I got pretty close.

5. Tech Talk Thursdays
For myself and my fellow student journalists, there was nothing sweeter than walking into a classroom and seeing rows of students sitting in desks reading The Tech Talk. The newspaper was a labor of love for us each week, and just that sight was enough to make it all worth it. I hope today's journalism students still see it when they show up for class on Thursdays.

Party time

With these festive lights, now every day is a party at our house!

Back to school

Nick started a new quarter at Louisiana Tech today, and it's going to be a great one. He's got one of my favorite English professors for his American literature class, he's got the better of the two geology professors and he's taking political science during a presidential election. Sounds good to me. Hey Nick, want to trade? I'll go to class and you can fill in for me at work. If only ...