Wednesday, February 28, 2007

On why I never went to Texas Tech...

Last Saturday was a bizarre one weather wise. We had winds gusting over 60 miles an hour, which picked up dust in West Texas and carried it as far east as Dallas and beyond. As you can imagine, I wasn't amused at all by the situation. This had little to do with the weather phenomena itself and everything to do with my allergies (which found the dust heavy air more than a little irritating).

Trevor, on the other hand, was thrilled with the pink sky and gritty air (that got stuck in your teeth while breathing). Apparently, it reminded him of his college days in Lubbock. I think he told me (no less than fifty times) that if it started to rain, mud would literately fall from the sky. As if he thought I’d find this comforting or something.

Anyway, below are some of my pictures from the Dallas Dust Bowl. I took them as I was leaving NorthPark after an oh-so yummy lunch at the Kona Grill (mmmmm…sushi). It is important to note that it was a brightly sunny day. Had the dust not taken over the atmosphere, I do not think there would have been a cloud in the sky.








Tuesday, February 27, 2007

Overheard at the lunch table...

Coworker A: "So, is it nice outside today? It looks beautiful!"

Coworker B: "Yeah. It's okay, I guess. I'd say it was about 77 degrees. No, wait. I take that back. It's more like 79 or 76 degrees."

Coworker A: "Oh."

Monday, February 26, 2007

Taking deep breaths...

Incase you haven’t stopped by in awhile; things have been a little tense over here at Blinky Moments. Although, I promise to keep everyone up to date with any new developments in the “TRAVIS CLAYTON BEAT UP MY LITTLE SISTER” saga, I thought it was time to take a break and return (if only briefly) to this BLOG’s regularly scheduled programming.

So, keeping that in mind, here is a video I took of a little dog “dancing” at PetSmart a couple of weekends ago. My favorite part is the little boy’s commentary off camera, so turn up your volume if it isn’t already.



(Oh, how I love stupid dog videos!)

Sunday, February 25, 2007

Food for thought...

"Do you feel like a man
When you push her around?
Do you feel better now as she falls to the ground?
Well, I'll tell you my friend, one day this world's got to end
As your lies crumble down, a new life she has found.

"A pebble in the water makes a ripple effect
Every action in this world will bear a consequence
If you wade around forever you will surely drown
I see what's going down.
I see the way you go and say you're right again,
Say you're right again,
Heed my lecture.
"

- The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus, Face Down, 2006

John 'Travis' Clayton PLUS his fists EQUALS a badly beaten woman...

Wednesday, February 21, 2007

Time for a chat...

Anonymous said...
does anyone know the other side to this story? Amy went over to travis' appartment and broke all his stuff and went crazy. he asked her to leave and she refused. she then started physically attacking him. he has scratches all over his body from Amy's attack. This also was not the first time she has physically hurt him. She had preveiously given him two black eyes. Travis also has a whitness that says he never saw him intentionally hurt Amy. If you ask me, Amy is the one who needs anger management. She's the one who needs help. And people need to stop spreading bullsh*t rumors over the internet.

2/21/2007 4:02 PM


Anonymous said...
So why don't all of you stop judging someone you don't even know about a situation you know nothing about.

2/21/2007 4:13 PM

Dear “Anonymous” Commenter,

First of all, I would like to thank you for commenting on THIS post. I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t been waiting to hear from you. Quite the contrary, actually. I’ve been eagerly anticipating your arrival and would like to formally welcome you to the conversation. I do hope you stick around for awhile, as we have a lot to discuss.

Let me begin by answering your first question: “Does anyone know the other side to this story?” My answer is no. No, I don’t know the other side of the story. Quite frankly, I don’t even care. Amy is my sister. She says that Travis hurt her. I do not need to know anything else. She is my family, and families trust and believe one another unconditionally. If the same is not true for your family, I am truly sorry.

This will probably seem painfully obvious to you, but I would like to take the opportunity to point something out: Just as I am not familiar with Travis’ side of the story, you are apparently not familiar with Amy’s. I would like to encourage you to become educated about Amy’s side of the story. And by “educated” I mean “from the source”. No more of this hearsay nonsense. That is getting us nowhere. Once you have properly educated yourself about both sides (from the horses mouths, so to speak), feel free to chastise me publicly about my alliance to Amy being so one sided. Until then, however, do not ask me again to do something that you yourself have so clearly left undone.

As for “spreading bullsh*t rumors over the internet”, I must disagree. In my post on Monday, I did not delve into any of the particulars of the events that transpired on the evening in question. In fact, my argument was only that I did not believe anyone, under any circumstances, deserved to be hit. This is true for my commentary as well. If you do not believe me, I invite you to revisit the posting for yourself. HERE is another link to it for your convenience.

Even if, as you claim, Amy did go, “Over to Travis' apartment and broke all his stuff and went crazy,” why does this give Travis the right to hit her? Why didn’t he simply pick up the phone and call the cops? Or walk away? Travis is almost a foot taller than Amy, and I find it hard to believe that he was incapable of removing himself from the situation.

Similarly, had Amy really physically attacked Travis on previous occasions, which I seriously doubt, why did he again decide to remain silent? I stand by my belief that no one, under any circumstances, deserves to be hit. So, why did he do nothing? Was he simply embarrassed that a girl, no taller than five foot one, was able to give him not one, but two black eyes? Why didn’t he take pictures or call the police and document this supposed assault? Why didn’t you, his friend, support him in filing charges? After all, it is hard to hide a black eye (much less two). Yet, you are the first person to ever disclose this “information”. My guess is that, even if (and what a big “if” it is!) Travis was on the receiving end of a couple of black eyes, there is no way that he can, beyond a shadow of a doubt, tie Amy to them. Which leads us back to “hearsay”. Forgive me if I’m no longer interested in hearing such silly rumors that you yourself are now responsible for spreading all over the internet.

As for your claim that Amy scratched Travis, of that I have no doubt. In fact, she told me she scratched him. Told the cops as well. After all, scratching is a very common defense mechanism employed by individuals in an attempt to get away from both the attack and their attacker. I’d go so far as to call it a textbook reaction, given the circumstances.

Of course, I’m sure you will be very quick to point out that I was not in the room that evening. To which I would respond: Neither were you. Unless you are the very man in question, but I seriously doubt that Travis Clayton wrote either of the comments listed above. Much more likely that you are one of the “friends” I mentioned in Monday’s post. Why, may I ask, do you feel the need to mask your identity by posting as “Anonymous”? Are you not secure enough to go on the record as a named individual who supports Travis? If I felt confident enough to defend a friend of mine publicly, I would have no problem letting the world know who I was. After all, I’d want that friend and everyone else to know that I was proud to support them and their cause. Not ashamed and hiding behind a non identity.

I know what you are probably thinking: My blog does not reveal my true identity, either. However, rest assured, Amy only has one sister. My identity really isn’t a mystery, now is it?

Had Travis been secure enough in his own story that evening, he could have very easily opened his door and spoken with the Dallas Police Officers when they came over to question him that evening. By doing so, his side of the story would have been officially heard and documented. Instead, Travis chose to remain silent and avoid the cops (literately) knocking at his door. Forgive me, but I see that not only as a cowardly act, but a near admission of guilt as well.

As for this supposed witness: I am assuming you are speaking of Travis’ roommate at the time. Since the roommate was in his bedroom for most of the events that transpired that evening, I am not surprised that, “He never saw [Travis] intentionally hurt Amy”. Technically, Travis’ roommate never saw Travis NOT intentionally hurt Amy, either. This brings us back to Amy’s injuries. Exactly, how do you explain those? Did the bruises just appear? Or are you implying something much more sinister?...Namely, that Amy’s injuries were self inflicted? Please do not make me go into all the reasons why THAT is a ridiculous notion. I do not have any desire to waste my time probing into the absurdly hypothetical. And, quite frankly, if you have to resort to the absurd to explain away something, than maybe there is a much more obvious answer (i.e. that Travis really did hit Amy that night).

As for your final statement of, “Why don't all of you stop judging someone you don't even know about a situation you know nothing about”. I would like to remind you of two things. One: you aren’t even following your own instructions seeing as though you are neither Amy nor Travis, and are basing your involvement in the situation upon a bunch of “he said, she said”. Again, do not ask something of me that you yourself are not willing to do. Two: I know both Travis and Amy. This is my Blog and I am confident that my freedom of speech is still intact. You, in turn, are welcome to express your beliefs and opinions, as are any individuals who feel so compelled to comment on any of my self-described ramblings. I am under no obligation, moral or otherwise, to agree with you, but I will promise that nothing you write will be erased (unless you or anyone else resorts to what I will describe as “inappropriate name calling”).

With that, I look forward to reading your rebuttal.

Sincerely,
Deals

Monday, February 19, 2007

On my soapbox...

I don’t care who you are, it is never okay to hit someone else. I don’t care what the circumstances are. It isn’t right. People who do should be punished. If you don’t reprimand them for their actions, what kind of message are you sending? That their behavior is somehow acceptable? That you condone such violence?

My sister on Sunday afternoon...
This is what Travis Clayton did to my little sister last week in Dallas, Texas. What you can’t see are the bruises on her ribs, the swelling of her brain (compliments of a concussion) and the trauma in her ear canals (consistent with having her ears “boxed” over and over again). All of this was diagnosed by a doctor, a medical professional. It’s not like I’m just making it up. Travis did this to my little sister! How can anyone justify his actions? How can anything he says make it okay? Nothing can! I don’t care if the two were fighting. It is a big jump from angry words to swinging fists. Plus, what kind of man hits a woman in the first place – much less repeatedly?

It has come to my attention that some of my sister’s so-called “friends” have implied that she “got what she deserved”. I’m sorry, what?! No one deserves to be hit. Period. If I get nothing else across today, remember that. Implying that my sister got what was coming to her is like blaming a rape victim that wore a short skirt or a low-cut blouse to a bar prior to an attack. It’s a ridiculous notion. The fault, the blame – it all lies with the person who made the decision to solve their problems with force and violence in the first place.

If Travis gets away with this, who’s to say he won’t do it to someone else later on? After all, violence only breeds more violence. My guess is that it will only be a matter of time until he literately “strikes” again.

John 'Travis' Clayton:  The jerk who beat up my sister...
J. Travis Clayton

Wednesday, February 14, 2007

In Memory of Pop…

Exactly half my life ago, on Valentine’s Day, my grandfather died.

I still have the card he and my grandmother sent me that year. It’s red with a dancing Snoopy on the cover. Inside, the words "Love, Moo and Pop" appear in black ink.

Thirteen years later, I still wish I could have said, "Goodbye".

Moo and Pop...
HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY, Pop.

You are missed today, tomorrow and for always.

I love you.

Monday, February 12, 2007

Best. Pictures. EVER.

I found these pictures of my father and Auntie Mimi in a box last week. After a good long laugh, I decided that they were just too wonderful keep to myself. Enjoy!

My father and Auntie Mimi.  LOVE the socks, dad!

Auntie Mimi all ready for school.  Please note the basket purse that appears in BOTH photos.  I hear it was her favorite...

Thursday, February 08, 2007

On why it doesn’t pay to drink and drive…

Hitting the juice at recess seemed like a good idea at the time. It was hot and I had been thirsty. That was until I decided to drive home afterward. I hadn’t even cleared the school zone before I was pulled over by two representatives of the local law enforcement.

The only way out of this one was to pass a field sobriety test. In my mind, I tried to calculate the number of juice boxes I had consumed that afternoon. Surely it hadn't been more than two or three? Okay, maybe four. But who could blame me? It wasn't like I had dressed myself in that stupid, pink sweater!







Lucky for me, I got mad skillz on the road. Eat my dust, suckas!

Wednesday, February 07, 2007

Please stop. You’re making my brain hurt…

One of my coworkers gets “dis-or-ee-in-TATE-ed”. Not disoriented, mind you. No, no. “Dis-or-ee-in-TATE-ed”.

Apart from the fact that there is no real difference in definition (at least, not to my knowledge), I have decided that one risks becoming “dis-or-ee-in-TATE-ed” (as opposed to “disoriented”) if they suffer from five or more of the following symptoms:

1. Insists that pomegranates and apples are “really the same thing”.

2. Is intolerant of the taste of anything with preservatives. Yet, routinely consumes McDonald’s, donuts, Twinkies, canned soups and frozen dinners.

3. Has intimate knowledge of how bad coffee is for the human body. Prefers, instead, to start the morning with a 40 ounce Mr. Pib.

4. Went to Texas A&M to study Architectural History. Was inspired to do so because of “the beauty of the buildings on campus”. Is not kidding.

5. Will not eat at any restaurant with a name that sounds remotely Middle Eastern. Thinks anyone who does “supports terrorism”.

6. Considers College Station to be the best place on earth. Dreams of returning to live there permanently.

7. Doesn’t believe in recycling. Thinks it is a waste of energy. Prefers to “conserve energy” by simply throwing everything away.

8. Chooses to put off obtaining a passport and plane ticket until ten days before leaving on an Italian vacation. Is surprised when forced to reschedule.

9. Assumes anything less than a five star “Americanized” hotel in Europe will not include a private bathroom. Cringes at the thought of sharing a toilet with “strange, dirty Europeans”. Wonders aloud why private bathrooms never caught on over there.

10. Is taken aback upon discovering that not all Italians speak English. Decides it is all an act to take advantage of American tourists.

11. Spends most of said Italian vacation price-checking plastic statues of the Venus de Milo and cheap replicas of ancient Roman coins. Manages not to see the Trevi Fountain, the Scalinata di Spagna or the Piazza Navona.

12. Believes that sagging boobs are a direct result of wearing sports bras while running. Refuses to do participate in either activity. Thinks anyone who does is crazy.

13. Is unable to carry anything heavier than car keys for days because of a pulled muscle acquired while playing tennis on a friend’s Wii.

14. Thinks diamonds are a waste of money. Believes it to be more economical to spend hundreds of dollars on a Cubic Zirconium than the real thing.

15. Doesn’t understand the need to accelerate while merging onto the highway or changing lanes. Marvels at all the “crazy, rude, honking drivers in Dallas”.

Saturday, February 03, 2007

Oh, the things you hear while eating at “The Club”…

ACK!  She's taking notes!
I occasionally get to eat at the local country club when Auntie Mimi is in town. Hopefully, the following will be as funny to you as it was to those at the table...

Harriet: [Discussing the new Assistant Manager...] “I don’t know about her. She’s just…just ‘too perky’. And what is she wearing?”

Mimi: “I do see a lot of skin, but there’s no cleavage hanging out.”

Harriet: “At least not yet.”

***

Harriet: “I’m glad we came tonight. It’s been very ‘eye-opening’. Oh, look! There’s my heart doctor.”

***

Moo: “Where’s my pocket? I’m looking for my pocket.”

Dorothy: “That coat doesn’t have pockets.”

Moo: “That’s terrible! Everyone needs pockets!”

***

Mimi: “Mother, you don’t seem interested in what we’re saying. Are we not entertaining enough?”

Moo: [Half asleep at the table…] “No. You’re not. I don’t find any of you very interesting right now.”

***

Mimi: “Of course on a real bike, I’m dangerous.”

***

Moo: “I want to play golf.”

Mimi: “You do, do you?”

Me: “Well, I bet you could beat me, Moo. I’m not any good at golf.”

Mimi: “Do you want to play golf with [Deals]?”

Moo: “No. I don’t think I would.”

***

On telling my grandmother something I thought was interesting…

Moo: “Well, so what?”

***

On trying to get my grandmother’s attention…

Moo: “What’s your trouble?

***

Moo: “Are we through?”

Mimi: “Oh, I guess she’s ready to go home now.”