America's City (Part 1)

I cannot believe we're coming up on 4 years in Dallas!  We love living here and there's always something to do . . . sporting events, art museums, botanical gardens, roller coasters, street festivals.  We've not even scratched the surface of all that Dallas has to offer. 

I think one of the things about Dallas that stands out to me is just how cosmopolitan of a city it is!  I was pleasantly surprised on one of our first house-hunting trips to discover a beautiful, sophisticated, cultivated, diverse city. 

Elevation: 430′

Population: 1.341 million (2017)

Metro population: 7,233,323 (4th)

Did you know: Dallas is the ninth-largest United States city by population (1,341,075)Average annual snow days: 1.3Average rain days: 81 days  The Dallas-Fort Worth Arlington MSA consists of 12 counties: Collin, Dallas, Delta, Denton, Ellis, Hunt, Johnson, Kaufman, Parker, Rockwall, Tarrant and Wise and has a population of 6,954,330. The Dallas-Plano-Irving MD (metropolitan division) is slightly smaller with a population of 4,604,097and is composed of 8 counties: Collin, Dallas, Delta, Denton, Ellis, Hunt, Kaufman and Rockwall.

Dallas is located in the Central Time Zone in North Central Texas, 35 miles east of Fort Worth, 245 miles north, northwest of Houston and 300 miles north of the Gulf of Mexico.

24.9 million annual visitors to the City of Dallas, with 48.9 million visiting the Metro area.  There are more than 30,000 hotel rooms in the city of Dallas with over 78,000 available throughout the area. 

Dallas is centrally located and within a four-hour flight from most North American destinations. It is served by two airports; Dallas/Ft. Worth International and Dallas Love Field that combined provide more than 2,200 flights daily. AMTRAK also provides daily service to Dallas via Union Station.

The Dallas area is home to 21 Fortune 500 companies including Exxon Mobil, JC Penney, AT&T, Texas Instruments, and others. 

Dallas is home to five professional sports teams: The Dallas Cowboys (NFL); Dallas Stars (NHL); Dallas Mavericks (NBA); Dallas Wings (WNBA); FC Dallas (MLS) and the Texas Rangers (MLB) plus NASCAR and Indy racing. The area is also home to more than 200 golf courses.

Dallas Fun Facts

• The frozen margarita machine was invented in Dallas
• The integrated circuit computer chip (which became the microchip) was invented in Dallas in 1958
• The 52 foot 'Big Tex' statue that greets visitors at the annual State Fair of Texas is the tallest cowboy in Texas.
• With the roof enclosed, the entire Statue of Liberty could fit into the Cowboys Stadium.
• During the winter holiday season, the Galleria Dallas is home to the country's tallest indoor Christmas tree.
• The largest permanent model train exhibit in the country is on display in the lobby of Dallas Children's Medical Center.
• The Dallas Arts District is the largest urban arts district in the United States.
• The Trinity River Corridor Project, when completed, will be more than 10 times the size of New York's Central Park.
• Highland Park Village Shopping Center, developed in 1931 has the distinction of being the first planned shopping center in America.
• The first convenience store, 7-eleven, got its start in Dallas and the corporation is headquartered there today.
• Lamar Hunt, founder of the American Football League and son of oil tycoon H.L. Hunt, was a noted Dallas resident when he coined the phrase 'Super Bowl'.
• A few celebrities from the area: Angie Harmon, Luke and Owen Wilson, Nastia Luikin, Lee Trevino, Norah Jones, Erykah Badu, Jessica Simpson
• A few of the movies/TV series filmed in the area: Dallas; Silkwood; Places in the Heart; RoboCop; Born on the Fourth of July; Walker, Texas Ranger; Prison Break (more listed at http://www.dallasfilmcommission.com/)
• The Dallas area is the largest metropolitan area in the nation not on a navigable body of water.
• The Dallas-Fort Worth Arlington Metroplex is the No. 1 visitor and leisure destination in Texas.
• The Dallas Public Library permanently displays one of the original copies of the Declaration of Independence, printed on July 4, 1776, and the First Folio of William Shakespeare's "Comedies, Histories & Tragedies."
• The Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex is home to 23 of the richest Americans. 

 

Dallas is a clean, walkable city with several great parks, botanical gardens and plenty of green space and lots of hidden gems.  So, over the next couple of days I've decided to highlight some of the wonderful attractions Dallas has to offer. 

 

THE GIANT EYEBALL

I love weird quirky attractions and the Giant Eyeball is one of my favorites! 
 

The eyeball popped-up in August 2013 on a cleared vacant lot in between Main and Elm Streets, across the street from the Joule Hotel. Since then Tony Tasset’s sculpture, a massively enlarged replication of his very own eyeball, has been the focal point of plenty of conversation. Mayor Mike Rawlings praised it as an indicator of the kinds of things that could help boost energy downtown. Dallas's Glenn Hunter aptly made the comparison to the glaring, ever-fixed gaze of Doctor T. J. Eckleburg in The Great Gatsby, an advertisement that functions as a kind of ambiguous symbol of a moral universe, ante-uping Pascal’s Wager, so to speak. And in the wake of the NSA surveillance revelations, they eye could be seen as a tongue-in-cheek reference to an ever-watching Big Brother.

But not so, says artist Tony Tasset in this interview with Interview Magazine in which he discusses the piece at length. The eye, he argues, is just an eye:

“People have been so conditioned to not understand art that when something’s obvious they feel like they’re missing something,” Tasset says. “It’s a big eyeball.”

But even if we accept the artist’s insistence that there is no symbolic or metaphoric intention with placing a giant eye in downtown Dallas, that hasn’t stopped the eye from instigating a range of peculiar reactions:

Tasset’s focus is in pinpointing objects that are widely recognizable, easily construed by anyone. As far as spurring reactions, Eye seems to be working: On one end, a homeless man wrote an enraged screed proclaiming the Eye was a false god; on the other, Flaming Lips singer Wayne Coyne shared the pithier sentiment “…fuck yeah!!!” in an Instagram of the still-under-construction sphere. “I was quite honored,” admits the artist.

That’s where Tasset’s eye becomes interesting.  Where it occupies this space between intentionality and interpretation, a sculptural positioning achieved merely by utilizing objects that can’t help but carry allusive qualities. Similarly to Claus Oldenburg, who re-positioned our apprehension of consumer products by monumentalizing mundane or toss-away items, Tasset’s piece is about exploring the inclination of the perceptive mind to extrapolate meaning from a thing, subtracting intent so as to reveal any particular interpretation of the object as a projection of meaning by the perceiving viewer. The eye, then, as the dominant sensory tool of perception, is an appropriate symbolic tool. And like Oldenburg’s work, it’s a form that carries both symbolic weight and surrealist humor.

 

“So, you put in a 30-foot eyeball and it turns the downtown into this surreal, funky set, and it makes you, the viewer, a participant in this weird stage set,” Tasset says. “An eyeball is just a classic. I try to make work that kind of keys into things that are already familiar. They know what an eye is like. There’s no mystery to it. Still people ask, ‘What’s it mean?'” 

 

 

I love this section of the city because it's super close to everything . . . the Majestic Theater, The Joule with it's amazing cantilevered pool, Dallas Chop House, Main Street Garden Park, Iron Cactus Mexican Restaurant and Margarita Bar, Pegasus Plaza, Belo Garden, Neiman Marcus, The Adolphus Hotel and the Statler.  A short walk down Elm and you're at the Grassy Knoll and the Sixth Floor Museum. 

 

 

Bachelor Recap Week #2

Holy cow.  These girls are cuckoo for Colton-puffs.  And I get it.  He's adorbs.  He reminds me of Chris Pratt.  He just seems like a really nice, genuine guy.  But I am so so tired of hearing about his virginity.  And I'm sure he is, too. 

KJ and I watched the show live and tried to get T to watch with us from Denver but she couldn't get the ABC app to work properly.  Here's my thoughts on the second episode:

• It was a long episode.  I'm new at all this so I thought it was just going to be a 1-hour show. 
• I didn't realize the Bachelor could give out roses willy-nilly throughout the episode.  I thought he only gave them out at the end of each show during the rose ceremony. 
• The date with the one girl from Alabama, (Miss Alabama USA), Hannah B was very awkward despite it being her birthday.  You could tell she was nervous and uncomfortable.  I don't blame her.  I would be too.  I'm nervous and awkward on a regular basis and don't have cameras following me around.  And I understand her need to be perfect all the time.  I have a daughter like that.  The night time date got a little better when she started to open up and talk about her own sexual experience(s).  Which I found interesting.  I was wondering how the sweet Southern girls were going to handle the topic of their own sexuality if and when it came up.  I think Hannah B's experience is pretty common . . . she thought she was in love so they took the next step.  Oh!  And #RollTide  Yup.  Like I said, awkward. 
• I find it so incredibly rude and disrespectful when the girls interrupt each other during one-on-one time with the Bachelor.  During competition or group dates, that's fine.  But not cool to interrupt someone else's time.  Which brings me to:
• The two girls trying to out-do each other with noisemakers.  What are you?  Ten?  An air horn?  A pot and pan?  I think the one girl was the same one who showed up with a snorkel in last week's episode and said she was "drowning in a sea of bitches."  She had a whistle with her then so the airhorn was an apparent upgrade.  Oh!  And she made some cheesy comment about "being horny." 
• Tracy is going to blow a gasket.  For real.  She's got a vein in her forehead that is going to burst.  She had a mini-melt down last night and it was only episode 2.  It's just a matter of time before she goes full-blown nuts.  She is totally triggered by: 
• Demi.  Girl.  The robe?  The fantasy "closet?"  Touching the "group rose?"  Jumping off the stage during the group date and kissing Colton???  This is one very aggressive chick from Texas.  And, on top of her assertive behavior, she's making fun of the "older" ladies in the house.  Tracy confronted Demi and Demi apologized in an extremely condescending manner, but Demi was still confident she would receive the stem. Not.  So.  Fast.  Colton gave the rose to Elyse (she’s 31; he’s 26). Demi subsequently dubbed Elyse a cougar.  Elyse, btw, is a confident, very attractive red-head. 

• The Pageant Drama is going to get pretty intense if the sneak peeks are anything to go by.  Caeylnn, Miss North Carolina USA, gossiped a bit with the other girls about Hannah B.  These two girls not only competed in the Miss USA competition together, but they were even roommates!  According to Caelynn, Hannah was extremely upset (read "jealous") when Caelynn placed higher than her and Hannah B flipped her sh*t in a hot minute.  Caelynn also predicted Hannah B's behavior will rear its ugly head again soon.  Hannah B also mentioned Caelynn to Hannah G.  But good for Hannah G!  She seems to be playing it cool and staying true to herself.  From what we could see, she did not stoop to their level and did not gossip.  She listened to what Hannah B was saying, but didn't add any fuel to the fire. 

• In the end, Annie, who grew up in Wisconsin but attended . . . wait for it . . . wait for it . . . Yup!  You guessed it!  Alabama!  #RollTide went home last night.  And some other girls.  IDK.  This early in the season I don't even know if they have names or if they are just called Girl like in Birdbox (i.e., Girl #1, Girl #2, Girl #3). 

Gypsy Soul



I am a woman with a Gypsy soul.
I am a wanderer – I cannot be owned.
Freedom is my drug
And discovery is my sin.
The unknown calls my name
And I follow the winds.
I commune with the stars
My path is lit with purpose and passion.
I am not lost
Love guides my direction.
A woman with a gypsy soul is unlike any other you will ever meet.

Daughter #1 has officially relocated to Colorado and although I was not originally fully onboard with her decision to move halfway across the country, I know she's extremely happy and excited! 

T-bone is headstrong and very independent and quite honestly, sometimes it's difficult to be her mother.  Not because she's a problem child.  It's because she's so damn fierce!  She knows what she wants, she makes plans to achieve her goals, works hard, plays hard and rarely, if ever, asks for help.  She's competitive, like her daddy but she loves to travel and broaden her horizons and she gets that from me.  She'll be 25 years old this summer and it's taken me this long to acknowledge that she's more like me than I ever realized.  She's the person I would have become had I not felt enormous pressure to make everyone else happy.  And I'm so happy Cosmo and I have given each of our daughters the tools to live life on their own terms.  www.thetravelingtacos.com


https://herway.net/love/20-things-define-girl-gypsy-soul/

https://thoughtcatalog.com/rania-naim/2016/03/10-things-you-need-to-know-about-the-girl-with-a-gypsy-soul/

1). She dances to the rhythm of her own heartbeat

A gypsy woman follows the guidance of her own heart. She cares a hoot about rules or conventions.
She knows what she wants and she does what feels right to her. The rules don’t apply; she will always question and refuses to conform to the norm.
She follows her own intuition and she won’t be held down by anything.
 

2). Freedom is her pudding

A gypsy soul is bohemian at heart. She answers every call of the unknown winds. She is curious as a child and routine is not her thing. Freedom is her pudding and travel is her first love.
She can’t be tamed. She will leave anything or anyone that constraints her freedom.

3). She is fiercely independent

A gypsy soul might look like a loner to you. But she just enjoys her solitude.
She is fiercely independent and doesn’t depend on anyone for her happiness or fulfillment.
She is self-sufficient and chases her wildest dreams.
 

4). She is unpredictable.

A gypsy soul is a paradox. She is multi-faceted. Because of her love for life, she has varied interests.
She likes staying at home alone reading a book as much as she likes attending concerts.
She is playful as a child and wise as ancient seers.

5). She is constantly looking to expand her horizons

A gypsy soul is always looking for something new and exciting. Be it a new place, a new book, a new hobby or a new skill.
She gets bored with routine. Her zest for life is insatiable and she is constantly looking to expand her horizons.
 

6). She is all heart

A gypsy soul is guided by her emotions. Whatever she does brims with passion, whether it is her work or her relationships, she puts her soul into everything.
 

7). She loves unconditionally

A gypsy soul’s love is unlike any other. She loves hard and she loves unconditionally.
She provides a zero judgment kind of love and space where you can be completely yourself.She will push you to expand your horizons and become the highest possible version of yourself.
 
8). She will always spill the truth.

A gypsy woman is honest and fearless. She will always speak her mind.
She is aware of who she is and is crystal clear about her values and opinions. She will not impose her viewpoints on others as she is very open-minded but she will always fight for what is right.
 

 

9). She lives life to the fullest

 

A gypsy soul is in love with the entire cosmos. She cherishes the little moments and knows how to live life to the fullest.
She is Omni orgasmic. The sunrays kiss her cheeks on her early morning jogs.
She smells the roses and hugs the trees.
The stars call out her name as she dances bare feet.
A gypsy soul knows that life is a gift and she makes every breath count.

 

 

10). She is an old soul and a deep thinker.

A gypsy woman is an old soul. She is wise beyond her age like she has lived many lifetimes before.
Her soul longs to be somewhere else. She asks deep questions and tries to find the meaning of life.
She does not like superficial things. She will ask you about your hopes and childhood dreams. She will ask you what is your highest purpose of life?
She will inspire the dreams you said you no longer have.
 

11). She believes in magic

A gypsy soul is an optimist. She has discovered her connection with the cosmos and believes in magic.
She knows that there are no limits on what she can achieve and she follows her heart passionately.
She creates a life that leaves her heart beating wildly and keeps her eyes sparkling.

Hygge Hygge Ho!!!

Dang!  I've been practicing Hygge my whole life and didn't even know it!  Such a trendsetter!  My Hygge lifestyle just proves I've got some hearty ancestry and should be living in a somewhat cooler climate!!!  It's hard to get all Hygge in Texas where the weather fluctuates wildly from hour to hour but I do my best!  I love love love snuggling on the couch with a cozy blanket, tons of candles lit, leggings and a comfy sweatshirt, no make-up, hot cup of tea and a good book.  I can go days without even turning on the TV and could definitely handle hibernation.  Add a hot bubble bath with lavender salts?  That's heaven!  For more information, check out the following:  http://hyggehouse.com/hygge

http://www.msn.com/en-us/health/mentalhealth/i-practiced-hygge-and-its-kind-of-the-best-thing-ever/ar-BBRpWbh?ocid=ientp

 

 

I am no longer a Virgin

Yes, it's true.  I am no longer a virgin.  A "Bachelor" virgin that is! 

While the rest of the world was watching Alabama shit the bed against Clemson (one of my husband's favorite phrases, not mine), I broke down this week and watched my first episode ever of the Bachelor.  I will admit, I'm intrigued. 

I have poo-poo'd this show since the beginning.  I never understood the fascination with this show (and subsequent franchises) and quite honestly thought finding true love in 6-weeks on reality TV was ludicrous.  Now I'll admit, I had kept up on social media with who's who over the years (kinda hard to avoid when that whole Arie thing was all over the internet and these contestants usually end up hawking some kind of food supplements or on Dancing with the Stars).  I mean, I knew who Trista & Ryan were, I think Jo-Jo Fletcher is absolutely adorable and I knew Rachel was from Dallas.  I knew who Juan Pablo and Andi Dorfman were, too.  I knew who Melissa Rycroft was because I watch the Dallas Cheerleaders show.  I never liked that Emily Maynard and I knew who Jesse Palmer was (duh).  Oh, and I think Josh Murray is pretty nice looking! 

So having said all that, why would I, a staunch critic of the show, decide to start watching this particular season?  Well, there's a couple of reasons actually: 

#1 Colton Underwood
He's adorable.  I mean, like really cute!  Very boy next door.  He seems pretty sincere and comes across as a nice guy.  And let's face it.  The whole virgin thing is intriguing.  Not that I care about this guy's sexual history (or lack thereof) but I do admire him for putting that info out there and not being ashamed of it.  It's kind of sweet.  It doesn't sound like it's a religious choice, it's more of a "I haven't found the right person yet" kind of thing. Very refreshing to see a 26-year old virgin rather than a 26-year old man-whore.   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colton_Underwood

#2 Bri
Twitter was a-buzz prior to the season premiere about the girl with the strange Australian accent and whether or not she lied about it.  I thought it was pretty brilliant.  I get it.  She's trying to stand out among 30 contestants.  But how will this all play out when Colton discovers she's not exactly Australian???

#3 The Entrances
Again, newbie here so I had no idea what to expect from the limo entrances and found it interesting how I immediately "liked" or "disliked" a contestant just from those edited, initial few moments of interaction. Meeting someone for the first time is hella awkward as it is. And the girl who brought the balloon?  Yikes!  I liked the butterfly girl (and how cute was Colton when he put one of those butterflies in his pocket???!!!), thought the girl who gave him nuts was hysterical (especially after the Cinderella entrance -- she turned to the other girls, with a full glass of wine in hand, and said something like "I probably should have done more than give him a bag of nuts!" hahahahaha  My kind of girl.  We could be friends.).  Oh, and BTW . . . when I saw Cinderella girl my immediate thought was "Run Colton Run!  She's too high maintenance!).  Spoiler Alert -- she did not get a rose.  Did not care too much for the girl who handed over her dog (she then went on to sabotage other contestant's time with Colton.  Not cool.).  The South?/North? Carolina pageant girl was cheesy and comes across as someone who's used to getting what she wants.  And let's just say Sloth Girl was weird.  Spoiler Alert -- she did not get a rose.  Hannah B from Tuscaloosa seems pretty chill and I also liked Nicole from Miami who spoke Spanish. She seems a little unsure of herself but I'd like to see her gain some confidence and find her worth.  Didn't care too much for the girl who showed up in a squad car and claimed she was Fashion Police. 

#4 Hannah G. 
a girl from Hoover is on the show!  Hannah is a year or two younger than T so naturally I wanted to check her out!  T said she is/was a genuinely nice person in high school.  Not being a Bachelor veteran, I had no idea what a big deal it was that she received the first rose!  https://www.eonline.com/news/1002862/meet-the-bachelor-contestant-who-won-colton-underwood-s-first-impression-rose

So there you have it!  I will be watching The Bachelor.  This season at least! 

2.0

As we all have heard, the Miss America Pageant is getting a major remodel this year: The swimsuit portion is out and the organization says it's committed to no longer evaluating women on their physical appearances. This is just one of many changes that have taken place since the competition began in 1921. Take a look back at "Miss America" through the years.

http://www.msn.com/en-us/lifestyle/beauty/a-look-at-miss-america-through-the-years/ss-BBMvTHP?ocid=ientp

1921

What started as a way to boost tourism in Atlantic City ultimately became the pageant that we know today. Of the 10 contestants who competed in 1921, Washington D.C. native Margaret Gorman won two titles - Inter-City Beauty and The Most Beautiful Bathing Girl in America. One year later, she was renamed Miss America, according to the Miss America Organization site.

1925

Fay Lanphier remains the only person to wear the Rose Queen and Miss America crown in the same year. She had a brief acting career after her pageant life. 

1926

Norma Smallwood was the first woman of Native American heritage to win the crown. That year, Smallwood earned more money than Babe Ruth, who set a World Series record for the Yankees, according to Tulsa World.  

1927

Lois Delander (Miss Illinois) won the last title before the show was cancelled for several years. She was 16 when she nabbed the crown. 

1933

The pageant was briefly discontinued in 1928 amid push back from women’s groups and church officials, according to Slate. But in 1933, businessmen gathered and revived the event, in the hopes that it would bring in a profit during the Great Depression. Despite all of the hubbub involved, 15-year-old Marion Bergeron took home the title. 

1936

With more events and contestants (46 total), the pageant was finally able to pay off its debt the year Rose Veronica Coyle was crowned. This also marked the first year interviews were part of the competition, according to Press of Atlantic City.  

1941

This was the year the organization changed its name from The Showman’s Variety Jubilee to The Miss America Pageant. And while she was runner-up the year prior, Rosemary LaPlanche ultimately secured the title. She kicked off her year as Miss America traveling with the U.S.O. and selling war bonds, according to Today.  

1945

Miss America 1945, Bess Myerson, was the first and only Jewish woman to win the title, according to Forward. She used her platform to speak out against discrimination by teaming up with the Anti-Defamation League. She applied her pageant scholarship money to graduate studies at Juilliard and Columbia University.  

1946

The organization divided its new scholarship fund among Miss America Marilyn Buferd and the 15 finalists. They also decided the term “bathing suit” was out, and the more concise “swimsuit” was in, according to Pageantry Magazine.

1949

Jacque Mercer (Miss Arizona) won the title in 1949. She got married and divorced during her reign, which prompted the organization to institute a rule against contestants who have been married or pregnant.  

1951

According to The Washington Post, Yolande Betbeze was a trailblazer for the competition after refusing to pose wearing a swimsuit. Despite not following tradition, she won in 1950, but was the first Miss America to be "postdated" and therefore had the title for 1951.

1955

In 1955, beloved host Bert Parks kicked off his 24-year run with the Miss America pageant, according to the Los Angeles Times. The show aired on television for the second year, and Colorado’s Sharon Kay Ritchie took the crown.

1961

Fifteen hundred women were invited to compete in Atlantic City for the Cinderella-themed Fortieth Royal Reunion Pageant in September 1960. In the end, a whopping 85 million viewers tuned in to watch Nancy Fleming take the crown, according to Today.

1966

The judges panel was star-studded, with Oscar winner Joan Crawford joining the group, according to Variety. Deborah Bryant was the first Kansas resident to claim the title.

1969

Judith Ford (Miss Illinois) was a world-class trampolinist, who performed a routine for the talent portion of the competition. She was even a member of her college's men's trampoline team.

1971

Although Phyllis George (pictured) was named Miss America that year, it was Cheryl Adrienne Browne, who was most notable as the show's first African-American contestant, according Press of Atlantic City.

1977

Five years later, Delaware’s Day Deborah Rica Lipford (now known as Dr. Day Gardner) made history as the first African-American contestant to reach the top 10. Ultimately, Dorothy Benham of Minnesota won.

1981

Actor Ron Ely was named the new host after Bert Parks was ousted in 1980, according to People. That year, Miss Oklahoma Susan Powell was named pageant queen.

1984

Before heading to Wisteria Lane, Vanessa Williams donned the crown as the first African-American woman to win the title. But upon learning unauthorized photos of Williams would be released in Penthouse magazine, she was unfairly forced to resign by the Miss America Organization just two months from her one year mark. As a result, runner-up Suzette Charles became the second African-American woman to earn the title.

1986

Susan Akin won this year, which was the last time contestants’ bust, waist, and hip measurements were featured in the program. At the time, critics wanted the pageant to eliminate the swimsuit portion as well, but the organization only agreed to remove the sizing information.

1989

Long before her news career, Gretchen Carlson took home the crown and sash. She is currently on the board for the Miss America organization. However, multiple Miss Americas have come forward and demanded Gretchen resign from the board after she allegedly bullied multiple contestants.

1991

Regis Philbin and Kathy Lee Gifford took the place of Gary Collins and Phyllis George to co-emcee the event, according to the Los Angeles Times. Winner Carolyn Suzanne Sapp was the first-ever contestant from Hawaii to become Miss America.

1994

Heather Whitestone became the first deaf woman to be crowned Miss America after losing her hearing at 18 months old. Since the competition, she continues to be an advocate for the deaf community and other people with disabilities.

1996

Shawntel Smith celebrated her 24th birthday with a new accessory: the pageant crown, according to The Washington Post. The 1995 competition, which crowned her Miss America 1996, marked its 75th anniversary.

2000

Angela Perez Baraquio became the first Asian American to wear the crown after beating out Faith Jenkins (Miss Louisiana) and Rita Ng (Miss California.) She went on to help host the 2002 competition.

2001

After the 9/11 terror attacks, contestants decided against postponing the show, according to CNN, and Oregon’s Katie Marie Harman was crowned.

2003

Ericka Dunlap was the first African American to hold the title of Miss Florida prior to entering the Miss America competition. She won Miss America over runners-up Kanoelani Gibson (Miss Hawaii) and Tina Sauerhammer (Miss Wisconsin.) Dunlap and her husband went on to compete on the 15th season of The Amazing Race. 

2006

With an end to the post-dating, two more changes to the pageant happened in 2006: the time (January) and place (Las Vegas), according to the Las Vegas Sun. Jennifer Berry took the crown, and after reviving yet another tradition, Malika Dudley became the first Miss Congeniality in more than 30 years.

2011

Nebraska earned its first title when Teresa Scanlan won the crown. Just 17 years old, she was the youngest Miss America since Bette Cooper earned the title in 1937, according to People.

2014

Nina Davuluri performed a Bollywood dance as her talent, helping her ultimately secure the crown and become the first Indian American to win. She said of her win, "I really wanted to help effect a change in beauty standards .... Miss America's branding is so associated with the girl next door, which has always meant blonde hair and blue eyes with only a few exceptions, but the girl next door must evolve as the country evolves. When I was younger I wanted to fit in, but I was aware growing up that I didn't fit that mould, and I really wanted to help make a change that meant young girls wouldn't feel like that."

2016

Despite her controversial answer to a question about Tom Brady’s infamous Deflategate, Georgia’s Betty Cantrell won the title. And Vanessa Williams returned to the stage, where she received a public apology from the organization for the events that took place in 1984.

2018

Less than one month before this year's competition, reigning Miss America Cara Mund released a letter claiming she's been bullied and silenced by members of the organization. She specifically called out CEO Regina Hopper and former Miss America and current chairwoman Gretchen Carlson, who took over after an email scandal led to the resignation of several organization leaders last December. Days after Mund released her letter, 11 former Miss Americas signed an open letter asking for Hopper and Carlson's immediate resignation.

http://www.msn.com/en-us/lifestyle/celeb-style/40-of-the-most-stunning-miss-america-pageant-evening-gowns/ss-BBMVeFu?ocid=ientp

Hello October!

It's officially Fall Y'all!  The greatest time of the year!  Except in Texas where it's still 90 degrees and you wouldn't dream of turning off your A/C just yet.  Maybe some time in late December or early January. 

KJ is settling into college life very nicely.  She likes her roommate, she's made friends and she's successfully survived Rush at Ole Miss, one of the most competitive in the country.  And no, she didn't have a consultant.  She did it all on her own. 
http://thedmonline.com/rush-submission/

She had an extremely positive Rush experience and we're very, very proud of her!  Ole Miss has changed things up a bit and did things a little different than when T was there.  After visiting all 11 houses, KJ was invited back to 6 (max of 8).  Out of those 6 she went back to 5 (max 5).  Then on Pref day she was invited back to 2 (max 2).  Although she was an AOPi legacy, she #wentKappa on Bid Day.  She was so, so excited!  I couldn't be there for Bid Day but T, Pony Boy and T's friend Maddie were there to support her as well as her roommate Maddie.  She's had her pinning ceremony, had lunch at the house a couple of times already and has a formal coming up.  Baby girl is branching out on her own and doing great! 

Coach and I went to 3 football games during the month of September.  We went to the Ole Miss vs. Texas Tech game in Houston (which was a lot of fun!).  He had been in Houston all week so I flew down on Friday and we did a bar crawl with Ole Miss and Tech fans.  We followed the cheerleaders from bar to bar and although we had great seats, Coach won two sets of 50 yard-line tickets (total of 4 additional tickets!).  We ended up giving them to some folks we met from Oxford. 

Then we attended the Kent State game with the Martins.  Or, I should say we tailgated in the Grove with the Martins, never even bothered to go into the game.  After the crushing loss to Alabama, we thought we'd have a better time if we didn't actually go into the stadium.  T and Dew came in for the weekend and we all had a great time despite the torrential downpour at the end of the game. 

Last weekend we attended the Arkansas vs. Texas A&M game at AT&T Stadium (aka Jerry World).  One of Coach's vendors had a suite which, in my humble opinion, is the only way to watch a game!  Hahaha!!!  Seriously though, I love not having to wait in line for the ladies room or for concessions.  That stadium is first class all the way.  From the super friendly ticket agents at the gate, to the elevator attendant to the security people telling you to have a safe drive home after the game.  The suite was gorgeous, the food and drink was plentiful.  The A&M fans were awesome to watch.  Very loud (hence the whole 12th man thing) and very entertaining.  And their band was incredible.  Extremely precise. 

So now we're gearing up for our Annual Week of Family Festivities (our niece's birthday and our anniversary on October 11, Coach's birthday on October 12, KJ's birthday on October 13 and my mom's birthday on October 15).