Name Change

Layne and I have been married for almost 3 months now (time flies by), but in the eyes of the United States government, I am still Mitzi Orkus... until today that is. It took a little encouragement from my husband, and a little support from my momma, but today I finally found it in me to wander over to the social security office and change my name.

I could go on and on about that experience, but for your sake I'll resist. Just imagine this: the building was freezing cold. The door was stuck open for some reason and wouldn't shut. It took 1 hr and 15 minutes to get called. Because I had to go at lunch, half the counters were closed. I could tell who were the other women there to change their name. It was that obvious- by their bling.

So now, I'm slightly conflicted. I'm excited by the name change, and am ready to clear up this name limbo confusion. I'm excited to have finally taken Layne's name as my own. I love being his wife. But at the same time, I loved being an Orkus. Orkus isn't just my family name- it's part of my identity. I can't tell you how many times in my life I've gotten the "Have you met Mitzi before? She's the oldest Orkus." Or, "This is Mitzi. Stephen and Susan Orkus' oldest." What will happen to me now? "Mitzi Court? Who is that? I knew a Mitzi Orkus once..."

Just joking... at least, part of me is. So this morning I woke up Mitzi Margaret Orkus. Tonight I'll fall asleep Mitzi Orkus Court. I figure it'll take some time to start answering my phone, signing my name, and introducing myself correctly. And it's weird to think that I'll spend more time in my lifetime (hopefully) as a Court than an Orkus. But Orkus came first, and it'll always hold a special place in my heart. I never understood why my mom always signed Susan R. Orkus. Now I do.

For the first time, definitely not the last time....

Much Love,
Mitzi O. Court

Deep In the Heart Of Texas

Layne and I are just getting settled after another amazing weekend. Layne and I have hit a new first- the past month has been the longest time that we have lived together alone, with no housemates, AND the longest that we have been in Dallas in months. Even though it was only a few weeks, we were going a little stir crazy in the city- so out we headed for the open road.

We ended up having an amazing weekend in Austin, San Marcos, and Wimberly, and even took the scenic route home through a few state parks to avoid the traffic on I-35. We coasted into town on Friday night, and ate at an amazing Cuban restaurant with Nick and his girlfriend Lillie. Nick and Layne met their freshman year in the dorms at A&M, and they roomed together for the following three years. We got to check out the renovations Nick is doing at his new house, and spent some time touring St. Ed's campus on Saturday. It was beautiful, and I loved seeing so many touches that reminded me of home. The college is run by the Brothers of Holy Cross, the same Brothers that run Holy Cross High School in New Orleans. The view of the skyline was awesome, and it was nice to stroll around in the amazing weather.

We drove down through San Marcos, so I could check out the "amazing" outlet malls I've heard about since I moved to Texas. It was everything a girl could hope it to be... and then some. Christine, Chad, and Brina all went to school here, so it was nice to drive around the campus and get an idea of what their experience would have been like. A river runs straight through the campus, at what is now Texas State. People were laying out in their bathing suits and playing sand volleyball. It was pretty amazing.

We continued our journey down to Wimberly, and met up with Christen and her husband Steven. Cristen is another of Layne's goof friends from college, and we LOVE visiting them. They have 10 acres in the Hill County, and I can't say enough about it. The wildlife is amazing, the views are stunning, their home is beautiful- it really is a little paradise. We grilled burgers for dinner, enjoyed the stars, played with the new litter of puppies, and enjoyed the company. Nick brought his new gun over that we took turns shooting, and we came back with some great native Texas plants that we want to work into our landscaping.

We had breakfast with the Steen's this morning in Blanco, another small historic town, that apparently has the State of Texas' 4th Best Restaurant for breakfast. It was amazing. The pancakes are too big for one person. That's right. One pancake, too much. If you eat three, breakfast is on the house.

After that we got on the road. We drove through Inks Lake State Park, where we're meeting up with friends to go camping in April. The park was beautiful, and I'm already excited about another weekend in the outdoors. I haven't been camping since the summer of 2001, and I'm long overdue. Enjoy the pictures!

I Miss My Brother

Stephen has been gone for two weeks now. Don't get me wrong- I love living with just Layne for the first time ever. But there were some definite benefits about having my brother live with us.

1. I never got homesick for NoLA. A piece of home was here with me.
   
2. Who is going to help me open the jelly when I go home to make a sandwich for lunch?
   
3. We always had a friend hanging out with us at the house.
   
4. Stephen was always up for the midnight grocery run to Wal-Mart. Layne thinks Wal-Mart is Satan in disguise.
   
5. We lost our personal trainer (who we should have taken better advantage of).
   
6. Stephen actually learned to cook- and he was good at it.
   
7. It was nice to split chores for a 2300 sq foot house between three people.
   
8. The house is too big for just the two of us. It seems a little empty now.
   
9. Stephen called me out on my BS in a way Layne never dreamed of. He kept me in line.
   
10. My siblings are some of my closest friends. I didn't have friends in Dallas when I moved out here, and it was a nice change having one of them with me here in Dallas.
    

Sometimes, I go sit in the back bedroom and stare at the Lil Wayne poster because it reminds me of Stephen. But that's okay. I'm sure after I clean his bathroom this weekend I'll be singing another tune.

I love our Althetic Department!

Below is a really great story:

BATON ROUGE – Three coaches of LSU men’s teams – Les Miles, Trent Johnson and Paul Mainieri – along with athletic director Joe Alleva, have each contributed $1,000 in an effort to allow LSU students to gain free admission to the NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament, which starts on Sunday night at the Maravich Assembly Center. Due to restrictions, LSU student are not permitted complimentary admission for NCAA Tournament events. As a result, the three coaches, along with Alleva, have decided to pay the admission for LSU students to attend the event free of charge. In addition, any LSU student who goes to the game will receive a free hot dog and drink.

“We have a great student body; the best in all of college athletics in the way they support our teams here on campus,” Miles said. “This is our way of saying thanks to the LSU students, and at the same time lending some support to Van (Chancellor) and the women’s basketball team. “Coach Chancellor and his team have had a great year and hopefully we can get a nice turnout by our student body to give the LSU women the home court advantage that they deserve for this event.”

The NCAA Tournament at the Maravich Assembly Center features two games on Sunday and one contest on Monday night. LSU faces Green Bay at 6 p.m. on Sunday followed by the Louisville-Liberty game at 8:30 p.m. The two winners will square off in the second round at 8:30 p.m. on Tuesday.

When my time comes...

Let the record show:

When my time comes, this is the way I want to go. When people come to say their goodbyes, they'll be reminded of all the good times. And even the people who haven't had the opportunity to experience LSU at its finest with me will be reminded of all the passion in my life. It'll be a good thing, and definitely worth the investment.

I wonder how much this is going cost Layne...

Best Stadium- LSU vs Texas A&M

Kyle Field

Tiger Stadium

Ahh... I knew the days would come when the world of college sports would create a problem in my marriage. I love to talk way too much smack. And I hate to feel like I have to be sensitive to husband's ego after another disappointing loss to my wonderful Alma Mater, LSU. Only this time is different, because we aren't in competition for anything on the field right now. (I'm looking forward to a Super Regional baseball match up though!)

The challenge is a contest sponsored by prepticket.com, The College Football Best Stadium Bracket, and all you have to do is click here to vote for your choice (voting ends Friday, March 20th):

http://www.prepticket.com/battle/market/national/id/151

The question is simple, Which team has the better stadium?

In order to get to the finals, LSU has had to defeat USC, Tennessee, Alabama, and Nebraska. Texas A&M has beaten out California, Florida State, Washington, and Penn State. LSU is currently winning 61% to 39% for Texas A&M. I'll be sure to let you know what it looks like (and if we're still living under one roof) at the end of the week!

Prayer Request

Mr. Johnny Thiele is a friend of my family. His daughter Leslie was in girl scouts with me when we were little kids, Leslie and Amy Armstrong went to school together at St. Ann, we went to Mount Carmel together... you get the point. Mrs. Patricia Thiele is one of my mom's good friends, I call her part of "the birthday group."

This weekend, we found out that Mr. Johnny's cancer has returned. He's been in remission for two years now. I don't know too many details, but that it has returned to same organ and hasn't spread, which is a good sign.

I know everyone has a different point of view when it comes to faith, and that we all have differences of opinion, but whether you're Catholic or Christian, Muslim, Agnostic- if you're reading this blog you are in some sense a part of my community. I ask you to keep the Thiele family in your hearts (and prayers). I hope and pray that they find the patience, strength, and peace that they will need in the coming months, and that the community in their lives will anticipate their needs and hurts so that they can be a pillar of support to them.

I've realized that at the end of the day, this is what life is all about.

Sissy's Bridal Shower

The main reason I went back was for Abby's bridal shower. We held at it at the same location as my shower, which ended up being great. The theme was Abby's Favorite Things... which range from Doody, to diet cokes, Marshall's to breast cancer research awareness. I am so pleased with the way the shower turned out. If I may say so- I think we did a great job of sharing who Abby is as a person. Even the prizes we gave out for the games were all Abby's Favorite Things. The food was great, but the company was even better. Enjoy the pictures!

Abby and Doody's First Place

This weekend, I had a relaxing weekend back in NoLA. Abby's bridal shower was on Sunday, and the long weekend gave me the opportunity for some quality downtime with my family. It's been awhile since I've gone into town without Layne, and I have to admit I enjoyed the one on one time with my parents, Nan, Aunt Ellie, siblings etc. The best part- I finally got a chance to see Abby and Doody's first home. Abby hasn't moved in yet, but you can already see her touches all over the place.

Notice how many different people are hanging out at Abby and Doody's? This wasn't a planned event- just how many people who happened to drop by their place at 9pm on a Friday night. I love NoLA.

Layne and I are planning on driving in to town in two weeks with the green sofa and my old kitchen table and island. They'll be perfect for the second floor sitting area.

There are definitely going to be some great memories at this house! Congratulations Abby and Doody! Less than 100 days left!

John Hancock's Please....

Although I've had the urge to share my thoughts about the oil and gas industry before, I've restrained myself. But President Obama's proposed tax increase in 2010 on an industry that is barely staying afloat right now is a poor decision that will have a horrible affect on both the state of Louisiana and Texas. While some of this may be over your head, I urge you to sign the following petition (see link below), and I'm more than happy to answer any questions you may have.

The Louisiana Oil & Gas Association, has just completed an online petition urging Congress to defeat the President’s plan to increase taxes on our industry. We will be sending this out to our membership and all associations that we can. We need to respond strongly as an industry and this is our opportunity. Please take the time to sign the petition, and pass this along to everyone you know. This plan will not only attack our industry but will raises energy costs for all Americans and will threaten our Nations energy security. For more information on the issue, please read our press release below.To Sign the Petition, please follow this link: http://www.loga.la/obama-budget.html

When President Barack Obama announced his FY2010 budget request last week, he also unveiled a tax increase of over $30 billion for US natural gas and oil production investment, which is the most devastating tax proposal in the history of America’s oil and natural gas industry. Already the second largest revenue stream for the U.S. Treasury, the oil and gas industry is a large employer, tax payer, and revenue stream for Federal, State and Local Governments.

“I am greatly disturbed by this most recent attack on our Industry,” LOGA President Don Briggs said today. “The oil crash in the mid eighties was a cakewalk compared to what this could be,” Briggs also said. “The eighties crash was due to a crash in oil prices. Today, we are experiencing a crash in oil prices, natural gas prices, world recession, tight investment capital and now a proposal to rescind all economic incentives of the oil and gas industry.”Natural gas and oil provide 65 percent of America’s energy. America’s independent natural gas and oil producers develop 90 percent of US wells, produce 82 percent of US natural gas and produce 68 percent of US oil. Independent producers reinvest over 100 percent of American oil and natural gas cash flow back into new American production. Lower natural gas and oil prices and the tight credit market are limiting investment capital; drilling activity is down over 25 percent since a year ago. (Source: Independent Petroleum Association of America)

For Louisiana, which prides itself in being THE Energy State, a slow down in drilling activity translates into fewer jobs, less investment in community, and less state and local revenue from producing companies. In a time of global insecurity, it is imperative that the United States become independent from foreign oil sources, to ensure our Nations’ security. The oil and gas industry supports the development of alternative fuels as an important part of our future. However, as we encourage that growth, we cannot ignore the vital role this industry plays in our present. Removing natural gas and oil from the equation of a varied, comprehensive energy structure for the United States is not practical or feasible.

President Obama’s proposed tax increase, aimed at increasing revenue from the oil and natural gas industry, flies in the face of the goal of creating the comprehensive energy proposal that utilizes all sources of energy.

FY2010 Budget Proposals Include:·
Repeal Expensing of Intangible Drilling Costs·
Repeal of Percentage Depletion·
Repeal Marginal Well Tax Credit·
Repeal Enhanced Oil Recovery Credit·
Increases Geological and Geophysical Amortization Costs·
Excise Tax on Gulf of Mexico Production·
Repeal of Manufacturing Tax Deduction·
Implement a $4/acre fee on Gulf leases designated as non-producing

Upgrade...

Sometimes, it's the little things in life that make all the difference... like my recent upgrade to a Platinum Macy's Card. To some of you, you may think that this is no big deal, but for me, it's a sign of womanhood. I wished I could have picked up the phone and called Granny as soon as I got it. I can hear her laughing response, "Oh my Mitzi..." I know you can appreciate this too Aunt Ellie.

Don't understand what this post is all about? Come shopping with me. Just once. My last victim was Jessica Newell, and we got a $300+ suit for less than $80. I'm not kidding around.