I have to send a personal thank-you out to Matthew, who turned me on to Hershey’s Milk Shakes. I just had my first, a vanilla cream. It’s DELICIOUS. I can’t wait to try the other flavors, including cookies and cream, and chocolate. They’re a great snack, when I’m craving something sweet. And who can argue with a glass of milk? Certainly not I.

Last night’s loss for the Iowa Hawkeyes was hard to believe, even harder to watch. Matthew, Jason and I watched the first half at a local sports bar. When the score at halftime was 27-0, we had to go. As Jason said, it wasn’t worth being sleepy today for such a bad game. Ouch. Let’s hope our beloved Hawks do better next time.

Time for yet another layout for my blog. It’s more girly, I agree. Enjoy it while it’s around.

So I’m thinking of getting a cat. I know, I know; I’ve never been considered much of an “animal person,” but it’s something I’ve been thinking of for a few months. My cousin, Shannon, has owned her cat for a number of years and has always said I’d enjoy having a cat.

Now that I’m a homeowner and have the space, I may take the plunge. A co-worker’s sister has a number of kittens I could pick from. She wants to find good homes for all the kittens, so this could be a sign :-)

We’ll see what happens. I’ll keep you posted!

Laurie Notaro may not be new to you, but she’s new to me. I plucked her title from my local Sam’s Club a few weeks ago, primarily because I liked the cover photo. I flipped over to the back cover and discovered that “I Love Everybody (and Other Atrocious Lies): True Tales of a Loudmouth Girl” is about Notaro’s life as a writer. So far, I can’t put the book down. She’s hilarious. I’m afraid Don DeLillo’s “Underworld” has been temporarily shelved. (Sorry, Don.) But the more I think about it, the more comfortable I’m with curling up with an 800-plus page book in Nebraska’s colder months.

OK, so it wasn’t completely hellish, but I could see how bad it could be. Let me explain. For next week’s issue of the Leader, I’m writing a feature “A Day in the Life of a High School Freshman.” On Wednesday, I was the shadow of a 14-year-old cheerleader at Bryan High School. From roughly 7:30 to 3, I tracked her every step. The idea was to get inside the life of a high school freshman in 2004. I remember my freshman year, and it wasn’t the greatest. I’m hoping this feature will remind those far removed from their high school days how much has changed, but much has also stayed the same. Our photog, Tony, got some great photos of our subject and her friends. I’m looking forward to receiving any feedback on this one.

That is all :-)

Cue the announcer.

Last night’s meal was, by far, one of the best Matthew and I have shared. Thanks to my freelance work for Valmont Industries, the two of us dined at The Brass Grille in the Old Market.

He opted for The Distinguished Gentleman; I, The Lovely Lady.

I had: a raspberry martini, lentil soup, ceasar salad, bread, grilled salmon, potatoes, steamed broccoli, a glass of white wine, creme brulee and Bailey’s and coffee. It was DELICIOUS.

Matthew had: a glass of scotch, soup, salad, bread, filet mignon, potatoes, steamd broccoli, a glass of red wine, creme brulee and a glass of port.

True, our meal was a bit on the expensive side, but it was worth every last penny ;-)

My sister, Katie, turns 21 today. Happy birthday to you, little sister!

Send her a greeting: katie@katietownley.com