My Rambles

New Blog - Email Me

2011-04-08T21:18:00.002-05:00

I'm moving my blog.

Email me if you want the new address.

There's a mole amongst us

2011-04-08T21:03:00.003-05:00

I am having to make my blog private because there are people in this world that are, for some reason, out to get me.

If you'd like to be added to be able to read my blog, please let me know.

For the people/person, I know who you are, that is "ratting" my personal blog out, shame on you.

Thoughts

2011-04-07T17:35:00.005-05:00

Deleted. So glad my blog can be regulated by others. So much for the 1st amendment.

This morning

2011-03-31T07:35:00.002-05:00

Dropping Jake of at school I say "I'll see you after school." He responded with "if I make it." I didn't really understand what on earth he was talking about and after questioning him he said "well it is school." Fortunately I know how he feels. I wasn't a fan of school either. And the poor thing has at least 11 more years of school.

Family Game Night

2011-03-26T17:47:00.002-05:00

Off to our fabulous friend's house for family game night. I am so happy that I have been accepted into this family. It's not a biological family, but they're the most wonderful people and I'm excited about game night. I'm a game girl and there's nothing better.

Lil' Gribblette

2011-03-04T14:00:00.002-06:00

It's definitely been a long few months. We both thought this whole gettin' pregnant thing would be much easier. Of course, getting to try once a month is already putting us with less odds. Then, put in the thousands of dollars it's costing and we're ready for it to take.

The first three IUIs did not take. Which was fine. The Dr. told us it typically takes 3-4 times. So, this morning I got my prescription for Clomid. I shall be fertilizing my uterus and eggs. The prescription also ups our chances for multiples. I wasn't too worried about multiples before. I had heard that my great grandmother was a twin, but she'd be the only twins I know of in my family. That percentage seemed ok. And when people joked about us having a litter of children I was able to laugh it off and think to myself that it probably wouldn't happen. NOW, after the fertilizer, it's not so funny. All I have to say is that everyone that made a little joke will be on the top of the list for babysitting.

We're excited. We, I, want to walk through Target and not just look at baby clothes but buy something that TBNL/Shortstack needs (or must have). And we're ready to spend the thousands a month on the actual baby instead of trying to get the baby.

It's a strange process. I would do all of this over in a heartbeat which is good because more than likely we will. Unless, of course, the litter threats come through.

Mmmmm

2011-02-21T21:43:00.002-06:00

Christian is in Philadelphia until Wed. It's weird not having her around or easily accessible to talk to. And, although I miss her, I know that this trip is good for her. She is learning how the flags are made that she sells. The images of her sitting on our front porch sewing flags has come to mind. It ain't happenin' people.

So I went to dinner with some friends that decided after the delicious buffalo wings we needed gigantic doughnuts. So we went to Gourdoughs (This is just the menu, but it's worth a read). Oh, my, it was delicious. I have driven by the trailer a million times. I just had never stopped. My waistline is going to be angry with me, but the gym will be glad to know that they have me as a client for years longer.

I wish there was more to say. But right now, Lola is barking incessantly out in the back yard and I need to tend to her.

Snow Day

2011-02-10T12:02:00.004-06:00

It's been cold here. I thought this was Texas. I thought it was filled with 100 degree days and cowboys. This snow is breaking the stereotype.

There was much anticipation about the snow. Will there be school or not? We were woken up at 5:55a by a phone call from the superintendent of the austin school district. AWESOME. It woke us up and the boy. It was at that very moment that he wanted to go play in the snow. It wasn't even light outside!!!

We talked him into waiting until 7, or when the sun came up. We bundled up as best we could and ventured out into the inch of snow.

The dogs were uncertain at first then started tearing about in the back yard. The image goes as follows. Lola races, ears back, as fast as she can. She's streamline. There is an aerodynamic approach to her running. Behind her, about 3-5 feet, is her "little" sister. Maggie's racing approach is more lumbering. There is NOTHING aerodynamic to her. Somehow she manages to keep up. I think it's because her legs are twice as long as Lola's. She is a tank.

Lola LOVES to dig in sand piles and, as we found out, snow piles. Jake would pile and Lola would destroy. Fortunately he found this funny or else we would've had a rather delightful day.

Maggie can't quite jump into the trampoline enclosure, so it was Lola and the boy and Maggie jumping and barking at them.

The fun lasted for about 15 minutes before we got cold. It was a very enjoyable 15 minutes though.

I love my family.

Collision Course

2011-01-14T17:03:00.002-06:00

There was once a bad world. I lived there for too long. Full of lies and heartache and people that never could understand.

The new world is the best world ever. I am understood.

These two worlds shouldn't ever combine. Something like a science project. When you made a volcano with baking soda and vinegar. I'm sitting peacefully in my new world, or the baking soda as i'd like to think. Soon, i'm worried vinegar is going to be poured in and the worlds will collide. It's almost inevitable.

Hopefully the volcano is tame.

What?!

2011-01-14T16:57:00.002-06:00

Jake gets into the car this afternoon when I pick him up from school and sitting at a light he sees "Save Barton Hills Elementary" on the back of a minivan. He scoffs and says "what?!" I explain that the city wants to close nine schools and that Barton Hills and Zilker are supporting each other and on the same side. He scoffs again and when I ask him what the problem is he says, "They don't have ANY homework at Barton Hills. I was working math problems and Barton Hills kids only had to read a few pages from a tiny book." Hope he doesn't tell all the other kids at Zilker about the homework scandal.

Post Op

2010-12-28T11:16:00.002-06:00

For the first time since my surgery I am able to type like a normal person, with two hands. I got a wireless keyboard for Christmas and can put it on my lap and not have to move my shoulder too much. Which is great because there is no moving of the shoulder. It hurts. It hurts all of the time. I'm not taking any painkillers or anti-inflammatory because I had our first IUI last week! Waiting and waiting to take a test to see if the first time took. Lots going on right now. But, at the moment, i'm thrilled that I found a way to type!

Surgery

2010-12-19T22:44:00.002-06:00

Friday was shoulder surgery day. I was nervous but put at ease knowing Christian would be by my side for the entire process. She has been beyond amazing. Not since my mom has someone cared and done so much for me. It is overwhelming sometimes. She is more than I could ever have asked for. She threw a great Christmas party last night. Devotees the house, entertained, and still found time to make sure I was ok.

Today was really rough. Lots of pain and nausea. After a few calls to the doc I think we've gotten it under control. Well, she has. Sandra was amazing and made me chicken and dumplings. It has been the only thing today thy I could keep down.

Really, I am amazed at how loved I am by those around me.

Workin' on TBNL

2010-12-10T10:57:00.002-06:00

Christian just called me. It wasn't a normal call about bills or Jake or something funky that's happened at work. This time it was to tell me that she had ordered our baby daddy. Holy crap! The doctor's appointments, the picking of the baby daddy, talking about TBNL over and over, each and every day, it was all exciting and nerve wracking, but actually knowing that we now have little swimmers is different. Great different. It's happening.

I think it started the minute Jill was born. Carrying her around, holding her when I wasn't that much bigger than she was. Wanting to babysit before I knew what babysitting really was. I would read "The Babysitter's Club" books and it seemed like such a glamorous life. I carried "Ugly Baby," as grandpa called him, around everywhere. Mom bought me real diapers and baby clothes that I could dress my babies up in. It's been inside of me for so long. Wanting a family of my own. Wanting to have babies with the one person that makes me the happiest. The realization that the process is starting is extraordinary.

I can't wait and at the same time I'm trying to keep my hopes a little bit realistic. It may not take the first time, or the second. It may take lots and lots of time. But right now i'm happy. I'm happy that baby daddy was ordered. And not just enough for one baby, but hopefully enough for two. Only time will tell what is in store for us.

There are a million and two thoughts flying through my head but I just realized that the dogs are quiet and with a Christmas tree and cookies on the counter, this can't be a good thing.

A parting thought is that i'm kind of glad shoulder surgery is next week so that I will have something, PAIN, to focus on for a little bit. I'm doing a bit of obsessing.

Dogs and TV

2010-11-03T12:24:00.002-05:00

I've realized I can't have the "Dog Whisperer" on while i'm working at my computer if the dogs are inside. The barking freaks them out and gets them into a tizzy. Today while eating my sandwich for lunch I turned on the tv. "Marley and Me" had just started and although I don't want to watch the entire thing I kept it on. One scene the puppy is running down the beach. The dogs had been watching it since they heard the whimpering. Maggie watched the puppy run across the screen and then when the puppy left the screen she went around the corner to look for him. Needless to say, she was confused.

Lately

2010-10-04T10:37:00.002-05:00

I'm sitting here while three people clean the house around me. Someone cleaning the bathroom counters 20 feet away, someone vacuuming in the living room and I can hear the stove being taken apart getting all of the splatters from our yummy chicken tacos last night. I figured now was as good of time as any to update my blog. I have a rough life, I know.

Jill is coming to visit on Thursday for the Austin City Limits Music Festival. I am very excited. I haven't seen her since this summer when we were home for Jenn's wedding and then she was busy with Bridesmaid things. So it will be nice to have some time with her.

Last weekend I went to Christian's nephew's flag football game. Fifteen feet away from me was Max. It was surreal. I've never lost someone super close to me, but when the kids were taken from me it felt like a death. I never saw them or heard from them. I only had pictures that were frozen in time. Seeing Max was like seeing someone come back to life. He was taller and his hair was longer but he was the same kid. It was strange. I kept my mouth shut. I didn't know what to do. He looked at me, but I don't think he really saw me. It was nice to have C to talk it all out with. She gets it.

Other than that, not too much happening. I'm loving my life. It's been a long time since i've had that feeling. And Wednesday marks a year of greatness. Not being a fan of surprises i'm a little anxious about what is planned, but as long as i'm with Christian, i'll be happy.

Yup, i'm sappy. That's what happens.

Boundaries...

2010-09-02T16:10:00.003-05:00

Why don't people have them? It's amazing to me how people don't think about what they are doing before they do it.

I typically would post this on facebook, but facebook has become a breeding ground for cliques, bullying, opinions & overall ridiculousness. So I will post to the emptiness that is the internet.

People need some boundaries. Maybe we should be teaching our children about boundaries in school instead of arguing about evolution and God. I think it would get them further in life.

Baby TBNL

2010-08-15T11:25:00.003-05:00

My brain moves a hundred million miles a second. Lately, it's been circling around one thought and one thought only. Baby TNBL. I feel myself wanting to wait and not knowing why. I am ready. I don't know if i've ever been more ready for anything. Christian is ready. We were in the car yesterday and with school starting I wondered if this would be the last time we went school shopping without Baby TBNL.

Really?

2010-08-06T13:45:00.002-05:00

Jake just came to the command center and said, "Krob, can we please stop by a donut place, i'm DYING for a donut."

Is he kidding! Why must he constantly challenge my weakness for donuts! This child never asks for a donut.

The Challenge

2010-07-22T14:10:00.004-05:00

Life has been lived at an incredibly happy rate lately. Things could not be going much better. With happiness and a complete comfort of one's life comes fried food and lots of it. This is my theory at least. So, in an effort to create a less happy life (happiness = fried goodness), we have cut out all bad food and started a challenge with Reggie and Spanky (Amanda). It is an 8 week weight loss challenge.

Christian and I have a trainer that we meet with 3 times a week. This is week one and I can barely feel my legs and when I look into the foyer, where Maggie and Lola like to gut their toys, my legs ache from the thought of bending over to pick the piles of stuffing off of the floor. The worst part is that this is only after TWO sessions. Her name is Jenny and I think under her polite, nice exterior lies a woman who greatly enjoys watching others suffer. Not only am I up at 7a, we have an hour of non-stop activity. Lift, jump, squat, lung, pass, and repeat. The end result will be fantastic. Having the ability to just go do a long bike ride or triathlon would be nice.

We are fighting through the pain and exhaustion because we know what the end holds in store.

Hilarious!

2010-05-06T14:44:00.005-05:00

Christian and I started cracking up last night when we heard this song. Couldn't resist.

Realizations

2010-04-26T11:38:00.003-05:00

Throughout life people come and go. The most difficult ones to accept going are the ones that you truly thought were your friends. The ones that you would have done anything for. The ones that when people talked badly about them, you stood up for them. You understood where they were in life. The people that told you they were on your side and believed in you and thought you were a good person. These people are the ones that when you look from the outside you realize they weren't worth sticking up for because when the opportunity arises, they will jump ship and side with those who are as two faced as themselves.

Although it has been difficult to watch happen I am trying to be grateful for the learning experience. I feel sorry for my "friends" that are now surrounded by people who talked badly about them for years. Who spend their time with others that didn't understand their other friends or where they are from, and some of them were horrible to me, their "friend."

I am glad that I am growing. I am glad that I am learning. I am glad that I am honest and real and those are my expectations for all of the people I surround myself with in the future.

Boiling

2009-12-18T11:32:00.003-06:00

It's amazing that you can treat someone better than they will ever be treated. Better than they had. Support them through one of the most difficult times in their life, be promised the world, promised a family, promised a life and when you decide that it's too much, that those promises are empty and that your life isn't what you want, you become the bad guy.

Print Show

2009-12-09T14:39:00.002-06:00

The semester has ended. Today was the print show for the photography department. Everyone submitted three prints from the semester. They were judged yesterday by 5 judges (professors) and displayed today. These were the prints that I submitted.

When we went to the show today I saw my eagle print and Luna's print. 2 out of 3 ain't bad! The Luna print also won an honorable mention. Figured I would get an earful if people found out and I had not said anything about it. It is, after all, fundamental photography...

"Introspective Feline"
"Endangered Freedom"
"Waiting for Change"

Motivation

2009-09-08T23:08:00.003-05:00

I should be drawing. I am supposed to have 8 drawings for my technical illustration class tomorrow morning at 9a. I have 6. My motivation is lacking. I am exhausted. I was up late and up early this morning. I blame vacation. A good vacation. Filled with baseball, yummy fried tacos, outlet mall shopping and relaxation.

My mind likes to move at the speed of light. Constantly jumping from one thought to the next. Sometimes it's difficult to tame. Recently, it's been slow. Slowing down, thinking about life. The big picture. Being that my entire life I have felt much older than my actual physical age, I think I could possibly be in some sort of mid life crisis. OR, maybe this is what happens to people when they are close to 30.

I got a fortune cookie from my favorite place, Pei Wei, a few weeks ago. It said something about following the dreams of your youth. Although my path is not exactly what I thought it would be, I can feel that I am on my way there. I feel like I have grown a considerable amount in the last 5 or so years. I have had help. I have had friends and family do everything in their power to help me get to where I am going. I am grateful for them.

Procrastination is a funny thing. Even with the classical music playing in the background, the left side of my brain is flying. The right side, my creative, drawing side, is numb. At least my IQ is 5 points higher listening to Mozart!

Still Kickin'

2009-08-19T17:40:00.003-05:00

Summer has been a lot of fun! It would've been even more fun without the homework and essays, but two more classes down!

I start classes next Monday. I will be going to school like all the rest of the little kiddos in Austin. From 8a until 2:30p, no break! I think I'll have to stash a bunch of snacks in my bag so I don't waste away to nothing.

I'm going to Atlanta for Labor Day and am so excited. I miss GA and my family and my friends and with the time that I have now, traveling to GA so much this year has made me really happy. I don't think moving back is an option right now as I love Austin, but who knows what the future brings. Don't get too excited Mom, i'm not moving back.

Last week I went camping with Tam and Scout to Inks State Park. Sweet Scout is the cutest dog ever and loved the water and swimming. Then she loved to go roll around in the dirt making a nice muddy pasty substance that was all over her. Fortunately, she'd bound back into the lake and I was able to rinse her off a bit. She really loved chasing the ducks.

Moab

2009-07-25T19:03:00.001-05:00

Click here to view these pictures larger

California Pics Explanation

2009-07-17T22:04:00.001-05:00

Just a preliminary side note...we were waiting for Grandpa to get home and had some time on our hands. What else do you do when you're at Grandma and Grandpa's house than play with the costume jewelry and Grandma's old track outfits and dresses?!

There are a few story lines going in the first pics. There is a Snow White story and a tea party story. There was much laughter...

California

2009-07-17T22:01:00.001-05:00

Click here to view these pictures larger

Pretty Cool Video

2009-06-23T15:19:00.001-05:00

Frozen Grand Central from ImprovEverywhere on Vimeo.

Connecticut

2009-05-28T19:21:00.001-05:00

Click here to view these pictures larger

Today

2009-04-23T15:52:00.008-05:00

I had government class this morning. I have a project due next Tuesday and have to get up in front of the class to present it. I'm already nervous. After class I went to the pet store to get some stuff. I picked up some puppy food for "Wiggles" (Scout) and when I took it over to the house we hung out outside for a bit. I wandered around the pond and when Scout was having a drink

I looked closely I saw this...

What is it you ask? Lilly leaves? Nope, it's under the water. There is a huge cluster of tadpole eggs! Just waiting to make lots of noise and probably some will end up being turtle food.

Then, when Scout looked closer...

She saw this...

I think she wanted to play with the tiny orange koi, but her puppy A.D.D distracted her away.

Crazy

2009-04-22T11:02:00.003-05:00

Things have been a bit crazy around here lately. I've been doing some websites and one of them made me just about pull out every single hair one by one. It is/was excruciating! Fortunately, I am outsourcing to someone who actually knows what they're doing. And without the daily emails asking if the site is almost finished things are going much smoother. I don't feel like the world is ending and I've had time to do laundry and pick up my house. It's fantastic.

I had the rocks removed from my little courtyard a few weeks ago. Hoping it would put a fire behind getting it landscaped. So far, no landscaping, but i've been looking for landscape companies that won't make me eat pb&j for the next ten years after I get their bill. The only thing growing now are the weeds. Glad to be free from the weight of the rocks that used to oppress them. Now they can grow free and wild. I would take the roundup and spray them to their death, but the cats love to gnaw on them and I'd rather not poison them too.

Exciting isn't it?

I know.

2009-04-19T15:48:00.003-05:00

It's been awhile. But before any of my life is updated, it's first been requested to say that Monica B. is the greatest person in the whole entire world and anyone who doesn't know her is unfortunate in their life and should make it their goal to meet her.

However, she's a little gun shy when you take pictures of her driving down the street...

http://krob126.shutterfly.com/1014

Christmas Time

2009-02-19T16:43:00.002-06:00

Christmas 2008

Bad Blogger

2009-02-19T15:54:00.004-06:00

I'm a bad blogger. There are stories. There are pictures, but there are too many at times. It seems like a lost cause. But I figure, slow and steady...

So I was home a few weeks ago and my sister and I went to lunch. Mom and Dad were on their way to Milwaukee for a wedding. When we got home, the smoke detectors were going off and there was a waterfall from the attic to the basement. A pipe had burst and was spewing water through the levels of the house. Fortunately, we were able to shut off the water, call mom and dad before they got onto their plane and manage to kinda save some stuff. We tore through the garage getting all the plastic containers that we could to collect water falling from the lights and ceiling. It was a mess. Fortunately, things are getting back to normal I think. So I hear. I am glad that Jill and I were there to catch it early enough so the entire house didn't float away.

Here are some pics. Yes, I took pics in the midst of it all. This is after we shut off the water. There was nothing to do but let it drain itself out of the guts of the house. So...I got my camera. And updated my Facebook status. My sister was very certain to alert mom to my dedication to my Facebook profile when they got home and things calmed down a bit.

Here is the album of pics I took while I was back home...fun times...

Back Home - Jan 09

So Cute!

2009-02-07T14:06:00.002-06:00

Late to Class Rant

2009-01-27T11:01:00.004-06:00

So I make it a habit to get to class about 10-15 minutes before it's supposed to start. It's a job of sorts for me. You show up on time, so that when class is supposed to start, you're ready. Books, binders, pencil and paper for note taking. The normal, well, seemingly normal process. Last night I arrived to class early, as always. At 4:55p my teacher had started talking. There were a few people missing from class, but I have come to realize I am the exception by showing up early. Well, one guy walks in about 5 minutes late. No big deal, asks what he's missed. Which floored me. Was the professor really going to stop class to tell this kid what he had missed in the five minutes that he decided he couldn't show up on time?! So the prof kind of ignores the question and moves on with the lecture. Then, almost 30-40 minutes later this chick walks in. She sits down, apologizes and asks what she missed. I wanted to go smack her on the side of the head. The part that gets me is that she's not some kid fresh out of high school. She looks to be in her late 30's. She works in some spinal implant company or something. She was talking about it on the first day of class. You'd think she'd realize you can't show up 40 minutes late to class and expect the professor to stop teaching all of us who got there on time to catch her up. I was grateful that I am not the person that thinks the world revolves around me.

Yes, I realize something may have happened. She may have been in an accident or had kid issues or fallen off a bridge and had to swim to safety before the current swept her away...but, really? Stop the entire class for you?

It drove me a little bit crazy...

Other than that things are going pretty well at school.

Hot and Cold

2008-12-10T01:00:00.004-06:00

Today when I went to school it was 75 degrees. Tonight, this is what is on my trash can. It amazes me how it can alter so much! I wish my car were out in the elements for a snowy/sleety picture. She is tucked in the garage though and will be nice and warm in the morning when I have to go to work. I could only use the trash can because my glasses are from 8th grade and I can't see very well! So that is all I could see that had anything on it. The car across the street is covered, but i'm not going to go out in my pjs to take a picture of that!

I think I need to move someplace where it actually snows. Maybe one season will get it out of my system...

Windmill

2008-12-04T18:31:00.003-06:00

This is the second time that i've seen this convoy of windmill blades while driving up to school. The first time there was one truck with two blades. This time there were two trucks with two blades each. They are massive. Huge. Enormous. I can't imagine how large the actual windmill is. I saw them being made on "Really Big Things" one time. They're amazing.

Junior League

2008-11-21T21:44:00.005-06:00

This is where I have been for the last 5 days. More or less, I have been in this booth more than my own home. I am so glad that my shifts are over and am guilty others will take over the task of smiling and selling. Today I heard this "You are the sales woman...nice job...I'll take 3 (instead of just two)."

I had to chuckle inside. As a salesperson I am not. I stand back. I let people smell our candles. I do not push them into anyone's face or ask them if they'd like to smell. I give them the information that they need and back away. Maybe this is good, maybe not. All I know is that i'm exhausted and going to go to bed as soon as I can get this load of laundry into the dryer.

Up early tomorrow to prepare for mom, dad, grandma and grandpa's arrivals.

Bad lighting, but in focus.

Salt and Pepper

2008-11-13T20:41:00.002-06:00

I had my hair cut yesterday. So, today while in the bathroom at work, under the wonderful lighting, I saw my reality. All of the color is out of my hair and all that is left are gray hairs sprouting out. I mentioned it to RJ at the office and she said that she pulls out her gray and I told her today that if I pulled out all of the gray on the top of my head, it would take hours and I could quite possibly be bald...

27...and having to dye all of my hair to cover up the gray.

I guess things could be worse. I could have had my toes amputated. Thanks for the reality check Jill.

Dot the Dolphin

2008-11-11T23:02:00.004-06:00

I just got the ole scanner working again. This is Dot from the cruise to the Bahamas. It was super cool being that close to a really big dolphin. She had a baby in the lagoon with her and would leave to make sure her baby wasn't going too far away. Then she would come back and the baby would be following her. There was a familiar look in her eyes when she would look at you. It was awesome.

Camping

2008-11-10T18:46:00.004-06:00

Growing up, camping wasn't much of a family activity. I went with Girl Scouts a few times and we slept in cabins. We had fires and roasted marshmallows and slept in sleeping bags. We fought off daddy long leg spiders and drew things on the top of the cabin with our flashlights for the others to guess. About 6 years ago I went camping with some friends. Then again a few months later and more recently i've been about 3-4 times in the last few years. I absolutely love it. Germs don't bother me when i'm camping. I still carry my Purell and am careful not to touch too much with super dirty hands, but I don't need to shower 18 times a day and clothes can be worn more than once. I think it's a very freeing experience for my crazy mind. So this weekend I went with Tam and the kids and the Carr's. Tam, the kids and I left Austin around 2:30p and drove out to Garner State Park.

We arrived around 6p. The park was closed and supposedly super full, so we didn't know where our camp site was. We found the park store, fortunately and contacted the park police. They informed us to pick a spot and go to the office in the morning. So we drove around, in the dark, looking for a spot. We finally found one, found out there was no water or electricity and decided it would do. Much to my dismay as the idea of not having water or electricity freaked me out a bit at first. After my panic attack, I set up the tent. Fortunatly M was in the helpful mood and held flashlights and hammered (attempted) in stakes. The Carr's showed up around 10 but we had all gone to bed as it was about 40 degrees and we had a charcoal fire to cook, but it's not very bone warming...

I think we heard that it was 36 degrees while we slept on Saturday night. I felt it. The moment my head poked out of my sleeping bag, I retreated. My ears and nose were frozen.

Sunday we were supposed to go to Lost Maples, but heard there was an hour wait to get into the park, so we hiked the "easy" trail instead. It was straight up, not my idea of easy. Rocks, dirt and more rocks. We saw an Armadillo! My first live Armadillo. They hop when they run. It was hilarious. And apparently the only excitement. I did save M from tumbling down the mountain. He said that I saved his life...I think that may have been an exaggeration. It was a good hike. It wasn't exactly the best hiking trail for a bunch of kids and a tiny baby in a carrier though... And, although we didn't get to the cave that we originally set out for, the view and experience was just as much fun.

We also hung out by the Frio River and threw rocks across the river using trees as target practice. There were many rock sculptures created and the leaves of the trees along the river had turned a vibrant orange. But only along the river. In some of the aerial (from our hike) pictures you can see the S of the river with the color of the trees.

Sunday night wasn't much easier to sleep. It was much warmer, but the wind has picked up a considerable amount. The tent was flapping in the wind as we weren't blocked by any trees. Fortunately the tent held and we didn't fly away. I can't say it didn't cross my mind if it was possible. It also started to rain. The rain fly was on top of the tent, but sometimes the water still manages it's way into the seams. I don't know how, but everything stayed pretty dry. A few small drops made their way in, but it was only this morning that I found them.

We packed up and made our way back to Austin this morning. G had bronchitis last week and was still feeling puny, so we left as soon as things were ready.

Now I am home and doing laundry. It's been a packed few weeks and it's time to decompress before round two: The Junior League Christmas Show (selling candles) and Thanksgiving and then, the Armadillo.

On a different note, some of my family is coming into town for Thanksgiving and i'm incredibly excited to see them all!

Here are a few of the many pics taken this weekend

Garner State Park Camping

Pumpkin Carving

2008-11-10T18:42:00.002-06:00

I get the wonderful challenge of carving pumpkins. At least I have for the last couple of years. M & G "draw" an idea of what they want on their pumpkin and I am then to do my best at conveying their art in a pumpkin carving. A Devil saying "boo" and a dog were the lucky ones this year. The dog doesn't have enough light coming through and it's hard taking pictures at night of pumpkins! That is what I have decided.

Halloween Scout

2008-11-10T18:37:00.003-06:00

Scout was a bee for her first Halloween. She loathed the entire experience and my laughing probably did not help her any...

Pouting

Red Bud

2008-11-01T13:41:00.003-05:00

I took Scout to Red Bud Park a few weeks ago so that she could play in the water. It is a leash free park and there are always tons of dogs. She doesn't listen very well, but hasn't been lost yet (knock on wood) so things are good. She LOVES playing in the water, but won't swim yet.

Ok, Ok...

2008-10-17T17:52:00.005-05:00

As if I actually need to list out the 7 random/quirky things about myself, here's what i've come up with. Oh, yeah, and i'm not tagging anyone else because there is no one else. However, if you faithful readers want to post a comment with your 7 quirky things...feel free. No pressure.

1. I don’t like it when my sheets or pillowcase are hot when I get into bed. They must be cold and not have any residual warmth from people/animals. In the same category, my pillow is sacred. It never touches the ground, is covered when I leave so it can’t be used as a bed for the kitties.

2. I can count the number of things that I’ve lost in the last 10 years. Two! My Oakley watch that I’m sure was on the bathroom counter and a cat pushed it off into the trash and without noticing, I threw it out. Then there is the digital camera I lost after my Shiner Bike Ride in 2006. I drove back to Shiner to try to find it along the road when I had to stop to get something from the trunk. I was convinced it would be there. I found the spot, but not the camera. It still bothers me greatly that they’re gone. I have had the same wallet since high school, quite possibly sooner. My driver’s license has never had to be replaced and all new cell phones are upgrades, not replacements.

3. I obsess about things that I’d like to be able to do until I can do it well. Currently, it’s the Ripstick. If you don’t know what a Ripstick is, Google it. It’s comparable to skateboarding. Which I can’t do at all, but the desire isn’t there, so I don’t care so much. But this Ripstick thing is driving me nuts! Ok, I obsess about EVERYTHING...

4. I only drink Iced Tea & Water 90% of the time. I love Pepsi (sorry KC) and Dr. Pepper more than life itself, but as a test for myself In January of 2007 I wanted to see how long I could go without drinking it. It’s almost been two years. Now, I am unable to drink anything else. I will feel like I’ve failed…

5. I typically carry my camera around with me at all times so I don’t ever miss an opportunity to get a picture of something great.

6. It’s taken me since I was tagged weeks ago to actually put a label to my random/quirky things. They’re just there!

7. I brush my teeth in the shower. They feel cleaner.

And PS - I don't like mayo. Only in Tuna Salad will I eat mayo.

Been Awhile

2008-10-16T18:12:00.004-05:00

I've slacked on this whole blog thing recently. School, work, work, school. Oh, and some softball in between. I've been working on this website: www.francarlisle.com. It's almost finished! YAY!

Back in September I headed down to the Austin City Limits Music Festival. I wasn't planning on going, but as it turned out, I went for a day. I missed my sister. It's just not the same...

I was able to see Robert Plant and Alison Krauss on Sat. night of ACL with the Carrs. That was fun. I had to ask Jeff who Robert Plant was. Shhhh, don't tell anyone. I knew he was important, just didn't know he was Led Zeppelin important.

I've been messing around with Photoshop too. Distorting pictures and colors of photos that i've taken. I know I am a little late jumping on this train, but never had the desire to teach myself until now.

Here's one from the kite festival.

and T's Luna.

There's more. I know. I'm tired.

Trip to Cali for Cousins Wedding

2008-09-26T23:31:00.007-05:00

In the beginning of September the Frazees from all over the US met in Long Beach for the first grandchild's wedding! It was the first time that all of the grandchildren on the Frazee side of the family had been together in one place at one time. There are only 7 of us, but it obviously is difficult when two are from GA (TX), two are from MN and 3 are in CA.

I took tons more pictures, but with my dad's camera and I have yet to get that link to that album (HINT, HINT).

I had a great time. We drove around Long Beach and by my old house, school, jobs dad had, beaches mom took us to and old landmarks that I remember on my way home from Grandma & Grandpa's house. The Goodyear Blimp was still flying around and the Bug Squasher was still watching that mouse with the mallet behind his back. It used to be huge, but it was much smaller when we saw it this go round.

I had a fantastic time with my family and an even better time hanging out with my cousins and sister all together.

I can't wait until we all get together again.

From Trip to Cali

And more pictures from Dad's camera.

Roach Evicted!

2008-09-22T23:16:00.003-05:00

So I was driving back to the office the other day. Minding my own business wondering if the traps I had set had taken that ugly roach to wherever roaches go when they are poisoned. Then, out of the corner of my eye, something was moving along the door, where the window meets the passenger door. I calmly freaked out as I was between two cars on a road, driving...slowly, but driving still. I searched the recently cleaned out car for something I could swipe at the dirty, unnecessary to the planet, roach. Nothing. I had nothing. I had a few bank statements that would do nothing but make him mad and quite possibly fly at my head causing me to swerve, slam on my brakes or cause some horrific accident. Finally I found a badge from a show that we had done for work. It was the thick plastic kind, so I was in luck. I had rolled the window down thinking the wind would just calmly sweep it out. No such luck. Plan B started. I waited until I knew I had a shot at it. I checked my rear view mirror, checked the car in front of me, counted to 3 and in my cat-like movements shoved the roach out the window. I have never been so happy! It was a proud moment. I think it is probably safe to take the traps out of the car. They're ruining that new car smell.

Eww

2008-09-13T00:56:00.002-05:00

I have a tree roach living inside my sweet car. It hangs out on the dashboard and when I get into the car, it scurries under the panel. I'm grossed out beyond all gross things. I can't stand those huge, gross, tree roaches.

::shudder::

Esther

2008-08-25T21:09:00.005-05:00

There is a woman next door to the flip house. Her name is Esther. I don't know how old she is, but I would guess around 70 or so. I think she's from Africa. She hasn't seen her family that lives there in six years. She walks over, barefoot, everyday. I wasn't there for the first month or so of the project, but ever since i've been over there she comments about how hard we're working and asks why we are working so hard. She is incredibly religious and says that "God will bring the people" to buy the house. That always makes me giggle a little. It's not her belief that makes me laugh, but I always see this little comic God as a realtor. And that makes me laugh...

The last couple of times that I have been at the house she brings me food. Chicken, some potatoes, and veggies. She used to bring it to us while we were all working. She'd bring four little bowls full of homemade food. Now, i'm bringing it home. Some of it is fantastic and some of it is a little suspicious looking. She told me yesterday that if any of us ever want her to cook us something that we just have to bring her the food and she will cook it. She said that she has time and it is a part of her life that she enjoys taking care of us.

Today she came inside the house while I was painting the closet doors in one of the bedrooms and she told me that she cooks for us because she loves us and she doesn't know what she's going to do when we leave the house. She takes care of an older woman. "The old lady" as she refers to her. Apparently the "old lady" doesn't eat with Esther and that is why she has leftovers. It's very hard to understand her accent, but that is what I gathered. Esther is always smiling. She is always in the yard piling up leaves, taking out the trash, cleaning up around the house. I think a little part of all of us will miss Esther when the house sells.

Finished Product

2008-08-24T23:02:00.004-05:00

So here is the deck in almost finished mode. Just some stain will complete this project and i'm fairly certain I will NOT be the one staining this thing. I have painted and re-painted. I have used a nail gun (scary) for the first time and learned a crazy amount of information about building decks. I also learned that fire ants like to make their home in sod. As we hand carried the new sod to the side of the house on Saturday I was bitten only twice, but they still itch and are red and welty. If that's even a word. I'm hoping to get some before and after pics of the entire house from Jeff. That way I can even see the progress. Everything is on the back of the house. The right part of the house was also added. All of the grass is sod that we put down in 100 degree heat. No one in Texas was putting in sod at that time. We had not had any rain and so we all took shifts watering the yard. Turning the sprinkler on and off and making sure we didn't get caught watering on our non-watering day.

Another Trip

2008-08-19T00:18:00.002-05:00

So much to say, so many stories, they will have to wait as i'm exhausted, but here are a few pictures of my recent adventure to NY for a Yankee Stadium hello and farewell.

Yankee Stadium

Stories to follow...

Disney Cruise

2008-08-11T21:39:00.002-05:00

On the 2nd we boarded a plane for Orlando. On the 3rd the Disney cruise left Port Canaveral and headed toward Castaway Cay, their private island. We snorkeled in the ocean, M raced crabs. It reminded me of the Turtle races in Longville. Two circles on the ground and someone releases all the crabs at one time and everyone yells as though it will propel their crab toward the outer circle. There were three heats and then the finals. Fortunately M's crab made it to the finals. Then it bonked. I think I should've massaged it's little crab legs a little bit more and he could've pulled it out. His crab was #5 if you can read the numbers on the shells. We boarded the ship again and by 5p we were out of Castaway Cay on our way to Nassau, Bahamas. We woke up in the Bahamas and it was quite a shock compared to the private island. There was only a tram on Castaway Cay. Nassau was teaming with three other cruise ships, people and mopeds everywhere. We went from our ship to a boat to go to the Dolphin encounter. It's an encounter because you don't actually swim with them. You stand waist deep in the water and they come up to you. We got hugs, kisses, a dance and did a trick with Dot, the dolphin before our time was up. I will post those pictures when I get them. We forgot any form of money when we left the cruise ship and had to have them mail our souvenirs to us! How pathetic. We went right back onto the ship after our encounter with Dot the dolphin. The next day we woke up in Castaway Cay again. I was happy to be back to the private island. We had a stingray feeding/snorkel. We were able to swim with them and pet them and feed em'. They were very tame and their barbs were cut off (like a finger nail apparently) so our risk of death was to a minimum. Before we had our stingray swim M dropped his snorkel mask in 15 feet of water in the ocean, so we had to do some treasure hunting. We found it and recovered it! It was a highlight. I shot M down to the bottom of the ocean with one strong heave to the backside. He shot down and back up with no problem! The next day we were back in port. It was only a 4 day and too short if you ask me. It did seem to go much slower than I anticipated and felt longer than it seems with me typing it all out.

We played Bingo, G sang some Disney Karaoke. There was a trivia in which my team scored 20/26. We came in second and I was mad. I missed easy questions. What is the oldest ride at Disney? My cruise brain picked Dumbo. It is the CAROUSEL! Then, how many dwarfs have beards? 6! Only Dopey doesn't. I will not ever forget these things. At least the other teams only let their kids answer, so my odds were better. The team that beat us had a 14 year old or something. I think they cheated.

Here are a few pics from the trip.

Disney Cruise

Deck

2008-08-11T21:31:00.001-05:00

I've been helping build a deck for what seems like an eternity at this point.
I think this was day one. I will have to get more recent pictures as there is about 200 more square feet of deck that has been added.

Wright House

Mexico

2008-08-11T21:16:00.003-05:00

I'm taking a break from cleaning to update the good ole' blog. So, I went to Mexico a few weeks ago, then I went on a Disney cruise and I leave on Friday to go to NYC to see the Yankees play in Yankee Stadium before they tear down a historic monument. I couldn't miss Yankee Stadium, it'd be a horrible tragedy!

So Mexico was fantastic! Sun, beach, good food and a pool. What more can one want in a vacation? The flight was delayed leaving Austin, so when we got to the counter the nice man upgraded us to FIRST CLASS!!! I have to say that I very much enjoyed getting to board the plane first and I was the one that had a book in one hand a glass of water in another while all the other peons boarded. Which made it that much more difficult to board the plane on the way home and walk past the people reading and drinking. It was fun while it lasted. The next few days consisted of sitting by the beach, walking in the ocean and then heading toward the pool for lunch and swimming. That was about it and it couldn't have been better. I did spot a Moray Eel in the rocks by the shore that was trying to get into the holes for some food. I was a little weary when getting into the ocean after that one. It was black and yellow and looked like a leopard. But less leg and more snake-esque.

Mexico

Leaving...on a Jet Plane...

2008-07-24T22:31:00.002-05:00

I leave on Friday morning for Mexico! I'm nervous and excited. I'm hoping the transfer from the airport to the hotel isn't fatal. It's a company and certified through a travel agent, but it's Mexico and that scares me.

I will be adding another stamp to my passport though and that is exciting! :)

Pictures and posts to follow. I arrive back in Austin on Tuesday night.

Busy, Busy

2008-07-18T23:20:00.002-05:00

Life feels like it is flying a million miles a minute. First and foremost I am remembering why I did not enjoy school very much. Drafting was so much fun. I cared about it, I enjoyed doing it. Writing essays and reading a million essays is NOT my idea of fun. Fortunately it is only 5.5 weeks long and will be over before I know it.

I've been helping build a deck on a house that T is flipping. It is one of the most enjoyable activities I have done in my entire life. I LOVE going to that house and sweating so much it drips off of my nose as I swing a sledgehammer trying to break up a concrete sidewalk. No, I would not like to have my life consist of waking up, driving a sledgehammer into the ground for 8 hours and going home only to do it again the next day, but so far, it has been a learning experience and very enjoyable. Although, the newly formed, 5, blisters on my hands are not pleasant, I am excited that I get to wake up at 8a tomorrow morning to finish the deck, paint some bedrooms and hang some cabinets. I guess that my dad's building genes made their way into my genetic make up. Go figure...

Wiped out and exhausted from 11 hours of building and painting, I am off to bed.

Paper

2008-07-08T19:42:00.004-05:00

My english class starts this week. I found out today that I have an essay due on Sunday. I have four categories to pick a topic from. All I can do is sit here and stare at the computer. I'd rather not write about any of them.....

1) diets or exercise
2) other genders, races, or sexual preferences
3) technology, such as computers, cell phones, online college classes, the internet
4) money management (debt, credit, etc.)

Maybe I could write 500 words about the internet. It is, after all, more important that oxygen.

Junior Olympics!

2008-07-08T00:35:00.003-05:00

My cousin was in the Junior Olympics last week in Dallas. I was able to take the day off of work and head up there for the day last Thursday. I was so proud of her. It was totally worth it. The day off, the drive, the exhaustion. She did a fantastic job and it was so very fun to watch. I don't think they ended up doing very well, but to get there in the first place is more than an accomplishment in my book.

She is only 16 and I hope that she sticks with Volleyball. I hope she finds a coach that believes in her and that she wants to do well for. She's a great kid. #15 is my little cousin.

I have forever thought of myself as semi tall. Not too tall, not too short, but pretty average. Walking through a convention center full of volleyball players dwarfed me. These girls were huge and fantastic!

Mandy Junior Olympics

4th of July Fun

2008-07-08T00:26:00.003-05:00

About 6 years ago I went on a cruise with my co-worker, her boyfriend at the time and one of her friends that I roomed with. One night, after a day in Key West we were sitting in the hot tub and met three of the nicest people there could be. The following year we flew to their house in Lexington, KY for their annual 4th of July Pool Party. I haven't been back since, but this past weekend, I was able to go up there for a few days. It was a fantastic time. I was so excited to be up there. I arrived Friday night, we did a few errands for the party and then their friends (whom I also have become friends with) from Dallas arrived. We went to the store and got all the makings for Jello shots. I don't think there is anything more fun than making Jello shots. We made 250 of them! They were finished off the following day before it even got dark.

Saturday was the party. Water volleyball and lots of yummy food made up my day. I met tons of fantastic people. And had a blast.

Sunday we went to brunch and then after running around I ended up at the Lexington airport. Somehow, every single computer in the airport was down. My boarding pass was hand written at the counter. Then, we boarded the plane and heard over the PA that the radio was down and they couldn't get clearance, so we left rather late. An hour or so. Maybe two. I missed my connection in Dallas and ended up arriving in Austin 4 hours after my original eta. The cab pulled into the driveway around 1:30a. Needless to say, I was exhausted. Still am! Fortunately, the rains today canceled softball. I was able to relax.

My friends are hilarious. They are genuine, real people that I am so fortunate to have met in some hot tub on a cruise. Lifelong friends...

4th Pool Party - 2008

Fast Pitch is My Favorite

2008-06-26T20:34:00.004-05:00

Last night was game #2 of my fast pitch season and i'm having a fantastic time. I am doing better than I ever thought I would. I have gone 4 for 5 in my last two games. I'm batting .800! It's fun now because i've only had 5 at bats. We'll see how the rest of the season goes. I also had 2 RBIs last night. The sad news is that my mitt broke last night. One of my friends that showed up to watch the game said "watch that hole in your glove KK" and whether she saw it or not, there was a hole. It isn't bad enough that the ball doesn't stay in the glove, but the string has broken and I think it's time to have it restrung for the 2nd time in it's life. OR, I could get a new glove. I'm thinking both are great options. Always good to have a backup, right?! Maybe at some point I can have someone take some pictures of our games. I'll try to take my camera next week so you can see the pics.

Only 3 More Classes...and I'm Sad???

2008-06-26T20:30:00.002-05:00

I can't remember any time of my life that I didn't want my class to end. I suppose that means that i'm doing something that I enjoy. My brain is soaking up all of this information and i'm going to try to hold onto it tightly before I start my intermediate CAD classes in the Fall. I'm traveling too much the 2nd half of the summer and don't want to miss any classes, so i'll be taking an online English class. YAY! I think that will be a class I won't be sad to see end.

I turned in my mechanical assembly project (25% of my final grade) and only got a 92. It was disappointing, but i'm hoping my architecture project that I turned in today will be better. I spent tons of time checking and re-checking lines, dimensions, outlets, switches, etc. I was confident when I turned it in. I find out my grade next Thursday. One more week to wait. Oh, and I have already done all the projects that we're supposed to do next week. So I will be finding things to do next week for classes. I'd rather be ahead than trying to catch up. It's a nice feeling.

Mo Ranch

2008-06-22T22:12:00.004-05:00

So, friends have gone to Mo Ranch, the Girl Scout troop that G is in has gone to Mo Ranch, but I had never been. That was, until this weekend. We left at 8:30a on Saturday and drove the 2.5 hours to Hunt, TX. It's a little town on the Guadalupe River. Which, the rivers in Texas are nothing like the rivers in GA. Maybe I only ever remember the Chattahoochee, but this water is as clear as the Caribbean! I could see all the fish around, the gross stuff on the bottom that you don't ever really want to touch and all the fantastic rocks that made up most of the stretch of river that Mo Ranch sits on. There were about 20+ of us. Lots of little kids. Some super cute 3 year olds that had the most interesting conversations 3 year olds can have. Mostly about how "yummy" the watermelon was at the BBQ last night.

There is a metal slide that is about 30 feet tall. You carry a 40 (approx)lbs wooden sled to the top and put about 2 inches of the bottom in a small little track and hold on. No, I did NOT do this. It sounded like a roller coaster that has just hit the peak of it's incline and is screaming towards that ground. Except at the end of this slide is the river that you go sliding across. The kids had a blast, the grown ups got very tired of carrying the sled to the top. They only have one as to prevent horrendous injury to anyone. It's really one of the most dangerous things i've seen, but according to 50% of the group, it was tons of fun.

There was fishing, canoeing, little rapids, swimming, a rope swing and smores. There were rows and rows of bunk beds in two rooms. One room was for the boys and one for the girls.

I learned how to throw a frisbee three different ways! I think that was the highlight of my trip. I never could figure out how people threw frisbees so far. I'm on it now.

I'm exhausted. Sun, walking, swimming and very little sleep has wiped me out.

Enjoy...

Mo Ranch

School Update

2008-06-22T22:07:00.003-05:00

I love my class. I never in a million years thought that I would be using those words to describe school. My instructor is great, my classmates are ok. There are two really annoying girls that sit in front of me that look online on Ebay for things during class. Slackers....

I turned in my mechanical assembly project on Friday. It is worth 25% of my final grade. I start on my architectural log cabin drawings on Monday. I can't wait! That is also worth 25% of my final grade. The other 50% is from all of the drawings that we do in class that have been graded. Out of my last 5, I think I had 3 100s!!! He gives us a final proof to look at and check our work against before we turn ours in, but I guess some people don't pay that much attention to it. I've also done two extra projects that have each gotten me a +1 on my final grade. So things are going really well. I'm sad that there are only 7 more classes left. These last 5.5 weeks have flown by.

BUT, that means that I get to see my friends in Kentucky in less than TWO WEEKS!!! Which is super exciting. They have a 4th of July Pool Party every year and I haven't been able to go for the last few years. But, this year, I am fortunate enough to be able to fly up there.

Visit to GA #2

2008-06-22T21:52:00.003-05:00

This was another fun trip. Hanging out with friends and family makes life so much fun. Sometimes I miss GA a lot. I miss all my great friends and the fam, of course.

We played a lot of the Wii, went to the Braves' game and just hung around.

Some of the gang playing Wii Tennis
Jill, Aunt Karla & Me on our way to see the Braves!
My boys
My Lil' Sis and Me

Homework...

2008-06-02T23:28:00.004-05:00

This is the lettering homework

This is my first manual drafting project (not graded).

We turned in another one today that will be graded. I hope I did well!

Drafting

2008-05-31T14:04:00.003-05:00

I started school on Tuesday. I am taking a technical drafting class. I have a protractor, special drafting pencil, an engineer's scale, some triangles and a drafting table at school. It is the coolest thing EVER! My homework this weekend is "lettering". I have to write the alphabet 3 times in 3 different sizes. It's the special drafting letters. I definitely could do that!

I had fast pitch softball practice this morning and am about to go for a bike ride. It's 97 degrees outside and i'm pretty certain there isn't a cloud in the sky. I don't mind being hot when i'm prepared for it.

Scout Update

2008-05-21T20:50:00.001-05:00

Look at how big she is! It's so sad....

Georgia Visit #1

2008-05-21T20:38:00.003-05:00

I went to Georgia the first weekend of May for my friends' Commitment Reception and was able to sneak a few moments on dad's new boat. I miss the lake so much. The water was super cold, I still couldn't do a lot on my hurt ankle, but the little sister and I were able to tube some. It was some of the most exhausting 4 minutes of my life!

The title is Visit #1 because i'm GOING BACK on Friday!!! YAY!!!

Jill, Jenn & Me on the Boat

"Don't Touch the Water!"

The Only Moment I Didn't have to Use Both Hands

The Skeletones

2008-05-21T20:35:00.002-05:00

Last week was the big Concert for the kids that have been in their music camp for the last 6 or so weeks. I don't think they did too shabby for being 7 and just learning the instruments and performance tricks.

I made this movie when I was supposed to be working on the soccer movie. I needed a change of scenery and was trying to figure out some editing tricks with live footage.

Enjoy...

Student Life

2008-05-04T09:19:00.001-05:00

I am registered for Summer classes! On my way and so excited to be starting all of this.

Canoeing Lady Bird Lake (Town Lake)

2008-04-24T14:50:00.004-05:00

This past Saturday I went canoeing for the 2nd or 3rd time that i've lived in Austin. It was tons o' fun. There are humongous turtles. We saw on that was about 2 feet in diameter. It looked like something out of the prehistoric ages swimming down the river. We saw one group that was managing to sink two of their boats. Six people were in the water swimming while their boat was slowly filling with water. These are the same people that didn't quite know how to use their oars. We moved quickly away from them as to not by some way capsize our boat too just by being near them.

Downtown

Turtles sunning on the Tree

Lamar Street Bridge from Below

Canoeing Fun

Heading to Return the Canoe (Below Barton Springs)

Lately

2008-04-10T21:36:00.003-05:00

Tonight, I am home. I am listening to the Dallas Stars playoff game on the tv as I do absolutely nothing on this fantastic computer of mine. My cats are rolling around on the ground attacking each other. No noises, hisses or sounds, just the sound of their bodies smashing the ground as they flail and try to be top cat. Oops, one of them just fell down the stairs. I think that game may be over...

My week? Monday, no softball, so the team went and played pool. Well, not the entire team, we were missing half, but it was fun. Tuesday, softball practice, then a game. Oh yeah, I also went and talk to the little community college here and will be attending this summer. Working towards some sort of architecture degree. I'm ready to bust this out and feel a little more complete about things. I never liked school...but I think i'm at a point that I want more out of myself.

I went and saw "21" last night. Good, entertaining movie. Not going to win any awards, but it was fun to watch.

And tonight...nothing. I should be working on a website, but i'm not. I'm obsessing over my fantasy baseball team. I lost the first week, pushed away my emotional ties to the Braves team and chunked the boys that weren't obtaining ANY points for me. I'm doing better this week. Today, I was up by 20 some points.

Here's the latest pic of the "baby". She's only 5.5 months old...it's crazy. I realized that all the pictures I have of her are of her lying down. The others are blurry...she's quick and all over the place.

New Website

2008-03-30T00:35:00.004-05:00

I've created my own website. Business cards to follow. This is the preliminary design for the logo on the home page. Which do you like? A or B?

A:

or

B:

For the full view, click here for A or here for B.

Any other comments are welcome too. This is what I did all day today...it takes FOREVER!!!

Kite Festival

2008-03-02T23:14:00.005-06:00

I worked this morning on some websites and around 2 Tam called to see if I'd like to go down to Zilker for the Kite Festival. I had never been before, but always had seen the kite carnage in trees the day after. Today, I got to see what it's all about. Tons of people, tons of invisible kite string that could whip by and decapitate you at any time. Beyond that, it was pretty cool. There were HUGE kites. They were being held down with sand bags. I didn't see any of the kites being judged, but I saw lots of little ones. It was a perfect day for kite flying. The wind was whipping around. It was a good time. Also, Scout made her first trip to the big park. She was the belle of the ball. I think 5 people asked to take her picture. They wanted to pet her, know how old she was, let their babies pet her. She soaked it up. She even met another puppy that she was able to wrestle with for 15 minutes. Needless to say, she was exhausted.

Water Dog

2008-03-02T02:29:00.003-06:00

I had to post this before I go to sleep. Yes, i'm exhausted, but it's too good to forget about.

Today while I was helping set up for G's 10th Bday I took Scout outside so she wouldn't terrorize the inside. I turned on the water and started spraying the yard. She ran back and forth, chasing the water. Then she became the smartest dog in the world and went directly to the source. The end of the hose. I did NOT move the hose in any way. She was the one attacking it and biting at the water coming out. This picture is so perfect!

Steamboat 2008 Pictures

2008-02-26T00:23:00.004-06:00

Come See More! Click Here

Steamboat Countdown

2008-02-19T23:35:00.005-06:00

I leave for Steamboat in 8.5 hours. This is what the house looks like now vs. the spring...I'm so excited I can hardly stand it.

Chicago

2008-02-09T16:27:00.000-06:00

Alright Kids. I was finally able to get my pictures from Chicago uploaded. They were taken during my walk on set up day during the convention. After that day, there wasn't much time for picture taking.

You can view the rest here:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=91461&l=e2a31&id=694005647

A Big Fat Thank You!

2008-02-08T19:31:00.000-06:00

My birthday came and went. I received many cards, gifts and phone calls. My phone rang this morning, actually, with a phone call. A week late, but it was there. I actually had missed her birthday by two days, so I called it even.

So today I got my present from my parents. It was greatly needed and beyond anything I expected.

This means...i'm back. Back to surfing until all hours of the morning on something larger than my iPod (which is fantastic also!). It means I can work again and make some money making websites. It means...more blogging.

Is it 27 or 28???

2008-01-27T23:53:00.000-06:00

27 is not much different. Although I did seem to stress out a bit more about this birthday. Than any other. I can't wait to get my new computer. I'm so very excited. I think I even gave myself hives a couple of nights last week...that was fun. Fortunately, they're gone and I think the stress may be slipping away too. I also have to say that I have the greatest family and friends ever. I had a million calls and I was full of love so thankyou to you all. You know who you are.

Amazing...

2008-01-06T00:20:00.000-06:00

I'm constantly amazed at what technology enables us to do. Yes, it should be second nature, but right now I am on bed, watching the food network and writing this on my new iPod Touch. My computer may have broken down on me, but my wifi works just perfectly. So my blogging is short but present. Happy new year to you all.

Updates

2007-12-19T18:12:00.000-06:00

So, my computer is now officially broken. The cost of fixing it is not worth it according to my computer guy and myself. That computer was about 5 years old. Which, in computer terms, is ancient. So I will soon be getting a new computer. More credit card debt here I come!

I have yet to update my photos from Chicago when I went to the trade show or my pictures from the trip to see the New England Patriots. I'm hoping to get my camera & cord in one place to upload pictures.

Right now I am babysitting. I am not however babysitting a human. I'm babysitting the newest member of T's family. The registered name is still up in the air I think, however she's been called Scout since she got to the house. I flew home on Monday from NE and then got in my car and drove down to Friendswood, TX. Scout howled for about 25 minutes cause she was in her carrier. She does NOT like her carrier. She eventually cried herself to sleep. Poor thing...

She's absolutely adorable. She runs and plays and then falls over and passes out.

Golden Saturday

2007-12-09T19:11:00.000-06:00

Yesterday I went down to Friendswood, TX (3 hours away) to meet the puppies that T & the Kids may get. They were absolutely adorable. They had sharp little teeth that were around everything they could get around. They dug in the sandbox, ate the plants, chewed on sticks and any shoe near them. They will find out next week if they get a puppy. There are more people than puppies at this point. Fingers are crossed...

Their mother's name is Mocha. It's a "coffee litter" so their given names must have some kind of relation to coffee. Which is more difficult than originally thought...

Typing Test

2007-11-29T16:56:00.000-06:00

I hit 400 points, position 3420 on the ranking list. I typed 525 characters per minute with 94 correct and only 1 wrong!

Click Here for the Typing Test

Halloween 2007

2007-10-29T23:52:00.000-05:00

This past Saturday was the annual Halloween party at Tam's. It was three days of set up and will take weeks to tear down. There were fog machines, a cemetary, inflatable haunted house, spooky trail, a tunnel of terror and more. One of my friends' kids said that it was the best party she has ever been to, except her own birthday. It was a great time. Here are some pictures...

-The cupcakes that I made-

-The cemetary-

-The cemetary close up-

-The Haunted House-

-Mummy in Casket-

-Gigantic Scary Spider-

-Tunnel of Terror-

-Ghost Graveyard-

I forgot to get a picture of the mummy hot dogs and the wonderful smokey punch. I was BUSY doin' stuff. There may be more pictures of that stuff on the other "party cam".

Pumpkin Carving

2007-10-22T11:06:00.001-05:00

I don't remember carving my own pumpkin at any point of my life. This doesn't mean much though, I don't remember many details. The sister, however, can remember how many times we ran errands in a day when she was two. Last week I was given the task of carving. M & G drew what they wanted and I got started. I didn't empty out the middle or clean it. My job was strictly creating a masterpiece.

Unfortuantely, I also learned a lesson. The "RIP" carving has wilted a tremendous amount and therefore, the letters have sunk backwards into the pumpkin. I guess some before and after pictures would be appropriate. I'll work on that...

I think it may be time to go back to work. I was supervising the electrician at Tam's so she could go work. Fine by me!

New Book

2007-10-22T00:04:00.001-05:00

I got a new book this weekend. It's "Blink". It's about thoughts and thinking. I'm on page nineteen. So far, it's pretty interesting. It's basis is that behind every decision, we really knew the answer in the first two seconds that we were presented with the problem/question. Instincts & subconsciousness. More to come.

Tagged by Crazy Better

2007-09-22T16:47:00.000-05:00

I got this off Heather's blog.

7 weird things about myself:

1. I love the smell of a new car & new tires.

2. I have to go to sleep with Sportscenter on.

3. My little toe on my left foot bends in instead of down.

4. I brush my teeth in the shower.

5. I haven't owned a brush in 7 years.

6. I've only had one dentist in my life.

7. I'm pretty sure i've broken between 8 to 10 fingers playing softball. Some more than once.

Guest Bathroom

2007-09-22T16:18:00.000-05:00

This was my first room to "decorate". I painted, Jill and I picked a shower curtain and it was a surprise for Jill because she has claimed the guest room/ bathroom as her own. She was the first one to sleep in there, so she can pick. She wanted a green bathroom. I thought it turned out pretty good.

Before

In Progress

After

ACl Pics

2007-09-22T16:10:00.001-05:00

Here are some of the pictures Jill and I took while at ACL this year.

Sunny & Hot

Entrance

City View

Artsy Guitars

Empty Stage

Hook Em' Horns? I Love You? Hang Loose? "I have a wayward thumb...." - Lisa and Jill

Sunset

Jill's birthday present makes a good hat too!

Jill Visits

2007-09-18T18:49:00.000-05:00

The little sister came to visit on Friday. She was, of course, delayed and didn't get in until around 8:30p on Friday. She had to sit in the airport for her birthday. How crappy is that!? But she made it. We had a weekend of the Austin City Limits Music Festival to prepare for. Saturday I woke up, went to coach a softball game and then came home. We headed out to Zilker Park and had a great time. It was hot, but some friends had a blanket in the shade, so we sat there in the mid day heat...it was so much cooler! At least 20 degrees. We saw lots of bands, lots of people and had Kettle Korn worth the 30 minutes standing in line waiting for.

Sunday was more music and fun. We tried to anchor a spot in the shade and put our blanket down on the edge of the shade, expecting it to inch it's way over our blanket and keep us cool. It moved the opposite direction. I should've listened in school when they told us all about that Sun moving, Earth rotating stuff. Eventually we had shade. Three hours later. There's so much more, but right now I can't even start to remember.

Jill left on Monday evening and she left me with one very important thing...sickness. There are two possible sources of my sickness, but I want to blame her because that's what sisters are for! I'm feeling better now that I'm on my cold/sinus medication.

Lots is happening. Coaching softball, ACL updates and my own softball games last night were interesting, but like I said, I can't focus on too much right now.

More to come...

Laundry Day

2007-09-05T00:10:00.001-05:00

What would a bunch of pictures be without the cats???? This was what they did on laundry day...

Zoey

Luna finds a cave in the comforter

Trip #2

2007-09-04T23:39:00.001-05:00

Mom called me a couple weeks ago and asked me if I could take a day or two off to go to New York with her for Day 1 of the US Open. Of COURSE! I'm the biggest sports fanatic ever. A major tennis tournament, i'll be there! I flew out on Saturday the 25th and met Mom in Atlanta. We flew to NY and found our hotel. I had gotten some recommendations for food from a friend and we headed out to find one of them. By the time we got there it was 5p and the place didn't open until 6p...so we found plan B. Some little bar and grill in the Village. It was descent. Although, later I found out that Cameron Diaz ate at the place we were supposed to be going a week earlier. Oh well... So we went back to the hotel to make our plan for Sunday. Get up early, go see the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, hit a pizza place (John's Pizzeria, good) and head up to FAO Schwartz and Central Park. We walked around Central Park until we were tired and headed back to the hotel. We sat for 45 minutes, got on our shoes and headed to Grand Central to catch the 7 train to Queens to see the Mets game. I felt like a traitor the entire time. The Mets are in the same division as the Braves (my favorite team of all time). They are, now, 6.5 games ahead of the Braves. So they needed to lose. How on earth is a person supposed to cheer for the opposing team to the Mets? I could've been killed. I was sneaky and the Dodgers (didn't want them to win either because they're ahead of the Braves in the Wild Card race) ended up winning.

Monday we got up and headed back out to Queens on the 7. The tennis center is directly across the street from Shea Stadium, where the Mets play. It was hot. The sun was out and we took a beating. I saw Baghdatis, Federer, Bartoli, and more players I can't remember. That was the morning session. The night session was the Williams sisters, Venus and Serena. Aretha Franklin sang "Respect" and there were many women there that were the firsts in their field of specialty. It was pretty cool. The Williams sisters ended up winning their matches and we got back on the train to go home.

I got up at 5a to catch my flight home to get to work...needless to say, I was wiped. I had a great time with my mom and it was the very first time since i've been a grown up that we spent any time alone together. I was glad that I took the time off and was able to go with her. She's a trooper and i'm pretty sure she outlasted me. She did, afterall, stay until Friday with her friends that flew in the day I left...

On the boat to Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty. This pose became a popular one...

This was try #3. It was difficult to get the Statue in the background.

Skyline from the boat

Chrysler Bldg from Cab

Central Park Pond

We were pretty close!

Yes, another one...Mets game.

I forget the players' name, but liked the shot

Afternoon at the US Open

The World

The End...

One of My Favorite Places

2007-09-04T23:04:00.000-05:00

At the beginning of August I took a week and went to Disney World. Since I grew up going to Disneyland, just seeing the castle makes me happy. I've never realized how much I love that place. Yes, it's expensive and yes it typically doesn't change much. But the smells, the sounds, the way the rides hurt your neck and back as you get older are things I absolutely love.

We arrived on a Sunday, hung out in the hotel and swam in the pool Sunday Night. We stayed at the Wilderness Lodge on the Disney property. Having jammed the Disney experience into one single day my entire life, this was a new experience. I had a week. There were 4 parks that were on the plans and the Magic Kingdom was going to be hit twice.

Day One:
We woke up ready to go. We boarded the boat that conveniently took us from our resort to the Magic Kingdom entrance and headed out for the 8a opening. I NEVER knew there was a little show at the entrance before the park opened! All those years. We rushed to Space Mountain and got our first Fast Pass. We did so much on Day 1. Around 4 we went back to the hotel to regroup and calm our sensory organs. We headed back out around 7 for the parade and fireworks.

Day Two:
We went to MGM on Day 2. MGM never used to be fun. The best ride they had was the backlot tour. Then they got the Tower of Terror and put themselves on the map. I LOVE the Tower of Terror. The kids were nervous. In line G wrapped her arms around me and I could feel her little heart beating against my leg. She LOVED it. We did that 3 more times. We went to ride the Star Wars Tour because M can't get enough Star Wars. He was so excited. I had to opt out because of my mother's wonderful gene pass of motion sickness. They were walking out of the ride with these passes around their neck. Everyone had one. This is the "Year of a Million Dollar Giveaways" or something like that. They had given away a Dream Fast Pass. It had six fast passes on it. You could use them all day long at any time. They give these passes to 40 people a day at each park. It was fantastic. We did everything. The kids did the Rock 'n Rollercoaster. It goes 0-60 in 3 seconds or something ridiculous like that. There was an extreme stunt show too. Motorcycles, fast cars, jet skis flying all over the place. It was my favorite thing at MGM, besides the Tower of Terror. We were seated for the Fantasmic show that night and the rain started. We ran to our bus stop, drenched and cold and came home. It was a full, fun, wonderful day.

Day Three:
I think we went to Typhoon Lagoon (edit...oops, forgot the 'n' the first time around) on Day 3. It was crowded. That's really all there is to say about that. There were so many people there. We were able to do their little swim with the sharks pool. It was 68 degree water and about 20 feet of swimming. That was it. Kinda cool, unless you've been able to snorkel elsewhere in this world. Then it was puny and kind of lame. They have the largest wave, wave pool in the country (I think). There was a thunderous boom and then this wave came. It wasn't so much a wave but a wall of water. It had to have been a 10 foot wave. We weren't in the right place for this wave. If you didn't know, you can't outrun water. It swallowed all of us up and spit us out near the concrete shore. Needless to say, we scooted back and learned our lesson. G lost her goggles on the first wave. Miraculously they floated up and hit my foot a little bit later. We waited for one slide, M got a belly ache and we headed home. The kids were done. We went to the hotel and rented little mini Sea Ray boats. We coasted about the lake around the Magic Kingdom and had a great time.

Day Four:
Animal Kingdom had lots of hype when it opened. It was very cool. We got there early for the Disney Magic Hours. If you were staying on Disney property some parks had extra hours. Either an hour early or a couple hours late. So we got there at 8a instead of 9a when they let the commoners in. We headed for the talked about safari. We saw elephants, hippos, giraffes, monkeys, antelope and more. Then we saw a Lion walking around. It was early. I think it was the hour that it was awake for the day. Which was pretty cool. It was very similar to the Jungle Cruise, but with real animals and in the Savannah, not the river. There is also a new ride called Everest. It was huge. I didn't do it because i'm a pansy and thought there would be loops. I can't do 360s on roller coasters. The neck and back gets all out of whack. T and the Kids loved it though.

The last day we were there was at Magic Kindgom again. We had a lunch reservation with Cinderella at her castle with her princess friends. If I were younger it would've been my worst nightmare. People in costume freaks me out; always has. We met Cinderella, Aurora (Sleeping Beauty), Mary Poppins, Snow White and Belle. It was also the best food i've eated at Disneyland or the Magic Kingdom. It was a grilled Salmon with some sort of rice. Tasty stuff. Worth having to small talk with the princesses.

I was sad to leave. It was such a great time. There is so much more but I can't remember it all to write it down. Hopefully in time little snippets of the trip will pop into my head for more posts.

At the airport, ready to go! M didn't want to take the picture...can you tell?

This is the Wilderness Lodge. It is as huge as it looks.

The MGM hat.

My Favorite ride.

The parade at Magic Kingdom. Pays to have someone taller than the crowd with you!

Going to the airport...no one wanted to leave.

Clean???

2007-08-17T18:35:00.000-05:00

I haven't been much in the mood to blog lately. I had a great time at Disney World and will be posting pictures soon enough, but right now, I just got home about 30 minutes ago. Today was the day that the cleaning crew came to clean up after the development company "finished" their job. I got a called this afternoon that they were going to be returning the key to me because they were done. Oh and the following pictures are right when I walked in after the "cleaning" crew had been here. Let me know if this looks clean to you.

Picture #1 - There's a water ring on the counter. Probably my water ring from months ago when they started working, but if they just cleaned, wouldn't it be gone?

Picture #2 - I had to write "dust" in the dust because it just made sense. This is the coffee table in the living room.

Pictures #3 - This is the "finished" job. They didn't even screw the plate covers to the wall...COME ON!

Picture #4 - This is the 1/2 bath toilet. Where i'm assuming every worker and their mother used the bathroom. The sink was dirty too, but the pictures didn't show it.

Picture #5 - The kitchen sink. Dust, dirt & dust bunnies...did they not use water to clean?

As you can probably tell, i'm over this. I'm beyond upset. It's probably not good that I didn't sleep on this before I posted, but this is ridiculous. And it's just the surface....I have no idea what's behind that sheetrock that they "fixed".

Me on Yahoo!

2007-07-31T14:42:00.000-05:00

A couple of weeks ago this was on the front page of Yahoo! again. I had seen it before and it freaked me out just as much then as it did the second time. There is an uncanny resemblance of the girl with the hamburger and drink...

Raining Inside Too!

2007-07-27T18:38:00.000-05:00

You'd think that living under a roof would prevent me from dealing with the rain that doesn't stop outside. Due to poor drainage and a procastinating development company this is what I have been dealing with. Then this week, they came to "fix it"...This is the corner that the mold started in...

The towels were soaking up the water that was coming from the wall...

What I walked into after Hector came to spray the mold killer behind the walls...

The corner that the mold started in after the "renovation"