Desert Trivia

I MIGHT BE TALKING LOUDER THAN NORMAL.

2012-01-26T08:09:00.000-06:00

Did you know that when you lose hearing (temporarily) in one of your ears that the other ear becomes the Arnold Schwarzenegger of ears?

I'll be headed to the doctor in a little while to hopefully get my hearing back, and we won't discuss the reason for the hearing loss because ear stuff is just gross to talk about.

But seriously, I am hearing ambient noises I never noticed before. I can hear the rythym of the clothes dryer on the other side of the house. And these phantom dings or beeps that make me think I'm getting texts. And the TV seems louder than normal, although harder to understand.

It seems a little coincidental to me that the first week I start working with my ESL student, a young woman from Venezuela who has a hearing impairment in one ear, that I would experience nearly total hearing loss on one side. Hmmmm...

But tomorrow I'll be on a plane to Houston (Naomi's baby shower!) and really need everything with my defective ear to be resolved before reaching 30,000 feet. Ouch.

Dukumms

2012-01-18T09:24:00.001-06:00

I love my buddy, Duke. I love him despite the muddy paw prints every day, the dog hair, the constant need for exercise and dog park trips, and the occasional misbehaving. I just read on Facebook that someone is having to put their Lab down in the morning due to a brain tumor. It gave me pause to appreciate that Duke is healthy and silly, but has a limited time with us. I think everyone needs a four-legged friend in their lives.

Sausage, Beans and Rice

2012-01-16T17:25:00.000-06:00

I thought I'd share an easy one-pot recipe that I got from my mom years ago. This is one of those meals where very little prep is required, and you just wait for everything to heat through. It's also pretty inexpensive.

Sausage, Beans, and Rice

1 lb smoked sausage, sliced in 1/2 inch rounds
2 27-oz cans Pinto Beans (NOT pork-n-beans)
1 15-oz can diced tomatoes
1 15-oz can tomato sauce
1 bell pepper chopped
1/2 large onion chopped or 1 whole medium onion
2 cups rice (I use Minute Rice) cooked
worcestershire sauce
liquid smoke
salt and pepper

Throw everything except the rice in a large pot to heat for 20-30 minutes or until the veggies have softened some, and serve over a bowl of rice. (If I'm especially lazy, I'll skip the rice.) Although it can be ready quickly, I like to cook it for a while to make sure the flavors have time to meld together. For the worcestershire sauce and liquid smoke, just toss in several shakes each. I'm convinced liquid smoke is an underused flavoring in the kitchen. Speaking of flavor, you could also add Tobasco or Louisiana hot sauce, cilantro, jalapenos, etc.

You don't have to use two big cans of beans like I do, but at least use 2 15-oz cans. I used to make this by first spending several hours cooking a pot of red beans from scratch, until DeeBee convinced me that canned beans worked just as well. She was right, and I can now throw this together much faster.

Still, every Southern girl should learn how to cook red beans from scratch. I've said that before, but it stands repeating.

Enjoy.

Thoughts that count

2012-01-09T09:26:00.000-06:00

I know I should have Christmas behind me by now, and I do have most everything put away except for some greenery. But I wanted to share a couple of my favorite gifts. I'm always impressed when people come up with creative and MADE-FOR-ME kind of gifts. I wish I could be as thoughtful.

First, these measuring cups from DeeBee. They combine two things I enjoy - cooking and collecting owls. Cute, huh?

When Karl and Ashley and the kids were visiting in November, I mentioned not being able to find good salsa here and how much I missed Julio's salsa from Texas. A couple weeks later, a big box of jars and jars of salsa arrives, ordered directly from Julio's in San Angelo. These are (sadly) the only two jars we have left!

Then there's this personalized address stamp from Jo and Doug. I can honestly say I've never had an address stamp but always thought they were cool. Such a creative gift!

And lastly, my favorite. When the girls were much younger, part of the bedtime ritual of goodnight hugs and tucking in was to say "I love you all the way to..." and they'd fill in whatever was the farthest or silliest. Often it would start with the moon and end up with Pluto. So when I opened this from Addison, well, it was all I could do to not have one of those cheesy crying mom moments. I love it.

Currently

2012-01-04T17:12:00.001-06:00

These trees are beautiful. But boy do they provide a lot of labor in the fall and winter. I took this picture back in early November, and I'm still raking bags and bags of leaves that are still dropping. But I do love them.

Besides raking leaves, I've been getting through Christmas, having wonderful visits with family, have taken two day trips to Kansas, have gone to the doctor a couple times, and have been helping Addison pick up the pieces after a difficult and unexpected break-up.

Oh life.

I've also received a really good job lead, but was expecting a call by now. Kind of a dream job without dream pay. But we'll see.

And tonight I'm going out to dinner with my neighbor. She's probably 15-20 years my senior, and I love that. I like having "mother figures" in my life. I have a friend like that in Midland that I really miss. How dumb that I haven't picked up the phone and called her. I think I'll add that to my week.

So I don't make resolutions or expect big changes for the new year. I find that life tends to slap me around a little when I do that, so when changes come I just try to be ready. I am (sort of, half-heartedly) training for a half marathon. Three couples in Alan's family have COMMITTED to meeting up March 18th in Memphis for a race. I will absolutely not be capable of running the whole thing, but am determined to finish it regardless of whether or not my hips are still attached at the end. Send some good vibes my way.

I am happy to be starting my year in Tulsa. There are still times when it's hard to be away from the girls. I stepped out of the room a couple times at Christmas when I felt tears in my eyes because Bailey wasn't here. Or wished I could have taken her chicken soup and meds and gotten her a cold damp wash cloth when she was sick over the weekend. And I've wanted so badly to run over to Addison's and give her a big hug and hang out for a while to fill some empty moments.

But I can only do what I can from a distance, and in a way I think that's good for them.

And now I'm off to my shopping and dinner with my neighbor, which is good for me. Hope you do things that are good for you, too, in the coming year. Cheers!

The time you have

2011-12-19T14:07:00.000-06:00

I'm so excited about this coming Christmas weekend and a little anxious, in an unsettling sort of way. The excitement is coming from many things. Addison and Jeffrey and the puppies will be here! I get to spend Christmas with my sister and niece and nephews! We get to spend it in our new cozy home! But I'm also concerned that Bailey won't be here and how weird that will be for all of us. I'm hoping that Bailey will be okay, hopefully surrounded with friends and the new guy she's been seeing, and won't be too sad that we're here and she's not (she has to work and couldn't make it up).

It's the first Christmas that I won't see her, so I'm hoping it's not too bad. These things come with their growing up, but this year it's happening because we moved away. I feel a tiny bit of guilt about that, all the while knowing it was the right thing and has been an awesome move for us. There'll be many Christmases, I'm sure, that we won't all be together. When your kids are grown and have been out of the house for a while, it's such an awesome feeling when they visit and you have a couple nights that you KNOW WITHOUT QUESTION that they are safely sleeping in their beds. Not wondering if they're out partying and don't have a safe ride home, not worried that they're with someone they shouldn't be with, not wondering if they're wearing their seatbelt every time they get in a car.

Yuck. When does the worrying about your kids stop.

Okay, back to Christmas. We get to have the big holiday meal that we didn't have at Thanksgiving. And we get to see Alan's family on Christmas Day, which is a rarity! I was talking to his mom earlier today, and she calculated that it was probably when Alan was in college that she last saw him at Christmas. That's a long time. I'm thinking I should be pretty thankful for how much time I HAVE had with my kids rather than dread the time I won't.

So Merry Christmas, and enjoy your kiddos, and sit at a big table, and eat way more food than necessary. Those are my plans.

10 days and counting

2011-12-15T09:34:00.002-06:00

What are your favorite smart phone apps, besides the big name obvious ones (google, facebook)?

I like Yelp, Big Oven, Pinterest (when it works), MyFitnessPal, Runkeeper, Instagram, Shazam, Flight View, Dictionary, and The Weather Channel the most. Those are in no particular order. I know there are lots of cool ones I'm missing out on. DeeBee told me about Key Ring, which I need to start using.

Any others?

Also, what are some inexpensive but smart stocking stuffers? I like getting/giving Yankee Candle scented things for your car, chapstick in all flavors, gum, pens, small notepads, ponytail holders, bobby pins, Starbucks cards, etc. But what about for men?

I'm down to the last minute stuff for Christmas and am lacking ideas.

I have no good Christmas photos to share, so here's an oldie but goodie from last year:

Kitty weirdness

2011-12-08T16:23:00.001-06:00

Lately Junior is getting on the sofa or loveseat and laying next to us, actually TOUCHING us. Last night he was on Alan's lap for half an hour! Poor sweet kitty. He must by dying.

The vacation is over

2011-12-06T16:18:00.001-06:00

I worked (finally) a two-day subbing assignment this week, which was my first paid labor since we moved here. Hard to explain, but for whatever reason I'd been experiencing some anxiety about getting back in the classroom. But I kept hearing my wonderful friend Naomi saying "Tanya, that is kinda stupid." Haha! It makes me laugh every time I hear her voice in my head, and it helped me to get over my weirdness. Love ya, Naomi!

Turns out I still know how to manage a bunch of kids and still enjoy teaching. Whether or not I want to return to the profession full-time, I just don't know. So much crap goes along with that job that you can't even imagine.

One other job possibility I've been tossing around is starting a pet-sitting business here in Tulsa. I'm doing a little research, and there are definitely pros and cons to the business. Seems I almost always love other people's pets, but not necessarily their kids. So...this might be a better fit for me than teaching. :-)

12 Pains of Christmas

2011-11-30T09:41:00.001-06:00

I've been feeling the pain of stupid Christmas lights this morning, so I found this on Youtube to get me laughing instead of cursing. I was really getting pissed and spewing profanity, when I should have been counting my blessings for having more than I deserve. I also have the pleasure of getting Junior's help every year with the tree. As soon as the tree comes out of the box, he lays claim to it and doesn't appreciate my touching any part of it. Yeesh. So yeah, we're taking a little break.

It's the SIMS version, enjoy.

Need some holiday endorphins

2011-11-27T06:44:00.001-06:00

I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving. I hope you sat at a big table with a fat turkey or whatever kind of meat you adore, with all those awesome side dishes (that in my opinion are the best part of the meal), with family or friends around you, with football on in the background, with a table of desserts that you were too full to eat, and with stretchy pants to make the afternoon more comfortable.

In other words, I hope you had the Thanksgiving I didn't. I'm not complaining, honestly. I (we) just didn't have the traditional holiday. We stayed at a hotel, ate our Thanksgiving meal at Cracker Barrel and almost every other meal out except the free hotel breakfast. There are family issues right now, so it wasn't possible for everyone to get together. And even if we did get together, like I said there are issues that make it WEIRD.

But we had a wonderful time with the girls, mostly laughing or laughing at them laughing. If you're a parent, then you know the joy of listening to your kids laughing together, no matter their age. It's as if you gave them the best gift that they get to keep for the rest of their lives - each other.

But we're back home now, and it's time to start getting into Christmas mode. I'm usually pretty excited about this, and you'd think with the new house that I'd be especially excited to decorate. But I'm just not feeling it yet. Our neighbors will likely be disappointed in the lack of lights and decorations outside, and I'm sure someone will stop by to tell me how THE PREVIOUS OWNERS had the most beautiful lights on the block. Get over it, folks!

I'm needing some inspiration. Maybe you are, too? A quick visit to Pinterest might help me:

I'm putting myself on a very limited decorating budget, using mostly what I already have. So I've decided to try using things that are readily available, like all the pine cones everywhere. I'd be a fool to not gather a huge bag of cones along any trail and use them this year. I think I've just decided on a theme, ha.

I like this woodsy, cabin look. I don't have a mantel to decorate this year, because it's currently adorned with a large flat screen TV. Priorities, you know. But this gave me an idea for a large mirror I have, and again - PINE CONES.

I just think this is sweet and simple. Perfect for an apartment. Think how inexpensively it can be done. Buy fabric instead of a table cloth - who cares about the edges? Just cut neatly or use my new best friend, fusible bonding web! And those little mini trees can be bought anywhere for super cheap.

Mostly what I'm doing outside is a large garland around the door and then something on the door itself. I bet I can come up with ornaments I don't use anymore to decorate a wreath. And pine cones. :-)

This door garland with pine cones is a Martha Stewart design. It is hilarious to read how much trouble and precision she uses in creating the pine cone adornment. It's good for a laugh if you want to take the time to find it on Pinterest. But I'm going to steal it shamelessly! I love it.

With my latest addiction to painting and glazing, this frame idea is really tempting. Really tempting. And I happen to know an awesome trading post that would have lots of frames to choose from. I'd have to read how they attach it to the door though, so it wouldn't bang all over the place. Those 3M sticky things maybe?

Okay, I'm a little more in the mood now. Alan will read that and think something else. ;-)

Trekking around Tulsa

2011-11-14T07:41:00.001-06:00

We told ourselves when we moved here that we'd get out and explore the city and its surroundings. So we ignored the leaves that needed to be raked and the few unpacked boxes in the garage and enjoyed the outdoors this weekend (minus the wind that I thought I left behind in Midland). We went to estate sales and the zoo on Friday, the Tulsa University game against Marshall on Saturday, and spent our morning hiking at Turkey Mountain yesterday.

Most of the trail was pretty rocky and rugged, nothing like this path. I often measure activities by the amount of calories burned (i.e. how much MORE I get to eat that day), and this one ranked high on my list!

We still have places to go and things to try, but at least we've made a good start.

Just because...

2011-11-10T10:36:00.001-06:00

...I think it's hilarious:

And because that owl was so cool. He was super heavy and his feathers were so silky. I think my reaction is right after he turned and looked me in the eye, inches from my face. It was awesome!

I'm cheap

2011-11-07T16:37:00.000-06:00

I finished the sewing table/nightstand. Very little sewing is probably going to occur, so let's just call it a nightstand. Here's the before. So someone at some point in time, really thought this looked okay? I'm guessing it was Kenmore, since that's the sewing machine inside.

Try to ignore the dirty baseboards and stained carpet.

First I brushed on two coats of primer. I didn't sand it or anything because it's veneer, so what's to sand? I slapped on the two coats, not trying to cover completely. In fact, I totally forgot to paint the inside of one section. You'll see in a minute.

Then I spray painted the antique white base color. This took one coat, with a few touch-ups here and there. Again, because I knew I was applying a glaze, I wasn't shooting for perfection. By the way, I totally recommend using Rustoleum spray paint over the others. The nozzle is practically mess free, and you can even hold the can upside down!

Next was the really fun part - the black glaze. You brush it on and wipe it off. I think the only way you could mess this up would be to glaze too big a section at a time and therefore let it sit too long before wiping it off. If that happens, you'll just get a darker color. So here it is:

See that inside dark brown section on the right that I FORGOT TO PAINT? I'm too lazy to drag it back downstairs and out to the garage to care.

I can ogle at furniture and design catalogs endlessly, but the fact remains that on my currently unemployed budget, Home Depot is going to win out over Pottery Barn.

Blog Title

2011-11-04T08:00:00.001-05:00

Do I change it? Leave it?

My cookie challenge

2011-11-04T07:46:00.001-05:00

I got an invitation from a female coworker of Alan's to attend a cookie exchange party. Although I really appreciate being invited, I was pretty excited until I saw all the RULES of the exchange. I need to make 7 dozen cookies, meaning 7 different recipes. They must be Christmasy cookies - no chocolate chip nonsense, no Pillsbury anything, not the no-bake variety, and the main ingredient in all must be flour. They also need to be packaged in a cute/festive way, each individual dozen. And I should also bring an appetizer, beverage, and dress Christmasy if I want to win a prize. The dressing Christmasy part is not going to happen, folks. Unlike some teachers, I haven't accumulated those sorts of outfits.

So almost immediately I got on Pinterest and started searching. I found two or three possibilities so far, but that's a long way from SEVEN. Here's one:

I don't think they have to be Christmas colors, but rather a cookie that you would associate with the holidays. If you have a favorite holiday cookie, please send me the recipe or a link to it! I can't even RSVP for the party until I have all seven recipes. What is up with all the RULES?

Double Duty Table

2011-11-02T10:48:00.000-05:00

My mind is blank, so I'll share a project in the making.

See that ugly nightstand there? It's not really a nightstand but a sewing machine cabinet. It's not real wood, and it's BUTT ugly. Even the handle is ugly. So I'm in the middle of transforming it. Pictures to come soon...

The Pipes

2011-10-20T09:59:00.000-05:00

We had such a great weekend with our friends from Houston, James and Naomi. Makes you feel so loved when someone travels to see you!

Here's how I know we're good friends. When you can burp, talk about pooping, not care what you look like, be in a closed vehicle when you all stink, drink too much, and laugh endlessly around each other, you're good friends.

We ran the quarter marathon together, or actually I ran the quarter - they all ran the "double" which was the quarter plus a 5K. Showoffs. And Naomi is 4 months pregnant. Double showoff!

Miss them already!

The old screen

2011-10-13T13:29:00.001-05:00

So here's how the headboard came out. I realize it's not really a headboard, but that's what I'm calling it. I got the inspiration to paint and glaze stuff from Pinterest, which meant a few of my things ended up on the walls instead of in the trash and ultimately to an overcrowded landfill. I occasionally do my part to help Mother Earth.

Most of these pics were taken with my cellphone, which usually turn out blurry but oh well. Here's the screen the way I bought it, complete with dead bug parts and old springs and lots and lots of dirt:

This is after a couple coats of spray paint, antique white. I didn't try to cover it completely:

This is during the glazing process:

And this is the finished product. You probably can't see it, but I left the hook (far right) that was once used to close the screen. Thought it was kind of authentic looking.

Funny how I'm still learning stuff about this house. I didn't realize the wall in this bedroom angled up towards the ceiling until I hung the screen. I had big plans to paint the entire upstairs with the same khaki wall color as downstairs, until I saw how high one of the walls was in the middle bedroom and became slightly less interested. Anyway, I think I finally feel that this is room is complete.

New old stuff!

2011-10-11T16:24:00.002-05:00

I have a new addiction that is the River City Trading Post. I've never seen anything like this store, yet that's probably due to my sheltered life in dusty old Midland.

This store is a crafter's/pinner's dream. If you want to refurbish, repaint, or repurpose something used - you'll find your project here. I like shopping for the old or funky things that need no re-anything, such as this pillow:

I LOVE toile, always have. (Alan thinks I just like saying toile.) It isn't for everyone, but I love it no matter the color or the scene. This pillow fit the room perfectly and was $14.

This is part of the upstairs corner room that I haven't done much with. It is simply too HUGE and will probably become a workout room for lack of better ideas. So I threw the girls' old twin beds in there with some silly pillows, and then found this awesome chunky red table and red and black glazed lamp today! Table was $38 and the lamp was $14.

But what I'm most excited about is the dirty, flaky old window screen (probably crusted with lead paint) that I'm going to turn into a headboard to go above this bed:

I'm going to do a paint treatment on it to make it look similar to that chair. It only cost me $15, so if it's a complete failure like I'm known for, it's not a big deal. Maybe if I stay busy with that project the next couple of days, it'll keep me and my wallet from going back to the Trading Post for a while. But probably not.

The Grind is Upon Me

2011-10-11T08:24:00.000-05:00

Resume is done. Applying for jobs has begun. Yuck, yuck, and more yuck. I can't hate this process any more. I think I have an abnormal level of anxiety when it comes to job searching and being interviewed than most people. Maybe I haven't had enough practice, since I've probably had no more than 10 interviews in my life.

I'm not good at thinking on the fly, and that's pretty much what an interview is chopped full of - the unknown. I can answer their questions wonderfully...an hour later. I'm not a lingo kind of person. I don't spout off industry terminology and really find people who do kind of annoying and showy. I was raised to absolutely positively not brag about oneself, and although I don't necessarily agree with that, it's hard to change.

I need some positive things to focus on today. I think I'll take a break from job crap and get things ready for our friends who are coming to town this weekend - yay!!!!!!!!!!!!

Oktober!

2011-10-07T15:35:00.002-05:00

I do love October. I'm sure it's partly because it's Addison's birthday, my birthday, and mine and Alan's anniversary all at the beginning of the month. But it's also the change in the weather. October is just cozy.

I love the fall colors. I love that my new coffee mugs from DeeBee are fall colors, and it doesn't hurt that they perfectly match the colors in our house.

I love that soon I'll be craving chili and stew and all sorts of other one-pot wonders that come out to play during cooler weather. And I love that Pinterest has a TON of recipes with pumpkin and pumpkin spices!

I can't wait for Oktoberfest here in Tulsa, which starts October 20th. It's supposed to be pretty entertaining, as long as you don't mind being around boisterous, beer-toting drunk people dressed like The Sound of Music.

And then there's Halloween, one of the only big holidays that does not include family obligations. Love that! I put my ghosts out again this year, regardless of how raggedy and raveled they're getting. They do look like ghosts, right? (See my Facebook post.)

Happy October!

Sometimes, a good pain

2011-09-27T17:01:00.000-05:00

I am not a runner. I say that frequently, often while running. But usually it comes up in conversation where Alan and someone are talking about running and they'll obligingly ask me "Do you run, too?" "Yes, but I'm not a runner."

I don't often enjoy it, as it hurts before, during, and after. Something is always hurting and would probably stop hurting if I would just stop running. But it's a fast, convenient way to get a good sweaty workout usually while enjoying the outdoors. It's even more tempting since we've moved, because there are so many pretty places to run.

I do enjoy the feeling of participating.

But I wasn't meant to run. It's funny to me how uncomfortable some runners seem around people who say that. It's as if they feel pity or worse yet - just don't believe you've tried hard enough or trained long enough or whatever they're thinking. If I say I can barely manage a 5K and often have to stop and walk at some point, it seems hard for them to comprehend.

In fact, I ran a 5K this morning that took 35 minutes. I stopped at least three times, and I really needed to pee, making it that much harder to finish. 35 minutes is not a good time for me, but I've never run a 5K under 31 or 32 minutes and likely never will. I average an 11 minute mile, give or take.

So why complain about it yet still do it if it's hard. I think the answer is because it's hard. It makes me feel sort of accomplished when I'm done. I know it's only 3 miles, but I never ran more than a mile in my life until about 8 years ago. And I'll probably do a couple more 10Ks, too, but I'll never win my age group or set new PRs as the years go on.

But you runners out there - take a person's word for it when she says she knows her own body and its limits. I'm not lazy, I'm just not a runner.

P.S. After about a dozen 5Ks and one 10K, this is my only award. I don't remember seeing how many were in my age group, but I'm willing to bet there was ONE. It's like saying "Congratulations, Tanya Schaeffer, for not having any competition!"

Zero for Two

2011-09-26T17:41:00.002-05:00

I've been feeling super crafty lately, gathering up some ideas from Pinterest.com, getting supplies this weekend, and early this morning was off and running!

Project #1 was a complete failure. I was trying to reuse an ugly mirror by doing a simple crackle paint treatment for a sort of shabby chic look. I got the shabby alright. So after realizing a while later that the paint just peeled off, I tried again. Still a failure. So now I've painted a top coat of metallic silver over layers and layers of paint, crackle stuff, etc. and am waiting to see the results. I've already warned Alan that I'll likely be buying a new mirror this week.

Project #2 was another failure. Okay, mostly I lost patience with that project within minutes. I was trying to make bangle bracelets out of popsicle sticks, to later be covered with strips of fabric. I could have bought a bunch of cheap bangles at any discount store instead of using the sticks, but my wrists are pretty small (as in freakishly bony) and normal bracelets end up closer to my elbows than my wrists. Long story short, boiling and trying to bend the popsicle sticks was annoying and made worse when I realized they needed to dry for about a week. I'm feeling crafty NOW, not a week from now.

Project #3 is making me nervous based on the failure rate of today. So let me end with a success from a couple weeks ago.

These are two cafe curtains that I placed on the door to the mudroom and the window in an upstairs guest bath. Liked the fabric so I used it for both. Cheap, cheap curtains with no sewing! Now our guests don't have to put on a show for the neighbors, and I can strip down in the mudroom to my whatever-I-want after working in the yard.

Sorry, my cell phone takes crummy pictures. (By the way, the top of the bathroom window is covered with an outside awning thing, so the curtain is more private than it looks.)

Over the next couple of days I'm making some little fabric Christmas trees and trying a recipe for pumpkin spice fudge with white chocolate. I'll report back on either my disasters or my much needed successes.

Is anyone else addicted to Pinterest like I am?

More better

2011-09-23T10:44:00.004-05:00

That's what this little Vietnamese lady would say when she'd do my nails, "I make it more better."

Junior is feeling more better and back to doing what he does all day:

Baby boy had another urinary infection thanks to his owner (me) who decided it was time to take him off his prescription food. I didn't realize the prescription was for the rest of his life. So Wednesday after hearing him moan and meow in pain, I realized what was happening and got him into a vet. While there and under sedation, they got those horrible mats out and gave him his overdue shots (two years). Boy, do I know how to take care of animals or what?

Here's the part I'm still baffled by: He was a little gentleman while in their care. My cat was PLEASANT TO STRANGERS. They petted him. And picked him up. And pressed on his abdomen. All before sedation. And they seemed to kind of like him. Maybe Junior needed to get out of Midland, too. :-)

The Subtleties

2011-09-20T17:58:00.001-05:00

This is Junior barely able to lift his head and give a flip that I'm interrupting his nap (dark cat on a white comforter, I might add).

This is Junior hearing the four paws of Duke bounding up the stairs ready to disrupt things further. Notice the change in his eyes?

This is Junior deciding he just doesn't have the energy to care about big red dog bouncing around his room.

And that was a typical exciting day in the life of Junior.

Garage Mahal

2011-09-19T09:26:00.001-05:00

This is just a glimpse at Alan's half-day project that turned into a two day project, but that's okay because it's AWESOME. Isn't life just better with an organized garage? We have quite a bit more room in this garage and would like to keep it that way. What you don't see are the cabinets with neatly stored power tools and automotive stuff, the heavy tool sets hanging on the walls, and the easy access to my the lawnmower. There's a little bit left to do, but oh the joy of being able to find a hammer without ruining a manicure searching through boxes.

Sweet Cornbread

2011-09-16T07:16:00.000-05:00

A long time ago, before the girls were born and their father and I had little to no spending money, we referred to this as "poor man's breakfast." Except we didn't just eat it for breakfast - it was sometimes dinner. We felt pretty poor, eating a lot of cheap meals and ramen and only treating ourselves to Domino's Pizza on rare occasions. But I feel anything but poor having my day-old cornbread smothered with butter and syrup this morning!

A stew kind of day

2011-09-15T13:32:00.000-05:00

I wonder how many people in the mid-southern states are making chili or stew tonight? Something about that first blast of cool air just makes you all tingly inside and ready for some comfort food. It's cool and cloudy and teasing of rain here in Tulsa, and I know back home in Midland they're getting LOTS of rain! Such good news for them.

I was excited to wear socks and closed-toed shoes today, if that gives you any indication of how ready I am for cooler temps.

Back to stew. Every time I make stew I think of Dale. I learned how to make what I think of as southern comfort food from Mother and Dale when I was still a teenager at home - sausage and gravy, chicken fried steak, chili and stew to name a few. (Dale always called sausage and gravy SOS or "Shit on a Shingle." I know he didn't invent the term, but he was pretty proud of it.) For the most part I make stew just like he showed me, although it always depends on what fresh, frozen or canned goods I have on hand. He taught me to put the meat and potatoes on the bottom of the crock pot since they take the longest to get tender, then carrots if they're fresh, any other veggies, and last on top was onion, frozen corn, stewed tomatoes, tomato sauce, and salt and pepper. Here's the before it cooks and gets bubbly pic...

And here's a picture of Dale from a bajillion years ago when I was probably 14 or 15 and we were living in a mobile home out in the country. He did a lot of the cooking, and it was almost always something FRIED. Yummy stuff, but thankfully I didn't have to worry about fat and calories and cholesterol at the time.

So to all of you who got your crock pots out this morning or who laid some meat out to thaw for chili, enjoy your southern comfort food tonight. And don't forget the cornbread!

I love a cheap find

2011-09-11T18:41:00.000-05:00

You gotta love a garage/rummage/flea market sale put on by white haired ladies at an old historic garden center. I got this clay pot for 25 cents. All it needs is a large bunch of dried tiny flowers.

And this interesting looking bottle, also for 25 cents:

This picture and frame for $3, which I mostly wanted for the frame and glass for an old Texas map I've had for a while. But actually the picture is starting to grow on me:

And lastly this salad or fruit or pasta bowl for $2.50:

So for six bucks I had a pretty successful 15 minutes.

Huh? Where? Whuh?

2011-09-09T09:00:00.000-05:00

I've been trying out as many grocery stores as I can to figure out which one will make grocery shopping less sucky. So far none have done the trick.

I went to one yesterday and felt like I needed an orientation session on how to shop there. I'd heard about it and seen their ads, but had no idea how TINY a place it was going to be. Before even walking in I had to figure out how to get the grocery cart. A nice older gentleman let me have his quarter and showed me how you put the coin in the slot to release the cart. You get your coin back when you leave, unless you want to "pay it forward" for the next customer. This was not a place you shop when doing a big grocery run. And the brands were all foreign to me.

So I get up to the checkout lines and notice people have their own bags or they take some from this shelf thing and PAY for them along with their groceries. When it's my turn, I bought my two paper bags and checked out. The cashier puts all your groceries back in your cart, not in the bags you bought, and you go over to a counter to get out of the way and sack your own groceries. Then you take your cart back outside and attach it to another one to get your quarter back.

All of this is fine. I'm certainly not above depositing a quarter, providing my own bags, and bagging my own groceries. It was just that feeling of being the new person-who-doesn't-know-anything.

I've also noticed that about every time I'm out somewhere, I'll see someone and for a split second think "hey, that looks like..." But then I remember it can't be them, because I'm not in Midland anymore. I'm not home here, but it'll come someday.

One day while at Super Target and talking to Addison on the phone, I really did see someone I knew. I practically hung up on Addison, in fact I think I yelled "I gotta go!" and went to talk to the only other person besides Alan in Tulsa I know - our realtor.

But as awkward as I feel sometimes - being new at the gym, at the stores, getting the trash and recycling days down, asking the neighborhood kids to stop using our yard as a giant sidewalk, etc., I still like learning a new place. And yesterday I discovered another Super Target that's closer to our house and BRAND NEW. Like you walk in and it's almost silent, because the rest of the world doesn't know it's open yet. I will be learning that place a lot. :-)

Discomfort Zone

2011-09-06T15:48:00.003-05:00

A year ago on 9/11 (no underlying reason) I started a separate blog called "God, You're Confusing as Hell." I didn't tell anyone, because really I just wanted somewhere to start writing some thoughts down without considering an audience. And I didn't get far, three posts to be exact. I got bored with myself and then probably got busy with school. I thought I would share my initial post:

http://faithorlackthereof.blogspot.com/2010/09/in-beginning.html

Settling in

2011-09-06T06:26:00.001-05:00

Poo. The kids have gone home and taken their puppies with them. But we had a great weekend. No hustle and bustle trying to entertain everyone or showing them the city, just relaxing and chilling at home. It felt longer than a couple weeks since I've seen them, so I can only imagine what the next few weeks will be like. I'm planning to be back in Midland around the first of next month for Addison's birthday, but I'm sure with each visit this will get easier and feel more normal.

As much as I'm missing though - my family, my friends, and my job - I really love living here. Tulsa is an easy city to get around, it's easy on the eyes, and the people have been friendly.

Okay, there was that one woman who came by and somewhere in the conversation said "good luck keeping up the landscaping the way the previous owners did." Oh okay. I guess I was exuding the lazy-white-trash-look that day.

And I'll be on yard duty this morning, meaning I'll be standing outside MY house around the time the school bus kids starting walking right up by my kitchen windows. Maybe I should be taking pictures - I'm thinking something will get their attention eventually.

Gladys Kravitz

2011-08-29T16:02:00.001-05:00

I don't want to be her. The neighbors have been so nice. I don't want to say anything rude and be that person, but people are walking through my yard. Not just sort of along the edge (it's a corner house), but RIGHT up through the yard close to the house. I realize this house has been empty for a few months, and I guess they just started trampling their way through because they knew no one would see. But isn't that still rude?? That's a rhetorical question - the answer is YES.

It's one thing for kids to do it - they're still young and haven't learned all the RULES, but I've seen two moms lead the way!

For now I'm going to chill and smile sweetly, all the while letting Duke bark as ferociously as he wants to as they pass. Eventually they'll all realize someone lives here again and will show some respect, right? This IS the neighborhood where neighbors have brought homemade banana bread and cookies within the first few days of our arrival. But do they take liberties along with their acts of kindness? Look at me already starting some neighborhood drama.

Welcome

2011-08-25T08:28:00.000-05:00

I've seen neighborhoods in the movies where kids walk to the corner to catch the school bus, sometimes with moms or dads, the family dog in tow, and neighbors mingle and chat until the kids are safely off to school. If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I'd have thought this picturesque neighborhood was imaginary. But I'm living in one! It's adorable.

Duke and I went for a short jog yesterday morning, and we chatted with several people along the way. I spotted my neighbors next door, an older couple, and stopped to chat for a while. If you've ever had older neighbors, you know how invaluable they are. They know everything. Years of wisdom makes for awesome neighbors.

And then this morning, the doorbell rang pretty early which kind of startled me. I was "indisposed" at the moment we'll say, but when I went to the door a few minutes later, this was on my doorstep:

I still don't feel like I'm at home, but I'm getting there. :-)

Gifts from the Heart

2011-08-08T22:37:00.002-05:00

Had a really great weekend - great news from a family member, fun times with the girls Saturday afternoon, and a great party Saturday night. And I (we) got some really neat farewell gifts from good friends. One gift was this beautiful cookware:

So here's what makes the cookware interesting. I had already been thinking that I would use some touches of red in the new house, particularly in the kitchen. The kitchen has existing red window treatments that, although they're not something I would pick out, I'm going to keep them awhile and see if they grow on me:

They remind me of medieval times. Back to the cookware. While browsing through recipes last week looking for snacks for the party, I came across a crab dip that you bake in the oven until it gets hot and bubbly. The photo for the recipe showed a scalloped baking dish that would easily go from the oven to the table and still look pretty. I didn't have pretty cookware, but figured my French White Corningware (that half the women in America probably own) would have to do. But I made a mental note to be on the lookout for pretty baking dishes, and poof! I'm (we're) given RED SCALLOPED bakeware. How cool. My friend had no idea I was wanting this!

I (we, oops) also got this from another friend:

Which is again, a coincidence, because I've been wanting to keep an eye out for quaint, funky signs for the kitchen. I think this fits the bill! And then this awesome refrigerator magnet from the same friend:

As excited as I am to be living somewhere new, I'm proud of my Texas roots. It's my home and always will be. I'm certain more Texas memorabilia will find its way into our new home.

This week is less stressful than last, but just as busy if that makes sense. I'm trying to make as much time for seeing friends and family as I can, to-do list be damned! Because when all is said and done, people are more important than packing my underwear.

Really?

2011-08-03T07:14:00.000-05:00

That is not right.

Where the Heart Is

2011-08-02T14:07:00.000-05:00

Sold a house, bought a house, scheduled closings, and packers and movers arrive two weeks from yesterday. It's strange to be so excited and yet so sad at the same time. Excited for the new adventure and sad that my daughters will be over eight hours away. But I've always said it's better to miss someone and be missed than to not care at all.

I've wonderered, is this the house of my dreams? Well the answer is I never dreamed I'd have a house like it, so perhaps that's a "yes." But there are moments I feel I haven't done anything to deserve it, so the answer feels more like a "no." I think I'm more comfortable saying it's just a house, a material thing, and does nothing to say who I am and what I'm about. All I care about is that it's filled with family soon, mine and Alan's. And Duke and Junior.

I'm looking forward to the pitter-patter of their little (and big) paws throughout. I think it'll help me feel at home.

Changes, they are a comin'

2011-07-28T13:53:00.000-05:00

So yesterday began the process of showing the house: vacuuming dog and cat hair 24/7, leaving the house repeatedly with a dog who thinks that every time we get in the car we're going to the dog park, and sitting in the car in 100+ heat down the street so I can spy on the potential buyers. I've already had a realtor walk in my house as I'm getting out of the shower (a little miscommunication). And today a lady parked in our alley and stood up on her car to peer into our backyard for a while. These are good times!

I posed for this picture, can you tell?

We're housing hunting this weekend in Tulsa. I understand it's 108 up there with a trillion percent humidity, but I guarantee you it's not brown, flat, and dusty. However, look at our mostly green yard. I have to tell you, that's not a small feat to have a green yard when you've had less than 1/2 inch in 10 months and your city has restricted your water usage. You're welcome, future owner.

Wish us luck this weekend, but more importantly on the sell of our house in Midland!

Official

2011-07-25T09:12:00.000-05:00

I can finally say out loud that we are moving to Tulsa! We're excited and ready to get on with this little adventure, but it will definitely be bittersweet. I'm sure it will spark more frequent postings from me. :-)

Movie Quotes

2011-07-21T12:45:00.001-05:00

I tend to go for long spurts of not posting anything. There are usually two reasons: 1) I have nothing interesting and/or my pets haven't done anything funny; and 2) I can't talk about whatever is completely consuming my life at the time. Currently, it's the latter. More to come soon.

So instead (and perhaps I'll see if anyone reads my blog and whether or not I should shut down Desert Trivia for good), I'm going to share my favorite movie quotes that I know by heart and ask you to share yours. These quotes are on my mind, because I've been browsing online to order my all-time favorite movies. The quotes will truly date me, and I'm okay with that. And I'm pretty sure you've never heard them.

"YES, YOU ARE! You're making me crazy. Anyone who FORCES me to make chicken pepperoni is making me crazy. And YOU! Are MAKING! Me CRAZY!"

- Goldie Hawn in "Seems Like Old Times." I know pretty much every word. It's a movie about struggling to forget a former love with hilarious scenes.

"My God, if one of them farts the other one thinks it's Guy Lombardo."

- Alan Alda in "The Four Seasons." As you can tell, I like Neil Simon. This is such a good movie about marriage, divorce, friendships between couples, etc.

"Ooohh, Bubba."

- Holly Hunter in "Broadcast News." It's said during one of my favorite scenes - a very touching moment between the two best friends. It's insane how many times I've watched this movie, and I don't even care for news or politics. I love Albert Brooks.

Seems like all the movies I really like are funny and serious at the same time. Okay, you're turn!

I hate to be the bad guy.

2011-07-19T06:58:00.001-05:00

Alan was in the company vehicle filling up with gas yesterday when he called and said he found a stray dog. If there is a stray within a mile of Alan, it will FIND HIM. Fast forward 12 hours later, and there's a beautiful golden Alaskan Husky sleeping peacefully next to me while I type. I love dogs and would have a pack of them if I had land, but instead I have a small house already filled with a large retriever and very ill-mannered cat.

So what to do? I called around everywhere yesterday, and we took her to a vet to be scanned for possible microchip. We placed a Craig's List ad. We checked the paper. We called some vets. I posted on Facebook. I'll call the paper today and double check with a live person and probably place an ad. But my last hope is the animal shelter today, as they were closed yesterday (our animal shelter is in dire need of funds and therefore has limited hours). I can tell she's been recently spayed because of the scar. Surely someone around here performed the surgery and will remember such a beautiful dog.

She has a pink and black collar with signs of pink polish on her toenails. Someone cared for this dog. But I don't want to. Even though she's so pretty and sweet and well-mannered.

Is that awful? I don't want to be that person that dumps the stray off at the shelter, but what else is there to do? Besides the obvious, which is to keep her and give her a warm, happy home. We can't do that right now, so wish me luck on finding her owner. Someone has to be missing her desperately.

UPDATE: She jumped the fence and took off. I didn't go looking for her. I feel sort of like a jerk, but...

A Fair Trade

2011-06-29T17:15:00.001-05:00

Alan has inadvertently taught Duke the cutest, yet sly and underhanded trick. Duke, like most dogs, likes to put things in his mouth that don't belong there. Hair ties, socks, and squirrels come to mind. We tried pulling and prying the socks out of his mouth, teaching him "drop," and scolding him for being "bad!" and other guilt trips. It didn't work. He just looked pitifully sad yet determined to not let go. So one day Alan decided to make a trade with Duke, and would say aloud "wanna trade?" He'd take Duke over to the doggie treats and Duke would drop the item for a Pupperoni.

Some time later we noticed Duke coming right up to us and sitting obediently with a sock clenched in his mouth. Still wouldn't let go unless there was a trade.

Now it's developed into him bringing socks or other items he thinks he shouldn't have and politely dropping them in your lap. "Here, I'm not supposed to have this. Beggin' Strip?"

I can't say no to that face.

Snugglebunny

2011-06-20T07:31:00.000-05:00

My morning coffee time got interrupted.

Told you I was going to cook more...

2011-06-16T13:37:00.000-05:00

A friend of mine gave us a basket of fruit and vegetables that she mistakenly ordered too much of from Bountiful Baskets. She wouldn't let me pay for any of it, so I've been diligently trying to put it all to good use. We're big fruit and veggie eaters anyway, so it hasn't been tough. We've had salad, banana bread, steamed artichokes (a first attempt), and we've eaten lots of watermelon, cantaloupe, and peaches. Thanks, Cindy!! Today I decided to try homemade french onion soup.

Check out my reflection in the spoon. Ha.

So I let Alan know that I would see him at lunch because "remember, I'm making that french onion soup." Being the good husband that he is, he knew not to accept a spontaneous lunch invitation from anyone today. So I get it all ready, time the melting of the cheese just right, and have it all plated and ready for when he walks in the door. But he didn't walk in the door. For 20 more minutes. I finally called only to have him tell me he was just now getting in the elevator! Grrr...

But it didn't matter. Turns out that when the soup continues cooking in the oven IN the bowls you're going to eat out of, it stays REALLY, REALLY hot. It was good and I'll make it again someday, but maybe not until winter. I'm not a soup person, and 108 degree heat is not helping matters. Tomorrow's forecast: 110.

Banana Bread

2011-06-13T16:52:00.001-05:00

I've made banana bread for as long as I can remember - who hasn't? It was probably the first thing I ever baked, and I've always used my grandma's recipe, until recently. I just felt it wasn't turning out as moist as I'd like, so I started experimenting with other recipes. One night I fell asleep and burnt a loaf. Another time I didn't have vanilla and had to use maple syrup. Once I even poured the batter into the pan only to realize I forgot the pecans. The list goes on.

Today I wanted to try again. I made Momma Callie's Banana Nut Bread from "Down Home With the Neely's." I followed the recipe exactly (or so I thought), poured the batter into two small loaf pans, and as I was cleaning up realized the recipe said TWO eggs, not THREE. Geez Louise, what is my problem? Is my late grandma's ghost tampering with things because I'm abandoning her family-loved recipe?!

Obviously I had to wait until the bread was ready to check the results. I was hoping the only effect would be a positive one - that the extra egg would make it more moist. Thankfully it was very moist and very delicious. Click on the link above if you want to try it. The only thing I did differently was change the baking time. Since I made two small loaves, I baked them for only 40 minutes.

Can't wait to warm up a big slice and have it with my coffee in the morning!

What to do

2011-06-08T05:19:00.002-05:00

This is the first official week that I'm home for the summer. I have plenty to do but am worried about getting restless. Restlessness makes me feel blue. I don't like to have a million things going at one time, but I do need something to do. Monday was the typical first day back from vacation where you clean and do laundry and go grocery shopping. Good and busy and productive.

So my plans this summer are to pretend we're moving soon and therefore needing to get the house ready. I'm going to pare down anything and everything by giving stuff away, throwing stuff away, and possibly garage selling stuff away. This means I have closets to clean out and pantries/cabinets to reorganize and declutter. I'm hoping my efforts will somehow divert buyers' eyes from the 1960's kitchen and tiny bedroom closets.

Aside from the house, I told myself I would spend at least 30 minutes a day on something school related, whether that be lesson plans, reading industry stuff, or (God forbid) actually going to the school. None of these things has happened yet. Maybe I should start with 15 minutes.

And lastly I plan to cook more and keep exercising. There's a direct correlation with the two - if I cook more I must exercise more in order to EAT more. I like eating. I like summer. I plan to have a good one!

Tomorrow

2011-05-31T15:39:00.001-05:00

...might involve rain.
...will involve a beach.
...most likely will involve seafood.
...should include a poolside cocktail.
...will most definitely be miles away from this desert.

Little Sally Walker

2011-05-30T06:32:00.000-05:00

Mother May I, Simon Says, Red Light/Green Light. These are the playground games I remember from grade school. And what was that jump rope game involving a song about robbers? I don't remember at the moment. Anyhow, I had no idea what I was missing until watching my students play games with a beat, funky lyrics, and dance such as "Little Sally Walker" and "Down by the River." This is how we do it on the east side, the hood, when we don't want to be out in 100+ heat on the last day of school...

P.S. I was supposed to be "teaching with rigor" right up until the last moment of school. Seriously? Okay, so the above video was a differentiated lesson on poetry using the multiple intelligences. So there.

Chickies

2011-05-05T18:10:00.000-05:00

I don't like the birds that hang around our house. I don't like the nests they aggressively guard near our front door, nor the bird droppings that pile up. I don't like that we feed the birds in the back that then drop seeds that sprout into ugly rye grass in my yard. I don't like how they help themselves to Duke's food if the bird feeder has run dry.

I do like the dove calls and the occasional spotting of a bluejay or cardinal, still somewhat rare in this area. But everything else I don't like!

And then I saw these. These little babies whose nest is in one of my hanging plants on the back porch. They won't make it. Duke already knows they're there. It was a bad spot for the mom or dad to build a nest in the first place, but birds seem to have forgotten that that's what trees are for. Anyway, their chances are slim but I hope they get to fly away soon.

Owls

2011-05-02T22:32:00.001-05:00

A few weeks ago when Alan and I were in Houston and browsing in the museum gift shop, I made a random decision to start collecting "owl" stuff. At the time I was still reading Poppy to my homeroom class, so I may have had owls on the brain. Who knows. But anyway, I discovered that Alan also likes owls, so it was sort of a joint decision to start the collection. I knew I had an owl candle holder at home, but that was my only piece. So when we walked into Pier One yesterday and these awesome owls were staring at me with their bug eyes, I had to get them.

And then I had to get these:

So I'm now an official owl collector.

215

2011-05-01T07:35:00.001-05:00

Sounds like the number of bones in the human body. Or the number of school days in a year. Or what time I woke up last night and looked out the window hoping for lightning. It's actually the number of days since we've had measurable rain. It's hard not to think about it. We have frequent reminders. Like the smoke that blows in from fires a hundred miles away when we're out trying to enjoy a baseball game. Or when that hot 40 mph wind stirs up the fine sand that filters into your cars, your homes - I can't tell you how often I have to dust and vacuum. And you can imagine how dry our skin is. The chances are slight, but we might get rain today or tomorrow. We better start honing our Gene Kelly skills.

Brown West Texas Skies:

Easters Past

2011-04-24T08:18:00.000-05:00

I'm standing outside this morning with coffee in hand watching the family across the street hide and hunt Easter eggs. It's pulling at my heart strings thinking about those innocent moments with the girls that are long gone. I'm so thankful for getting to experience those times!

I remember how much I loved coloring eggs when I was little. I think Mother must have really liked Easter, because I can see her excitement getting all the little bowls ready for the eggs. She and I both loved the vinegar smell from the dye solution. Was Daddy in charge of hiding the eggs? Probably, but I don't truly remember.

I wish I could see the old photos of me and DeeBee hunting for eggs. I want to look at all the details - the new dresses, the shoes, the baskets. I want it to spark memories that I haven't thought of for years. I want to remember what it was like when we were a family.

I have a feeling I'll participate in Easter egg hunting again some day, but as a grandma. That's crazy to think about, but probably realistic. I have a feeling it'll be some of my favorite Easter moments yet.

Wildfire

2011-04-16T07:22:00.000-05:00

Since I seem to have little to say, I'll share this poem that Addison entered in the college's poetry contest. I think it's cool (and very timely):

http://addison-renee.blogspot.com/2011/04/poetry-contest-entry.html

Missing

2011-04-08T11:12:00.000-05:00

When I got home from school yesterday I noticed Junior wasn't around and wasn't in the house. Not a big deal - he was probably staying cool in the next door neighbor's shrubs, but normally he would come out when I pull in the drive. But later as we left to go to dinner and a ballgame with friends, he still wasn't around. Kind of odd, since it was close to his dinner time.

Still, he is a cat and cats do things according to their plans. We go to dinner and the game, and I start texting Addison to see if he's shown up. I know something's wrong when hours later he still isn't home. Junior doesn't prowl far from home. He usually won't go further than halfway down the driveway and certainly no further than one house over. And we'd figured out that no one had seen him since the morning.

We ended up going home a little early from the game, because I was really starting to worry about this mean brat of a cat that I love.

Addison and Jeffrey and Alan and I get flashlights and start searching. He's nowhere. We knock on neighbors' doors asking if they've seen him. I'm getting close to tears when I decide to check unusual places in the house while the others search outside. The cabinets. I hadn't checked the cabinets. I start in the kitchen and then check the hallway bathroom. And there in the linen closet is one hungry but happy cat. Addison remembers closing the cabinet door early that morning and no one had opened it since.

I showered him with hugs and kisses that he, of course, smugly turned away from. But that told me that everything was back as it should be.

Contagious

2011-03-25T12:27:00.000-05:00

I've had a pretty negative outlook towards my job this year, but it's not about the kids. The kids are awesome. And as I was running a couple minutes late this morning, which is rare for me, I could hear a couple of my kids around the corner and down by my room waiting out in the hall. I heard "Mrs. Schaeffer" being said among the mumbling. As I turned the corner, I was taken aback by the huge smiles and "There she is!" and "Hi, Mrs. Schaeffer!" And oh the smiles. They were so big and so genuine. I couldn't help but break out into a huge smile myself. What an awesome way to start the day. If I decide to do something else one day, it's the kids that will bring me back to teaching. And okay, those long summer breaks aren't bad either.

Update

2011-03-17T20:55:00.000-05:00

Daddy began chemotherapy two days ago, and so far the most significant symptom is being very tired and weak. No signs of nausea, and he'll know in a couple of weeks if he can expect hair loss.

I've always considered my dad to be a strong man, but mostly in physical size and strength. I recall many trips to the lake where DeeBee and I stood up on those shoulders and used him as a human diving board. Or being hoisted up on those same shoulders to get a bird's eye view of the world that seemed so far below.

The past several years I've realized how strong he is on the inside as well. All the more reason why he's going to win this battle.

Duke Solution #23

2011-03-17T10:44:00.000-05:00

That's how many solutions I think I've tried to keep him from destroying the backyard. All I know to do is put everything up high or in big pots. If this doesn't work, and he has been known to dig out plants from pots, then maybe I'll resort to cactus. I hate cactus.

Notice I have planted rocks in my flower beds.

H-town

2011-03-16T08:02:00.000-05:00

The weekend to Houston was fun and over too quickly. Got to see good friends, ate a lot of good food, got my art fix, and got a steal on a pair of suede knee-high boots. $120 boots for $30! Yes, that's a trip highlight.

Ate at this tapas bar (gotta enunciate that clearly when talking to someone on the phone) called Mi Luna. It was heaven (your voice is supposed to go up two octaves when you say that, like Will Farrell in "Elf" when he's demonstrating to Jovie that anyone can sing). Alan and I have decided we'll be watching our weight when we move somewhere that has so many dining options. Actually Alan will never have to watch his weight. Grrr. Anyway, I snapped these photos:

Holy Mama, that was some good food.

I just want to reach out and pick up that glass of wine. We were sitting outside in a shopping/dining area called Rice Village, next to Rice University. Alan and I often poke fun at people who like to hang out and be seen in these trendy areas, and there we are right along with them thinking we're so different. The difference is we didn't drive up in our Mercedes or Lexus, and my shoes were probably from Target.

Okay, doesn't that look like I totally staged and perfectly positioned that little work of art?! I couldn't reproduce that if I tried. Just plopped it on the bread and there it was. I love food. Food is gorgeous and yummy, and I love every last calorie.

We went to the Museum of Fine Arts because they were having an Impressionists exhibit. I am no artist, am not able to spout off names and titles of works of art like some, but I did take an awful lot of art and art history courses in college for someone who was not an art major. So I LOVE ME SOME ART. And this was the piece I was most excited to see:

That's a crummy image, but I had some difficulty finding an online picture that I could copy. I'm a Van Gogh fan. What a strange life he had. He died just a few months after painting this self portrait. But here was the painting I most wanted to see, and they had glass on it. Put a rope or barrier or whatever you have to do to keep people from touching it, but don't put glass on it! Geez. Anyway...in case you're thinking I'm sounding too artsy-fartsy, let me assure you we were completely immature during our museum visit. I had as much maturity as a 12-year old boy every time I saw the token boob sticking out of any biblical woman's garment, and Alan was finding random celebrity likenesses in the portraits. I don't think you're supposed to burst out laughing in a museum.

It was a simple trip, but always fun when you're with the person you're supposed to be with. Alan always tells me how much he enjoys being with me, no matter where we are. I hope a lot of wives hear that.

Livestrong

2011-02-20T21:56:00.002-06:00

Today was a whirlwind day. Up at 5:00 to leave the hotel by 5:30, driving around searching for parking, and then hurrying up and waiting for the race to start. Most of the photos were taken with my cell phone, so they're not the greatest quality:

I've never seen so many people in one place in my life. 20,000 runners plus at least one spectator for almost every runner...it got crazy. It took 25 minutes just to get every runner across the start line. Our capitol is beautiful, by the way. The stone is a pinkish hue, so it looks like a rosy replica of the U.S. Capitol.

This picture is not so great. I can tell you those are forced smiles. Alan was tired and I was developing one of the worst migraines I can remember. Alan finished the race in 3:40:42 chip time. He's not thrilled with the time, but this was yet another hilly marathon. I think he's awesome.

You probably can't see him, but Alan's on the other side of that green wall about to finish. That's as close as I could get. I saw some crazy stuff at this finish line today, including people collapsing and whose bodies were contorting and failing on them. It was disturbing and scary. A runner that we know from Midland sacrificed being able to qualify for Boston by staying back with a runner who was in serious trouble the last four miles. No one else was helping this guy. They ended up putting him in a wheelchair the last few yards, but still gave him a finishing medal.

We were mere blocks away from the University of Texas, so it was surprising how many comments and cheers Alan got for his TCU shirt. Go Frogs!

The weekend wasn't all about running. We ate well. This french toast is as tall as it looks.

I wasn't a good photographer this weekend, especially on race day. I should have stayed at the finish to get a picture of Lance Armstrong finishing the half. I should have made my way to the marathon side of the finish line to get a good picture of Alan. I could have taken photos of the craziness around me. But that stupid headache was such that I was almost crying in the car as we left town. Alan says I did cry, but I think my eyes were just a little moist. :-)

We didn't want to come home yet, no matter how weird Austin really is.

Like the tides

2011-02-15T21:42:00.000-06:00

I try not to post anything if I don't have much good to say. It's been a strange couple weeks of ups and downs. My dad got very disheartening news from the doctor, followed by uplifting news a week later, leading to what will ultimately mean chemotherapy but much better than the original prognosis. Amazing news that we weren't expecting.

A friend for many years and one of the most kind-hearted, loving people I've ever known lost her husband last week. I'm so sad for her. I simply can't imagine.

I know a teenager who is pregnant. They weren't careful, it was stupid, and my heart still goes out to her. And to her parents who are surely suffering an ache that is hard to explain.

We had a fun day-trip to Lubbock for a Tech/A&M basketball game and dinner courtesy of Alan's team lead. One thing Texas is really good at is steakhouses. It was crazy good. And we had a lot of fun with everyone there.

We're taking another weekend/marathon trip this weekend. We always have fun getting away. Doesn't it feel weird sometimes though, when you're having a good time and you think of someone you know who is going through something difficult?

Signs of Aggression

2011-02-03T07:44:00.000-06:00

Junior has a follow-up at the vet tomorrow for what we hope is the third and final visit in the past two weeks. $400 later, we're hoping for a clean bill of health. $400 is a hard pill to swallow considering the abuse we take from this cat, but he's ours and our responsibility. I've talked a lot about the abuse, but here are the aggressive behaviors that warrant such abuse:

Putting socks and shoes on. Unacceptable.
Using a hair dryer. The nerve.
Sitting in his computer chair.
Petting him longer than approved.
Doing a manicure/pedicure.
Brushing one's teeth.
Sleeping.
Walking.
Breathing.

I think that covers it.

What's good for the goose ain't always good for the gander.

2011-01-31T19:31:00.000-06:00

I posted on Facebook about how everyone should go to a marathon at some point in their lives and cheer someone on. You don't have to know the participants, but it helps. I've been to five marathons now, because Alan ran his 5th yesterday in Waco, Texas. Alan discovered that Waco is quite hilly. Like REALLY friggin hilly he said, but he might not have said "friggin."

Here are a couple things I like about marathons. Every runner crossing that line has gone through strenuous, ridiculous, difficult training to get where they are. (I think they're all crazy, but it's a kind of crazy I can respect.) So as each person finishes, most spectators are cheering and clapping for perfect strangers. See the guy sitting down to the left?

But I also like to watch the spectators that are there cheering for someone in particular - they're so excited and probably relieved that their loved one made it, and sometimes they're emotional. They make signs, they take pictures, they video the event, and many times they run the last 100 yards or so with their runner. And fellow runners are great cheerleaders for each other. Look at these guys:

Look at those faces! Awesome.

I'm usually by myself at these events, so I have sat and watched a lot of this. It's cool. But nothing as cool as when you see YOUR runner coming. So go find you a marathon friend to experience this with! Yell loud and take pictures and brag about them relentlessly.

See that little speck about to come under the bridge? That's my runner. Seems like a lonely sport, doesn't it?

And here's the finish:

Medals are big in Texas:

Okay, so there are a couple things I don't like about running events. Some runners are uber showy about how great they are. I guess you have that in any sport though. I also don't like waiting and waiting and waiting. I know when Alan should be showing up, and when that time gets closer I tend to get antsy. And lastly, I don't like sitting there feeling envious. I want to be that healthy and fit and achieve an amazing goal like that, but I just can't. My body has let me know repeatedly that I'm not cut out for being an athlete. I ran my little 5K on Saturday with what appears to be a strained calf muscle. If it's not that, it's tendonitis or shin splints, or whatever.

So I think this is an area where I need to remain the spectator, although I might attempt a 10K when I'm all healed up. I'll never make it as far as Alan and some of our friends, but I can be a great cheerleader on the sidelines. :-)

On the other hand...

2011-01-23T15:21:00.000-06:00

Duke is loving life.

About my cat...

2011-01-22T12:21:00.000-06:00

I knew Junior was one tough hombre, but I didn't realize how tough until our recent vet visit. He'd been having some bathroom issues, and it was time to do the unthinkable and take him to the vet. It has to be pretty serious before we take him, both because it's hard on him and the vet staff. Turns out this cat has been in extreme pain, peeing "crystals" of urine. The vet says in his 20 years of practice, it's the worst case of urine crystallization he's ever seen. He said he doesn't know how Junior's withstood the pain and has probably been wishing his penis would fall off.

So the treatment is bottled water for the rest of his life and canned cat food - prescription cat food for now. Junior hates canned food, so I guess we'll see how hungry he gets. And I get to give him a dropper of antibiotics for the next several days. That's always fun. He's been confined to the garage to keep any accidents from happening in the house as well as keeping him from going outside and getting his boy part dirty.

He's pretty tired of the garage, although Alan has taken every measure to make it comfortable. So Alan went out there earlier to "visit" Junior and coax him into eating the cat food. Here's what Junior thought of his visit:

He's such a brat, but he's my little brat. :-)

No need to visit The Alamo

2011-01-16T07:12:00.006-06:00

I've been to San Antonio so many times, I couldn't count. My grandmother lived here before she died, so a lot of memories are of sitting around being bored in a tiny retirement village apartment. Eating banana bread, probably. And for a real treat we'd go down to the "dining room" where other old people gathered and kind of creeped me out. I'm better around old people now, by the way.

As an adult I've had some good trips here and some so-so trips. I have a fond memory of when Matt and I brought the girls to the zoo and Sea World when they were pretty little. I still laugh about some moments from that trip. Alan and I have been to San Antonio together a few times now - with friends, seeing family, and this time by ourselves. No offense friends and family, but this has by far been my favorite trip.

It has been cold and rainy since we arrived. We smiled at the rain driving in and have loved it and appreciated it the entire time. Funny thing when you haven't seen rain in a while - YOU MISS IT. We came prepared with coats, gloves, and toboggans (yes, that's what I call them). The humidity has not been kind to my naturally curly hair, but stuffing it under a knit cap solves that problem. We'd be back out in it right now at a running park if I could wake Alan up. The guy gets a hangover after two drinks. By the way, I have a new favorite drink - the Mexican Martini. But I digress...

We still have a full day and night left, so I'm going to head back up to the room and get Alan moving. When we get back home I'll post a picture of why I now love the city of San Antonio based on one simple act of kindness to animals. :-)

Update: Here's the photo.

This was along the River Walk.

Somewhere out there...

2011-01-05T12:44:00.000-06:00

Back in the early 90s I read a book by Betty Eadie called Embraced by the Light. Books are often trendy, and therefore there were a number of books on out-of-body experiences, after-life, or psychic topics during this time. I read a few. I like that sort of stuff. And I'll watch most any show about the paranormal as well. Growing up I was taught by the Church I guess, that believing in anything like that was NAUGHTY. Whatever. I never thought it made sense for a religious group to denounce things of a spiritual nature.

Anyway, there's a new show on the Bio channel (I think) called "I Survived...From Beyond and Back" or something like that. It tells of people who died and were then revived and what they experienced during the being dead part. Like the previous books I read, they all talk about the love and warmth they felt during their experiences, and how the message received was "love is all that matters and all we should be focusing on."

So I had to teach after-school tutorials yesterday, and I'll just tell you I really don't look forward to tutorials. But all day I kept thinking about what those people said about how we're not here for just ourselves, but rather here to help our fellow man. I had a different attitude during my tutorials, and we had a pretty good session. Will that feeling stick with me? Very probably, most undoubtedly not! But you can bet I have my DVR set to record the next episode.

2011-01-01T20:27:00.000-06:00

I have to wonder how different things might be one year from today. I'm not sure which is more exciting or unsettling: how much could change or how much could not change over the next 12 months. We could have moved from Midland. I might not be teaching. The girls could be doing who knows what, and both my "kids" will no longer be kids.

Whatever happens, I think 2011 has a nice ring to it.

Some favorites from 2010:

Finishing this:

When little Betsey came along:

Crossing something off the bucket list:

Beautiful San Diego:

Camping with Duke and my favorite person:

Florida in October with the guys:

And any moment spent with them...I've learned far too late to treasure these times:

Peace

2010-12-23T17:08:00.000-06:00

A rare moment when all the animals are napping together rather than chasing each other:

What to do with all the photo cards?

2010-12-18T16:47:00.001-06:00

I've decided someone crafty needs to come up with a way to display all the Christmas photo cards that people send these days, since they don't stand up on their own. Until then, here's my makeshift answer. Problem is, we get so many photo cards now that it's hard to find room on this thing. So here's what I think it should look like: it should be Christmas tree shaped, with lots of those roach clip things to hold the photos, and should be either for hanging on the wall or should come with a stand for a table or mantel.

Or how about everyone starts sending their photo cards digitally, and then they can be downloaded and displayed on a digital photo frame. You watch, someone will create it and it'll be all the rage next Christmas season. ;-)

Update: So Addison and I go to Pier One today and what would you guess was on display? A metal Christmas tree-shaped photo card holder.

"Rerry Rismas!"

2010-12-16T19:33:00.001-06:00

Alan and I found the Christmas wish lists written by the four-legged family members.

Duke's
More playtime with skinny guy.
More playtime with Junior.
More playtime with Betsey.
New can of tennis balls.
The squirrel to GET IN MAH BELLY!
Bacon. Not fake bacon.
Anything Betsey has.

Betsey's
Anything Duke has.

Junior's
Death to the red dog.
Less playtime with Betsey.
Humans to check food bowl every hour on the hour.
Front claws.

A Sunday to remember

2010-12-05T18:30:00.003-06:00

You know you've neglected your blog for a while when the web address doesn't display on your history list. Anyhow.

Ever buy someone a Christmas gift, get it wrapped, and then later get that de ja vu feeling that you bought them that same gift a few years ago? I hate that.

But this has been a good holidayish type day. The girls and Alan and I finally got together for some family portraits and some Christmas card shots. The results aren't professional, but the process was fun. It was cold, although you wouldn't know it from mine and Bailey's flip-flops and sandals, but that's how we do fall and winter in West Texas! Here's one that won't make it in a frame but will be a classic nonetheless:

Alan made hot chocolate when we got back to the house, and getting to use my Christmas mugs makes me happy.

He then went to the grocery store so that I could stay home and watch the Cowboys. So I'm watching the Cowboys, playing with the photos, and ignoring lesson plans. Who needs 'em? And oh my lord the Cowboys just won, so this day is awesome!

Ready or not

2010-11-24T17:35:00.000-06:00

Signs of the holidays are starting to creep in around here. Pies for tomorrow, done.

Turkey fryer, assembled.

Mantel, done.

And last but not least: dysfunctional family, you betcha. Yes, it's definitely the holiday season!

Ended the way it began

2010-11-16T20:45:00.000-06:00

I didn't sleep well last night, which is quite the norm lately, but nothing that remembering to take a swig of Nyquil won't remedy. I needed to get up really early to get to school and take care of a million things I hadn't done the day before. But by the time the alarm was supposed to sound, I couldn't get myself to budge. Needless to say, I was running late, didn't have time to pack my breakfast, my lunch, or get there in time to meet a paperwork deadline. So I had school food - a gingerbread thing for breakfast and some interesting turkey and dressing for lunch.

I spent the day being one step behind, although it was a great day with the kids. Funny how sometimes when you are "winging it," you have some of your best moments.

And then as the dismissal bell rang this afternoon at 3:45, I happened to look down at my sleeve. My shirt was inside out and had been ALL DAY LONG. All the stitching was exposed. Lovely.

I'm now going to get the coffee ready and programmed for the morning, so that I don't experience de ja vu tomorrow morning.

His softer side

2010-11-06T08:03:00.000-05:00

If I didn't know any better, I'd say Junior likes another fellow animal. Another living being, for that matter.

(Excuse Betsey's diaper. She's having some girl issues.)

The last to know

2010-10-28T22:02:00.000-05:00

Fellow Blogger bloggers: Am I the only one who didn't know the posting editor has been UPDATED? Oh my Lord. I could scream from frustration and elation all at the same time. Good grief.

Under my skin

2010-10-28T12:58:00.006-05:00

Had a particularly interesting confrontation with a parent yesterday. I'd have to say that so far in my short career, this would rank as one of the more potentially hostile run-ins. It started with an ugly note from a rather large mom who likes to throw her weight around in the literal and figurative sense. Long story short - I confronted her, let her know what I thought of her note, and we moved on.

It's not that I'm not apprehensive about these confrontations. I was nervous and had no idea how she was going to react. Sort of wish I could have reined in the "bring it, bitch" look I had on my face, but I was so mad that I was almost anxious to see what would happen. That's kind of weird I guess, but honestly this mom pushed my buttons to the limit. Alan has this fear that I'm going to get myself hurt someday, because I feel really strongly about speaking up when someone's being a jackass. Sometimes too strongly I suppose.

It's the part of my job I hate, and with 65 or more sets of parents each year, there's just no getting away from it. Most parents are awesome - supportive, helpful, and willing to work as a team. Others just don't stop to think.

I think the issue with this parent is resolved, but I should probably watch those dark alleys for a while. ;-)

Old Haunts

2010-10-18T16:51:00.009-05:00

I love Fall and love the fun of Halloween. I love scary movies and being scared, or at least a little. But on the way to work this morning while listening to the radio, they played a little snippet of the The Exorcist theme music. I know it sends chills up many a spine, but I feel especially affected by that music. I have this vivid memory of being traumatized by the TV trailers when I was a child and being scared at bedtime for what seemed like months. Or was my memory so vivid?

I would have placed my age at around 8 or 9 years old, but after googling facts about the movie I discover it was released in 1973. That means I was 6. That also means we were still living on Roosevelt and not at the house on Humble, where my memory of the movie occurs. So it appears that what really scared me was when The Exorcist II came out in 1977. As soon as the commercials would come on the screen, I would run out of the room - that much I do remember. We didn't have remote controls in those days where you could quickly change the channel. And as if the commercials weren't haunting enough, they also played the full version of the theme music on the radio regularly. There was just no getting away from it.

There were plenty of other horror films during this time - The Omen series, Amityville Horror, and Carrie are ones that come to mind. But they just didn't affect me like The Exorcist. I even remember when SNL did a skit where Loraine Newman played Regan, complete with demonic voice and greenish-white vomit. Even that scared me!

So I've always been fascinated with the movie yet have kept my distance. I'm thinking of changing that this Halloween season. I think I want to break down and make myself watch it. The idea is to watch it in a group setting, however; maybe invite some friends over to make it more "fun" than scary. Maybe then I'll be able to get past it and laugh about it.

When Alan surprised me with the trip to D.C. over spring break, one of my must-sees was visiting Georgetown to take pictures of the actual exorcism site. Ashley knew exactly where it was and took us to the famous steps. I took this photo:

(You'll see almost the same photo on Wikipedia, minus the graffiti.)

I guess everyone has something from their childhood that really spooked them. Addison had a boogieman she called "The Ballin." At 4 years old, she described it as a black shapeless thing that came down from the ceiling in her bedroom. That's friggin creepy. And Bailey had night tremors at around the same age, which if you've ever witnessed someone having, you'll understand when I say it's a whole new level of disturbing.

Anyone else have a childhood haunt that sort of creeps you out to this day? I don't want to be alone...literally. :-)

In case I need a second job...

2010-10-13T19:08:00.004-05:00

I have an idea for a children's book. I say this with great hesitation because I'm careful not to sound presumptuous. It's as if saying that I want to write a children's book means I'm claiming to be capable or talented enough to write. That's not it at all. It's just something I've thought about recently but have no idea how to go about it. I've already chosen an illustrator, too - Addison.

This is the third book idea that has come to me in the past few weeks, and I don't aspire to be OR have a life-long dream to be an author. What is going on? Even the titles popped into my head almost immediately. I took one idea and started a secret, unpublicized blog on the same topic to see if I could write enough material. I was unimpressed with myself and stopped. The other book idea would take too much research, and that sounds like no fun at all.

But the children's book wouldn't be that difficult to write. It's my story after all - a true story I told my students in an effort to reach the ones who hate to read.

So now what? I'm guessing what will happen is a lot of grading and lesson planning and sitting on my bum and not a lot of writing anything. But it's kind of fun to daydream about.

My Teams

2010-10-10T10:57:00.006-05:00

Alan got me a kindle for my birthday. Funny how I can make time to read now that I have a fun little electronic to do it with.

But in case you don't think of Alan as the type who can be frivolous or spontaneous, get a load of what he was trying to arrange for my birthday. The Braves have made it to the playoffs, and their first series started in San Francisco. Since SF is one of my favorite places, he was trying to plan a weekend out west to watch the Braves play the Giants. How cool would that have been? But they weren't playing on Saturday and having to take off on Friday would have been bad timing for me with that whole teaching thing.

Still, what a cool thought. At least we can say we've gone to a Braves game in Atlanta before Bobby Cox retired. So that makes two sports-related items I can scratch off my to-do list: saw the Chicago Bulls when Michael Jordan was still playing, and saw the Braves a couple years ago. Now it's time to see a Cowboys game. Hard to believe I've lived this close all these years and have never gone. Okay, so I've talked myself into it - I'm adding that to my list.

Two-score and three years ago...

2010-10-05T16:23:00.010-05:00

Today's my birthday. I've always liked birthdays, including my own. How can you not be in a good mood on your birthday? The girls' birthdays were always the best. I learned from my friend Sara that you should always make a big deal about birthdays - balloons, streamers, confetti, flowers, and just lots of color in general. It didn't matter whose birthday it was, whether her daughter's or some coworker's at the office. She was great at making people feel special, and although we only stay in touch via Facebook, I'm sure she still does this today.

So I tried this for several years and sometimes succeeded. As the girls have gotten older, I haven't stuck with it and well, there's been a year or two when a big celebration wasn't really appropriate. Life steps in rather rudely at times and interrupts the mood.

I've found myself lately beginning to worry just a little about the aging thing. I look at pictures of myself from just a few years ago and compare those to today, and I'm definitely seeing something different. I can't tell what it is - my skin, my eyes, more pronounced lines, the pounds? Or is it just aging from stress? It hasn't been the easiest couple of years, but do people really age that much from tough times? I think about how the presidents always look significantly older and more gray after four years in office. Personally I'm finding my root touch-ups are happening more frequently than before!

I pay more attention to beauty product commercials and find it disconcerting that I listen closely to the ones about how to fade dark spots and "fix" other skin imperfections due to aging. I think about how Alan rolls his eyes at those commercials, while I'm wondering how soon I should start using the products before our age difference starts to show.

I suppose on the plus side, I do like the mental maturity that comes with each passing year. At least I hope I'm getting a little more mature, developing a bit more perspective, etc. I don't want to wear grandma jeans or get my hair done once a week, but there's something to be said for knowledge that comes from time.

But all in all, it's been a good birthday. And I got to go with Bailey to get her senior portraits taken - by the same photographer and in the same studio where I sat many, many years ago. Still remember it like it was yesterday. :-)

Letting go

2010-09-28T06:04:00.013-05:00

There are a few ways in which Alan and I differ. Being able to throw things away is one of those areas. Alan has a stuffed leather wallet whose seams are worn, ripped, and whose capacity to stretch and bulge has been exceeded. It's not that he doesn't want to buy a replacement, au contraire. He has a brand new, soft leather wallet sitting in its original box in his closet as we speak. It's been there for two years maybe? He won't throw the old wallet out until it can no longer serve its purpose.

This holds true for other things: 1) Jeans. Holes in the butt are perfectly acceptable. In public even. 2) T-shirts. Same as jeans, except t-shirts can become so ragged that the collar and armpits are disappearing. 3) Yogurt. Everyone knows the expiration date is only a suggestion, right? 4) The Paper Trail. Nevermind that we're technology advanced enough that we should be mostly paperless. Surely those bank statements and Jack-in-the-Box employment stubs from 1990 will come in handy during an IRS audit someday.

I can almost understand some of that. But carrying this around for nearly a year is beyond my comprehension:

It began with the card having a couple knicks and cracks in it. Eventually it finally split down the middle; hence, the scotch tape that's been there for several months. My theory is that Alan likes the attention it brings when EVERY SINGLE CASHIER makes a comment about it. He claims that isn't true. But those of you who know Alan, know that he can have a conversation with everyone he encounters and actually enjoy it.

The inevitable is about to happen, however. The card expires in 10 days. :-)

Red

2010-09-23T17:38:00.004-05:00

Just 'cause he's pretty...

Addison gave Duke a bath today, so I've got to show off his shiny red locks. If you look closely, you'll find evil in the background.

Whuh? I might have asked him something about a walk that I knew we weren't taking. I think it's okay to tease occasionally, especially since he embarrassed me by humping every 4-legged creature at the dog park last night.

Pure sweetness.

Junior the Ripper

2010-09-22T21:29:00.009-05:00

Some days I just don't know what to do with him.

Not because he's big, fat, lazy, and won't get out of my computer chair, but because he's so flippin' mean. The slice on the back of my leg from a week or so ago is close to healing, and then last night I'm attacked leaving a 3-inch cut complete with a couple puncture wounds. I was standing out at recess today (in a skirt) when a student from last year walked up behind me and said, "Mrs. Schaeffer - did your cat do that?" She remembers how often I'd come to school with my battle scars. And then there's the bites on my arm from a couple weeks ago.

Sometimes I wish I could know what he is thinking.

I get some satisfaction with the addition of Betsey to our household. She pesters Junior as much as Duke does, which somehow helps even things out. And then there are those moments I relish when I can make a fool of him, like the humiliation seen here post-bath:

I know he's with us until he dies, but there are days I fantasize about how that will happen.

Brainless Activity

2010-09-18T17:09:00.003-05:00

I've spent most of the day sitting on the couch watching "Band of Brothers." There are some shows that Alan and I agree are worth watching anytime they're on, whether there are 90 minutes left or 10. "Band of Brothers" is one of those, and usually it's shown as a marathon. Thus, the long afternoon of couch-potatoing. Not to mention the fact I have a slight cold and don't feel like doing anything else.

A couple others we agree on:

The Bourne (Anything)
Zoolander
South Park

I've become such a South Park junkie. It's my #1 guilty pleasure. I've even found that when I'm having trouble falling asleep at night, I'll watch one of the thirty or so recorded episodes to doze off to. I love that they make fun of every demographic, every religion, you name it. No one gets left out. But it's so wrong on so many levels.

There are plenty we don't agree on. Alan's not interested in anything paranormal or ghost-related, and I can easily pass up college football or "Dumb and Dumber." To add to this random post, I'm going to share some of my favorite movies:

Seems Like Old Times (a Neil Simon)
The Four Seasons (another Neil Simon)
Broadcast News

You'd never want to watch these movies WITH me, however. I know all the dialogue and can't help myself. But it's the dialogue that makes those movies rock. I wish there were a network solely dedicated to showing 70s and 80s movies. And with that I'm going to stop, because I'm really showing my age. I shouldn't be doing that, with another birthday approaching.

The Chair

2010-09-11T20:15:00.003-05:00

While we were in the no carpet/bare concrete floor stage, Junior decided that a hard cold floor was not suitable for His Highness. He decided the leather computer chair was his new domain. Now that carpet is back and oh-so much cozier than what we had before, I've been waiting for him to find his spot back on the floor where he belongs. Because fun as it is to remove a biting, growling, pissed-off cat every time I need the computer chair, this is getting old:

The gluteus maximus

2010-09-08T18:32:00.005-05:00

I shall whine now. Here is a common recurrence that happens over and over, because that's what recurrences do. I take up some form of exercise, usually jogging. (At this point I'm going to refer to what I do as jogging, not running. Jogging seems more honest.) Anyway, I do my darnedest to take it semi-seriously and stick with it, but something always happens. Tendonitis, shin splints, sciatica, groin pull, you name it. And I'm really disciplined about stretching beforehand. A couple of years ago (or more) I was playing tennis and hurt my arm/shoulder. It still hasn't healed. Back in December I ran a 5K that perhaps I hadn't trained enough for and have had problems with my sciatic nerve ever since. I have a throbbing sort of pain in my right butt cheek, the right side of my right knee, and ditto on my right ankle. I feel quite ladylike saying my butt hurts.

I suppose it really is age. Man, that sucks to know the truth. But I want to fight this aging thing for as long as I can, butt pain and all.

My vintage kitchen

2010-09-04T19:12:00.010-05:00

When the girls were little and their dad and I were still married, I went to a lot of garage and estate sales. A LOT of sales. It wasn't necessarily because we didn't have the money to buy things new, but I just liked the idea of finding bargains. I might have gotten a little carried away at times. I remember sitting in my living room in the house on Neely and looking around at all the items that came from these sales. I was proud of this. Why, I'm not sure. The girls wore clothes I bought second-hand, too, and wow do I regret that when I look back at home movies. Anyway, here are some kitchen finds that I love and use to this day:

I got this odd-shaped pan for $4.00, and it still has the price written on the bottom in permanent marker. I use it as a landing spot for hot wings, fried potatoes, and whatever we're pulling off the grill. Buying something at an estate sale means it usually belonged to someone elderly. I like to make the assumption that because of this, these are quality pieces. I tell myself that that generation thought carefully about what they bought and therefore made quality purchases. I could write a whole post on the things I tell myself about the elderly. But I digress...

This is my favorite find. I've made countless batches of salsa in this food processor. It was used when I bought it, and I've had it for probably 12 years. I rarely use it for anything else, and if you look closely you'll probably see residual salsa. I don't clean it that well. And what is that brand, Moulinex? It must be special because it's not just "La Machine," it's "La Machine II!"

I bought this double boiler at an estate sale. I use the bottom pot frequently, but I use the double boiler for only two things: homemade banana pudding and melting chocolate for buckeyes. I happen to be making buckeyes right now for a friend who just had her wisdom teeth removed. Despite how beat up it is, I love that it has a copper bottom and that it's the easiest pot to clean that I own. (Check out my vintage stovetop knobs in the background - awesome!)

Alan and I used to go to garage and estate sales pretty frequently. I think it started out as cheap entertainment when that was the only kind of entertainment we could afford, and then we just continued because we always had a good time together. We haven't been going for quite a while now. Kind of hard to do when Alan runs most Saturday mornings and pretty much every other morning of his life. I miss it.

Ninja

2010-08-31T22:06:00.003-05:00

I'd easily have won $10,000 from that "funniest home movies" show, had I been able to get my camera to work. This would be my broken camera, which I figured out still (sort of) works as long as you use the viewfinder only. This would also be the only camera I own now that has video capability. And the camera that no longer holds the memory card I needed for a video.

The video would have been of this high-on-crack squirrel who was putting on quite the show in our backyard. Alan called me over to the window, telling me I had to see the squirrel "working on his ninja skills." I can't accurately describe the things it was doing. This squirrel kept bouncing off the tree onto the ground and back to the tree again, doing 360s and backflips and leg kicks - I kid you not. I was laughing so much that my cheeks were hurting and my eyes were watering. But it wasn't just the squirrel that would have made the video highlights. It was the ongoing commentary and sound effects from Alan, complete with Chinese accent.

I love that Alan can still make me laugh until I cry. And I don't think he and I will ever look at squirrels the same way again. :-)

Miles to go

2010-08-28T08:56:00.005-05:00

Nice to know some things never change, or maybe not. It still takes me over 11 minutes to run a mile. That's right, I said it. But it felt good to get some exercise again, especially after making it through the first week of school. One of my coworkers wants to start doing some 5Ks again, so I needed to get out there and see if my legs still moved. If I'm going to keep this up though, I should probably find out what to do about this pinched(?) sciatic nerve that's been bothering me since last December.

Two songs from my iPod that help me keep going during my little jaunts:

1) Green Day's "Brain Stew" - you have to try working out to this song some time, especially when you're getting to the point when you want to stop. Awesome.

2) George Benson's "On Broadway" - because how could anyone not LOVE that song?!

One thing that is not helpful:

Right after my workout, Alan comes breezing in from his 18-mile run saying he's still feeling good and is going to take Duke for a 3-mile run. Geez.

A chore no more

2010-08-25T17:34:00.006-05:00

A week ago today our new carpet was installed, and during that entire week I have not vacuumed this carpet AT ALL! You cannot know how significant this is, so I'll tell you. The beige burber carpet we had previously showed e-ver-y-thing. Including the burnt iron mark courtesy of Alan. So I vacuumed a LOT, as in every other day I was dragging out that heavy Dyson.

I'm going to vacuum today, not because it looks like it needs it but because I know it needs it. I know Duke and Junior have collectively deposited a canister of hair and grass and dirt for the vacuum cleaner.

So it was a good decision, and my feetsies are happy about it, too.

Daydreaming

2010-08-21T08:39:00.006-05:00

Ever feel like you're waiting "for the day when..."? I say those words in my head a lot. You can finish your own statement I'm sure, but for me it's waiting for the day when everyone is alright. A day, or better yet, a large span of time when the people I'm closest to and most affected by are all in a good place. A day when myself or Alan, my daughters, my sister, or my closest friends or family are not sad or hurting or just plain depressed. I guess it's kind of a selfish request, because I'm partially thinking of myself. I don't want to feel sad about anyone or anything. Just for a while.

Not that people need a life completely free from stress - stress can be good. The stress from this past week before school starts is a good stress. It has helped me focus on what really needs to get done, helped me be a little more creative, and helped me appreciate the fact that I really do love my job.

I suppose there's meant to be a balance in which the people who are doing okay can be there for those who aren't. Life just seems so hard a lot of the time, and I'm waiting for the day when it's not.

Time for the bell

2010-08-20T17:56:00.002-05:00

Am super tired but will be super excited Monday morning when school starts. It's hard to describe the couple of weeks right before school. I'm amazed at how hard my fellow teachers work and the long hours they put in to get everything just right. And I guarantee they don't feel they've done enough or crossed enough off their lists. Anywho, I'm tired and going to enjoy a night of pizza with friends and some fun shopping with my cousin tomorrow. I'll post more later when I have something besides reading centers and supplies and lesson plans to talk about.

Numbers

2010-08-14T05:26:00.006-05:00

I was sitting in the dentist's office a few weeks ago flipping through a magazine, and came across this idea for a wedding gift. The article talked about these two women who are in business together traveling the world taking photos of vintage or interesting numbers they find on buildings, address plates, etc. They now have this large collection of photos from which they'll customize a framed number or numbers for you, whatever your occasion. It's a cool idea, so I'm doing my part to share others' ideas as well as steal from them.

I'm going to a wedding tonight for a bride who asked for no gifts and publicized no registration. She's been married before but has now found her true love. I can totally relate to that, so I wanted to do something but keep it simple. I didn't have time to travel the world, much less Midland, so I decided to print out numbers in different fonts, put a fancy border around each, and print it on antique-looking paper:

Now I want to make one with mine and Alan's anniversary date. :-)

Crunch time

2010-08-13T17:17:00.003-05:00

One week and three days until school starts. I can sit perfectly still without lifting a finger and become exhausted just thinking about how much there is to do before then. I'm exhausted right now after a day of meetings and everyone getting more confused rather than enlightened. I've yet to unpack my room. Lesson plans need to be written for a new curriculum that we've yet to receive training on. But I can honestly say that what needs to get done will get done in time. And the kids will never know about the chaos and panic that ensued before they arrive.

2010-08-12T18:01:00.001-05:00

So I'm a little fickle. I missed the crispy, brown landscape and had to put it back.

Epic Relay

2010-08-12T07:33:00.010-05:00

I just dropped Alan off at the airport. He's headed to Utah for a relay race that starts in Logan, Utah, goes through Idaho, and ends in Wyoming. You know, that really ugly part of the country with mountains and rivers and trees and other ugly stuff.

It's called an "epic relay" and involves 12-member co-ed teams (one member being his best bud from college) with each participant running 3 legs, for a total of 191 miles. Pure craziness. I'm not sure how they work out all of the logistics, but he had to take a sleeping bag for possible sleeping in the middle of nowhere and a headlamp for running at night. Alan can handle the distances (he ran 19 miles on Sunday), but the altitude makes a huge difference when you're not used to it.

The race starts at midnight tonight and ends sometime on Saturday. Hopefully family in the area will understand that he has no time to stop and visit. But it sounds like quite the adventure, and I'm sure Alan will have lots of stories when he gets back home on Sunday.

If you're interested: http://www.epicrelays.com/running-relay-utah-wyoming.html.

Texas Sky

2010-08-10T16:42:00.003-05:00

It was time to change the banner since it didn't really fit the current season. Thought I'd shamelessly steal another photo from the internet that shows something we're known for here in West Texas - our sunsets and sunrises.

Posing

2010-08-08T19:44:00.009-05:00

I spent a few hours with Bailey this morning, taking pictures for her senior year. These are the casual shots that kids seem to be doing these days, and then they still get their formal (professional) shot for the yearbook. We took about 130 pictures, so it's hard to choose a few of my favorites. Not to mention the whole bias thing about being her mom and thinking they're all good.

These were, of course, all taken on the grounds of our mansion.

Freak show

2010-08-07T11:34:00.004-05:00

I think you see the resemblance. He's even workin' the camera.

Actually Duke had laser eye surgery yesterday to correct the entropion he had in both eyes (bottom lid was rubbing the cornea). I'm afraid to take him out in public for fear of scaring little children.